University Outreach and Engagement

About the Office: Bios

Office of the Associate Provost for Outreach and Engagement

Hiram E. Fitzgerald, Ph.D.

Hiram E. Fitzgerald received his Ph.D. degree in developmental psychology (1967) from the University of Denver. Currently he is University Distinguished Professor in the Department of Psychology and Associate Provost for University Outreach and Engagement at Michigan State University. He is president of the Engagement Scholarship Consortium, a member of the Executive Committee of the Council on Engagement and Outreach of the Association for Public and Land Grant Universities, a member of the Board of Directors of Transformative Regional Engagement Networks, and a member of the Academy for Community Engagement Scholarship task force. Fitzgerald is past president and executive director of both the Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health and the International Association for Infant Mental Health, and for 16 years (1992-2008) served as executive director of the World Association for Infant Mental Health. He has been associated with the Michigan Longitudinal Study of Family Risk for Alcoholism over the Life Course for 25 years, is a member of the Steering Committee of the Early Head Start National Evaluation Research Consortium and its Father and Risk Work Groups, chairs the MSU Wiba Anung Early Head Start/Head Start research team monitoring work force development and early childhood education in partnership with the Intertribal Council of Michigan, is scientific advisor to the American Indian/Alaska Native Head Start Research Center at the University of Colorado, Denver, is a member of the Native Children's Research Exchange, and is a member of a variety of interdisciplinary research teams focusing on the evaluation of community-based early preventive-intervention programs in Michigan and the United States.

Fitzgerald's major areas of funded research include the study of infant and family development in community contexts, the impact of fathers on early child development, implementation of systemic community models of organizational process and change, the etiology of alcoholism, the digital divide and youth use of technologies, and broad issues related to the scholarship of engagement. He has published over 187 peer-reviewed journal articles, 76 chapters and 73 books, and is editor-in-chief of the Infant Mental Health Journal and Associate Editor of the Journal of Higher Education Outreach and Engagement. He has received numerous awards, including the ZERO TO THREE Dolley Madison Award for Outstanding Lifetime Contributions to the Development and Well Being of Very Young Children and the Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health Selma Fraiberg Award, and is one of three recipients of the World Association for Infant Mental Health's Honorary President designation. He is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association, the Association of Psychological Science, and the American Association for Applied and Preventive Psychology.

Patricia Farrell, Ph.D.

Patricia Farrell, Ph.D., is the assistant provost for university-community partnerships. Farrell has extensive experience in school reform efforts, promotion of school health programs, and early childhood initiatives to improve children's school readiness. Most recently, she partnered with Anne Soderman from the College of Human Ecology on a Kellogg-funded school readiness initiative in the Lansing area. Their manual, Off to a Great Start: Best Practices in Emerging Literacy, outlines how preschool and kindergarten teachers can improve children's literacy and school readiness. Farrell holds a Ph.D. in educational administration from Michigan State University.

Holly Brophy-Herb

Holly E. Brophy-Herb, Ph.D., is an associate professor in the Department of Family and Child Ecology. She conducts research on early social-emotional development in infancy and early childhood. She is particularly interested in the acquisition of a repertoire of social and emotional competencies that promote the ability of infants, toddlers, and preschoolers to regulate their own behavior and engage in positive interactions with their parents, caregivers and peers. Brophy-Herb's work focuses on parents' and caregivers' emotion-related parenting behaviors (such as emotional supportiveness, use of emotion talk, attitudes about emotions) that support infants' and toddlers' social-emotional development. She is particularly interested in parent-child interactions in tasks, in play, and at mealtime as contexts for development. Brophy-Herb is also a member of the National Early Head Start Research and Evaluation Project's research consortium and is studying the long term impacts of Early Head Start on positive child and family development.

Lynne J. Devereaux

Lynne J. Devereaux is the operations manager at University Outreach and Engagement. Her duties include UOE budgets, personnel, and facilities management for the unit. She is also a member of several University committees. Devereaux has worked at MSU for over 30 years.

C. Kurt Dewhurst, Ph.D.

C. Kurt Dewhurst, Ph.D., is the director of Arts and Cultural Initiatives at University Outreach and Engagement. He coordinates a variety of state, national, and international folklife research, collection development, and outreach and engagement programs. He is a founding director of the annual Great Lakes Folk Festival. His research interests include museum studies theory and practice, and national and international cultural heritage policy; cultural change and continuity: e.g., traditional arts and material culture; identity and ethnicity; and occupational folk culture. His research is shaped by a commitment to undertaking research projects in collaboration with representatives of the underserved communities and cultural groups, responding to social/community needs. He teaches courses in museum studies, folklife, and material folk culture. He is a past president of the Michigan Museums Association, past chair of the Michigan Council for the Arts and Cultural Affairs and past vice chair of the Michigan Humanities Council. He serves as president of the Fund for Folk Culture Foundation, chair of the Advisory Committee of the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, board member of the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress, and is a senior accreditation reviewer for the American Association of Museums.

JoDee Fortino

JoDee Fortino is the laboratory manager at Usability/Accessibility Research and Consulting (UARC) and administrative assistant at Office of the Associate Provost for University Outreach and Engagement (APUOE). For the UARC, Fortino handles scheduling, facility rentals and bookkeeping. She also sets up user testing sessions, focus groups, and video conferencing. Additionally, she supervises UARC support staff. Fortino's responsibilities at APUOE include conference logistics planning, marketing assistance, and coordinating UOE reception coverage. Prior to joining UOE, Fortino was the executive administrative assistant at the MSU Center for Urban Affairs.

