Dr. Waity and Dr. Vanderminden’s

Community Engaged Research (CER) Lab

 
 

Research

In the CER lab, we work with students and community partners to conduct research that improves the community.

Teaching

We incorporate community engaged research into our undergraduate courses.

Mentoring

Throughout students’ time in our lab, we provide mentoring to help them achieve the job skills that they desire.

 

Community Engaged Research Lab accomplishments

Publications

Waity, Julia and Jennifer Vanderminden. 2023. “Incorporating the community into Sociology courses through community-engaged research”. In The Teaching Sociology Playbook edited by Stephanie Medley-Rath and Gregory T. Kordsmeier, Sage.

Vanderminden, Jennifer and Julia Waity. 2021. “Methodological Considerations in Doing Public Sociology in Undergraduate Courses.” Routledge International Handbook on Public Sociology, edited by Leslie Hossfeld, E. Brooke Kelly, and Cassius Hossfeld

Waity, Julia, Emily Crumpler*, Jennifer Vanderminden, and Stephanie Crowe. 2023 “Using Community-Based Research to Teach Information Literacy” in Currents in Teaching & Learning

Waity, Julia F., Mitchell Farrell, Jennifer Vanderminden, Jean-Anne Sutherland. 2023. “Mentoring students through disruption: The case for community-engaged research.” Perspectives on Undergraduate Research & Mentoring (PURM) special issue on Continuity of Mentoring Undergraduate Research in the Face of Uncertainty

*indicates student co-author

Presentations

Waity, Julia and Jennifer Vanderminden. 2023. “What will you do with THAT degree? Empowering students with skills and confidence through community-engaged-research.” Paper presented at the American Sociological Association Annual Meeting in Philadelphia.

Vanderminden, Jennifer and Julia Waity. 2023. “Sustaining Undergraduate Community-engaged research using a lab model.” Presented at the North Carolina Campus Engagement Civic Engagement Administrators Conference Elon, NC.

Vanderminden, Jennifer and Julia Waity. 2023. “Teaching and Mentoring Undergraduate Community Engaged Research During the Pandemic.” Presented at Southern Sociological Society annual meeting Myrtle Beach, SC 

Vanderminden, Jennifer, Julia Waity, and Jaqueline Crowell*. 2022. “The possibilities and challenges of using administrative data to improve the lives of children.” Paper presented at the Association for Applied and Clinical Sociology meeting in Louisville, Kentucky.

 Waity, Julia, Jennifer Vanderminden, and Jaqueline Crowell*. 2022. “Spatial and demographic distribution of exposure to crime among children and youth: using police incidence data to identify trends in child/youth exposure to violence.” Paper presented at the American Sociological Association Annual Meeting in Los Angeles.

Waity, Julia, Emily Crumpler*, and Jennifer Vanderminden. 2021. “Student AND Community Centered Projects: Challenges of Doing Community-Based Research in a Classroom Environment.” Paper presented at the Association for Applied and Clinical Sociology virtual meeting.

Waity, Julia, Jennifer Vanderminden, and Jack Resnick (MA student) “Community-based research with students during times of disruption.” Paper presented at the Southern Sociological Society virtual meeting (4/9/21).

Waity, Julia, Jennifer Vanderminden, and Stephanie Crowe presented “Embedding information literacy into community-based research projects throughout the curriculum” at the 2021 Conference on Higher Education Pedagogy (2/5/21)

 Waity, Julia F. and Jennifer Vanderminden. 2020. “Making the Link: A Model for Embedding Community-Based Research Across the Curriculum.” Paper presented at the Association for Applied and Clinical Sociology, Virtual Conference.

*indicates student co-author

Grants Received

Waity, Julia and Jennifer Vanderminden. Community Engaged Research Development Grants (CERDGs) “Data Storytelling with Community Partners” $5,000, funded

Vanderminden, Jennifer and Julia Waity. North Carolina Community Foundation Grant “Where does it happen? Examining exposure to police incidents by location, type, and demographic characteristics” $975, funded 

Vanderminden, Jennifer and Julia Waity. North Carolina Community Foundation Grant “Factors that Influence Youth Arrests in Wilmington, North Carolina” $960. Funded

Vanderminden, Jennifer and Julia Waity. Scaffolded Mentoring in community engaged research: Extending the CRAC model to intentionally include layered mentoring $2,500, funded. 

 Vanderminden, Jennifer and Julia Waity. “Open Access Resources to Facilitate the Incorporation of Community-Based Research in Undergraduate Courses and Curriculum” UNCW Center for Teaching Excellence Summer Pedagogy Innovation $7,000.

Kristen DeVall, Christina Lanier, Jennifer Vanderminden, and Julia Waity. “Research Across the Curriculum (CRAC)" Funded extended through Spring 2023 initial funding amount: $44,954 with an additional $9,500 for extension 

Affiliated Courses

SOC292: Applied Social Research

SOC/CRM300: Methods of Social Research

SOC/CRM301: Data analysis

SOC495: Sociology senior seminar

SOC391: Public and Applied Sociology and Criminology Seminar

SOC496: Practicum in Public and Applied Sociology and Criminology

SOC524: Social stratification (graduate course)

Events

On November 30th, the SOC/CRM data analysis students, Ashley Crane, and Dr. Jenn Vanderminden hosted a Data Palooza event featuring student work from the Data Storytelling project with Port City United (PCU). In collaboration with the PCU leadership team (Sharon Braxton, Rashad Gattison, LaMeisha Green, Steve Barnett, and Jarett Gattison) students replicated a national news article on racial disparities in gun violence and deaths from gun violence specifically for New Hanover County and the City of Wilmington, NC. This equity-focused research is part of the Community Engaged Research (CER) lab developed by Drs. Jill Waity and Jenn Vanderminden to increase student involvement in impactful community research.