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Center for Social Impact

Building a community that uses data, evidence, and best practices to collaboratively produce innovative solutions for our region’s pressing needs.

About CSI

The Center’s faculty conduct interdisciplinary research with community partners; consult with local organizations to improve service delivery, cross-sector collaboration, and philanthropic engagement; and educate students through applied learning experiences to build healthier and more connected communities.

Our Current Foci

  • Public Health
  • Rural Health
  • Workforce and Economic Development
  • Food Access
  • Nonprofit Ecosystem Development
  • Early Childhood Education

Key Units

Rural Health Research and Innovation Lab

The Lab facilitates community-academic partnership in rural health research and evidence-based practice, innovation, and workforce development that addresses current and future regional system performance and population health goals.

Food and Nutrition Security Research Hub

The Hub facilitates, connects, and accelerates research and scholarship related to disaster food security, food and vulnerable consumers, food provider ecosystem development, and student food access.

Academic Year 2023-24 and Ongoing Projects

Health Professions Workforce in Southeastern North Carolina: Interactive dashboard showing health profession workforce supply and demand, compiled for Novant Health and UNC Health Sciences.

Burnout, Moral Injury, and Resilience among NC Nurses: Time-series analysis to understand mental health and turnover; one peer-reviewed article and a second manuscript that is currently under review, presented to NC Institute of Medicine, NC Nursing Association, and others.

Tourism Study for the Town of Wrightsville Beach: Interactive dashboard showing visitor profile and tourist trends in Wrightsville Beach, compiled for Chamber of Commerce, Town of Wrightsville Beach, and hotels.

Barriers to Upward Mobility: Local economic security study to understand individuals' experiences with employment and upward mobility in the Cape Fear region. See the peer-reviewed article.

Food Forecast: Ensuring Post-Disaster Food Security: Currently producing a tool in collaboration with community and statewide partners to increase food security after hurricanes. Local partners include New Hanover County, Food Bank of CENC, United Way of the Cape Fear Area, Catholic Charities, Pender Long Term Recover Group, New Hanover County Disaster Coalition, and Cape Fear Collective.

New Hanover County Comprehensive Food Security Plan: Currently compiling a report for the New Hanover County Extension Office and regional nonprofits.

Family, Friend, and Neighbor Caregiving in New Hanover County: Produced a report for Smart Start of New Hanover County and regional nonprofits.

Nonprofit Network Analysis: Visualizations produced for New Hanover Community Endowment and regional nonprofits. Currently compiling a manuscript for peer-reviewed publication.

Well-Being and Resilience Collaborative: A project focused on advancing holistic well-being and resilience on campus and in the community by utilizing trauma-informed practices in assessment, advisement, education, training, and research. Developed a fee schedule to provide consulting for organizations in the community. Currently pursuing JED designation and finalizing grant application to the National Institute of Nursing Research.

Interdisciplinarity

Interdisciplinarity is essential to the CSI, where experts from diverse fields collaborate to develop innovative solutions for complex regional challenges. The Academic Year 2023-24 Faculty Fellows represented the following disciplines:

  • Public Health
  • Nursing, Supply Chain Management
  • Public Administration
  • Sociology
  • Conflict Management and Resolution
  • World Languages
  • Early Childhood and Elementary Education

Get Involved

Chris Prentice, CSI Director - Professor of Nonprofit Management

prenticecr@uncw.edu

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