School of Planning, Public Policy and Management (PPPM) Associate Professors Ben Clark and Rebecca Lewis will be the new co-directors of the Institute for Policy Research and Engagement (IPRE).

After an open call and a committee review, College of Design Interim Dean Laura Vandenburgh made the appointment to succeed Robert Parker, IPRE Director and PPPM instructor, who will retire in July 2020. Parker was the founding director of IPRE, which transitioned from the Community Service Center in 2018.

Associate Professors Ben Clark and Rebecca Lewis and IPRE Director Robert Parker

Lewis and Clark will carry the IPRE mission forward training graduate and undergraduate students in applied research and professional development, as well as working with agencies, local governments, nonprofits, and communities across Oregon to engage with issues of resilience, economic development, nonprofit capacity, policy analysis, and public and nonprofit management. IPRE is also anticipating the launch of a new PPPM PhD in Planning and Public Affairs in 2020.

The incoming co-directors have an extensive history of applied research. Lewis has worked alongside Parker on several projects concerning land-use and affordable housing, while Clark recently helped form the Policy Lab with Lane County to address issues of resilience, data sharing, and pay equity.

Together with IPRE co-director Megan Smith, who passed away last autumn, Parker has built an extensive network of partners and collaborators across the state during his tenure as CSC and IPRE director. To ensure a smooth transition to the institute’s new leadership team, he’ll work with Lewis and Clark in the 2019–20 academic year.