An historian by training, Kaplan is active at the national level in the U.S. on commissions attempting to develop tools for assessing a university’s contribution to the economic development of its region and toolkits to help practitioners design, develop, implement, and evaluate community and economic development initiatives. Her university responsibilities include the delivery of credit courses and continuing professional education to working adults throughout the region, the development of partnerships with area community colleges, and the furtherance of the university’s engagement mission.