The Barbara Burch Award for Faculty Leadership in Civic Engagement

Given in recognition of exemplary faculty leadership in advancing the civic learning and engagement of undergraduate students. 

Nominate by April 16.
2023 Award winner

Mary Evins was recognized for her work in embedding ADP into the MTSU campus culture and within statewide voter education and engagement efforts. Her personal drive to serve the greater good and to create avenues of opportunity for students is admirably displayed through her efforts to build community education and engagement avenues in general education and in her work to refine tenure and promotion guidelines.

2023 Winner Mary Evins

Research Professor, University Honors College and Department of History
Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU)

According to his peers, “SU is a better university, the community is stronger, and its reach across the nation wider because of his work. Sandy Pope’s work is pivotal in supporting SU’s commitment to civic engagement, and in doing so, has fundamentally shifted campus culture.”

2022 Winner Sandy Pope

Associate Professor in the Department of Secondary and Physical Education and Director of the Institute for Public Affairs and Civic Engagement
Salisbury University (MD)
About the award
Barbara Burch
Barbara Burch

This award was established in 2014 to honor Barbara Burch, Provost Emerita at Western Kentucky University . 

During her time as provost, Barbara Burch strongly supported faculty in the development of civic programming at Western Kentucky University. She actively sought out talented faculty members to offer positions of leadership and program development. She provided substantial financial support for professional development. She offered the prestige of her office and her own personal commitment to support faculty interested in civic work. Her efforts resulted in the development of a strong cadre of faculty at Western Kentucky University who are deeply committed to civic engagement and civic outcomes. As a result of her support for faculty, Western Kentucky University was seen as one of the leading universities in the country in civic engagement. 

  • Nominees must be a faculty member (tenure track or contingent) with more than five years of teaching experience on an AASCU campus who demonstrates leadership in advancing the civic learning and engagement of undergraduate students. 
  • Nominations must include an endorsement from campus leadership, the nominee’s curriculum vita, and additional documents that provide examples of the nominee’s sustained leadership in advancing civic learning and infusing equity into their work. 
  • Presentation: Annually in person at the Civic Learning and Democratic Engagement conference in June and a virtual acknowledgment will be made at AASCU’s Annual Meeting in November.
  • Recipients will receive a commemorative to acknowledge the national recognition.
  • 2023: Mary Evins, Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU)
  • 2022: Sandy Pope, Salisbury University (MD) 
  • 2021: Judithanne Scourfield McLauchlan, University of South Florida, St. Petersburg 
  • 2019: Elizabeth Bennion, Indiana University South Bend 
  • 2018: Lance Lippert, Illinois State University 
  • 2017: Shala A. Mills, Chair and Professor of Political Science, Fort Hays State University (KS) 
  • 2016: Elizabeth Bennion, Professor of Political Science and ADP Campus Director, Indiana University South Bend 
  • 2016: Molly Kerby, Associate Professor of Diversity and Community Studies, Western Kentucky University 
  • 2015: Patrick Dolenc, Professor of Economics, Keene State University (NH) 
  • 2014: Gregg Kaufman, Instructor and ADP Campus Coordinator, Georgia College 

2024 nominations are open for the Barbara Burch Award.

Please be sure that your colleague meets the criteria for the award you are targeting.

Nominations (and all supporting materials) must be received by COB on April 16, 2024 to be considered for the 2024 ADP awards.