Synergy is focus of Community As Classroom

Making synergy count at Grand Valley is the focus of the final Community As Classroom event scheduled for April 17 from 10-11:30 a.m. in Kirkhof Center, room 2270.

Participants will have the opportunity to learn strategies for integrating community engagement into their specific research and service, while enhancing their teaching by incorporating community experiences into classroom activities.

Presenters include Heather Carpenter, assistant professor of nonprofit administration, and Azizur Molla, associate professor for the Master of Public Health program.

Carpenter teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in nonprofit financial management, fundraising, human resources and nonprofit technology. She has published articles in the Journal of Public Affairs Education, Journal of Nonprofit Education and Leadership, and Journal of Public Personnel Management. She is co-author of the new book, “The Talent Development Platform: Putting People First in Social Change Organizations.”

Molla developed a teaching intervention that includes teaching, research and service together. He was named a Sustainability Champion for his community-based research and service project. He, along with his students, served about 500 households educating homeowners about radon gas and its health risks. His research has also focused on sustainable health care services for the homeless population in Grand Rapids and assessment of health care for veterans in West Michigan. He has 10 years of experience in teaching and doing community-based research on public health issues in Bangladesh, Ghana and Haiti.