Thorp Faculty Engaged Scholars - Carolina Center for Public Service

“Beyond just the work that I’m doing, being a part of this group has been powerful for me. It was helpful to meet folks across campus who are in different fields but are using similar methodology and working with community partners in similar ways.”

-Thorp Faculty Engaged Scholar Cheryl Bolick

The Thorp Faculty Engaged Scholars (FES) program brings together selected faculty from across campus to engage in a two-year experiential, competency-based curriculum designed to advance their engaged scholarship. Scholars participate in sessions in community settings to learn from other Carolina faculty and their community partners. While developing individual projects, each class of scholars forms a learning community along with the faculty and community course directors to support one another’s projects and community partners. The growing network of Thorp Faculty Engaged Scholars reports outcomes including new interdisciplinary collaborations, successful grant applications and both traditional and non-traditional products of scholarship.

Dr. Ronald Strauss serves as faculty director, and Melvin Jackson is community director.

Program benefits

Award amount of $5,000 per year, for each of the two years ($10,000 in total)
Interactions with like-minded colleagues from a variety of disciplines around issues related to engaged scholarship
Support from experienced faculty and community partners
Information on engaged scholarship via a series of workshops, panels and case studies by leading UNC-CH faculty, community and national experts and funding program officers

Curriculum

Scholars participate in a highly interactive, experiential and competency-based curriculum involving field visits, exposure to a number of ongoing projects and discussions with community members and faculty partners. Sessions address such topics as funding and dissemination of engaged scholarship, navigating disciplinary expectations while addressing community needs and partnering with local communities in North Carolina and beyond.

Scholar selection

A faculty committee selects eight to 10 faculty members every other year to participate in the two–year program. Since 2007, 63 faculty members have been selected from 10 professional schools and the College of Arts and Sciences, representing more than 25 departments. For information about the participants, see the scholars webpage.

After a pandemic-related pause to the program, CCPS is selecting a new class of Thorp Faculty Engaged Scholars during fall semester 2021.

The Carolina Center for Public Service at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for its events and programs. If you need accommodations, please contact ccps@unc.edu or call 919-843-7568. Every reasonable effort will be made to implement accommodations in an effective and timely manner.