Brice Nordquist, founder of the Engaged Humanities Network, welcomed guests to the inaugural EHN Showcase at the Salt City Market in Downtown Syracuse.

The research and collaborative work of teams from Syracuse University in partnership with community organizations was front and center at the Engaged Humanities Network (EHN) showcase held in Downtown Syracuse’s Salt City Market on May 3. The event marked EHN’s first open-house style celebration of community-engaged projects, courses and creative scholarship generated by interdisciplinary groups from SU and their local partners (view a full list of participants at the end of the article).

Guests perused information tables and chatted with researchers to learn more about their respective projects. Throughout the day, presenters took the stage to provide an overview of their research and share their team’s accomplishments.

The Engaged Humanities Network (EHN), which was founded by Brice Nordquist, Dean’s Professor of Community Engagement in A&S and a professor of writing and rhetoric, has been seeding and supporting innovative opportunities for faculty and students to engage in research, teaching and learning that immerses them in the community. By applying their knowledge and skills to these initiatives, members of EHN help build relationships of trust and mutual support across communities.

This commitment to cultivating scholarly work for the betterment of society ties directly to human thriving and experiential inquiry, key areas of distinctive excellence in the University’s Academic Strategic Plan. Over the past four years, EHN has helped to foster collaborations that have connected teams at SU with 35 community-based organizations. In addition, EHN has supported 14 courses, 35 active projects and over 350 faculty, staff and students who are engaged in community work.

Browse the following gallery of images and videos to explore the sights and sounds from the showcase.

Sarah Nahar, a Ph.D. candidate in religion in the College of Arts and Sciences and environmental studies at SUNY ESF, served as the emcee throughout the day and introduced each presenter.

Phil Arnold (second from left), associate professor of religion, and Sandy Bigtree (second from right), a citizen of the Mohawk Nation at Akwesasne, talked with guests about the Indigenous Values Initiative.

Writing and rhetoric students Katherine Nikolau (center) and Ilhy Gomez Del Campo Rojas (right) discussed their work with Mend, an online and print magazine of works by people impacted by the criminal justice system.

A&S students (from left) Kimberlyn Lopez Herrera, Miya Barbuto and Alex Dacanay, from Professor Amanda Brown’s Linguistics at Work course, talked about demos which they created to help children understand the scientific phenomena behind language acquisition, processing and use. Their displays were part of an exhibition at the Museum of Science and Technology (MoST) during the Spring 2024 semester.

Roger Hallas (left), professor of English and co-founder of the Turning the Lens Collective, and Sarhia Rahim (seated, right), Turning the Lens undergraduate research assistant, talked with showcase attendees about their initiatives, which include Family Pictures Syracuse, an inclusive, sustainable and transformative community-based project for public memory through the sharing of family photos.

Guests had the opportunity to mingle with student and faculty researchers to discuss their projects and talk about potential collaborations.

The student, faculty and community teams at the EHN Showcase included Project Mend (SU with Center for Community Alternatives); Write Out (SU and SUNY ESF with YWCA); Doctrine of Discovery (SU with Skä•noñh Great Law of Peace Center); Breedlove Readers (SU with South Side Communication Center); Narratio Fellowship (SU with North Side Learning Center); La Casita Mother’s and Women’s Group; Listening to the Elders (SU with Skä•noñh Great Law of Peace Center and Onondaga Nation); Spanish in Action (LLL with La Casita); Data Warriors (SU with Nottingham High School); Environmental Storytelling CNY (EHN with SUNY ESF); Syracuse University Research in Physics (SU with Syracuse City School District); The Turning Lens Collective/Family Pictures Syracuse (SU with P.E.A.C.E, Inc.); Natural Science Explorers Program (SU with North Side Learning Center); CODA Educational Support Program (SU with Deaf New Americans Advocacy, Inc.); Photography and Literacy (PAL) (SU Art Museum with Mercy Works); Teens with a Movie Camera (VPA in collaboration with Nottingham High School); along with members of the inaugural Engaged Courses Initiative: ENG 420: Everyday Media and Social Justice (Prof. Roger Hallas and students), LIN 300: Linguistics at Work (Prof. Amanda Brown and students) and WRT 114: Creative Non-fiction: Writing and Translating Courses (Prof. Sevinç Türkkan and students).

Learn more about the Engaged Humanities Network.