How can research and community-university partnerships be used to solve pressing rural challenges? How do we make research work for communities?  

In this one-day summit, representatives from UVM, other universities, community organizations, municipalities and regions, businesses and government will come together to consider how collaborative research can provide critical tools to solve problems in their rural places.

RISE 2025 will include:

• Keynote from Dr. Mark Becker, President of the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities (APLU)

• Interactive breakout tracks

• Presentation of the Leahy Institute Partnership Award by Senator Patrick Leahy

• Science communication and storytelling workshop

• Student innovation pitches

• Reception and Networking sessions

Tuesday, June 17, 2025

8:30am - 5:00pm

Grand Maple Ballroom, Davis Center
University of Vermont

Virtual attendance options availableRegister for FREE Today

Download a PDF of the Agenda:

Arrive and Settle In

8:00 - 8:30 am 

Welcome to RISE

8:30 - 8:35 am | Tricia Coates - Director, Leahy Institute for Rural Partnerships 

Grand Maple Ballroom

Presidential Welcome

8:35 - 8:45 am | Dr. Marlene Tromp - President Designate, University of Vermont

Grand Maple Ballroom

Keynote Address: "Research as a Public Good"

8:45 - 9:30 am | Dr. Mark Becker - President, Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities

Grand Maple Ballroom

Overview of the Day

9:30 - 9:45 am | Tricia Coates - Director, Leahy Institute for Rural Partnerships

Grand Maple Ballroom

Move to Breakout Sessions

9:45 - 10:00 am 

Breakout Sessions: Making Research Work for You

10:00 - 11:00 am

Communicating the Work - Grand Maple Ballroom

Moderator:  Susan Evans McClure - Executive Director, Vermont Arts Council 

Panelists: 

• Karen Anderson - Director of Radio Programming and Operations, Vermont Public

• Ben Cooley - Research Data Visualization Engineer, Vermont Complex Systems Institute / Center for Community News

• Christopher Kojzar - Assistant Professor, UVM College of Arts and Sciences

Asking the Right Questions - Frank Livak Ballroom

Moderator:  Ernesto Mendez - Co-Director, UVM Institute for Agroecology

Panelists: 

• Colin Anderson - Co-Director, UVM Institute for Agroecology
• Paige Brochu - Director, UVM Spatial Analysis Lab

• Samantha Koehler - Senior Meteorological Technician, UVM Water Resources Institute

• Jackie Pratt - General Manager, Stowe Electric

Building Effective Teams - Mildred Livak Ballroom

Moderator:  Bettyjo Bouchey - Chief Officer, UVM PACE 

Panelists: 

• Alex Farrell - Commissioner, VT Dept. of Housing and Community Development

• Roz King - Program Manager, UVM Medical Center / Larner College of Medicine

• Dan Kopin - Manager of Innovation, Vermont Electric Power Company 

Networking Break   |   Local Food and Craft Market

11:00 - 11:30 am 

Livak Fireplace Lounge

Breakout Workshops

11:30 - 12:30 pm

Creative Communication Strategies - Grand Maple Ballroom

Facilitator:  jen berger - Full-Time Lecturer, UVM Program in Art and Art History / At the Root

The Question Lab - Frank Livak Ballroom

Facilitator:  Abigail Crocker - Director, UVM Justice Research Center

Recipes for Good Partnerships - Mildred Livak Ballroom

Facilitator:  Sarah Henshaw - Founder, Leaves of Change Vermont 

Lunch

12:30 - 2:00 pm

Lunch & Learn Sessions

12:45 - 1:45 pm

Pathways to Housing

Grand Maple Ballroom

• Alex Farrell - Commissioner, VT Dept. of Housing and Community Development

• Miro Weinberger - Executive Chair, Let’s Build Homes / UVM Patrick Leahy Honors College

It Takes a Village: How Schools and Health Partners Team Up

Frank Livak Ballroom

• Bernice Garnett - Associate Professor, UVM College of Education and Social Services / UVM College of Nursing and Health Sciences 

• Heidi Schumacher - Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, UVM Larner College of Medicine / Vermont Child Improvement Program 

From Innovation Hubs to Co-Working: Creative Solutions for Vermont's Rural Economy

Mildred Livak Ballroom

• Andrew Van Leuven - Professor, UVM Dept. of Community Development and Applied Economics

• Lucia Campriello - CEO, Hula 

• Chris Maggiolo - Deputy Executive Director, Black River Innovation Campus 

About the RISE Menu - A focus on sustainable and locally-sourced foods

2:00 - 2:05 pm | Nicole Reilly - Sustainability and Campus Partnership Manager, Sodexo 

Grand Maple Ballroom

Student Entrepreneur Pitches

2:05 - 2:20 pm | Student teams from UVM's ARC (Academic Research Commercialization) Program 

