A UConn student leader recently joined state officials on a public panel examining the future of civic engagement in Connecticut, offering a student perspective rooted in hands-on experience with local government and policy research. 

Ryan Engels ’27 (CLAS), a political science major and fast-track MPA student, was one of three panelists at Forum Encore! From Campus to the Capitol: The Future of Civic Engagement in Connecticut, a free community discussion held Feb. 3 at the Hartford Public Library. The event followed last week’s sold-out Connecticut Forum conversation featuring Pete Buttigieg and Jonah Goldberg at The Bushnell. Both events were presented in partnership with UConn’s School of Public Policy and the Institute for Municipal and Regional Policy (IMRP). 

Moderated by Frankie Graziano of The Wheelhouse on Connecticut Public, the discussion brought together Secretary of the State Stephanie Thomas, former state senate minority leader Len Fasano, and Engels to explore how younger generations can reconnect with government and civic life.  

Engels acknowledged that sharing the stage with long-serving Connecticut leaders was initially intimidating. Still, he emphasized that there are no prerequisites for making a difference.  

“I tell other young people and students interested in getting involved, you belong in these spaces,” Engels said. “If you have the motivation and dedication to the causes that you feel strongly about, you can make an impact — no matter your age.” 

Engels’ participation on the panel reflected the kind of civic engagement the discussion encouraged. 

Engels was recently elected as a zoning commissioner in his hometown of Westbrook, where he also serves as chairman of the Sustainability Committee. He has also completed an internship with IMRP working with associate director Ken Barone, who serves as project manager for the Connecticut Racial Profiling Prohibition Project (CTRP3). As part of that work, Engels helped collect and organize data from Inspector General use-of-force reports to inform state’s attorneys and IMRP on police use of force statewide. 

In addition to his public service experience, Engels is an active leader at UConn. As a first-year student, founded the Connecticut Youth Political Advocacy Center (CYPAC) in his dorm room. The nonpartisan nonprofit focuses on promoting civic engagement and youth participation at the state and local levels. Engels has also served as a senator in the UConn Storrs Undergraduate Student Government and as executive vice president of College Democrats of Connecticut.  

The panel addressed what speakers described as a growing disconnect between younger generations and government. Engels pointed to the ways social media can sometimes replace direct conversation. 

“Young people are disillusioned,” Engels said. “Young people too often rely on social media for their engagement. We can get into the habit of seeing each other as usernames rather than having human conversations. Getting back to having conversations like these is important.”  

Thomas echoed that sentiment, stressing the importance of encouraging young people to exercise agency now rather than waiting until later in life.  

Fasano — who currently serves on the Connecticut Sentencing Commission, which is supported by UConn IMRP — added that many traditional entry points into politics lack younger participation. He noted that the average age of town committee members he has worked with is 68. 

“Town committees are the epicenter for people who want to go into politics,” Fasano said. “That’s the quickest place you can make a change, but I don’t see a lot of younger people getting on these committees and putting the time in.”  

As an example of constructive student engagement, Engels highlighted an upcoming debate between UConn College Democrats and UConn College Republicans at the Dodd Center for Human Rights on Feb. 5. 

“Young people can engage in respectful civil discourse,” he said. 

IMRP director and School of Public Policy adjunct faculty member Andrew Clark brought students from his Public Policy 1001 course to attend the event, reinforcing the program’s emphasis on connecting classroom learning with real-world civic engagement. 

Georgia LoPresti, a student in the course, said she appreciated seeing multiple generations represented on the panel.  

“He held his own,” LoPresti said of Engels. “At a young age, he’s already doing so much. It’s encouraging for other students to see.”