Mac Benavides, Ph.D., assistant professor at the Staley School of Leadership at Kansas State University and 2022 graduate of K-State’s leadership communication doctoral program, has been awarded the 2022 Dissertation Award from the International Association for Research on Service-Learning and Community Engagement (IARSLCE). 
His dissertation, titled “Hilos del mismo tejido”: Weaving community perspectives into community-based global learning through critical micro-ethnographic testimonio, examined relationships between international volunteers and organizations and resulted in developing a process to evaluate and sustain global partnerships geared toward service-learning.
Benavides’ dissertation provides insights for educators and practitioners working with global service and volunteer programs. Community organizations across the globe are advancing work in sustainable development, and partnerships are an important component of progress.
Through support from the Leading Change Institutes, an endowment established through the generosity of Dave and Ellie Everritt, Benavides received funding for an engaged research project. While spending more than a month in Guatemala collaborating with a local nongovernmental organization, Benavides used relational research methods to listen to community members share about their experiences with international volunteers and their hopes for future collaborations. The result of this work produced an innovative approach to studying and evaluating community-engaged programs, a powerful narrative account of the community’s experiences, and a six-phase design process for co-creating reciprocal partnerships.
Building from his dissertation, Mac and his colleagues in Guatemala have continued to develop processes to enable community organizers to play an active role in re-defining global partnerships for sustainable development.
“Dr. Benavides’ dissertation reflects three specific areas of excellence: theoretical contribution, methodological innovation, and significance to practice,” said Kerry Priest, Ph.D., associate professor and leadership communication program director for the Staley School of Leadership.
“The research is interdisciplinary, integrating perspectives from the fields of higher education, critical leadership studies, communication and service-learning community engagement to address a complex social issue. He has thoughtfully challenged peers, educators, researchers and members of his professional community to consider critical interpretations that disrupt the status quo and re-imagine approaches to research and service-learning practices that are more socially just.”
“Mac’s research advances our understanding of global learning and leadership at the school and in the field,” said Trisha Gott, Ed.D, associate dean of the Staley School of Leadership.
K-State’s Leadership Communication doctoral program is an interdisciplinary research degree grounded in community-engaged scholarship. Applications are now being accepted for 2024.
IARSLCE is the only international organization whose expressed primary purpose is to cultivate, encourage, and present research across all engagement forms and educational levels. The Association promotes high quality trans-disciplinary research across a wide range of approaches and forms and builds the capacity of scholars, practitioners, and community partners to engage in such research.