Glenda Gatewood

Glenda Gatewood is an administrative assistant at the Office of the Associate Provost for University Outreach and Engagement. She is responsible for maintaining, monitoring, and reconciling bookkeeping records for partnerships and programs. She also oversees office operations and provides administrative support to the staff and graduate assistants.

Cindy M. Helms

Cindy M. Helms is Administrative Assistant I at the Office of the Associate Provost for University Outreach, Communication and Information Technology (CIT), and the National Collaborative for the Study of University Engagement (NCSUE). Besides providing general office support for CIT and NCSUE staff, she processes student and labor payroll on eTime and maintains and reconciles bookkeeping records. Helms also researches the MSU Web site for activities, programs, and workshops for the Statewide Resource Network (SRN) and Spartan Youth Programs (SYP) Web sites.

Paul Phipps

Paul Phipps is an information technology professional for UOE. He provides technical support to the office staff and maintains and updates the machines. Some of his duties include maintaining computers, servers, and printers within the domain. Phipps also assists the technical support coordinator in making recommendations for technology purchases within the office.

Joyce M. Pinckney

Joyce Pinckney is the secretary to Hiram Fitzgerald, Associate Provost for University Outreach and Engagement. She coordinates his calendar and travel, and arranges meetings, as well as manages databases and the organization and circulation of materials. Pinckney also plays an integral part in support of general office operations throughout the day, and with supervision of student and on-call employees.

Kirk S. Riley

Kirk S. Riley is an academic specialist at University Outreach and Engagement (UOE) and the Executive Director of the Information Technology Empowerment Center (ITEC), Lansing, MI. The center—a non-profit that operates under a Board of Directors composed of academic, governmental, school district, and private sector partners—seeks to strengthen K-12 learning in science, technology, engineering, and math. ITEC operates in the former Holmes Street Elementary School in Lansing. He began employment in UOE in January 2006. Riley is a Fellow in the Center for Water Sciences at MSU and Member of the Outreach Advisory Board for the Great Lakes Environmental and Molecular Science Center at Western Michigan University. He lectures on risk communication and public involvement in environmental decision making at MSU. Riley has a master's degree in resource development from Michigan State University.

Mark Szymczak

Mark Szymczak is an information technologist and technology support coordinator for the UOE unit. Szymczak provides technical support to the office staff and maintains and updates the machines. Szymczak is also the network and domain administrator. Some of Szymczak's other responsibilities include staying informed about the latest technological advances and research. Based on this work, Szymczak makes recommendations for implementing technology within the office, thus facilitating a more productive work environment.

National Collaborative for the Study of University Engagement

Burton A. Bargerstock

Burton A. Bargerstock is director of the National Collaborative for the Study of University Engagement and director of Communication and Information Technology in the office of the associate provost for University Outreach and Engagement, Michigan State University. His work focuses on institutional research (about community-engaged scholarship) and the utilization of information technology to support and enhance collaborations between the academy and society. He leads the Outreach and Engagement Measurement Instrument project and is an associate editor of the Transformations in Higher Education: The Scholarship of Engagement book series (MSU Press). Burton serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Higher Education Outreach and Engagement and recently guest edited a special issue of the JHEOE. He organized the 2011 National Outreach Scholarship Conference. Burton is currently a member of the Board of Directors (and Network Senate Chair) of the University Professional and Continuing Education Association and participates with the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities, Engagement Scholarship Consortium, International Association for Research on Service-Learning and Community Engagement, and EDUCAUSE. He is president of the Michigan State University chapter of the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi and leads the MSU Web Development Community for Advising, Facilitating, and Enabling (WebDevCAFÉ).

Laurie Van Egeren, Ph.D.

Laurie Van Egeren, Ph.D., is the director of the Community Evaluation and Research Collaborative and the co-director of the National Collaborative for the Study of University Engagement. Dr. Van Egeren conducts both program evaluations and basic research, and has worked on a number of evaluations for the State of Michigan. Among these are the 21st Century Community Learning Centers statewide evaluation, which is examining the effectiveness of after-school programming for students' academic achievement and socioemotional functioning, and the All Students Achieve Program - Parent Involvement in Education (ASAP-PIE) evaluation, which focused on improving parenting in order to encourage school readiness in children from birth to 5 years. Van Egeren also conducts evaluation in community and economic development, early childhood science education, technological capacity building and co-parenting and family relationships. She holds a Ph.D. in developmental psychology and a M.A. in child and family clinical psychology from Michigan State University.

Diane Doberneck, Ph.D.

Diane Doberneck, Ph.D., is a research specialist at the National Collaborative for the Study of University Engagement and an adjunct assistant professor in the Liberty Hyde Bailey Scholars Program. Doberneck's research interests include outreach and engagement in promotion and tenure processes; faculty integration of outreach and engagement across their teaching, research, and service responsibilities; graduate student and faculty pathways to careers as engaged scholars; international community engagement; and effective strategies for teaching and learning community engagement. Informed by this research, Doberneck creates and supports the co-creation of professional development programs on community engagement—including Tools of Engagement (undergraduate students), the Graduate Certificate in Community Engagement (graduate students), and faculty development activities. In addition, she coordinates an international university-community partnership with the Tochar Valley Rural Community Network (Co. Mayo, Ireland) that enhances rural community vitality through community engagement. Together, Tochar Valley community members and MSU students assist communities in developing a deeper sense of place; individual, organizational and community capacities; and cultural and natural heritage assets. Doberneck won MSU's First Annual Curricular Service-Learning and Civic Engagement Award in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources in 2008 and the H. Paul Roberts Award for Distinguished Service in Study Abroad Programs in 2011 for her international engagement work.

