School of Behavioral and Applied Sciences

Phone: (626) 815-5439
Email: dwright@apu.edu
Office Location: West Campus, Duke 228, Dean's Suite
Personal Home Page: http://www.apu.edu/theology/blog/

David Wright, Ph.D., serves as dean of the School of Theology at Azusa Pacific University and brings with him a wealth of administrative and leadership experience. Prior to his APU arrival, Wright served for ten years in various roles at Indiana Wesleyan University, including associate professor, department chair, associate dean, and vice-president. Under his guidance, he developed new cohort-based and online program models, and more than doubled the departmental graduate FTE in three years. From 1997-2002 Wright provided leadership as the vice president for adult and graduate studies at IWU. In this capacity he managed an annual budget of $26 million, established the Center for Distributed Learning, obtained NCA approval, and implemented four online degree programs that averaged 250 FTE enrollment. Wright also served as the lead grant writer and initial project manager for a $10 million Lilly Endowment grant to create The Possibility Network, which promotes lifelong learning among the Indiana adult population and provides information on more than 10,000 courses and 100s of degree offerings from more than 50 universities and lifelong learning providers. In addition to serving in the academic realm, Wright has also worked in the private sector. From 2001-03 he lead as vice president for research for Learning Assistant Technologies, Inc., Marion, Indiana. In this position Wright directed research and development leading to new applications of information technologies in the field of learner-driven education. Wright has also served as a pastor to small rural and urban congregations in the United States, an educator of Christian leaders in Haiti and the inner cities of England.

Ph.D., Educational Policy Studies and Evaluation-University of Kentucky, 1990
M.A., Biblical Studies-George Fox University, 1980
B.A, Christian Ministries-Indiana Wesleyan University, 1977

Presentations
Wright, David. Leadership Through the Prism of Culture,Global Partners Annual Retreat, Marion, Indiana, July, 2004

Wright, David. The Personal Learning Lab: A Learning Object Oriented Virtual Learning Collaborative Environment, E-Learn 2003 World Conference on E-learning in Corporate, Government, Healthcare, and Higher Education, Phoenix, Arizona, November 7-11, 2003

Wright, David. Learning Like the Internet: The Impact of Sharable Content Objects and Interactive Virtual Learning Environments on Web-Based Distance Learning, Fall Conference of the Educational Teleconsortium of Michigan, Traverse City, Michigan, October 10, 2003

Wright, David. The Personal Learning Lab: An Object-based Virtual Learning Environment,19th Annual Conference on Distance Teaching & Learning, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, August 13-15, 2003

Wright, David. The Possibility Network: A Multi-Institution State-Wide Lifelong Learning Collaborative Using a Next Generation Virtual Support System,Information Technology and Distance Education Conference, The University of Texas of the Permian Basin, May 14-16, 2003

Publications
Wright, David. The Social Context of the Renewal Problem in Theological Education: Probing Beyond the Symptoms of Failure, Christian Education Journal, Spring, 1995

Wright, David. Choosing Appropriate Curricular Models for Christian Education, Christian Education Journal, Winter, 1995

Wright, David. The Pitfalls of the International Aid Rationale: Comparisons Between Missionary Aid and the International Aid Networks, Missiology: An International Review, April, 1994

Wright, David. The Light Surprises,Clergy Journal, September, 1993

Wright, David. DISSERTATION:Serve the Church, Reach the World: Tradition and Innovation in the Preparation of Parish Ministers. (A case study of a curriculum revision process using a theoretical framework provided by Peter Berger's work in the sociology of knowledge. Ph.D. dissertation, University of Kentucky, 1990.) Ann Arbor: University Microfilms, 1990

View All Professional/Scholarly Presentations

Academic Experience
Dean, Haggard Graduate School of Theology, Azusa Pacific University, Azusa, California 2005 - present.

Associate Professor of Intercultural Studies, and Director of Graduate Studies in Ministry College of Arts and Sciences, College of Graduate Studies (split appointment), Indiana Wesleyan University 2003 – 2005

Vice President for Adult and Graduate Studies College of Graduate Studies, College of Adult and Professional Studies, Indiana Wesleyan University 1997 – 2002

Associate Dean Division of Adult and Professional Studies, Indiana Wesleyan University 1995 – 1997

Director of Faculty Services Department of Graduate Studies in Education, Indiana Wesleyan 1994 – 1995

Administrative Director, Wesleyan Bible Institute, Selly Oak Colleges, Birmingham, England 1990 – 1994

Administrative Director, INTITUT THEOLOGIQUE WESLEYEN, Petit Goave, Haiti 1983 – 1986

Ministerial/Para-church Experience
Pastor, Back Creek Wesleyan Church, Fairmount, Indiana, 1980 – 1982

Pastor, Northside Wesleyan Church, Fort Wayne, Indiana, 1977 – 1978

Associations, Boards, Committees
Vice Chairman, Local Board of Administration, College Wesleyan Church, Marion, Indiana, 2003-Present
Member, 2003 Grant County All-Academic Team Interview Committee, Marion-Grant County Chamber of Commerce, Marion, Indiana, 2003
Member, Indiana Statewide Portal Development Task Force, Indiana Higher Education Telecommunications Service, 2001-2002
Represented Independent Colleges of Indiana on the Indiana Partnership for Statewide Education (Indiana Higher Education Telecommunications Service) 2000-2002
Vice Chair, Council for the Advancement of Adult Higher Education, 2000
Member, Local Board of Administration, College Wesleyan Church, Marion, Indiana, 1997 – 1999, 2001 – Present
Member, National Board of Administration, The Wesleyan Holiness Church, British Isles, 1990 – 1994
Director of Education and the Ministry, The Wesleyan Holiness Church, British Isles, 1990 – 1992
Member, Student Advisory Council, College of Education, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, 1988 – 1989.

Aviation, golf