In February 2026, CCEL Executive Director Renee Miller Zientek received the Nadinne Cruz Community Engagement Professional Award from Campus Compact, a national coalition of colleges and universities committed to higher purposes in public education. This award, given annually to one recipient, celebrates the ethical leadership and advocacy demonstrated by community engagement professionals.

Alongside her work at CCEL, Miller Zientek co-directs MSUvote, a nonpartisan initiative centered on registering and educating student voters. She was recognized for strengthening reciprocal partnerships and expanding opportunities for students to contribute to community priorities and democratic life. “Throughout her career, she has championed collaborative practices that elevate community expertise and support students in becoming engaged, responsible changemakers,” Campus Compact said in the award announcement.

“For over two decades, Ms. Miller Zientek has advanced community-engaged learning in Michigan and nationally through programs, scholarship, and partnerships grounded in access, reciprocity, and transformation," wrote MSU President Kevin M. Guskiewicz, Ph.D., in a letter supporting Miller Zientek’s nomination. "Renee’s career embodies a profound dedication to community and democracy and demonstrates the transformative power of higher education when it truly partners with the world it serves."

Upon receiving the award, Miller Zientek said, “I am deeply honored . . . This recognition reflects the extraordinary communities, students, colleagues, and institutional leaders I have had the privilege to work alongside throughout my career. Community engagement is never the work of one individual; it is built through shared purpose, trust, reciprocity, and a commitment to social justice and community vitality.”

CCEL dually reports to MSU’s Office of University Outreach and Engagement (UOE) and Student Affairs, reflecting its role in strengthening community partnerships and advancing student engagement across the university. The award reflects the values that set MSU apart as a land-grant university that views community members as equal partners in making meaningful change, says Kwesi Brookins, vice provost for UOE.

“We are proud of this national recognition for Renee's leadership in advancing MSU's public mission through engaged learning and community partnerships," Brookins said.

Campus Compact honored Miller Zientek on March 18, 2026, at its annual conference in Chicago. During her acceptance speech, Miller Zientek shared a student’s observation that service is “something you do with a community,” not only for a community.

“At Michigan State University we have tried to build structures that make those kinds of experiences possible,” Miller Zientek continued. “They all come from the same idea: that every student should have the opportunity to connect their education with the needs and aspirations of communities, and that community partners should not simply host students—they should help shape the learning.”

The Nadinne Cruz Award is one of Campus Compact's Impact Awards, which recognize shining examples of meaningful, impactful civic and community engagement work.

“As a transformational community engagement professional, Renee has been a stalwart in advancing and elevating the work at every institution she’s worked and across the entire higher education field,” said Bobbie Laur, Campus Compact president. “The way she has helped to build and shape what community engagement can mean to an institution is the result of decades of hard work, relationship-building, and a deep commitment to the public mission of higher education.”

CCEL is proud of Miller Zientek for this national achievement and thanks her for her dedication to community-engaged learning. Learn more about the Nadinne Cruz Community Engagement Professional Award on Campus Compact’s website.

(Adapted from a press release by Emily Springer)