From left: IUP Chief Compliance Officer Elise Glenn; IUP associate professor of political science Gwen Torges; IUP Dean of Students Adam Jones
IUP’s Chief Compliancec Officer, Elise Glenn, IUP Dean of Students, Adam Jones, and IUP Associate Professor of Political Science, Gwen Torges, were honored with the “Institutional Transformation” Award at the 2026 Annual Research Awards Reception held during 2026 Research Appreciation Week.
Glenn, Jones, and Torges were recognized for their work to establish the university’s Center for Civic Dialogue. Courtney Leone, director of IUP’s School Psychology doctoral program, is the program evaluator.
The Institutional Transformation Award recognizes faculty and staff who have demonstrated exceptional dedication and innovation in enhancing student success through grantsmanship, programming, and research on meeting the diverse needs of students to facilitate their academic, personal, and professional growth.
In January, IUP received $2,295,315 from the United States Department of Education to create the Center, which will serve as both a physical and intellectual headquarters for civil discourse innovation at IUP. The grant, which extends through December 2029, funds both the physical establishment of the Center, to be sited in current university facilities, and outreach activities.
“We truly appreciate this recognition, especially in light of the outstanding work in research and innovation being done throughout the university,” Glenn, Jones, and Torges said.
Torges, who is the director of IUP’s Pre-Law program, led the development of the grant proposal. A Constitutional law scholar who was a key coordinator of IUP’s Free Speech project, she will provide oversight and leadership of the development of the project and provide scholarly subject matter expertise for all project activities.
The Center builds on established initiatives at IUP, including the Free Speech Project, Difficult Dialogues training, Constitution Day programming, Torges’s Civic Savvy course, and the Crimson Core Civic Readiness competency.
“The ultimate goal of the project is to strengthen constructive engagement at IUP,” Torges said.
“Disagreement is inherent in higher education; the issue is not conflict, it is how we manage it,” she said. “National trends show increasing polarization and declining trust, and institutions must equip students with dialogue skills,” Torges said.
The Center for Civic Dialogue includes a partnership with the Constructive Dialogue Institute, a nonprofit and nonpartisan organization, to provide IUP with faculty and staff training cohorts, creation of student dialogue fellows, and campus-wide programming.
Jones will work to advance the Center for Civic Dialogue project by embedding constructive dialogue practices into student services, community standards, and campus activities. Glenn’s focus will be on integrating constructive dialogue practices into campus processes for conflict resolution, bridging differences, organizational effectiveness, and supporting IUP's commitment to Civil Rights.