Skip to main navigation menu Skip to main content Skip to site footer

Reflective Essays

Vol. 30 No. 2 (2026): June 2026

"A Space Between": Exploring Tensions and Opportunities in Community-Engaged Research through the Lens of a Faculty Fellows Program

  • Ruth Yow
  • Joe F. Bozeman III
  • Ashutosh Dhekne
  • Allen Hyde
  • Nicole Kennard
  • Mike Lehman
  • Patritsia Marie Stathatou
  • Brigitte Stepanov
  • Emily Weigel
Submitted
February 25, 2025
Published
2026-07-10

Abstract

This essay aims to contribute to the literature on training faculty to undertake community-engaged research (CER) and offer colleagues at diverse institutions insight into what works—and does not—through the lens of a CER-focused faculty fellows program at Georgia Tech. We review existing models and literature on faculty development programs in CER and describe the themes, structure, goals, and outcomes of Georgia Tech’s program. To illustrate how CER takes shape in different disciplines, the essay offers five anecdotes from faculty fellows in engineering, modern languages, science, sociology, and literature. Additionally, the piece shares data gleaned from program interviews, focus groups, and surveys to make recommendations for program improvement at Georgia Tech and, more broadly, for advancing CER at other institutions. The essay is collaboratively authored by two program leads and seven program participants representing seven academic departments.