The “44 Ways to Change the World” project was inspired by Psychology Professor Vaughn Crowl’s 44 years of teaching service to the community, 41 of which have been at HCC. According to Loretta Thornhill, professor, paralegal studies, and a fellow faculty member in the Behavioral and Social Sciences/Business (BSS) Division, Crowl has touched many lives during his time as a teacher and it is those stories that faculty in the BSS Division would like to highlight.
BSS faculty are asking that current students, former 
students and alumni, faculty, and staff members begin an individual or group service project in Crowl’s honor. Participants are asked to document their work through pictures and submit photos and a brief summary to fncade@hagerstowncc.edu [1] no later than Oct. 21. Submitted items will be compiled into a scrapbook, which will be presented to Crowl later this fall. Current and former students are also encouraged to submit stories of how Crowl inspired them to begin service projects, or in other aspects of their lives, for inclusion in the scrapbook.
“This is one of several events planned to honor Dr. Crowl’s outstanding service to his students and the college,” says Thornhill. “Dr. Crowl believes in service to others and he incorporates this ideal into his psychology courses, as well as the leadership course he teaches to high school and college students. We wanted to find a way to recognize his commitment.”
Crowl will retire at the end of the fall 2011 semester.
“My goal has always been to develop and implement a visionary leadership mission into College teaching, which integrates intellectual, political, social, economic and spirited resources into the delivery of a new standard of teaching excellence in higher education.”
-Dr. Vaughn Crowl
Vaughn Crowl began teaching psychology at HCC in 1970. During his first three years at the college, he also served as the director of student activities. In later years, he would go on to serve as a counselor, an instructor of physical education in racquetball and triathlon training, and chair of both the Physical Education and Leisure Studies Division, as well as the Behavioral and Social Sciences/Business Division.
In 1998, he became the director of the learning community, a partnership project between HCC and Washington County Public Schools (WCPS). Leadership roles he has undertaken at HCC include chairing the Faculty Assembly, chairing the Curriculum Committee, chairing the Learning Community Steering Committee, co-chairing the Middle States Accreditation Study, and founding the Student Leadership Kepler Scholar Program. Crowl also served as the director for the All-County Honors Chorus on two separate occasions.
Crowl began his education in 1964 when he pursued a double-major in psychology and political science at Frostburg State University. He graduated in 1968 and four years later completed a master’s of education degree in guidance and counseling from Johns Hopkins University Baltimore. He earned a certificate of advanced study in counseling and therapy with a minor in higher education from Johns Hopkins University in 1974. Following that, he earned a master’s of science in counseling psychology/behavioral psychology from Johns Hopkins University in 1979. In 1987, he completed his doctoral degree in counseling and human development at the American University. For his doctoral dissertation, Crowl focused on Hagerstown Community College, then Hagerstown Junior College. His dissertation, “Educating Rural Maryland: A Historical and Anecdotal History of Hagerstown Junior College” was published by the Maryland Historical Society in 1987.
Links:
[1] mailto:fncade@hagerstowncc.edu