About the Office of Community Engagement

Community engagement refers to the concept of intentionally pursuing partnerships aimed at producing mutually beneficial outcomes. Ultimately, this work is intended to be responsive to the needs of the community and result in civic-minded approaches.

As a campus, we want to continue enriching our curriculum, research, service-learning, and internship experiences in ways that bring the students, faculty and staff together with the community to apply scholarly and service efforts to address real problems and explore the enormous opportunities in our region. The Office of Community Engagement promotes community engaged teaching, learning, research and service. It is our goal to be a one-stop shop for students, faculty, staff, alumni and the community to connect, collaborate and partner.

The Staff of the Office of Community Engagement provides support to students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community members who seek to participate in a wide variety of community engagement activities including service learning, volunteerism, community engaged research, community engaged internships, and professional development.

Office Locations

Main Office, Suite 256 of Whiddon Administration Building, 307 University
Student Center Office, Suite 240

Please email us at communityengagement@southalabama.edu or call the main number at (251) 460-6116 to request an appointment.

Shannon Shelley-Tremblay, JD, Director
sshelley-tremblay@southalabama.edu

Ms. Shelley-Tremblay has dedicated her career to addressing critical issues including access to healthcare, access to justice, access to education, and the elimination of poverty. She is an attorney and former teacher who has served in leadership roles in higher education and in the nonprofit sector. She is proud to lead the Community Engagement Team to connect the needs and resources of our Community to the expertise and passion of USA as we all work together to advance our community.

Laurie Childers, Community Engagement Volunteer Coordinator
lchilders@southalabama.edu

Ms. Childers is excited to be part of the Community Engagement Team and to help facilitate the University of South Alabama's commitment to community service. Having worked in the nonprofit sector for more than 15 years, she brings a wealth of experience to this role, from developing community partnerships, managing programs and events, and engaging volunteers to coordinating communication and resource development efforts. Prior to coming to Mobile, AL, Ms. Childers had the opportunity to work in both the Los Angeles and Washington D.C. areas.

Dr. Kern Jackson, Faculty Fellow
kemjacks@southalabama.edu

Kern Jackson, Ph.D. is the 2018-19 Office of Community Engagement Faculty Fellow. Dr. Jackson is the Director of the African-American Studies program at the University of South Alabama and distinguished tenured faculty member in the Department of English. His approach to teaching and scholarship is rooted in Community Engagement Principles. A nationally recognized expert in folklore and ethnomusicology, Jackson earned his Ph.D. from Indiana University. In addition, Jackson earned a B.A. in English and African American Studies from the University of Virginia and a Masters of Arts in African American Studies from the University of Wisconsin. Jackson is currently on the Board of Directors for the Alabama Humanities Foundation. He is the former curator of minority history for the Museum of Mobile and is a pre-eminent expert of Gulf Coast Carnival and Mardi Gras, serving as historian for the seminal documentary, Order of Myths, as well as appearing in multiple episodes of Alabama Public Television Series, Alabama Journey Proud.

Robin Nicholas, Secretary
rnicholas@southalabama.edu

Advisory Committee
Martha Arrieta	Associate Professor - Center for Healthy Communities
Nicole Carr	Associate VP, Student Academic Success
Lynne Chronister	VP, Research & Economic Development
Clista Clanton	Senior Librarian – Marx Library
Becky Clark	Head Women's Softball Coach
Joshua Cogswell	Associate VP, University Development
Kathy Cooke	Dean, Honors College
Sharon Fruh	Associate Dean, Nursing
William Gillis	Chair, Management - Mitchell College of Business
Bevley W. Green	Director, Career Services Center
Warren Greene	Assistant Admin, USA Health System
Roma Hanks	Chair, Sociology/Anthropology/SW - Arts and Sciences
Kern Jackson	Assistant Professor - English - Arts and Science
Sylvia Koestner	Instructor - English as a Second Language
Sarah Koon-Magnin	Associate Professor- Political Sci/Criminal Justice Department
Reed Miller	Student Government Association
Ishara Ramkissoon	Associate Professor - Speech Pathology and Audiology
Brigette Soderlind	Associate Director, Student Organizations & Leadership
Tres Stefurak	Chair, Professional Studies
Chandra Brown-Stewart	Lifelines Counseling Services of Mobile
Kevin White	Chair, Civil Engineering
Tim Wills	CEO, Boys and Girls Club of Mobile
Jennifer Yates	Assistant Director, Faculty Development