May 2013

Regent University Robertson School of Government Dean's Corner

Watch the dean's welcome message.
2013 School of Government Prospectus

Dear Friends,

Commencement is upon us, and it is a bittersweet time of year. It is sweet because the labors of students culminate in the awarding of their degrees and then off they go to meaningful careers in public service. But it is precisely that, the departure of the next generation of leaders, which is sad as they have become colleagues and friends. It is a cycle that has repeated itself in the lives of nearly 1,000 RSG graduates over the past 30 years.

In this edition of the RSG newsletter we'll feature some of those graduating students. You will be introduced to our Outstanding School of Government Graduate, Nathan Gill, as well as four other award winners from RSG. You will also be introduced to our latest faculty book, Distinguished Professor Charles Dunn's American Exceptionalism: The Origins, History, and Future of the Nation's Greatest Strength.

This month we celebrate RSG's 30th anniversary by hosting a military band concert on Armed Forces Day (May 18). We will salute those serving in the U.S. military—including many RSG alumni—with a free public concert by the U.S. Army TRADOC Band, based at nearby Ft. Eustis. If you live locally, you are welcome to attend what promises to be a fun and inspiring night of patriotic and American music.

Warm regards,

Eric Patterson, Ph.D.
Dean, Robertson School of Government

For more details as well as our calendar of events, please see our website.

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In this Edition

Dean's Welcome

Dr. James Davids - Advancing The Rule of Law

Class of 2013 Student Award Winners

Regent Celebrates New Class of Graduates

Virginia Governor Addresses Leadership Series

Leadership Reflects on Bush Library Opening

EVENTS

Executive Leadership Series: Cheryl Bachelder

Regent University Military Band Concert - Armed Forces Day

RSG in the NEWS

U.S. News Ranks Best Online Programs for Veterans

An Interview with Virginia Governor Robert F. "Bob" McDonnell '89

Dr. Paul Bonicelli: Five Years is Long Enough To Wait...

RESOURCES

Contact Us

Phone: 888.800.7735

Email:RSGDeansoffice@regent.edu

A native of Chicago, Associate Professor James Davids is passionate about teaching law and politics to students at Regent. A former U.S. Department of Justice executive, Davids practiced law for 25 years before venturing into government service to help establish the Department of Justice Faith-Based and Community Initiative, which is now active in all 50 states.

Before joining the Department of Justice, Davids was a founding member of Hoogendoorn, Talbot, Davids, Godfrey & Milligan in Chicago. His private practice experience included trying cases ranging from medical malpractice and federal regulatory actions to First Amendment and civil rights disputes. Licensed to practice law in Illinois, Florida, and Virginia, he is a member of the federal trial bar of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, and he has been admitted to the bars of the U.S. Supreme Court and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.

Read the full story.

RSG 2013 Outstanding Graduate - Nathan E. Gill

Nominated by the RSG faculty, graduate Nathan Gill received the RSG 2013 Outstanding Graduate of the year award from Dean Eric Patterson at the RSG Commissioning Service. The Outstanding Graduate award is a student whom the faculty considers to be the embodiment of the mission and vision of the Robertson School of Government. Key elements considered in the selection process are leadership, service, scholarship, and research.

The Robertson School of Government's Class of 2013 were awarded a Master of Arts in Government or a Master of Public Administration degree. On Friday, May 3 many graduates gathered to participate in the School of Government's annual Commissioning Ceremony accompanied by family and friends. Read the full story.

Ryan T. Anderson, William E. Simon Fellow in Religion and a Free Society at The Heritage Foundation in Washington, D.C.,was the ceremony's keynote speaker.

Grey skies and a little rain couldn't dampen spirits at Regent University's 2013 Commencement ceremony, where 1,345 graduates celebrated years of hard work and anticipated the future together on Saturday, May 4. More than 5,500 friends and family members attended the event as graduates from all eight of the university's schools crossed the Library Plaza on Regent's campus in Virginia Beach, Va.

Read the full story.

May 10, 2013
The George W. Bush Presidential Center
Dean Eric Patterson and Dr. Paul Bonicelli Attend Dedication Ceremony

"His legacy over the long haul is a very powerful one, and I think that 25-30 years from now, people will talk about George W. Bush the way they talk about Harry Truman today, as a leader who came in during a very difficult time," said Dr. Eric Patterson, dean of Regent University's Robertson School of Government. "Perhaps not a lot was expected of him, and then he turned out to be literally Atlas carrying the world, from fighting terrorism to fighting AIDS and malaria."

Patterson echoes the sentiment that Democrat and Republican alike seemed to share on April 25, when the George W. Bush Presidential Center opened on the campus of Southern Methodist University in University Park, Texas. The George W. Bush Presidential Center is a complex that includes a presidential library and museum, the George W. Bush Policy Institute, and the offices of the George W. Bush Foundation.

Read the full story.

Video Performance

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Regent University's Executive Leadership Series (ELS) welcomed Virginia Governor Robert "Bob" McDonnell '89 (Law and Government) at its monthly luncheon on Wednesday, May 1.

McDonnell, a former lieutenant colonel in the United States Army and former Attorney General of Virginia, spoke candidly about the qualifications of a successful leader before a crowd of 500 at the Chesapeake Conference Center.

Read the full story.

Virginia Governor Robert "Bob" McDonnell speaks at Regent University's Executive Leadership Series luncheon Wednesday, May 1.
Photo by Alex Perry

American Exceptionalism provokes intense debates culturally, economically, politically, and socially. This collection, edited by Charles W. Dunn of Regent University's Robertson School of Government, brings together analysis of the idea's origins, history, and future. While many now argue against the policies and ideology of American Exceptionalism as antiquated and expired, the authors collected here make the bold claim that a closer reading of our own history reveals that there is still an exceptional aspect of American thought, identity, and government worth advancing and protecting. It will be the challenge of the coming American generations to both refine and examine what we mean when we call America "exceptional," and this book provides readers a first step toward a necessary understanding of the exceptional purpose, progress and promise of the United States of America.

Read the full story.