Cindy M. Helms

Hiram E. Fitzgerald, Ph.D.

Karen McKnight Casey

Karen McKnight Casey is the director of the award-winning Michigan State University (MSU) Service-Learning and Civic Engagement initiative. McKnight Casey is responsible for facilitating university endeavors that provide curricular and co-curricular, service-based learning, community and civic engagement opportunities for MSU students. She works closely with faculty, university administrators, students and community partners to ensure that opportunities are offered that meet academic, personal, professional, and civic development goals, while simultaneously addressing the community-generated requests related to service and capacity-building. In addition to her role as director, McKnight Casey serves as adjunct with the Department of Human Development and Family Studies, and as field instructor in the School of Social Work, of which she is an alumna. Her background includes service in the Peace Corps, work as a resident director and academic advisor, and extensive professional experience working in community non-profit organizations. She is published in the areas of university-community collaborations and service-learning practice and research, and presents at national and international conferences. McKnight Casey represents Michigan State University in Campus Compact's The Research University Civic Engagement Network (TRUCEN), and participates with a variety of state and community committees and boards.

John H. Schweitzer, Ph.D.

John H. Schweitzer, Ph.D., is a professor in the Center for Community and Economic Development and an adjunct professor in the National Collaborative for the Study of University Engagement and the School of Planning, Design and Construction at MSU. He uses his knowledge of the social science research process to study the impact and effectiveness of educational and social programs and policies. His research interests include the measurement, study, and strengthening of the sense of community of residents in urban neighborhoods in order to promote empowerment and pro-social behaviors such as voting, recycling, volunteering, and participation in community-based organizations. Current projects include an evaluation of an effort to stimulate the knowledge economy in upper Michigan, a study of outreach and engagement in tenure and promotion processes, and an examination of the impact of the built environment on outdoor exercise. He has served as a Fulbright lecturer in Singapore and as a consultant/evaluator for numerous city, state, and federal agencies. In addition to teaching a variety of courses in statistics, research methodology, educational measurement, and program evaluation, Schweitzer has formally served on doctoral and master's committees for over 100 graduate students in 21 different departments at MSU, and he has informally assisted a similar number of graduate students with various aspects of their research.

University-Community Partnerships

Patricia Farrell, Ph.D.

Jessica V. Barnes, Ph.D.

Jessica V. Barnes, Ph.D., is the associate director of University-Community Partnerships and an adjunct assistant professor in the Department of Psychology. She conducts both program evaluations and basic research. Barnes has established and led the evaluations for numerous prevention programs for families with young children. The evaluations have focused on gathering information about the relationships among family members in prevention programs and family functioning, child social development, and child cognitive development. Currently, Barnes is working in collaboration with Genesee Intermediate School District to develop a longitudinal study that examines the effectiveness of a variety of physical and mental health programs. Barnes holds a Ph.D. in developmental psychology from Michigan State University.

Robert E. Brown

Robert E. Brown is an associate director of University-Community Partnerships, Michigan State University Outreach and Engagement. He brokers, facilitates, and participates in university/community partnerships that are scholarly, community-based, collaborative, responsive, and capacity-building for the public good. He also develops undergraduate and graduate level curriculum on community engagement. With his colleague Celeste Sturdevant Reed, he developed the outcome-asset-impact evaluation model. A description of their work can be found on the University Outreach and Engagement web site at http://outreach.msu.edu/CapableCommunities/. Brown has a master's degree in public administration from Western Michigan University.

Center for Community and Economic Development

Rex LaMore

Rex LaMore is director of Michigan State University's Center for Community Economic Development and a member of the Urban and Regional Planning Program faculty. He has over 35 years of experience in community and dconomic development and has focused his career on the unique challenges of revitalizing distressed communities and policies and practices related to promoting equitable and sustainable development.

LaMore provides leadership in a number of federal, foundation, and privately funded research and outreach partnerships. In 2011 under LaMore's leadership the MSU Center for Community and Economic Development was designated by the U.S. Department of Commerce, Economic Development Administration, as a University Center. The University Center for Regional Economic Innovation (REI) will create a robust knowledge economy development network to support the co-creation, co-application, and dissemination of innovative economic development tools and strategies. In addition to directing the newly designated MSU EDA Center his current research is focused on a variety of community and economic development areas including the role of arts and culture in entrepreneurial creative capacity, and sustainability in community planning and development. LaMore's instructional roles include teaching environmental planning and co-teaching MSU's urban planning field practicum course for undergraduate and graduate students. A number of LaMore's publications, research reports and handbooks are available at www.ced.msu.edu.

As the architect of the 1992 Outreach Partnership Act with Senator Don Riegle of Michigan, LaMore's work has affected the nature of university/community partnerships nationwide. In 1995 he was the national recipient of the Community Development Society's Distinguished Service Award, in recognition of his leadership and sustained commitment to excellence in community development. In 2008 he received the prestigious Educator of the Year Award in 2008 from the Michigan Economic Developers Association, and in 2011 he was recognized by his peers at Michigan State University as a University Distinguished Academic Specialist.

