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November 8, 2016
Dear Search Committee:
I am grateful to Robert Luke at Witt/Kieffer for reaching out to me about your advertised
position for President of Florida Gulf Coast University, and with this letter I am formally and
enthusiastically making application for this important position. I believe that my education,
experiences, interests, and values are consistent with the professional characteristics and
personal qualities indicated for this position. I would bring to your university considerable
relevant experience and energy to pursue and support FGCU’s institutional vision and the four
key pillars of its recently completed Strategic Plan, 2016-21.
ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS
My education includes bachelor’s degrees in history and Spanish from the University of
Wisconsin in Oshkosh from where I graduated magna cum laude, and a master’s degree and
Ph.D. in French history from Marquette University. After completing my graduate studies in
1994, I went to the University of North Alabama (UNA) in Florence where I served as a
professor and then chair of the Department of History and Political Science from 2002-2008.
During my fourteen years at UNA I earned a reputation as an award-winning classroom
instructor. Although my career has taken an administrative trajectory I remain dedicated to
teaching and research; in fact, throughout much of my administrative career I have continued
to instruct courses in my discipline and have taught first-year freshman experience courses.
In addition to teaching, I have established and maintained an active scholarly career. I have
been a regular presenter at major national and international conferences of French and
European history. Apart from these activities, along with producing numerous refereed
journal articles and reviews, I recently (2014) published a well-received scholarly book.
ADMINISTRATIVE EXPERIENCE
I would bring to FGCU substantial administrative experience in complex organizational
settings. Currently, I serve as the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at The
University of Texas of the Permian Basin (UTPB). The youngest member of the University
of Texas System and a designated Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI), UTPB enrolls nearly
7,000 students and offers more than 40 undergraduate programs and over one dozen graduate
programs of study in both traditional and highly innovative formats. UTPB is consistently
ranked by U.S. News and World Report as a top public regional and online university. Under
my leadership are four colleges (Arts and Sciences, Business and Engineering, Education, and
Nursing), seven research and public institutes and centers, the Dunagan Library, Graduate
Studies, the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs, the REACH (online learning)
Office, the Student Success Office, Admissions, the Registrar, Financial Aid, Institutional
Research and Effectiveness, Student Affairs, and Student Housing. My office also supports a
campus-based STEM Charter School, an on-campus and several virtual early college high
schools, a Dual Credit Academy, and supervises more than 400 faculty and staff persons.
Prior to joining UTPB, I was the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Mississippi
University for Women (MUW), a co-educational liberal arts doctoral-granting university that
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enrolled about 3,000 students. From 2008-2012, I served as the Dean of the College of
Liberal Arts at the University of Texas at Brownsville (UTB), which has now become the
University of Texas of the Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV). Part of the University of Texas
System, UTB was a baccalaureate, masters, and doctoral degree conferring institution which,
similar to FGCU, enrolled over 15,000 students and served large numbers of minority and
non-traditional learners. Finally, from 2002-2008 I served as chair of the department of
History and Political Science at the University of North Alabama, a regional comprehensive
state university that enrolled 7,500 students, where I supervised a dozen faculty and staff, four
undergraduate majors, a graduate program in History, and several minors
ACADEMIC PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT
I also would offer to FGCU considerable experience to lead and advance its strategic pillar of
Academic Excellence. Indeed, as department chair, dean, and Provost/VPAA I have taken a
leading role in conceiving, creating, advocating, and implementing innovative undergraduate
and graduate academic programs, including those in the health and STEM fields, which
address student and societal demands and needs. While at UNA, I developed a
multidisciplinary social science degree as well as a master’s degree program in history.
During my tenure as dean at UTB we created undergraduate programs in Architecture,
Spanish Translation and Interpreting, Border Studies, Multidisciplinary Studies, as well as
online master’s degree programs in Psychology and Spanish Translation and Interpreting (at
the time, only one of three programs in the United States). Apart from these curricular
developments, I initiated the creation of the UTB Honors Program, as well as a center of
excellence, the Texas Center for Border and Transnational Studies, which focuses on multi-
disciplinary approaches to US-Mexico issues. During my tenure as Provost/VPAA at MUW
we implemented a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program, a master’s degree in Global
Commerce, and developed an innovative experiential-based graduate program in Women’s
Leadership, and an MFA in Creative Writing. At UTPB, we created accredited programs in
Petroleum Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, and undergraduate programs in Nursing, and
established a College of Nursing.
ACADEMIC INNOVATION
Consistent with the vision of FGCU, in response to the needs of today’s diverse college
students, I have developed and encouraged emerging instructional technologies including the
implementation of online, hybrid, competency-based, and problem-based learning pedagogies
and have made courses and programs available to both traditional and non-traditional students
at more convenient off-campus sites and in accelerated formats. While at UTB, apart from
developing entirely online programs in Spanish Translation and in Criminal Justice and
Psychology, we created a graduate cohort of local secondary teachers that enabled these
dedicated professionals to pursue their master’s degrees via hybrid methods of instruction
from their home high-school campus. My commitment to providing access to traditional and
non-traditional learners continued at MUW with support of our RN to BSN program at our
off-campus site in Tupelo, MS, which enrolled nearly 400 students as well as an international
teaching venue in Arezzo, Italy which supported an MFA in Physical Theater program.
Additionally, under my direction at MUW we introduced a year-round academic calendar that
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included three intersessions scheduled for August, January, and May. At UTPB I have
continued my record of leading and supporting faculty-driven innovation. UTPB offers more
than a dozen completely online undergraduate and graduate programs and over two hundred
online courses each semester, many of these in an accelerated eight-week format. We also
offer online courses to nearly 2,000 dual credit and early college high school students
throughout the state of Texas extending the impact of UTPB well beyond our traditional
service area. We also support on campus the UTPB STEM Charter School which employs
problem-based learning (PBL) and flipped classroom strategies to instruct its K-6 grade
students. In addition, last fall UTPB faculty developed and offered through EdX our first
massively open online course (MOOC) which enrolled over 13,000 students. Additionally,
with the support of the UT System’s Institute for Transformational Learning (ITL) our
engineering faculty are developing a competency-based program in Petroleum Engineering
Technology. This past spring (2016) we launched an online RN to BSN Program in an eight-
week format, and are about to offer an accelerated online MBA. We also recently have
completed a proposal for a fully online doctorate in Educational Leadership. Finally, as I had
done at MUW, I authored UTPB’s first distance education policy manual to ensure the quality
and integrity of our online courses and programs.
