Richardson heads Educational Leadership and Technology Department
Contact: Tonya Lowentritt
10/8/08
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HAMMOND – Michael Richardson, a professional educator for more than three decades, has been named head of Southeastern Louisiana University’s Department of Educational Leadership and Technology.
Originally from Cookeville, Tenn., Richardson holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Tennessee Technological University and a doctorate in education from the University of Tennessee. He has served as an elementary and secondary school principal, school system supervisor, and district level administrator. He has experience teaching at the elementary, secondary, college and graduate levels, including East Tennessee University, Western Kentucky University, Georgia Southern University, Clemson University and Mercer University in Atlanta.
Prior to joining Southeastern, Richardson helped establish doctoral programs at Clemson, Georgia Southern and Mercer Universities. His Southeastern department houses Southeastern’s doctoral program in educational leadership, the university’s first doctoral program established in 2006 and offered in consortium with the University of Louisiana–Lafayette.
As department head, Richardson is responsible for hiring and overseeing faculty and recruiting qualified students for the program, which is designed to increase the pool of highly qualified and prepared administrators in Louisiana’s school systems.
“Our program is going to be evaluated based upon the quality of our graduates and how well they do in the field,” Richardson said. “The quality of those graduates will then help us recruit other students to the program. Our challenge is making sure that we select good quality people for the program and that we help them become quality professional leaders once they leave us.”
“Southeastern is a tremendous opportunity for me,” said Richardson. “We have good quality people, good quality of life. Southeastern has, in my opinion, tremendous growth potential. Professionally, it’s very rewarding to be here.
“Southeastern is poised in a unique area of the state and also at a unique time,” Richardson added. “We are continuing to grow and mature as an institution. The doctoral program brings additional responsibilities and challenges. That’s why we have to do a great job and be the example, so that we can add other doctoral programs.”
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