Hands-On Practice: Drachman Institute Community Engaged Scholars

CAPLA’s Drachman Community Engaged Scholars Program is a new initiative that connects students with faculty mentors to work on projects that serve local communities. We asked this year’s students about their experience in the program and how it has impacted their lives.

Rylee Bonin

I'm working with Courtney Crosson this semester, making the graphics for the research publication her team is making about a Net Zero Urban Water (NZUW) future for the Southwestern United States. Their research is spanning over four case study cities around the Colorado River Basin, including Tucson, Albuquerque, Los Angeles, and Denver. This research is important because the Colorado River is currently unable to meet the demands of the people that it supplies water to, and a NZUW approach could meet their needs using local and sustainable water supply, rather than exhausting this limited resource. 

I'm super excited to be involved in this project, mostly because their research is so urgently needed, and hopefully can inspire policy changes in the Southwest that require that we utilize more sustainable practices. This research also has the potential to become a framework for other regions of the US and how they regulate their water usage, which would be a huge step towards a more sustainable and efficient future. I'm also very passionate about drawing and graphics, so I am very grateful for this opportunity to develop those skills and put them towards visualizing the concepts presented in this research. 

Sarena Rabinowitz

I am working with Sheehan Wachter on the Buffelgrass Adobe Playground at Tucson Village Farm.

I am most excited to get to do some of the physical work making adobe bricks alongside fellow students and community members. 

Ryan Green

I am working with Professor Brendan Shea on the IoT-Integrated Traffic-Calming Circles for Climate & Community Resilience project. This project is aimed at installing traffic calming measures like bioswales, chicanes, speed bumps, etc. to help reduce speeding and cut through traffic in the Dunbar Springs neighborhood just west of campus. Despite having fulfilled all the signature requirements for the grant application, the proposed projects did not receive the funding necessary to implement, so my focus will be on building a more robust fact base to make a more compelling case as to why Dunbar Springs should be awarded a grant.

As an urban planning student, particularly interested in transportation, and someone who has had the privilege of working on environmental projects related to water and heat, this project offers the perfect opportunity to bring my interests and experiences together in one project. As a student, it can be difficult to find ways to solve real-world problems, but the Drachman Institute Community Engaged Scholar program will give me hands-on experience that better prepares me for my career.

Emmeline Ink

I'm working with Mackenzie Waller on the Santa Cruz Refuge Project.

The part about this experience I'm most excited for is to gain more hands-on experience with research and architecture. I'm especially interested in exploring the intersection between ecology and architecture in the professional field, especially because I feel like it's often abstracted or pushed to the side during the design process.  

Raine Stanley

My mentor is Cari Alcombright, and we will be working on a hydrocentric architecture project for her advanced architectural studio. We are exploring the relationship between water and architectural geometry in Tucson. Right now, we are looking at different roof shapes and geometries, and eventually we will use water simulations and visual representations to better understand how water moves and interacts with different shapes and surfaces.

I am most excited to learn from someone who is so talented and knowledgeable in this field. I really want to take advantage of this opportunity and learn as much as I can. I’m especially looking forward to understanding how water moves and interacts with different architectural shapes, and how that can influence the way buildings are designed.

Gina Horner

I am so grateful to be working with Sandra Bernal on the EnergyWorks Workforce Development Program Plan. This plan will contribute to expanding job opportunities and improving residential energy efficiency within Pima County. 

I have always been interested in community-based research, and I am thrilled to expand my skills in public outreach throughout the semester. We will also be going through the certification process ourselves, and I am very excited to learn skills that I can share with friends and family to improve our own homes to be more energy efficient! 

CAPLA Dean Nancy Pollock-Ellwand presented Marley with the college’s Distinguished Service Award, a recognition that came as a surprise to him.

Emi Kerns

As a Drachman Community Engaged Scholar, I'm working with Dr. Schrenk and her project with the Institute for the Study of International Expositions (ISIE) to study the best practices of expo design to prepare for the upcoming workshop in Belgrade, Serbia. This workshop will bring together a diverse group of International Exposition scholars, designers and practitioners from around the world to discuss design lessons learned from past expositions and how they can be implemented to create more impactful future World Expos.

I'm most excited to learn more about past World's Fairs and build connections with some of the best in the industry. This position has already taught me so much about the powerful exhibits of World Expos that has deepened my understanding of the interconnectedness of diplomacy, politics, technology, and economics that World Expos cultivates. I'm also excited about the upcoming workshop in Belgrade as there is a chance for me to attend in person to participate.

Janvi Patel

I'm working with faculty mentor Nataliya Apanovich on a research project examining the intersections of AI, water, transportation, and energy systems across Arizona. Our goal is to establish research contacts and partnerships with legislators, sustainability experts, and community leaders to develop regional action plans that integrate these systems more effectively. The project seeks to identify evidence-based strategies that cities and communities can implement to create more sustainable and resilient infrastructure.

What excites me most is the opportunity to engage with real ethical dilemmas in environmental design and sustainability, not in theory, but through direct conversation with researchers, legislators, and community members. I'm drawn to problem-solving that feels tangible and applicable rather than abstract. This work challenges me to think critically about how design decisions ripple across social and economic systems, and how I can contribute meaningfully to addressing Arizona's most urgent sustainability challenges at a moment when regional resilience is crucial.