January 20, 2022 | Issue 25
A Message from the Vice Provost

Many faculty, researchers and instructors who practice publicly engaged research and scholarship, teaching and learning don’t even realize they are public scholars. When asked, individuals often summarize their work as, “it’s just what I do,” or “I do it because I saw a need.” At a large research university such as UC Davis, it is not surprising that many of us identify with a discipline or field of study, an academic department or program. It is, therefore, a pleasant surprise when we meet others whose disciplines and fields are so different from our own and yet we share common values to serve communities outside the university. In fact, I remember one professor standing up in the middle of a gathering of other publicly engaged scholars declaring, “I have been at this university for over 25 years and this is the first time I have found community!”

Moving through the undercurrent of the university like magma under tectonic plates, this community of scholars is part of our public mission at UC Davis and continues to grow today. At PSE, we want to bring greater visibility to our amazing public scholars. That is why we are proud to announce the Public Scholars Community. The aim of this directory is to recognize these individuals as a diverse and growing network, facilitate collaborations, and identify ways to support one another. Never before has there been a formal way to gather and connect members of this important community. We are confident many of you will find inspiration, and perhaps even future collaborators in that network. 

We have also set up a Faculty Resources page that provides resources that we recommend for anyone pursuing public scholarship. We hope many of you will find the Public Scholars Community and Faculty Resources pages useful. Creating a greater sense of belonging and providing support to grow our community of public scholars at UC Davis is important to us. If you are not currently listed and you consider yourself a public scholar, please see the form on the Community page to be a part of this network. 
 
In community,


Michael Rios
Vice Provost, Public Scholarship and Engagement  
Updates and Announcements
Public Scholarship and Engagement is taking submissions for its 2022 Public Impact Research Initiative (PIRI) grants now through Jan. 31, 2022. Grants, ranging from $5000-$10,000, will support research that is co-generated with community partners, is of mutual benefit, and has a positive public impact.

Deadline: January 31, 2022
UC Davis was recently awarded a grant through California Volunteers' #CaliforniansForAll College Corps program, which is is a college service program led by California Volunteers, Office of the Governor to create debt-free pathways for low-income students who commit to serve for an academic year. Public Scholarship and Engagement is a proud supporter of this initiative that promotes both scholarship and community engagement among the next generation.
Public Scholars Community is a community of UC Davis faculty and staff whose research, teaching and creative practice engages the public or focuses on issues of high public impact.
Public Engagement Champion
After a year-and-a-half of restrictions, Professor Robert Irwin and his team traveled to Tijuana this summer to conduct their PIRI funded, community-engaged scholarship. The trip was invaluable and reaffirmed just how much this type of work is needed as this pandemic pervades. Read their story.
Events and Opportunities
The Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis Office of Community Engagement is inviting submissions for the next volume of its journal ENGAGE!. The next issue’s theme is Arts’ Roles in Fostering Community Well Being. A key component of the journal is that articles must be conceptualized, written and disseminated with a community partner.

Deadline: February 1 — August 15, 2022
Imagining America (IA) is a national consortium with higher education institutional members and community partners housed at the University of California, Davis. The organization is current recruiting for its Managing Director and is accepting applications now through Feb. 7, 2022.

Deadline: February 7, 2022
University of California Humanities Research Institute’s call for applications are now open through February 22, 2022. Multiple grants are available including funds for engaging humanities projects, dissertation support, and multi-campus working groups for both graduate students and faculty, etc.

Deadline: February 22, 2022
The UC Davis Child Life and Creative Art Therapy Department will host "Remembering Together: Virtual Bereavement Art Group," on Jan. 20, 26, 27 and Feb. 2 and 3, 2022. Workshops will focus on grief and processing loss through self-expression and art for children.

Event: Jan. 20, 26, 27 and Feb. 2, 3, 2022 | 4:00—5:30 p.m.
GradPathway's Professional Development Fair is scheduled to take place on to Wednesday, March 2 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in person at Walker Hall. The Fair will host a team of experts, including staff from PSE.

Event: March 2, 2022 | 11:00—1:00 p.m.
In Other News
With the growing importance of COVID-19 testing, the work and scholarship of UC Davis Health Professor and alumnus, Nam Tran, Ph.D. '08, is having increasing relevance on the public sector.
Director of the UC Davis Microbiome Special Research Program, Jonathan Eisen, sits down with Sactown Magazine to discuss Omicron variant, which is quickly spreading through communities throughout the U.S.
UC Davis leads grassroots effort to screen migrant workers and their families for COVID-19.
Partnering for the Public Good
At a time when our planet and its people face unprecedented challenges, UC Davis is reimagining the links that connect university, community and society. Philanthropic support plays a vital role in advancing UC Davis research, education and collaborations that make the world a better place. We invite the partnership of university friends who share our vision of discovery, learning and engagement for the public good. 
About Public Scholarship and Engagement
Public Scholarship and Engagement is building and supporting meaningful relationships between communities and UC Davis scholars that work together to solve today’s problems and tomorrow’s challenges. We envision a university unbound that seeks to serve the public, equitably and inclusively, resulting in reciprocal and mutual benefit to California’s communities and beyond.

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