Outstanding Recent Alumni Award

Outstanding Recent Alumni Award 2023

Spencer Knoll '13

Spencer was a star at Hood and continues to shine. Just recently, Spencer was named Director of U.S. Policy and Advocacy at Malaria No More, an international NGO working to end malaria. Prior to this position, Spencer spent six years as an aide to U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), where he advised the Senator on national security and foreign policy. While on Capitol Hill, Spencer authored major legislation that was signed into law by President Biden to improve retention in the Foreign Service. He also shepherded the passage of legislation to reduce military training fatalities and ensure that students do not lose the opportunity to attend a U.S. service academy because of a vacancy in Congress. He successfully secured the Prisoner of War Medal for three veterans who had been denied this recognition for 50 years.Through his work with Senator Van Hollen, Spencer helped to secure hundreds of millions of dollars to support federal facilities and programs across Maryland, including $1million for Hood College to support Data Driven Frederick and the Biomedical Research and Training Center.

While a student at Hood, Spencer was active with the Maryland Student Legislature and served on his Class Council. A Tischer Scholar and participant in the Honors Program, he also volunteered on political campaigns and interned in the office of former U.S. Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.). Today, Spencer serves on the Hood College Alumni Executive Board; is a member of the Foreign Policy for America NextGen Initiative; and chairs the Board of Directors of the Maryland Student Legislature, an Annapolis-based nonprofit that prepares college students for lives of public service. Earlier this year, he was appointed to the City of Rockville’s Cultural Arts Commission by the Mayor. Spencer earned his B.A. in Political Science from Hood. He also holds a M.A. from the Georgetown University Walsh School of Foreign Service. He lives in Rockville with his wife, Lauren.