Community-Engaged Projects Drive Professor’s Success

Professor Mark Congdon recognized for service-learning approach and student-led Uniting Hearts initiative

Key highlights

• Mark Congdon, Jr., a communication professor at Sacred Heart University, received the National Communication Association’s IDEA Engagement Award. 
• The IDEA Engagement Award recognizes scholars who use communication to advance inclusion, diversity, equity and access through community engagement. 
• Congdon’s teaching and community-engaged scholarship focuses on service-learning, a model that connects classroom instruction with real-world community partnerships. 
• His Uniting Hearts public scholarship initiative engages students in civic projects such as voter registration, public outreach and social justice campaigns. 

When Mark Congdon, Jr., teaches and researches communication, the goal extends far beyond the classroom and academic publications.

His commitment to community-engaged learning and scholarship has earned the Sacred Heart University associate professor of communication and media the National Communication Association’s IDEA Engagement Award, a national honor recognizing impactful work advancing inclusion, diversity, equity and access through communication.

For Congdon, the recognition reflects the collective work of students and community partners. “I’m honored and humbled,” he said. “But if it wasn’t for the work of the students in my service-learning classes and the community partners I collaborate with on our public scholarship projects, these awards wouldn’t mean anything. I see [our collaborations] as a way to uplift and share the work happening in our communities and classrooms.”

At the center of that work is Uniting Hearts, a multi-year public scholarship, student-led initiative Congdon co-founded that connects communication theory with real-world action. Through community-engaged projects focused on civic engagement, social justice and community partnership, students collaborate with local organizations, public offices and advocacy groups to create meaningful change.

One project, the Empowering the SHUdent Vote campaign, engaged students in voter registration efforts and civic education, helping increase the number of people who registered to vote while giving Congdon’s students hands-on experience in strategic communication and public interaction.

Congdon’s approach is rooted in service learning, where coursework is designed in partnership with community organizations and emphasizes collaboration, access and shared knowledge. Since 2020, he has taught dozens of service-learning courses, working with more than 20 community partners and making measurable impact beyond campus.

Students say that impact is both professional and personal.

“Dr. Congdon doesn’t just teach communication, he enacts it as a vehicle for equity and liberation,” wrote alum Keresha Donaldson, who collaborated with Congdon on several initiatives. “He ensured that everyone, especially underrepresented students, is seen as a knowledge producer and change agent.”

That philosophy—centering student voice, lived experience and community collaboration—is what the IDEA Engagement Award is designed to recognize. Presented by the National Communication Association, the award honors educators and scholars whose work applies communication in ways that create positive social change.

Congdon said the award carries added meaning at a time when equity-focused work is increasingly challenged. “This work matters,” he said. “It’s about creating spaces where people feel seen, heard and empowered and building partnerships that lead to lasting change.” 

Mark Beekey, dean of the College of Arts & Sciences, said Congdon’s work reflects the University’s mission in action.

“Dr. Mark Congdon exemplifies the very best of Sacred Heart University’s mission—bridging academic excellence with meaningful community engagement,” Beekey said. “His innovative teaching, impactful partnerships and dedication to social justice not only enrich his students’ education but also create lasting change in the world. We are proud to celebrate the IDEA Engagement Award with him. He deserves the recognition.”

For Congdon, the recognition ultimately belongs to the communities and students at the heart of the work. “These awards are a reflection of what’s possible when we work together,” he said. “It’s not about individual recognition: It’s about collective impact.”