Service Research and Service Learning: Developing Collaborative Research and Education Between a University and a Non-Profit

Kristen Osterwood; Amy E. Landis; Jason Douglas Monnell; Chris Koch; Maureen Copeland

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Conference: 2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: Vancouver, BC
Publication Date: June 26, 2011
Start Date: June 26, 2011
End Date: June 29, 2011
ISSN: 2153-5965
Conference Session: Multidisciplinary Technical Session
Tagged Division: Multidisciplinary Engineering
Page Count: 8
Page Numbers: 22.1284.1 - 22.1284.8
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--18903
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/18903
Download Count: 580

Dr. Monnell is a Research Assistant Professor in the Civil and Environmental Engineering department at the University of Pittsburgh. He obtained his bachelors degree in Biochemistry from Union College (Schenectady NY) his Ph.D. in Chemistry from Penn State in 2005. He investigates chemical and physical interactions between surfaces and their environments. He is especially interested in heavy metals, chacogen containing molecules, and catalytic materials. Dr. Monnell teaches Environmental Chemistry and Environmental Chemical Analysis. He is a member of the American Chemical Society, and the Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors for which he serves on the Governmental Affairs Committee.

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biography

Chris Koch GTECH Strategies

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Chris has worked in major cities around the country on systemic economic development projects in the private and public sectors. Her background is in the areas of Community and Economic Development, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Project Management, and Social Enterprise.
Chris has provided expertise on urban blight reduction strategies and social entrepreneurship to organizations such as the Brookings Institute, Great Lakes Urban Exchange, and Princeton University. Chris holds a Masters of Public Policy and Management from the Heinz College at Carnegie Mellon University, and a B.S. in History from the same. In 2008, Chris was named an Echoing Green fellow for her work with GTECH out of 1500 applicants worldwide.

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Maureen Copeland GTECH Strategies

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Abstract

Service Research and Service Learning: Developing collaborative research and education between a university and a nonprofit. Amy E. Landis*, Kristen Ostermann**, Jason Monnell***, Chris Koch$, Maureen Copeland$$ *Assistant Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Pittsburgh **Graduate student, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Pittsburgh ***Research Assistant Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Pittsburgh $Chief Operating Officer, GTECH Strategies $$Community Programs Manager, GTECH Strategies Abstract submitted to American Society for Engineering Education 2011 Annual Conference and Exposition June 26 – 29, 2011 – Vancouver, BC, Canada The principles of service-‐learning are expanded to create a model of service-‐research that is employed in a collaboration between the University of Pittsburgh and a Pittsburgh nonprofit, GTECH Strategies. Service-‐learning is a well known strategy that integrates meaningful community service with instruction to enrich the learning experience by providing practical experience, to teach civic responsibility, and to strengthen connections with communities. We define service-‐research in a similar manner: research that integrates meaningful community service with research activities to enrich the learning experience of the service partner as well as the researchers. GTECH (Growth Through Energy and Community Health) Strategies is a nonprofit dedicated to fostering community and growing the green economy through creative community revitalization. GTECH Strategies nurtures community growth through green job creation and the elimination of blight, specifically through growing biofuels on abandoned lots within the city of Pittsburgh. Dr. Landis’ research team at Pitt is exploring the potential to utilize marginal lands for biofuel production and are evaluating the comparative environmental impacts of biofuels grown on marginal lands with other fuels. Naturally, a mutually beneficial research collaboration was formed. This paper describes a service-‐learning and service-‐research collaboration between the University of Pittsburgh and nonprofit GTECH Strategies. Through our collaboration, we employ service learning at multiple scales (involving communities, high schools, college students, and professors) as well as integrate research into service projects with the aim of increasing community awareness of research and higher education. Based on findings from evaluating our collaboration and student participation, we discuss a model of service-‐research for graduate programs.

Citation
Format

Osterwood, K., & Landis, A. E., & Monnell, J. D., & Koch, C., & Copeland, M. (2011, June), Service Research and Service Learning: Developing Collaborative Research and Education Between a University and a Non-Profit Paper presented at 2011 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Vancouver, BC. 10.18260/1-2--18903

TY  - CPAPER
AB  -      Service  Research  and  Service  Learning:  Developing  collaborative  research  and                        education  between  a  university  and  a  nonprofit.   Amy  E.  Landis*,  Kristen  Ostermann**,  Jason  Monnell***,  Chris  Koch$,  Maureen  Copeland$$    *Assistant  Professor,  Department  of  Civil  and  Environmental  Engineering,  University  of  Pittsburgh   **Graduate  student,  Department  of  Civil  and  Environmental  Engineering,  University  of  Pittsburgh  ***Research  Assistant  Professor,  Department  of  Civil  and  Environmental  Engineering,  University  of                                                             Pittsburgh                                    $Chief  Operating  Officer,  GTECH  Strategies                                $$Community  Programs  Manager,  GTECH  Strategies                                                                                                Abstract  submitted  to  American  Society  for  Engineering  Education                                     2011  Annual  Conference  and  Exposition                                   June  26  –  29,  2011  –  Vancouver,  BC,  Canada    The  principles  of  service-‐learning  are  expanded  to  create  a  model  of  service-‐research  that  is  employed  in  a  collaboration  between  the  University  of  Pittsburgh  and  a  Pittsburgh  nonprofit,  GTECH  Strategies.  Service-‐learning  is  a  well  known  strategy  that  integrates  meaningful  community  service  with  instruction  to  enrich  the  learning  experience  by  providing  practical  experience,  to  teach  civic  responsibility,  and  to  strengthen  connections  with  communities.  We  define  service-‐research  in  a  similar  manner:  research  that  integrates  meaningful  community  service  with  research  activities  to  enrich  the  learning  experience  of  the  service  partner  as  well  as  the  researchers.      GTECH  (Growth  Through  Energy  and  Community  Health)  Strategies  is  a  nonprofit  dedicated  to  fostering  community  and  growing  the  green  economy  through  creative  community  revitalization.  GTECH  Strategies  nurtures  community  growth  through  green  job  creation  and  the  elimination  of  blight,  specifically  through  growing  biofuels  on  abandoned  lots  within  the  city  of  Pittsburgh.  Dr.  Landis’  research  team  at  Pitt  is  exploring  the  potential  to  utilize  marginal  lands  for  biofuel  production  and  are  evaluating  the  comparative  environmental  impacts  of  biofuels  grown  on  marginal  lands  with  other  fuels.  Naturally,  a  mutually  beneficial  research  collaboration  was  formed.      This  paper  describes  a  service-‐learning  and  service-‐research  collaboration  between  the  University  of  Pittsburgh  and  nonprofit  GTECH  Strategies.  Through  our  collaboration,  we  employ  service  learning  at  multiple  scales  (involving  communities,  high  schools,  college  students,  and  professors)  as  well  as  integrate  research  into  service  projects  with  the  aim  of  increasing  community  awareness  of  research  and  higher  education.  Based  on  findings  from  evaluating  our  collaboration  and  student  participation,  we  discuss  a  model  of  service-‐research  for  graduate  programs.        
AU  - Kristen Osterwood
AU  - Amy E. Landis
AU  - Jason Douglas Monnell
AU  - Chris Koch
AU  - Maureen Copeland
CY  - Vancouver, BC
DA  - 2011/06/26
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - Service Research and Service Learning: Developing Collaborative Research and Education Between a University and a Non-Profit
UR  - https://peer.asee.org/18903
DO  - 10.18260/1-2--18903
ER  -