Knox College Announces New Director of Etz Family Institute for Civic Leadership & Dialogue

Knox College recently announced the new director of the Etz Family Institute for Civic Leadership & Dialogue, Deirdre Dougherty, associate professor and chair of educational studies. Dougherty has taught in the Department of Educational Studies at Knox College since 2018, and her research examines educational inequality in the United States and internationally through historical and ethnographic methods.

“The Etz Family Institute for Civic Leadership & Dialogue remains a profoundly important resource for our students, as well as the Knox and Galesburg communities,” said Knox College President C. Andrew McGadney in an announcement to the Knox community. “I am confident that Associate Professor Dougherty’s extensive academic scholarship, paired with her teaching experience, is the right match at the right time for the Etz Family Institute.”

Dougherty is the author of  two books, Race and Place: School Desegregation in Prince George’s County, Maryland (Rutgers University Press, 2025) and co-author of Making School Integration Work: Lessons from Morris (Teachers College Press, 2020), both explore school desegregation in Maryland and New Jersey from both historical and ethnographic perspectives. Her work has also appeared in the Journal of Urban History, Educational Studies, Media History, Annals of Iowa, and Whiteness and Education. 

“The title of the Institute is, in fact, a mission. The call to reflect on the rights and responsibilities of living in common with others is more dire than ever. We must engage in the messy endeavor of cultivating critical consciousness on multiple scales, from the worn steps of Old Main, to the marble floors of the Capitol building,” said Dougherty upon the announcement of her new role. “In this political moment, we have the moral imperative to engage in meaningful and transformative dialogue and action. The Institute provides an opportunity for just that. It is a site to apprentice student leaders into the most necessary and most difficult work of being citizens in a liberal democracy.”   

Established in 2024 through the vision and generosity of the late Knox College Board Chair Tony Etz ’83 and Nancy Etz, the Etz Family Institute prepares students to work across differences and have the difficult dialogues necessary to create lasting and positive change in the world. Through fellowships and immersive experiences for students, collaborative faculty research, and an annual lecture series, this partnership-rich model enables students and faculty to question their own views and beliefs, collaborate with political adversaries, and develop—and debate—solutions for daunting local, national, and global issues. 

Since coming to Knox, Dougherty has developed a deep interest in local history and place-based learning, collaborating with students on community-engaged and immersive research projects, investigating topics ranging from the history of Knox College’s founders to the experiences of Mexican American students and communities in the Midwest. She served as a curriculum consultant for the Davenport Community School District, partnering with the University of Iowa Women’s Archives, to bring local history into elementary classrooms. Her research and teaching have been recognized with numerous honors, including the Philip Green Wright-Lombard College Prize for Excellence in Teaching (2022), the Knox College Exceptional Achievement Award (2020), and grants from organizations such as the State Historical Society of Iowa and the Maryland Center for History and Culture.

Provost and Dean of the Faculty Melissa Glenn notes that, “Deirdre consistently and unapologetically engages with difficult and complex issues that require curiosity, careful listening, and a willingness to learn and practice civil discourse. I’m thrilled to have her bring her courage and intellect to the mission of the Etz Family Institute and excited for this broader opportunity for her to connect scholarship, students, and communities in ways that are central to her work.”

Dougherty is already hard at work making plans for upcoming programming that will build upon the foundation laid by the Institute's inaugural directors, Konrad Hamilton, Burkhardt Distinguished Associate Professor Emeritus of History, and Thomas Bell, former associate professor of political science.   To date, the Institute has worked with incoming students on the value of dialogue across difference and hosted two events—the  inaugural public lecture, Learning to Disagree Across the Culture Wars, with scholars John Corvino and John Inazu, and the public dialogue, Truth Matters: Fruitful Disagreement in an Age of Division, with renowned academics Cornel West and Robert P. George. 

“The Etz Family Institute for Civic Leadership & Dialogue remains a profoundly important resource for our students, as well as the entire Knox and Galesburg communities. I look forward to the thoughtfulness and programming Associate Professor Dougherty will bring as she continues to build the impact and legacy of the Institute for years to come,” McGadney said.