Fairfield University faculty, staff, students, and community partners are invited to nominate a Fairfield University faculty member for The Rev. Jeffrey P. von Arx S.J. Award for Excellence in Community Engagement.  This award was named in honor of Fr. von Arx, Fairfield University’s eighth president, in recognition of his commitment to advancing community engagement in higher education. Please see below for a list of past awardees.

Nominees should be full-time or part-time faculty at Fairfield University. The awardee will receive a certificate from the Center for Social Impact and $500 toward the advancement of his/her community engagement work.  

As a Jesuit, Catholic University, Fairfield University is committed to the service of faith, of which the promotion of justice is an absolute requirement and thus recognizes its obligation to the wider community of which it is a part, to share with its neighbors its resources and its special expertise for the betterment of the community as a whole (Fairfield University Mission Statement).

Community engagement describes collaboration between institutions of higher education and their larger communities (local, regional/state, national, global) for the mutually beneficial exchange of knowledge and resources in a context of partnership and reciprocity. The purpose of community engagement is the partnership of college and university knowledge and resources with those of the public and private sectors to enrich scholarship, research, and creative activity; enhance curriculum, teaching and learning; prepare educated, engaged citizens; strengthen democratic values and civic responsibility; address critical societal issues; and contribute to the public good (NERCHE).

Previous Awardees
2017 - Dr. Patricia Calderwood, Professor Emerita, Graduate School of Education and Allied Professions
2018 - Thomas Sobocinski, Adjunct Instructor, English Department; Principal, CT Grant Writers
2019 - Dr. Jessica Alicea-Planas, Associate Professor, Egan School of Nursing and Health Studies
2020 - Dr. Peter Bayers, Professor, English, Director, American Studies Program
2021 - Dr. Ashley Byun, Associate Professor, Biology