Summer will mark a monumental change in Marshall leadership: the positional transition of executive director of the John Deaver Drinko Academy from Montserrat Miller to Del Chrol. The transition comes in the wake of Miller’s retirement and will go into effect July 1.
“Marshall prepared me as a student, offered me the opportunity to teach and engage in scholarship as a member of the History Department,” Miller said, “and then called upon me to re-direct my energies to the Drinko Academy, where I have had the privilege of working with brilliant students and colleagues who are committed to civic literacy, civil discourse and the rule of law.”
A close friend and colleague, Cicero Fain, assistant provost of Access and Opportunity, had glowing remarks of Miller’s time at Marshall and her impact on the lives of students, including his own.
“Throughout the process of becoming an instructor in 2003 to earning my doctorate in 2010, Montserrat was my strongest ally, mentor, confidante and friend. Her advocacy to then-President Gilbert to recruit me back in 2021 is a primary reason I am here,” Fain said. “She is a remarkable scholar, teacher, colleague and person, one I have leaned on for her counsel, guidance and friendship for years. There is no one on this campus I respect, admire or love more. I will miss her greatly.”
In place of Miller, who started in 2017, Chrol, professor of classics and the chair of the Humanities Department, will be stepping up to bat. He began at Marshall in 2006 and has since developed a reputation for his approach to teaching and participating in the political sphere.
“My focus on having broad intellectual and political tastes and friends from all across the aisle positions me in a unique way to lead us in this American project,” Chrol said.
The “American Project” has been a key pillar in Marshall’s public and accessible education. The academy was founded in 1994 by John Deaver and Elizabeth Drinko, who envisioned a more dynamic application of civic engagement.
“Marshall is great at talking about how we’re a prosperity platform, but I think what Drinko does really well is explain how the American system of higher education increases freedom,” Chrol said.
With Miller retiring, Chrol he plans to lead with an eye for change and an ear for the wisdom of his predecessor.
“Dr. Miller has really been a visionary leader for the last nine years. Some of the most important groups on campus were incubated in the Drinko,” Chrol said. “I don’t anticipate changing any of the programming, but I do have some things that I want to do, particularly student focused and thinking about the way that education and communication connect to an informed electorate.”
The position will allow Chrol to explore new avenues of civic engagement that allow students to maximize their impact within the nation. He hopes to begin a new chapter in political understanding and cooperation based on observations of his own politically-oriented classes.
“Oftentimes, we’ll see students fighting, but in a way that connects with a real poison I see today, which is ‘I’m right, and you’re evil,’” Chrol said. “So I think if we give people the tools to think through multiple perspectives, have empathy with each other, but also be able to focus on what you actually care about and fight for what you love, that will move back to the old fashioned idea of, ‘I’m right, and you’re wrong.’”
Chrol will also continue teaching in the classroom through his classes, including CL 472 in the fall, which explores types of persuasion and how to see through it. Registration is still available for interested students.
Claire Johnson can be contacted at [email protected].
