Stephanie El Tawil is tired of going to professional development fairs and receiving handouts.

“I actually want to talk to people and I want to see what’s actually happening,” said the senior program assistant for the Center for Applied Research.

That’s why this year’s Celebration of Engagement is more interactive.

“I want to be able to see, smell, touch, feel, talk to what you’re doing,” she said. “Let’s make it more tangible.”

Outreach and Engagement will host the annual celebration March 1, beginning in the Fireside Lounge in University Center East and concluding on the second floor of the Performance Center.

Each Outreach and Engagement department created a list of community partners they worked with this year and 700 guests, including Mayor Lloyd Winnecke, are invited.

“It’s really awesome to see and meet the people you’ve worked with all year and be able to celebrate your successes together,” she said.

El Tawil said she hopes 150-200 guests attend.

The department will have 18 interactive booths, including a Jenga game for professional development, online testing for distance learning and virtual tours of off-campus spaces, she said.

“It was really a time for us to engage the faculty that we do projects with and invite our community partners to see the impact that USI has in the community,” she said.

El Tawil said she is most excited for the networking opportunities presented at the event and about the toasted ravioli, mini beef wellingtons and mini tacos they will serve at the reception.

Linda White, president and CEO of Deaconess Health System, will be this year’s keynote speaker.

“We chose (White) because she is heavily involved with not only USI, but the community as a whole,” she said. “It almost seems like her personal mission.”

White will speak on the opportunities offered in healthcare and education, possibly including the new Indiana University medical school, El Tawil said.

“She presented to the College of Business the question, ‘How can Deaconess improve health in the region?’” El Tawil said.

This question was the theme for this year’s Day on the Bus, an event where faculty from USI, University of Evansville, Ivy Tech Community College and Vincennes University ride around the community on a bus together to gather insight on the needs of the workforce to better prepare students.

White also served on a panel that gives feedback to entrepreneurial minors who innovate on new technology and current processes Deaconess uses.

Associate Provost for Outreach and Engagement Mark Bernhard looks forward to networking and showcasing outreach programs including the Veteran Family Military Resource Center, the Bachelor’s Professional Program and the Lanark Student Fellowship Program with New Harmony.

One of the highlights within the Veteran Family Military Resource Center is its collaboration with the College of Nursing and Health Professions to offer a free dental hygiene clinic for veterans in the community, Bernhard said.

The Bachelor’s Professional Program is aimed primarily toward working adults who have some college credits and are seeking a Bachelor’s degree.

The university hopes to make the program entirely available online within a year, Bernhard said.

“A student then could take it all face to face, partially face to face and partially online or all online,” he said. “We’re trying to make is as flexible as possible for returning student adult learners to earn their degree.”

The Lanark Student Fellowship Program allows one student each summer the opportunity to intern in New Harmony’s sister city, New Lanark, Scotland.

The student who attended last summer will speak at the celebration’s interactive fair.

“USI has a very rich history of being involved with the community,” Bernhard said. “We take our engaged mission very seriously and try to work very closely and strategically with the community.”

Fast Facts:

Time: 3-5 p.m., March 1

Location: Fireside Lounge UC East, second floor Performance Center lobby

Cost: Free