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SALISBURY, MD--ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½ President Janet Dudley-Eshbach announced today that the president of the Maryland Senate, Mike Miller, will be the first recipient of the University’s newest award, the John R. Hargreaves Distinguished Legislative Fellow.  This award recognizes an outstanding state legislator who has demonstrated a distinguished career in public service.  

“We are trying to do two things with the ‘Distinguished Legislative Fellow’ program,” said Dr. Francis Kane, co-director of the Institute for Public Affairs and Civic Engagement (PACE), which sponsors the award. “First we want to honor legislators who have devoted their lives to the commonwealth of the state. But, equally important, we want our students to have models of public service that counter their sometimes distorted view of politicians.” 

Each yearly recipient will commit to spending some time interacting with ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½’s students, affording them the opportunity of getting some first-hand experience with the trials and rewards of serving the citizens of Maryland. One student, the Thomas E. Bellavance PACE intern, Carson Friedman, is helping to coordinate the program for the University and Senator Miller’s office.  

“I have had several visits with Sen. Mike Miller over my first year at ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½ and already appreciate the significant impact he has had on education in the state,” said Dudley-Eshbach. “He’s a wonderful choice for out first honoree.” 

The award has been made possible by an endowment established to honor another long-time and distinguished legislator, John R. Hargreaves. Before his death in 1997, Delegate Hargreaves of Caroline County had served for 16 years in the Maryland Assembly, was elected as first chair of the important Appropriations Committee, and was appointed to the Maryland Board of Trustees of the State Colleges and Universities.  

Miller’s distinguished career spans 30 years of elective office and, since 1987, he has been president of the Senate. “He has been a highly effective leader of the state Senate”, said Dr. Harry Basehart, also co-director of PACE, “and has been recognized both in the state and in the nation as an outstanding legislator.”