Engaged Alumni: Mara Drogan, PhD '11
Mara Drogan, PhD '11, is the Director of Community Engagement & Education for WMHT Public Media.
What are your responsibilities as Director of Community Engagement & Education for WMHT?
I supervise department staff and set department goals. I write New York State standards aligned educational resources about local history and the arts, as well as design outreach strategies to connect with and support educators.
I manage the Learning Services Advisory Council, which is comprised of educators who help us identify regional needs and review educational materials.
On the community engagement side of things, I partner with local organizations to produce community events and film screenings, manage our Community Advisory Board to identify community priorities, and write monthly newsletters and updates for different stakeholder groups.
A lot of folks may not realize that apart from the many hours of children’s programming PBS stations broadcast each week, public TV stations like WMHT also provide a variety of services and digital content for teachers.
What would you like people to know about those services and how you’re supporting local educators? What might they be surprised to learn?
WMHT publishes digital resources on PBS LearningMedia based on our locally produced programs. PBS LearningMedia is a free website that provides resources on every subject from Pre-K to grade 12 and beyond.
In addition, WMHT is a New York State Education Department authorized Continuing Teacher and Leader Education (CTLE) provider. Teachers can earn continuing education credits by attending a professional development training or watching documentaries on our website and submitting a brief questionnaire.
WMHT’s Early Literacy Program provides resources, training and family engagement activities to schools, libraries and community centers. We have partnered with several local high schools on podcasting projects, either traveling to their schools or having students come record in our studios. We also host field trips and student interns.
Folks can learn more on WMHT's website.
What’s a typical workday like for you?
There is no typical workday since I work on such a diverse set of projects.
Every day includes lots of emails and meetings, but I might also do research for the digital resources I am developing, design informational material for education programs, travel to meet with partners, attend conferences, screen films, or apply for and report on grants.
What’s your favorite part of your job?
I love developing digital resources for local history as it makes use of my skills as a historian and it’s a lot of fun to explore some of the lesser known stories from the Greater Capital Region.
What’s the biggest challenge you face in your work?
Just the sheer mass of it! It’s a lot to keep track of and it can be challenging to focus on any one thing.
How does your educational background support you in your current role working with educators and the community?
My training as a historian allows me to develop reliable resources that develop historical skills for teachers to use in the classroom. I also taught for over 15 years, so I have a good understanding of what works in a classroom and what doesn’t.
I’m a naturally outgoing person, but my years of teaching and presenting my research have made me comfortable in meeting new people and speaking in public.
Did you have a favorite place on the UAlbany campus where you would go to study or liked to visit?
I continue to use the library occasionally and still get a little thrill every time I walk upstairs to look for a book. The internet is miraculous but there is nothing like perusing physical bookshelves to find related books and spark ideas. I love to sit along the back wall at one of the cubbies reading a stack of books.
Here’s the toughest question: Who’s your favorite Muppet, and why?
Actually that’s an easy question because you get asked it a lot when you work with PBS! Bert and Ernie because I always saw them as counterparts to my sister and me when I was a child. (I was Ernie!)