Dr. Walter H. Gmelch University of San Francisco

Dr. Walter H. Gmelch is Dean of the School of Education at University of San Francisco. Formerly he was Dean of the College of Education at Iowa State University and served in the roles of Dean, Associate Dean, Department Chair and Professor at Washington State University. He also directs the National Center for Academic Leadership at Iowa State University. He earned a PhD in the Educational Executive Program from the University of California (Santa Barbara).

Dr. Gmelch has conducted research and written extensively on the topics of leadership, team development, conflict, and stress and time management. He has published numerous articles, books, and scholarly papers in national and international journals. He is author of three books on team leadership with Val Miskin (Chairing an Academic Department; Leadership Skills for Department Chairs; and Productivity Teams: Beyond Quality Circles), three on Academic deans, and two on management and stress (Coping with Faculty Stress and Beyond Stress to Effective Management). In 2004 Walt and fellow IAE member John Schuh edited the volume entitled the Life Cycle of the Department Chair.

Dr. Gmelch serves as editor of two journals and on the editorial board of several other journals including The Department Chair, Innovative Higher Education, Academic Leadership, and the Center for Academic Leadership Newsletter.

Dr. Gmelch has received numerous honors including a Kellogg National Fellowship, the University Council for Educational Administration Distinguished Professor Award, the Faculty Excellence Award for Research, and the Education Press Award of America. In addition, he served in the Danforth Leadership Program and as an Australian Research Fellow.