Outstanding Practitioner Contributions to Service-Learning in Higher Education
Rhoda A. Reddix, Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University
Dr. Rhoda Reddix is the founding Director of the Office of Service-Learning, Associate Professor of Pathophysiology in the Human Medicine Track of the Biology Program and Instructor in the Population Health Management Graduate Certificate Program at Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She received her B.S. from Xavier University of New Orleans, LA, Ph.D. in Medical Physiology from Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, Postdoctoral Fellowship at Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, and MPH from Purdue University Global, West Lafayette, IN.
Dr. Reddix is an educator, scholar, and community advocate. She is passionate about improving the health and well-being of vulnerable communities in Louisiana. She served on the Louisiana Governor’s COVID-19 Health Equity Task Force and as Associate Editor of Special Issues for the Journal of Community Engagement and Scholarship (2020-2021). Currently, she is a member of the American Physiology Society-Physiology Education Committee, the Healthy BR Coalition, the Capitol Area Family Justice Center for Domestic Violence Board, Member-at-large for the National American Heart Association Emergency Care Committee and a founding member of the Executive Council for the Heart Safe Communities of Louisiana Coalition.
She also enjoys rediscovering and experiencing life with her grandchildren, Easton and Ellis Anderson.
Outstanding Community Partner Contributions to Service-Learning in Higher Education
Sherri Dennis-Flagg, United Way of Central Georgia
Dr. Sherri Dennis-Flagg serves as the Read United Program Manager for United Way of Central Georgia. Dr. Flagg is a 30-year retired educator who served as a Principal with the Bibb County School District. Her love for children inspires her work in education. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Education from Mercer University, a Master of Science in Guidance and Counseling from Fort Valley State University, and a Specialist in Education from Georgia College and State University. Dr. Flagg earned her doctorate in Educational Leadership and Organization from NOVA Southeastern University. She is certified in Leadership, Math, Science, Social Studies, Language Arts, Special Education, a Teacher Support Specialist and School Counseling.
Dr. Flagg is the wife of Allen Flagg, mother to Kandis Moore and Jennifer Clements. She is the grandmother of four grandchildren.
With the end of his formal work life coming into view, Powers is most proud of the recent work that has been done in collaboration with UGA and Archway. There is seemingly no end to effective community problem solving when you are fortunate enough to have as partners the full force and energy, not to mention the creativity, of the students, faculty and staff of UGA.
Outside of school, Dr. Sherri Dennis-Flagg still enjoys learning and takes every opportunity to serve in her church and community.
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens… Philippians 4:13
Outstanding Faculty Contributions to Service-Learning in Higher Education – Instruction
Sinjae Hyun, Mercer University
Dr. Sinjae Hyun is the Department Chair and Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Mercer University, also serving as the Engineering Graduate Programs Director. Hyun’s impactful contributions is the innovative Touch3D (pronounced “Touched”) Yearbook project, conceived to provide visually impaired students with a unique and inclusive experience. This initiative uses 3D printed face models, offering a tactile representation absent in traditional yearbooks. The Touch3D Yearbook has become an annual tradition at the Georgia Academy for the Blind (GAB) and is integral to the Mercer On Mission South Korea experience, leaving a lasting emotional impact on students, families, and staff at the GAB.
Beyond the Touch3D Yearbook, Hyun incorporates 3D scanning, modeling, editing, and printing technologies into his courses, providing hands-on practice for students in real-world engineering production processes. His commitment extends to community-benefiting projects, crafting Touch3D yearbooks for the visually impaired and designing 3D plaques for Korean War Veterans. Hyun’s teaching philosophy emphasizes active demonstrations and inclusive technology practices, ensuring students gain practical experience and essential skills. Since 2015, he has been actively engaged in global collaborations, working with institutions like the Drim School in South Korea and a School for the Blind in Korea. Hyun’s dedication is evident in the expansion of initiatives, from the initial 3D yearbook project to collaborations with the Atlanta Chapter of the Korean War Veterans Association and Missing In Action (MIA) families in the academic years 2022-2023. This collective effort aligns seamlessly with his mission to provide quality services for students to achieve their highest potential.
