CERI Staff
Professor of Sociology
Director, CERI
Welcome to the Community Engaged Research Institute!
The CERI serves as a hub for innovative research, community collaboration, and transformative learning. We bring together scholars, students, and community partners who are committed to addressing disparities that exist across communities. Grounded in rigorous academic inquiry and a deep commitment to public engagement, our work spans disciplines, institutions, and communities. Whether through faculty-led projects, student-driven initiatives, or partnerships with grassroots organizations, CERI supports the exchange of ideas and innovation by promoting open inquiry and respect for diverse perspectives.
I encourage you to visit our social media channels regularly to learn more about our members’ scholarship and community engagement. Please join us as we work to foster a culture of fairness and opportunity for all.
Special Assistant
Michael Rosengarten joins us as the Special Assistant for the Community Engaged Research Institute as well as the Healthy Communities Research Institute. He is a previous Kent State graduate with a BIS in Business Administration and English, with intentions to pursue his Masters in Higher Education Administration and Student Affairs and hopes to follow up into the Ph.D. program in Higher Education Administration. He joins us from JOANN Fabrics where he was a print & digital planner for their marketing team.
Outside the office, he is also a part of the QUEST Mentorship program on campus. The QUEST Mentorship provides a 1:1 mentor/mentee relationship for students that focuses on career guidance and general support during their time here at Kent State or for however long they want to participate in the program.
Graduate Assistant
Miles Davis-Matthews, a fourth-year doctoral candidate in the Department of Sociology and Criminology at Kent State University, serves as a graduate assistant with the Community Engaged Research Institute. Throughout his time with the Institute, Miles has collaborated across campus, contributing to faculty research in Peace and Conflict Studies and co-creating the 2024 Status of Gender Equity at Kent State report with the Women's Center.
Miles is working alongside CERI Impact award recipients Dr. Elaine Hsiao and Dr. He Yin on a project that expands the paper Two-Eyed Seeing in Earth Observations. The project highlights the importance of Indigenous-led stewardship, data sovereignty, and capacity-building tools for tribal communities.