Grand Maple Ballroom

Vikyat Mulpuri – Student Director 

BioBee: Rowan Godbout (Team Lead), Hazel Albee, Maggie Hjortshoj

FOSTER: Logan Vaughan (Team Lead), Ryan Eaton, Lila Sargent

NEK Bio: Hunter Tuff (Team Lead), Jordan Dawley, Ryan Eaton, Oliver Szott

WISE: Cody Waterfall (Team Lead), Charlie Helfert, Reuben Stief

Leahy Institute for Rural Partnerships Distinguished Community Engagement Award

2:20 - 2:40 pm | Presented by Senator Patrick Leahy

Grand Maple Ballroom

Performance - Front Porch Follies

2:40 - 3:10 pm 

Grand Maple Ballroom 

Front Porch Forum Remarks

3:10 - 3:15 pm | Presented by Michael Wood-Lewis, Front Porch Forum

Grand Maple Ballroom 

Keynote Panel: "Research as a Public Good"

3:15 - 4:15 pm 

Grand Maple Ballroom

Introduction: Dan Smith - President & CEO, Vermont Community Foundation

Moderated by Mike Pieciak - Vermont State Treasurer 

Panelists:

• Kirk Dombrowski - VP for Research and Economic Development, UVM
• Jennifer Stromsten - Director of Programs, Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation
• Sky Barsch - CEO, VT Digger 

Final Remarks and Wrap-up

4:15 - 4:20 pm | Tricia Coates - Director, Leahy Institute for Rural Partnerships

Grand Maple Ballroom

Reception and Poster Session

4:30 - 5:30 pm 

Livak Fireplace Lounge  

Register for FREE Today

Dr. Mark Becker

President, Association of Public and Land-grant Universities

Dr. Mark Becker is president of the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU), an organization that works to advance the mission of public research universities in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. 

Prior to his leadership of APLU, Dr. Becker served as president of Georgia State University. His data-driven approach to advancing the university became a hallmark of his tenure as was his work to ensure the benefits of the university were felt by all.

His engagement with community, business, and government leaders, along with the university’s growing footprint in the city, helped revitalize downtown Atlanta while fostering a deep engagement with the greater region.

Dr. Becker will speak from rich experience with university-community partnerships as he kicks off RISE 2025 and our theme, "Research as a Public Good."

Read Dr. Mark Becker's full bio

RISE will wrap up on June 17 with a Networking Reception and Poster Reception.  Enjoy the delicious food and drink, connect with your peers, and take in information from the following posters:

RISE 2025 Research Posters  

• Mapping Vermont Flooding & Vulnerable Communities in Preparation for Future Events, Spatial Analysis Lab at UVM, Samantha Grant 

• Effectiveness of Epidural Steroid Injections for Low Back Pain in Older Adults: A Systematic Review, Larner College of Medicine at UVM, Alyssa C. Zhu, MD; Casandra R. Mysior, MD; Lisa LaRowe, PhD; Laura Haines, MLS; Jack Chan, MD;  Rebecca Aslakson, MD, PhD 

• Despite its significance, research on connectional silence in telepalliative care is limited, Larner College of Medicine at UVM, Susanna Schuler 

• Shelburne Farms pollinator plan: Cultivating knowledge and habitat for a sustainable future, The Gund Institute - Food Systems, Leslie Spencer 

• Analysis of circuit-based solar PV per-panel array model, CREATE, Peng Sang; Amritanshu Pandey

• Grid-ECO: Grid Aware Electric Vehicle Charging Stations Placement Optimizer, CREATE, Bikram Panthee 

• Retrospective review of outcomes associated with water bead ingestions in pediatric patients, Larner College of Medicine at UVM, Lexi Amaio 

• Perspectives on plant-based diets among rural residents: Implications for dietary guidance, The Gund Institute, Emily H. Belarmino; Michelle Leonetti; Saadatu Abdul-Rahaman 

• Building the Water Workforce: A UVM-Vermont Rural Water Association Partnership, Water Resources Institute at UVM, Beverley Wemple; Allison Smith; Liz Royer; John Lens  

• Transportation Resilience, Housing, and Displacement of People Experiencing Homelessness during the 2023 Vermont Floods, UVM Transportation Research Center, UVM Transportation Research Center, Nat Robtoy, Sarah Grajdura, Julia LanzDuret-Hernandez, Dana Rowangould 

• Immigrant Health Initiative: Improving Access to Culturally inclusive Care, Immigrant Health Initiative at UVM Medical Center, K Fontaine, MPH; M Jafar; K Collier, MD; K Wells, MD, MP 

• The Impact of Socioeconomic Factors on Opiod Use Disorder Treatment in a Rural Healthcare Setting, Larner College of Medicine at UVM, Petra Bajuk, BS; Joseph Gallo, MS; Benjamin Lewis, BA; Roz King, MSN; Miles Lamberson, MS; Elly Riser, MD, MPH; Daniel Wolfson, MD 

• PREVENT: A Learning Collaborative to Expand Access to Buprenorphine in the Prehospital Setting, Larner College of Medicine at UVM, Miles Lamberson, MS, AEMT; Will Moran, NRP, MS; Petra Bajuk, BS, AEMT;  Christine McCarthy, BS, AEMT, Daniel Wolfson, MD  

