Division of Economic and Community Outreach

Message from the Vice President, Dyan Brasington, CEcD, FM

Towson University, Maryland's Metropolitan University, is committed to addressing education, economic development and broad social issues. To further Towson's role as a premier metropolitan university, the Division of Economic and Community Outreach (DECO) was established in 2004 as an initiative of President Robert L. Caret. DECO's charge is to provide a focus for engagement with the external community and to provide a path into the university to our research and project talent. Those interactions enable Towson to make a difference in the business community and the community-at-large.

As Vice President for the Division, I am deeply committed to fulfilling the unique and important role that Towson plays in the region. DECO brings together innovative, forward-thinking professionals from a variety of disciplines to forge stronger links between the University and the community it serves. Through www.towson.edu/TUintheCommunity, TU’s Community Engagement website, we work closely with businesses, state and local governments, and non-profit organizations to match our outreach and applied research capabilities with their needs. Quite simply, our goal is to connect the University to the broader community and allow the community to benefit from the University's expertise.

Since 2004, DECO has secured over $100 million in grants, contracts and external funding. We have launched the Mid-Atlantic CIO Forum, the Edward V. Badolato Distinguished Speaker Series in Homeland Security, the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, and TowsonGlobal, our business incubator. Through DECO's leadership, the university was named a "University Center for Economic Development" by the Federal Economic Development Administration, designated as a “Community Engaged University” by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, and has received designation as a Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance by the National Security Administration and Department of Homeland Security. Additionally, Building STEPS, the Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities (CUMU), and the University Economic Development Association (UEDA) are now headquartered at Towson University, providing immense partnership and engagement opportunities.

DECO's talented and experienced staff provides services in key functional units that include:

• Center for Applied Information Technology (CAIT) - CAIT is our “go-to” full service IT shop.  Our team includes project managers, business process consultants, systems analysts, software designers and developers, and database developers.  CAIT has helped numerous clients grow their online-businesses through the development and implementation of ecommerce technology.
• Center for Geographic Information Sciences (CGIS) - At CGIS, maps take on new life and new meaning. Our experts layer data sets to identify geographic trends related to emergency preparedness, transportation planning, facilitates management, and other analyses. Maryland's map-enabled web sites provide superior services to citizens.
• DECO Data Center (DDC)– The DDC is a state-of-the-art advanced data center, providing clients with managed hosting and storage services.  The DDC is helping many of our clients save both space and money by using virtual hosting technologies.
• Center for Professional Studies (CPS) – CPS, formally EEOL, provides clients with staff development and training opportunities at worksites, on-line, and through state workforce development offices. Classes range from technical to non-technical and everything in between.
• Regional Economic Studies Institute (RESI)– RESI’s team of experienced economists have been providing Maryland’s state agencies and businesses with fiscal analyses, economic impact reports, economic forecasts, and statistical analyses. 

I encourage you to visit and subscribe to our blog: People.Partners.Projects at www.tuoutreach.com  to learn more about the innovative programs and services that our Division provides. You can always contact us at 410-704-DECO or outreach@towson.edu.

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Division of Economic and Community Outreach
Office Location: Administration Building, Suite 301

Phone: 410-704-DECO
Fax: 410-704-2152
E-mail: outreach@towson.edu