2025 Anchor Learning Network Action Summit: Thriving Neighborhoods
We know that being an anchor institution includes contributing to the economic well-being of our communities and creating welcoming places for people to live, work and study. Higher education institutions contribute to thriving neighborhoods through thoughtful investment, learning, network building, workforce development, community engagement, and more. CUMU members and non-members, join us to hear diverse perspectives on what it means for our campuses to contribute to thriving neighborhoods during this virtual two-day summit.
Panel discussion: Thriving neighborhoods
Join us for individual presentations, a panel discussion and audience Q&A
This session highlights innovative, place-based approaches to building stronger, healthier, and more resilient communities. Presenters share how small-scale public investments, campus-community collaboration, and applied learning projects are transforming infrastructure, advancing student success, and promoting health and well-being. A panel discussion explores how these distinct strategies can be adapted and scaled across diverse urban and regional contexts.
- A Strong Towns approach to public investment
Presented by John Pattison, Strong Towns - How UConn Hartford is transforming students and communities
Presented by Mark Overmyer-Velázquez and Wiley Dawson, UConn Hartford - A community-engaged walk audit to promote physical activity
Presented by Kristi M. King, University of Louisville
OPEN TO ALL: LEARN MORE & REGISTER HERE
ABOUT THE PRESENTERS
John Pattison is the Community Builder for Strong Towns. In this role, he works with advocates in hundreds of communities as they start and lead local Strong Towns groups called Local Conversations. John is the author of two books, most recently Slow Church (IVP), which takes inspiration from Slow Food and the other Slow movements to help faith communities reimagine how they live life together in the neighborhood. He also co-hosts The Membership, a podcast inspired by the life and work of Wendell Berry, the Kentucky farmer, writer, and activist. John and his family live in Silverton, Oregon.
Dr. Mark Overmyer-Velázquez is the inaugural dean and chief administrative officer of the University of Connecticut-Hartford, where he is a professor of history and Latine studies. Serving 3500 students, UConn Hartford is a federally designated Minority Serving Institution with a mission of academic excellence focused on community-based, collaborative learning. The first Latino elected official in West Hartford, CT, he served a six-year term as a member and chair of the West Hartford Board of Education. He continues to be an active leader in civic and educational organizations, serving on the Boards of Directors of the Hartford Public Library and the MetroHartford Alliance. He also chairs both the Greater Hartford Consortium for Higher Education and the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving.
A dedicated higher education practitioner focusing on student development, Wiley Dawson is committed to helping individuals navigate the complexities of the college experience to achieve their aspirations. Dawson is the assistant director of the Center for Career Readiness and Life Skills at the University of Connecticut’s Hartford campus, where he provides personalized guidance, workshops, and resources to students from diverse backgrounds. Dawson applies his expertise in career counseling, program management, and creating inclusive environments to build more equity-minded spaces and systems.
Kristi M. King, Ph.D., FACSM, CHES is a professor in the Department of Health and Sport Sciences and a Community Engagement faculty fellow at the University of Louisville. Dr. King conducts community-engaged, interdisciplinary research focused on physical activity and public health. She is a Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES), a Physical Activity and Public Health research fellow, an America Walks, Walking College fellow, and an American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) fellow. Dr. King serves ACSM as an associate editor for ACSM’s Health & Fitness Journal and as a member on the Health and Science Policy Committee. She’s an active supporter of local efforts to improve walkability, promote active transportation, and connect communities with outdoor and nature-based spaces.