As part of the university’s successful Carnegie Community Engagement Classification application process, the Office of Research and Engagement has compiled a list of fifty of UT’s best community-campus partnerships. The university will be celebrating its status as an engaged institution throughout the coming year by featuring these individual examples in articles that highlight their unique contribution to the community.
Academic Health Department
The Academic Health Department partnership establishes a formal relationship between public health practice and academia, for mutual benefits in teaching, research, and application. The program provides students with field placement, internships, and service-learning opportunities, while providing faculty with practice-based research experience. Health department staff benefit from opportunities to attend and present at national public health conferences, co-author journal articles, contribute to courses in the academic setting, and participate in practice-based research.
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“For me, making a difference means finding the right student at the right time to match with the best opportunity with the greatest need,” said Julie Grubaugh, Academic Health Department (AHD) coordinator. “The ultimate purpose of the AHD is to improve community health.”