The Tandem recently caught up with Dr. Billy Newell, a faculty member of the Business Administration program at Grenfell Campus, to ask him his thoughts on public engagement (PE). He told us a little bit about how public engagement informs his teaching and research, and why it is important for faculty to engage with communities, organizations and individuals outside the academy. Here’s what he had to say…

The Tandem: How has public engagement benefitted your research?

BN: Engaging with communities and organizations makes my research feel fulfilling and applicable to real-world problems. When I've sought to solve problems alongside a partner organization, it opens doors and motivates organizations to work with me. Working with a partner can take some more work initially because the problem is not always easy to define, and you are also trying to come up with a project that benefits everyone. However, I find that this work pays off. I think all researchers want their work to be impactful, so this extra work is a way to create that impact.

The Tandem: Why do you think engaging publicly is important?

BN: From a broad perspective, engaging publicly allows me to work on solving problems with the help, guidance, and input from the partner organization. This usually means that the solutions are better for everyone involved, and everyone learns something new and from a new perspective. When I think of research in the field of business and management science, engaged research keeps the research relevant and practical. Finding relevance in academic research in this field can be tough at times. I can be guilty of reading too much into academic theory, so really trying to engage an audience and community keeps me grounded in reality!

The Tandem: What kinds of PE have you been engaged in? That is, what sorts of organizations/individuals? 

BN: My first engaged (or applied) research project was during my Master's program in the UK where I worked with Boots UK - their major health, beauty and pharmacy retail store. This research was regarding how Boots should improve the process of sharing their customer insights data with their suppliers like L'Oreal and Revlon. At the time, this data came from their customer loyalty card.

Currently, my engaged research is with Corner Brook Pulp and Paper Ltd (CBPPL). This research focuses on helping CBPPL do preliminary market research on potential new and innovative products. My research also focuses on improving the processes involved in transporting pulpwood, saw logs and wood chips around the province.

While probably not engaged research in the classic sense, I have an ongoing study focusing on the Newfoundland craft brewing industry. As I get to know the entrepreneurs in this industry, I am looking for ways to conduct this research in a way that is more engaging by possibly working more closely with individual breweries, or engaging with the local craft beer association. My goal is to deliver research that is interesting and valuable for them.

The Tandem: How does PE benefit the university? The community?

BN: Universities should have a positive impact on their communities – both on a local scale and potentially on an international one. I believe that Grenfell Campus is in a great position for delivering this impact, especially on a local level. If our researchers and staff can work with partner organizations to solve problems it not only gives value to those partners, but gives Grenfell an added purpose and role in the community on top of education.

As I mentioned before, individual researchers and research teams want to create a meaningful impact. If engagement helps accomplish this for enough individual researchers, then I believe the university is stronger as a whole. If this impact is in the name of serving the community, then I believe the benefits should be apparent. For example, if we can play a role in having CBPPL develop a new product that continues to use our forestry-based resources in a sustainable way, then both CBPPL and our region should be able to benefit from this both economically and environmentally.