Olivia McDonald ’26 wins the 2026 Anna Lord Strauss medal

Olivia McDonald ’26, a government major, economics minor and Holleran Center for Community Action and Public Policy scholar from Guilford, Connecticut, was awarded the 2026 Anna Lord Strauss Medal for her unwavering commitment to public service and social justice at Connecticut College’s 108th Commencement May 17.

The award is given annually at Commencement to a graduating senior who has done outstanding work in public or community service, including service to the College. It is presented in honor of Anna Lord Strauss, who served as national president of the League of Women Voters, held five presidential appointments to national and international committees and missions, and served Connecticut College as a trustee for the extraordinary term of 32 years.

At the local, state and national levels, McDonald has demonstrated a strong commitment to academic and community engagement, particularly at the intersection of law, economics, politics and social justice. On campus, she has supported collaboration among students, faculty and staff as a Holleran Center scholar and fellow and as chair of the Government and International Relations Department Student Advisory Board. She also advocated for equitable funding policy on campus as a three-year member of the Student Government Association Finance Committee. For her honors thesis, which contributed to scholarship on federalism and housing advocacy, she conducted original research examining responses to the landmark 2005 Supreme Court case on eminent domain, Kelo v. City of New London.

An advocate and changemaker, McDonald translated her passions and scholarship into impact through six internships. Most recently, she conducted comprehensive legal research and drafted case briefs supporting antitrust enforcement for the Office of the Connecticut Attorney General. Other work included coordinating civic engagement initiatives for the office of Connecticut Secretary of State Stephanie Thomas, political organizing with U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, and shadowing Guilford First Selectman Matt Hoey and municipal department leaders to analyze local governance in her hometown. She also supported candidate workshops and an election tracking initiative to advance housing advocacy efforts for the Pro-Homes CT coalition, analyzed land use decision-making trends through demographic research for the Centers for Housing Opportunity, and volunteered at the Covenant Shelter of New London.

In a letter nominating McDonald for the Strauss Medal, Associate Professor of Government Daniel Moak said she is “one of the most active and community-engaged” members of the Conn community. “Olivia is constantly connecting her academic interests with a desire to promote political change. She is a leader who helps bring people together to create meaningful connections, and her work is driven by her desire to build a more just society and world. I have no doubt that Olivia will continue to pursue civic engagement for the rest of her life.”