On Nov. 18, the Office of the Associate Dean for Research, the Moritz Center for Societal Impact, and Faculty Development launched Research-Practice Collabs — a new initiative designed to connect faculty, practitioners and students around shared scholarly interests.
What is a Research-Practice Collab?
Think of it as a scholarly home — a space for collaboration, mentorship, and professional development that bridges research and practice to accelerate real-world impact.
The inaugural collabs include:
Health and Wellbeing – led by Farya Phillips, Sandy Magana, and Robin Smith
Mental Health – led by Lauren Gulbas, Anita Guajardo, and Vanessa Klodnick
Children and Families – led by Mary-Ellen Brown, Mary Beer, and Sandra Vanegas
What’s next?
Starting next semester, each collab will host activities such as:
Brown bag discussions
Guest speakers
Peer review sessions
Speed networking
Writing groups
New Funding Available
Esther Calzada, associate dean for research, announced a $10,000 pilot grant for collab projects. To qualify, proposals must:
- Represent a new collaboration
- Include faculty from all three lines (TTT, research, professional)
- Involve students
- Demonstrate clear practice implications
- Include a mentorship plan
Up to three awards — one per collab — will be funded. Requests for proposals will be issued in January 2026.
Join the Conversation
If you missed the launch, you can still get involved by joining a listserv for the collab that matches your interests: