UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Laurie Grobman, professor of English and women’s studies at Penn State Berks, has received the 2015 Faculty Outreach Award, an award that honors faculty who have positively and substantially affected individuals, organizations or communities through problem solving or development as a result of extending their scholarship.
Grobman’s dedication to community outreach is evident in the several projects that have turned into publications about different communities in Berks County. As the team leader of a joint community-based research project between the NAACP Reading branch and Penn State Berks, she has set a goal to uncover, document and disseminate local African American history to the public while providing meaningful learning experiences for students in an American Ethnicity Class (AM ST 322). Her research has resulted in a 126-page volume of short essays and compilations of facts called “Woven with Words: A Collection of African American History in Berks County, Pennsylvania.”
Grobman’s work has grown to include student research presentations and other projects. Her ENGL 471 class completed four 15-minute documentaries on African American history, and her ENGL 139: Black American Literature class helped inventory work at the Central Pennsylvania African Museum in Reading. With the help of 18 students, she published a 132-page book titled “Hispanics/Latinos in Reading and Berks: A Portrait of a Community.”
As a result of her efforts and dedication, Grobman was awarded the Appreciation for Outreach to the African American Community by the local chapter of the NAACP.
“Dr. Grobman is making Penn State the link between our community and our campus, our past and our future,” said a nominator.