Bold Inspiration in Higher Education: Why I Do What I Do

In conjunction with the Inauguration of Dr. Debbie Cottrell, 16th President of Texas Lutheran University, this discussion is centered around choices, callings, pathways, and journeys. As an educator, President Cottrell has long considered—and experienced—the twists and turns that constitute a career. More importantly, she has often reflected on how we learn and participate in the process of calling and vocation and find the best ways to align our passions with what is needed in the world.

Each participant on this panel has made significant contributions to higher education, has intertwined leadership and service, has been guided by a sense of purpose, has experienced remarkable success, and has, of course, also known failure. In addition, each participant has had a personal connection to President Cottrell that has inspired her, motivated her, and reminded her of the critical importance of the connections with others that give meaning to one’s life and work. Individually and collectively, our panelists today represent bold inspiration at its best.

The hope for this hour is that you, too, will glimpse the generous humanity of our panelists, the breadth and depth of their contributions, the ways they have learn and grown as educators, their good humor and wisdom…in ways that will remain with you long after this inauguration weekend is concluded.

Panelists are:

Dr. Donna Carroll, President, Dominican University

Donna M. Carroll is in her 26^th year as president of Dominican University, a comprehensive Catholic university of 3,200 students, located 10 miles west of Chicago. She is the first lay president of the institution, which was founded in 1901 by the Sinsinawa Dominican Sisters. Prior to her appointment at Dominican, Dr. Carroll served as Secretary of the University at Fordham University (NYC), and Sr. Vice President, Dean of the College, and Dean of Students at Mount Vernon College in Washington, D.C. Dr. Carroll has presided over a period of tremendous and sustained growth at Dominican University—in size, quality, and complexity. Named one of 20 Chicago “Women to Watch” by Crain’s Chicago Business, Dr. Carroll also has been identified as one of the “100 Women of Influence” by Today’s Chicago Woman, a Chicago Tribune “Remarkable Woman,” and was listed among the top ten women in education by the Chicago Sun-Times. An outspoken advocate for immigration reform and the rights of undocumented students, Dr. Carroll has received both the “Strangers No Longer” Award from the Archdiocese of Chicago and the “Moral Courage” Award from Faith in Public Life. Dr. Carroll currently serves on the boards of Fordham University, Interfaith Youth Core, Cristo Rey Jesuit High School, and The HistoryMakers. Dr. Carroll received her bachelor’s degree in English from Wellesley College and master and doctoral degrees in higher education administration and counseling psychology from the University of Cincinnati. She is a graduate of the Harvard Institute for Educational Management.

Dr. Stacy Cordery, Professor of History, Iowa State University

Dr. Cordery has spent her career studying both women’s history and the history of the U.S. presidency. She is the author of books on Juliette Gordon Low, the founder of the Girl Scouts, and Alice Roosevelt Longworth, daughter of president Theodore Roosevelt, and is currently completing a biography of Elizabeth Arden, the businesswoman who launched a cosmetics empire. As an expert on women’s history, Dr. Cordery has had media appearances on The History Channel, National Public Radio, the Smithsonian Channel, C-SPAN, and CNN. She has served on the Teaching Awards Committee for the American Historical Society, as a book review editor and list editor for H-Women, and as a contributing editor for the Journal of the Gilded Age and Progressive Era. An award-winning teacher, her course offerings include the history of first ladies, biography and history, and history through film. She also developed a curriculum at Iowa State called “History from the Documents Up.” Dr. Cordery holds a bachelor’s degree in theatre from The University of Texas at Austin, and master and doctoral degrees from UT-Austin in history. Prior to her position at Iowa State, she held faculty positions at Monmouth College in Illinois and at East Carolina University.

Dr. Brian Hosmer, H.G. Barnard Associate Professor of Western American History, University of Tulsa

Dr. Hosmer is a scholar of American Indian history, ethnohistory, oral history, environmental history, and popular music. He is the author of Tribal Worlds: Critical Studies in American Indian Nation Building, Native Americans and the Legacy of Harry S Truman, and American Indians in the Marketplace: Persistence and Innovation among the Menominees and Metlakatlans, 1870-1920. Dr. Hosmer is a co-director of the Tulsa University Institute for Bob Dylan Studies and co-editor of a forthcoming book on the world of Bob Dylan. He has served as a consultant for the American Indian Cultural Center and Museum in Oklahoma City, the Tulsa Public Schools, the City of Tulsa, and the United States Department of Justice. External support given to his work includes multiple grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities, as well as funding from the Lannan Foundation, the Academy for Educational Development, and the U.S. Department of Education. Prior to joining the faculty at the University of Tulsa, Dr. Hosmer served as a faculty member at the University of Illinois at Chicago, where he also directed the D’Arcy McNickle Center for American Indian History; at the University of Wyoming; at the University of Delaware; and at the State University of New York, Oswego. Dr. Hosmer holds a bachelor’s degree in history from the University of Vermont and master and doctoral degrees in history from The University of Texas at Austin.

Mr. Bruce King, Assistant to the President for Institutional Diversity and Chief Diversity Officer, St. Olaf College

Mr. King’s career is focused on making higher education in the liberal arts setting accessible, equitable, and transformational in the lives of young people. His areas of expertise include strategic planning and execution, faculty recruitment and retention, Title IX training, training and workshop facilitation, and capital campaign planning. He has been active in a wide-range of higher education organizations, including the Consortium for Faculty Diversity, the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education, and the Liberal Arts Diversity Officer’s Organization. Prior to his position at St. Olaf, Mr. King held positions at The University of South Dakota; Northwest Suburban Integration School District in Maple Grove, Minnesota; Bloomington, Minnesota, Public Schools; Minnesota State Colleges and Universities; Wesleyan University, Carleton College; Lake Forest College; and Hope College. He is a graduate of the Harvard Institute for Educational Management and the Management Development Program at Harvard University. Mr. King holds a bachelor of science degree from Iowa State University and a master of social work from the University of Iowa.

Mr. Ray Martinez, J.D., President, Independent Colleges and Universities of Texas (ICUT)

As the president of ICUT, Mr. Martinez promotes the independent sector of higher education in Texas through a focus on serving the state and federal policy interests of these institutions. His previous experience includes serving as chancellor of WGU Texas, holding senior government relations positions at Rice University and Texas A&M International University, and serving as a chief of staff and general counsel in the Texas Senate. In addition, his federal policy experience includes service in the Clinton Administration as a regional director in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and on the White House staff as deputy assistant to the president for Intergovernmental Affairs. Mr. Martinez also served as a commissioner on the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, upon appointment by President George W. Bush. He has taught at The University of Texas School of Law and the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs, and has published articles in the New York Times, Baltimore Sun, Roll Call, and the Election Law Journal. A native of Alice, Texas, Mr. Martinez holds a bachelor’s degree from Southwestern University and a law degree from the University of Houston Law Center.

The panel will be moderated by Mr. David Legore, professor and chair of dramatic media at Texas Lutheran University. Mr. Legore is a 1991 alumnus of TLU, with a degree in economics. He also holds a master of fine arts degree from the University of South Dakota. He previously served as managing director of the Waco Civic Theatre and marketing director of the Waco Hippodrome Theatre. Mr. Legore has been on the faculty at TLU since 1998, during which time he has served as chair of the Faculty Association, served on the strategic planning task force, served on the Budget Advisory Committee, and chaired the Cultural Activities Committee. He has also directed more than 40 TLU productions; served as playwright, actor, producer and media consultant on numerous external productions; and collaborated with TLU students on more than 50 productions.