At The University of Alabama, we define the scholarship of engagement as a partnership that joins together the specialized knowledge of the campus with the practical knowledge of the public to solve critical problems of interest to both.
Secretary
Kate Taylor is a second-year communication studies major from Niantic, Connecticut. Taylor started her freshman year as a language partner at UA’s Center for Community-Based Partnerships (CCBP), and after serving on the SCOPE student panel, she realized her love for the organization. During her freshman year, CCBP nominated her for UA Student Employee of the Year. She received an Honorable Mention. Outside of CCBP, Taylor is heavily involved in Delta Gamma and Rotary International. In her home state, she is involved with Rotary Youth Leadership Awakening (RYLA), a youth leadership conference. In her spare time, she enjoys writing, socializing and traveling. Her passion for service and interest in bettering her new community have brought her to this position, and she is excited to work with the SCOPE team.
President
Tera "CeeCee" Johnson is a first-year graduate student, pursuing her master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. A student assistant at the Center for Community-Based Partnerships — an initiative of the Division of Community Affairs — she became interested in community-engaged research because it combines her passion for working with people and her research interests, which lie in quality mental health care in rural areas. During her undergraduate years, she experimented with cognitive and clinical psychology research before redirecting her focus toward counseling. She hopes to supplement her research skills with the practical skills she will learn during the course of her graduate degree. This is her fifth year of engagement scholarship work, and her goal for the year is to introduce engagement scholarship to a new group of students. A native of Waynesboro, Mississippi, CeeCee previously served as vice president of SCOPE prior to being named president for the 2017–2018 academic year. She enjoys reading, music and hiking.
Vice President
Chas Shipman is a fourth-year computer science major from Montgomery. While working as a student assistant and language partner at the Center for Community-Based Partnerships (CCBP), he found interest in teaching and service and continues to explore the same passions through other programs that include the Parent Teacher Leadership Academy and Scholars for Community Outreach, Partnership and Engagement (SCOPE). In his time at CCBP, Chas has grown exponentially through the deep, personal relationships he has built with the diverse community of Tuscaloosa. In spring 2017, he received the Zachary David Dodson Memorial Endowed Scholarship award for his work as a student assistant and language partner in CCBP.