LaMore is vice-chair of the Williamstown Township Planning Commission which recently adopted the state's first "Green Zone" land use classification. This innovative zoning classification is designed to preserve environmental, social and economic sustainability along a segment of the historic Grand River corridor.

LaMore received his B.S. and M.S. degrees at Michigan State University and his Ph.D. from the University of Michigan.

Kassandra Ray-Smith

Kassandra Ray-Smith is secretary at the Center for Community and Economic Development. She provides administrative and functional support. She has an associate’s degree and has worked at MSU for over 30 years.

John H. Schweitzer, Ph.D.

Community Evaluation and Research Collaborative

Laurie Van Egeren, Ph.D.

Miles McNall, Ph.D.

Miles McNall, Ph.D., is associate director of the Community Evaluation and Research Collaborative at Michigan State University. McNall has extensive experience in the evaluation of health and human service programs. He coordinated the evaluation of HIV prevention programs for young men at the University of Minnesota Medical College and guided the development of client outcome monitoring systems for agency programs at Catholic Charities of Chicago. At the CORE Center in Chicago, he evaluated HIV/AIDS care and substance abuse treatment programs and coordinated the agency's quality improvement efforts. Since joining the faculty at MSU, McNall and his colleagues have conducted evaluations of comprehensive community initiatives, school-based health centers, and intensive home-based treatment services for children with severe emotional disturbances. More recently, he has been involved in the evaluation of systems change initiatives, including efforts to transform early childhood systems in two Michigan communities. McNall has been a member of the Michigan Association for Evaluation (MAE) since 2006 and joined the MAE board in 2010.

Laura Bates

Laura Bates is a research assistant at the Community Evaluation and Research Collaborative at Michigan State University. Ms. Bates has 15 years of experience working with community research and evaluation projects and making research accessible to policymakers and practitioners. For five years she coordinated seminars for state legislators on family issues. She has written and edited a number of research briefs for policymakers and practitioners, including the Michigan 21st Century Community Learning Centers Research Briefs.

E. Beth Prince

Beth Prince is an engagement specialist at University-Community Partnerships.

Celeste Sturdevant Reed, Ph.D.

Celeste Sturdevant Reed, Ph.D., is an evaluator and engagement specialist with the Community Evaluation and Research Collaborative. During her tenure at MSU, she has worked on youth development, culture and arts, early childhood, community problem-solving, evaluation, and professional development efforts. Currently, Reed is the co-principal investigator for the Michigan Statewide Evaluation of the 21st Century Community Learning Centers project as well as being the PI for the Great Parents, Great Start evaluation. Both contracts are with the Michigan Department of Education. Most of her evaluation efforts focus on building the capacity of evaluation partners, which has been carried out through formal training as well as individual consultation. She is co-author, with Robert E. Brown, of "Outcome/Impact Assessment Model: Linking Outcomes and Assets," in Evaluation and Program Planning and "An Integral Approach to Evaluating Outcome Evaluation Training" in the American Journal of Evaluation. Reed holds a Ph.D. in social science (with a concentration in Labor and Industrial Relations) from Michigan State University.

Heng-Chieh (Jamie) Wu

Heng-Chieh (Jamie) Wu, Ph.D., is a research associate in the Community Evaluation and Research Collaborative. She is the Quantitative Team Leader for the evaluation of the Michigan 21st Century Community Learning Centers afterschool programs. Her research interests focus on recreation impacts on youth development, program quality, and evaluation. Wu's primary responsibilities include analyzing data for program improvement, generating scholarly publications, writing grant proposals, and supervising the data management and analysis process. She holds a Ph.D. in parks and recreation from Michigan State University.

Nai-Kuan Yang

Nai-Kuan Yang, Ph.D., is a research associate for the Michigan Statewide Evaluation of the 21st Century Community Learning Centers afterschool programs. She manages large, complex data files developed from surveys, school records, and an attendance tracking system and analyzes data to identify strengths and weaknesses for afterschool program improvement. She is familiar with SPSS, SAS, and Mplus and has experience in hierarchical linear modeling, multiple linear regression, structural equation modeling, and latent class analysis.

Center for Service-Learning and Civic Engagement

Karen McKnight Casey

Nicole C. Springer

Nicole Springer is the assistant director of the Center for Service-Learning and Civic Engagement (CSLCE). She began work with the CSLCE as a graduate assistant. Before graduate work at MSU, Springer attended Concordia College, where she worked closely with the Office of Student Leadership and Service and later served with AmeriCorps VISTA in Moorhead, MN. At the CSLCE Springer is involved in research, outcome evaluation, curriculum development and other activities related to the scholarship of engagement. She also advises students and assists with faculty consultations related to service and engagement opportunities, and serves as CSLCE liaison to the community-based LEAD program for families of chronically truant elementary school children.

Kelly Malloy

Kelly Malloy is the accounts manager at the Center for Service-Learning and Civic Engagement (CSLCE), which includes the America Reads/America Counts programs. Malloy processes student payroll for over 100 student workers and handles issues with students and partner schools as they arise. She also maintains and reconciles bookkeeping records and provides secretarial support to the director of the CSLCE. Malloy is also the site supervisor for the AmeriCorps MI Service Scholars Scholarship opportunity administered through MI Campus Compact.

