Office of Community Engagement: Community-Based Participatory Research and Ethical Engagement at UNM
Tim B. Castillo
Sarah Helms
Karol Ibarra Zetter
This presentation introduces the University of New Mexico’s Office of Community Engagement (OCE), its role in supporting community-engaged teaching, research, and service, and its commitment to advancing ethical community partnerships across the university. OCE serves as a bridge between academic units, centers, institutes, and community partners, helping align engagement efforts with institutional priorities and national frameworks, including the Carnegie Community Engagement Classification.
The presentation also discusses Community Engagement Scholarship based on ethical methods, grounded in shared decision-making, mutual learning, co-creation of knowledge, and a commitment to community-driven action and change.
The presentation highlights several core values that guide ethical engagement:
- Respect for multiple ways of knowing, including academic, professional, Indigenous, community, and lived experience knowledge.
- Equity and shared power in decision-making and resource allocation.
- Co-creation of knowledge and action.
- Commitment to avoiding harm and addressing historical inequities.
- Long-term relationship building based on trust, reciprocity, and accountability.
The presentation also discusses challenges that arise when researchers work with communities different from their own and strategies to ensure community leadership, shared ownership, and inclusive decision-making throughout projects.
OCE advocates for policies, training, and institutional support that recognize and reward authentic community partnerships while strengthening community capacity alongside university capacity.
The presentation situates OCE within UNM’s broader community engagement ecosystem, highlighting its role in supporting collaboration across colleges, departments, centers, and community partners while strengthening institutional tracking, assessment, and recognition of community-engaged activities.
Biography
Tim B. Castillo is a Professor of Architecture at the School of Architecture and Planning at the University of New Mexico. Professor Castillo is currently the Director of Community Engagement Initiatives at UNM and also the Director of Historical Preservation and Regionalism. Professor Castillo has held several leadership roles including Associate Dean at the School of Architecture (2016-2019) and the Director of the Art, Research, Technology and Science Laboratory (2008-2016) an interdisciplinary digital media laboratory at the university.
While at the University of New Mexico Professor Castillo has been pursuing new pedagogies that explore applications related to emerging digital technologies and innovation. His architectural studios and seminars continue to investigate new progressive strategies for design that are defined by culture, digital media and emergent fabrication processes. In the summer of 2015, he co-founded the Finding Rural/Plata Studio design program. The program was established as a partnership between several higher education institutions and community partners across the state and region to explore how architecture and design play a role in economic development.
Professor Castillo’s work has been published and exhibited nationally and internationally in various locations including the Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia (Spain), Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (Switzerland), Pavillon de l’Arsenal (France), Bienal of Sao Paulo (Brazil), as well as many domestic venues.
Biography
Sarah Helms is the Community Outreach Coordinator at the Office of Community Engagement, a division within Community Engagement Initiatives at the University of New Mexico (UNM) in Albuquerque. In this role, she works to facilitate relationships and establish a repository of ongoing community engagement work taking place via the UNM community.
Sarah’s professional experience includes consulting in writing and editing, as well as program management and policy analysis. She holds an MFA in Poetry and Nonfiction from the University of California, Riverside.
Biography
Karol Ibarra Zetter is the Program Coordinator at the Office of Community Engagement, a division within Community Engagement Initiatives at the University of New Mexico (UNM) in Albuquerque. In this role, she coordinates key projects such as the Community Engagement Symposium and Community Engagement Week.
Karol’s professional experience combines academia and the technology sector. She holds a B.A. in Communication Sciences, an M.A. in Language, Literacy, and Sociocultural Studies with a concentration in Educational Thought, as well as an M.A. and Ph.D. in Spanish & Portuguese, specializing in Linguistics.
Her academic background equips her with qualitative and quantitative research skills, which she applies to UNM’s reclassification efforts for the Carnegie Elective Community Engagement designation, including data collection, analysis, and report drafting.
Karol aims to support the university and New Mexican community through her skills and experience in community engagement.
Sarah’s professional experience includes consulting in writing and editing, as well as program management and policy analysis. She holds an MFA in Poetry and Nonfiction from the University of California, Riverside.