At the College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHASS), scholars preserve history, build relationships and put ideas into action by extending their work beyond the classroom and into the community.

That approach guides the five faculty-led projects selected as the inaugural recipients of the college’s Engagement Innovation Fund. Administered through the Office of Research and Engagement, these initiatives range from gathering oral histories of lesbian women and gender-nonconforming people to organizing a one-day conference that brings NC State anthropology faculty together with leaders from the Tuscarora Nation of North Carolina.

“I am so excited about all of these projects. These faculty are doing work that will make a difference, in Raleigh, in North Carolina and beyond,” said Sarah Bowen, the college’s associate dean for research and engagement. “They are a great example of how the work we do in our college is truly providing human-centered solutions to some of today’s complex societal issues, in partnership with the people in our communities.”

CHASS launched the Engagement Innovation Fund as a pilot program to support faculty actively engaged in community engagement or extension work and to contribute to the growth of that work. The program awards up to $2,500 per project.

Faculty design projects around a broad understanding of engagement rooted in collaboration and mutual benefit. Consistent with the Carnegie Foundation’s definition, community engagement emphasizes reciprocal partnerships with local, regional, national and global communities.

The fund also supports extension work that translates research-based knowledge into practical applications that improve lives across North Carolina and advance NC State’s land-grant mission.

The program invites tenure-track, tenured and professional-track faculty across CHASS to apply individually or as teams. Through the Engagement Innovation Fund, CHASS invests in collaborative, service-oriented scholarship. Doing so strengthens community partnerships and ensures that humanities and social sciences research drives meaningful, lasting change.

Looking ahead, Bowen said that the hope is to continue and expand this pilot program in future years.

Learn about the inaugural group of awardees and their projects.

Meghan Cherry
History
Durham Queer Oral Histories
This is a community project that will gather oral histories of lesbian women and gender non-conforming folks, particularly those of color. The aim is to create an accessible local archive that records the history of how Durham became an important hub of the Southern lesbian community from the 1970s on.

Alicia McGill
History
Olds Elementary School Community Archive Initiative
This initiative will involve collaboration between NC State faculty and students in the Department of History graduate programs, NC State Libraries, Fred A. Olds Elementary School, nearby residents, and the city of Raleigh in a mutually beneficial community history project. It will involve the exchange of knowledge and resources related to the management of community archives, documentation of local and regional history, and community engagement focused on the history of education in Raleigh. Project participants will conduct historical research on the past 100 years of Olds Elementary; assess, rehouse and develop a finding aid for a community history archive related to Olds Elementary history; enhance public history education at NC State by providing applied learning opportunities; and create a foundation for future community engagement between project collaborators.

Jason Miller and Neal Hutcheson
English
Origin of the Dream
The grant supports the distribution of a documentary film that tells the full story of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s first-ever use of the phrase “I Have a Dream” (delivered nine months before the March on Washington). The film also documents startling new discoveries about how poet Langston Hughes served as the source of inspiration for King’s dream. Produced by Rebecca Cerese and Neal Hutcheson, the full-length film includes interviews with several local citizens who attended the speech in Rocky Mount, NC. It features actor Danny Glover, Ambassador Andrew Young, Rev. William Barber II, Julian Bond, and MLK Pulitzer Prize-winner David Garrow.  The film is available for nationwide broadcast on PBS affiliates starting in February 2026. Watch the trailer

John Millhauser
Sociology and Anthropology
Building Community-Centered Partnerships between NC State and the Tuscarora Nation of North Carolina
This project will convene a one-day in-person conference that brings together anthropology faculty and other leaders from NC State with representatives of the Tuscarora Nation of North Carolina. The event is designed as a foundational relationship-building and agenda-setting gathering, creating space for dialogue, listening and collaborative planning to identify priorities for future collaboration.

Natalie Murr and Kristen Mahony-Atallah
Psychology
Promoting Well-Being and Connection for Adoptive Families: Implementing the Learning and Empowerment for Adoptive Families (LEAF) Program at NC State
This project will implement a 10-week, trauma-informed, evidence-based group intervention to provide adoption-informed support for adopted children and their caregivers in the greater Triangle community, addressing emotional, relational and developmental needs often unmet in traditional mental health settings. A parallel goal is to increase the number of adoption-competent clinicians in the region while providing graduate students with a unique, hands-on training opportunity in delivering trauma-informed, evidence-based services to adoptive families.