ACADEMIC EXELLENCE/ACCREDITATION
Maintaining and pursuing external accreditations not only testifies to academic excellence but
promotes student enrollment and enhanced job and wage prospects of graduates. I have
significant experience with regional, national, and international accrediting agencies,
including the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
(SACSCOC), the regional accreditor of FGCU. While at UNA I served as one of the steering
committee chairs during the university’s SACSCOC reaccreditation process in 2001 At UTB
I was a member of the SACSCOC Standards Committee in preparation for the university’s
five-year interim report. While at MUW, I was a member of the institution’s SACSCOC
Steering Committee during its successful decennial review and accreditation reaffirmation.
Currently, at UTPB, I serve as the chair the university’s SACSCOC Committee that recently
successfully completed our Fifth-Year Interim report. Along with this regional accrediting
body, I also have extensive experience with discipline and program-specific accrediting
authorities such as NCATE/CAEP (Education), NASM (Music), NASAD (Art), ABET
(Engineering), NASPAA (Public Administration), NAST (Theatre), ACEN, CCNE, NLNAC
(Nursing), CSWE (Social Work), CAA (Speech-Language Pathology), AACSB and ACBSP
(Business), and ABA (Legal Studies).
STRATEGIC PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT
I also would bring to the Presidency of Florida Gulf Coast University considerable experience
in strategic planning and executing already finalized strategic plans. In 2010 I initiated and
saw to completion the development of the faculty supported College of Liberal Arts Strategic
Plan, 2010-2015, which detailed strategic directions, actions, and performance indicators of
the college. At UTPB I am responsible for executing the UTPB Strategic Plan, 2009-19 most
of the goals of which already have been achieved. In addition, I lead the campus in pursuing
the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board’s (THECB) educational plan for Texas,
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30x60TX. Finally, I have been involved in the planning and construction of new university
facilities. At UTB I was involved in the completion of the Arts Center, and at UTPB I
was/am involved in the planning of our new Residence and Dining Hall and our Engineering
and Kinesiology buildings.
EXTERNAL RELATIONSHIPS (STATE LEGISLATURES AND SYSTEMS)
I also would offer to FGCU experience working with and responding to state constituents
including state legislatures and state educational boards and systems. My work at MUW
introduced me to state performance-based funding models. Like Florida, Mississippi has a
performance based funding model for higher education, and in my role as Provost at MUW
we had to be responsive to the state-established priorities by aligning our institutional goals
with the strategic agenda of the state. Most importantly this required us to clearly articulate
these goals and priorities to campus constituents so that we could effectively respond to them
as a campus community. I also have substantial experience with state educational governing
boards and systems, including the Alabama Commission on Higher Education (ACHE), the
Texas Higher Education Commission Coordinating Board (THECB), the University of Texas
System (UTS), and the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning (IHL) System and Board
of Trustees. As MUW Provost I served on the Council of Chief Academic Officers of the
Institutions of Higher Learning (IHL) Board of Trustees, and as UTPB Provost I serve on the
Provost Council with the provosts and chief academic affairs officers from UT Austin, UT
Dallas, UT San Antonio, UT Rio Grande Valley, UT El Paso, UT Tyler, and UT Arlington.
FISCAL STEWARDSHIP, PLANNING, AND MANAGEMENT
Additionally, I have extensive financial oversight and management experience not only in
working with state formula funding models but in administering progressively larger and
more complex budgets. In my role as UTB dean, I was responsible for supervising the
budgets of nine academic departments, and the payroll of 130 full-time tenured and tenure
track faculty members, over 100 adjuncts, and twenty staff people totaling $10 million
annually. At MUW, I managed an academic affairs budget that was over $20 million.
Currently, at UTPB I oversee most of the University’s $80 million budget. As UTPB Provost,
I prepare and administer academic and student affairs’ budgets which include the payroll and
support needs of more than 400 faculty and staff. In addition, I oversee a collaborative and
transparent budget process in my role as chair of the University Budget and Planning
Committee which considers budget requests from university constituents and, in concert with
the President and the Vice President for Business Affairs, we submit university budgets and
budget requests to the University of Texas System and the Texas State Legislature. This past
year, for example, we successfully obtained from the UT System Board of Regents
authorization for $52 million to be dedicated for the construction of our new engineering
building. Along with making difficult decisions regarding the allocation of resources, like
other administrators, I have had to look for ways to contain costs and generate resources. At
UTB (2010) and UTPB (2016) I led and was engaged in cost containment initiatives. This
past year, through careful analyses, I was able to trim nearly $1 million from my budget
without impacting current faculty or staff levels.
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FUND RAISING/EXTERNAL FUNDING
In an age of dwindling state appropriations funding and intense competition for student tuition
revenue but rising public demands and expectations of higher education it is more important
than ever for public universities not only to strategically work with state performance funding
formulas and contain costs but also to seek and obtain additional revenue from both public
and private sources. In both Texas and Mississippi, we successfully procured external
funding to advance the institutional missions. In the year prior to my assumption of the
College of Liberal Arts (CLA) deanship at UTB (2007) the college brought in external
funding that totaled only $18,000. In the three years after my arrival, CLA faculty had been
awarded and had acquired grants totaling nearly $1.5 million from agencies such as the
National Endowment for the Arts, the U.S. Department of Education, the National Institute of
Health, and the Department of Homeland Security, among others. Similarly, in Mississippi
we were successful in acquiring external funding. During the 2012-2013 year faculty were
awarded 25 external grants totaling more than $4,183,481 from agencies and organizations
such as the National Institute of Health, the U.S. Department of Education, NASA, the State
of Mississippi, the Blue Cross/Blue Shield Foundation, the Appalachian Regional
Commission, and others. At UTPB I supervise the Office of Sponsored Programs, and in less
than two years UTPB has received more than $7 million in external funding from agencies
such as the U.S. Department of Education, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the
American Council on Education, the Texas Education Association, and other national and
state agencies. As a fundraiser, I have the proven ability to gain the trust and friendship of
diverse groups and individuals and articulate a clear vision that resonates with stakeholders
and prospective donors. In the past three years, working closely with private donors, we have
added several new privately endowed professorships (approximately $1 million in gifts) to
support the recruitment and retention of outstanding faculty and their research.
