RGPN McNair November Saturday Academy: Community Engaged Research and Leadership Communication

Please join RGPN McNair at our November Saturday Academy Workshop on Community Engaged Research!

Dr. Joby Taylor came to Baltimore as a Peaceworker Fellow himself in 1999 and liked the
program and the city so much that he has proudly stayed on, becoming program director in
2003. Joby was born and raised in Miami, Oklahoma, a small town that is also home to
eight Native American nations. He served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Gabon, Africa (91-
93) helping build an elementary school in the village of Seka Seka, and he learned much
more than he gave along the way. Joby’s involvement in service and service-learning has
included other construction projects in the U.S. and the Caribbean, but also much work
with youth, particularly at-risk and special needs youth. Academically Joby received his BA
in Philosophy, an MA in Religious Studies, and completed his Ph.D. in the Interdisciplinary
Language Literacy and Culture program.

Jess Wyatt Interim Director of Alumni Engagement at the Office of Institutional
Advancement at UMBC and instructor of the Community Leadership course “Asset-Based
Community Development” (ABCD), will facilitate a session on leadership communication
grounded in an asset-based approach. Drawing on her expertise, Jess will guide students in
recognizing and activating individual and collective strengths to build meaningful, trust-
based relationships across diverse communities. The session will explore how effective
leadership communication supports the co-creation of collaborative, socially impactful
initiatives, emphasizing the role of cultural awareness, stakeholder engagement, and
transformational relationship-building in advancing a more just and inclusive future