Strengthening Universities and Community 
Through Engagement
September 26, 2007

Lorilee R. Sandmann , Ph.D.

After 21 years in higher education administration, Lorilee R. Sandmann joined the University of Georgia’s faculty in the Department of Lifelong Education, Administration, and Policy, College of Education.  Previously, Dr. Sandmann served as Associate Vice President for Public Service and Outreach at UGA and Executive Director of the Georgia Center for Continuing Education. In addition she served as Vice Provost for Institutional Effectiveness and Strategic Partnerships at Cleveland State University, Director of University Outreach at Michigan State University, and held faculty, administrative and extension and outreach positions at Michigan State University and the University of Minnesota.

During her 30 plus years of experience particularly in program leadership and administration through higher education, cooperative extension and continuing education, Dr. Sandmann has distinguished herself as a leader in her field. She has published widely in books and journals devoted to adult and higher education, outreach and community engagement, and organizational change; developed numerous presentations and workshops. She is co-director of the award-winning Clearinghouse and National Review Board for the Scholarship of Engagement, initially sponsored by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, and has been funded by the Johnson Foundation for sponsor two national Wingspread conferences on higher education engagement.

Among many awards, Dr. Sandmann was the recipient of the 2005 Program of Excellence Award for Innovations in Outreach and Engagement by the University Continuing Education Association.  She is past chair of the NASULGC Council on Extension, Continuing Education and Public Service and currently serves on the National Advisory Committee for the Carnegie Foundation’s Community  Engagement Classification.

Linda Silka , Ph.D. 

Dr. Linda Silka is the Director of the Center for Family, Work, and Community and Professor of Regional Economics and Social Development at the University of Massachusetts at Lowell.  She is also Special Assistant to the Provost for Community Outreach and Partnerships.  A social and community psychologist, Dr. Silka develops programs that create and evaluate community and university partnerships.  She involves community residents, students, and faculty in using new technologies such as community mapping to address long-standing community challenges.  She teaches graduate courses in applied research, program evaluation, community dynamics, community partnerships, and geographic information systems.  

Dr. Silka consults to partnerships around the country on capacity building strategies in program evaluation and community-based research.  She was honored with the University of Massachusetts President’s Award for Outstanding Professional Service and has been nationally recognized for her capacity-building work with refugee and immigrant communities. 

Dr. Silka was selected by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences to lead their conference for branches of NIH and other federal agencies on best practices in evaluations of community-based research.  She  has been a principal investigator on multiyear community research and intervention projects funded by the Department of Education, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Housing and Urban Development, Environmental Protection Agency, and the National Science Foundation.

Armand W. Carriere  is the Executive Director of the Worcester UniverCity Partnership, Massachusetts, USA. The Worcester UniverCity Partnership is a unique collaboration between a consortium of 12 higher education institutions (HEIs), the City of Worcester in Massachusetts and the business community. The focus of the Partnership is on applying the knowledge, expertise and resources of participating HEIs to local economic development and community revitalization. The Partnership engages students and academic staff in community-based learning and research projects that serve the City and local community neighborhoods as well as enhancing and deepening the students' learning experience.

Prior to his appointment as Executive Director of the Worcester UniverCity Partnership, Armand was the Associate Deputy Assistant Secretary for University Partnerships at the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). During this appointment his key responsibility was to provide direction and leadership to the Office of University Partnership, HUD’s vehicle to link the resources of HEIs to the needs of their local communities. Armand has written a number of articles on community- university partnerships and serves as an advisor to numerous community-university partnership initiatives. www.chesp.org.za/conference/Speakers/
Armand%20Carriere.html 

Richard Pattenaude, Ph.D.
Chancellor, University of Maine System

Richard L. Pattenaude became chancellor of the University of Maine System in July 2007, after serving for sixteen years as president of the University of Southern Maine.

For more information about Chancellor Pattenaude, visit his website at the University of Maine System at www.maine.
edu/chancellor/index.php?
section=4