Service-Learning Initiative

The Office of Undergraduate Education, Office of Academic Affairs is pleased to announce Ola Ahlqvist as the new director of Ohio State’s Service-Learning Initiative, beginning April 1, 2011.  Dr. Ahlqvist is a Department of Geography faculty member with a rich history of service-learning collaborations that include not only community members but also colleagues from across campus. Columbus City Council has recognized Dr. Ahlqvist and Tim Hawthorne (recent PhD, Geography) for their Near East Side service-learning project in which they partnered with the African American and African Studies Community Extension Center and community groups, including the Neighborhood House, the Columbus Urban League, and Columbus Public Health for Geography 580S, “Elements of Cartography.” In this course, students work with Mount Vernon area residents to create maps that provide information about basic resources in their neighborhood.  http://geography.osu.edu/maps2serve/

Other examples of how Dr. Ahlqvist integrates teaching, research, and outreach include his work with the K-12 Ohio Geographic Alliance, the International Poverty Solutions Collaborative, the Columbus Violence Prevention Collaborative, and the College of Engineering’s Center for Experimental Research in Computer Systems, where he serves as Associate Director. For more information about Dr. Ahlqvist’s work, please visit http://www.geography.osu.edu/faculty/ahlqvist/