Advanced Research Navigator Workshop held for CCE Educators

May 1, 2013

On April 25-26, eighteen Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) educators and executive directors attended an advanced Research Navigator Workshop at Cornell. The workshop was planned and facilitated by Karl Pillemer and Jennifer Tiffany.

Karl Pillemer and Anthony Burrow

College of Human Ecology faculty – Jane Mendle, Valerie Reyna, Nancy Wells, Tony Burrow, Gary Evans, and Rebecca Seguin – met with the group to present their “intellectual autobiographies” as researchers, describe current and future research projects, and work with the CCE educators to plan potential partnerships. The BCTR's John Eckenrode (director) and Debbie Sellers (director of research and evaluation) introduced the group to the center’s mission and resources.

Presentations on “Considering Collaboration” by Karl Pillemer and Jennifer Tiffany addressed the different perspectives and “cultures” of practitioners and researchers, how these inform the development of mutually beneficial collaborations, and strategies for growing campus-CCE research partnerships. Another component of the workshop was a networking dinner where participants and faculty members met and talked casually, strengthening the informal relationships that often provide the foundation for ongoing research partnerships.

Angela Northern and Patty Hammond of CCE

CCE educators from all regions of the state (Suffolk County, NYC, the North Country, the Southern Tier, Central New York, and Western New York) attended the workshop, indicating the diversity of interests and demographic constellations in their home communities.

The Research Navigator Initiative, a BCTR project and a core element of the College of Human Ecology’s extension and outreach effort, introduces CCE educators to diverse research methodologies, recruitment and retention strategies, and content areas, as it informs CHE faculty about the resources and capabilities of CCE as a research partner and broker of community collaborations. All of the participants in the April 2013 advanced workshop had previously completed two-day basic workshops. The Research Navigator Initiative also regularly offers webinars to its participants, and maintains on-line resource materials.

For more information on the Research Navigator Initiative, contact Karl Pillemer or Jennifer Tiffany.