In recognition of its extraordinary community engagement initiatives, the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities has named West Virginia University as a regional winner of the 2024 W.K. Kellogg Foundation Community Engagement Scholarship Award.
As regional winner, WVU will compete for the national C. Peter Magrath Community Engagement Scholarship Award, which will be announced in November. Other finalists for the award are East Carolina University, the University of Minnesota and Oregon State University.
“We are deeply honored to be recognized as a finalist for the APLU Peter Magrath Kellogg Award and excited to see the Fulcrum Project lifted up as a regional award winner,” Assistant Dean of Engagement and Director of the WVU Center for Community Engagement Kristi Wood Turner said.
“This acknowledgment underscores the vital role community engagement plays in advancing both student learning and impactful partnerships with the communities we serve. At the heart of our mission is a commitment to meaningful connections that enrich our students’ educational experiences while driving positive change in West Virginia.”
Since 2007, APLU and the Engagement Scholarship Consortium, with support from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, have partnered to honor the engagement scholarship and partnerships of four-year public universities.
The award recognizes programs that demonstrate how colleges and universities have redesigned their learning, discovery and engagement missions to deepen their partnerships and achieve broader impacts in their communities. The national award is named for C. Peter Magrath, APLU president from 1992 to 2005.
“Congratulations to the regional winners of the Kellogg Community Engagement Scholarship Awards and exemplary projects,” APLU President Mark Becker said.
“Community engagement is a critical part of public universities’ mission and we’re pleased to highlight the work of institutions that are instrumental to solving the most pressing challenges facing their communities through partnerships with other stakeholders.”
The community engagement awards also recognize universities with exemplary projects. The University of Alaska Fairbanks, the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and Purdue University are receiving recognition for outstanding efforts in Community Engagement Scholarship.
Both exemplary projects and Magrath Award finalists will be showcased at the 2024 Engagement Scholarship Consortium’s Annual Conference later this year.
A team of community engagement professionals from public research universities judged this round of the award. A second team will pick the national winner following presentations at the 2024 National Engagement Scholarship Conference.
The C. Peter Magrath Community Engagement Scholarship Award includes a sculpture and a $20,000 prize. The three other regional winners will each receive a $5,000 prize to further their work.