UNI names Allison Rank as inaugural director of the Center for Civic Education
The University of Northern Iowa is pleased to announce Allison Rank as the founding director of its new Center for Civic Education. Launched with a $1 million appropriation from the State of Iowa, the new center will serve as a nationally recognized leader in research, teaching and public outreach in free speech and civic education.
In this position, Rank will oversee the planning and implementation of the center’s activities, foster relationships with important stakeholders, work to secure grants and lead strategic planning for the center. She will also hold an appointment as a professor of political science.
Rank will begin her duties at UNI today.
"I’m honored to join UNI and lead the new Center for Civic Education,” said Rank. “This is a unique opportunity to bring people together — students, educators and community members — around free speech and informed dialogue. I look forward to developing programs and resources that strengthen civic leadership and engagement across Iowa and beyond."
Rank joins UNI from the State University of New York at Oswego where she worked in the Department of Politics as an associate professor and the department chair. She has won numerous awards over the years, including the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching, a SUNY system-wide honor. In 2019, Rank received the Stand Out Faculty Award from the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge, which is a national civic engagement project involving more than 500 higher education institutions and 900 campuses across the country. She was one of just two faculty members chosen for this award to recognize her work during the 2018 election cycle. She serves on the Steering Committee for the American Democracy Project, a nationwide nonpartisan partnership among universities, including UNI, to prepare informed, active citizens who engage different viewpoints and perspectives. Last year she received ADP’s Barbara Burch Award recognizing exemplary leadership in advancing civic learning.
