Session 3 (1:00 - 1:45)

Keeping the Momentum Going

Fireside Chat |  Room 218 

Speakers: John Kaag, Clancy Martin, Alexis Petri

Description: Conferences can spark a fire and then—poof—everyone goes back to email. This conversation is designed to keep the heat. Building on John Kaag’s keynote on moving scholarship beyond the “academic walled garden” and into public life, we’ll talk candidly about what makes public-facing work hard (structurally and psychologically) and what makes it possible when time is tight and the stakes feel high. 

John Kaag, Clancy Martin, and Alexis Petri will facilitate a participant-driven discussion to surface practical “next-step” moves, identify low-lift pathways to engage the public sphere with integrity, and map those ideas onto CAFE supports. You’ll leave with a small, doable plan and a clearer sense of what CAFE can build next—guided by what you actually need.

The Care and Success Connection: Practical Strategies for Inclusive and Effective Learning 

Workshop |  Room 213 

Speakers: Hyeyoung Ghim, Tiffani Riggers-Piehl 

Description: When students feel like they belong, they learn and succeed better in the classroom. In this interactive workshop, participants will reflect on research around sense of belonging, mentoring, and the use of andragogy in the classroom to create caring and effective learning environments for undergraduate and graduate students. Participants will discuss effective practices and consider ways to enhance their communications and course materials to improve belonging, care, and student outcomes. 

Launching Futures: Faculty Collaboration and the Path to National Awards

Fireside Chat |  Room 212 

Speakers: Theresa Brown, Misty Vaughn

Description: With our recent designation as an R1 institution, UMKC is positioned to expand the number of students competing for (and winning!) nationally competitive awards. These awards do more than enhance institutional visibility. They recognize the excellence of our students, strengthen UMKC's standing within the broader community of research-intensive universities, foster national and international collaborations, and serve as powerful tools for recruitment and retention. Importantly, they also affirm the high-impact scholarly and professional contributions our students bring to their fields. UMKC Career Services has been charged with a significant institutional priority: 1) increasing awareness of nationally competitive awards, 2) cultivating strong partnerships with faculty to help identify potential candidates, and 3) ultimately increasing both the volume and competitiveness of student applications. As we take on this work, a clear lesson has emerged; preparation must begin early!  Waiting until a student's junior or senior year leaves limited time to develop the academic, research, leadership, and civic engagement profile that many national awards require. Instead, students and UMKC benefit when they begin shaping their scholarly and professional portfolios from the moment they arrive on campus. And to do this, faculty engagement is essential. This session will introduce faculty to the landscape of nationally competitive awards and articulate why cultivating student applicants is a mutually beneficial endeavor for students, faculty, and academic departments. Participants will be invited to reflect on and discuss strategies that can support early identification, sustained mentorship, and successful preparation of student applicants. Our goal is to build a collaborative community committed to advancing UMKC's capacity to nurture nationally competitive scholars and to strengthen our shared commitment to excellence as a newly designated R1 institution. 

Heterodox Economics and The Community Health Economist

Panel Discussion |  Room 211

Speakers: Matthew Robinson, Linwood Tauheed

Description: This session will discuss the connection between the interdisciplinary heterodox approach taught in the UMKC Economics Department, community-led economic development, and public health research at the Center for Economic Information (CEI).   For more than 20 years, researchers at CEI have used spatial data analysis in economic development and public health research. Partnerships with the Kansas City Health Department and Children's Mercy Hospital have granted CEI researchers unique access to "big data" on pediatric health outcomes. This research collaboration is exploring the connection between health and housing. As part of their current HUD-funded research, this interdisciplinary collaboration is developing a predictive index that would assist public health officials in preventing, rather than responding to, adverse health outcomes caused by exposure to environmental toxins.  Concurrently, Dr. Linwood Tauheed has made important contributions to community-led economic development projects in Kansas City and the theory of economic development. Dr. Tauheed's conception of the Community Economist describes the proper role of economists in the community economic development process: a servant and advisor who advances a community's self-defined goals.  CEI's latest initiative is combining these two research agendas. The Community Health Economist will work with community organizations, neighborhood associations, public health officials, city services, and hospitals to improve health outcomes. This community-led and community-focused approach to health, big data, and economic development are unique in the economics discipline. Presenters will discuss the importance of a community-led research agenda, fostering community partnerships, and the challenges of using big data in community-focused research.