Dr. Scotty Dunlap Assistant Professor in Graduate Safety, Security & Emergency Management Eastern Kentucky University Ed. D. in Leadership with a concentration in Adult Education December 2009

Why did you choose your course of study?

My career has been built around workplace safety and the Adult Education degree complimented my masters' degree. My goal has always been to work in a higher education institution and become a professor. In order for me to teach in higher education I needed a terminal degree. The Adult Education concentration was ideal and I was able to work through my studies at a very quick pace.

How did this degree prepare you or improve your preparation for your current role?

This degree was ideal for my career. The insight into management and the development of students within higher education that I received through my studies helped me to have a better understanding of conducting research and also what teaching in higher education would be. To be an effective instructor is to do more than stand in front of a classroom and teach students. Today it is more about developing the student through effective instruction through less than traditional mediums, such as online. I now realize how valuable online education is and the growing need. The role of research is so important because there is a lack of significant research in the field of workplace safety and I am now able to help my students conduct their studies in a manner that will prove beneficial now and in the future.

What impact has your degree had on your life or career?

This degree was the gateway to getting me to where I want to be in my career. I could not have become an assistant professor and be fulfilling my career goals without this degree. The professors were phenomenal and they worked with me through every step of the way. They allowed me to work my background of work place safety into all of my class work. I was able to learn the importance of education and develop a new sense of being within the ever expanding world of higher education.