OU-Pontiac Initiative enters new chapter focused on education and public health

More than a decade after bringing together Oakland University and the City of Pontiac around a shared vision for community engagement, the OU-Pontiac Initiative is entering its next chapter — one focused on directing its efforts toward areas where collaboration can have the greatest impact.

Since its founding in 2014, the initiative has united Oakland University and Pontiac partners to advance projects that strengthen the community while providing students with meaningful experiential learning opportunities. These collaborative efforts have fostered lasting relationships, built trust and created new opportunities that continue to benefit both Oakland University and the Pontiac community.

"The successes we’ve had over the last 12 years have laid a foundation of trust between both sides," said Dave Dulio, Oakland University's chief community engagement officer. "We've accomplished a great deal together while navigating significant changes along the way. We've welcomed new people, and unfortunately, lost important leaders like the late Glenn McIntosh and Hubert Price. While much has changed — for both OU and the City of Pontiac — our shared commitment to serving the community continues to guide the future of this initiative."

From left: Dave Dulio, OU Chief Community Engagement Officer; Kaino Phillips, President and CEO, Clarence E. Phillips Ascend Foundation; Teresa Rodges, OU Senior Director of Community Service and Precollege Programs; Ora Pescovitz, OU President; Derrick McDonald, Pastor, Prospect Missionary Baptist Church.

That future is being shaped by feedback gathered during the 2026 OU-Pontiac Initiative Town Hall, which brought together more than 75 participants from Oakland University and the Pontiac community to discuss opportunities for deeper collaboration. Participants identified education and public health as the two highest-priority areas where focused partnerships can create lasting benefits for Pontiac residents and Oakland University.

By concentrating its work in these areas, the OU-Pontiac Initiative aims to build on existing partnerships while creating new opportunities for students, faculty, staff and community members to collaborate on projects that produce measurable, long-term impact. Community involvement will remain central to this work, according to Teresa Rodges, Oakland University's senior director of community service and precollege programs and a leader on the OU-Pontiac Initiative core team.

“I think there are a lot of people, both at Oakland University and within the City of Pontiac, who want to use their skills and expertise to serve the community and provide mentorship, service learning and research opportunities for students,” Rodges said. “Now that we’ve identified public health and education as the two highest priorities, we’re going to be having more conversations about how we can work with city officials, industry leaders, employers and the school district on projects that enhance student learning and improve the lives of Pontiac residents.”

President Pecovitz and Pontiac Mayor Mike McGuinness

Kaino Phillips, president and CEO of the Pontiac-based Clarence E. Phillips Ascend Foundation, has been involved in the OU-Pontiac Initiative since its beginnings and has seen its impact throughout the community.

“The OU-Pontiac Initiative has shown what’s possible when a university truly listens to a community and commits to a long-term partnership,” he said. “For 12 years, they’ve consistently shown up, connected people with resources and helped create opportunities for children, families and residents across Pontiac. I’m grateful for the impact this partnership has had, the positive difference it has made in people’s lives, and I’m excited to see it continue.”

With the renewed focus on education and public health — two areas where Oakland University is well-positioned to contribute — Dulio sees tremendous potential to deepen the partnership’s impact, particularly through student involvement.

“We want to bring together talented people from OU and Pontiac to work on projects that are going to have a meaningful, measurable impact on people’s lives,” Dulio said. “I’d love to see our students, especially those from Pontiac, get involved, whether it’s through a service learning course or an opportunity connected to The OU Pledge. There’s no shortage of ways to make a positive impact, and there’s no better place to do that than in your local community.”

To learn more about the OU-Pontiac Initiative or explore opportunities to get involved, email [email protected].