Office of Faculty Engagement

Full Program

Wednesday, August 27, 2025

August 27th Agenda

Check-In

9:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Pre-function Foyer

Graduate Student Poster Session and Networking Awards Announcements

11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Terrace Room

Graduate Student Poster Awards Announcements

1:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Terrace Room

AAA Reception

3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Legacy Ballroom

Outreach and Engaged Scholars Recognition Reception

5:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Pre-function Foyer

Outreach and Engaged Scholars Recognition Ceremony

6:00 p.m.
Grand Ballroom

Thursday, August 28, 2025

August 28th Agenda

Check-In/Continental Breakfast

8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.
Pre-function Foyer

Plenary I:

Podium Talks

9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Oak I, Oak II, Longleaf, Azalea

Roundtable Discussions

9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Legacy Ballroom

Resource Fair and Poster Session:

Resource Fair

11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Terrace

Poster Session

11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Terrace

Luncheon and Keynote

12:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Legacy Ballroom

Plenary II:

Education Talks

2:45 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.

2025 Dr. Royrickers Cook Endowed Engagement Award Honoree

Portia Johnson, Ph.D

Assistant Professor & Extension Specialist

Portia Johnson, PhD, assistant professor and Extension specialist in Auburn University’s College of Human Sciences, has been honored with the 2025 Dr. Royrickers Cook Endowed Engagement Award. Johnson was recognized for her leadership in creating the Alabama FAST (FAFSA Application Survival Toolkit) program, which has helped over 10,000 students and families across 90 Alabama high schools navigate financial aid and college planning.

A first-generation college graduate, Johnson launched ALFAST in 2022, combining her expertise in consumer behavior with a passion for educational access. Her work has significantly boosted Alabama’s FAFSA completion rates, especially in underserved communities, and earned multiple national accolades. She is also piloting a new initiative, the ALFAST Career Explorer, to connect students with high-demand career paths.

About the Dr. Royrickers Cook Endowed Engagement Award

Dr. Royrickers Cook, Vice President and Associate Provost of University Outreach, holds three degrees from Auburn University culminating with a Ph.D. in Public Administration and Public Policy in 2000. In his role, Dr. Cook is directly responsible for the following Auburn University outreach centers and institutes: Center for Educational Outreach and Engagement, Corporate and Community Partnerships, Encyclopedia of Alabama, Government and Economic Development Institute, Office of Faculty Engagement, Office of Professional and Continuing Education, Office of Public Service, Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, Outreach Global, and Outreach Information Technology and CEU Office.

As an internationally known professional, he commits his work to promote the common good, providing quality public service, and engaging with diverse communities. Dr. Cook intentionally looks for ways to connect Auburn with the local, state, national, and international communities in an effort to establish Auburn University’s footprint in the broader communities.

2025 Initiatives, Program and Partner Recognitions

Dr. LaKami Baker (College of Business) - International Engagement Education and Training
Professor Angela Burque and Dr. Danilea Werner (College of Liberal Arts) - BraveHearts Center for Place and Purpose
Dr. Doris Hill and Mrs. Maria Gutierrez (College of Education) - Regional Autism Network
Dr. William Powell and Dr. Rosephanye Powell (College of Liberal Arts) - Auburn University Gospel Ensemble and Choir
2025 Competitive Outreach Scholarship Grant Recipients

Thank you to all of our RCEEA Donors:

Ms. Janet Baker*
Mr. Charles Michael Clardy
Mr. and Mrs. David Cleveland
Mrs. Annette L. Cook
Mr. and Mrs. Crenshaw Cook, Jr.
Mrs. Catrina Woody Cook
Mr. Cornelius Cook
Ms. Edwina G. Cook
Mr. Henry L. Cook
Mr. Lou P. Cook
Dr. Olivia Janay Cook
Ms. Sherry Belinda Cook
Mr. Kevin Christopher Coonrod
Critical Insights Consulting, LLC
Mr. Marrell and Dr. Mac-Jane Crayton
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Glenn Crittenden
Dr. Ralph D. Elliott
Dr. Chenavis Cook Evans
Dr. George Timothy Flowers
Ms. Virginia Foreman
Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Shell Foster, Jr.
Ms. Gail Gauntt
Ms. Elizabeth B. Haeussler
Dr. June M. Henton*
Mr. and Mrs. Rainiar Howard
Mr. Hal Johnson
Ms. Rebecca Johnson
Rev. Clifford E. Jones
Mrs. Lillie M. Jones
Mr. and Mrs. John Holden Kincey
Ms. Arnetas Sireka Melton
Mrs. Sidney James Nakhjavan
Dr. Elizabeth I. Quansah
Dr. Joseph E. Quansah
Mr. and Mrs. Rodriquez Cortez Reedy
Dr. William I. Sauser, Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. Willie Saxton
Mrs. Hope Gaither Stockton
Dr. Chippewa M. Thomas
Ms. Chelsea Tolbert
Dr. Don-Terry Veal
Ms. Alisha Jonell Woody
Mr. and Mrs. John Woody

RCEEA Selection Committee

Dr. Hollie Cost-Chair
Mrs. Catrina Woody Cook
Chief Jim Doody
Rep. Jeremy Gray
Mrs. Michelle Kostelecky
Dr. Chippewa M. Thomas
Ms. Shavon Williams
Dr. Mark Wilson

Symposium Luncheon Keynote

David Weerts, Ph.D.

