Office of Engagement, Innovation and Economic Development
Willis Building ● 300 East First Street ● Greenville, NC 27858-4353
252-737-1380 office ● 252-737-1381 fax ● http://www.ecu.edu/oeied
For immediate release
February 4, 2009
Contact: Dee Dobson Harper
252-737-1351
harperde@ecu.edu
ENGAGEMENT AND OUTREACH SCHOLARS ACADEMY
INDUCTS INAUGURAL CLASS
GREENVILLE – The ECU Engagement and Outreach Scholars Academy (EOSA) inducted 10
faculty members into its inaugural class on February 2, 2009. In an induction ceremony held in the
Willis Building Auditorium, Chancellor Steve Ballard, Vice Chancellor Deirdre Mageean, and
Associate Vice Chancellor of Engagement, Innovation and Economic Development Ted Morris
welcomed the following scholars, who presented brief descriptions of their research interests and
goals for participating in the academy:
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Jeannie Golden, Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, Thomas Harriot College of
Arts and Sciences
Jane Painter, Associate Professor, Department of Occupational Therapy, College of Allied
Health Sciences
Michael Harris, Assistant Professor, Department of Management, College of Business
Kylie Dotson-Blake, Assistant Professor, Department of Counselor and Adult Education,
College of Education
Rebecca Dumlao, Associate Professor, School of Communication, College of Fine Arts &
Communication
Sharon Rogers, Assistant Professor Department of Health Education and Promotion, College
of Health and Human Performance
Kim Larson, Assistant Professor, College of Nursing,
Paige Averett Assistant Professor, School of Social Work, College of Human Ecology
Gene Dixon, Assistant Professor, Department of Engineering, College of Technology and
Computer Science
David Collier, Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Brody School of Medicine
“The faculty scholars represent a range of disciplines from the 10 colleges and schools. Nominated by
their deans and chosen by a selection committee of peers, these tenured and tenure track faculty
members are dedicated to working with communities and sharing responsibility for enhancing the
quality of life of eastern North Carolinians. We look forward to their accomplishments and believe
they will serve as leaders and mentors for others at ECU,” said Dr. Beth Velde, director of the EOSA.
The EOSA’s purpose is to cultivate engaged scholars who can be leaders in their professions while
working with communities to improve quality of life and foster economic prosperity. Scholars were
chosen by a selection committee of faculty from the colleges and schools based on the following
criteria: a demonstrated active research agenda that contributes to the discipline and an
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impact on the community; a desire for new learning about scholarship of engagement; experience in
community; a commitment to actively participating in the program including planning and
implementing an engaged scholarship project in collaboration with a community partner; and the
capacity to effectively communicate and disseminate the results of their research and engaged
scholarship to external audiences.
Scholars will attend six workshops to learn about community-based research, the resources available
to them on campus, and work with a coach to develop their research plans. ECU faculty and
community partners who are experts in the scholarship of engagement will serve as instructors.
Serving as coaches are Dr. Hunt McKinnon, Dr. Ted Morris, Dr. Margie Gallagher, Dr. Herb
Garrison, and Dr. Jim Mitchell.
The selection committee was comprised of Dr. Jim Mitchell, Dr. Sharon Ballard, Dr. Barry Elmore,
Dr. Marie Pokorny, Dr. Jim Kleckley, Dr. Paul Kauffman, Dr. Maria Clay, and Dr. Ted Morris.
In support of this mission, the Office of Engagement, Innovation and Economic Development
actively promotes and celebrates the engagement of ECU faculty, staff and students with industry,
government and communities to address pressing regional needs. This engagement not only makes
ECU a go-to partner in enhancing the economic vitality and quality of life within the region but also
enhances education, research and innovation, and scholarship across campus.
For more information about the Engagement and Outreach Scholars Academy, please contact
Dr. Beth Velde at 252-737-1377 or veldeb@ecu.edu .
The Office of Economic Development is an office of the East Carolina University Division of
Research and Graduate Studies and includes the Regional Development Institute, the Center
for Survey Research, the Entrepreneurial Initiative, the Office of Technology Transfer, the
SBTDC Eastern Regional Service Center and the Engagement and Outreach Scholars
Academy. For more information about the divisions of the ECU Office of Economic
Development, call 252-737-1380 or visit http://www.ecu.edu/oeied.
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