Henderson – Nevada State College (NSC) has hired experienced educator and college administrator Dennis Potthoff, Ph.D., to be the dean of its School of Education.
“Over the course of my career, I have made it a priority to create a classroom environment that encourages a high level of student participation,” Potthoff said. “At NSC, that is still my goal in working with our faculty and students.”
At NSC, he will oversee the School of Education, which has a 2015-16 enrollment of 654 students pursuing degrees in elementary education, special education, secondary education and speech pathology. He also will lead a team of 63 faculty, staff and student-teachers.
Potthoff comes to NSC from the University of Nebraska at Kearney (UNK), where he served as the associate dean for the college of education since 2012. He joined UNK in 1996 and two years later became its chair of teacher education. He previously worked as an assistant professor at Wichita State University and as an instructor at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL). He also has experience teaching and coaching grades 7-12 at high schools and middle schools in the Midwest and in Ontario, Canada.
Potthoff earned his doctorate in administration, curriculum and instruction, his master of science degree in curriculum and instruction and his bachelor of science degree in social science education and athletic coaching from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. The majority of Dr. Potthoff’s scholarly work has addressed issues related to best practices in teacher preparation programming and the purpose for schools and schooling in a democratic society.
About Nevada State College
Nevada State College, a four-year public institution, is a member of the Nevada System of Higher Education. NSC places a special emphasis on the advancement of a diverse and largely under-served student population. Located on a developing 500-acre campus in the foothills of Henderson, Nevada, the college was established in 2002 as a new tier in the state system between the research universities and the two-year colleges. In this role, the college emphasizes high-quality instruction, exemplary service, engaging learning experiences, and innovation as a means to more efficient, effective outcomes in all corners of the campus. Since 2002, Nevada State College has grown to offer more than 45 majors and minors, has received independent accreditation and has expanded its physical campus. Committed to fostering a personal learning environment, students are taught by faculty who serve as mentors and guides in classrooms with an average class size of only 26 students. Nevada State College serves approximately 3,500 students and has over 2,600 alumni, each representing a broad array of cultural and economic backgrounds. For more information, visit https://nsc.edu.
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