ENROLLMENT MANAGEMENT (ENROLLMENT AND REVENUE GROWTH)
The major source of revenue for most universities, including FGCU, however, is derived from
tuition. All regional universities are in a competition for students, especially non-discounted
students. At UTPB we have increased revenues by building enrollment by developing high-
quality (accredited) and industry and community-aligned programs (Aerospace Engineering
and Nursing, for example) that are accessible not only to traditional students but to working
adults, first-generation students, and those students who come from historically
underrepresented, but growing, college populations, especially Latinos. In addition, as I have
done at UTB and MUW, as Provost of UTPB we have created articulation agreements with
community colleges to establish seamless pipelines through which college students can
transfer to our university. In addition, we have forged collaborative partnerships with other
four-year universities, including UT Health Sciences Center-Houston School of Public Health
and Texas Tech University Health Science Center. Like FGCU we believe that these
partnerships and interactions with other institutions not only will lead to enrollment growth
and opportunities for students but will promote program development and collaborative
research and grant opportunities for our faculty.
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Apart from building high-demand accessible programs to attract new students and articulating
efficient pathways for community college transfers, I have considerable experience with
enrollment management strategies to promote enrollment and revenue growth. At MUW we
worked with Noel-Levitz to conceive and implement data-based enrollment management,
financial aid, and retention plans. Additionally, I consulted AACRAO (the national
association of college registrars) to work with the Registrar’s Office to assure the adoption
and implementation of best practices in that important office. At UTPB I oversee the Office
of Admissions and the Office of Financial Aid and am introducing an enrollment revenue
management system to more efficiently and effectively leverage student financial awards to
build enrollment and maximize revenues. In addition, we have implemented student retention
programs and interventions (discussed below) to keep more students enrolled. These efforts
have proven successful: in the past two years, the student headcount and semester credit
hours at UTPB each have increased by nearly twenty percent.
FACULTY AND STAFF DEVELOPMENT
Recruiting and retaining high-quality faculty and staff are essential to FGCU’s strategic pillar
of Emerging Pre-eminence. The academic quality and reputation of any college or university
is dependent upon its faculty and staff. As a department chair, dean, and provost I have
demonstrated a commitment to recruit, develop, support, and retain a high-quality and diverse
faculty and staff. At UTB I was responsible for the evaluation and assuring the success of
130 full-time faculty members. In Brownsville, we instituted a faculty-driven, comprehensive
and transparent system of faculty evaluation and feedback in which faculty performance was
measured based upon written personnel action guidelines and criteria that were
departmentally developed. These guidelines articulated fair, reasonable, and transparent
tenure, promotion, and exceptional merit policies and are an integral part of the College of
Liberal Arts Faculty Manual, which was produced during my tenure as dean. To further
support junior faculty, we created a faculty peer mentoring system that paired junior faculty
with more seasoned colleagues. My advocacy of the faculty has been unwavering and
continued at MUW. Apart from supporting pay raises for faculty, I continued my support of
faculty development by instituting a New Faculty Academy, and provided exciting leadership
opportunities for faculty by establishing Provost Fellowships in areas that were crucial to the
university, including Teaching and Learning Innovation, Scholarly and Creative Engagement,
and Global Engagement. Finally, to support the faculty and the teaching mission of the
university we completed a plan for a Center for Teaching and Learning to assist faculty in
infusing best pedagogical practices into teaching and the integration of technology into the
curriculum. At UTPB, under my leadership, we instituted new faculty symposia, department
chairs workshops, have begun discussions on the development of a Center for Teaching and
Learning Innovation. Additionally, I have authored the institution’s first Academic Affairs
Handbook. Furthermore, I have personally supported faculty research by co-authoring and
submitting UTPB’s first and second successfully funded UT System STARs faculty grants
($250,000 each) to recruit world-class faculty to campus. My concern for the development of
Academic Affairs’ employees extends beyond the faculty. At MUW, I instituted “Tech
Tuesdays” to provide academic staff with opportunities to enhance their technical and
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administrative skills which not only assists administrative efficiency but importantly validated
and rewarded their hard work and commitment to the university.
STUDENT ENGAGEMENT AND SUCCESS
The ultimate success of any institution, including FGCU, is measured by the success of its
students, and my teaching and administrative career have been and are dedicated to assuring
that success. During my tenure at MUW we created the Student Success Office to improve
student retention and graduation rates. At UTPB, under my leadership, we have engaged the
Education Advisory Board’s Student Success Collaborative Platform which has enabled us to
begin using data and predictive analytics to understand student attrition and institute effective
strategies and interventions to promote student success. In addition, we have undertaken a
reevaluation of our scholarship and financial aid awarding system to assure we are not only
effectively using these resources but are providing students with appropriate levels of aid that
can fill financial gaps that prevent some students from persisting. Also, to help make college
more affordable for students, I initiated the S.A.V.E. Textbook Initiative which sponsors the
production of UTPB faculty-authored, online and open source-based text books for students.
In addition, we have encouraged the development of high-impact teaching practices (HIPS)
like service learning (discussed below), undergraduate research, study abroad, and first year
seminars that engage students with the each other and with the wider university community.
Finally, I conceived and designed a student success mobile application (app), Falconnect,
(already licensed and in development) that will connect students (through their smartphones
and other devices) to the campus people and resources they need to by engaged and
successful. These efforts, along with those of our Student Success Office, have resulted in
record-setting retention and four and six-year retention rates. Of course, the ultimate
determinant of student success is whether graduates become employed in rewarding
professions. To promote the professional success of our graduates we are instilling in
students of all programs a sense of entrepreneurism by articulating “marketable skills” in
every program of study. All UTPB students, whether they are majors in Engineering,
Business, Nursing, the Humanities, or Social Sciences, will be able to articulate the
transferrable (employer-desired) skills they acquired in their programs. In this way, our
graduates will become effective marketers of themselves and entrepreneurs of their own
success. Our student success initiatives have worked. Not only are student retention and
graduation rates increasing, but during my tenure as Provost, UTPB ranks first in the UT
System and third among the forty universities and colleges in Texas for graduates who receive
a job (on average higher paying than those of recent graduates from UT Austin) in their field
and/or go on to graduate or professional school within six months after graduation.
