Prestigious Campus Compact Award to UM-Flint Faculty Member

Shandowyn L. Parker, Ph.D., associate professor of health education at the University of Michigan-Flint, will be honored with a Michigan Campus Compact (MCC )Faculty/Staff Community Service-Learning Award. The presentation will be made at the 14^th annual Institute: Service-Learning and Civic Engagement, on Tuesday, February 9. This prestigious annual award is the highest MCC bestows on faculty and staff in the state of Michigan.

Peers designated Parker as the faculty/staff person on campus who has made the most outstanding contributions in service-learning and community service. This award recognizes her influence on the engagement of students to be involved in community service or service-learning through modeling, influencing or instruction. Suzanne Selig, Ph.D., professor of health education and director of health care programs, at the University of Michigan-Flint, nominated her.

Parker's teaching philosophy is based on student engagement in real work practice as a means to effective teaching. In the Urban Health & Wellness Center, students work with clinic patients to assess their family health identifying familial patterns of chronic disease, and discuss strategies to lower disease risk. Parker also created Eta Sigma Gamma, national health education honorary and has engaged student members in monthly activities; e.g. HIV walks, Breast Cancer walks, Children's Miracle Network, Down's Syndrome Walk, Old News Boys, National Health Education Week, food safety in dorms with plans to provide services to the homeless.