CUMU Conference 2018

Welcome remarks provided by CUMU President Tom George. Presentation of the Barbara A. Holland Scholar Award by Valerie Holton and Brenda Kowalski, and presentation of the Ernest A. Lynton Award for the Scholarship of Engagement for Early Career Faculty by Julie Plaut, followed by a panel from the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Harnessing the Power of Innovative and Engaged Research and Community Alliance

Teresa L. Córdova, Ph.D. Great Cities Institute, Director
Amanda Lewis, Ph.D. Institute for Research on Race and Public Policy, Director
Jonathan Klein, M.D. and MPH, Department of Pediatrics, Chair.
Erica Staley, Director of Operations and Acting Director, Manufacturing Renaissance

  Chicago is a great city with a booming downtown. Yet in many of its neighborhoods, young people of color struggle daily around basic needs and the impacts of joblessness, poorly funded schools, housing unaffordability, high rates of gun-related violence and inadequate access to social and health services. The University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) is known for its community engaged scholarship with numerous faculty co-producing research that is directly relevant to addressing many of these issues. In this plenary presentation, after UIC researchers and community partners describe the research and its impacts, panelists will discuss what it takes to engage in the co-production of research including the use of traditional and innovative methodologies; creating and compiling data; and tying research conclusions to program and policy relevant applications. Concrete case studies will be used to highlight these issues including UIC work with the City of Chicago on its youth quality of life index.  Much of the research described will draw up on the work of UIC’s Great Cities Institute (GCI), the Institute for Research on Race and Public Policy (IRRPP), and The School of Medine. The title of the plenary is a combination of the taglines of GCI and IRRPP: “Harnessing the Power of Research: Solutions for Today’s Urban Challenges,” and “Innovative Research. Engaged Research. Community Alliance.”