The International Town & Gown Association™ Newsletter February 15, 2018
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Ohio State University, Partners Develop 'Smart Paint' to Help the Visually Impaired Navigate Cities
The goal of "smart paint for networked smart cities," explains John Lannutti, professor of materials science engineering at OSU, is to assist people who are blind and visually impaired by implementing a "smart paint" technology that provides accurate location services. Smart paint is created by adding exotic light-converting oxides to standard road paints. The paint is detected using a "smart cane" a modified white cane that detects the smart paint and enables portal-to-portal guidance. The smart cane can also be used to notify vehicles of a user's presence in a crosswalk. Government Technology
Presidents from Four Universities in Toronto Partnered to Tackle the Issue of Affordable Housing
Researchers at the UT, Ryerson, OCAD and York are beginning to understand just how large and complex the student housing issue is in Toronto. Students and faculty from four universities are working together on an initiative called StudentDwellTO-a joint research project established by the universities' presidents that will identify causes and propose possible solutions to the housing-related challenges students face. Researchers have already reviewed 150 academic articles to get an idea of best practices from around the world. One early finding is that design greatly effects student experiences. University of Toronto
Call for Nominations for the 2018 ITGA Awards
Each year, the ITGA recognizes members who work toward improving the quality of life in campus communities. This is an opportunity for town-gown professionals to receive recognition for their work at the annual ITGA City & University Relations Conference. Last year's recipients of The ITGA Presidential Excellence Award were Marquette University and the City of Milwaukee for Near West Side Partners and Colorado State University and the City of Fort Collins for CityWorksEDU. Texas State University and the City of San Marcos received the 2017 Larry Abernathy Award for Achieving Community Together. Call for Nominations for the 2018 ITGA Awards are open. Submit your nominations by April 2.
The 2018 ITGA City & University Relations Conference
Registration is open for the 2018 ITGA City & University Relations Conference, hosted by The Ohio State University and City of Columbus, May 29-June 1. To learn what your colleagues are saying about the longterm benefits of attending the conference, click here. To register and/or learn more about the conference, click here. Space is limited for the pre-conference Certificate workshops Level I and II so register today! Pre-conference activities begin Tuesday, May 29 and the conference concurrent sessions and featured speakers will open the conference Wednesday morning. The conference concludes after lunch on Friday. A schedule of the program will be available on the website soon. See you in Columb US!
Community Needs, Volunteers Connect in New Online Tool
With the launch of ComMUnity Connect, a volunteer recruitment, management and tracking platform, Miami University opens a two-way channel between the community and potential volunteers. ComMUnity Connect lets students, faculty and staff search for community engagement opportunities and allows nonprofit and other civic organizations to post volunteer needs online on an ongoing basis. In essence, it's a matching software for volunteers and nonprofits. The platform was chosen through a collaborative process with the community engagement staff at Miami's campuses. All three local campuses contribute to the cost and maintenance of the program. Miami University
UMass Party Registration Program to Expand to Hadley
A program that allows University of Massachusetts students who live off campus to register weekend parties will expand to Hadley this semester. Hadley Police Chief Michael Mason told the Select Board Wednesday that the Party Smart program will be another tool for police to deal with disturbances at student housing, and reduce the the and resources spent breaking up parties. Under the program, students go to the Off Campus Student Center to register a party and get information and pep talk about how to have a successful party, said Eric Beal, neighborhood liaison for UMass Office of External Relations and University Events. Gazette
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A growing and impressive group of professionals from campus communities continue to network and share strategies for improving town-gown relations. Join us on Twitter and LinkedIn.
ITGA News & Announcements
Save the Date: The ITGA City & University Relations Conference, May 29-June 1. Learn more at www.itga.org.

Job Posting: The University of South Carolina of Student Life is seeking a Neighborhood Relations Coordinator. Learn more.
Welcome New & Renewing Members
City of Fairfax & George Mason University, City of Kent & Kent State University