Our Staff

Community-Engaged Alliance Staff

Elijah Howe
Executive Director
elijah {at} engagedalliance(.)org Bio Dr. Elijah Howe joined Community-Engaged Alliance as the executive director in 2022, where he works closely with the Board of Directors to oversee the organization and its success. He has worked at the intersection of philanthropy and higher education as a researcher and fundraiser, and his areas of research include faculty and student civic engagement, student philanthropy, and the history of philanthropy. Elijah is a proud husband, father, and native Hoosier. He spends his free time with family, watching and playing sports, and reading.

Education:

  • Ph.D. in Higher Education, Indiana University
  • M.A. in Philanthropic Studies, Indiana University
  • B.A. in History, Hanover College

Laura Weaver
Director of Professional Development and Engaged Learning
laura {at} engagedalliance(.)org
317-274-6504
Schedule a time to chat Bio

Laura Weaver, MS Ed, joined Community-Engaged Alliance in January 2016 and is the Director of Professional Development and Engaged Learning, where she provides training on and support for the normalization of community engagement practices at institutions of higher education across Indiana. In this capacity, Laura assists faculty with their teaching and engaged research activities involving reciprocal community-campus partnerships and supports students in implementing an array of engagement activities.

Laura directly manages the following Community-Engaged Alliance initiatives and enjoys discussing current and potential community engagement projects with faculty, students, and staff.

  • Faculty Fellows learning community
  • Actualizing a Culture for Community Engagement initiative
  • Pen to Paper Writing Retreat
  • Colloquium on High Impact Community Engagement Practices
  • Community-Engaged Alliance Funding Opportunities
  • Regional Reads

Laura has served as a Research Fellow and has published several articles related to her work on the institutionalization of community engagement. Her current research focuses on the development of engaged faculty as they transition from an academic faculty member to a chief community engagement officer, and how this evolution can be influenced by individual positionality. Through her work on the dissemination of community engagement, Laura is continuously examining how faculty are rewarded for their engaged scholarship, and what types of products are recognized.

Prior to joining Indiana Campus Compact, she spent more than eight years overseeing the Center for Service Learning and Leadership at Purdue University North Central (now Purdue University Northwest) and spent several years working for a national nonprofit organization partnering with college students to build awareness and support for health care initiatives. Laura is currently working on her doctorate in Adult and Community Education from Ball State University. She earned her MS Ed from Northern Illinois University and a BS from Bradley University.

Click here to find a time to chat with Laura about your community engagement project.