Laurie Van Egeren, interim associate provost for University Outreach and Engagement at Michigan State University, was named to a newly formed Commission on Economic and Community Engagement, or CECE, created by the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities, or APLU.
Van Egeren will serve on the Inaugural CECE Executive Committee.
The CECE is building on the foundational works of predecessor councils and commissions, including the Council on Engagement and Outreach and the Commission on Innovation, Competitiveness and Economic Prosperity.
The commission focuses on three key areas:
- Talent and workforce development
- Innovation, entrepreneurship and tech-based economic development
- Place-based development through public service, outreach, extension and engagement
“We have a robust structure embedded across MSU that is committed to partnering the academic strengths of the university with the on-the-ground local knowledge of communities,” Van Egeren said. “Working with the CECE provides an exciting opportunity for MSU to participate in national planning, executing and communicating university work around the full span of community engagement.”
Also serving on the CECE are leaders from Pennsylvania State University, University of Pittsburgh, Texas A&M and Ohio State University.
CECE is committed to the development of meaningful and sustainable partnerships, founded on the principles of quality engagement between universities, communities, government, industry and philanthropies. Core activities center around professional development, leadership, and peer exchange; projects, research, and initiatives; federal policy contributions and communication.
“We are confident that this executive committee will help APLU to evidence and elevate the importance of university efforts in strengthening our communities,” said Sheila Martin, APLU Vice President for Economic and Community Engagement.
Van Egeren is MSU’s representative to the Engagement Scholarship Consortium, a member of the steering committee for the National Alliance for Broader Impacts and co-Principal Investigator for the NSF-funded Advancing Research in Society Center. She has conducted engaged intervention research funded by NSF, NIH, state government and foundations. In addition to leading the Office of University Outreach and Engagement, Van Egeren is an adjunct faculty member in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies.