Ursinus College establishes Melrose Center for Global Civic Engagement

COLLEGEVILLE, Pa., July 14, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- To uphold its commitment to global citizenship, Ursinus College has established the Melrose Center for Global Civic Engagement in honor of the late U.S. Ambassador Joseph H. Melrose, Jr., a 1966 Ursinus graduate who returned to his alma mater in 2002 to serve as professor of politics and international relations and the college's ambassador-in-residence. 

The center seeks to develop future global leaders through unprecedented learning opportunities that will allow students to engage with global leaders to help enact social change.

Melrose embodied the ideal of global citizenship and, while at Ursinus, advocated for a liberal arts curriculum that cultivated sensitivity to cultural, demographic, economic and political differences. A former U.S. ambassador to Sierra Leone, he is best known for serving the country during its civil war and brokering a peace treaty to bring an end to hostilities.

Melrose led multiple efforts to help U.S. embassies recover from hostile situations or terror attacks, and was instrumental in establishing the first certification process for diamonds, so that "blood diamonds" did not enter the retail stream. 

"The Melrose Center for Global Civic Engagement will foster an ongoing service commitment that puts the ideals of global and civic service into practice," Ursinus College President Brock Blomberg says. "Our students are focused on becoming leaders in an interconnected world and we're excited to provide this opportunity to allow them to gain an understanding of different cultures, and to grow a network of students and alumni committed to addressing the issues global citizens face."

Ursinus College's third interdisciplinary center will support a cohort of Ursinus students who will be selected as global civic fellows and experience service-learning research in locations all over the world. The fellows will take courses emphasizing social and global issues; design and implement civic engagement projects to enhance community-based organizations; and travel abroad to engage in service learning initiatives.

While teaching at Ursinus, Melrose served as president of the board at the National Model United Nations and acting U.S. Representative for management and reform at the United States Mission to the United Nations. He gained the nickname "Mr. Fixit" from a news reporter after he coordinated the U.S. State Department's Sept. 11 Task Force.

Ursinus College is a highly selective, residential college with 1,650 students that is widely recognized for its Common Intellectual Experience. Founded in 1869, Ursinus is an undergraduate liberal arts college that provides a rigorous curriculum that empowers the intellect, awakens moral sensitivity, and challenges students to improve society. The tree-lined, 170 acre campus is located 30 miles northwest of Philadelphia in Collegeville, Pa. For more information, visit ursinus.edu.

SOURCE Ursinus College