STUDENT LIFE ENRICHMENT
Like FGCU, UTPB is a relatively young university that continues to develop its student life
activities to provide students with a holistic and enriching educational experience that
promotes student retention and graduation and overall satisfaction with their
university/college experience. I have taken an enthusiastically active role in this
development. This fall we brought on line our first traditional residence and dining hall
which will further nurture our emerging sense of community. As an avid sports enthusiast, I
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was particularly gratified this fall as we launched the start of Division II football at UTPB.
Along with football, under my leadership, we have developed a wide array of student-
centered activities (including our first fall Homecoming) to promote school spirit and a sense
of unity among campus and community stakeholders.
COMMUNITY COLLABORATION AND IMPACT
I also have a proven record of collaboration with campus and local constituencies which is
essential to building and leading a strong organization and fostering a strong sense of
community. During my tenure as dean at UTB my connection with students was maintained
not only by my continued teaching but through the College of Liberal Arts Student
Leadership Advisory Council that I created and convened. At MUW I encouraged broad
participation and communication on campus through the creation of the Deans’ and Chairs’
Council and by the inception of an Academic Affairs newsletter which I have replicated at
UTPB. Above all, I have worked with and continue to work closely and collaboratively with
the Student Government Association, the Faculty Senate, and the Staff Senate. Just as FGCU
seeks to be a “convener, catalyst, and partner to the region” much of my work has focused on
establishing positive and impactful relationships with the local communities. Along with
being an active Rotarian, I have developed and work(ed) with college advisory boards
composed of local business, civic, educational, and governmental professionals which not
only provide stakeholders with a voice in the future of the college but also assist with
fundraising for scholarships, endowed chairs, and other college needs. Perhaps no
collaborative relationship has been more impactful than encouraging students to engage with
their local community through service-learning. As dean of the UTB College of Liberal Arts
the number of Service Learning courses increased from almost none to 192 sections (Fall
2011) accounting for 71 percent of all such courses offered by the university enabling UTB to
acquire the Carnegie recognition as a community-engaged campus.
DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION
All communities are strengthened by supporting the tenets of diversity and inclusion. As
department chair, dean, and provost I have made it a priority to create and nurture a diverse
and inclusive workplace and community. At MUW, for example, in my role as provost I
served as the institution’s Chief Diversity Officer and completed the MUW Diversity Plan
which included measures to enhance student, faculty, and staff diversity. At UTPB,
meanwhile, apart from conducting a Gender Equity Study which resulted in adjusting the
salaries of women whose salaries were markedly lower those of their male peers, we have
instituted the “Opportunity Rule” which ensures that at least one qualified applicant from an
underrepresented group will come to campus for an interview for an advertised administrative
position. Finally, I created and convene the International Student Task Force which aims to
inform the university community about the special needs and concerns of our growing
international student population. These efforts have enhanced diversity, opportunity, and
inclusion on our campus.
PERSONAL QUALITIES (LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT STYLE)
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Finally, I would bring to your campus community an energetic, collaborative, highly
transparent, efficient, and collegial administration style. I believe that I possess highly
developed communication, interpersonal, managerial, and motivational skills along with a
common-sense, fair-minded, and good-humored approach to work. My personal and
leadership qualities are illustrated formally by a very positive rating that I received from an
evaluation of UTB administrators that was undertaken by the Academic Senate and, above all,
by the words of my former and current colleagues and references.
In summary, I believe that my qualifications, experience, and interests are consistent with the
desired professional characteristics and personal qualities indicated for the Presidency of
Florida Gulf Coast University. I would find the opportunity to further discuss with you my
candidacy for this position most appealing, indeed.
Finally, I wish to thank you for your time in considering my application.
Yours most warmly,
Daniel Heimmermann
Daniel Heimmermann, Ph.D.
Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs
The University of Texas of the Permian Basin
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CURRICULUM VITAE
Daniel Joseph Heimmermann
Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs
The University of Texas of the Permian Basin
CONTACT INFORMATION CONTACT INFORMATION
2108 Deeanna Lane 4901 E. University Drive
Midland, Texas 79707 Odessa, Texas 79762-0001
(662) 574-4141 MB 4218 F
[email protected] (432) 552-2111
EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND
Ph.D. Marquette University, 1994
Major Field: Early-Modern European History (France)
M.A. Marquette University, 1989
Major Field: Early Modern European History
B.A. University of Wisconsin-
Oshkosh, Wisconsin, 1987
Majors: History and Spanish
magna cum laude
Other Training/Proficiencies
French Language Training, Eurocentre Paris, France (Summer 1990)
Academic Leadership Training, University of Texas System Leadership Institute (Fall
2008)
Language Proficiencies: English, Spanish, French
ADMINISTRATIVE EXPERIENCE
2014-P Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs
The University of Texas of the Permian Basin (UTPB)
The University of Texas of the Permian Basin (UTPB) is a regional comprehensive master’s
degree-granting and Hispanic serving institution, part of The University of Texas System,
enrolling approximately 7,000 students.
Responsibilities:
Provide leadership, strategic vision, and direction for all academic and student service areas,
including four colleges (Arts and Sciences, Business and Engineering, Education, Nursing), six
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research and public institutes and centers (Center for Early Childhood Studies, John Ben
Sheppard Public Leadership Institute, Ingenuity Century, Center for Energy and Economic
Diversification, Small Business Development Center, Roden Entrepreneurial Development
Center, High Temperature Teaching and Test Reactor Project--HT3R), Graduate Studies,
Dunagan Library, Research and Sponsored Programs, Institutional Effectiveness and Research,
REACH (Online Learning) Office, Student Success Office, Admissions, Registrar, Financial
Aid, Student Affairs, and Student Housing. Provide support for the UTPB STEM Charter
Academy, UPTB Early College High School, and UTPB Dual Credit Academy. Assure the
quality and integrity of the University’s 40 academic majors and concentrations and over one
dozen graduate degree programs. Recruit, support, and evaluate the Vice Presidents, deans, and
directors, along with 350 faculty and staff. Provide leadership on UTPB budgetary matters ($80
million), faculty and staff evaluation and professional development, and in all academic program
accreditation matters. Serve as University’s lead strategic planner and as the liaison to the
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). Prepare reports for University of Texas
System (UTS), the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) and other agencies,
and serve on the Council of Provosts at the University of Texas System. Serve as the chief
administrative officer in the absence of the President.
