Contact Us

Jan Thomas

Director of Community Partnerships

Before coming to Kenyon in 1996, Thomas worked as a counselor, educator and administrator at women's health centers in Chicago and Denver and operated her own health counseling practice in Denver. Thomas teaches courses on gender, health and illness, social movements, and research methods. She is particularly interested in service-learning and connecting the life of the College with the life of the greater community. 740-427-5903 | thomasj@kenyon.edu

Alyssa Gómez Lawrence '10

Assistant Director, community engaged learning and internships

Alyssa Gómez Lawrence joined the Office for Community Partnerships in January 2016. A Kenyon alumna and English major, born and raised in Knox County, her work focuses on community engaged learning courses and research — course work designed to address specific community needs and/or access community knowledge while providing opportunities for reflection on real-world, hands-on experiences — and fostering new and existing partnerships between Kenyon and the surrounding community. 740-427-5904 | lawrencea@kenyon.edu

Chrissie Laymon '01

Program Coordinator, volunteering and rural life initiative

Chrissie Laymon joined the Office for Community Partnerships in December 2021.  A Kenyon alumna with a synoptic major in American rural studies, Chrissie was born and raised in Knox County. As a student she was heavily involved in the early years of the Rural Life Center and is excited to continue the legacy of that program with the Rural Life Initiative. A former AmeriCorps member, she is passionate about building a vibrant and healthy community by developing relationships between students and Knox County through service projects and volunteer opportunities. Chrissie and her family currently operate a 187-acre regenerative farm outside of Gambier and work closely with professors and students in a variety of courses. 740-427-5419 | laymonc@kenyon.edu

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Faculty Fellows

Faculty fellows, representing different divisions of the College, work together with the Office for Community Partnerships to advance community-engaged learning and research at Kenyon. 

Julie Brodie

Professor of Dance, community-engaged learning

 

Pierre Dairon

Associate Professor of French, community-engaged learning

 

Iris Levin

Assistant Professor of Biology & Environmental Studies, rural life