New director calls for local collaboration

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Pacific University has a new Director of the Center for Civic Engagement. Stephanie Stokamer started working at Pacific Aug. 1, 2011, teaching courses in civic engagement.

Stokamer previously worked at Portland State University, where she spent more than 10 years teaching courses in sociology, general education, career development study skills and interdisciplinary service learning.

Prior to teaching at PSU, Stokamer worked for Portland Community College, Mt. Hood Community College and Clackamas Community College. Before teaching, she worked non-profit jobs in social work and community organization and she also joined AmeriCorps vista.

Stokamer went to Colby College in Maine for her undergraduate. She has a dual master’s degree in education and sociology from Portland State University, and a doctorate in educational leadership.

In 2011, Stokamer won her dissertation award from the International Association for Research on Service-Learning and Community Engagement. She also received the Hands on Volunteer Award in 2009 from Hands on Greater Portland.

As director Stokamer works to create opportunities for service learning on campus. She works with faculty in putting civic engagement into courses.

Also, Stokamer works with both individuals and groups of students in civic engagement, and she does outreach in the community to develop new partnerships.

In her new position, Stokamer said one thing she wants to achieve is cultivating more civic engagement courses in sciences.

She also added that she wants to have a couple partnerships that are deep and involve close collaboration with Pacific.

Stokamer grew up on the East Coast and has lived in Oregon for 15 years. She said she loves the outdoors, hiking, camping and gardening. She also has a food cart business in Portland that she runs with her husband.

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