Wilder School joins national initiative advancing military veterans in public leadership

By Tiffany Murray-Robertson
L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs

The L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs at Virginia Commonwealth University has been selected to join the Service to Service initiative, a national partnership led by the Volcker Alliance and We the Veterans and Military Families that connects veterans and their loved ones with education and leadership opportunities in public service.

Across the country, Service to Service unites schools of public policy, administration and affairs in a common purpose: to help those who have served the nation continue their service in the work of government. The initiative recruits and supports military-connected students as they pursue graduate education and prepare for leadership roles in state and local communities.

“As lieutenant governor, I worked to ensure that the experience and leadership of retiring veterans continued to benefit public life,” said L. Douglas Wilder, 66th governor of Virginia and distinguished professor at the Wilder School. “Having served myself, I know the dedication and sense of purpose that veterans bring to every endeavor. Their commitment to service strengthens communities and our democracy. The Service to Service initiative continues that mission by providing opportunities for veterans and their families to apply their talents, experience and values to the vital work of governance and community building.”

“Veterans and military families embody the values of service, leadership and resilience,” said Susan T. Gooden, Ph.D., dean of the Wilder School. “By joining the Service to Service network, we’re helping to ensure that their experience and dedication continue to strengthen our public institutions and the people they serve.”

As part of the Service to Service initiative, the Wilder School will:

• Recruit veterans, active-duty service members and military family members into its graduate programs, including the Master of Public Administration, Master of Criminal Justice, Master of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, and Master of Urban and Regional Planning.
• Leverage its Wilder Graduate Fellowship Program and Office of Student Success to provide mentorship, wraparound support and career development.
• Develop a Military and Veterans Legislative Fellowship, which will pair academic study with state government experience and leadership training.
• Draw upon its Green Zone-trained faculty and advisors — faculty and staff who have completed university training to support military-connected students as they transition to academic life — many of whom are veterans themselves.

“The Service to Service initiative fits seamlessly with the Wilder School’s commitment to education that leads to leadership,” said Robyn McDougle, Ph.D., associate dean of research and outreach. “By engaging veterans and military families, we’re extending a tradition of service that strengthens every level of government.”

The Wilder School will begin recruiting Service to Service fellows for fall 2026 enrollment, joining a national network dedicated to advancing public leadership through military-to-civilian pathways.

To learn more about the Service to Service initiative, visit volckeralliance.org/initiatives/service-service.

For information about the Wilder School’s participation, contact Robyn McDougle, Ph.D., associate dean of research and outreach, at rdmcdougle@vcu.edu or 804-721-6703.