The following announcement was shared in the CHER June 2023 newsletter
Happy Summer and congratulations to recent graduates! This newsletter provides updates on CHER’s work in spring semester 2023 and announces some upcoming changes that aim to advance our mission of strengthening mutually beneficial partnerships between Trinity and Hartford. In July, CHER will begin a structural and leadership transition. Over time, we’ll move from being led by one rotating faculty director to two directors advised by a Faculty Lead. We are also restructuring elements of two CHER programs, the Liberal Arts Action Lab and Trinfo Cafe.
Leadership
As Trinity’s commitment to engagement in Hartford grows, our leadership must have continuity to serve partners and campus constituents effectively. Therefore, as our current faculty director concludes her term, we are moving toward a structure with two directors, one a staff member and one an administrative faculty member. Beginning in July 2023, Liliana Polley has been promoted to become CHER Director of Strategic Partnerships, working closely with our colleagues in the HMTCA-Trinity Partnership, Office of Community Service and Civic Engagement, Trinfo.Cafe, and other campus partners. In January 2024, Laura Minor will be promoted to serve as CHER Director of Academic Programs. Laura will work with our team members and faculty in Community Learning and the Liberal Arts Action Lab. Abby Fisher Williamson, who has led CHER since 2020, will oversee the leadership transition, concluding her work in July 2024, when a new Faculty Lead will join the CHER team to advise the directors and support faculty participation in community engagement. At these links, you can learn more about Laura and Liliana and the exciting skills they bring to CHER leadership.
Changes in Two CHER Programs
Liberal Arts Action Lab: As Laura Minor moves into her new role, she will maintain leadership of the Action Lab working in collaboration with Lecturer Ozlem Atalay, who will now serve as LAAL Coordinator. In July, LAAL will move from 10 Constitution Plaza to Trinity’s Innovation Center at 1 Constitution Plaza. We say farewell and express our gratitude to Communications and Program Assistant Lori Reynolds, who is moving to a position with Trinity’s Alumni Relations office.
Trinfo.Cafe: We also express heartfelt thanks to Carlos Espinosa, who founded and led Trinfo for more than twenty years, as he moves to Trinity’s Center for Entrepreneurship and continues his work with the Office of Community Relations. With Carlos’s new role and changing community needs, Trinity is launching a process to re-envision Trinfo in its next phase, led by Liliana and Associate Vice President for External Relations Jason Rojas, and supported by Trinfo Program Manager Karolina Barrientos. In the short term, this means that starting July 1 Trinfo will be open only during its highest usage hours, from Monday and Wednesday 9 am- 5 pm and Friday 12:30 pm-4:30 pm. With this change, we express our deepest thanks to Trinfo’s passionate student staff, some who will continue at Trinfo, and others who will have opportunities to work with other community engaged learning programs. Trinfo patrons can access additional information about the transition and other resources here.Trinfo will continue to host signature programs such as its VITA Tax Clinic and community garden during the transition. We look forward to including all those who care about Trinfo in developing a plan for its next phase that advances mutually beneficial partnerships with our neighbors and continues to reduce boundaries between Trinity and Hartford. Please reach out to Liliana Polley with questions or suggestions about the Trinfo transition, and Abby Williamson with questions about CHER’s overall upcoming changes.
