服务社区的召唤

“Have you considered running for elected office?” My friend’s question didn’t come out of nowhere. I was active in my community as a volunteer, especially in environmental and social justice causes, and I regularly met elected officials and advocated for issues I cared about. But the question still took me by surprise. As a tenured professor and dean, my academic identity was firmly established. Was politics even something that academics did? By the usual measures, I was successful. I had good funding, a solid publication record, and I had been promoted to serve as dean of engineering at the liberal arts college where I work in New York state. I enjoyed my leadership role and my research. …