Dr. J. Walter Paquin, associate professor of social work, will present the Colloquium "Classrooms, Community and Coffee” on March 17.
 
His presentation is free and open to the public beginning at 4 p.m. in Centennial Hall’s Stutzman Lecture Hall.
 
The presentation will focus on finding ways to engage students in better understanding community needs in Lima, Ohio. Paquin will highlight a new approach he took this fall to keep social work students in Allen County for their community practice.
 
“Community practice is a critical part of social work education. However, smaller communities like Bluffton often lack extensive community concerns or organizations to expose students to a full variety of issues and organizations,” said Paquin.
 
Paquin earned his master’s and Ph.D. in social work from Washington University in St. Louis. He came to Bluffton University in 2011. His research focuses on minority communities and housing, mostly in urban, rust-belt cities.