Education
B.A. Stetson University
M.A. The Ohio State University
Ph. D. The Florida State University
Academic Experience:
July 2004 to present, Professor, Department of History and Geography, University of Central Oklahoma; 2008-2010. Faculty Global Competencies Officer, University of Central Oklahoma; July 2000 to July 2004, Dean of the College of Liberal Arts, University of Central Oklahoma; 1990 to 2000. Professor and Chairperson, History Department, Benedictine College, hired as assistant professor, promoted to associate professor, granted tenure, promoted to full professor; 1985-88. Instructor, Wesleyan College, Macon, Georgia.
Other work experience:
1988-90, 1984-85. John Wiley & Sons
1976-84. CBS, Inc.
Published Scholarly Books:
Before the Heroes Came: Antarctica in the 1890s. University of Nebraska Press, 1994. Nominated for the following prizes: Gustave O. Arlt Award presented by the Council of graduate schools, the George Louis Beer Prize presented by the American Historical Association, and the British Council Prize in Humanities.
Editor. Ice: The Antarctic Diary of Charles Passel. Texas Tech University Press, 1995.
Pilgrims on the Ice: Robert Falcon Scott’s First Antarctic Expedition . University of Nebraska Press. 1999.
Shackleton of the Antarctic. Bison Books. University of Nebraska Press, 2009.
Other published works:
A Companion to Modern Western Civilization, Third Edition. East Rockaway, New York: Cummings & Hathaway, East Rockaway, 2003.
Co-Editor with Emily Suelter. Aspects of Winston S. Churchill. Largo: Therese Press, 2000.
Work in Progress:
Book length manuscripts: Antarctica, 1922 to 1941; Robert Falcon Scott biography
Articles, Conference Papers, and Presentations:
“Prisoners of the Ice: The Ill-fated Belgica Expedition and the Man that Saved it,” Western Social Science Association, April, 2008.
Introduction, Rejoice my Heart, Santa Monica: Adelie Books, 2007.
“Education and Health in Edwardian London,” Western Social Science Association, April, 2007.
“Reluctant Leadership: The London County Council and Medical Inspection of School Children,” Western Conference on British Studies, San Antonio, October, 2004.
“Robert Falcon Scott: Recent Historiographical Trends,” Western Conference on British Studies, Tucson, October, 2003.
“Reassessing Shackleton in light of Shackletonmania,” Northern Great Plains History Conference, October, 2002.
“The London County Council responds to Poverty,” Western Conference on British Studies, Little Rock, Arkansas, October 2002.
“Implementing Promotion and Tenure,” American Association of Higher Education, January 2002.
“The Advent of the British Food Crisis, 1946-47.” Northern Great Plains History Conference, Grand Forks, October 2001.
“Whales to the Rescue: Japan and the World Food Crisis of 1946-47,” Ohio Valley History Conference, Bowling Green, Kentucky, October 2001.
“The Opening of the Heroic Era of Antarctic Exploration,” Anglo-American History Conference, London, July 2001.
“Teaching the History Department Seminar,” Northern Great Plains History Conference, Mankato, September 2000
“Shackleton: Antarctic Hero,” Byrd Polar Research Institute, The Ohio State University, October 2000
“Gentleman of the Poles: Jean-Baptiste Charcot,” Western Society for French History conference, November 1999.
“Reluctant Leadership: The London County Council, Education, and Health Care, 1903-12,” Northern Great Plains History Conference, October, 1999.
“Making Education Possible: The Feeding of Edwardian Schoolchildren,” Mid-America Conference on History, September, 1999.
“Perspectives on London Education, 1903-14,” Northern Great Plains History Conference, October, 1998.
“American Contributions to the British War Effort in World War One,” Mid-America Conference on History, September, 1998.
“Helpless in a Hopeless Sea of Ice” in F.A. Cook, Through the First Antarctic Night, Philadelphia: Cook Society Reprints, October, 1998.
“Early Arctic Aviation,” Northern Great Plains History Conference, Bismarck, North Dakota, September, 1997. (Paper read).
“The Belgica Expedition in the Context of its Times,” Belgica Symposium, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, September, 1997.
“By Car to the South Pole: Technology Ahead of its Time,” Western Social Science Association, April 1996.
“Fire Before the Ice: The Scott-Shackleton Controversy,” Southern Conference on British Studies, November 1995.
“Assessing the Job Market in History,” (with Debra J. Schaefer), Western Social Science Association, April, 1995.
“Stranger than Fiction: The Reunions and Rescues of the Nordenskjold Antarctic Expedition, 1901-04,” Northern Great Plains History Conference, October 1994.
“Above and Below Decks: Preserving Social Order in Antarctic Expeditions, 1901-13.” Western Conference on British Studies, October 1993.