Major Accomplishments:
Student Engagement and Success:
20 percent increase in enrollment to nearly 7,000 students (highest in history) in past
three years (2014-2016)
20 percent increase in semester credit hours (highest in history) in past three years (2014-
2016)
Student retention and graduate rates highest in history (2016)
Highest percentage of graduate job placement in UT System (3rd
highest in Texas)
Student Success Collaborative Platform Implementation (2016)
Student Success App (Falconnect) Designer (in development)
S.A.V.E. Textbook Initiative (faculty-authored, open source-based textbooks)
Affordable Tuition (lower third in state)
Academic Program Development/Excellence:
College of Nursing (2016) established
Aerospace Engineering Program (2016)
RN to BSN Program (2016)
Fast Track Teacher Certification Program ($1,800 program)
Early Child Education Center (2015)
Ingenuity Center (2015) established
FFLITE Program (Future Falcon Leaders in Teacher Education) to promote education
careers in high school students
West Texas Teacher Residency Program (mentorship program for new teachers)
Dual Credit/Early College High School Handbook
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Revision and Strengthening of Graduate Admission Standards
US News and World Report Top Regional University
US News and World Report Best Online Bachelor’s Programs (2016)
US News and World Report Top Online Programs (Best in Communication)
Accreditation:
SACS Fifth Year Interim Report (2016)
ABET (Petroleum Engineering) Accreditation (2015)
AACSB (Business) Reaccreditation (2016)
CCNE (Nursing) Accreditation (2015)
CAATE (Athletic Training) Accreditation (2015)
Texas Board of Nursing Approval for Nursing Program (2016)
Academic Innovation:
Competency-Based Learning Program Development in Petroleum
Technology/Engineering (ongoing)
MOOC Course Development--Introduction to Sociology (13,000 students) in
collaboration with EdX (Spring and Fall 2016).
Social Media--Conceived Position and Hired University Social Media Coordinator
Student Success App (Falconnect) Designer (in development)
Falcon Faces (High-Impacting Engaged Students Focus)
UTPB Distance Education Policy (author)
Implementation of Canvas Learning Management System (2016)
US News and World Report Best Online Bachelor’s Programs (2016)
External Funding/Fiscal Management:
Funded Research Received (2015-16) of $7 million from agencies such as the U.S.
Department of Education, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, American Council on
Education, National Science Foundation, National Endowment for the Humanities, Texas
Higher Education Coordinating Board, Texas Education Association.
THECB Nursing Reduction Grants 2014, 2015, 2016 ($600,000)
Midland Development Corporation ($600,000) for Aerospace Engineering
Academic Endowments (Professorships and Fellowships) from private funders
established in Petroleum Engineering, Neurobiology, and General
State Funding Received for New Engineering Building ($52 million) 2016
State Funding for Kinesiology Building ($13 million) 2016
Cost Containment Savings FY 17 ($911,648)
UT System Rising STARs Grants (2) ($505,000) first ones ever received by UTPB
(2016) to recruit outstanding faculty
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Community Outreach/External Collaboration:
West Texas Community College Articulation Agreements
Articulation Agreements with Universidad Autónoma de Chihuahua
Articulation Agreement with JNTUK India
UT Health Science—Houston (Public Health Program)
Diversity and Inclusion/Faculty/Staff Recruitment:
Gender Equity Study and Salary Adjustments (2015-16)
Instituted Opportunity Rule (2016)
International Student Task Force (2016)
Chaired Successful Vice President for Business Affairs Search (2015)
Chaired Successful Chief Information Officer Search (2015)
Hired Dean of Arts and Science (2015)
Other Administrative Accomplishments:
Handbook of Operating Procedures Revision
Revision of Faculty Annual Review, Tenure and Promotion Guidelines
Academic Affairs Handbook
Revised University Mission and Vision Statements
UTPB Academic Affairs Digest Created
2012-2014 Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs
Mississippi University for Women (MUW)
Mississippi University for Women (MUW) is a co-educational liberal arts doctoral degree
granting university that enrolls approximately 3,000 students.
Responsibilities:
Provided leadership, strategic vision, direction for the offices and programs of five colleges (Arts
and Sciences, Business and Professional Studies, Education and Human Sciences, Nursing and
Speech-Language Pathology, and Honors), the Culinary Institute, the Library, the Center for
Academic Excellence, the Registrar, the Center for Creative Learning, the Center for Outreach
and Innovation (Continuing Education), Study Abroad, Mississippi Governor’s School, and
Graduate Studies, and the Office of Sponsored Programs. Assure the quality and integrity of the
University’s more than forty academic majors and concentrations, nearly one dozen graduate
degrees including its doctorate in Nursing Practice. Recruit, support, supervise, and evaluate the
Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs, the deans and directors, along with 250 faculty
and staff. Prepare and manage the Academic Affairs budget and prepare reports for the
Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning (IHL) Board of Trustees and other agencies and
serve on the Council of Chief Academic Officers of the IHL Board of Trustees. Assist the Office
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of Student Affairs in recruitment and orientation planning and programs. Serve as the chief
administrative officer in the absence of the President.
