Gerard C. Lange

About Gerard C. Lange

Higher education professional with over 20 years of experience including program administration, curriculum design, directing undergraduate research, and classroom instruction across a wide variety of disciplines (archival studies, art & design, business, general education, humanities, and research). Also carries ample governance experience having served as chair of the faculty assembly, representative to the board of trustees, and on numerous committees (institutional, state, and national); participated in multiple reaccreditation processes; and participated in or provided leadership on the design of six academic programs. My work as director of honors education includes collaborating with a variety of campus partners for the purposes of recruitment, retention, advising, and mentoring of students; recruitment of faculty; data collection, analysis, assessment, and records management; development and delivery of professional development and graduate school placement activities for students; and instruction across undergraduate and graduate classes. The budget I am responsible for includes student scholarship distribution, a biannual faculty lecture series, cultural and community life programming, and grant distribution for student travel to conferences and studies abroad. Professionally, in honors, I have served as president of the North Carolina Honors Association and on several committees for the National Collegiate Honors Council. Deeply committed to honor education, my dissertation topic was on motivators and inhibitors of honors program completion at liberal arts institutions. This research and other projects on honors education have been accepted to numerous regional and national conferences. Additional research of mine includes the impact of writing on learning and cognition, place identity, first-nations peoples, East Asian visual culture, and early nineteenth century Irish history. My professional work has included recognition as a Boykin Research Fellow at Barton College, recipient of the Cork Historical and Philosophical Society research grant, and multiple awards for faculty of the year. My deep love of learning continually pushes me to strive to become the best version of myself. It is for this reason I have extended my academic studies into such a wide variety of disciplines. Most recently, my MBA focused on strategic planning in short, medium, and long-term orientations; performance measurement, assessment, and enhancement; and perceptual motivation in wage-based and salaried employment.

Experience

1. Founding Director, Center for Undergraduate Research and Scholarship

   Barton College

   Aug 2025 — Present

   Responsibilities:• Provided strategic leadership for planning, development, and implementation of the center; establishing mission and vision; developing organizational structures aligned with the College mission and core values• Oversaw development and delivery of academic programs housed within the Center, including the Honors Program and the Research Fellows• Provided campus-wide leadership for undergraduate research and scholarship by supporting mentored research, class-based research projects, and faculty-led scholarly activities• Developed and maintained research support materials: writing and poster templates, grant-funding guidelines, and best-practice documents• Administered and expanded funding opportunities for students, including internal research grants, travel awards for conferences, and assistance in securing external funding• Provided leadership in the creation and management of the College\'s academic journal, including design and development of editorial standards, proforma budget, production processes, and implementation plan• Collaborated with faculty, administrators, and support offices to promote faculty-mentored research to strengthen a campus culture of scholarly engagement• Provided leadership for initiatives in the scholarship of teaching and learning, including pedagogy workshops and mentor training• Enhanced campus-wide visibility of research and scholarship through events, publications, public presentations, and community partnerships• Pursued opportunities for donor engagement, advancement initiatives, and strategic external partnerships• Promoted inclusive, equitable access to undergraduate research, contributing to recruitment and retention of diverse students and faculty• Formed and maintained strong relationships with external academic partners, professional organizations, and community stakeholders• Provided oversight for assessment, strategic planning, accreditation-aligned documentation, and continuous improvement

Education

• Maryville University of Saint Louis

  Doctor of Education - EdD, Higher Education Administration

  2019 — 2021

• Tulane University

  MFA, Art & Design

  2002 — 2004

• LaGrange College

  Bachelor's degree, Art & Design

• Barton College

  Master of Business Administration - MBA, Strategic Leadership