FOR RELEASE: Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Educator Interrupts Doctoral Program for Military Duty in Iraq
Jeff Wisdom
Jeff Wisdom withdrew from a doctoral program in the College of Education and Health Professions this semester, which isn't an action that a college would usually publicize. But in this case, Wisdom's professors have shown strong support for his decision.
Wisdom, a member of the U.S. Navy Reserve, reported at the end of September for two months of training at Camp Shelby, Miss. He is scheduled to be deployed in December to southern Iraq, where he will assist in providing security at Camp Bucca, a detention facility with about 19,000 detainees, and possibly help train Iraqi troops. His orders are for a one-year deployment.
"On the one hand, I was really looking forward to working hard and getting through the doctoral program by 2009," Wisdom said. "I was excited about this new doctoral program. It started the semester before I began the program in July 2006."
The deployment and resulting interruption in his academic career will create challenges, Wisdom said. He is majoring in educational foundations with a concentration in educational statistics and research methods.
"On the other hand, I am very proud to serve my country and I'm looking forward to doing my part so that we can continue to live free," Wisdom said.
Wisdom, who also holds an educational specialist degree from the University of Arkansas, has been working as a teacher and administrator in higher education since 1996. He earned undergraduate degrees, a Bachelor of Science and a Bachelor of Business Administration, at Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tenn. At the University of Memphis, he earned a Master of Business Administration degree and started teaching principles courses in economics. He has taught business and economics at the University of Memphis, East Arkansas Community College in Forrest City, North Arkansas College in Harrison and at the two-year campus of Arkansas State University in Mountain Home. He worked as an administrator at both Northark in Harrison and Ozarks Technical Community College in Springfield, Mo.
"It makes me feel good how supportive all my professors and my employer have been," he said. "I feel really honored to have a great deal of support."
Wisdom held a graduate assistantship in the educational foundations program, working in the education statistics computer lab.
Ronna Turner, associate professor of educational research methods and policy studies, was Wisdom's advisor.
"Jeff has been an enjoyable colleague to work with in educational statistics," Turner said. "He has had a great attitude about the challenges that can occur when juggling jobs, family, school and military service. His determination to complete his degree is displayed in his desire to keep working toward his degree, even while being deployed in Iraq. We appreciate his service to our country and look forward to having him back in the program next year."
George Denny, professor of educational foundations, also was one of Wisdom's teachers.
"Jeff was patient and helpful as a teaching assistant in the stat lab, and he was a leader among the students in the doctoral classes," Denny said. "We miss him already and look forward to having him back."
When Wisdom enlisted in the Naval Reserves in 2003, he signed an eight-year commitment. He drills in Little Rock with NSA Bahrain, Det C.
"Our unit provides logistical support for the Fifth Fleet based in the Persian Gulf Region," he said. "I drill each month at the Navy Operational Support Center at Camp Robinson in North Little Rock."
However, Wisdom will be mobilized as what's called an individual augmentee. Augmentees are service members mobilized without their units because they have specialized skills the military wants to use. His skills in the Navy include supply, logistics, inventory, hazardous materials handling, and training, and his weapons qualification is at the "expert" level.
At the detention facility where he expects to be stationed, Iraqi troops train alongside American troops, learning weapon use, tactical strategies and other information and techniques needed to control prisoners.
Wisdom, whose father and grandfather served in the military, said he feels a bit apprehensive about the future overseas because of not knowing what he will encounter when he gets there.
"In addition to the apprehension, though, I feel a strong sense of pride in serving the country," he said. "There's always danger. But I feel pretty confident that the situation is stabilizing in Iraq. I think the military has done a good job."
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Contact:
Heidi Stambuck, director of communications
College of Education and Health Professions
(479) 575-3138, stambuck@uark.edu