Communication and Information Technology

Burton A. Bargerstock

Ghada Georgis

Ghada Georgis is an assistant director and information architect at Communication and Information Technology (CIT). Georgis works on information architecture and content development of both UOE and MSU partners' outreach-related Web sites. She is interested in user-centered design and incorporates best practices related to Web design and development. Before joining UOE, Georgis worked at Texas A&M University's Office of Continuing Education, developing Web-based curriculum that was geared for professionals in the fields of teacher education and counseling.

Carl Bussema

Carl Bussema specializes in dynamic web application development using the ASP.NET platform, including database design, AJAX, and CSS. Across multiple dynamic web languages and platforms, he has over seven years of development experience, and has made accessibility a priority in his designs throughout that time. Prior to his work with UOE, Bussema led the design of a site to support staff and students for a class of over 60 sections and 1,900 students per semester. Bussema has an M.S. degree in computer science and engineering from Michigan State University and dual Bachelor's degrees in computer science and communications from Hope College.

Amy Byle

Amy Byle is an editor at Communication and Information Technology (CIT). Her primary responsibility is to maintain the Statewide Resource Network (SRN) Web site, a database of MSU outreach activities and programs. Byle researches these programs, writes about, and keeps them updated by interacting with the program directors and other contacts across campus. She leads the SRN Web team and serves as primary editor to the site, as well as to the Spartan Youth Programs (SYP) Web site.

Julie Crowgey

Julie Crowgey is the Event Coordinator for Communication and Information Technology (CIT). Crowgey coordinates and assists efforts to plan and implement the Office of University Outreach and Engagement events, such as: The Engaged Scholar Speaker Series, the Campus-Community Advisory Board Annual Meeting, and helps organize World Usability Day with Usability/Accessibility Research and Consulting. Crowgey is also the Chapter Administrator for the MSU chapter of the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi. She holds a B.S. in Hospitality Business from Michigan State University. She also has earned a Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) designation from the Convention Industry Council and a Certified Tourism Ambassador (CTA) designation from the Greater Lansing Convention and Visitors Bureau and the CTA Network.

Mike Davis

Mike Davis is a graphic artist at Communication and Information Technology. He provides design support to both UOE and MSU partners. Davis believes that design and the web are constantly changing, and that creative design and thoughtful solutions can communicate, inform, and inspire. He has a B.F.A. from Michigan State University in graphic design. Before joining UOE, Davis worked at Wharton Center for Performing Arts, managing and creating various websites and print designs.

Catherine Gibson

Catherine (Cathy) Gibson is a contributing writer and editor in Communication and Information Technology (CIT). She provides services such as information research and analysis, report- and story-writing, and editing. She has also worked on other university-community engagement projects such as curriculum development. Previously, she was a project consultant with University-Community Partnerships, for a Michigan Applied Public Policy Research grant-funded community revitalization project. Prior to joining UOE, she was a consultant and educator for approximately 20 years, primarily with the Government of Ontario, the Government of Canada, and the City of Toronto. In this capacity she provided consulting and training services to private and public sector employers in the areas of equal employment opportunity, workplace diversity, organization development, and corporate culture change. Catherine has a master's degree in adult education, with a focus on workplace learning and change, and organization development, from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education/University of Toronto, and a master's degree in library and information science from Wayne State University.

Cindy M. Helms

Carla J. Hills

Carla J. Hills is a communications manager at Communication and Information Technology (CIT). Hills coordinates and assists efforts to plan and implement communications and marketing strategies for UOE projects, partnerships, collaborations, and events. She serves as the UOE media contact for press and media inquiries and is the UOE representative at University Relations Campus Communicator meetings. Prior to joining UOE, Hills worked in Michigan state government, as well as state and federal campaigns and elections.

Linda Chapel Jackson

Linda Chapel Jackson is the senior editor at Communication and Information Technology (CIT). She researches, writes, and edits materials for a wide variety of UOE and partner publications, including manuscripts for scholarly publication, professional development modules for practitioners, program booklets for general audiences, and promotional materials for events and initiatives. She also works with non-print media such as web sites and PowerPoint presentations. In addition, she is the editor of The Engaged Scholar Magazine and contributes to ongoing departmental research about MSU engagement initiatives campus-wide, including identification of sources and methods as well as story development and write-ups. Prior to joining UOE, Jackson was the editor at MSU's Institute for Children, Youth, and Families.

Rebecca H. Murthum

Rebecca H. Murthum is the MSU Michigan Science Olympiad site coordinator, a university-wide effort that was transferred from the College of Natural Science to University Outreach and Engagement in 2010. Michigan Science Olympiad is among the premier academic science programs in the nation, distinctive because of the team element, including levels of competition at the invitational, regional, state, and national levels. Since April 1990 MSU has hosted the State Final competition, which brings over 1,500 students to East Lansing each year for the intensive, day-long event. In addition to the state tournament, MSU's Science Olympiad activity also includes annual coaches training.

In 2011 Ms. Murthum began a new role as the MAP-Works Coordinator, which supports the University's strategic development of the MSU Neighborhoods concept in residence hall living. MAP-Works®, Making Achievement Possible, is a comprehensive retention and success program for new Spartans, and is aligned within the offices of the Provost, the Vice President of Student Affairs, and the Assistant Vice President for Housing and Food Service. Murthum is responsible for cross-campus coordination within the MAP-Works system, and creating links in the campus Engagement Centers that address needs of, and opportunities for, students.

