David Hoffman, Ph.D. ’13, Center for Democracy and Civic Life director, receives 2024 UMBC Outstanding Staff award

David Hoffman, Ph.D. '13, language, literacy, and culture, director of the Center for Democracy and Civic Life, has been named 2024 UMBC Outstanding Staff member and will be recognized at the Alumni Awards Ceremony on Thursday, October 10. Extraordinary UMBC alumni, faculty, and staff are making a difference in the world, and the UMBC Alumni Association Board of Directors hosts this annual celebration of their accomplishments. Five types of awards are given: Outstanding Graduate, Distinguished Service, Rising Star, Outstanding Faculty, and Outstanding Staff. 

The Center's Associate Director, Ricky Blissett ’11, and Coordinator for Civic Design Tess McRae ’22, nominated Dr. Hoffman for the award: "We're thrilled that the Alumni Association has recognized David with the Outstanding Staff Award. His two decades of contributions to UMBC exemplify what it means to unlock potential and transform lives as a leader in the Division of Student Affairs. His impact on thousands of UMBC students and alums, including the two of us, has been immense. And much of what we see today on UMBC's campus, ranging from the way co-creation is embedded in so many UMBC practices to the many collaborative initiatives that have empowered UMBC community members to create lasting change, can be traced to David's influence. We're so grateful to work with him and to benefit from his deep care and commitment to helping people at UMBC and beyond thrive together."

Dr. Hoffman has worked in UMBC’s Division of Student Affairs for 21 years, developing and leading collaborative initiatives and programs through which participants develop the knowledge, skills, dispositions, and relationships needed to help their communities thrive. Among the products of his work are BreakingGround, a grant program funded by the Provost’s Office which has supported the design or redesign of more than 40 courses; the STRiVE leadership for public purpose program for undergraduate students develop skills in community building and social change; and the Center for Democracy and Civic Life, established in 2018 as a hub of innovation for educational practices that enable and inspire people to shape their world together. Dr. Hoffman is the Center’s founding director.

He develops and teaches courses about civic communication and culture as a faculty fellow in UMBC’s Honors College, and was the 2024 Honors College Faculty Fellow of the Year, having been selected by students to receive the award.

He serves as a member (and past chair) of the Steering Committee for AASCU’s American Democracy Project, and previously served as a member of the National Advisory Board for Imagining America. As a member of the inaugural cohort of American Democracy Project Civic Fellows, he led the development of the Civic Learning and Democratic Engagement Theory of Change, and works with Center for Democracy and Civic Life colleagues and national partners to amplify and implement it. 

At UMBC Dr. Hoffman has contributed to many campus initiatives as a board or committee member, including Retriever Essentials, the Grand Challenges Scholars Program, the Neighbor Relations Committee, and Student Affairs working groups that addressed challenges relating to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Dr. Hoffman has published more than a dozen articles and book chapters relating to his work at UMBC, exploring civic agency, civic pedagogy, democratic communication styles and techniques, and culture change within institutions. He is an alum of UCLA, where he served as student body president and University of California student regent, and of the Harvard Kennedy School (M.P.P.) and Harvard Law School He is especially proud to be an alum of UMBC, having earned his Ph.D. here in Language, Literacy, and Culture.

In-person attendance for this year’s Alumni Awards ceremony is by invitation only; however, the ceremony will be livestreamed for those who wish to attend virtually. The Alumni Awards landing page will be updated in the coming weeks with awardee bios, registration information, and the livestream link.