About CPDSince 2006, the CPD has dedicated its efforts to enhancing local democracy. ~ Our aim is to improve the way our community is able to talk through complex issues so that we can arrive at better decisions. Deliberation requires open spaces for citizens to come together, good and fair information to help structure the conversation and skilled facilitators to guide the process. The CPD is dedicated to providing these three key ingredients to Northern Colorado.As an impartial resource, we’re able to assist local government, schools, and community organizations in problem-solving key issues. This means we start by researching and developing useful background material. Then we work with partners to invite those affected by the issue into the room. Our students are trained in small group facilitation and guide participants through these sometimes difficult conversations. From designing to facilitating to reporting on innovative public events, we rely on contemporary, relevant research from the fields of deliberation and communication studies.Center for Public DeliberationCPD_0c0b9b16-dadd-11eb-91fd-43f41983ea00Colorado State UniversityNorthern ColoradoLocal GovernmentsSchoolsCommunity OrganizationsCPD StaffMartín Carcasson, Ph.D.Director | Martín Carcasson, Ph.D., is a Professor in the Communication Studies department of Colorado State University, and the founder and director of the CSU Center for Public Deliberation (CPD). His research focuses on helping local communities address “wicked problems” more productively through improved public communication, community problem solving, and collaborative decision-making. The CPD is a practical, applied extension of his work, and functions as an impartial resource dedicated to enhancing local democracy in Northern Colorado.Sabrina Slagowski-Tipton, M.A.Managing Director | Sabrina Slagowski-Tipton began her work with the Center for Public Deliberation in 2009 as a student facilitator. In 2016 she received her M.A. in Communication Studies with a specialization in Deliberative Practices from Colorado State University. Prior to joining the CPD team, she was an adjunct instructor in the Department of Communication Studies. Her research and work focuses on the role of expertise in deliberation, applying trauma-informed care approaches to facilitation, and increasing equity and inclusion in community engagement efforts.Katie websiteAssociate Director | Katherine R. Knobloch, Ph.D.Katherine R. Knobloch, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in the Communication Studies department. Her research and teaching focus on political communication and civic engagement, specifically exploring how deliberative public processes can create a more informed and engaged citizenry. For this work, she has received a grant from the National Science Foundation to study the Citizens’ Initiative Review and examine how process design affects the quality and outcome of deliberative engagement. Katie teaches courses in deliberation, political communication, and persuasion and in her capacity at the CPD trains undergraduates to design and facilitate community meetings.Elizabeth Parks, Ph.D.Dialogue & Diversity Specialist | Dr. Elizabeth Parks is an Assistant Professor of Communication Studies. Her research and teaching blends social scientific and humanistic methods to better understand how we can improve ethical listening with people who are different than ourselves, whether that be based on diverse ethnicity, race, language, culture, gender, ability, or other identity performance. After intensive cross-cultural negotiation in the United States as an American Sign Language interpreter (since 2001), teaching in US colleges and universities on both coasts and the Midwest (since 2004), and international sociolinguistic research with a community development NGO in Latin America and the Caribbean (from 2006-2012), her scholarship is grounded in the belief that our individual, relational, and organizational lives are enriched by bravely creating hospitable spaces of dialogue across difference. Her first book is, "The Ethics of Listening: Creating Space for Sustainable Dialogue."CPD FacilitatorsWe rely on our trained facilitators to help groups to stay on track, listen to the input of others, and work through tensions. Each year, we welcome a new group of 10-15 students to our crew of trained facilitators. Every CPD student receives a semester of hands-on training to help them understand the deliberative process and learn how to make interventions. Once students complete their first semester, they begin practicum hours where they facilitate local projects.The CPD is an interdisciplinary organization and recruits exemplary students from across disciplines, including biomedical science, business, psychology, history, and more. From day one, this allows students to learn alongside a set of diverse perspectives.Local democracy is enhanced_0c0b9c88-dadd-11eb-91fd-43f41983ea00To improve public communication and community problem-solving_0c0b9df0-dadd-11eb-91fd-43f41983ea00DemocracyLocalityDeliberationInformationFacilitationCivic CultureEnhance the local civic culture_0c0b9eea-dadd-11eb-91fd-43f41983ea001ParticipationIncrease local participation in community problem solving_0c0b9f8a-dadd-11eb-91fd-43f41983ea001.1PoliticsDecrease the sense of polarization, cynicism, and frustration with politics_0c0ba020-dadd-11eb-91fd-43f41983ea001.2DeliberationHelp develop a civic habit of relying on deliberation to address local concerns_0c0ba0ca-dadd-11eb-91fd-43f41983ea001.3Decision-MakingExpand collaborative decision-making_0c0ba16a-dadd-11eb-91fd-43f41983ea002InterconnectionsPromote interconnections between local government and citizens_0c0ba20a-dadd-11eb-91fd-43f41983ea002.1Local GovernmentsCitizensDecision MakingExpand and improve the role of the public in decision-making processes_0c0ba2aa-dadd-11eb-91fd-43f41983ea002.2TechniquesHelp incorporate deliberative techniques in local institutions_0c0ba368-dadd-11eb-91fd-43f41983ea002.3Local InstitutionsCivic EducationImprove Civic Education_0c0ba4f8-dadd-11eb-91fd-43f41983ea003Across K-12, higher education, and continuing education:CitizenshipStudy and improve methods of developing citizenship skills_0c0ba5ca-dadd-11eb-91fd-43f41983ea003.1PedagogyIncorporate deliberative pedagogy_0c0ba67e-dadd-11eb-91fd-43f41983ea003.22021-07-01https://cpd.colostate.edu/about-us/OwenAmburOwen.Ambur@verizon.net