YSU Community Engagement Symposium 2026

Bridging Gaps in Patient Understanding by Mapping Breakdowns in Health Communication        

This community-engaged qualitative study examined barriers preventing clinical guidance from translating into patient understanding or action. Through semi-structured interviews with physicians and patients, it explored biopsychosocial influences on communication, including language and health literacy. Findings inform a systems-level framework to identify misunderstandings, improve adherence, and strengthen patient-provider communication.

Nakshatra Piduri

Penguin POP UP (Penguins Offering Primary/Secondary Prevention to Underserved Populations), Implementing a Mobile Wellness Clinic as a Community-Engaged Learning Experience for Nursing Students

In response to the growing older adult population and lack of mobile clinics in the Mahoning Valley, a POP UP clinic delivered free, evidence-based preventive services directly to underserved seniors. In partnership with the Trumbull Metropolitan Housing Authority, nursing students provided screenings and education to improve access, reduce disparities, and promote healthier communities.

Amy Weaver | Ryane Garono

Beyond Health Outcomes: Policy, Systems, and Environmental Change in Action: Social Return on Investment of the Guin Fit Initiative

The Guin Fit Initiative in Youngstown, Ohio, addresses obesity, food insecurity, and cardiometabolic disparities through evidence-based programs, policy change, and community leadership. Partnering with MPH 6905, it conducted an SROI analysis demonstrating health, economic, and social benefits, providing actionable evidence to support sustainability, policy advocacy, and equitable nutrition interventions.

Nicolette Powe | Richard Rogers | Jeanine Mincher | Weiqing Ge | Kelley Frazier

Rain Garden Redesign                                                                                      

Youngstown State University’s rain garden, located between Coffelt and Fok Halls, collects stormwater from nearby parking lots to prevent flooding, filter pollutants, and recharge groundwater. In collaboration with the Honors College, Mahoning County Land Bank, and YESS, invasive plants were removed and 13 native perennial species were planted, creating a biodiverse habitat for birds and pollinators.

Sam Esposito

Nature-based solutions to the climate crisis

YSU Legacy Forests, established in 2020, plants micro-forests in the Mahoning Valley to reduce carbon dioxide and provide environmental benefits such as erosion control, improved water quality, and wildlife habitat. Engaging students, alumni, and community partners, the program fosters environmental stewardship while planting approximately 1,800 native trees annually.

Brittain Bosela | Brynn Pinter | Lauren Schroeder | Catherine Cala | Colleen McLean | Steve Hanzely

Storing Clean Energy Underground: What Hydrogen Means for Local Communities

This project applies research on Underground Hydrogen Storage to inform community awareness, workforce development, and decision-making for the clean energy transition. Focusing on feasibility, risks, and benefits, it provides accessible, science-based information, engages stakeholders, and highlights local advantages such as job creation, grid resilience, and environmental stewardship.

Vahid Atashbari

Making Room for Grief: An Interactive Community-Based Experience of Loss and Meaning

The interactive Maker:Grief program uses design thinking and Maker Empowerment Theory to support the integration of grief. It helps participants understand and embrace loss while moving forward in their healing journeys. The program serves individuals experiencing any type of loss or seeking to better support others who are grieving.

Amy Zell

Upstander Training

Upstander training equips everyone with strategies and tactics for safely intervening and protecting someone who is on the receiving end of harassment or harm. This training makes campus spaces safer.

Erica Putro

Building a Stronger Team: Practical Strategies for Cultivating Collaboration

Curated by the Tressel Institute for Leadership and Teamwork, this interactive session explores practical strategies for strengthening collaboration, deepening trust, and aligning teams around a shared purpose. Designed with community partners in mind and open to all, participants will leave with actionable tools to foster engagement, navigate challenges, and build high-performing teams that create meaningful impact.

Jenna Binsley-Smith

YSU PenguinPulse Training for Community Partner Admins

Log in and walk through the admin functions of YSU PenguinPulse with a YSU staff member to learn how to manage your page, users, events, registrants, and impacts. This interactive training is designed for community partners who are or are looking to become admins of their YSU PenguinPulse page. Bring details of an upcoming volunteer opportunity to create on your page during the session!

