College of Arts & Sciences research centers uniting for impact
UC harnesses institute exploration for interdisciplinary reach
UC’s College of Arts and Sciences is home to 12 research centers, which are moving forward study of machine learning and AI, environmental sciences, cyber strategy, urban policy, civility in public discourse, and more.
Each center has impact on our local communities and beyond. But what if they joined forces to expand their impact—locally, regionally and beyond? The new A&S Action Collaborative is setting out to answer that question.
A&S associate dean of social sciences and founder of the Action Collaborative Rina Williams. Photo/Provided
“We have several interdisciplinary centers and institutes that do a lot of really good public-facing impact work, and community-engaged research,” said Rina Williams, associate dean of the A&S social sciences division. “And I started thinking: what kind of grant and program support do they have now? What do they need?”
The idea for the Action Collaborative gained traction when founder Williams took it to A&S center directors for their feedback. The reaction was positive and opened the door for conversations between centers about what kinds of projects they could partner and build on with each other.
A&S centers today
A&S is home to 12 cutting-edge research institutes led by world-class, award-winning researchers in their respective fields. Among them are the Portman Center for Policy Solutions, the Center for Public Engagement with Science (PEWS), the Charles Phelps Taft Research Center, the Center for Cyber Strategy and Policy (CCSP) and the Institute for Research in Sensing (IRiS).
Collectively, their work spans politics, machine learning, film and media, environment and sustainability, social research, immersive language studies and more. While they provide research and enhanced classroom opportunities for students, their work also impacts communities.
For example, the Cedar Language Resource Center now incorporates cultural immersion—a tried-and-true method for teaching languages—helping classrooms provide students with VR experiences for an interactive dive into the study.
Kids engage with a geosciences sediment project at Northside Farmers Market. Photo/Hannah White
PEWS collaborates with Cincinnati’s Northside Farmers Market each fall for Science Harvest, with hands-on science experiments to spark their imagination and introduce them to basic geology concepts.
Most recently, a nearly $500,000 grant was awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities to establish the Center for Explainable, Ethical and Trustworthy AI, a first-of-its-kind hub for humanities-based research and public engagement on AI and its social impacts.
Will Umphres, dean's fellow for the Action Collaborative. Photo/Provided
“Our centers and institutes are founded and directed by some passionate, engaged faculty, and they do incredible public-facing, accessible learning,” said Will Umphres, associate professor of political science and Dean’s Fellow for the Action Collaborative.
“To the community—whether it’s the UC community of students or faculty to the Cincinnati community—our public impact and value in our communities shows that we are partners.”
It creates an incredible range of opportunities.
Rina Williams Action Collaborative founder and associate dean of A&S social sciences
Collaborative in action
The long-term mission for the collaborative is to uncover synergies between the centers, and find areas where their scholarship intersects to give communities and UC students a deeper understanding of the benefits of interdisciplinary research.
Currently, CCPS is part of the political science department, PEWS is housed in philosophy, and IRiS is housed in biology.
Said Williams: “We were thinking, what would it look like if we were really working in an interdisciplinary way, focused on how to translate our academic knowledge out into the world?”
The initiative helps bring to life the new college slogan Discovery In Action, designed to show how a liberal arts education has an impact beyond the theoretical and into the real world.
Up next
As the collaborative gets up and running, its goals include centralized community outreach, or a one-stop-shop for area organizations to ask for partnership with UC, and for donors to explore opportunities to support the university and the centers.
Said Williams: “’Are you interested in urban issues? We have Center for the City. Are you interested in civil discourse and civic education? We have the Portman Center.’ It creates an incredible range of opportunities.”
Learn more about the scope and reach of A&S research institutes here.
Featured image at top: Colorful puzzle pieces. Credit/Hans-Peter Gauster on Unsplash
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