“UW-Platteville has given me an intellectual home and a sense of community. It is a great honor to be supported by my college. Such support makes my role as dean a true joy.” – Dr. Melissa Gormley, dean, College of Liberal Arts and Education, UW-Platteville
Dr. Melissa Gormley, who began teaching at UW-Platteville in 2008, has served as dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Education since July 2016. As dean, her main responsibilities are academic planning, curriculum, student recruitment, faculty recruitment, faculty development and evaluation, budget development, allocation of resources and more.
During her tenure at UW-Platteville, Gormley has held a variety of positions, including interim dean of the College of LAE, chair of the Department of History, interim chair of the Department of Geography, chair of Faculty Senate; and director of Women’s and Gender Studies.
She also taught courses in world civilization; colonial Latin American history; modern Latin American history; race, class and gender in Latin American history; historiography and research methods; imperialism and resistance; and the history of modern Africa. In addition, she co-taught a short-term, faculty-led education abroad course on language and culture in the United Kingdom.
In 2013-14, Gormley was named a Wisconsin Teaching Fellow through the UW System Office of Professional and Instructional Development. In 2013, she received UW-Platteville Women’s Council’s Woman of the Year award. She is the author of numerous publications, most of which focus on gender, race and culture in Brazil.
Before arriving at UW-Platteville, Gormley taught history at Texas A&M University-Commerce; the University of California, Davis; and San Francisco State University, California. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Mexican history and a Master of Arts in Caribbean history from San Francisco State University and a Ph.D. in Brazilian history from the University of California, Davis.
Gormley was born in Cleveland, Ohio, but spent much of her childhood in Arizona, Indiana, Wisconsin and California. During this time, she also travelled throughout Mexico, the Caribbean and Brazil. When she was 33 years old, Gormley and her young son moved to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, which they called home for five years, where she completed her doctoral dissertation, “Motherhood as National Service: Race, Class and Public Health Policy in Brazil, 1930-1945.”
Who or what inspired you to pursue the field of history?
From 1987-1994, I took general education courses at Foothill Junior College in Los Altos Hills, California. As a nontraditional student, I floundered a bit, as I was somewhat unfocused and undisciplined. Despite these challenges, I was drawn to the field of history, especially the history of Mexico, as I had lived there from 1995-1996. These studies gave me an opportunity to focus on learning something that I already loved and appreciated.
When I was a graduate student pursuing a Master of Arts in history at San Francisco State University, Dr. Jacques Hymans was essential to me falling in love with history. He was a specialist in Africa and the African Diaspora, and he truly made history come alive. He was engaged and inspirational in the classroom, but he was also connected with us outside the classroom. One afternoon, he hosted a party to teach the class how to make African nut stew.
When he passed away unexpectedly while attending a department Christmas party, it was an incredible shock. I will never forget him or his passion for life.
What do you love most about teaching students and working with faculty and staff?
With students, I love witnessing the “aha” moment, that visible moment when you know that they truly comprehend the ideas and concepts you are teaching. Those moments ebb and flow in the classroom, and it is profoundly rewarding to notice when each student has that special learning moment, in his or her own time. It is awesome. I am also impressed with students’ resilience. They jump into new situations with confidence, make connections and become successful. I love staying connected with students over time.
With faculty and staff, I am impressed with their deep commitment to students and their craft.
Why are hands-on learning opportunities, such as internship and research opportunities, so important for preparing students for their future careers?
To fully prepare students for their future careers, it is critical to provide them with hands-on learning experiences that are meaningful, fun and engaging. We must push them out of their comfort zones and encourage them to take intelligent risks and get connected with what they are doing so they can be successful in a safe way. This process enables them to gain knowledge and skills while also building self-esteem and self-confidence. We want our students to feel comfortable in their own skin.
For many students, college is a huge transition, which can be very scary. In the College of LAE, we strive to give students a sense of place and belonging. This can be accomplished through academic departments, musical and theatre experiences, co-curricular activities, residence hall activities, etc. It can also be accomplished through exposing students to College of LAE faculty forums, which allow faculty to present information in their research areas, the essential nature of what we do.
The College of LAE is currently working on a strategic plan that will dovetail with the university’s strategic plan. What is the timeline? What are your plans for the college?
Developing a strategic plan for the College of LAE is giving us an opportunity to tell our own story and create a path for ourselves. There are many components, but everything will rest on pedagogy. Teaching is essential, and it defines us as a college. Our focus will be on academics; our priority will be the academic life of the college. The plan was vetted to the college in early spring, and our hope is to have a living document completed by the end of spring.
What do you enjoy most about being dean of the College of LAE?
The foundation of the university includes the liberal arts. I love the College of LAE and the people in it. More than anything, I enjoy developing a mentorship relationship with faculty and staff and trying new, unconventional endeavors. As a professor in the College of LAE’s Department of History, I find it to be a very cohesive academic department that allows me to be connected to other departments on campus.
Everyone in the College of LAE functions well together. The amount of institutional knowledge within the college is incredible. There is an amazing cohesion that defines us as a college. Our college offers unique and interesting programs that give students opportunities to collaborate with other disciplines across campus. Every student on this campus walks through the College of LAE at some point in their academic careers. This is a huge responsibility.
UW-Platteville has given me an intellectual home and a sense of community. It is a great honor to be supported by my college. Such support makes my role as dean a true joy.