Murthum is a Spartan through and through, as she holds a bachelor's degree in elementary education and did course work in adult learning and higher education from MSU, as well as 30+ years of service as an MSU employee. She is the proud parent of a Spartan grad.

Carl Raymond

Carl Raymond is a member of a team that designs and develops Web sites for his own department, other University units, and external clients. He takes particular interest in learning and applying software development practices, technologies, and tools that promote building robust, reliable, flexible, and maintainable systems. Before joining MSU in 2007, he was the founder and principal at Orchard Software Development, where he built custom software solutions and provided consulting services to a wide spectrum of clients. Over a span of 13 years, he met many interesting people with interesting projects to work on, and really learned the value of robust, reliable, flexible and maintainable systems.

Brad Smith

Brad Smith is a Web programmer with Communication and Information Technology (CIT). He designs, develops and maintains Web sites for internal departments and external clients. Smith's mission is to make the user experience enjoyable for all users and takes a key role in determining layout and he follows Web Standards for XHTML, CSS, WCAG, MSU Accessibility Guidelines and Section 508 Accessibility Guidelines. He has worked with software developers, Web developers and users within the accessibility and usability field for 10 years.

Usability/Accessibility Research and Consulting

Sarah J. Swierenga, Ph.D.

Dr. Sarah J. Swierenga is director of Michigan State University Usability/Accessibility Research and Consulting (UARC) and professor by courtesy in the Department of Telecommunication, Information Studies, and Media. She is responsible for developing and disseminating innovations in theory building, research methodologies, and technologies to enhance usability and accessibility in Web and information technology contexts. UARC serves faculty, students, and organizations at MSU, as well as external clients, through consulting, collaborative research, educational programming, publications, and the sponsorship of workshops and symposia. A researcher and a practitioner with over 25 years of experience in the scientific study of users in commercial, healthcare, military, and academic environments, Swierenga possesses extensive skills in user interface design, data collection tools, and methodologies including usability tests, accessibility compliance evaluations, questionnaires, interviews, focus groups, and expert evaluations. Swierenga co-authored Constructing Accessible Web Sites and wrote a chapter for The User-Centered Design Casebook. She has presented widely on accessible website design, usability techniques, accessible electronic voting systems, outdoor recreation knowledge management, and health communication technology, which comprise her research programs. She served as a policy advisor to the US Senate Commission on Aging regarding background check legislation, was an alternate member of the U.S. Access Board 508/255 refresh committee (accessibility standards). Swierenga is a member of the UPA Voting and Usability Project, and an Invited Expert on the W3C WCAG2.0 Evaluation Methodology Task Force. She is also a Certified Professional Ergonomist (CPE).

Graham L. Pierce

Graham Pierce is a user experience researcher at MSU Usability/Accessibility Research and Consulting (UARC). In addition to working on grant-funded research, Pierce also supervises and conducts usability and accessibility evaluations for a variety of clients, including university departments, governments, nonprofit organizations, and major corporations. He regularly employs his capabilities in research design and data analysis as a statistical consultant, and presents at conferences and other events on topics of usability and accessibility to a variety of audiences. At the MSU Center for Community and Economic Development (CCED), he currently serves as the networking and digital communications coordinator for the Economic Development Administration’s MSU University Center for Regional Economic Innovation. In past work at CCED, he has been responsible for collecting and analyzing knowledge economy data and working with regional partners on a variety of projects targeting rural economic development. Pierce also serves as the webmaster for the Power of We Consortium Community Data Committee, where he is responsible for updating and maintaining the Indicators of Community Well-Being website. He actively participates in the MSU Accommodating Technology Community, the MSU Web Accessibility Working Group, the Michigan Rural Council, and many other university and community groups. Prior to joining University Outreach and Engagement, Pierce earned his master's degree in cognitive psychology at Michigan State University. His research areas included eye tracking, visual perception, eye movement control, psycholinguistics, and cognitive modeling.

Constantinos K. Coursaris, Ph.D.

For over a decade, Dr. Constantinos K. Coursaris has been designing and developing websites for academic, government, for-profit, and non-profit organizations. He has also owned a social networking site, managed the digital and social presence of various businesses, and consulted for organizations on the strategic and tactical use of social media. In 2005, he joined Michigan State University's Department of Telecommunication, Information Studies, and Media, and Usability/Accessibility Research and Consulting, where his research agenda has focused on exploring the motivations, experiences, outcomes, and design implications associated with new media use. Dr.

Coursaris has been privileged with opportunities to train others in this space, including the instruction of diverse audiences in the U.S., Canada, France, the U.A.E. and other countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Connect with him on Twitter @DrCoursaris.

Thi Nguyen

Thi Nguyen is a .NET web application developer with Usability/Accessibility Research and Consulting. He designs, develops, and maintains the Michigan Workforce Background Check system for the State of Michigan. His mission is to maintain and enhance the system to give users the best experience possible and make sure it adheres to the web standards for XHTML, CSS, and WCAG, as well as State of Michigan user interface design standards and federal Section 508 accessibility standards.

Trong Nguyen

Trong Nguyen is a web programmer with Usability/Accessibility Research and Consulting. He develops and maintains the Michigan Workforce Background Check system. He is experienced in C#, ASP.NET, and TSQL, as well as standards for XHTML, CSS, WCAG, and State of Michigan user interface design standards and federal Section 508 accessibility standards. He has worked with software developers, web developers, and users within the accessibility and usability field for three years.

