vii David Boocker David Boocker is Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at the Univer- sity of Nebraska Omaha. A graduate of the University of Louisiana- Lafayette, he received his Ph.D. from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He was Professor of English at Tennessee Technological University and served as Department Chair and Professor at Western Illinois Univer- sity. His academic interests are in English literature, specifically on the influence of John Milton on American culture and society. Thanks to the wisdom and guidance of an outstanding development officer, Mary Macchietto Bernier, he has been successful in working with donors and foundations to raise critically important dollars in support of academic programs within the College of Arts and Sciences. At the heart of his vision for his college is a strong commitment to the values promoted by a strong liberal arts education. Bret S. Danilowicz Bret S. Danilowicz is Dean of Arts and Sciences and Professor of Zoology at Oklahoma State University. Following the completion of his undergraduate degree at Utica College of Syracuse University, he completed his Ph.D. in zoology at Duke University. During his fourteen years in the dean’s office (which also includes ‘time served’ at University College Dublin and Georgia Southern University), he completed an MA Education from Open University and an MBA from Georgia Southern University. With a focus on the ecology of The Contributors