David J. Weerts is Professor of Higher Education in the College of Education and Human Development (CEHD) at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities and Associate Vice Provost for Public Engagement for the University of Minnesota System. Over the past twenty-five years, Professor Weerts’s research and teaching has focused on higher education leadership and organizations, particularly in the areas of university-community engagement, state financing of higher education, and institutional advancement. His research on these topics has appeared in leading academic journals including Teachers College Record, The Journal of Higher Education, Research in Higher Education, and Review of Higher Education.

Professor Weerts is active in national leadership initiatives to support university engagement and outreach across the U.S. and internationally. He served two terms on the executive committee for the Council on Engagement and Outreach for the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities (APLU) and currently serves on the board of directors for the Seed Coalition (formerly Iowa-Minnesota Campus Compact). In addition, he directs the Engagement Academy for University Leaders, a professional development program designed for mid-career and senior leaders of engagement. The program has trained over 1,300 leaders across 160 institutions and 5 countries. Professor Weerts earned a Ph.D. in educational leadership and policy analysis from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He was inducted into the Academy of Community Engagement Scholarship (ACES) in 2025.

Education Talk Speakers:

Elizabeth Ivy Quansah, Ph.D., MBA

Director, Outreach Global

Fostering Global Citizens Through Education, Service Learning and Culture Awareness.

Dr. Elizabeth I. Quansah from the Office of Outreach Global creates opportunities for global and local engagement, service-learning programs, cultural immersion experiences, and contributions towards community development across the globe. The office provides affordable short-term (1-2 weeks) service-learning experiences to students who cannot afford traditional study abroad programs. It also offers capacity training programs for both domestic and global partners.

Additionally, Outreach Global offers faculty members short-term opportunities abroad for outreach work, community engagement, and research. The Office also brings global experiences to the domestic audience through its annual events such as Global Community Day Festival, Fulbright in the Classroom, and GlobalConnect Camp. These events expose students, faculty, staff, alumni, and the local community to diverse perspectives, culture, history, social awareness, and increase global understanding. The Office of Outreach Global is a unit within University Outreach.

Doris Hill, Ph.D.

Director, Regional Autism Network
Clinical Professor, College of Education

Maria Guitierrez

Family Navigator, Regional Autism Network, Special Education, Rehabilitation, and Counseling, College of Education

Alabama’s RAN serves those who have questions, concerns, or resource needs regarding themselves, a family member, friend, client, patient, or a student with diagnosed or suspected autism spectrum disorder (ASD) across 20 counties-the largest RAN in the state.

The Regional Autism Network provides:

• Professional training programs
• Technical assistance and consultation services
• Individual and direct family assistance in the home, community, and school
• Public education programs

We exist to connect people with ASD, their families, educators, and service providers to the information and/or services that best meet their needs in multiple languages, including Spanish and Korean. We travel to events and provide trainings as needed and meet one on one with individuals to meet their needs.

University Outreach and the Office of Faculty Engagement wish to give special thanks to the following:

Sponsors of the 2025 OESS

Samuel Ginn College of Engineering
Harrison College of Pharmacy
Graduate School
College of Veterinary Medicine

Symposium Planning Committee

Dr. Chippewa M. Thomas - Chairperson
Amanda Carr
Janie Echols-Brown
Gail Gauntt
Christopher Henry
Cheryl Lumpkin
Abby Malkove
Karen Rankin
Dr. Jocelyn Vickers
Dr. Mark Wilson
Amy Wadsworth Register
Auburn University Facilities
Michael Almond – GivePulse

Symposium Program Committee

Dr. Christine Drew
Dr. Sean Forbes
Dr. Anna – Margaret Goldman
Dr. Jung Won Hur
Dr. Portia Johnson
Ms. Tenisha King
Dr. Jared Russell
Dr. JoEllen Sefton
Dr. Maria Witte

Graduate Student Poster Session Judges

Murugadas Anbazhagan, Ph.D., College of Veterinary Medicine Post-Doctoral Fellow
Nitesh Kasera, Ph.D., College of Engineering Post-Doctoral Fellow
Rakesh Kumar, Ph.D., College of Engineering Post-Doctoral Fellow
Sindhu Ramesh, Ph.D., Harrison College of Pharmacy Post-Doctoral Fellow

A special thank you to the Vice President’s Office for University Outreach, all presenters, participants, partners, supporters, champions, and all others who made the 2025 Outreach & Engaged Scholarship Symposium possible.

The Office of Faculty Engagement and Auburn University Outreach thank our 2025 Sponsors!

Platinum Sponsor

Harrison College of Pharmacy

Platinum Sponsor

Samuel Ginn College of Engineering

Silver Sponsor

Graduate School

Bronze Sponsor

College of Veterinary Medicine