• Planetary Health from the Ground Up: Co-Creating a Wellbeing Ecological Economy in Vermont and Beyond, The Gund Institute - Food Systems, Rigo Melgar (Ph.D. Candidate, presenter) & Jon D. Erickson (Professor & Associate Dean of Research and Graduate Education) 

• Gaps in Nutrition Assistance Programs for International Students in Institutions of Higher Education in the United States, The Gund Institute - Food Systems, Pindar Mbaya 

• Emergency Medicine Research Associate Program, Larner College of Medicine at UVM, Lila Johnson, BA; Roz King, MSN, RN 

• Prehospital Analgesia Intervention (PAIN)-UVM's Introduction to Exception from Informed Consent Clinical Trials, Larner College of Medicine at UVM, Alex Naumann, BA; Roz King, MSN; Marco Balboa, BA; Miles Lamberson, BA; Daniel Wolfson, MD 

• Impact of Acculturation on Dietary Behaviors, Health, and Cancer Risk, Among African Immigrants in the United States, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at UVM, Florence Abraham, BSc; Trishnee Bhurosy, MSc, PhD, CHES 

Your day at RISE 2025 will include the opportunity to visit our Local Food and Craft Market, which will feature the following: 

• Cabot Creamery

• Daisy Does Art

• Iceberg Consulting

• Intervale Center

• Meza Bosnian Cuisine

• Shrubbly

• Sodexo

• Theo's Maple Lemonade

• UVM PACE

• The Vermont Marshmallow Co.

UVM Catering and UVM's Climate Kitchen have collarborated to create a wonderful offering of foods for your day at RISE.

Please note that the Lunch mentioned below will require a lunch ticket purchase.  If you did not already purchase it when you registered, a limited number will be for sale at the registration table.

Breakfast Snacks 

Fruit and Berry Platter

Parfait Bar- Larson Yogurt & Granola, berries (dairy, wheat)

Climate kitchen Shakshuka-Roasted tomatoes, onions, bell peppers, spinach, chili flakes, poached eggs (eggs) 

Maple brook Feta- on side (dairy)

Toasted Red Hen Bread (wheat)

Lunch

Stewarts Sweet potato rolls, Cabot Butter (dairy, wheat, eggs)

Salad

Peach Berry basil salad- greens, pea shoots, toasted sunflower seeds, Proctor maple balsamic (vegan)

Entrée

Steamed Basmati Rice-(vegan)

Climate kitchen- Mung Bean Dal-tomatoes, potatoes, cilantro, spices (vegan)

Grilled Chicken tandoori- Spiced and herb yogurt marinated- tzatziki (contains dairy)

Dessert

Climate kitchen- Upside down Strawberry Cake (wheat, dairy, eggs)

VTBC Black Bean Cookies

Afternoon Snacks 

(custom pop-corn bags) Little Lads (Spicy Pickle) and Yolo (Maple, Nutritional Yeast/green bag) Popcorn bar-assorted

Donut Wall-Champlain Orchard Donuts (milk, eggs, wheat, soy)

Reception

Appetizers

Artisan Cheese platter- local cheese, Sidehill jam, fruit, crostini (dairy, wheat)

Charcuterie-Local Cured and smoked meats, mustard, pickles, grilled bread (wheat)

Mezze Platter- quinoa Tabbouleh, whipped feta, lemon chickpeas, grilled artichokes, raw vegetables, toasted pita (vegetarian, dairy, sesame)

Edamame Potsticker- ginger soy (Vegan, wheat, soy)

Coconut Shrimp- sweet chili sauce (wheat, shellfish, soy, coconut)

Cantaloupe Caprese skewers- Maple brook mozzarella, tomatoes basil, balsamic (vegetarian, dairy)

Proctor maple and lime chicken skewers- garlic, lemongrass, soy sauce (soy)

Mocktails

Bee Grateful-grapefruit juice, pomegranate juice, lime juice, cranberry juice, agave and rosewater

Blackberry Lemonade-blackberry syrup, lavender, syrup, lemonade

RISE participants with receive a complimentary notebook that features the artwork of UVM student Alex Zoner. 

Alex Zoner

My name is Alex Zoner, I am an upcoming senior at the University of Vermont studying Studio Art and Biology. I primarily work in printmaking, using the medium to explore memory and capture the quiet, reflective moments found in nature. Silkscreen printing allows me to experiment with color interactions and break down images into thoughtful, layered compositions. I’m drawn to the slow, deliberate process of printmaking, as it gives me space to consider each element carefully. Each print ends up a little different, like every recollection of a memory, familiar, but never the same.

Alex's artwork for the RISE Notebook

Hotel Vermont

41 Cherry Street 
Burlington, VT 05401

(802) 651-0080

Room Block Cutoff Date: May 23, 2025
Room Rate: $259.00/night

 Book Your Room For The 2025 UVM RISE Summit Here

Courtyard Burlington Harbor

25 Cherry Street
Burlington, VT 05401

(802) 864-4700

Room Rate: $229.00/night
Room Block Cutoff Date: May 23, 2025

Book your group rate for 2025 UVM RISE Summit 

Read more about RISE 2024