June 19, 2025

International Town & Gown News

Seaside City Manager Elected President of ITGA

ITGA is pleased to announce the election of Greg McDanel, City Manager of Seaside, California, as its new President. The transition was formalized at the 2025 ITGA Annual Conference, held June 4–6 in Kent, Ohio. McDanel will serve a two-year term through 2027, following the Board’s decision to extend presidential terms to enhance continuity and long-term impact.

ITGA Recognizes Award Recipients at the Conference

ITGA held its annual awards ceremony on June 4, 2025, in Kent, Ohio, celebrating the outstanding contributions of individuals, volunteers, and organizations that have made a significant impact on town-gown relations. The business luncheon, attended by nearly 300 attendees, provided a warm and celebratory atmosphere that highlighted ITGA’s mission and honored the powerful contributions of its award recipients.

National & International Headlines

Ohio State Launches Bold AI Fluency Initiative to Redefine Learning and Innovation

The Ohio State University is leading a bold, groundbreaking initiative to integrate artificial intelligence into the undergraduate educational experience. The initiative will ensure that every Ohio State student, beginning with the class of 2029, will graduate being AI fluent — fluent in their field of study, and fluent in the application of AI in that field.

Working with Community: How do Universities Judge Impact?

“We educate our students to be responsible citizens and responsible community members … That is one of the most important ways that higher education institutions do impact their local communities,” Dr Audrey Falk, said in a webinar organised by the University Social Responsibility Network on 4 June.

From Connection to Collaboration: A Partnership Forged Through ITGA

A feature in the ITGA newsletter sparked a powerful partnership between George Mason University and the University of Florida, demonstrating the value of sharing best practices within the ITGA network.

Hunger Strikes, Troops, De-escalation - DCP Office Hours, June 23rd

This office hours event, 12:00-1:30pm (ET) will include perspectives from those with experience as provosts, deans, statewide office holders, and campus law enforcement leadership, as well as those who have worked for a federal agency tasked with supporting communities and campuses in the face of tension searing the community’s social fabric.

Reimagining Texas Infrastructure: Texas A&M Students Turn Water Towers Into Beacons of the Future

In a visionary design studio, architecture students explored how Texas’ iconic water towers could evolve into hubs of climate resilience, community engagement and environmental innovation.

America's Housing Comeback: Why the Moment for Housing is Now, by NLC President Steve Patterson

America’s Housing Comeback, a Housing Supply Accelerator initiative, is a leadership table for housing policy leaders and innovators in the public and private sector to meet the moment for housing together. This leadership table will accelerate and build on successful housing supply initiatives at the local level by enhancing federal-local partnerships and public-private partnerships.