Alan Tinkler, Ph.D. is an assistant professor in the Department of Education at the University of Vermont. He is a 2014 Lynton Award Finalist, an early career award for the scholarship of engagement. He works closely with various community centers, including King Street Center, Boys & Girls Club, and the O’Brien Community Center, to develop meaningful academic support and advocacy programming to empower community youth. He co-edited a book, Transforming Teacher Education through Service-Learning, which came out last year. Along with his wife, Barri, he was a Peace Corps volunteer in Papua New Guinea. In his spare time, he writes stories, including a recently completed novel, Unable to Manage the Silence, which has been sent out for consideration.