SU's Pope, Surak Earn Prestigious USM Elkins Professorship

SALISBURY, MD---This fall, Salisbury University will become the first higher education institution in the U.S. to use civic reflection on a large scale to facilitate new students’ transition to college life, according to the national Center for Civic Reflection.

Drs. Alexander “Sandy” Pope of the Secondary and Physical Education Department and Sarah Surak of the Environmental Studies and Political Science departments have headed up the groundbreaking initiative, through which SU hopes to teach incoming students how to talk across their differences using civic dialogue.

For that program and more, they have been named recipients of the Wilson H. Elkins Professorship, one of the University System of Maryland’s (USM’s) most distinguished awards. The $70,000 prize includes funding for faculty training in implementing civic engagement in their course curricula, as well as a new Civic Reflection Initiative library and training repository featuring Maryland authors and topics.

“Drs. Pope and Surak are dedicated not only to teaching our students, but to engaging other faculty, as well, developing programs aimed at curricular innovation and encouraging conversations across disciplines about issues of common concern,” said SU President Charles Wight. “The Elkins Award will allow them to expand their — and SU’s — reputation as leaders in these areas on campus and throughout the region.”

In 2015, the duo became co-directors of the University’s Institute for Public Affairs and Civic Engagement (PACE), furthering SU’s commitment to civic leadership and engagement as an educational pillar. Their work with the institute has been highlighted nationally as a model in the mid-Atlantic and recognized by the Maryland General Assembly, City of Salisbury and Association of American Colleges and Universities, among others.

Last year, under their auspices, PACE also accepted leadership of one of SU’s two AmeriCorps programs, ShoreCorps, and launched a nonprofit leadership credentialing program in partnership with the Nonprofit Leadership Alliance.

In preparation for the launch of the Civic Reflection Initiative this fall, Pope and Surak have trained some 150 faculty, staff and students, who will act as facilitators. As part of new student orientation, PACE will facilitate 75 civic reflection conversations across campus in one day this August.

Beyond campus, they also hope to expand civic reflection into local K-12 schools beginning with the SU Seidel School of Education’s Professional Development Schools (PDS) Network. The initiative is predicted to position PACE as a leader in addressing the need for increased civic dialogue across the state’s education system.

“In fulfilling SU’s mission to foster engaged citizenship in our students, PACE has become a center for programmatic and curricular innovation, and the leadership of Drs. Surak and Pope has brought national attention to our efforts,” said Dr. Maarten Pereboom, dean of SU’s Charles R. and Martha N. Fulton School of Liberal Arts. “This work is both timeless and timely, and we greatly appreciate this recognition of its importance.”

The Elkins Professorship was established to perpetuate the contributions of Wilson Elkins, a Rhodes Scholar who led the University of Maryland to new levels of distinction as its president from 1954-1978. When the University System of Maryland began in 1988, Elkins agreed to extend his professorship to the entire USM family.

Eight other SU faculty have earned the professorship: Dr. K. Peter Lade of the History Department in 1999; Drs. Harry Basehart and Fran Kane, founding directors of PACE, in 2004 and 2005; Dr. Brian Polkinghorn of the Center for Conflict Resolution in 2007 and 2008; Dr. Michael Scott of the Eastern Shore Regional GIS Cooperative and Dr. Dan Ervin of ShoreENERGY in 2009; and Drs. Michael Lewis of the Environmental Studies Department and Jill Caviglia-Harris of the Economics and Environmental Studies departments in 2012 and 2013.

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About Dr. Alexander “Sandy” Pope

Pope has a professional background in civic engagement education, promoting community partnerships grounded in social justice and the civic responsibility of public education. Stemming from his dissertation work, he has authored articles on the potential of action civics, including two in the flagship Citizenship Teaching and Learning, and chapters on engaged pedagogies in social studies education.

Through his grant work, Pope has secured over $500,000 in federal funds supporting national service efforts across the Eastern Shore that impact more than 9,000 adults and 17,000 youth each year. He earned the 2015-2016 Outstanding Liaison Award for work with the PDS Network and is the 2018-2020 president of the Maryland Council for the Social Studies.

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About Dr. Sarah Surak

In addition to her civic engagement work through PACE, Surak has committed her research and professional experience to public service. She has authored articles in environmental policy, public administration, political theory and civic engagement, and serves as reviews editor for New Political Science and as a member of the editorial board of the journal Administrative Theory and Praxis.

Surak also engages in comparative environmental policy analysis and lectures extensively in Germany, where her research is focused. Locally, she recently was recognized by the City of Salisbury for her support of recycling initiatives, including coordinating composting and recycling efforts at the upcoming National Folk Festival. Her first book, Governing Garbage: Power, Politics and Public Administration, combining her prior professional managerial experience with academic research in best practices, is due out in 2019.

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For more information call 410-543-6030 or visit the SU Web site.