David McCurry

Bonnie (Mullinix) and I have told the story many times of how we came to CIE and UMass. While in the Peace Corps in The Gambia as volunteers and volunteer leaders (1980-1983), we encountered a few people who all shared a connection to a program called CIE at the University of Massachusetts. First there was Will Shaw, who delivered a training program for PC/TG, then "the Steves" (Anzalone and McLaughlin) doing some kind of research, then Paul Jurmo, a former PC/TG volunteer. After talking with them all it became pretty clear that CIE was our next life move.

 

The influence of the Center on our lives actually started earlier. In one of my earliest meetings with DRE in his office, I noticed a picture on his bookshelf of one of the first graduating classes and spotted Dale Kinsley, who happened to be one of my undergrad faculty advisors in the Teacher Education program at University of California, Santa Cruz. Small world, but everyone in the Center knows that already. The Center's core values of community, social and economic justice, and nonformal education provided a foundation for my life's work. 

 

I've recently retired (is that really possible?) from academia and professional life after a 40 year journey where I played the roles of Fulbright Lecturer (Malawi), Senior Technical Advisor (Namibia), tenured Associate Professor (New Jersey), Director of Distance Education (South Carolina) and Co-President of our DIY consulting business, father, musician, and artist - none of that in any particular order.

 

It all sort of blurs together sometimes. After the passing of my 101 year-old mother last August, Bonnie had an opportunity land before her to be a Senior Research Fellow for a project at University College Cork in Ireland. So off we went, where you will find us now, living in Blarney a 5 minute walk from the castle for the next year or two.

 

I do some part time doctoral candidate advising for Franklin University online, paint and practice music (jazz, blues, and now Irish traditional music, to be sure) and drive Bonnie into the university several days each week.

 

I started posting some updates on Facebook, but that became rather unruly and a bit limiting.  So I decided to begin a travel blog instead about our stay on the Emerald Isle.  The episodes of the travel log can be found Here.  [6-23]

 

 

Email:  david.mccurry@gmail.com

 

 

Degree: 
Ed.D.
Entrance Year: 
Graduation Year: 
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Status: 
CIE Graduate