Dr. Royrickers Cook Endowed Engagement Award

The Dr. Royrickers Cook Endowed Engagement Award is presented annually to one faculty or staff member who has shown an ongoing and purposeful commitment to implementing outreach. This award is intended to honor one recipient who understands civic and community engagement, interpersonal relationships, and serving the underserved.

Sean Forbes - Professor Educational FLT & Founder/Executive Director O Grows

Criteria

Specific criteria for this award include a letter from the nominee, letter from the nominator, letter from a community partner, and supporting documentation. Nominees should be a full-time faculty or staff member of Auburn University who is devoted to collaborative efforts that promote economic prosperity and make Auburn University proud.

Application Process:

The nomination packet should include the following sections with a total page limit of 10 pages:

• Letter from Nominee and/or Nominator
  • The letter from the nominee should outline their purpose and motivation for his or her outreach or community engagement for the community in which they serve. The nominee’s purpose or motivation should be compatible with the University mission, benefiting communities beyond the University’s immediate reach.
  • The letter from the nominator should provide a succinct description of how the nominee has provided direct civic and community engagement, particularly to underserved communities. The description should include interpersonal relationships and collaborations established as well as the outreach method and targeted audience served.
• Letter from Community Partner
  • The community partner (i.e. cooperating agency, partner organization, community leader, etc.) should describe the nominee’s direct engagement with the agency, organization, or community program and how the nominee’s involvement has impacted the mission of the organization, expanded or generated new knowledge that advances outreach.
• Supporting Documentation
  • The nominee should provide evidence of outreach and/or impact through inclusion of artifacts, news articles, blog posts, community feedback, programs, brochures, or publications to support the application and are parallel to the University’s mission. If the nominee’s contribution has been recognized on the local, state, or national level, please include the appropriate URL links or citations as well.

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History

Dr. Royrickers Cook, Vice President and Associate Provost of University Outreach, holds three degrees from Auburn University culminating with a Ph.D. in Public Administration and Public Policy in 2000. In his role, Dr. Cook is directly responsible for the following Auburn University outreach centers and institutes: Center for Educational Outreach and Engagement, Corporate and Community Partnerships, Encyclopedia of Alabama, Government and Economic Development Institute, Office of Faculty Engagement, Office of Professional and Continuing Education, Office of Public Service, Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, Outreach Global, and Outreach Information Technology and CEU Office.

As an internationally known professional, he commits his work to promote the common good, providing quality public service, and engaging with diverse communities. Dr. Cook intentionally looks for ways to connect Auburn with the local, state, national, and international communities in an effort to establish Auburn University’s footprint in the broader communities.