Students in the Ph.D. in Community Engagement Program's New Cohort Reflect on the Start of a Transformative Journey
"I am most excited to experience the evolutions and expansions that will occur through this program. This Ph.D. journey won’t be an easy one, but I am not alone. Since the start of the program, I have been supported by my cohort members, professors and local community partnerships."
Point Park University's Ph.D. in Community Engagement is a true social lab that connects students with community partners and real-world projects that strengthen their learning.
Despite being online, the interdisciplinary cohort-model program emphasizes teamwork and helps students build meaningful relationships with classmates and professors, united by their shared goal: creating positive change in their communities.
In the Q&A below, Fall 2024 cohort members Margaret Hinnebusch and Esrom Williams, Jr., share what drew them to the program and what they're looking forward to in this next step of their educational journeys.
Why did you choose the Ph.D. in Community Engagement program at Point Park?
Margaret: I chose the Ph.D. in Community Engagement at Point Park University as it deeply resonates with my personal values and professional goals. My parents and family instilled in me a deep responsibility to contribute meaningfully to my community and to be actively involved in initiatives that foster positive change. Growing up in a close-knit environment, I experienced firsthand the impact that collective effort and engaged leadership can have on individuals and the broader society. This deep sense of belonging and desire to be part of making that difference truly drives my professional journey.
Point Park’s program stood out to me due to its flexibility and customization to truly make this class my own. It allows me to actively learn while I work so that I may apply my newly learned knowledge as it is presented to me in real time. The emphasis on both research and real-world impact aligns perfectly with my goal to understand the complexities of community dynamics and actively contribute to solutions.
Esrom: Point Park is a leading and innovative institution on so many levels, especially in the fine arts. I knew based on Point Park’s impeccable track record that encapsulating myself in the Ph.D. in Community Engagement program would equip me with the tools I need to continue developing the visions and missions I have set out to accomplish.
Over the past 18 years, I have been embedded in the fine arts, specifically in the field of dance. Witnessing the transformative nature of the fine arts in my life and the communities it touches, I knew that I wanted to embark on a mission to continue uplifting and accelerating its histories. After obtaining my first two degrees in the principles of artistic agency and creative freedom, I desired to pursue a degree that would enhance my previous degrees and their overall values, which stemmed from the roots of community. The Ph.D. in Community Engagement program at Point Park is leading the way for this vision and mission to become a reality.
To kick off the new academic year, the program holds a residency weekend that includes an orientation for new students, volunteerism and a research symposium with current students. What did you enjoy about that experience?
Margaret: The residency weekend was a wonderful experience that only increased my excitement to kick off my studies. While this program is online, being able to come together as a cohort was impactful. As a class, we were able to learn from other students at various stages in the program, meet with professors and staff and learn about work that is currently being done in this educational sector. Having that walkthrough of the course materials, objectives and resources was so beneficial to starting off this program strong.
My favorite activity of the weekend was without a doubt volunteering at the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank. Being that we are learning about community engagement, it was refreshing to go out into the community and make a difference. Working alongside my peers and the food bank's gracious team, you really appreciate the work that is being done to help support the community.
Esrom: The residency weekend had so many beautiful and affirming moments that confirmed I was in the right place at the right moment. The residency weekend was jam-packed with so many activities that were overwhelming in a good way! We experienced a community service initiative at the local Food Bank, deeply engaging conversations on diverse topics of dissertations amongst other cohorts, communal collaborative discussion with our professors, school leaders and colleagues – the list goes on! But my favorite part of the weekend was being amongst a community of like-minded people who desire to make a difference within their communities. Witnessing how we all came from vastly different lived experiences personally and professionally while sharing a similar goal was phenomenal.
What most excites you about starting this journey?
Margaret: One thing that excites me the most about starting this journey is knowing that I have a cohort of peers with which I will go through this program. Being able to learn from each other’s vastly diverse topics of study and expertise is transformative. From the short time we have already known each other, there is so much support and excitement that everyone is willing to offer each other so we may all be successful in this program. It feels as if we have formed our own little community throughout this process, and we are only at the beginning.
Esrom: I am most excited to experience the evolutions and expansions that will occur through this program. This Ph.D. journey won’t be an easy one, but I am not alone. Since the start of the program, I have been supported by my cohort members, professors and local community partnerships. This support system is exactly what excites me in taking on this program and carrying the torch to the completion of this degree.
What makes Point Park’s Ph.D. in Community Engagement program distinctive from other universities?
Margaret: Point Park’s Ph.D. in Community Engagement program sets itself apart from other universities. Point Park allows you to cater the program to what you want to study in a way that is meaningful to you. The faculty and staff have all gone out of their way to make this program feel welcoming and personable. While it is an online program and offers that flexibility, Point Park has done a tremendous job in making it feel as if you are right there in the classroom learning beside everyone.
Esrom: The distinctive features that drew me to Point Park’s Ph.D. in Community Engagement program were its low-residency, diverse framework and adaptability for my field of study.
Uprooting my life and leaving behind my communities was not a realistic option for me. This program has granted me the ability to stand firmly in my multilayered positions while obtaining a degree that will produce beneficial results for my surrounding communities. The low-residency curriculum allows me to apply the wealth of knowledge from this program and weave it directly into the foundations that I am a part of, without having to relocate.
Point Park’s diverse community of students and faculty demographic, along with its massively diverse database of scholarship, research and curriculum, were the ultimate driving forces that encouraged my decision to take on this Ph.D.
As a professional and practitioner in the fine arts, the materials and information that we are being presented with are rigorously preparing us for the adaptable leadership frameworks needed in our fields of focus. Across the board, Point Park’s executive leaders and professors are actively engaged in their fields and leading by example. I am beyond humbled to be enriched by the adaptive nature of this program, which supports my lived experiences in research, leadership and artistic expression.
Learn more about the Ph.D. in Community Engagement program:
- Community Engagement Alumna Jimyse Brown, Ph.D., is Making History and an Impact at Pittsburgh's Moonshot Museum
- Point Park University Study Examines How Safer, Cleaner Alleyways Could Positively Impact Quality of Life in Downtown Pittsburgh
- "Where Can We Go?" Public Restroom Study Provides Community Engagement Students with Hands-On Research Experience