Our Work

Since 2023, NERLab has been working alongside local residents, guided by a central question: What are neighborly principles and practices for higher education community engagement, as defined by residents themselves?

Through research interviews and participation in community meetings and events, we’ve sought to understand resident-defined values and priorities. In response to what we’ve learned, we’re supporting community-driven initiatives and working to reimagine what it means for campuses to engage with their neighbors — as neighbors.

Recent collaborative projects and initiatives — ranging from community-driven efforts to academic presentations and publications — include:

Our Publications & Presentations

Coming Soon

We’re currently finalizing data analysis and preparing to release our public report, Principles and Practices for Neighborly Engagement. Based on insights from 20 interviews with local residents and over 100 hours of participation in community meetings and events, the report highlights key themes, challenges, and opportunities for fostering meaningful community-campus relationships.

Stay tuned for upcoming website features, including a neighborhood small business map showcasing local restaurants, and a new blog that will share insights from our research and highlight community-identified priorities.

New Publication

The Power and Importance of Reciprocity in Community-Engaged Research: Centering College Students’ Beliefs
By Katherine LaDuke, Riley Londraville, Chase Quigley, and Carmine Perrotti

This chapter explores how college students develop their understanding of reciprocity through community-engaged research. Using student-authored vignettes, it illustrates how reciprocal relationships can foster more equitable and impactful community-campus partnerships.

📩 To request a reprint or PDF, please contact nerlab@providence.edu or cperrotti@providence.edu.

Recent Presentations

NERLab has shared its work in a range of local, national, and international settings:

August 2025: Dr. Carmine Perrotti presented at the International Association for Research on Service-Learning and Community Engagement Conference in Durban, South Africa, where he also received the Early Career Award for his leadership of NERLab.
April 2025: NERLab participated in Providence College’s 16th Annual Celebration of Student Scholarship and Creativity.
March 2025: NERLab led a workshop at Campus Compact’s Annual Conference in Atlanta, GA.
December 2024: In partnership with the Providence College Galleries, the team hosted an interactive conversation at the Reilly Gallery to share preliminary findings and engage campus and community members.

Summer 2025 Research:
Portraits of a Neighborhood

NERLab Research Assistant Riley Londraville received a Summer Undergraduate Research and Creative Grant from Providence College’s Center for Engaged Learning for her project, Exploring Community Narratives Through Portraiture. Building on interviews conducted through NERLab, this project features narrative “portraits” of local residents and will be published on the NERLab blog launching this fall.

Portraiture is a qualitative research method that combines inquiry and storytelling to create narrative-rich profiles that emphasize lived experience and community strengths — offering an alternative to traditional data presentation.

Community Archive Exhibit

Beyond the PC Bubble: Exploring Community & Place through Archival Research

(2025, April-August)

This student-curated exhibit was developed through an interdisciplinary course, Smith Hill: A Study in Community and Place through Archival Research, offered by Dr. Carmine Perrotti through the Departments of Public and Community Service Studies, Global Studies, and American Studies at Providence College.

In collaboration with the Archives and Special Collections at Phillips Memorial Library, the course drew on the newly acquired Smith Hill Community Development Corporation (CDC) Collection to examine more than three decades of affordable housing and neighborhood revitalization. The exhibit highlighted the history and impact of the Smith Hill CDC and its long-standing partnership with Providence College, offering a window into the stories, people, and places that have shaped the Smith Hill community. While the physical exhibit has concluded, key highlights remain accessible online.