UDC Takes Major Step in Ambitious Transformation

WASHINGTON, Aug. 18, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- After a nearly year-long national search, the University of the District of Columbia has selected Dr. Ken Bain as the new Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs.  

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Bain currently serves as the Vice Provost for University Learning at Montclair State University in New Jersey, where he has also been a history professor since 2006.  His experience is wide-ranging and encompasses disciplines from the class room to academic management.  He will assume his new position January 1, 2012.

"Ken Bain is the right leader at the right time as we continue moving our university forward," said Dr. Allen L. Sessoms, President of the University of the District of Columbia.  "The renaissance of this great public university will be significantly enhanced with Dr. Bain's dedication to learning, faculty development and student achievement."

Recognized around the world for his scholarship in teaching and research in the mechanics of learning, Bain has been invited to present workshops and lectures at more than 200 universities internationally.  He also has consulted with scores of universities on programs to support the scholarship of teaching and learning.

"I am fascinated with human learning," said Bain, whose research has concentrated on a range of issues, including deep and sustained learning and the creation of natural critical learning environments.  "I am excited to help build a 'culture of learning' within [the University of the District of Columbia], which has, as far as I can see, the greatest potential of any public university in the country."

Bain has been the founding director of four major teaching and learning centers: the Center for Teaching Excellence at New York University, the Searle Center for Teaching Excellence at Northwestern University, the Center for Teaching at Vanderbilt University, and the Research Academy for University Learning at Montclair State.

Bain is the author of the book What the Best College Teachers Do (Harvard Press 2004), which won the 2004 Virginia and Warren Stone Prize.  It has been widely adopted by universities around the world for their faculty development programs, and is one of the top selling books on college education. 

Priorities for Bain include building a "research-based mentality" when it comes to decision-making, developing a commitment to deep learning for students and faculty, fostering creativity across the curriculum, and continuing the University's progress toward outstanding undergraduate and graduate programs.

Bain, 69, grew up in Springfield, MO., earned a B.A. in history and philosophy from Baylor University, an M.A. in history from the University of North Texas, and a Ph.D. in history from the University of Texas at Austin.

An avid historian, particularly fond of U.S. political history, Bain has two children and two grandchildren.  His wife Marsha is President of Best Teachers, LLC, which coordinates education workshops and summer institutes.

As the only urban land-grant institution in the United States, the University of the District of Columbia (www.udc.edu) supports a broad mission of education, research and community service across all member colleges and schools, which include the Community College, College of Agriculture, Urban Sustainability and Environmental Sciences, College Arts and Sciences, School of Business and Public Administration, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, and David A. Clarke School of Law.

The University of the District of Columbia is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action institution. Minorities, women, veterans and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply. For a full version of the University's EO Policy Statement, please visit:  http://www.udc.edu/equal_opportunity.

The University of the District of Columbia is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education

CONTACT: Alan Etter (202) 345-6371

SOURCE University of the District of Columbia