Major Accomplishments:
Student Engagement and Success:
Student Success Center (created)
Center for Teaching and Learning Planning Document
Retention Plan Development with Noel Levitz
American Mock Trial Team
Study Abroad Program (Alicante, Spain)
Academic Program Development/Excellence:
Doctorate in Nursing Practice (DNP) Implementation (2012)
Master of Arts in Women’s Leadership
Implementation of Master of Science in Global Commerce
Women’s Studies Major Implementation
US News and World Report Top Regional Master’s University in the South (2013)
Washington Monthly Best Value in Higher Education (2013)
Accreditation:
SACSCOC 10-Year Reaccreditation (2014)
SACSCOC Quality Enhancement Plan
NCATE Reaffirmation (2013)
NASAD Reaffirmation (2013)
Academic Innovation:
Introduction of Year-Around Academic Calendar including Three Intersessions (August,
January, May)
Distance Education Handbook
Diversity and Inclusion:
MUW Diversity Enhancement Document (authored)
Served as Chief Diversity Officer
External Funding:
From 2012-13 25 grants totaling more than $4,183,481 from agencies such as NIH, U.S.
Department of Education, NASA, State of Mississippi, Blue Cross/Blue Shield
Foundation, Appalachian Regional Commission, Hearin Foundation
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J.C. Fant Memorial Library Renovation
Faculty/Staff Development/Support:
MUW Academic Affairs Newsletter
Academic Affairs Handbook of Operating Procedures
New Faculty Academy (Faculty Development)
Provost Fellowship in Teaching and Learning Innovation
Provost Fellowship in Global Engagement
Provost Fellowship in Scholarly and Creative Engagement
Tech Tuesdays (staff development)
External Partnerships/Community Outreach:
Creation of the Office of Outreach and Innovation
Culinary Partnership (2 plus 2 agreement) with Hinds Community College, East
Mississippi Community College, East Central Community College, Mississippi Gulf
Coast Community College
University Management:
Annual Program Productivity Review
Five Year Program Review Process
AACRAO Evaluation of the Office of the Registrar
Office of Sponsored Programs Handbook
2008-2012 Dean of the College of Liberal Arts
The University of Texas-Brownsville (UTB) presently known as The
University of Texas of the Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV)
Part of the University of Texas System, The University of Texas-Brownsville (UTB) was a
baccalaureate, masters, and doctoral degree conferring institution that enrolled over 15,000
students and served large numbers of minority and non-traditional learners
Responsibilities:
Provided leadership, strategic vision, direction, and assured quality of all academic programs and
faculty in the College of Liberal Arts -- the largest and most diverse of the six colleges and
schools that comprise the University, generating 44 percent of the University’s semester credit
hours (over 50,000 each semester), accounting for 35 percent of declared majors (3,426
students), and conferring 36 percent the institution’s undergraduate degrees. The disciplines
represented in the College of Liberal Arts included the traditional humanities (English, History,
Modern Languages, Visual Arts, and Music), the social sciences (Anthropology,
Communication, Psychology, Sociology, Social Work, Criminal Justice, and Government), as
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well as innovative programs in Criminal Forensic Investigation and Architecture. The College
offered more than 25 programs of study and nearly one dozen graduate degrees. Led academic
budget and staffing plans for the college which consists of $10 million annually. Recruited and
evaluated nine department chairs, two assistant deans, 130 full-time tenured and tenure-track
faculty and twenty staff persons.
Major Accomplishments:
Academic Program Development/Excellence:
Developed a University Honors Program
Developed new undergraduate programs in Architecture, Border Studies, Spanish
Translation and Interpreting, and Multidisciplinary Studies
Developed graduate programs Psychology and Spanish Translation and Interpreting
(online)
Senior Capstone/Experience Initiation
Writing Across the Curriculum Program
Created Autonomous Departments of Communication, English, Music, and Visual Arts.
Initiated Center of Excellence -- Texas Center for Border and Transnational Studies
Accreditation:
NASM (Music) reaccreditation
NASAD (Art) reaccreditation
Academic Innovation:
Online Master’s Degree in Psychology
Online Spanish Translation and Interpreting (only one of three program in US)
Redesigned College of Liberal Arts Webpage
Faculty/Staff Development/Support:
Developed College of Liberal Arts Faculty Handbook
Developed Written Guidelines for Tenure, Promotion, and Merit as well as Pathway
Toward Tenure Document
Instituted Faculty Mentorship Program
Strategic Planning:
Developed and implemented College of Liberal Arts Strategic Plan, 2010-2015
External Funding:
Acquired more than $1.5 million in external funding (2008-2011)
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NIH P-20 Center of Excellence for Diabetes in Americans of Mexican Descent (with UT-
HSC) $799,320)
Department of Homeland Security ($250,000)
Department of Education Grant ($300,000) from the fund for the Improvement of -
Postsecondary Education (FIPSE) to implement a fully online master’s degree in
Translation and Interpreting
Ford Foundation (Difficult Dialogues) $100,000
Institute of Museum and Library Services Grant-- $100,000 “Planning for the
Development of a Border Studies Resource Center
Humanities Texas Grant Los del Valle (13,896)
Humanities Texas Grant Sabal Palms Writing Project $167,000
Humanities Texas Grant (International Writers Symposium) $1,390 (2010)
Texas Women for the Arts Grant for $45,000 (2011)
National Park Service Grant ($26,000) Landscape Inventory of Fort Brown (2011)
National Endowment for the Arts ($10,000) Challenge America Fast Track Grant (2010)
J.P. Morgan Chase Foundation ($20,000) for Music Outreach Programs (2010)
Public Welfare Foundation ($5,000) for UTB Music Academy (2010)
Spaw Glass Endowment ($25,000) for Architecture (2010)
Private donor ($20,000) for History scholarships (2010)
Student Engagement and Success:
Service Learning: Service Learning courses increased from almost none to 192
sections (Fall 2011) accounting for 71 percent of all such courses offered by the
University enabling UTB to acquire the Carnegie recognition as a community-engaged
campus.
Created College of Liberal Arts Student Leadership Advisory Council
External Partnerships and Outreach:
Collaborative Partnerships with Herzen State Pedagogical University in St. Petersburg,
Russia.
Collaborative Partnership with The University of Texas Pan American (Joint
undergraduate and graduate degrees in Social Work)
Collaborative Partnership with South Texas College (Articulation Agreements with all
CLA Programs of Studies)
Collaborative Partnership with Texas Forensic Science Academy Consortium -- Texas
Engineering Extension Service
Collaborative Partnership with Gulf Coast Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit
Collaborative Partnership with Mission (TX) Independent School District Graduate
English Cohort.
