In addition to our Community Advisory Board (CAB), PACT has an administrative team encompassing the Director, Associate Director(s), Director of Community Relations, and Community Ambassador. The administrative team attends all CAB meetings and is responsible for providing the guidelines that structure the relations between Penn State University Park faculty and Community Advisory Board members and organizations.
Steering Committee
As a team, the Steering Committee provides PACT with oversight and guidance on our direction and performance including feedback on the functioning, mission, and vision of PACT. The Steering Committee assists in developing and evaluating the goals and objectives of PACT. We also provide feedback to PACT projects to assure that they are culturally appropriate and align with the mission and vision of PACT.
We embrace the following vision for operation of the PACT partnership:
- Equal participation by all parties in all aspect of the partnership activities
- Open communication and recognition of the knowledge and expertise of all team members
- Integrity and respect both within the partnership and in our shared communities
Many PACT researchers present their proposed research studies during the CAB meetings and request feedback and advice on logistics such as recruitment sites, hiring, the suitability of data collection procedures and intervention content. The CAB vets PACT’s projects and gives helpful feedback, resulting in occasional modifications of protocols, engagement with new organizations for recruitment purposes, or the hiring of local community members as research staff.
Some staff work on the various research projects at our Front Street office. Many of them are hired through our community partners. Our research staff strive to maintain positive relationships with Harrisburg organizations and community members.