Accelerate Faculty

Alverno College is pleased to announce Kevin Casey, Ph.D., dean of the School of Arts and Sciences, is one of a select group of faculty members nationwide chosen by the Council of Independent Colleges (CIC) and the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History to participate in a special American history seminar on “The 20th Century Presidency.” The multidisciplinary seminar for faculty members in history, political science, and related fields will explore characteristics of 20th century presidential leadership, including several individual presidents and their presidencies. From a pool of 77 highly competitive nominations, 30 faculty members were selected to participate in the seminar, which will be held July 23-27, at Stanford University's Anne T. and Robert M. Bass Center in Washington, DC.

In announcing the selection of participants, CIC President Richard Ekman said, “Strengthening the teaching of American history at colleges and universities is of critical importance. This seminar will provide a great opportunity for participating faculty members to gain a better understanding of effective leadership and to explore presidencies within the context of the history known then and now.”

Robert Dallek, professor of history emeritus at UCLA who now teaches at Stanford in Washington, will lead the seminar. He is the author of numerous books, including Camelot's Court: Inside the Kennedy White House; Nixon and Kissinger: Partners in Power; Lyndon B. Johnson, Portrait of a President; the number one New York Times best-seller, An Unfinished Life: John F. Kennedy, 1917-1963; and winner of a Bancroft Prize, Franklin D. Roosevelt and American Foreign Policy, 1932-1945.

Seminar participants will consider presidents' ability to handle domestic and foreign policy leadership as well as personal qualities including vision, charisma, credibility, communication and consensus-building skills. The seminar will focus on the administrations of three 20th century presidents: Franklin D. Roosevelt's presidency will be considered in the context of the Great Depression and World War II, John F. Kennedy's presidency will be reviewed in the context of the Cold War, and Lyndon Johnson's presidency will be discussed in the context of the Great Society and Vietnam.

The seminar is generously funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. For more information, visit the CIC website at cic.edu/AmericanHistory.

Participants in the 2017 CIC-Gilder Lehrman Seminar:

• Michael Bailey, Associate Professor of Government, Berry College (GA)
• Alvin Beggs, Assistant Professor of History, Lourdes University (OH)
• Kevin Casey, Professor of History, Alverno College (WI)
• Roger Chapman, Professor of History, Palm Beach Atlantic University (FL)
• Ann Collins, Associate Professor of Political Science, McKendree University (IL)
• Gerard Fitzpatrick, Professor of Politics, Ursinus College (PA)
• Sean Flynn, Professor of History, Dakota Wesleyan University (SD)
• Tobias Gibson, Associate Professor of Political Science, Westminster College (MO)
• Caleb Goltz, Assistant Professor of Political Science, Hartwick College (NY)
• Lilly Goren, Professor of Religion, Philosophy, and Political Science, Carroll University (WI)
• John Hanley, Assistant Professor of Political Science, Duquesne University (PA)
• Andrea Hatcher, Associate Professor of Politics, Sewanee: The University of the South (TN)
• Preston Jones, Professor of History, John Brown University (AR)
• Craig Kaplowitz, Professor of History, Judson University (IL)
• William Kelly, Assistant Professor of History, Morehouse College (GA)
• Magdalena Krajewska, Assistant Professor of History and Political Science, Wingate University (NC)
• William Leeman, Associate Professor of History, Salve Regina University (RI)
• Brenda Taylor Matthews, Professor of History, Texas Wesleyan University
• Kevin McMahon, Professor of Political Science, Trinity College (CT)
• John Recchiuti, Professor of History, University of Mount Union (OH)
• Wesley Renfron, Associate Professor of Political Science, St. John Fisher College (NY)
• Brian Roberts, Professor of Political Science, Principia College (IL)
• Gregory Shufeldt, Assistant Professor of Political Science, Butler University (IN)
• Erika Smith, Assistant Professor of History, Nichols College (MA)
• Robert Strong, Professor of Politics, Washington and Lee University (VA)
• Robert Surbrug, Associate Professor of History, Bay Path University (MA)
• Sabrina Thomas, Assistant Professor of History, Wabash College (IN)
• Barbara Trish, Professor of Political Science, Grinnell College (IA)
• Mi Yung Yoon, Professor of International Studies, Hanover College (IN)
• Xiaowen Zhang, Associate Professor of Political Science, Augustana College (IL)

The Council of Independent Colleges is an association of 768 nonprofit independent colleges and universities and higher education affiliates and organizations that has worked since 1956 to support college and university leadership, advance institutional excellence, and enhance public understanding of private higher education's contributions to society. CIC is the major national organization that focuses on providing services to leaders of independent colleges and universities as well as conferences, seminars, and other programs that help institutions improve educational quality, administrative and financial performance, and institutional visibility. CIC conducts the largest annual conference of college and university presidents and of chief academic officers. CIC also provides support to state associations that organize programs and generate contributions for their member colleges and universities. The Council is headquartered at One Dupont Circle in Washington, DC. For more information, visit www.cic.edu.

Founded in 1994 by Richard Gilder and Lewis E. Lehrman, the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History is a nonprofit organization devoted to the improvement of history education. The Institute has developed an array of programs for schools, teachers, and students that now operate in all 50 states, including a website that features more than 60,000 unique historical documents in the Gilder Lehrman Collection. Each year the Institute offers support and resources to tens of thousands of teachers, and through them enhances the education of more than a million students. The Institute's programs have been recognized by awards from the White House, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Organization of American Historians.