Michelle Vazquez Jacobus

Assistant Professor, Social and Behavioral Sciences

and Leadership and Organizational Studies

University of Southern Maine Lewiston Auburn College

mjacobus@usm.maine.edu

(207) 753-6534

 

Michelle has been teaching with USM LAC since the fall of 2000, and has a dual appointment with LAC’s Social and Behavioral Sciences as well as Leadership and Organizational Studies programs. Until 2010 Michelle was also the Coordinator of Community Service Learning for USM LAC and her teaching, learning, scholarship and service generate from community engagement work. As a lawyer and a social worker, she is both a “professional problem solver” and a “professional problem maker” who analyzes issues from a range of diverse viewpoints. Her interest areas include multicultural populations, applied policy, community capacity building and issues related to empowerment and advocacy of disenfranchised and vulnerable groups. In 2008, Michelle was awarded USM’s Faculty Service Award and in 2006 Maine Campus Compact’s Faculty Award for Service Learning Excellence for this community engagement work. She was recently named as a finalist for the 2011 Lynton Award for the Scholarship of Engagement for Early Career Faculty.

 

Michelle earned her B.A from Duke University; her J.D. from Stanford Law School, and her M.S.W. from New York University’s School of Social Work. Prior to coming to USM Michelle was a bilingual school social worker in Brooklyn NY. Michelle lives with her husband, three children, four chickens, nine ducks, two geese, dog and cat in an old, rustic and collapsing farm house. She spends her “free” time grading papers, folding laundry and looking for her keys.

 

Community-based Scholarship

Please click on the links below to view full-text of these manuscripts

 

Vazquez Jacobus, M.; Baskett, R and Bechstein, C. (2011, in press). Building Castles Together: A sustainable collaboration as a perpetual work in progress, Gateways International Journal of Community Research and Engagement: Special Edition on Sustaining Community-University Partnerships (Refereed).

 

Vazquez Jacobus, M. and Jalali, R. (2011). Challenges to food access among Lewiston’s African immigrants.

An abbreviated version of the above article is published in the Maine Policy Review, Special Food Issue, 20(1) (refereed).

 

Vazquez Jacobus, M., Tiemann, M. and Reed, E. (2011). The Downtown Education Collaborative: A new model for collaborative community engagement. Metropolitan Universities Journal, 21(3) (Refereed).

 

Harris, D.E., Vazquez Jacobus, M., Ewing, H.A., Pieck, S. K., Kane, E., Blum, J.W. (in press). Local food, the built environment and single-parent households. Food Systems in Old Industrial Regions: Spatial Context and Local Practices, Surrey, England: Ashgate Publishing Inc.

 

Vazquez Jacobus, M. and Baskett, R. (2010).  Building community capacity through school based service-learning.  Metropolitan Universities Journal, 22(3) 93-110 (Refereed).

 

Harris, D., Aboueissa, A., Vazquez Jacobus, M., Dharod, J., and Walter, K. (2010). Mapping food stores and people at-risk for insecurity in Lewiston, Maine. Journal of Extension, 48 (6) (Refereed).

 

Vazquez Jacobus, M. and Harris, D. E. (2007). Mapping hunger in Maine: A complex collaboration, Academic Exchange Quarterly, 11(4) 202-209 (Refereed).

 

Schmitz, C., Vazquez Jacobus, M., Stakeman, C, Valenzuela, G.  and Sprankel J. (2003). Immigrant and refugee communities: Resiliency, trauma, policy and practice. Practicing Social Justice, Social Thought, 22 (2/3), 135-158. (Refereed).

 

Under Review

Nigro, G., McCabe-Park., E and Vazquez Jacobus, M. Service Learning and Retention. Michigan Journal of Community Service Learning (Refereed). In review.

 

Professional Presentations

Names in Bold indicate presenters; * indicates student.

 

Vazquez Jacobus, M., and Baskett, R. (2011). Building Castles Together: Integrating art and culture to invigorate work and enhance learning. American Creativity Association Annual Conference, University of Southern Maine, LAC, July 31, 2011.

 

Vazquez Jacobus, M., Baskett, R. and Bechstein C. (2011). Building Castles Together: Integrating art and culture to invigorate work and enhance learning. WACE World Conference for Experiential and Work-Integrated Learning. Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA., June 14-17, 2011 (Refereed).

 

Vazquez Jacobus, M. and Jalali, R. (2011). Challenges to food access for Lewiston’s African immigrants. WACE World Conference for Experiential and Work-Integrated Learning. Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA., June 14-17, 2011 (Refereed).

 

Vazquez Jacobus, M., Baskett, R. and Bechstein, C. (2011). Building Castles Together: Building community, resiliency and relationships through art and culture.  Harward Center for Community Engagement Public Works in Progress Series. Bates College, Lewiston ME, March 24, 2011 (Invited).

 

Harris, D. E., Vazquez Jacobus, M., Ewing, H., Pieck, S., Kane, E., and Whatley Blum, J. (2010) Challenges and opportunities: Characterization of the built food environment for single-parent households in an older industrial city – Lewiston, Maine. International Geographical Union conference on Local Food Systems in Old Industrial Regions: Challenges and Opportunities. Toledo, Ohio August 3-7, 2010. (Refereed).

 

Nigro, G. Park, E., Vazquez Jacobus, M (2010). Service-learning and retention study: Implications and discussion. New England Regional Campus Compact Conference (NERCC). Burlington VT, April 14, 2010. (Refereed).

