The University of Vermont’s Office of Engagement (OoE) is the “front door” for Vermont organizations looking to access UVM’s many strengths and capabilities. But it’s not a passive enterprise welcoming “drop-ins” to its offices on 109 Prospect Street in Burlington—it’s an outward looking entity that’s increasingly meeting Vermont change agents where they live and work.
“The front door can be anywhere in Vermont,” said Wayne Maceyka, who joined OoE late last year as an outreach professional.
Maceyka recently traveled with OoE Director Chris Koliba for a two-day trip down Vermont’s I-91 corridor with stops in Springfield and Brattleboro. The team met with leaders in both regions who are dedicated to economic development and workforce training, and eager to explore ways UVM can help local businesses.
“Last year, COVID-19 made it impossible to travel and do face-to-face meetings,” said Koliba. “Now our plan is to make personal contacts with people who are already driving economic development in their regions. Our role is to amplify that through our wide-ranging expertise at UVM.”
UVM’s Land Grant Role
The Office of Engagement launched in the fall of 2020 to support the university’s Land Grant mission, a key priority for UVM President Suresh Garimella as outlined in UVM’s strategic vision.
“The state’s land grant university, the University of Vermont has a solemn responsibility to engage with and support the people, communities and businesses in all 14 counties of Vermont,” Garimella wrote recently in a recent VTDigger commentary.
In its first year of operation, OoE pivoted to online communication, convening eight meetings with a total of 75 leaders around the state to develop the Vermont Economic Development Roundtables Report: Amplifying Vermont’s Economic Resilience. The report was written in collaboration with UVM’s Center for Rural Studies based on input from the Vermont Futures Project, an initiative of the Vermont Chamber of Commerce Foundation.
“Through that process we’ve acquired a pretty deep understanding of what successful economic resilience looks like in the state, especially now as we move out of a pandemic,” said Koliba. “A consensus emerged that diverse approaches to community economic development are needed, ones that allow for regional differences but that support universal successes for all corners of our state. “
To date, the engagement team has connected directly with more than 365 businesses in its inaugural year. Many have formed partnerships with the university centered on research, internships, and hiring UVM graduates.
Now the office is engaged in an accelerated personal outreach effort.
On the Road Again
In the visit to Springfield, the OoE engagement team met with several businesses or non-profits with assistance from Bob Flint, executive director of the Springfield Regional Development Corporation (SRDC). Flint, a Springfield resident, witnessed the rapid decline of the local machine tool industry over the past half-century. Now he is dedicated to harnessing the region’s technological assets to rebuild the economy of Southern Windsor County.
One big success is Black River Innovation Campus (BRIC) located in Springfield’s former Park Street School. The building provides coworking space for high-tech professionals. A planned entrepreneurship center will provide funding, mentorship and training to give new ventures a head start. The Springfield School District plans to implement a full-spectrum computer science robotics program for area children.
This venture has special promise because Springfield has one of the fastest internet speeds in the country thanks to a multimillion dollar broadband stimulus grant from the Rural Utilities Service (RUS) VT to Vermont Telephone (VTel). BRIC leveraged Springfield’s digital infrastructure by housing a cutting edge multi-media production facility.
“Every building in Springfield has dedicated fiber with the capacity for 10 gig connectivity. BRIC intends to leverage that both in terms of the type of businesses that are here and in terms of the skill set of workers we’re trying to build here,” said Flint.
Flint welcomes the prospect of aligning UVM’s research strengths with businesses in his area. “If UVM can find a way to actively engage with businesses to stimulate and drive the economy outside of Chittenden County, it would be a big step in fulfilling its land-grant mission.”
On to Brattleboro
In Brattleboro the team met with Adam Grinwold and Jennifer Stromsen of the Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation (BDCC), an economic development organization that supports industrial and commercial growth in Southeastern Vermont.
“Their introductions to leaders in key local businesses made our visit possible. These are innovative companies that see their location in Vermont as a plus for entrepreneurship and attracting skilled workers,” said Maceyka.
The first stop was G.S. Precision in Brattleboro, a company that manufactures precision parts for the aerospace industry. The team met with the chief of engineering and three other staff members to tour the facility.
“We had the chance to listen to what their challenges are. It turns out their management team was meeting to review external learning opportunities for students,” Maceyka said. The company has since listed several opportunities for UVM students to do internships at G.S. Precision.
OoE leaders also met with Fulflex Corporation’s management team. The Brattleboro-based company makes latex-based rubber products for medical, industrial and textile industries. Their discussions led to a potential collaboration between Fulflex and UVM professor of chemistry Joe Petrucci on chemical analysis of some of the company’s products.
OoE associate and PhD student Naomi Parekh, who worked at the United Nations system for several year on waste diversion and treatment, joined the team on a visit to the Rich Earth Institute in Brattleboro, a non-profit enterprise that converts human urine into fertilizer. This pioneering work supports sustainable agriculture and protects vital water resources.
Like many non-profit organizations, Rich Earth is dependent on research grants and philanthropy. Maceyka connected their staff with UVM faculty members to explore a potential partnership on an EPA educational grant proposal in development.
“I think we’ve discovered over the last few years that it helps to have face-to-face contact to build relationships,” said Maceyka. “Being present—connecting people and listening to their challenges—is key to figuring out how we best support them.”
The OoE team has also made a visit to Rutland and plans on a trip to Bennington and the southwest corner of Vermont, contingent on developments with the global pandemic.