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Jonathan London, Ph.D.

Frameworks and Opportunities for Community Engaged Research. Superfund Research Program Annual Meeting October 15, 2013 Research Translation Core/Community Engagement Core: Communication Strategies for Stronger Connections with Communities, NGO's and Public Agencies. Jonathan London, Ph.D.

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Jonathan London, Ph.D.

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  1. Frameworks and Opportunities for Community Engaged Research Superfund Research Program Annual MeetingOctober 15, 2013Research Translation Core/Community Engagement Core: Communication Strategies for Stronger Connections with Communities, NGO's and Public Agencies Jonathan London, Ph.D.

  2. Roadmap • Introduce UC Davis Center for Regional Change collaboration with UCD Superfund Research Program • Touchstones for community-engaged scholarship • Case study: Cumulative Impacts in a Land of Risk/ Land of Opportunity • Orientation to a engaged scholarship continuum

  3. Engagement Auto-biography • Inter-disciplinary/ applied degrees • Inter-weaving of non-profit leadership with academic training • Research based on collaborative/ PAR model • Solutions-oriented research center

  4. Environmental Resources/ Quality Land Use/ Built Environment Housing Mission: “Produce innovative and collaborative research to inform the building of healthy, prosperous, sustainable and equitable regions in California and beyond.” Transportation Health Equity Cultural Development Youth Development/ Education Economic Development

  5. Opportunities in Community Engagement in Environmental and Biomedical Projects: Collaboration of Superfund Research Program and Center for Regional Change at University of California, Davis What are the potential health impacts of bio-solid applications? (San Joaquin Valley) How can science enhance community capacity? How to identify and establish community partnerships? Are lower-income groups at higher risk of exposure to flame retardants from second-hand furniture? (Imperial Valley, CA) Does exposure of mother to antimicrobials pose an exposure risk to breast-fed infants? (Communities near large dairy operations and waste-water treatment facilities, CA) How can new technologies address key community challenges? How to identify novel hazards of public concern as scientific research platforms? How can communities gain access to scientific data/ analyses? How to share research findings with public in an effectivemanner? What are the levels of pesticide exposure in previously undocumented populations, e.g. Hawaiian bird-chasers? (Kauai, HI) About the UC Davis Superfund Research Program: The Superfund Research Program (SRP) funds multidisciplinary research that addresses the broad, complex human and environmental health issues surrounding hazardous waste sites. • About the UC Davis Center for Regional Change: • Mission: • “To produce innovative research to create healthy, sustainable, prosperous, and equitable regional change in California and beyond.” • Aims: • Bridging faculty and students across disciplines in solutions-oriented research • Connecting the University to leaders from government, business, non-profit, and philanthropic sectors to apply research to solve real-world problems. • The CRC emphasizes community participatory methods, cutting-edge socio-spatial analysis and a translational research orientation to achieve these goals. • Target Research Areas: • Fate and transport of hazardous materials in ground water, surface water, and air • Effects of hazardous materials using epidemiological approaches • Developing sensitive systems for evaluating the exposure of populations to these materials • Bioremediation of toxic materials

  6. Origins: PAR/ Community Engaged Research • “To exist humanely is to name the world, to change it” – (P. Freire) • “Participatory research attempts to present people as researchers themselves in pursuit of answers to the questions of their daily struggle and survival” (R. Tandon) “Participatory research is defined as systematic inquiry, with the collaboration of those affected by the issue being studied, for purposes of education and taking action or effecting change.” (Green et al.) “Research is seen not only as a process of creating knowledge, but simultaneously, as education and development of consciousness, and of mobilization for action.” (J. Gaventa)

  7. Iterative Loops (it never ends…)

  8. What/ where is“COMMUNITY?” • A place and/ or a process? • Anyone/ any place off campus? • Disadvantaged populations/ places? • What happens when community is divided? • Is the researcher part of the community? Which part? • What are the researcher’s responsibilities to community?

  9. What is“ENGAGEMENT?” From the double root: “to pledge”“to commit”but also“to challenge” • Relevance to community needs/ issues? • Participation in shaping research questions, methods, analysis, documentation, application? • What is participation anyway? Informing? collaborating? deciding? All of the above?

  10. What does CES demand? • Communication/ translation: ability to make complex ideas simple; code-switching • Community-building: asset-based; teaming; conflict resolution • Cultural Humility* * Tervalon, M. & J. Murray-Garcia (1998)

  11. What does CES Risk? • Time/ energy required for community engagement vs. the ticking tenure clock… • Losing academic credibility if perceived as: • “Biased” • “Political/ Ideological” • “Not rigorous” • “Not theoretical” • “Only Applied”

  12. What does CES promise? • Greater innovation (emergent properties of bringing together unlikely pairs) • Better science: • Enhanced rigor • Greater relevance • Broader/deeper reach • Realization of public/ land-grant education vision

  13. Faces of California’s San Joaquin Valley

  14. SJV Cumulative Health Impacts Project

  15. Quick! Where are the EJ Communities?

  16. Community Mapping for Change West Fresno residents document their local knowledge of hidden environmental hazards Center for Regional Change creates a digital map documenting local knowledge Residents use the maps to inform and empower their own advocacy

  17. Engagement Portfolio

  18. QUESTIONS THAT WONT GO AWAY (QTWGAs) J. Long, L. Fisher, and H. Ballard 2007

  19. More QTWGAs

  20. References • London, J.; Huang, G.; Zagofsky, T. 2011. Cumulative Environmental Vulnerabilities in California's San Joaquin Valley. • http://regionalchange.ucdavis.edu/ourwork/projects/ceva-sjv • London, J; Zagofsky, T; Saklar, J. 2011. Collaboration, Participation and Technology: The San Joaquin Valley Cumulative Health Impacts Project. Gateways: International Journal of Community Gateways: International Journal of Community Research and Engagement. Vol 4 (2011): 12–30. http://tinyurl.com/8duyz4b • Huang, G. and London, J. 2012. Cumulative Environmental Vulnerability and Environmental Justice in California’s San Joaquin Valley. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health./ Vol 9, 1593-1608. http://tinyurl.com/9vqte7y

  21. Contact • Jonathan London, Ph.D. Director: UC Davis Center for Regional Change Assistant Professor: Department of Human Ecology • One Shields Avenue/ 2017 Wickson Hall, Davis CA 95616 • 530-752-3007 • crcinfo@ucdavis.edu http://regionalchange.ucdavis.edu/ http://mappingregionalchange.ucdavis.edu

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