The Academy of Community Engagement Scholarship Launches New Research and Practice Series

The Academy of Community Engagement Scholarship (ACES), an international academy honoring scholars and practitioners, whose work in and support of community engagement has changed the odds for communities and individuals throughout the world launches its new Research and Practice Series with its first report, Future Directions for Global Higher Education: Transdisciplinarity and Public Engagement by Louis E. Swanson, Professor Emeritus of Sociology and Vice President Emeritus of Engagement a Colorado State University; A. Scott Reed, Professor Emeritus of Forestry and former Vice Provost for Outreach and Engagement at Oregon State University;  Hannah B. Love, sociologist and co-founder of Divergent Science LLS; and William F. Shuster, Clinical Professor and Dean’s Distinguished Teaching Scholar in the College of Business at Colorado State University.

The multi-discipline team of authors have created a comprehensive assessment of how transdisciplinary learning, teaching and research coupled with reciprocal societal engagement have the potential to unlock new societal strategies but also to build a new cadre of individuals and teams who are dedicated to continuing to work together to address the world’s most wicked problems through transdisciplinary teaching and societal engagement. As the authors write: By aligning transdisciplinary practices with public engagement, higher education can play a pivotal role in addressing boundary-spanning crises, ensuring its relevance and effectiveness in tackling global challenges.

In making the announcement, Suzanne Morse Moomaw, president of ACES, said, “As the world struggles to effectively address systemic issues from poverty to climate change to health, progress will not be found within the siloes of higher education or community.” Building trust between higher education and communities requires new thinking that builds on knowledge and results that only a transdisciplinary approach can bring.”

The peer-reviewed open access publication is available at: https://doi.org/10.67643/107714nyvopi through the ACES website https://academyofces.org/reports.

For more information about ACES visit https://academyofces.org. Questions or requests for interviews, and/or press inquiries should be directed to Suzanne Moomaw, swm2x@virginia.edu on behalf of ACES and the authors.

For Immediate Release -- August 15, 2026