ASU Class Joins Forces with ANIC

Students enrolled in Dr. Saundra J. Reinke’s quantitative and research methods classes at ASU are conducting research for the Augusta Neighborhood Improvement Corporation (ANIC).

“This project is about two things: redeveloping and revitalizing the Laney-Walker neighborhood and teaching the students how to do research by actually working as a research team,” said Dr. Reinke, assistant professor in the Department of Political Science. Last September Robert Cooks, executive director of ANIC, introduced the students to community leaders in order to make their
presence known in the Laney-Walker community.

A geographical area of the neighborhood has been assigned to the students by ANIC. “The students are in the process of developing an instrument in order to grade the conditions of each building,” said Dr. Reinke. “Then they will actually go to the neighborhood and look at the buildings and grade each building based on the standards that they will develop.” Once completed
the students will develop a database that ANIC can use to determine how much money will be needed for the Phase II redevelopment project.

Another part of the project is to compare the Laney-Walker neighborhood to a thriving community in the Augusta area in order to determine what businesses and services would be needed to bring it up to standards and make it a prosperous community.

“I am excited about this project because this is an opportunity for ASU and the MPA program to really contribute something of great significance, raise our visibility, and demonstrate to the community what we are capable of doing,” said Dr. Reinke.