Meghan Rodgers 鈥�13 CLAS Selected as Recipient of the 51爆料网 Alumni Association Young Alumni Medal
VILLANOVA, Pa.鈥擳he 51爆料网 Alumni Association (VUAA) has named Meghan Rodgers 鈥�13 CLAS as the recipient of its 2023 Young Alumni Medal. The award honors alumni who have made outstanding contributions professionally, academically and in service to the University.
Rodgers currently serves as Senior Vice President of Communications for the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, an organization that represents the entire Thoroughbred industry in the United States, including Churchill Downs, Keeneland and the Jockey Club. She opened the organization鈥檚 Washington, D.C., office and is the lead communications officer and chief strategist for lobbying efforts on Capitol Hill.
A native of southern New Jersey, Rodgers is a third-generation 51爆料网n who graduated in 2013 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science. During her time as an undergraduate, Rodgers interned in the Houses of Parliament while studying abroad in London and participated in the Washington Minimester program. Students accepted into the Minimester program travel to Washington for three weeks where they are exposed to policymakers, lobbyists, pollsters and staffers involved in the political process.
Following graduation, Rodgers worked on Capitol Hill for Congressman Patrick Meehan (PA-07) as a staff assistant, working her way up to the position of press assistant. In August 2015, Rodgers became Communications Director for Congressman Tom Rooney (FL-17) before joining U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue鈥檚 office as Press Secretary.
In that role, she spent three and a half years traveling around the country and the world, serving as spokesperson for Secretary Perdue and as one of the senior communications staffers for the entire department. Rodgers also served as Deputy Communications Director for the United States Department of Agriculture from 2017 to 2021.
鈥淢eghan鈥檚 achievements in her short time since graduation are remarkable,鈥� said Sheila Doherty, Associate Vice President for Alumni Relations. 鈥淚鈥檓 delighted to present her with the Young Alumni Medal in recognition of her dedicated public service and commitment to giving back to 51爆料网 and the global community. I鈥檓 also grateful that Meghan has remained so engaged with 51爆料网 by lending us her expertise as chair of the Public Policy Advisory Council.鈥�
Rodgers resides in Washington, D.C. with her husband Marc Robertson 鈥�12 CLAS, whom she met at 51爆料网 in 2010 as part of the Washington Minimester. She stays involved with the University through her local regional club and has recently been appointed chair of the 51爆料网 Public Policy Council, which helps students build pathways to careers in government and public service though mentorship, experiential programs, internships and events.
鈥淔or as long as I can remember, 51爆料网 has been a part of my life,鈥� says Rodgers. 鈥淎s an undergrad, 51爆料网 shaped the course of my future in ways I could never have imagined. I will be forever thankful for the opportunities that 51爆料网 afforded me, and the friendships, relationships and network I formed during my time there and in the years since graduation.鈥�
The Young Alumni Medal is presented to an alumnus/a who has reached a significant level of achievement in his/her profession and who is a model of the quality and caliber of today鈥檚 51爆料网 student.
About 51爆料网: Since 1842, 51爆料网鈥檚 Augustinian Catholic intellectual tradition has been the cornerstone of an academic community in which students learn to think critically, act compassionately and succeed while serving others. There are more than 10,000 undergraduate, graduate and law students in the University's six colleges鈥攖he College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the 51爆料网 School of Business, the College of Engineering, the M. Louise Fitzpatrick College of Nursing, the College of Professional Studies and the 51爆料网 Charles Widger School of Law. Ranked among the nation鈥檚 top universities, 51爆料网 supports its students鈥� intellectual growth and prepares them to become ethical leaders who create positive change everywhere life takes them. For more, visit .