UA’s Pruitt, Simon to be Honored at Engagement Scholarship Conference

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — A University of Alabama vice president and a faculty member will be honored at the 16^th Annual Engagement Scholarship Consortium Conference from Sunday, Sept. 27, to Wednesday, Sept. 30, in State College, Pennsylvania.

Dr. Samory T. Pruitt, vice president for the Division of Community Affairs, and Dr. Cassandra E. Simon, associate professor of social work, are the honorees.

Pruitt will be announced as nominee to be the next president of the ESC Board of Directors. He also will be inducted into the Academy of Community Engagement Scholarship.

His election to ACES recognizes his leadership in the field of engagement scholarship through contributions to the theory and practice of working collaboratively with community partners to address societal needs. The nomination undergoes a rigorous review of the prospective member’s body of work based on excellence in using engagement scholarship practices, approaches and values collaboratively to address society’s most pressing needs and issues.

Simon will receive an award at a reception in appreciation of her leadership, dedication to excellence and commitment to engagement scholarship as founding editor of the Journal of Community Engagement and Scholarship. Volume 8, No. 2 of the journal, published at UA, will be distributed at the conference and will feature highlights and research from ESC 2014, held at the University of Alberta, Canada.

Twenty-five UA faculty, staff and students will represent UA at the conference and related programs hosted by Penn State University and ESC’s East Region. Many of the delegates will present research papers, and others will serve as program conveners and moderators.

ESC is an international group of universities that champion engaged scholarship, a blend of university teaching, research and service that addresses critical societal problems in collaboration with community organizations and with students often playing key roles.