Concordia Receives Presidents’ Engaged Campus Awards

The Science Academy, senior Abigayle Reese, and Dr. Joan Kopperud were honored.

Concordia received three Presidents’ Engaged Campus Awards from the Iowa & Minnesota Campus Compact (IAMNCC). 

Abigayle Reese ’20 was honored with the Student Leadership Award for her work in diversity, equity, inclusion, and sustainability; Dr. Joan Kopperud, professor of English, received the Civic Engagement Leadership Award for her work in integrated learning and for Concordia’s Taste Not Waste campaign; and the Community Partner Award went to Concordia’s Science Academy, led by chemistry faculty member Dr. Graeme Wyllie, for science outreach to thousands of students of all ages here in Fargo-Moorhead and beyond.

“In these challenging times, this is a wonderful opportunity to take this moment and recognize those who have directed their lives to the good of all in our community,” President William Craft says. “So please join me in congratulating these awardees by going to the Minnesota Campus Compact website to offer your individual congratulations on their  message board.”

There were also four award categories for Emerging Innovation, Community Collaboration, Alumni Leadership, and Civic-Minded Employer.

“This year is a particularly important time to recognize the amazing collaborations happening between communities and campuses,” said Emily Shields, executive director of IAMNCC. “The current crisis makes the important public role of colleges and universities even more evident and these examples demonstrate what’s possible.”

Awards events to be held in April and May had to be canceled. Online recognition is occurring from April 17 to May 5 and includes video messages for and by awardees, virtual message boards, pictures, and descriptions of awardees. These will be shared on IAMNCC websites and social media. You can watch President Craft’s congratulatory message to Concordia’s honorees here.

IAMNCC strengthens the capacity of colleges and universities to fulfill the public purposes of higher education through its network of 58 campuses. This includes educating students through community and civic learning experiences and making an impact in communities through reciprocal partnerships that address community-identified goals. Campus Contact also creates partnership opportunities, supports quality programming through professional development, and promotes the importance of the civic mission.