By Sophie Foster
News Co-Editor
Former Deputy Director of the Starr Center for the American Experience Dr. Patrick Nugent was announced as Washington College’s inaugural Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. Director of Civic Engagement.
The position, named after the longest-serving president of the Maryland state senate and honorary Doctor of Laws degree recipient at WC, was introduced with the purpose of coordinating civic engagement campuswide, according to a Dec. 22 news release from the College. Dr. Nugent’s work will endeavor to encourage students to become engaged citizens and positively impact their communities.
According to President of the College Dr. Mike Sosulski, “Dr. Nugent was already working in the Starr Center leading a number of programs that included strong civic engagement components, like the Chesapeake Heartland Project, so he was a natural fit for this new position.”
The creation of the position of director of civic engagement was enabled by a million-dollar appropriation from the state, which was matched by the Starr Center Foundation and aided with additional funding from private donors. As he steps into this fresh role at the College, Dr. Nugent will examine programs already in place at WC, such as partnerships with organizations like Minary’s Dream Alliance; open lines of communications with both faculty and students; and work to establish new opportunities.
“Through this position, I will seek to grow and support the incredible civic engagement efforts already going on across the campus,” Dr. Nugent said. “In particular, I look forward to working with others to ensure and enhance the quality of the college’s civic engagement collaborations — to ask, along with others, how our civic engagement efforts at the college can maximize social impact in the community and region.”
According to Dr. Nugent, he is especially looking forward to supporting students, staff, and faculty already involved wiyh civic engagement work.
“I hope that every student who comes to WC is committed to growing as a civic leader and that they are able to access and build opportunities to make a difference in our community and nation, whether through volunteer work, course work, internships, research, or activism,” Dr. Nugent said.
According to the Dec. 22 news release, Dr. Nugent intends to build and expand student viewpoints of civic engagement beyond straightforward service work, introducing internships, research, and interaction with Eastern Shore communities.
“Dr. Nugent will be doing a number of important things in this role, including the creation of a community of practice for faculty around the pedagogy of teaching civic engagement. This will be of great mutual benefit to students, faculty and community partner organizations,” President Sosulski said.
According to President Sosulski, Dr. Nugent’s associations with the local community will bolster his ability to prosper in this role.
“Dr. Nugent is a deeply experienced college instructor and has deep and meaningful ties to the surrounding community,” President Sosulski said. “This new position will elevate his work in a significant way, bringing impactful learning experiences for students in the community and lasting civic impact in the places and organizations with which we partner.”
Looking ahead, Dr. Nugent wants students to know that there is a wide array of opportunities for community involvement locally, regionally, and nationally, such as the Starr Center’s tutoring internships at local schools and the Voter and Civic Engagement Council.
Dr. Nugent also wants students to feel comfortable reaching out to him to learn more about these kinds of opportunities at pnugent2@washcoll.edu.
“I am truly honored and humbled to take on this position, which has grown out of many campus-community collaborations and will spark many more,” Dr. Nugent said. “I’m particularly excited knowing that this position is endowed in perpetuity, so that it will live long into the future, ensuring the college’s research and resources work in solidarity with the broader community. The creation of this position highlights how the college, Starr Center, state of Maryland, and Starr Foundation are committed to strengthening civic engagement in higher education, and it’s very promising to be able to build on that foundation of interest and support.”
Photo by Grace Hazlehurst
Photo Caption: Dr. Nugent will use his new position to grow campus civic engagement.