July 2026 Newsletter

Natalie Granados, conservator for the UConn Library, sews a mannequin together in the library's Conservation Lab on Thursday, April 23, 2026. (Sydney Herdle/UConn Photo)

The Office of Outreach and Engagement is excited to launch a new book club focused on broader impacts and community-engaged scholarship.

Our first selection, The Handbook of Broader Impacts, explores how research can create meaningful societal impact through community engagement, interdisciplinary collaboration, and institutional support. The book offers practical strategies and real-world examples for integrating broader impacts into research, teaching, and academic careers.

Faculty, staff, students, and campus partners from all UConn campuses are invited to participate. Meetings will take place virtually. The tentative schedule is below.

To join or learn more, please email engagement@uconn.edu with your interest.

Today: Virtual Conversation with Secretary Thomas

Join a call today Wednesday at 11am to hear Secretary Thomas talk about how we can all work with young people in our communities this summer (and year-round!). 

Learn about activities and projects that have worked across the state for the Boys and Girls Clubs, as well as the Secretary’s Office’s projects promoting civics and America 250 to young people.

The State Seal of Civics Education and Engagement will be available to high school students this upcoming school year. We can all play a part in helping students obtain this seal for their diploma. Engaged young people become engaged adults!

Bring your questions, struggles, and feedback. We want to hear from you. What challenges do you face in engaging young people? What successes have you seen?

Please register for the Zoom meeting here today:

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/GwcYYuzaRk6t6ATKp9saMA

Community Partnership Opportunities

Autism Families CONNECTicut is seeking dedicated volunteers to support our programs and special projects. 

Program Volunteers 

Autism Families CONNECTicut is looking for students studying education, developmental psychology, social work, occupational therapy, speech-language pathology, recreational therapy, or physical therapy. Volunteers work alongside our program staff to support children, teens, and adults (ages 3–35) participating in our recreational programs. 

Special Project Volunteers 

Students with skills in graphic design, photography, videography, nonprofit management, fundraising, or web design are encouraged to get involved. These volunteers help strengthen our organization through website improvements, fundraising initiatives, media creation, and newsletter content. 

The summer programming is currently focused on teens and young adults, with our full schedule resuming this fall. This is a great opportunity for students looking to gain meaningful experience while making a positive impact in the community. 

To learn more or apply, visit https://www.autismfamiliesct.org/volunteer. 

If you have questions, please contact taylor@autismfamiliesct.org. 

Georgia Williamson, a certified middle school teacher at Brooklyn Middle School, is seeking opportunities for her students to engage in meaningful community projects that incorporate science and engineering principles. She is interested in partnering with local organizations, educators, businesses, and community members to provide authentic, hands-on learning experiences that connect classroom concepts to real-world challenges.

If you are interested in collaborating with Ms. Williamson or have a project opportunity to share, please contact her at gwilliamson@brooklynschools.org.

The Engagement Scholarship Consortium will hold its 2026 conference October 7-8 in Knoxville, Tennessee (pre-conference programs: October 5-6). Hosted by the University of Tennessee - Knoxville and the institutions of the ESC's South Region, the conference is being organized around the theme "Changing Lives and Improving Society: Data-Driven Engagement and Innovation." ESC 2026 will be a place for engaging conversations about the many ways we work collaboratively to define and build social and economic prosperity.

Pre-conference opportunities offer participants additional ways to connect, reflect, and strengthen their practice before the full conference begins. Designed for emerging scholars, university leaders, engagement professionals, and community-engaged practitioners, these sessions offer focused opportunities for professional development, peer learning, and deeper exploration of engagement work.

This year's featured pre-conference programs will include:

·   Emerging Engagement Scholars Workshop (see application link above)

·   Outreach and Engagement Practitioners Network Workshop

·   Engagement Academy for University Leaders

Click the link below to learn more about registration rates and deadlines for attendees from ESC member institutions and other universities, students, and community partners.

Learn More and Register



Registration deadline: September 30, 2026

Journal Editor Call for Applications

The Association for Advancing Participatory Sciences is inviting applications for Editor-in-Chief of its academic journal, Citizen Science: Theory and Practice.



Citizen Science is an online-only, open-access, and peer-reviewed journal that advances the global field of practice by providing a central space for scholarly communications across multiple disciplines.

