David W. Chapman , Professor and Dean
Ph.D., English, Texas Christian University, 1985
M.A., Modern Letters, University of Tulsa, 1981
B.A., Speech Communication, University of Oklahoma, 1976
David Chapman is the Dean of the Howard College of Arts and Sciences. He came to Samford in 1990 as Associate Professor of English and Director of Samford's Writing-across-the-Curriculum Program. In 1994 he served as professor-in-residence at Samford's London Study Centre. He became associate dean of the college in 1996, and dean in 2001. He also served briefly as the Chair of Communication Studies when the new department was formed in 2001. With a doctoral emphasis in Rhetoric and Composition, Dr. Chapman's research interests often bridge the traditional divide between orality and literacy.
Dr. Chapman played a key role in the development of Samford's interdisciplinary core curriculum. He continues to teach in the core curriculum in addition to his administrative role at the university. He was also instrumental in coordinating the work of college in support of Samford's PBL Initiative, funded by a million dollar grant from the Pew Foundation. He has written numerous grants, including one to support the Transatlantic Cooperation for Problem-Based Learning in the Humanities with Maastricht University (Netherlands). He is a frequent speaker at higher education conferences and workshops on writing across the curriculum, core curriculum, and problem-based learning.
Dean Chapman believes that one of the great joys of teaching at Samford is the encouragement to consider the connection between spiritual life and the life of the mind. Instead of seeing religious faith as a Sunday morning duty, students are free to investigate the connections between their religious beliefs and their vocational goals, to consider the biblical imperatives to look after the welfare of the dispossessed and the disenfranchised, and to live out their Christianity in lives of compassion and service.
When he is not handling the affairs of the college, Dr. Chapman enjoys writing essays and poetry, reading, traveling, playing racquet sports, and spending timely with his family. He may occasionally be seen plying the waters of Lay Lake in his aptly named pontoon boat, the Looney Toon.
Dr. Chapman's Honors/Awards/Professional Activities:
- Phi Beta Kappa
International Organizing Committee of Pan-American Network for Problem-Based Learning - Recent publications in Journal on Excellence in College Teaching, Journal of General Education, Peer Review, and the Chronicle Review
- Recent presentations at PBL 2006 (Lima, Peru), Conference of Colleges of Arts and Sciences (Vancouver), Faith in the Academy Conference (Messiah College), and Improving University Teaching Conference (Bern, Switzerland)
- Former editor of Alabama English and Managing Editor of the Writing Center Journal and Freshman English News.
