Former Drexel Director of Community-Engaged Learning and Scholarship Carrie Hutnick will start as the new executive director for the Civic House on March 18.
Credit: Maya PrattCarrie Hutnick has been appointed the next executive director of Civic House and the Civic Scholars Program.
Hutnick most recently served as the director of Community-Engaged Learning and Scholarship at the Lindy Center for Civic Engagement at Drexel University. She will begin her appointment at Civic House on March 18, according to the March 12 announcement from Faculty Director Rand Quinn and Interim Executive Director Gary Purpura.
Hutnick's work and research focus on social justice education and community-based learning. She studied public and community service studies at Providence College in Rhode Island. She then went on to pursue an M.Ed. in higher education administration from the University of Massachusetts and her Ph.D. in public sociology from George Mason University.
Hutnick currently works with the Greater Freedom and Chester think tanks, which involve groups of educators who advance education related to incarceration, social change, and community.
Civic House was created in 1998 following former Penn President Judith Rodin's increased commitment to serving the West Philadelphia community. The house, which is Penn's hub for civic engagement, aims to bridge the gap between Penn students and the surrounding community.
Civic House offers the Civic Scholars Program, a four-year program awarded to a select group of students from each incoming class. Students engage in civic engagement experiences such as seminars and extracurricular activities. Civic House also offers community engagement internships that allow students to work for nonprofit organizations without the financial burden.
The search committee for the Civic House executive director included individuals from across Penn's schools and centers, according to the announcement. Members included SNF Paideia Program Executive Director Leah Seppanen Anderson and Netter Center for Community Partnerships Associate Director Rita Hodges.
"Dr. Hutnick is deeply committed to social justice education, justice-oriented relationships, and collaborative efforts for justice," Quinn and Purpura wrote in the announcement. "Her practice, teaching, and research are all aligned with the principle that education is an essential tool and form of social change."
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