Center for Urban Research and Education’s “Community First” Initiative Takes Root
Rutgers University–Camden’s Center for Urban Research and Education (CURE) has entered a new chapter with an initiative designed to leverage its world-class research and resources much closer to home.
Under the stewardship of new director Stephen Danley, associate professor in the Department of Public Policy and Administration, CURE has rolled out programs and partnerships under a “Community First” Initiative, with a mission to place the voices and needs of local communities at the forefront of the research enterprise.
CURE was established in 2011 as one part of a greater Rutgers–Camden plan to better engage with the community. To that end, CURE sought to bring world-class urban scholars to South Jersey, lending their expertise and cultivating a hub for research.
Stephen Danley, director of the Center for Urban Research and Education (CURE), associate professor of Public Policy and Administration
Stephen Danley, director of the Center for Urban Research and Education (CURE), associate professor of Public Policy and Administration
“Our work starts in the boardroom of a grassroots nonprofit or at the kitchen table with a community member. CURE always has a research component and a community-work component.”
Paul Jargowsky, founding director emeritus of CURE, professor of public policy
Paul Jargowsky, founding director emeritus of CURE, professor of public policy
Under Founding Director Paul Jargowsky, the center created a Cities & Justice Initiative, which studied far-reaching issues such as segregation and housing. A CURE report on the state of segregation using census data across the country earned funding from the National Science Foundation, and a seminar series brought nationally known speakers to the Rutgers–Camden campus.
When Jargowsky went on sabbatical, CURE’s leadership transitioned to Danley, a longtime affiliated scholar with the center. Danley’s research interests and background are steeped in grassroots, community-oriented work, which began with his involvement in New Orleans’s post-Hurricane Katrina recovery efforts. In taking on the director position, Danley has led CURE’s research activities and focused on the “Community First” objective.
“Our work starts in the boardroom of a grassroots nonprofit or at the kitchen table with a community member,” Danley said. “CURE always has a research component and a community-work component.”
CURE completed its Community First Fellows pilot program in the spring. Graduate fellows studied research methods in a course led by Danley and then applied those lessons in experiential work with area community partners. Danley placed students with eight organizations, including Save Our Schools NJ; Camden, We Choose; and Urban Promise. The fellowship program has continued through the summer, expanding to 13 community partners, with plans to raise funding and launch year-long placements for Rutgers–Camden students.
Noting CURE does not have a large staff, Danley credits Rutgers–Camden professors for lending their expertise to the center’s projects. Michael Hayes, Erin Robinson, and Jovanna Rosen, faculty in the Department of Public Policy and Administration, have collaborated on CURE research, most recently on a school choice equity study in Camden.
“CURE’s community-first approach answers questions I had when I first started at Rutgers–Camden,” Danley said. “What does it look like to support community work in scholarship? How can it be done in ways that aren't exploitative of communities? And what are the best ways to build relationships across institutions that work very differently? I'm very grateful that Rutgers is invested in the same questions.”
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