 

Vazquez Jacobus, M., *Warren, T., *Quimby, B., *Mills, S. (2009). The USM LAC Office of Community Service Learning. Civic Matters:  Symposium of Civic and Community-Based Projects and Research. University of Southern Maine, Portland, ME, Nov. 20, 2009.

 

Vazquez Jacobus, M., Russell, S. and Scobey, D. (2009). Building community resiliency:  A public-private partnership. Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities (CUMU) Annual Conference/Building Community Resiliency: The Role of University Leadership, Philadelphia, PA. October 13, 2009. (Refereed).

 

Vazquez Jacobus, M., Russell, S, * Comeau, D., Lashua, C, *Mohamed, K., Reed, E., Scobey, D. and Speer, R. (2009) Building campus community collaboratives –The Downtown Education Collaborative (DEC) at work, New England Regional Campus Compact Conference, Reexamining the Engaged Campus: Community, Reciprocity & Social Justice. The University of Massachusetts at Amherst, Amherst, MA. March 31, 2009. (Refereed).

 

Vazquez Jacobus, M., *Mohamed, K., *Comeau, D. (2009) Promoting social justice through student leadership in community service learning, New England Regional Campus Compact Conference, The University of Massachusetts at Amherst, Amherst, MA., March 30, 2009. (Refereed).

 

Vazquez Jacobus, M. and Harris, D. (2009). The Lewiston Community Food Assessment. A presentation to the Public Works in Progress Series of  The Harward Center for Community Partnerships, Bates College, Lewiston Maine, January 27,2009. (Invited)

 

Presentations Available for Viewing

Building Castles Together: Building Community, Resiliency and Relationships through Art and Culture, 2011.

Integrating Civic Engagement in the Common Core, USM LAC, 2009.

USM LAC’s Office of Community Service Learning

Inspiring Youth through Communication and Motivation, 2010.

Building Resiliency in Vulnerable Youth, 2010.

 

Grants

Vazquez Jacobus, Michelle, Co-Principal Investigator and Project Director. USM LA Cares for Youth. Washington D.C.: US Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice & Delinquency Prevention. Funded, October 2008- September 2010 ($47,000); Years 1 and 2 of 3.

 

Vazquez Jacobus, Michelle, Principal Investigator and Project Director. Building Castles Together. Battle Creek, Michigan: Kellogg Foundation – Program Initiative Fund. Funded January 2009-April 2010 ($25,500).

 

Vazquez Jacobus, Michelle, Principle Investigator, Project Director (through January 2010) and Grant Author. USM LAC Community Service Learning VISTA.  Lewiston, Maine: Maine Campus Compact VISTA Program. Funded, April 2009 ($20, 000 estimated value of VISTA service-- Selected as Site for MCC VISTA 2009-2010).

 

Vazquez Jacobus, Michelle; Principal Investigator, Project Director and Grant Author, LAC General Education Engaged Department Initiative II. Lewiston, Maine: Maine Campus Compact. Funded May 2009–April 2010 ($1,500).

 

Other Scholarly Activity

Bechstein, C., Vazquez Jacobus, M. and Baskett, R. (2011). Building Castles Together: A culturally co-created piece reflecting the power of art and culture to build community. Fabric panels on display on permanent display at Sandcastle Educational and Clinical Services , October 2010 – present.

 

Bechstein, C., O’Connell, M. and Vazquez Jacobus, M. (2010). Public art and the citizen artist, pamphlet distributed at New England Regional Campus Compact Conference (April 13-14, 2010); Maine College of Art, Portland Maine, May 2010; and at Convergence: A Conference on the Intersection of Arts and Activism. Tufts University Medford/Somerville Campus, MA.

 

Vazquez Jacobus, M., *Warren, T., *Jama, K.  (2009). The USM LAC Office of Community Service Learning. Poster presentation. Civic Matters:  Symposium of Civic and Community-Based Projects and Research. University of Southern Maine, Portland, ME, November 20, 2009.

 

 *Bolens, S., *Ditima, N., *Dyer, A, *Fitz, A., *Jewell, C. *Quimby, B., *Mills, S. and Vazquez Jacobus, M. (2009). USM LA Cares for Youth, poster presentation. Civic Matters:  Symposium of Civic and Community-Based Projects and Research. University of Southern Maine, Portland, ME, Nov. 20, 2009

 

Bechstein, C., Vazquez Jacobus, M., Baskett, R., and *Lee, M. (2009).  Building Castles Together, poster presentation. Civic Matters:  Symposium of Civic and Community-Based Projects and Research. University of Southern Maine, Portland, ME, Nov. 20, 2009.

 

Vazquez Jacobus, M. (2009). Building Castles Together:  Strengthening community through interdisciplinary and engaged action.  Training workshop presented to Sandcastle Educational and Clinical Services, Androscoggin Chamber of Commerce, Lewiston, ME. August 31, 2009.

 

Creative Collaborator, Engaged Pedagogy Workshop, Presented by Christina Bechstein, Maine College of Art. Portland, ME. May 2009.

 

*Comeau, D., *Warren, T., *Guillemette, I., and Vazquez Jacobus, M (2009). Community service learning: Harnessing synergies of student leadership to power civic and academic engagement. Thinking Matters, USM, Portland, ME, April 17, 2009.

 

Bechstein, C., O’Conell, M., and Vazquez Jacobus, M. (2009). Public action and the citizen artist. Convergence: A Conference on the Intersection of Arts and Activism. Tufts University Medford/Somerville Campus, MA. April 2-5, 2009. (Refereed)