Press Release

Oglethorpe University's Woman with a Plan

ATLANTA – Tamara Nash, Oglethorpe University’s Center for Civic Engagement inaugural director, is connecting students to Atlanta through service. Most recently, Nash has created partnerships between Oglethorpe and Ed S. Cook Elementary School, Charles R. Drew Charter School and PATH Academy. Each of these partnerships offers unique opportunities for Oglethorpe students to serve Atlanta schools while learning about the needs of younger students and their communities.

Nash also oversees support for student internships, the OUr Atlanta Cultural Excursion program, programmatic support for the Rich Foundation Urban Leadership Program, stipends for faculty developing curriculum with a service learning component, trips to areas in need and ongoing public service initiatives with select metro communities.

"By working with faculty to integrate service learning into their courses, placing Oglethorpe students in non-profit or service-oriented internships and providing opportunities for them to help with volunteer service projects, we are enabling students to apply theories learned in the classroom in very practical ways in the Atlanta community and beyond. It is our goal that every graduate will know what it means to be an actively involved citizen who contributes to the communities in which we live, work and play," said Nash.

A 20-year Atlanta resident, Nash came to Oglethorpe from Georgia-Pacific, where she spent almost 10 years as the director of community programs leading the company’s award winning efforts to improve public education in the city of Atlanta. Prior to Georgia-Pacific, Nash spent a decade at Spelman College where she served as founding director of the office of community service and mentorship. Tamara is a graduate of both Wellesley College and Harvard University.