Faculty Fellows 2011-12
Daphene Koch, Assistant Professor of Building Construction Management
Building Construction Management (BCM) in the college of technology is an easy match for service learning. Students can align practice of their construction knowledge to apply to assist others with projects. This process has been completed in a study abroad course to Costa Rica where students completed the building of a room addition and the updating of a health clinic. To sustain this project a study abroad has been imbedded in a course on international materials which will allow students to study materials in the U.S. and Costa Rica, then complete a service project in Costa Rica to apply their knowledge. Dr. Koch has also imbedded service learning in her introductory course by having teams of students present design for a small office building to Purdue Extension agents in southern IN.
Dulcy Abraham, Professor of Civil Engineering
John Lumkes, Professor of Agricultural and Biological Engineering
Dr. Lumkes advises Global Service-Learning projects in Cameroon, partnering with the African Centre for Renewable Energy and Sustainable Technologies (ACREST). Since 2009 approximately 130 students from the colleges of Agriculture, Engineering, and Technology have participated on affordable transportation, wind power, hydroelectric (co-advised with Dr. Ileliji, ABE), and biomass fuel briquette projects. Professor Lumkes works with the respective departments to allow seniors desiring to use the projects as their capstone design project to receive credit from their home department, when possible. Other students receive credit through technical elective courses or participate as an extracurricular activity. The impact on students is evident through the students' reflective journals and comments, and project impact for our partner is more evident each successive trip. The May travel portion is optional for students and follows the nine months of project work at Purdue. During the May 2011 trip the students successfully constructed and tested a prototype Basic Utility Vehicle that is now used daily by ACREST to transport water, food, people, and supplies. The improved windmill design from the 2010 team was still up and running producing electricity and the hydroelectric plant produced significantly more power using the improved turbine blades designed by the students. Purdue's Global Engineering Program, International Programs in Agriculture, and various student grant opportunities have been instrumental in supporting and enabling these projects.
Karen Foli, Assistant Professor of Nursing
Dr. Foli coordinates Leadership in Nursing, a 3-credit hour course, with a significant component based on community-based service learning. In the fall semester, student groups are paired with community partner organizations, perform a needs assessment, apply for Student Service Learning Grants through the Office of Engagement, and plan, organize, direct, and evaluate a service learning project. Community partners and events have included the Graduate Student Wellness Day (coordinated by the School of Nursing), Stand Down for Homeless and Near Homeless Veterans (coordinated by the Military Family Research Institute), and It's My Closet (a volunteer run organization that provides clothing and hygiene items for students in the local school systems). In the spring semester, the class is responsible for the implementation of a health fair for the public who visit Spring Fest, an event coordinated through the College of Agriculture that draws thousands of visitors per year. Student learning evaluation is based on presentations, executive summaries of the project, individual reflections, and peer evaluations. In addition to Leadership in Nursing, Dr. Foli extends the service learning experience to the cohort of second-degree nursing students and advises School of Nursing faculty on how to integrate service learning into their courses. Students articulate the professional and transferable skills they gain through their service learning experiences, including, "stepping up."
Paul Ebner, Assistant Professor of Animal Sciences
Sandra Sydnor, Assistant Professor in Hospitality and Tourism Management
The School of Hospitality and Tourism Management, housed in the College of Health and Human Sciences, (HHS) has been active for nearly a decade in service learning projects. Students apply theory and best practices learned in the classroom to ongoing businesses, assisting in marketing research and marketing programs; feasibility analyses; and cultural and rural tourism initiatives. The School has also developed and offered international opportunities, such as the study abroad course to Cartegena, Colombia where students representing the full College (HHS) participated in tourism, nursing, and international marketing projects.
Song No, Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education and International Programs