Essential Studies Director Search

Three finalists have been invited to visit campus as part of the search for the next Essential Studies Director.

Faculty, staff and students are strongly encouraged to participate in the interview process. The campus and broader community are also invited to attend the candidate Open Forums.

Candidate Interviews and Open Forums

Dates and times for candidate interviews and Open Forums are listed below. Each Open Forum will include a 10–15 minute presentation by the candidate, followed by a question-and-answer session with attendees.

All participants will be asked to complete a feedback survey for each finalist. Your perspectives and input are an important part of this search process, and we appreciate your participation.

Aaron Harper - February 25-27, 2026

Dr. Aaron Harper is Professor of Philosophy at West Liberty University in West Virginia, where he serves as chair of the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences. Additionally, he directs the Interdisciplinary Studies program, which includes development and oversight of program curriculum and assessment. Actively involved in administrative aspects of the Honors College, he developed its first-year seminar and oversaw all senior research projects for several years.

Harper has taught a wide range of courses across philosophy curriculum and in support of related disciplines. He advises social science majors and has mentored English capstone students. Harper’s dedicated efforts have been recognized as College of Liberal Arts Professor of the year (2020–2021) and with the university award for Excellence in Professional Activity (2016–2017).

Harper has published and presented scholarly work on topics in the history of philosophy, ethics, political philosophy, and philosophy of sport. He is the author of the monograph Sport Realism: A Law-Inspired Theory of Sport, which defends an innovative account of the nature of sport, before applying it to philosophical and ethical issues in sport.

A Nebraska native, Harper earned his B.A. in philosophy at Creighton University, and his M.A. and Ph.D. at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. In his free time, he enjoys running, visiting National Parks, and spending time with his family.

Dr Harper's CV

Jacob Isaacs - March 1-3, 2026

Dr. Jacob Isaacs is the Director of Advising for the John Martinson Honors College at Purdue University – West Lafayette, supervising the guidance of nearly 4,000 highly-motivated students across the university. He has extensive experience in both academic and student affairs related to curricular and program development as well as building interdisciplinary partnerships impacting retention and student success.

Isaacs built a foundation of experience developing on-campus and online curriculum as Associate Professor of Communication at Ivy Tech Community College (Indiana) and later as a Communication Lecturer at multiple institutions. He has used this experience to bring large-scale impacts through administrative roles at Purdue University and the University of Minnesota Crookston. At Purdue, he served in the Office of the Vice-Provost for Student Life, developing and assessing co-curricular learning opportunities for the institution. As Director of Student Success and Academic Advising at U of M Crookston, he directly impacted the core Liberal Education curriculum as the administrative lead for their first-year seminar series as well as academic advising, academic support, career services, and first-generation college student initiatives.

Isaacs earned a Ph.D. in Educational Administration (Higher Education Leadership) from Indiana State University, focusing on the success of male college students. He has also earned graduate degrees in Information and Communication Sciences (Ball State University) and Adult Education (Indiana University). He is married (Marianne) with one daughter and enjoys cooking, reading, music, board games, travel, and watching football, basketball, and the occasional hockey game.

Dr. Isaacs CV

Christopher Lawrence - March 3-5, 2026

Dr. Christopher N. Lawrence is currently a Professor of Political Science at Middle Georgia State University (MGA), where he served as chair of the Department of Political Science from 2019 to 2024. In addition to developing new academic programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels, he led his department’s implementation of the University System of Georgia’s Core IMPACTS curriculum model, a system-wide initiative integrating career-ready competencies into general education and better communicating the value of the general education curriculum to students and other stakeholders.

Lawrence has championed access and affordability, serving as a Campus Faculty Champion for Affordable Learning Georgia to reduce textbook costs through Open Educational Resources. He was also part of a multidisciplinary team that implemented the Gateways to Completion initiative at MGA, which narrowed equity gaps and improved student success rates in introductory core courses in English, mathematics, political science, and psychology through course redesign.

Lawrence earned a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Mississippi and holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Memphis with a minor in Computer Science. He serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Political Science Education and is a member of the American Political Science Association’s working group on university-level American civics course requirements.

Dr. Lawrence's CV

Director of Essential Studies

The director will provide leadership and facilitate an environment for accomplishing strategic goals, as well as aligning the functioning of the Essential Studies curriculum  with UND’s broader academic integrity and strategic planning: UND LEADS.

The Director of Essential Studies provides vision and leadership for this program, and advocates for excellence in general education for all undergraduate students at UND. The Director coordinates the program; collaborates with academic units in the development and ongoing validation of a broad array of Essential Studies courses; works closely with faculty, staff, and advisors to inspire innovative teaching and campus-wide understanding of the program; and communicates the value of the liberal arts and supports student success in interactions with individual students and the larger campus.

Working collaboratively, the Director will develop strategic initiatives and promote innovation across the undergraduate Essential Studies curriculum while ensuring its academic quality and integrity. In addition, the Director of Essential Studies provides support and leadership for a variety of initiatives and programs related to the undergraduate experience at UND, and participates, in cooperation with leadership in both Academic and Student Affairs units, in the shaping and leadership of first year experience programs and related student success efforts.

A successful candidate will start no later than July 1, 2026.

Additional Position Information