Mark Souder joins Trine staff

Mark Souder joins Trine staff

ANGOLA — Former Republican U.S. Rep. Mark Souder joined the staff of Trine University’s School of Professional Studies this month, and he is working to incorporate his vast political experiences into new classes and curriculum.

 
Souder has been active in politics since 1968 and served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1995 until 2010. To be successful, he felt that he needed to develop a global understanding of business, markets, leadership, politics and people.

 
“I felt that many of my most effective teachers had real-world experience to blend with academic instruction,” Souder said. “The courses I teach will include examples from current public debates and my own experiences to illustrate the principles being studied. It should make for an engaging classroom experience.”

 
In his 15 years in office, Souder was in the first group to meet Hugo Chavez in Venezuela after he took power. Souder was part of the only group to go to Beslan, Russia, where terrorists burned a school, killing 270 children and teachers. The building was still smoking when Souder arrived. He traveled to Colombia a dozen times. He was one of only a few government officials to get to crawl down into the spider hole in Iraq where Saddam Hussein hid before he was executed.

 
“But one of the best experiences was going to No. 10 Downing Street, the home of the British Prime Minister, using the famous door knocker to announce our arrival and then meeting with Tony Blair, ” Souder said. “My most moving experiences were meeting with wounded soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan and in hospitals in Germany as well as in Washington.”
 

While in office, Souder also advocated for business and industry in northeast Indiana and played a significant role in saving the Indiana Air National Guard Base and VA Northern Indiana Health Care System, both in Fort Wayne.  He was named one of the 50 most effective lawmakers by Congressional Quarterly magazine and received the National Manufacturers Award three times.

 
He received a bachelor’s degree from Indiana University-Purdue University, Fort Wayne in 1972 and a Master’s in Business Administration in 1974 from the University of Notre Dame.
 

Souder will use his experiences and educational background to develop a new concentration —political leadership and civic engagement — for the school’s Master of Science in Leadership degree. Each course will include examples from current public debate to illustrate the principles being studied. Trine University’s School of Professional Studies also will host a quarterly blog featuring community issues discussed by Souder.  
 

“Mark is bringing a wealth of knowledge to students at Trine. His travels, encounters with world leaders and work in Washington will be of great value and will broaden the horizons of our students,” said Trine University President Earl D. Brooks II, Ph.D.