Collaborative Partnership with Texas Engineering Extension Services (Forensic
Investigation)
Collaborative Partnership with Gulf Coast –Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit
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Collaborative Partnership with the National Park Service
Collaborative Partnership with Off Campus University (Harlingen, TX)
Collaborative Partnerships with Local Cities
2002-2008 Chair of the Department of History and Political Science
The University of North Alabama (UNA)
The University of North Alabama (UNA) is a comprehensive regional master’s degree-granting
institution that enrolls approximately 8,000 students.
Responsibilities:
Led all aspects of administering an academic department that offered undergraduate and graduate
degrees in history, political science, women’s studies, religion and philosophy including the
evaluation of faculty and staff. Provided strategic vision and direction for the department which
during my tenure as chair became renowned for its high-quality teaching and its scholarly
productivity. Directed efforts to infuse technology into the classroom and initiated the
development of online and hybrid teaching within UNA’s History Department.
Major Accomplishments:
Developed Masters of Arts in History Degree Program
Developed Multidisciplinary Certification Degrees in History and Social Sciences
Developed and Initiated Peer Teaching Review of Probationary Faculty
Developed and Published The Past Times departmental newsletter
Tennessee Valley High School History Scholarship Competition
ACADEMIC RANK APPOINTMENTS/EXPERIENCE
2014-P Professor of History, Department of History
University of Texas of the Permian Basin
2012-14 Professor of History, Department of History
Mississippi University for Women
2008-2012 Professor of History, Department of History,
University of Texas at Brownsville
2006-2008 Professor of History, Department of History and Political Science,
University of North Alabama
2002-2006 Associate Professor of History, Department of History and Political Science,
University of North Alabama
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1994-2001 Assistant Professor of History, Department of History and Political Science,
University of North Alabama
1993-1994 Instructor of History, Department of History, Cardinal Stritch University
1993-1994 Archival Assistant, Marquette University
1992-1993 Teaching Fellow, Department of History, Marquette University
1991-1992 Doctoral Research (Smith Fellowship), Paris and Bordeaux, France
1988-1991 Teaching Assistance, Department of History, Marquette University
1987-1988 Research Assistant, Department of History, Marquette University
ACADEMIC COURSES TAUGHT
Renaissance and Reformation Europe
Early-Modern Europe
Early-Modern European Popular Culture
French Revolution and the Napoleonic Era
Graduate Seminars in European History
Western Civilization to 1648
Western Civilization since 1648
World Civilization to 1500
World Civilization since 1500
Undergraduate Independent Study Courses
Graduate Independent Study Courses
UNA 101 Freshman Seminar
UTPB Freshman Experience Seminar
AWARDS AND HONORS
2010 Teaching Excellence Award, Alpha Lambda Delta (Freshman Honor Society), 2000.
2008 University of Texas System Leadership Institute Completion Certification
2003 College of Arts and Sciences (UNA) Research Grant
2002 Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society Member
2001 College of Arts and Sciences (UNA) Research Grant
2000 1999 College of Arts and Sciences (UNA) Research Grant
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1998 College of Arts and Sciences (UNA) Research Grant
1992 Teaching Fellowship (Marquette University)
1991 Smith Family Research Fellowship
1991 Teaching Assistantship (Marquette University)
1990 Teaching Assistantship (Marquette University)
1989 Teaching Assistantship (Marquette University)
1988 Research Assistantship, Marquette University, 1987-1988
1987 Phi Alpha Theta (past chapter president and current member)
UNIVERSITY SERVICE (UTPB)
Executive Council
Administrative Council
Academic Council (chair)
Deans’ Council (chair)
SACSCOC Committee (chair)
University Budget and Planning Committee (chair)
Handbook of Operating Procedures Committee (chair)
Enrollment Management Committee
International Student Task Force
Marketing and Communication Committee
Athletics Committee
Compliance Committee
PeopleSoft Implementation Committee
Change in Innovation Lab (American Council of Education), chair
University of Texas System Provost Council
Search Committee Chair, Vice President for Business Affairs
Search Committee Chair, Chief Information Officer
Search Committee, Director of Human Resources
LEAP Texas Member
Higher Education Regional Council (HERC—West Texas)
UNIVERSITY SERVICE (MUW)
President’s Cabinet
Administrative Council
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Academic Council (chair)
SACSCOC Steering Committee
Interim Chief Diversity Officer
Retention Task Force
Enrollment Management Task Force
Emergency Management Team
Graduate Council (ex officio)
Undergraduate Curriculum Committee (ex officio)
General Education Curriculum Committee (ex officio)
Teacher Education Council.(ex officio)
UNIVERSITY SERVICE (UTB)
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) Standards Committee (2010-P)
Foundations of Excellence (a comprehensive study of the first year) Steering Committee
Brownsville Early College High School Steering Committee
Graduate Council (Curriculum Committee)
Undergraduate Curriculum Committee
General Education Assessment Committee
Deans’ Council
Dual Enrollment Task Force
University Council
P-16 Council
Academic Senate
Chair, Resource Generation and Cost Containment Task Force: Educational Services
(Spring 2010-Present)
Search Committee Chair, Dean of the University College
Search Committee for the Dean of the School of Business
Search Committee for Dean of the College of Science, Math, Technology and
Engineering
Search Committee for the Associate Vice President of Development
UNIVERSITY SERVICE (UNA)
SACS Reaccreditation Steering Committee (2001-2002)
Presidential Budget Advisory Committee
Teacher’s Education Committee
Academic Affairs Committee
Phi Kappa Phi Scholarship Committee
Distance Learning Advisory Committee
Graduate Faculty Committee
Campus Catholic Student Organization (sponsor)
Academic Resource Center (advisor)
Alpha Tao Omega Fraternity (member and sponsor)
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Tennessee Valley Historical Society High School History Competition (organizer)
SOAR (adviser)
UNA Nights (participant)
History Club Sponsor
PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS/HONOR SOCIETIES
American Historical Association
Western Society for French History
Society for French Historical Studies
Consortium on the Revolutionary Era
Phi Alpha Theta (History Honor Society)
Phi Kappa Phi (Academic Honor Society)
Alpha Lambda Delta (Freshman Honor Society)
SCHOLARLY ACTIVITIES
Research Areas:
Early-Modern France: Economic, Social, and Cultural History (Preindustrial Labor)
Archival Research:
Archives Nationales (Paris, France)
Biblithèque Nationale (Paris, France)
Archives Départementales de la Gironde (Bordeaux, France)
Archives Municipales de Bordeaux (Bordeaux, France)
Selected Scholarly Publications
Book:
Work, Regulation, and Identity in Provincial France. Palgrave Macmillan, 2014.
