Washington College Magazine
Duemlings Sponsor Presidential Fellowship
Washington College has joined a distinguished roster of American colleges and universities, including Harvard, Yale and Princeton, thanks to its inclusion in a prestigious national program.
A former intern for the Center for American Progress and a political science major active in the International Relations Club, the Coalition for Peace and Social Justice, and the International Studies Council, Andrew Mehdizadeh '08 is the College's first Presidential Fellow.
The Presidential Fellows Program is an annual institute presented by the Washington, DC-based Center for the Study of the Presidency (CSP), open to one student from each of 85 leading American colleges and universities. Washington College's participation is overseen by the C.V. Starr Center for the Study of the American Experience and is made possible by a generous gift from Robert W. and Louisa C. Duemling.
"We are honored and delighted to welcome Washington College to our Presidential Fellows Program, especially in light of the institution's historic ties with
our greatest President," said Dr. David M. Abshire, President and CEO of the CSP.
Andrew Mehdizadeh '08 has been selected as the College's inaugural Robert W. and Louisa C. Duemling Presidential Fellow. "Among a formidable field of applications, Andrew's was a standout," said Adam Goodheart, Hodson Trust-Griswold Director of the C.V. Starr Center. "The committee was impressed by Andrew's outstanding academic work and also by his extracurricular leadership in the Washington College community."
"I'm honored and extremely grateful to have been chosen," said Mehdizadeh, a political science major. "I look forward to going to Washington to study how history and politics intertwine."
For more than 35 years, CSP Fellows have been coming to Washington to learn about leadership and governance, to share their research and scholarship, to develop as future leaders of character, and to be inspired to careers in public service.
The Duemlings are longtime friends and benefactors of the College. Robert Duemling is former U.S. Ambassador to Suriname and former Director of the National Building Museum. In addition to having taught in Washington College's Department of Art, he is a former member of the Board of Visitors and Governors and is Chairman of the Starr Center's Advisory Board.
"Our motivation in sponsoring the Fellowship was to create a connection with another institution that shares the interests of the College," said Duemling. "With its historical ties to George Washington, and with the Starr Center's focus on the founding era's continued relevance today, the College has a natural harmony with the Center for the Study of the Presidency. This new connection also serves to give students from Washington College the opportunity to meet interesting and likeminded students from all over the country."
300 Washington Avenue, Chestertown, Maryland 21620 | 410-778-2800 | 800-422-1782