Jieun Sung

Jieun Sung is a doctoral student in Telecommunication, Information Studies, and Media at Michigan State University. She is presently working in Usability/Accessibility Research and Consulting as a research assistant. She has frequently presented at conferences, and has published papers related to social media usage (e.g., social network games, Twitter), new media usage (e.g., mobile contents usage, mobile interactivity, mobile advertising adoption), and usability (e.g., emotional usability, mobile usability). Her major research areas are usability and accessibility, interactivity, new media usage and effects, new media adoption, and, in the bigger picture, human-computer interaction (HCI).

JoDee K. Fortino

Michigan State University Museum

Gary Morgan

Gary John Morgan is director of the Michigan State University Museum. He is a native of Australia, and has more than 25 years of experience in museum leadership and administration, research and collections management, and wildlife conservation. Morgan previously served as executive director of the Western Australian Museum in Perth. Throughout his career he has worked with collections, research, and learning programs that span anthropology, history, fine arts, technology, and the natural sciences. Morgan holds a Ph.D. in zoology from Monash University in Melbourne. He was director of collections and research at Te Papa Museum of New Zealand, associate director of the Australian Museum in Sydney, and has worked as a national parks and wildlife manager and wilderness conservation officer. He was a researcher with the Department of Aquatic Invertebrates at the Western Australia Museum and at the Museum of Victoria. Most recently, he worked as a heritage advisor and project manager for the Kungoni Centre of Culture and Art in Mua, Malawi, Africa, and as a strategic planner for the Sharjah Museums Department in the United Arab Emirates.

Michigan State University Detroit Center

Jena Baker-Calloway

Baker-Calloway grew up in Detroit and graduated from the University of Michigan with a B.A. in Sociology and a master's degree from the University of Michigan's School of Public Health. She comes to MSU from Wayne State University, where for the past two years she was a community health educator, academic research liaison, and community grant consultant. From 2005-2009 she was a partnership program manager at the National Cancer Institute, and from 2001-2005 she was vice president of regulatory compliance at Ultimed HMO of Michigan.

Wharton Center for the Performing Arts

Michael J. Brand

Michael Brand is the executive director of WhartonCenter for Performing Arts, a position he has held for the past three years. He has nearly 30 years of performing arts experience as a performer, teacher, and presenter. Since his arrival at Wharton Center, Brand has increased programming in all four of Wharton Center's venues: the 2,400-seat Cobb Great Hall, the 600-seat Passant Theatre, the 3,800-seat MSU Concert Auditorium, and the 600-seat Fairchild Theatre. He was instrumental in Wharton Center achieving its ranking as the fifth top theatre in the world according to Pollstar Magazine, the industry source for concert and tour information. The ranking was based on tickets sold between January 1 and June 30, 2006.

Previously, as vice president of the theatrical division of Clear Channel Entertainment, he initiated the rebirth of the Baltimore Center for Performing Arts, returning the Center to its former prominence. He was also responsible for the creation of the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center in Appleton, Wisconsin, where the initial Broadway subscription exceeded 7,000 patrons. Prior to his term with Clear Channel, Brand was the executive director of Jujamcyn Productions in Minneapolis, where he provided managerial oversight for six subscription series in markets throughout the country. His vision at Jujamcyn resulted in substantial growth that led to the acquisition of Jujamcyn Productions by SFX, and later Clear Channel Entertainment. Before working with Jujamcyn and Clear Channel, Brand spent 10 years at the Ordway Music Theatre in St. Paul, Minnesota. During his time at the Ordway, Brand worked in virtually every facet of the organization, eventually becoming vice president responsible for all programming and marketing. With Brand's guidance the Ordway Music Theatre became one of the preeminent centers in the country.
Brand is also an accomplished trumpet player and teacher. He has taught at several colleges and has performed with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, Minnesota Orchestra, and Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, to name a few. He received a B.S. in music from the University of Minnesota and did post graduate work at Northwestern University and the University of Minnesota.

Dana Brazil

Dana Brazil is a professional actress, teaching artist, choreographer and director who has been seen onstage recently in Pump Up the Volume and Good Boys and True. She has been nominated for several awards and won a Lansing State Journal Thespie Award for her portrayal of Ellen Pazinski inTom Dudzick's Over the Tavern. Brazil is a graduate of Michigan State University and the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York, and is a member of the Actors' Equity Association and the Screen Actors' Guild. She is currently an M.F.A. acting student in the Michigan State University Department of Theatre as well maintaining her position as associate director of the Michigan State University Federal Credit Union Institute for Arts & Creativity at Wharton Center for Performing Arts. She is also serves on the board of the Stormfield Theatre and is a new member of Phi Kappa Phi.

Cultural Engagement Council

C. Kurt Dewhurst, Ph.D.

C. Kurt Dewhurst, Ph.D., serves as director of arts and cultural initiatives and Senior Fellow, University Outreach and Engagement; curator of folklife and cultural heritage at the Michigan State University Museum; and Professor of English at Michigan State University. He is also director emeritus of the MSU Museum. A founder of the folk and traditional arts programs at the museum, he coordinates a variety of folklife research, collection development, and outreach and engagement programs. He is one of the founding directors of the Festival of Michigan Folklife, was a coordinator for the National Folk Festival when it was in East Lansing, and is a founding director for the Great Lakes Folk Festival. He is the author or co-author of a variety of books and exhibition catalogues including: Artists in Aprons: The Folk Arts of American Women; Reflection of Faith: Religious Folk Art in America; Michigan Folk Art: Its Beginnings to 1941; Rainbows in the Sky: The Folk Arts of Michigan in the 20th Century; Traditions at Work: Grand Ledge Folk Pottery; Michigan Hmong Arts; and MSU Campus: Buildings, Spaces, Places. He is also the co-editor of the Michigan Folklife Reader and To Honor and Comfort: Native Quilting Traditions. He is a co-author of the forthcoming publications Siyazama: Traditional Arts, Education and AIDS in South Africa; Michiganders: Michigan Folk Traditions; The MSU Campus Guide; and ‘Ike Päpale, The Living Legacy of Hawaiian Hats.

