The Hennepin-University Partnership, a program of the Center for Urban and Regional Affairs, is accepting applications for the HUP Collaborative Research Assistantship (HCRA). The HCRA provides paid summer positions for six graduate research assistants to conduct applied research with Hennepin County, while partaking in learning opportunities as a part of a multidisciplinary cohort. This program is a unique opportunity to work with an innovative, nationally-regarded local government on research that addresses complex social challenges. Graduate students from any school or department who are interested in engaged research or careers in…

It is with great excitement that we introduce Amy Delahanty as the next director of the Hennepin-University Partnership (HUP). Amy brings extensive experience in cross-sector collaboration and higher education, most recently as the Chief of Staff for the National Center for Principled Leadership and Research Ethics at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. 

Amy will start on November 6, at which point the current HUP…

The Hennepin-University Partnership (HUP) graduate assistants will work with the Program Director on a variety of tasks related to the mission of HUP. HUP represents an innovative model of collaboration between local government and academia. The goal of HUP is to produce shared value for both the University of Minnesota and Hennepin County around areas of mutual interest. This is achieved through the promotion of joint community-based research, the sharing of academic and practitioner expertise, and providing students with real-world experience. HUP does not actively conduct research, but we catalyze, support, evaluate, and communicate collaborative…

Hennepin County’s Climate Action Plan and the University of Minnesota’s focus on sustainability demonstrates an increasing commitment to prepare for the effects of climate change. This event will bring together a panel of University and County experts to explore how transportation investments at the local and regional level can best be leveraged to support climate action goals while reducing disparities, improving health, enhancing livability, and providing opportunities for high quality employment.

Where: Zoom

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Stable housing is crucial for wellbeing and is central to Hennepin County’s disparity reduction effort. This event will explore housing practices through a multicultural lens; How can we meet the diverse housing needs of residents? Where do design and policy intersect? How do home characteristics affect wellbeing? How can housing policy acknowledge the importance of intergenerational family support?

The FUSE Summer Symposium will be an opportunity for UMN faculty and Hennepin County staff to engage with an expert panel on housing. A small group breakout session and Q&A will give attendees the chance to connect and have their questions answered. 

Delve…

Many 911 systems in the United States use older technologies that struggle to account for the diverse ways of communicating during an emergency or disaster, and dispatchers taking calls must make rapid decisions based on limited information. While newer technology can identify callers’ locations, there is an opportunity to explore how technology can assist in determining the reason for the call and suggesting appropriate responses.

Given this opportunity, HUP recently coordinated a connection between Hennepin County and Professors Tom Fisher (College of…

The Hennepin-University Partnership's (HUP) project to connect the Hennepin County Elections Division with University of Minnesota student volunteers to process absentee ballots has been recognized with an Achievement Award from the National Association of Counties (NACo). The award honors innovative, effective county government programs that strengthen services for residents. 

For this partnership in the 2016 general and 2018 midterm elections, a total of 600 students provided 3,000 hours of volunteer effort. Mark Chapin, the Director over the Elections Division, praised the partnership. “Without the hundreds of student volunteers helping to process and count absentee ballots…

We are excited to announce Scott Vargo as the new Hennepin-University Partnership Director. Scott is taking over for the recently retired HUP Director Kathie Doty, HUP’s founding director who led the partnership for over 15 years and grew it into a nationally recognized model for cross-sector collaboration. With new leadership HUP will continue to coordinate partnerships that reinforce the mission and goals of both the University of Minnesota and Hennepin County. 

Scott most recently worked at Hennepin County’s Center of Innovation and Excellence. He is committed to supporting…

The Hennepin-University Partnership, a strategic alignment between Hennepin County and the University of Minnesota, has coordinated several recent projects and events bringing these two institutions together around pressing contemporary issues:

• Between May and September, the HUP hosted 8 webinars in our Summer Webinar Series featuring 15 presenters from the University (faculty, staff researchers, and graduate students) reaching more than 325 Hennepin County staff. Attendees shared positive feedback about the range of timely topics including a presentation from CURA Director Ed Goetz and PhD student Rashad Williams…