The University of Wisconsin’s Morgridge Center for Public Service announced a new chief Friday, one who will take over current Director Mary Rouse’s position after she retires this June.
Afro-American Studies professor Michael Thornton was named director and will begin his role working part-time July 1.
“To me, the Morgridge Center serves the university’s most important mission: to broaden our student’s understanding of the world, and in doing so, helping them create a better world for us all,” Thornton said in a release. “They are given an opportunity to share their resource — and perhaps the most important — themselves.”
The Morgridge Center promotes citizenship and learning through service within local, national and global communities. The center fosters an environment for students to participate in public service in order to better the community and also develop their own learning and educational experiences.
Rouse said the center is thrilled about Thornton overtaking her position and described him as their “dream choice.” She added that as a faculty member who is already utilizing academic service learning in his courses, he would be able to expand the teaching technique better than she could.
Rouse explained that the technique of academic service learning enables students to learn in real-life situations by pairing courses with community organizations.
Rouse also said “he will be able to grow the academic side of the Morgridge Center.”
Thornton studied at Michigan State University and got his master’s and doctorate in Sociology and Japanese studies from the University of Michigan. He has been involved with UW since 1989. Thornton also works as Plan 2008 Oversight Committee co-chair, a committee working to increase student diversity on campus.
“I bring the eye of a researcher to the table,” Thornton said in a release. “I’ve reflected on our responsibilities as faculty to what happens in the world outside academia. I believe we can forge a stronger link between research, the Madison community and the university.”
