Carole Murphy, Ed.D.Dr. Carole H. Murphy, currently Professor Emeritus at the University of Missouri-St. Louis (UMSL), is a 40 year veteran of public education, working twenty years in higher education where she rose to a position of full professor in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies (ELAPS). In addition to teaching curriculum development, social studies education and leadership, she partnered with teachers and administrators in a nationally recognized Professional Development School. For more than 15 years, Murphy worked as a facilitator for the State's Leadership program and served on the Missouri Higher Education Evaluation Committee whose purpose is to help establish policy for leadership programs throughout Missouri. Some of her accomplishments are the founding of the Center for Human Origin and Cultural Diversity, working with the State's Leadership Program, winning a competitive grant from National Geography to fund the Missouri Geography Alliance; helping the University of Western Cape establish a doctoral program, and partnering with Beijing Normal University to establish a relationship between China's Yuntaishan National Geopark and the Grand Canyon National Park. Activities she enjoyed the most were the Outdoor Leadership Academy, the Missouri Geography Alliance field experiences, which allowed her to work with National Geographic explorers and staff and partnering with the China and U.S. National Parks to establish programs that teach individuals both young and old to be good stuarts of our environment and wildlife.
In 1999, Murphy became Chair of ELAPS where her goal was to work with faculty to create programs in Adult Education, Higher Education, K-12 Leadership, and Community Colleges that would provide leadership for Missouri institutions. She has served on more than forty-five doctoral committees, and under her chairmanship of ELAPS, the number of graduate students was increased by 200%. Many of these graduates now fill important positions worldwide and bring prestige to the University and State for their excellent leadership skills. Murphy served on the Faculty Senate for nine years; was a member of the Intercampus Faculty Council that advised the President of the University System for three years, serving as secretary for one year; and was elected to the Provost's Academic Advisory Committee for three terms, serving as Chair for six years. Murphy also had the pleasure of teaching in the leadership program at Texas A&M University-Commerce where she helped prepare administrators for Texas schools.
Before coming to UMSL Murphy held a number of teaching and administrative position in the College Station School District (CSISD) and in the American International School, Johannesburg, South Africa. Select positions included supervising the writing of the K-12 gifted curriculum and social studies curriculum; teaching a transition class for students with special needs; developing and teaching a sixth through eighth grade gifted pull-out program; and teaching sixth grade world history and geography. Murphy served in the CSISD as a vice principal for both junior high and middle schools and was the K-12 coordinator of Gifted Education. Experiences in the International School of Johannesburg, included serving as the elementary principal and teaching high school English. Murphy served on the Texas A&M President'sTask Force for Academic Excellence; and on the staff of the President of the University of California System.
Murphy is a former member of the Advising Board for the International Geography Union Commission on Geoparks, a member of the International Association of Special Education, and a former Board of Directors' member of the St. Louis Rotary Club. She has extensive international experience and has published widely. Gilbert Grosvenor, Chairman of the Board for the National Geographic Society wrote about her, ". . . Your enthusiasm and energy on behalf of both educators and students has been inspirational." The Sam Walton Students in Free Enterprise organization called her "One of America's Leading Educators," and the President of the CSISDAssociation of Gifted and Talented wrote ". . .your support and encouragement of learning has been of great value to all your students and to their parents as well as to this community . . . we honor you and we thank you." Other awards include the Dean's Award for Outstanding Service, the Dean's Award for Lifetime Service to Education, the Outstanding Faculty Award, the Emerson Excellence in Teaching Award, and the Missouri Leadership Service Award. She received her Doctorate Degree in Education with high honors from Texas A&M in 1992.