Andrea Tharp

The 40/70 Rule Aging with Grace

This project fosters intergenerational communication by connecting students with seniors, allowing open discussions about life experiences, family, and personal reflections. By supporting seniors’ independence and validating their stories, it enhances emotional well-being, preserves autonomy, and creates meaningful, lasting insights that are shared with both students and family members.

Helen Williott-Liptak

Co-Designing a Healthier Future for Urban and Rural Communities

The Community-Centered Hospital Initiative (CCHI) in Ohio, led by the Ohio Collaborative to Prevent Infant Mortality and implemented by NICHQ, advances equitable maternal and infant health through partnership-driven systems change. Hospitals, community members, and Ohio PQC co-design strategies, share accountability, and prioritize Black, rural, Appalachian, and under-resourced populations.

Cynthia Grier | Michelle Edison

Saving & Healing Lives in the Valley: The Impact of Organ, Tissue, & Eye Donation

This presentation will explore the lifesaving power of organ, tissue, and eye donation within the greater Youngstown community. The session will address common misconceptions and cultural barriers that influence donation decisions and highlight real impacts, both on local families and on the national transplant waitlist. Attendees will gain a clearer understanding of how donation transforms lives, strengthens communities, and creates a legacy of healing in the Valley and beyond.

Autumn McKenzie | Mary Sansone

Traveling Mural

Between Words Mural, completed in Fall 2025, was created by art students in partnership with Ohio Living and the Butler Institute of American Art, collaborating with community seniors. Rooted in intergenerational learning, the modular, movable mural fosters shared creativity and strengthens connections between the university and public spaces.

Dragana Crnjak

From Investment to Impact: Unlocking Opportunity Through the Youngstown Innovation Hub

Workforce Education and Innovation will engage students and community partners to showcase workforce training and internship opportunities supported by the Youngstown Innovation Hub grant. The initiative also aims to feature students who have participated in ETC/WEI programs to share their experiences and highlight program impact.

Jackie Ruller

Applying the Psychology of Generosity to Strengthen Local Nonprofit Fundraising

PSYC 4850I: Psychology of Generosity engages students in applying research on motivation, social norms, and donor behavior to design a data-driven fundraising campaign for the YWCA Mahoning Valley. The course strengthens nonprofit capacity, translates theory into practical strategies, and emphasizes community collaboration to enhance donor engagement and social impact.

Ying (Joy) Tang

Connecting Communities: Community Engagement in San Salvador

At Graham's Harbour in San Salvador, The Bahamas, a vital social and economic hub was damaged by Hurricane Melissa. Partnering with the Gerace Research Centre, students assisted in debris removal and environmental restoration, supporting disaster recovery, community healing, and the revitalization of a space central to local culture, commerce, and social connection.

Presley Bowser | Hannah Crites-Pickett | Franklin Nicola

Designing Community Engagement in Online Classrooms

The presentation examines integrating a community-engaged service experience into an online general education course. In ECON 1503, students partnered with the Dorothy Day House of Hospitality, assisting with dinner service and interacting with guests, which deepened understanding of local economic inequality and positively influenced learning outcomes.

Sarah Jenyk

Civic Innovation Transforming Youngstown (CITY) Internship Program: A Model to Sustain After 4 Years of Success

The Civic Innovation Transforming Youngtown (CITY) Internship Program, an 8-week collaboration between Youngstown State University and Economic Action Group, engages interns in developing solutions for community challenges. Rooted in the C-EEEM model and NSF-funded, the program fosters professional growth, supports mentors, strengthens community connections, and provides best practices for community-engaged internships.

Daniel Bancroft | Kennedy Kish

YSU PenguinPulse Training for YSU Faculty, Staff, and Student Leader Admins

YSU admins of PenguinPulse can learn how to manage users, events, registrants, impacts and more while logging in and walking through this interactive training step by step. Bring details of an upcoming volunteer opportunity to create on your page during the session!

Andrea Tharp

Why Music?

YSU Symphonette is a community program for young string players through 8th grade, targeting intermediate musicians and bridging beginner and advanced levels. It offers diverse repertoire from classical to contemporary, fostering skill development, motivation, and a lifelong appreciation for music, while preparing students to advance to the YSU Youth Orchestra. A performance follows the presentation.

