Dostilio’s Dissertation Research Receives National IARSLCE Honor

Dr. Lina Dostilio, director of academic community engagement in the Office of Service-Learning, has been recognized by the International Association for Research on Service Learning and Community Engagement (IARSLCE), which presented her with its 2012 Dissertation Research Award.

Dostilio, whose dissertation research focused on the roles and processes found within democratically engaged, community-university partnerships, accepted the award at the IARSLCE annual conference in Baltimore last month. In addition, she had the opportunity to present a paper on her dissertation research at the conference.

“I am delighted that my work was chosen, because the competition for the 2012 dissertation research award was robust,” said Dostilio.

The IARSCLE includes researchers, students and practitioners among its membership that are committed to advancing research on service-learning and community engagement.

“My dissertation does not address service-learning as a pedagogy, but does specifically investigate multi-sectoral partnerships in which universities are part of public problem solving,” explained Dostilio. “This directly complements the work that I do as director of academic community engagement in which we foster broad community-university partnerships and community-engaged scholarship.”

Dr. Connie Moss, associate professor and director of the Master of Science in Educational Studies program, and another member of Dostilio’s dissertation committee nominated her for the award.

Presenting her research at the IARSCLE conference was a rich experience that gave her work a significant platform, according to Dostilio. “The study was well received and was commended for its methodological rigor,” she said. “I was pleased that members of the association found it both meaningful in terms of content and rigorous in terms of method.”