“Synergy is the interaction or cooperation of two or more organizations, substances, or other agents to produce a combined effect greater than the sum of their separate effects.”

At this session participants learned strategies for integrating community engagement into research and service, meanwhile enhancing their teaching by incorporating community experiences into classroom activities.

The presenters provided a brief Power Point about their own community engaged research. The participants were then guided through a brainstorming session, where they explored ways to integrate community engagement into their specific research, teaching and service practices.

Dr. Azizur Molla an Associate Professor position in the Department of Public Health, College of Health Professions at Grand Valley State University developed a teaching intervention that includes teaching, research and service together. He was awarded a Sustainability Champion for his community based research and service project. He along with his students served about 500 households educating them about radon gas and its health risks, test indoor radon levels, and refer households for mitigation if the radon is more than EPA recommended level (4/pCi/L).  His research focused on: i) health risks of indoor radon gas in West Michigan, ii) transdisciplinary assessment of water quality and development  intervention in Haiti and Bangladesh, iii) the role of policy to sustain international development programs, iv) sustainable healthcare services for the homeless population in Grand Rapids, MI, and v) Assessment of healthcare for veterans in West Michigan. He has ten years of experience in teaching and doing community based research on public health issues in Bangladesh, in the U.S. Ghana, and in Haiti.

Dr. Peter J. Wampler is an Associate Professor of Geology at GVSU, who teaches a variety of general education and upper level geology courses. Dr. Wampler's research interests are based in Environmental Geology, Fluvial Geomorphology and Sediment Transport, Human Impacts to River Systems, Geographic Information Systems and Remote Sensing, and Water Quality in Haiti. 

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