Candidates with expertise in any aspect of the participatory sciences (including the social sciences and the humanities) are welcome. Required qualifications include:

·   Prior editorial or extensive experience reviewing articles for academic journals

·   An active and relevant publication record

·   Fluency in English with a commitment to supporting multiple languages

·   Ability to facilitate workflows via online journal management systems

·   Strong leadership and professional communication skills

The Editor-in-Chief will serve as the first and final point of review for articles, finalize decisions, and act as a front-line representative of the journal.

The position will provide an annual stipend of $4,000-$5,000, as well as travel and registration support for the Association for Advancing Participatory Sciences conference.

Learn More and Apply

Application deadline: August 15, 2026

Journal Special Issue Calls for Submissions

Community Science

Special issue: Transdisciplinary Collaboration for Sustainable Agriculture

Submission deadline: August 31, 2026

Research Involvement and Engagement

Special issue: Patients and Publications: Expanding Perspectives in Research

Submission deadline: November 15, 2026

Public Humanities

Special issue: Scholarship Under Attack

Submission deadline: December 18, 2026

Catalyst Journal

Special issue: Our Democratic Imagination

Submission deadline: December 31, 2026

University of Washington Partnerships Foster Disaster-Resilient Communities

Through partnerships with Tribal nations, public health agencies, health-care organizations, and local communities, the University of Washington’s Northwest Center for Evidence-Based Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Response is helping strengthen disaster resilience across the Pacific Northwest. The center brings researchers and practitioners together to develop preparedness approaches informed by on-the-ground experience and local needs. A central theme is the importance of Tribal knowledge, trust-building, and shared decision-making in preparing for hazards such as wildfires, smoke, flooding, and heat waves.

Read full Article

ARIS Research Impact Professional Community of Practice

The Center for Advancing Research Impact in Society (ARIS) has issued a call for applications for the inaugural cohort of its Research Impact Professional Community of Practice (RICoP) program. The 2-year program (September, 2026–May, 2028) will bring together research impact professionals working in proposal development, community engagement, evaluation, and program design to build collective capacity and advance research impact as a field. RICoP members will participate in monthly meetings to co-create shared tools, share best practices, and drive goals that reflect participants' professional needs. ARIS members are invited to apply. Others are also welcome to apply, but they will need to join ARIS if selected for the RICoP.

Learn More and Apply

Application deadline: July 24, 2026

In an effort to support greater engagement efforts at public and land-grant universities, the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) released a report outlining a public engagement agenda. The report, Public Purpose, Renewed: Future-Leading Engagement in Higher Education, is a follow-up on engagement efforts since a landmark 1999 Kellogg Commission report called on public and land-grant universities to reimagine their role in society. 

Public Purpose, Renewed traces the trajectory of engagement work at public and land-grant universities over the past two and a half decades, from isolated efforts led by individuals to focused, institution-wide commitments that are central to these institutions' missions.

Read Full Report

Registration is now open for the 2026 APLU Annual Meeting in San Antonio, Texas, on November 15-17.

Join colleagues to explore how Our Enduring Mission continues to guide and strengthen the work of public and land-grant universities.

Over the course of three days, attendees will have the opportunity to connect, share, and learn with colleagues from other public and land-grant universities on a range of critical topics.

See featured speakers, view the agenda, and register using this link.

Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont met with Sen. Richard Blumenthal and Connecticut state legislators, veterans, and surgeons on July 2 to celebrate the one-year anniversary of UConn Health’s cutting-edge neuromodulation center for advanced stroke rehabilitation.

Stroke is one of the leading causes of disability in people 60 and over, according to the Centers for Disease Control. It happens when part of the brain loses access to blood supply, and brain cells are damaged and die. Many people who have a stroke recover only partially, and may not be able to use their upper body or hands, severely limiting their ability to eat, write, or do other every day activities on their own.

Dr. Christopher Conner, UConn Health neurosurgeon (Tina Encarnacion/UConn Health photo)

UConn Health neurosurgeon Dr. Christopher Conner was the first to offer stroke patients the Vivistem implant, an innovative technology that uses vagus nerve stimulation to push the brain to rebuild connections with the arms and hands. The UConn Health Neuromodulation Center of Excellence in the Brain and Spine Institute provides veterans with access to the Vivistem implant technology. The implant is FDA-approved but many health insurers, including the US Department of Veterans Affairs’ VA health care, require onerous paperwork and approvals before they will pay for it. UConn Health is working to make it easier to access.

Read more.