Associate Professor Clare Cannon, Department of Human Ecology, has been appointed as faculty advisor to Michael Rios, vice provost for public scholarship in the Office of Public Scholarship and Engagement. The one-year appointment recognizes Cannon’s leadership and expertise in fostering community engagement and interdisciplinary collaboration. 

Cannon has partnered with communities, regulators and local governments across California on research that investigates the intersection of environmental injustice and health. One recent project, called California Community Air, is building community capacity to identify and analyze hazardous air pollutants in Sacramento, the Bay Area, Los Angeles, and San Diego.

In the role of faculty advisor, Cannon will spearhead the planning and development of a faculty liaison program for the Office of Public Scholarship and Engagement. The program will aim to provide direct faculty support to colleges, schools, and departments through one-on-one consultations, workshops on the merit and promotion process, and collaboration with departments that seek evaluation guidelines for public scholarship. Additionally, Cannon will guide faculty in finding resources for engaged research and teaching that involves collaborative and reciprocal partnerships between the university and an external community.

“This program will fill a need to connect, coordinate and collaborate across the university with the great people doing work around community engagement and public scholarship,” Cannon said. “It’s an opportunity to uplift this work and build a network of support for engaged scholars.”