Faculty Fellow

Community Engagement Faculty Fellow

Oakland University and the Office of Community Engagement announce Deidre N. Hurse, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Foundational Medical Studies for Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine, as the inaugural Community Engagement Faculty Fellow for the 2026-27 academic year. 

In this leadership role, Dr. Hurse will collaborate with OU's Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL) and the Research Office to expand and strengthen community-engaged teaching and research. She will support faculty by leading workshops, mentoring, and programming focused on service-learning and experiential learning opportunities, developing community-engaged research projects, and building meaningful community partnerships. Dr. Hurse will also help organize a campus-wide summit to encourage networking, generate new ideas, and advance community
engagement initiatives.

At OU, Dr. Hurse has coordinated community-engaged learning for about 500 medical students, resulting in over 1,300 hours of documented community service with more than 18 community organizations in Southeast Michigan.

Community engagement fellows coordinate their work with the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL) and the Research Office to develop and implement programs that provide support, mentoring, and other assistance to colleagues across campus.

• Promoting and supporting the integration of community engagement-related high-impact practices to improve overall student learning outcomes.
• Leading learning experiences and workshops that assist faculty in work that can include, but is not limited to:
  • designing service-learning and other experience-based opportunities;
  • conceptualizing and designing community-engaged research projects; and
  • establishing effective community partnerships.
• Mentoring faculty in work that can include, but is not limited to:
  • developing service-learning courses and other experience-based student opportunities;
  • implementing effective pedagogical strategies;
  • applying their research and/or creative activity skills in a community-engagement setting; and
  • navigating community partner relationships;
• Organizing a campus-wide summit for networking and idea-sharing with potential community partners that results in planning and expansion of community-engaged teaching and research.