Two Coe professors recognized for civic leadership in higher education
Associate Professor of History
Brie Swenson Arnold (left) and
Assistant Professor of Psychology
Renee Penalver
Iowa Campus Compact (IACC) has announced winners and finalists of the 2019 Engaged Campus Awards. Coe College Associate Professor of History Brie Swenson Arnold and Assistant Professor of Psychology Renee Penalver are among those identified.
Each year IACC recognizes faculty, staff, students, alumni, community partners and businesses for their work in civic and community engagement. This year Coe is recognized in both the civic mission leadership and community partnership categories.
As the winner of the civic mission leadership category, Swenson Arnold has demonstrated leadership for higher education civic engagement and has worked to give a voice to the civic mission of higher education. She was nominated by Coe student Briana Gipson ’19 for her work in commemorating the roles of African Americans, women and the working class in transforming and building communities in Iowa.
“I nominated Dr. Brie for this award because of her passionate and persistent dedication to moving Iowa communities forward through education and research,” Gipson said. “Our community’s understanding of underrepresented groups is being transformed and celebrated in powerful ways.”
Swenson Arnold and her students completed research focused on the local Cedar Rapids community and its inhabitants. This research resulted in a walking tour of Cedar Rapids.
“It is an honor to be nominated by Briana,” Swenson Arnold said. “This is a great opportunity to bring attention to our work within the community and how valuable our research is to what we teach.”
The community partnership category showcases Penalver as a finalist in creating a campus-community partnership that is deep, reciprocal and transformational. Penalver was nominated by Coe’s Director of Community and Civic Engagement, Kara Trebil-Smith, for her collaboration with Aging Services of Abbe Health, an affiliate of UnityPoint Health.
Penalver’s cognitive psychology class worked with Aging Services to create digital stories of the lives of individuals suffering from dementia or Alzheimer’s. This collaboration allowed students to apply class knowledge to the community in a meaningful way, helping the participants to preserve and relive important memories.
“I am honored to be a finalist representing Coe. Aging Services is equally as invested as Coe in making the community a better place,” Penalver said. “It’s exciting to see that so many people are invested in the work of joining academia with community engagement, and I hope to see more of these relationships in the future!”
IACC is a statewide association of college and university presidents providing leadership for the civic mission of higher education and strengthening the capacity of its member colleges and universities to prepare all students to become engaged citizens.
Coe College offers superb academics and exciting co-curricular activities in a thriving urban setting that promotes student growth and success. Established in 1851, Coe has a national reputation for academic excellence enhanced by a student-centered, highly supportive campus environment. Coe’s vibrant Cedar Rapids location provides an abundance of internships for students and career opportunities for graduates.