Susie P. Gonzalez

210-999-8406

susie.gonzalez@trinity.edu

PAUL KELLEHER NAMED CHAIR OF TRINITY·S EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

Oct. 2, 2001 — A long-time public school administrator will lead the education department at Trinity University into the 21st century. Paul Kelleher, former superintendent of schools in Lawrence, N.Y., and Westport, Conn., has been named the Murchison Distinguished Professor of Education and chair of the department.   “I am a practitioner who has come to the academy,” says Professor Kelleher, who has spent most of his professional career as a school superintendent or principal at public schools in New York, Connecticut, and Massachusetts. He said he was willing to relocate to San Antonio because of the reputation of Trinity's education department. “It's one of the top half dozen programs in the country,” he says. Professor Kelleher walks into the job held for more than two decades by John H. Moore, who retired in May and moved to Arizona. “My entry into the department is an opportunity to build on the enormous strengths that Dr. Moore and others built into the department,” Professor Kelleher says. A strong advocate for teacher retention, Professor Kelleher says the key to improving schools is to strengthen the teachers who interact daily with students. He also researches ways to improve instruction and learning. Since his arrival in August, he has begun meeting with leaders of the business community and schools that hold partnerships with Trinity’s education department. “I've enjoyed seeing teachers in action,” he says. Later this month, he plans to meet with the 19 superintendents who form the Center for Educational Leadership based at Trinity. Professor Kelleher holds an educational doctorate from the Columbia University Teachers' College, along with master's and bachelor's degrees from Harvard University. Trinity University, founded in 1869, is a highly selective, professionally oriented liberal arts and sciences institution.  This residential, primarily undergraduate coeducational university is noted for its superb facilities and undergraduate research opportunities. It is a learning community that has charted its course with a steadfast commitment to excellence for more than 130 years.

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Last updated on October 5, 2001 by the Office of Public Relations