College of Arts and Sciences Newsroom

Campus Compact, a Boston-based non-profit organization working to advance the public purposes of higher education, has announced the 268 students who will make up the organization’s 2018 cohort of Newman Civic Fellows, including University of Dayton student Sarah Richard.

Richard, a junior mechanical engineering major from Evans City, Pennsylvania, serves as a river steward for the University of Dayton’s Rivers Institute, a trip and education program assistant supervisor for UD’s Outdoor Engagement Center, a director for REAL Dayton Community Immersion Alternative Break program and Sustainability Club’s executive assistant. This past summer, she interned at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Environmental Justice in Washington, D.C. Richard was nominated by Leslie King, director of the Rivers Institute.

“I have been lucky enough to surround myself with incredible leaders on campus,” Richard said. “To be chosen among my peers to represent the University’s commitment to the common good is truly an honor.”

The prestigious Newman Civic Fellowship, named for Campus Compact co-founder Frank Newman, is a one-year experience emphasizing personal, professional and civic growth. Through the fellowship, Campus Compact provides a variety of learning and networking opportunities, including a national conference of Newman Civic Fellows in partnership with the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate. The fellowship also provides fellows with access to exclusive scholarship and post-graduate opportunities.

"The Newman Civic Fellowship is a wonderful recognition for our students’ commitment to civic engagement and community leadership," said Hunter Goodman, executive director of UD's Fitz Center for Leadership in Community. "The fellowship offers a fabulous experience for students to engage nationally with others committed to building on their passion for impactful social change."

The first recipient of the award from UD was Kayla McLaughlin, a senior operations and supply chain management and accounting double major, in 2016. McLaughlin is also a Dayton Civic Scholar and currently works at the University of Dayton Research Institute as an accounts receivable intern.

- Liz Kyle, '18, News and Communications Student Writer