Michele Prokop 

From Struggle to Success: Executive Function and Academic Coaching

Recognizing that academic preparation alone does not ensure success, Youngstown State University established the Resch Academic Success Center to provide executive functioning coaching. Through structured practice in time management, organization, and self-advocacy, the center supports student achievement, workforce readiness, and community-wide adoption of evidence-based success strategies.

Emily Wolf | Grace Klein | Dana Elmquist

Shoot for a Change

Shoot for a Change, founded in 2023 by a Youngstown State University Honors College student, is a charity basketball event featuring Potential Development students and volunteers. In three years, it has raised $12,000 to support athletics and resources, while promoting autism awareness, inclusivity, and community engagement through performances, raffles, and celebrations.

Isabella Williams

Putting Color into Schools

The project involved creating a mural for the band room at Mathews High School, fulfilling a long-standing request by the band director, Mr. Ottney. Collaborating with the school as a community partner, the artist designed and executed a meaningful mural, reflecting dedication and connection to their alma mater.

Makayla Tarr

Evaluation of efficiency of green infrastructures for stormwater management in the Town of Willoughby

This project evaluates the effectiveness of green infrastructure—rain gardens, permeable pavement, infiltration trenches, and bioretention cells—in controlling urban runoff in Willoughby using a PCSWMM hydrologic model. Results highlight their efficiency individually and in combination, providing guidance for city planners, engineers, and developers to mitigate flooding caused by increased precipitation.

Ram Gurung

Integrated Assessment of Turbidity and Sediment Dynamics in Tappan Lake to Detect the Role of Internal Loading for Algal Blooms Using Remote Sensing, In-situ Monitoring, and Modeling Approaches

This research examines recurring algal blooms in Tappan Lake, Ohio, despite minimal external nutrients. Using satellite data, in-situ measurements, and hydrodynamic modeling, it identifies internal nutrient loading and sediment resuspension drivers. Findings provide cost-effective, multidisciplinary tools for water managers to predict and mitigate harmful algal blooms, supporting public safety and ecosystem health.

Shiva Basnet

The Impact of Lake Erie Water Level Fluctuations on Hydrodynamic and Water Quality in the Old Woman Creek Estuary

This project investigates how Lake Erie’s fluctuations impact hydrodynamics, water quality, and habitat suitability in Old Woman Creek (OWC) using EFDC+ and habitat modeling. Findings link climate-driven lake dynamics to estuarine ecology, supporting wetland restoration, conservation planning, and improved ecosystem resilience, while addressing community and resource management priorities.

Sudarshan Bhandari

FCCLA Community Showcase

The Howland High School FCCLA chapter focuses on community wellness through service projects including a Veterans Outreach Food Drive, sock drives, blanket-making, and holiday volunteering. Members mentor and read with younger students, lead a Character Education and Pen Pal program, promote kindness initiatives, host self-defense training, and organize school beautification efforts.

Shannon Stevens | Sophia McGarrity | Allison Graham | Gia Tempesta | Jillian Butler 

Honors students in Campus Community Partnerships completing projects with the following community partners:

ACLD School and Learning Center
Adaptive Sports Ohio
Animal Charity of OHio
Clothed In Strength
Dorothy Day House of Hospitality
Easterseals of Northeast Ohio
Economic Action Group
Grief and Loss In Motion 
Heart Reach Neighborhood Ministries 
Home Instead
Library of Congress/YSU Transcribing Club
Manna House Refuge
OCCHA
PBS Western Reserve
Sight for All United
Southern Care Hospice
St. Patrick's Church, Youngstown
Thrive Mahoning Valley
Triyou Cares
United Way of Youngstown and The Mahoning Valley
Veterans Outreach, Inc.
Youngstown Area Jewish Federation
Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation:  Glenwood Fresh Market
Youngstown Rotary

PARKING INFORMATION

The YSU Community Engagement Symposium is free and open to the public. Attendees can park at no charge in the M30 Wick Avenue parking deck when you tell the attendant you are there for the Community Engagement Symposium.

GPS address for M30 Wick Avenue parking deck:

461 Wick Ave., Youngstown, OH 44503

The symposium takes place in Williamson Hall. Click here for a campus map.

SYMPOSIUM REGISTRATION

There is no charge to attend the YSU Community Engagement Symposium. Please click the button below to register.

SYMPOSIUM REGISTRATION