Two CPPA faculty members will participate in a panel called “Social Science Research in Springfield,” next Thursday, Feb. 7 at 11:30 a.m. in the Amherst Room of the Campus Center.
The panel is hosted by the Institute for Social Science Research and aims to highlight the work of three social scientists from the University of Massachusetts Amherst who are conducting research through public engagement projects in Springfield, Mass. Panel members are: Associate Professor Sylvia Brandt (resource economics and public policy); Assistant Professor Frank Sleegers (landscape architecture); and Lecturer Fred Rose (public policy). Together, these panelists will address the needs and strengths of the city and share their visions of how the current partnership between UMass and Springfield might continue to grow.
That partnership was formalized in 2010, when officials from UMass and the City of Springfield agreed to promote collaborations that will lead to the revitalization of the city’s economy. The goals of the partnership include positioning the city in the long term as a center for environmentally beneficial green industries; boosting the city’s arts and creative economy; and expanding relevant university teaching and outreach initiatives.
Each of the panelists has first-hand research experience in Springfield. Brandt has looked at the health costs of pollution in this densely populated urban area. Rose co-directs the Wellspring Collaborative, an economic development project that aims to strengthen the area’s local economy by channeling the purchasing power of the city’s largest employers through new worker-owned businesses in Springfield neighborhoods. Sleegers works to bring public art and green spaces to Springfield neighborhoods.
This event includes lunch. The event is free and open to the public, but to reserve your spot, please RSVP to Karen Mason by February 3.