Prof. Linda Silka

Prof. Linda Silka is putting her expertise in community outreach to good use through three recent initiatives that address local, regional and national issues. Silka is special assistant to the provost for community outreach and partnership, director of the Center for Family, Work and Community, and university professor in the Department of Regional Economic and Social Development.

Silka has been invited by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Office of Environmental Justice to assist them in identifying “lessons learned” from their Community Collaborative Problem Solving initiative.  The mid-May summit is designed to provide EPA with ideas on how communities and policy makers can work together to solve local environmental problems. 

In April, Silka assisted UMass Dartmouth faculty and staff in their efforts to encourage community engagement during a week-long summit focusing on the intersection of higher learning, teaching and community service.  The summit launches a series of Building New Bridges events sponsored by the office of Chancellor Jean F. MacCormack and designed to build new collaborations between the university and the community.  Silka led the session on Community Needs and Concerns.

Silka also meets monthly with Lowell Community Health Center staff to assist in the development of journal articles about their ground-breaking approaches to culturally competent health care. Journal articles help other health groups around the country learn about the work at LCHC.  Silka, who serves on the LCHC board, hopes the collaboration will produce manuscripts that LCHC staff will ultimately submit for publication.