SHSU Center for Community Engagement - CCE

Elaine Sharp Smith has worked in collaboration with many community members near and far to compile the stories of the faces on the wall at the Samuel Walker Houston Museum & Cultural Center.

Read more about this meaningful book release and how the CCE has supported Elaine on her journey of discovery and storytelling.

SHSU Alumna Preserves Huntsville History Through New Publication On June 13, Elaine Sharp Smith (’71, ’84) celebrated the release of her new book, “Time Etched in Stone,” at the Samuel Walker Houston Museum and Cultural Center, concluding five years of research into the community members commemorated in one of Huntsville’s cultural heritage landmarks.

Dr. Felicia Mirghassemi has been teaching her Methods of Research course in Counselor Education as an Academic Community Engagement (ACE) course for the past two years. In this course, students worked in teams to interview stakeholders on the strengths and needs of their programs. They then used what they learned throughout the class to develop a program evaluation proposal presented to stakeholders at the end of the semester. Stakeholders this past Fall included community partners such as Yes to Youth, Bridgeway Youth Shelter, Mosaics, Jack Staggs Counseling Clinics, and Rise and Inspire Counseling. Students often share how they leave the class feeling energized to apply research within counseling contexts. Stakeholders have shared how much they appreciate the proposed evaluations, relevant literature reviews, and informative and creative ideas to address their organizations' needs.

Dr. Mirghassemi's newest ACE course is Advanced Behavior Pharmacology. This online course is entirely asynchronous. The key learning objectives for students in this course is to understand the intricate pieces of treatment planning and interventions, including how and why counselors collaborate with a variety of diverse disciplines such as psychiatrist, registered dietitians, and K-12 administrators and teachers. Students interviewed an individual in their community that serves on interdisciplinary treatment teams with counselors. From these interviews students gained valuable insights and then concluded the interview asking what psychoeducational information from a counselor could be helpful in their practice. Students used that information to create a personalized psychoeducational handout and recorded a presentation on the topic requested by their interdisciplinary provider. This was then shared for the provider to use in their practice.

Pictured is an example of a student's brochure for their stakeholder who is a psychiatric resident working in the community. The class photos are from the Methods of Research presentations to partners.

The Smart Food Consumption Workshop has returned to the SHSU College of Science & Engineering Technology! The workshop is funded by the USDA Research and Extension Experiences for Undergraduates (REEU) grant program. The overarching goal of this USDA REEU program is to provide research and extension experience for undergraduate students and prepare them for the agricultural education workforce or graduate studies with exceptional skills.

Twelve undergraduate interns were recruited to teach the Smart Food Consumption Workshop in Summer 2026. Three students are from the SHSU College Of Health Sciences; one student is from the School of Agricultural Sciences; two students are affiliated with both the School of Agricultural Sciences and the The College of Education; and the remaining six students are from Texas A&M University. During their internship, these undergraduate students will help teach lessons, collect survey data, analyze survey results, and prepare research reports.

We look forward to hearing about the interns' experiences and the impact on local youth!

We hope you will join us at this community event tomorrow, celebrating Elaine Sharp Smith's book about the Wall of Faces - The Dreamers art installation located at the Samuel Walker Houston Museum & Cultural Center.

It's been a pleasure for us at the CCE to support Elaine as she has prepared her research for the public. We look forward to seeing the grand reveal of this meaningful work!

Brief remarks will begin at 11:30 AM at the Samuel Walker Houston Museum & Cultural Center.

Sam Houston State University provides opportunities and resources beyond campus to local area high schools through the online, no-cost, Project Management Ready (PMR) certification program.

Click the link below to learn more about this incredible partnership between faculty in the College of Business Administration and school districts in the region including: Huntsville ISD, Madisonville CISD, and Trinity ISD.

Thanks to Dr. Pam Zelbst and her team, students from these school districts have received a 100% pass rate for the PMR certification!

The Center for Innovation, Technology and Entrepreneurship is now looking to add a second certificate program for Entrepreneurship and Small Businesses - enhancing student skills and employability.

https://issuu.com/samhoustonstateuniversity/docs/coba_magazine_spring_2026

In Professor of Management Information Systems, Dr. Kamphol Wipawayangkool’s MGIS 3320, 4330, and 4340 courses in Spring 2026, students completed two ACE partnerships that demonstrated how community engagement can strengthen both organizations and student capabilities.

In MGIS 3320, students collaborated with the Veterans Benefits Processing Office to build a streamlined web prototype and an AI‑powered benefits chatbot, giving the agency clearer tools for helping veterans navigate complex services.

In MGIS 4330 and 4340, students partnered with Montra Thai Massage to evaluate and design a business operations system concept and a web prototype, helping the small business envision more efficient scheduling, service presentation, customer engagement, and improved overall business operations.

Across both projects, students applied technical skills in web design, database design, business process analysis, and systems prototyping, while strengthening soft skills in communication, teamwork, leadership, and problem‑solving. They also incorporated AI throughout their workflow, using it for brainstorming, research, sketching, and coding, to mirror how today’s digital projects are executed.

Together, these ACE collaborations provided meaningful solutions for community partners while giving students an authentic experience in modern systems development, grounded in true experiential learning.

SHSU COBA

Are you an educator looking for a continuing education opportunity to inform future lesson plans? Are you interested in student-driven initiatives that highlight sustainability?

The Children's Environmental Literacy Foundation has a FREE two-day workshop just for you! Register here: https://celfeducation.app.neoncrm.com/np/clients/celfeducation/event.jsp?event=447&

SHSU College of Science & Engineering Technology The College of Education at Sam Houston State University Huntsville Independent School District

Check out these activities at the Sam Houston Memorial Museum & Republic of Texas Presidential Library taking place every Saturday this summer (June 13-July 25)! There's something for everyone!

For more information about what will be taking place when, follow their page.

Looking for something fun (and a little meaningful) to do this summer?

Step back in time and make history your adventure with us! From hands-on activities to special events for all ages, there’s something for everyone to enjoy. Whether you’re a history buff or just looking for a great way to spend the day with family and friends, we would love to have you visit!

👉 Check out what’s happening this summer around our 15 acres: https://www.shsu.edu/news/2026-news-stories/museum-summer-events-2026

In March, we had the opportunity to attend the Gulf-South Summit on Service Learning and Civic Engagement. (The very same conference where HISD Coach Jason Elliot was recognized as the outstanding community partner!)

While at the summit, CCE staff learned from many presenters and practitioners in the field of community engagement. One highlight included hearing from Dr. Ruth N. López Turley, Director of Kinder Institute for Urban Research on the impact of Community-Engaged Research. We also enjoyed listening to leaders in the non-profit and for-profit realms about their experiences working alongside, and in collaboration with, institutions of higher education.

To top it off, Dr. Huda Masood and Dr. Renée Gravois in SHSU College of Business Administration, presented with Courtney Wilson from the SHSU Career Success Center on their method to get students to think about their community engagement experiences as impactful resume-building journeys.

We love seeing our Sam Houston State University faculty sharing their knowledge with those near and far!