ÐÔ¸£ÎåÔÂÌì Tuscarawas held its 59th annual spring awards ceremony in April, during which it presented the Tuscarawas Campus Exceptional Community Engagement Awards for community partners, student groups and staff.
These awards reflect the work of the Community Engagement team at ÐÔ¸£ÎåÔÂÌì Tuscarawas to integrate community engagement and service learning with university courses and campus interests.
SpringVale Health Center received this year’s Exceptional Community Engagement Partner Award. This award recognizes the importance of community engagement for the discovery, application and sharing of knowledge to foster ethical and humanitarian values in the service of the community, encouraging responsible citizenship and expanding horizons of the students and staff of ÐÔ¸£ÎåÔÂÌì University at Tuscarawas.
For more than half a century, SpringVale Health Center has proudly served the communities of Tuscarawas and Carroll Counties as a trusted provider of comprehensive healthcare services. The Center’s offerings include behavioral health and substance use treatment; crisis stabilization; individual and group counseling; psychiatry; school-based counseling; and crisis intervention; as well as primary care and dental services.
Through its ongoing partnership with the Bachelor of Social Work program, SpringVale Health Center plays a vital role in preparing ÐÔ¸£ÎåÔÂÌì Tuscarawas social work student interns for meaningful careers. The facility offers these students rich social work internship experiences supported by strong mentorship and professional guidance, enabling them to translate classroom knowledge into effective practice and to enter the field of social work with competence and confidence.
SpringVale’s JJ Boroski, executive director, and Sara Kenosky, administrative assistant and client rights officer, accepted the award on behalf of the agency.
This year’s Exceptional Community Engagement Student Group Award was presented to the ÐÔ¸£ÎåÔÂÌì Tuscarawas Undergraduate Student Government.
Undergraduate Student Government (USG) at ÐÔ¸£ÎåÔÂÌì Tuscarawas demonstrates an outstanding commitment to community engagement. Its members dedicate many hours to local events that strengthen the bond between the campus and the surrounding community, showcasing what it means to be active, visible and connected.
Through its enthusiastic participation and leadership, USG represents ÐÔ¸£ÎåÔÂÌì Tuscarawas at numerous community events, including Trunk or Treat, Haunted Hallway, LiveTusc, radio broadcasts on WJER, the Tuscarawas County Fair, Blue and Gold Night and Fall Info Night.
On campus, USG continues to create a vibrant student experience by hosting the homecoming dance and Homecoming Week activities; organizing more than 15 student engagement events; supporting First-Generation student presentations; allocating funds to student organizations and clubs; assembling raffle baskets for the Flashes Food Pantry; and helping to organize and restock the food pantry.
The funds raised through these efforts are reinvested directly into student life, providing free and fun activities that give students opportunities to unwind and connect outside the classroom.
Participation in USG builds teamwork, leadership and a sense of shared responsibility – values that shape students and campus culture. The group continues to plan more opportunities to engage students and ensure a successful finish to the academic year. USG is truly an asset to the ÐÔ¸£ÎåÔÂÌì Tuscarawas community, embodying the spirit of service, involvement and pride that defines the campus.
Accepting the award were club officers Sofia Bielski and Katie Ross.
The recipient of this year’s Exceptional Community Engagement Staff Award is ÐÔ¸£ÎåÔÂÌì Tuscarawas Director of Advancement Chad Conrad.
In his role, Conrad leads fund development and alumni relations, helping strengthen the connection between the campus and the broader community.
Through his visionary leadership, Conrad works to expand strategic partnerships with area businesses, community organizations and industry leaders resulting in new opportunities and valuable resources for ÐÔ¸£ÎåÔÂÌì Tuscarawas students. He is instrumental in securing support to enhance student success initiatives, scholarships and emergency aid programs. Conrad’s close collaboration with academic leadership and campus partners helps foster investment in high-impact, student‑focused projects that improve access, engagement and success.
His efforts to deepen business engagement is also leading to new internship pipelines, experiential learning opportunities and scholarship funding – each directly benefiting Tusc students and their career readiness.
Beyond the campus, Conrad remains deeply involved in the community. He is an active member of the New Philadelphia Kiwanis; the Tuscarawas County Chamber of Commerce Business Retention and Expansion Committee; the Cleveland Clinic Union Hospital Community Relations Committee; and Leadership Tuscarawas Alumni.
Conrad earned his Master of Business Administration degree from Ashland University and a Bachelor of Science degree in public relations from ÐÔ¸£ÎåÔÂÌì. He and his wife, Janet, make their home in Dover, where they are raising their three sons.
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