Ken Barone, Associate Director of UConn’s Institute for Municipal and Regional Policy, has been recognized with a prestigious Provost’s Award for Excellence in Community-Engaged Scholarship in the Staff category.

The awards recognize the outstanding contributions of faculty, staff, students, teams, and community partners who collaboratively address critical societal challenges through the creative and reciprocal exchange of knowledge and resources.

Barone was honored for his work is the Connecticut Racial Profiling Prohibition Project (CTRP3) which brings together community stakeholders and law enforcement to improve roadway safety and through fair and equitable traffic enforcement. What began as a compliance-driven mandate to collect and analyze traffic stop data has, over time and under Barone’s leadership, evolved into a nationally recognized model for community-engaged policy reform.

The initiative now includes data from more than 100 law enforcement agencies, covering millions of traffic stops and tens of millions of data points. Regular public reports and community forums ensure transparency, while also giving residents a platform to voice concerns and influence policy. A notable outcome is a recent cultural shift across the state: police departments are increasingly seeking out the program voluntarily, looking for guidance on improving their own practices. That level of trust signals a transformation in how institutions and communities work together.

His work has drawn national attention. After testifying before Congress, federal grant programs expanded Connecticut’s funding and helped extend similar initiatives to more than a dozen states. Today, Barone advises jurisdictions across the country, helping replicate a model that bridges data, policy, and community voices.

Read more about Ken’s staff award and other Provost award winners on UConn Today.