Date: April 2, 2012
Contact: Carol Connelly, Director, Media & Communication Services, ext. 5267, cconnelly@pnc.edu

PNC Student Honored as a Newman Civic Fellow

Katie Hines

Westville – Purdue University North Central student Katheryn “Katie” Hines has been selected as a 2012 Newman Civic Fellow by Campus Compact. The Newman Civic Fellows Awards honors student leaders committed to creating lasting change in communities throughout the country.

Hines, a graduate of Washington Township High School, is one of 160 student leaders representing Campus Compact member colleges and universities from 32 states selected for this honor. She was nominated for this distinction by PNC Chancellor Dr. James B. Dworkin, who also serves as Campus Compact Board chair.

The students named as Newman Civic Fellows share many common interests and as a group have a great capacity for service and change. They are role models for their classmates as they make the most of their college experiences.

“These students represent the next generation of public problem solvers and civic leaders. They serve as national examples of the role that higher education can - and does - play in building a better world,” said Dworkin. “Katie has proven herself to be an active student and community member. She has stepped forward to become a confident student leader at PNC. She is an asset to our campus community.”

Hines, an elementary education major, played a vital role in creating the PNC chapter of the Circle K Club and served as the club's first president. She is the co-president of the Dean's Leadership Group and a Student Government Association representative.

“Katie is very committed to the growth and positive development of the children in the PNC community,” said Dr. Joseph Schroer, PNC assistant professor of Educational Foundations. “She has shown great dedication to the youth of this community and her leadership and civic mindedness has a positive influence on her peers. Her service to others and commitment to action reveals her potential as an excellent future educator.”

Hines also mentors with the Boys and Girls Club and reads to elementary students in the community.

“Katie embodies the meaning of what it is to be a Newman Civic Fellow. She is a proven leader on and off campus and is committed to serving the youth of Northwest Indiana, something she will continue to do as an elementary educator upon graduation,” said Laura Weaver, coordinator of the PNC Center for Service Learning & Leadership.

Last year, PNC student Amy Boren, an Elementary Education major from Chesterton, was selected as a Newman Civic Fellow in 2011.

The award is presented in honor of Dr. Frank Newman, one of Campus Compact's founders, who was a tireless advocate for the role of higher education in preparing students for active and engaged citizenship. The 2012 Newman Civic Fellows are an inspiring group of leaders who are already making an impact in communities where they live, learn, and serve.

“Dr. Frank Newman, a founder of Campus Compact, had a tremendous impact on American education and its role in the development of citizens who are eager and prepared to make a difference,” explains Campus Compact president Maureen Curley. “He dedicated his life to creating systemic change through education reform and this new group of Newman Civic Fellows would have inspired him. They are reflections and affirmations of his life's work.”

Campus Compact is a national coalition of almost 1,200 college and university presidents representing some 6 million students who are committed to fulfilling the civic purposes of higher education, to improve community life and to educate students for civic and social responsibility. For more information about the organization and the award, visit www.compact.org.