Alexander Uryga
Alexander Uryga graduated summa cum laude from Valparaiso University with a Bachelor of Arts in political science and history. While at Valpo his academic accomplishments included being a Christ College Scholar in Christ College, The Honors College, and being inducted into Phi Beta Kappa. In addition, Alexander held the highest student leadership positions on both the 54-member University Council as Vice-Chair and the Student Senate as President of the Student Body -- earning him the Outstanding Leadership and Service Award from the Office of Student Affairs. Before graduating from Valpo he was an intern on Capitol Hill for a United States Senator, and after graduating from Valpo he worked at a public affairs and government relations firm and at a global, social justice, not-for-profit organization, and served at a community learning center through AmeriCorps. Alexander Uryga currently works in the field of education and holds a Master of Education in teaching and curriculum from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. For continuing professional development he has completed additional graduate studies from Columbia University, Georgetown University, the University of Notre Dame, and Northeastern University. During his career Alexander has earned countless prestigious fellowships, including from the James Madison Memorial Fellowship Foundation, and has won numerous curriculum grants. He has been recognized for his teaching over the years -- in 2019 for making the Michiana (southern Michigan and northern Indiana) Forty Under 40 list for teaching at his alma mater from the South Bend Regional Chamber as well as being named a Distinguished Teacher from Michigan City Area Schools, in 2021 with the Carolyn & Peter Lynch Award for teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic from the Lynch Foundation, in 2022 with the Richard Aieta Promising Teacher Award from the Massachusetts Council for the Social Studies, and in 2023 for making the Phi Delta Theta Thirty Under 30 list.