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Welcome to another issue of Faculty Impact, a newsletter designed to celebrate Wayne State University faculty, encourage interdisciplinary collaborations, and inspire the Wayne State community in their scholarly, community engagement, and student success work. This month’s theme is “Engaged with Detroiters” and features faculty from the College of Fine, Performing, and Communication Arts, Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, and the Mike Ilitch School of Business. Each of these faculty members engage in authentic ways with people living in the Detroit area to raise awareness of their needs and empower them in their work and life. I hope you are inspired, as I am, by learning more about the faculty and the communities they serve and thinking about how you might be able to fully engage community members as true partners and collaborators in your work. You might notice that this issue features a new web format to make it easier for readers to share articles on their preferred social media platforms or via email. Enjoy!   - Keith E. Whitfield, Provost and Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs

I reject being labeled an “activist-scholar” because it has largely been used pejoratively and is condescending toward activism. Rather, I believe my scholarship to be complementary to the tireless service of grassroots community leaders and activists; by working closely with them at every step of the project – from research design to translation – my work is far more rigorous and impactful than it might have been with a top-down approach.

People who have played hockey know the excitement of stepping out onto the ice and moving with incredible speed and agility. Unfortunately, some kids and adults with disabilities have never had the chance to experience this wonder. The volunteers behind the Metro Detroit Sled Hockey Team are trying to give one group of Metro Detroit kids that experience.

As a faculty member of Wayne State University, I believe in giving back to your community and that we should try to make a positive impact in our communities and society in whatever way we can.  I have been lucky in that I have been able to align much of my research, service, and teaching to focus on making an impact in society and our local community. 

Office of the Provost

4228 FAB
656 W. Kirby
Detroit MI, 48202
Phone: 313-577-2200  |  Fax: 313-577-5666
provost@wayne.edu