Heather R. Parker was appointed dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Saint Leo University in St. Leo, Florida. Dr. Parker has served in the role on an interim basis since November 2018. Earlier, she served as associate dean.
Dr. Parker joined the Saint Leo faculty in August 2006 as an assistant professor of history and advanced through the teaching ranks to a full professorship. Her research has concentrated on interethnic religious interaction and the political implications of these relationships in Florida.
Dr. Parker’s East Pasco County African-American History Archive houses a collection of digitized images, oral histories, and data chronicling the lives and experiences of African Americans in East Pasco County. A second project – Community Memory Oral History Collection and Archive – is a similar archive of images, documents and oral histories related to the history of Saint Leo University and its surrounding communities. Dr. Parker has also been researching the ways in which college administrators and faculty can provide effective mentoring for both traditional and non-traditional minority students.
Dr. Parker earned a bachelor’s degree, a master’s degree, and a Ph.D. in history, all from the University of California, Los Angeles.
My heartfelt congratulations to Dr. Parker. May she continue to be an inspiration to every girl and boy who realize that education, hard work and self-determination will eventually lead to greater things. I wholeheartedly salute her.
Sincerely,
Carrie E. Groomes
Coordinator, Student Support Services
The College of the Florida Keys
Key West, Florida