Lehigh Valley Research Consortium

Geographic Scope

Sub-State Region

Issue Areas

Arts and Culture, Children & Youth, Economy (includes economic development), Education, Employment (includes jobs, wages and unemployment), Environment, Equity (includes social justice, environmental justice, racial and ethnic diversity), Governance (includes voting), Health & Wellbeing, Housing, Land Use, Population, Poverty, Public Safety (includes emergency preparedness), Social

Description

The Lehigh Valley Research Consortium (LVRC) combines the expertise of researchers from institutions of higher education and community partners in the Lehigh Valley to examine various issues (e.g., political, economic, social, health and environmental) and solutions in a regional context. Through its efforts, the LVRC functions as a community-based information resource for Lehigh Valley governments, non-profits, and citizens concerned with the overall quality of life in the region.

This level of collaborative spirit makes the LVRC unique among consortia. Faculty, working across disciplines and campuses, create community-focused reports to help inform policy decisions. This research provides the opportunity to engage students in applied research projects both inside and outside of the classroom.

Recognizing the growing regional identity of the Lehigh Valley and the interdependence of people, organizations and markets, the LVRC serves as a resource to improve the lives of residents of Lehigh and Northampton Counties. Because many problems and issues appear local but affect the wider region, LVRC activities examine political, economic, social, health, and environmental issues and solutions in a regional context. The cross-institutional collaboration of the LVRC also provides an opportunity to enhance the quality of college classroom teaching by providing access to better data, more resources in the form of improved student research assistantships, faculty awards for local research projects, and by bringing together faculty members with similar areas of specialty to focus on regional topics.

Project URL

https://www.lvaic.org/for-faculty/lehigh-valley-research-consortium/

Project Contact:

Michele Deegan
www.lehighvalleyresearch.org -
deegan@muhlenberg.edu
PA US