There are “countless ways people associate with University and interact with this community. It is essential to have an obligation and to be good citizens in the surrounding community.”
Professor Steven Roberts, a Professor of Media and Public Affairs, reporter, columnist, and best-selling author is also a board member of the Montgomery County Historical Society, Montgomery Hospice, and Bread for the City. A Community Engaged Scholar recently interviewed Professor Roberts to discuss his current work.
Most recently, Professor Roberts and a former GW student have endowed The Store, GW’s student-run food pantry, and will finance “more than half of the annual food budget for” The Store. People “don’t realize that this is a growing problem at GW and all over the country; more than 700 universities have food banks.” Professor Roberts believes that “foodbanks are extremely important parts of institutions’ efforts to fill this gap.” While discussing food insecurity on campus, Professor Robert’s noted that federal rules concerning student aid exacerbate the issue.
“In many ways, The Store is a model for others as it operates totally on the honors system and there is no limit as to what students take. Other institutions don’t have this policy.”
Years ago, Professor Roberts was inspired by a former student and endowed the “Dorothy and Will Roberts Prize” which “was created by in the name of his parents.” The award “is given to graduating seniors who have demonstrated academic achievement, professional promise and community service.” To learn more about SMPA undergraduate awards, please click here.
“As a national university, we shouldn't lose sight of the fact we live in a local community.”
Currently, Professor Roberts works to create “a student life fund.” After the financial crisis in 2008, Professor Roberts worked with the former Vice President of GW, Robert Chernak, in crisis management. “Overnight, a system was created to discount tuition.” This experience amongst many others inspired Professor Roberts to develop the “student life fund.” This fund is still being developed, but its goal is to quickly respond to students’ situations.
“We don’t exist on an island. Students may come and go, but faculty members are semi-permanent members of the community.”
While Professor Roberts demonstrates his commitment to civic engagement at GW, he “feels a very strong connection to his community, Montgomery County.” Professor Roberts has written a regular column in Bethesda Magazine for years. In his column, Professor Roberts writes about immigration, refugees, the impact of immigration in the community, the settlement for refugees, and more. Professor Roberts has published many books as well, Our Haggadah: Uniting Traditions for Interfaith Families, From Every End of This Earth: 13 Families and the New Lives They Made in America, My Fathers' Houses: Memoir of a Family, and From This Day Forward.
Professor Roberts is “literally in touch with hundreds of former students”
Professor Roberts’ courses, Feature Writing, Ethics in Journalism, and Media, Politics, and Government, manifest active citizenship and civic engagement in a variety of ways. Professor Roberts is still in touch with students from his first class at GW in 1991. Professor Roberts “never anticipated the long relationships with students.” Professor Roberts “has his own table at Founding Farmers and is there two or three times a week having breakfast with former students.” Fellow faculty members refer to this as Professor Roberts’ “Breakfast club.”