Peer-Reviewed Articles and Reviews:
“The Leather Trades in Old and New Regime Bordeaux, 1770-1815,” Selected Paper of the 2006
Consortium on Revolutionary Era, 1750-1850 (2007): 43-54
“The Bordeaux Shoemaker’s Guild at the End of the Old Regime,” Selected Papers of the 2001
Consortium on Revolutionary Europe, 1750-1850 (2003): 211-219.
“The Development of the Manufactures Royales: The Case of the French Leather Industry,”
Selected Papers of the 2000 Consortium on Revolutionary Europe (2000): 1-10.
“The Old Regime Fiscal System and the Decline of the French Tanning Industry, 1759-1791,”
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Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the Western Society for French History 26(1999): 173-
183.
“The Guilds of Bordeaux, les métiers libres and the sauvetats of Saint-André and Saint-Seurin,”
Selected Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the Western Society for French History 25(1998):
24-35.
“Crisis and Protest in the Guilds of Eighteenth Century France: The Example of the Bordeaux
Leather Trades,” Selected Proceedings of the Western Society for French History, 23(1996):
431-441.
Jacob, Margaret, Strangers Nowhere in the World: The Rise of Cosmopolitanism in Early-
Modern Europe. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2006. Review in Choice,
2006.
Goldsmith, James Lowith. Lordship in France, 1500-1789. P. Lang, 2005. Review in Choice,
2006.
Choudhury, Mita, Convents and Nuns in Eighteenth-Century French Politics and Culture.
Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 2004. Review in Choice, 2004.
Unger, Harlow Giles. Lafayette. Wiley, 2002. Review in Choice, 2003.
Hurt, John, Louis XIV and the Parlements: The Assertion of Royal Authority. Manchester,
2002. Review in Choice, 2002.
Treasure, Geoffrey, Louis XIV. Longman, 2001. Review in Choice, 2002.
Doyle, William, ed., Old Regime France, 1648-1788. Oxford, 2001. Review in Choice, 2002.
Fontaine, Laurence, History of Peddlers in Europe, Duke, 1996 for H-France Book and
Multimedia Reviews, 2001.
Cannistraro, Philip, The Western Perspective: A History of Civilization in the West. Vol. B
1300-1815. Reveiw for Harcourt Brace, 1999.
Whatmore, Republicanism and the French Revolution: an intellectual history of Jean-Baptiste
Say's political economy , Oxford, 2001. Review in Choice, 2001.
David Andress, Massacre at the Champ de Mars: Popular Dissent and Political Culture in the
French Revolution, 2001. Review in Choice, 2001.
Peter McPhee, Revolution and Environment in Southern France: Peasants, Lords and Murder in
the Corbières 1780-1830. 1998. Review in Choice, 1998.
John Markoff, The Abolition of Feudalism, 1997. Review in Choice, 1998.
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Emmanuel Le Roy Ladurie, The Ancien Regime: A History of France, 1661-1774, 1997. Review
in Choice, 1997.
Geoffrey Treasure, Mazarin: The Crisis of French Absolutism, 1997). Review in Choice, 1997.
Diana Hacker, A Pocket Style Manual, 1997. Review for St. Martin’s Press, 1997.
Philip J. Adler, World Civilizations, 1996 editor for Thomson and Wadsworth Publishers
Yves-Marie Bercé. The Birth of Absolutism: A History of France, 1598-1661, 1996. Review for
Choice, 1996.
Selected Scholarly Presentations
“Skill, Status, and Identity in the Eighteenth-Century French Trades,” Consortium on the
Revolutionary Era, Charleston, South Carolina, February 25-27, 2010.
“The Manufacturing Trades in Old and New Regime Bordeaux,” Consortium on the
Revolutionary Era, Atlanta, Georgia, March 2-4, 2006.
“The Guilds Reconsidered,” Western Society for French History Thirty-Third Annual
Conference, Colorado Springs Colorado, October 27-29, 2005.
"The Bordeaux Shoemaker's Guild and the End of the Old Regime," Consortium on
Revolutionary Europe Annual Conference, Auburn Alabama, February 2001.
"The Development of the manufactures royales: The Example of the French Leather Industry,"
Consortium on Revolutionary Europe Annual Conference, Huntsville, Alabama, March, 2000.
"The Old Regime Fiscal System and the Destruction of the French Tanning Industry, 1759-
1791." Western Society for French History 26th Annual Conference, Boston, Massachusetts,
November 4-7, 1998.
“The Bordeaux Guilds and Their Discontents on the Eve of the French Revolution." Presented
to Graduate Students and Faculty at the University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, February 13, 1998.
"The Guilds of Bordeaux, les métiers libres, and the sauvetats of Saint-André and Saint-Seurin,"
Western Society for French History 25th Annual Conference, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada,
October 15-18, 1997.
"The 'Blackest of Treasons': Strife Among Masters Inside the Leather Guilds of Eighteenth-
Century Bordeaux," Society for French Historical Studies 43rd Annual Meeting, Lexington, KY,
March 20-22, 1997.
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"Leather, Compagnonnages, and Worker's 'Rights' in the Work Place of Old Regime Bordeaux."
Western Society for French History 24th Annual Conference, Charlotte, North Carolina, October
30--November 2, 1996.
"Crisis and Protest in the Guilds of Eighteenth-Century France: The Example of the Bordeaux
Leather Trades." Western Society for French History 23rd Annual Conference, University of
Nevada-Las Vegas, November 8-11, 1995.
"Independent and Insolent Leather Workers: 'Labor-Management Disputes' in the Leather Trades
of Eighteenth-Century Bordeaux." Conference in History of the Post-Modern Era, University of
Wisconsin-Oshkosh, September 20-22, 1994.
Manuscript Reviewer
French Historical Studies (current)
REFERENCES
Comprehensive list available upon request
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