“Shackleton’s Finest Hour: The Polar Party’s Attempt to reach the South Pole, 1908-09,” Ohio Valley History Conference, October 1993.
“Interdisciplinary Teaching and Writing Across the Curriculum,” Northern Great Plains History Conference, September 1993.
“Team-teaching Victorian Civilization,” (with Celine Carrigan), KCRCHE Conference on Success in Teaching, April 1993.
“Scots on Ice: the Scotia Antarctic Expedition, 1902-04,” Southwestern Social Science Association, March, 1993.
“Reassessing the Belgica Antarctic Expedition, 1897-99,” Missouri Valley History Conference, March, 1993.
“Sir Clements R. Markham and the Inception of Modern Antarctic Exploration, 1893-1911.” Northern Great Plains History Conference, October, 1992.
“The Discovery Expedition, 1901-04: a Reappraisal.” Missouri Valley History Conference, March 1992.
“Morning Brings the End of Glory: The Morning Expedition and the Failure of British Antarctic Exploration, 1901-04.” Southern Conference on British Studies, Ft. Worth, November, 1991.
“The Mysterious Anonymity of Carsten E. Borchgrevink, Antarctic Explorer.” Western Conference on British Studies, Tucson, October, 1991.
“Early Twentieth Century Antarctic Environmental Concerns: The Efforts of Henri Arctowski and William S. Bruce.” American Society of Environmental History Conference, March, 1991.
Selected Recent Major Addresses:
“Polar Explorer as Leader,” North Georgia College and State University, March 2009
“Polar Explorer as Leader,” The Prologue Society, Miami, December 2007
Invited lecturer, M/V Discovery, Antarctica, December 2007
“Reassessing the Belgica in the Light of One Hundred Years of Exploration,” Cook Society, The Ohio State University, October, 2007
Invited lecturer, M/V Le Levant, Black Sea, May-June, 2006
“Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition,” Inaugural Program, University of Wisconsin-River Falls, April 2006
“Amundsen, Man of Both Poles,” Commonwealth Club, San Francisco, April, 2006.
Lecturer, M/V Explorer II, Antarctica, December 2005-January 2006.
“Polar Explorer as Leader,” Michigan Library Association Annual Conference, October, 2005.
“Fridtjof Nansen,” Commonwealth Club, San Francisco, April 2005.
Lecturer, M/V Endeavour in Antarctica, December 2004-January 2005.
Invited guest lecturer aboard M/V Endeavour in Baltic Sea, July, 2004
“The Last Expedition of Edward Wilson and Captain Scott,” Commonwealth Club, San Francisco, January 2004.
Invited lecturer on Antarctic history aboard the M/S Explorer, December 2003-January 2004; December 2002-January 2003, December 2001-January 2002.
“Shackleton, the Explorer,” Commonwealth Club, San Francisco, November 2002.
“Shackleton,” Nantucket Historical Society, June, 2002.
“Leadership in Action: Sir Ernest Shackleton,” Explorer’s Club, Los Angeles, January, 1998.
Invited lecturer on Antarctic History, aboard the M/S Explorer, December 1997-January, 1998.
“The Penultimate British Hero: Robert Falcon Scott,” Hampden-Sydney College, Lectures and Programs series, Hampden-Sydney, Virginia, November, 1997.
The Malcolm Wynn Lecture, Stetson University, DeLand, Florida, October, 1997.
“Shackleton as Leader,” World Wildlife Fund Benefit, Cavalry and Guards Club, London, England, May 1997.
Invited lecturer on Antarctic History, aboard the M/S Explorer, December 1996-January 1997
“The Triumph of Modern Russian History,” Three lectures on the M/S Explorer, October 1996.
Invited lecturer on Arctic History, aboard Russian icebreaker Yamal, August, 1996.
“Sir Ernest Shackleton and the Antarctic,” Museum of Science and Industry, Tampa, Florida, July 1996.
“Sir Clements R. Markham and the Origins of the Discovery Expedition,” Address to joint meeting of National Science Foundation and Antarctican Society, Washington, D.C. February 1996.
Lecturer/Historian, M/S Explorer, on cruise to Antarctic, December 1995-January 1996.
“Opening Antarctica to Science: Successes and failures of the 1890s,”Lecture at Cambridge University, Cambridge, England, Scott Polar Research Institute, November 1994.
Repertoire of courses:
Europe since 1945
International Business in Context
Modern British History
Study Abroad Program
Western Civilization II
Europe, 1871-1919
Modern World Leaders
Professional Affiliations:
National Fellow, The Explorers Club, 1996
Fellow, Royal Geographical Society, 1987
St. Petersburg Historical Association, 1965
Western Social Science Association, 1994