Outstanding Faculty Contributions to Service-Learning in Higher Education – Research
Magdalena Anna Denham, Sam Houston State University
Magdalena Anna Denham is a Professor of Practice at the College of Criminal Justice, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, Texas. She served as the College of Criminal Justice Liaison to the Center for Community Engagement (CCE) and has been a recipient of the College of Criminal Justice Academic Community Engagement Award and Service Award. Her community-engaged research draws from more than a decade of design and implementation of disaster risk reduction and preparedness education at both undergraduate and graduate levels within local communities. Magdalena’s community-engaged research has been published in Research Anthology on Service Learning and Community Engagement Teaching Practices, E-Journal of Public Affairs, Special Issue: All Voices Count: Advancing Democratic Engagement, International Journal of Emergency Services, International Journal of Mass Emergencies and Disasters, and International Journal of Disaster Response and Emergency Management among others. She secured multiple grants related to community-based disaster risk reduction efforts to include National Science Foundation RAPID grant post hurricane Harvey. Her qualitative and mixed-methods research has focused on the role of service-learning education in the field of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, disaster risk reduction program evaluations, leveraging of service learning in security and safety assessments among vulnerable populations, innovative solutions to building community-student-faculty partnerships, and assessment of faculty motivations in adopting academic community engagement pedagogy. In her community-engaged research Dr. Denham has collaborated across disciplines and has involved her students in both research and academic conference presentations that highlight the importance of social capital students and Universities bring in service to community partners.
Outstanding Student Contributions to Service-Learning in Higher Education
Jessi Riel, Auburn University
Jessi Riel is currently completing a Ph. D. in Educational Psychology at Auburn University and serving as Program Director at O Grows Community Garden, a community-university partnership between Auburn University and the City of Opelika, Alabama. As such, she works to design experiential and community-informed educational programming for preK-12 students that builds their critical thinking and real-world skills, especially around participating in local food systems and food justice. Riel also serves as a Service-Learning Coordinator for Auburn University’s Department of Educational Foundations, Leadership, and Technology and works with undergraduate pre-service teachers to provide them with experience in community-responsive, project-based educational methods to inform their future teaching. Riel earned a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from Auburn University in 2014 and spent the subsequent six years teaching second and third grade, coaching high school soccer, developing a youth soccer program, and joining community and economic development efforts in the rural Arkansas Delta before returning to Auburn University with an aim to contribute to larger-scale educational change and rural community well-being through doctoral research into community-responsive educational models that can simultaneously provide students with exceptional academic opportunities and promote sustainable intergenerational collaboration toward addressing community concerns.
Outstanding Service-Learning Collaboration in Higher Education
Swim to the Top, Jacob Peterson, LaKeda Smith, Jeff Knox, Daniela Susnara
University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa YMCA, and Tuscaloosa Parks and Recreation Authority
Swim to the Top, a fixture in West Tuscaloosa for over a decade, offers vital swim and water safety lessons to children from an underserved community and creates teaching opportunities for university students, aiming to reduce unintentional drowning rates in Alabama. The program showcases exemplary mutually beneficial partnerships between The University of Alabama’s College of Education and Division of Community Affairs, Tuscaloosa YMCA, and Tuscaloosa Parks and Recreation Authority. Originally conceived out of community concern, Swim to the Top addresses the high risk of drownings, especially among minority youth. The program has expanded to include Junior Swim Instructors (JSIs) and adult swim lessons, improving retention and family engagement. Formal agreements ensure structured collaboration and mutual understanding of expectations among stakeholders. University students play a pivotal role, designing and implementing lessons, fostering trust, and disseminating findings. Swim to the Top not only enhances university and PK-12 student learning but also receives institutional support, allowing for sustained growth. Engaged scholarship through research dissemination further strengthens its impact. As it enters its second decade, Swim to the Top remains committed to community-driven evolution and sustainability.