Dr. Jason Ware Appointed as Office of Engagement Fellow to Advance Clinical and Tenure Track Faculty and Student Engagement Initiatives

West Lafayette, IN – Purdue University Office of Engagement is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Jason Ware as the new Office of Engagement Fellow. In this role, Ware will focus on clinical and tenure track faculty development in engagement, helping to strengthen the university’s commitment to the scholarship of engagement and community impact.

Ware will support faculty development by offering multiple modalities of the scholarship of engagement and community impact programs. The initiative will begin with Limited Open Online Cohorts (LOOCs), enabling clinical and tenure track faculty to engage in scholarly conversations and collaborations in an accessible, online format. Additionally, Ware will provide on-demand departmental information sessions, workshops, and one-on-one conversations to further enhance the scholarship of engagement.

As an advocate for student engagement, Ware will extend these efforts to post-doctoral and graduate students, ensuring that emerging scholars are well-equipped to incorporate engagement into their academic pursuits. He also plans to institutionalize undergraduate engaged scholar development by creating interdisciplinary affinity groups that foster research partnerships with community organizations and industry leaders. These collaborations will address the challenges in the world today.

Ware also aims to launch an e-publication through Purdue Press. This platform will capture and share compelling engagement stories from clinical and tenure track faculty who have advanced their careers through engagement, as well as from undergraduate scholars reflecting on how engagement has shaped their personal and professional development.

Ware defines engagement as bringing research to collaborations with community partners to collectively address pressing global community needs. Engagement involves co-creating resources, tools, and products that enhance the human condition and improve quality of life. This vision extends to international contexts, as he seeks to expand engagement efforts globally while maintaining Purdue’s leadership as a model for engagement across higher education institutions.

Ware will continue to hold an appointment in the John Martinson Honors College, where he serves as the director of engaged scholar development for undergraduates.

Through these engagement efforts, Ware wants to inspire other universities and position Purdue University as a leader in the scholarship of engagement. He envisions a future where scholars can benefit from Purdue’s engagement resources, fostering a global community dedicated to advancing community impact through research and collaboration.

“Dr. Ware’s appointment as the Office of Engagement Fellow reflects Purdue’s unwavering commitment to advancing the scholarship of engagement,” said Roberto Gallardo, Purdue University Vice President for Engagement. “His leadership will not only empower clinical and tenure track faculty in their engagement efforts but will also foster a new generation of scholars—both undergraduates and graduates—who are dedicated to meaningful collaborations that address pressing challenges. We are excited to see how his vision will further strengthen Purdue’s role as a leader in community engagement and impact.”

Dr. Jason Ware can be reached at jaware@purdue.edu. View more of Dr. Ware’s community engagement work here.