Highlighted Partnerships

Towson University faculty, staff, and students collaborate with partners across Maryland to create positive impacts in the Greater Baltimore region. Below are examples and highlights of some of our partnerships. 

Take the first step: Schedule a discovery meeting with the B¿ì»îÊÓƵTeam

 If you're interested in growing your community engagement and partnership work or exploring how B¿ì»îÊÓƵcan support your efforts,

Professor Dana Kollmann leads ¿ì»îÊÓƵstudents on a forensic field study to help with a 39-year-old cold case in Kentucky

Advanced Forensics Field Investigations

¿ì»îÊÓƵlead: Dana Kollman, Ph.D., Dept. of Sociology, Anthropology, and Criminal Justice
Partner: Bay Area Recovery Canines
Impact Area: Community

This interdisciplinary project is centered in the work performed by students in the Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Criminal Justice, who have had success searching for and recovering human remains at the request of law enforcement and forensic archaeologists.


Ayfa students

College of Education and Urban Education

¿ì»îÊÓƵlead: Jessica Shiller, Ph.D., Dept. of Instructional Leadership & Professional Development
Partners: Baltimore City Public Schools, Afya Public Charter School, Calvin M. Rodwell Elementary School, Forest Park High School
Impact Areas: Community, Education

Using Baltimore City as a case study, students study how racial inequity in urban schools came to be and how to combat it. Students learn about community schools and spend time in them, working with community school coordinators in the school programming.


Community Ecology Institute Program

Community Ecology Institute Program Development

¿ì»îÊÓƵLead: Allysin Bridges-German
Partner: Community Ecology Institute
Impact Areas: Community, Education, Health

¿ì»îÊÓƵOccupational Therapy graduate students partner with the Community Ecology Institute to develop nature-based programs to facilitate participation of youth with disabilities in meaningful activities on a one-acre organic community farm in Howard County during their Community Health Initiatives course.


Natalie Scala, Ph.D.

Empowering Secure Elections

¿ì»îÊÓƵleads: Natalie Scala, Ph.D., Dept. Business Analytics & Technology Management; Josh Dehlinger, Ph.D., Dept. of Computer & Information Sciences
Partners: Harford County Board of Elections & Anne Arundel County Board of Elections
Impact Areas: Community, Economy, Education

The College of Business and Economics and Fisher College of Science and Mathematics are collaborating to examine potential physical, cyber, and human vulnerabilities to the voting process and create educational materials for Board of Elections personnel.


Elyshia Aseltine, Ph.D.

Fair Chance Higher Education Initiative

¿ì»îÊÓƵlead: Elyshia Aseltine, Ph.D., Dept. of Criminal Justice
Partners: Baltimore County Detention Center, Goucher Prison Education Partnership, Harford County Detention Center, Jessup Correctional Institution, University of Baltimore Second Chance Program, Volunteers of America
Impact Areas: Community, Economy, Education

Based off the successful creation of an increased Inside-Out cohort of ¿ì»îÊÓƵfaculty from emerging support in 2018–19, this project seeks to increase the capacity for formerly incarcerated individuals to access higher education and employment opportunities.


Diverse children on a playground

GIVE: Grantwriting in Valued Environments

¿ì»îÊÓƵlead: Zosha Stuckey, Ph.D., Dept. of English
Partners: The Friends of Patapsco Valley State Park, Ltd., Safe Alternative foundation for Education, Inc., The Be. Org, Family Survivor Network, Black Girls Cook, Womb Work Production, & St. Lukes Youth Center
Impact Areas: Economy, Education

This partnership advances students' professional writing goals by connecting their coursework to the writing needs of small non-profit organizations in the Baltimore/Washington region.


¿ì»îÊÓƵstudents outside of the Baltimore County detention center

Inside-Out Prison Exchange

¿ì»îÊÓƵlead: Elyshia Aseltine, Ph.D., Dept. of Criminal Justice
Partners: Baltimore County Detention Center, Harford County Detention Center, Jessup Correctional Institution
Impact Areas: Community, Education

Inside-Out courses provide unique opportunities to bring ¿ì»îÊÓƵstudents and incarcerated students together inside a correctional institution to learn together as peers. This successful emerging investment has transformed into a larger priority investment to further develop and support returning citizens.


Animation Demo at Parkway

Sweaty Eyeballs Animation at the SNF Parkway Theatre

¿ì»îÊÓƵlead: Phillip Davis, MFA, Dept. of Art + Design, Art History, Art Education
Partners: Stavros Niarchos Foundation Parkway Theatre, Maryland Institute College of Art, Maryland Film Festival–Stavros Niarchos Parkway Theatre, Central Baltimore Partnership 
Impact Areas: Arts, Education

This community engagement curricular project offers students programming, networking and educational opportunities in the animation field and access to cutting-edge animators. The festival provides an opportunity for local audiences to experience animated films that might not otherwise have a clear path to distribution through the Station North Arts District in Baltimore. As part of a partnership with the Maryland Film Festival, Sweaty Eyeballs is part of a larger institutional focus on arts entrepreneurship.


altimore City school students viewing oysters at the harbor

TEAB: Teaching Environmental Awareness in Baltimore

¿ì»îÊÓƵlead: Sarah Haines, Ph.D., Dept. of Biological Sciences
Partner: National Aquarium
Impact Areas: Arts, Education

This partnership enables Baltimore City school students to explore the environment of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed and the Inner Harbor through hands-on experience at the National Aquarium in Baltimore.


2019 TU-BCPS Model UN conference

TU-BCPS Model United Nations

¿ì»îÊÓƵlead: Alison Rios Millett McCartney, Ph.D., Dept. of Political Science
Partner: Baltimore County Public Schools
Impact Areas: Economy, Education

The TU-BCPS Model UN program provides equal access to civic engagement learning experiences for students in Baltimore County Public Schools while providing ¿ì»îÊÓƵstudents with hands-on opportunities mentoring high school students.


¿ì»îÊÓƵEmpowering Communities Project

¿ì»îÊÓƵEmpowering Communities Project

¿ì»îÊÓƵleads: Aminata Silah, Ph.D., Dept. of Political Science; Donn Worgs, Ph.D., Department of Political Science
Partners: A variety of black and/or minority-led Baltimore City nonprofit organizations
Impact Areas: Community, Economy

This partnership between the Department of Political Science and several nonprofit organizations is focused on economic empowerment and capacity building with goals around connecting nonprofits to opportunities, providing technical assistance, and facilitating collaborative ventures.


Helping Up Mission

¿ì»îÊÓƵ& Helping Up Mission

¿ì»îÊÓƵLead: Mary Lashley, Ph.D.
Partner: Helping Up Mission
Impact Areas: Community, Health

Since 2003, Towson University and Helping Up Mission have been partnering to address the complex health needs of homeless men in recovery from chemical addictions while providing transformational, hands-on opportunities to Towson University students.