DO GOOD WORK: Design Scholarship Opportunities in Collaboration with Social Sciences Servicing Community Organizations

Cesar Rivera, Sam Houston State University In the fall of 2016, a professor of sociology lead sociology students to complete research and a strategic plan for Grimes County, TX that revealed the need for branding and website development for county offices. This professor determined her students did not have the skills to complete such interactive and branding projects and reached out  to a graphic design professor to enlist the help of a design student. Work on the collaboration (design and sociology students and faculty, and county officials) is set to extend across multiple semesters with portions of the project being completed by the end of spring 2017 with a stipend of $1000 going to the design student intern for work completed. Finding common ground on the project and working with a multifaceted group of students is proving to be fruitful in the areas of design value among community leaders, faculty, and students, and evidence of positive outcomes is forming. Findings on interdisciplinary collaborative scholarly practices and activities, digital design scholarship, and civic engagement will be discussed. Cesar Rivera is an assistant professor at Sam Houston State University. This was a Lightning Round Session on June 2, 2017. 4:30–5:00pm (SCI 108)