WELCOME TO MY WEBSITE
admin February 8th, 2007
My father and mother could never have imagined the life I’ve been privileged to lead — scientist, researcher, teacher, administrator and academic.
Back on the west Texas cotton farm where my younger brother and I grew up, there wasn’t much in the way of luxuries, but there were several things that have served us well in the years that have followed: a deep and abiding respect for our fellow creatures, a tolerance for our fellow man and a passion for education.
My dad knew there wouldn’t be a future for a family cotton farm, and he encouraged both me and my brother to study hard. “That college,” he’d say in his Texas drawl, “that’s your future.”
He was right. College was our future. If I’ve contributed anything in this life, it’s because of my education. I know I’m also speaking for my younger brother, who’s now a lawyer in North Carolina.
It’s been that way for millions of Americans over the years, and it’s up to us to encourage young men and women to engage in academic pursuits — and to make it possible for them to do so, regardless of age, race, sex, income, religion, ethnicity or physical disability. It’s a challenge that’s consumed most of my life — and much of my passion.
I hope you’ll enjoy these pages, and that I’ll be hearing from you about your own thoughts on how to advance the goal of equality in higher education. It’s a challenge we all face, not just those of us in academia.