His research interests include folk arts, material culture, ethnicity, occupational folk culture, cultural economic development, and cultural heritage policy. As a professor in the English Department at MSU, he teaches courses in folklife, material folk culture, and museum studies. He currently serves as chairperson of the Board of Trustees for the American Folklife Center of the Library of Congress and past president of the American Folklore Society. He also is an advisor to the Nelson Mandela Museum in Mthatha, South Africa, and an advisor for the development of the new Ahmed Kathrada Foundation Museum Center on Non-Racialism in Lenasia, South Africa. He has served as an advisor to the development of the National Cultural Center in Bangkok, Thailand, and the National Heritage & Cultural Studies Center at the University of Fort Hare, Alice, South Africa.

He has served as chairperson of the Fund for Folk Culture in Austin, Texas; chairperson of the Advisory Committee of the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage in Washington, DC; president of the Michigan Museums Association; chairperson of the Michigan Council for the Arts and Cultural Affairs; and vice chairperson of the Michigan Humanities Council. He serves as a senior reviewer for the accreditation program of the American Association of Museums.

He is a past recipient of a Fulbright grant to work in Thailand with the National Culture Commission of Thailand, and participated in a French-American Foundation Arts Administrators Exchange Program in France. He was honored with the 2004 Américo Paredes prize by the American Folklore Society for excellence in integrating scholarship with engagement with communities. In addition, the Great Lakes Folk Festival was recognized in 2004 as the best project in the 30-year history of the Michigan Humanities Council.

In the past decade he coordinated a major cultural heritage training program in South Africa; served as co-curator of the 2006 Smithsonian Folklife Festival program, Carriers of Culture: Native Basket Traditions; and was a co-curator for the major international exhibitions Dear Mr. Mandela, Dear Mrs. Parks: Children's Letters, Global Lessons in South Africa and the U.S. and Ahmed 'Kathy' Kathrada: A South African Activist for Non-Racialism and Democracy in the U.S. He recently completed a Fulbright grant at the University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa, where he assisted in the redevelopment of the Museum of Anthropology. He is one of the leaders for the U.S.-Africa Cultural Heritage Strategic Partnership. He is also co-curator for a new collaborative exhibition on living Native Hawaiian lauhala hat traditions with the Bishop Museum and MSU Museum, and co-curator of the 2012 Smithsonian Folklife Festival Program, Campus and Community: Public Universities and the USDA at 150.

University Outreach and Engagement

About the Office: Bios

Office of the Associate Provost for Outreach and Engagement

Hiram E. Fitzgerald, Ph.D.

Patricia Farrell, Ph.D.

Holly Brophy-Herb

Lynne J. Devereaux

C. Kurt Dewhurst, Ph.D.

JoDee Fortino

Glenda Gatewood

Cindy M. Helms

Paul Phipps

Joyce M. Pinckney

Kirk S. Riley

Mark Szymczak

National Collaborative for the Study of University Engagement

Burton A. Bargerstock

Laurie Van Egeren, Ph.D.

Diane Doberneck, Ph.D.

Cindy M. Helms

Hiram E. Fitzgerald, Ph.D.

Karen McKnight Casey

John H. Schweitzer, Ph.D.

University-Community Partnerships

Patricia Farrell, Ph.D.

Jessica V. Barnes, Ph.D.

Robert E. Brown

Center for Community and Economic Development

Rex LaMore

Kassandra Ray-Smith

John H. Schweitzer, Ph.D.

Community Evaluation and Research Collaborative

Laurie Van Egeren, Ph.D.

Miles McNall, Ph.D.

Laura Bates

E. Beth Prince

Celeste Sturdevant Reed, Ph.D.

Heng-Chieh (Jamie) Wu

Nai-Kuan Yang

Center for Service-Learning and Civic Engagement

Karen McKnight Casey

Nicole C. Springer

Kelly Malloy

Communication and Information Technology

Burton A. Bargerstock

Ghada Georgis

Carl Bussema

Amy Byle

Julie Crowgey

Mike Davis

Catherine Gibson

Cindy M. Helms

Carla J. Hills

Linda Chapel Jackson

Rebecca H. Murthum

Carl Raymond

Brad Smith

Usability/Accessibility Research and Consulting

Sarah J. Swierenga, Ph.D.

Graham L. Pierce

Constantinos K. Coursaris, Ph.D.

Thi Nguyen

Trong Nguyen

Jieun Sung

JoDee K. Fortino

Michigan State University Museum

Gary Morgan

Michigan State University Detroit Center

Jena Baker-Calloway

Wharton Center for the Performing Arts

Michael J. Brand

Dana Brazil

Cultural Engagement Council

C. Kurt Dewhurst, Ph.D.

Usability and Accessibility Validators for MSU Outreach and Engagement