Department of Global Studies, Sociology, & TESOL

Richard Slimbach, Ph.D., is devoted to understanding the world, and leading collegians into ethical applications of their own curiosity and world knowledge. Following graduation from Humboldt State University, he served in a number of community-based organizations working with migrant farmers, homeless men, border communities, and Vietnamese refugees. The tutoring connection led to graduate studies in TESOL and eventually to two years dedicated to occupational literacy program development among Muslim cycle rickshaw drivers in Hyderabad, India. Upon returning to the U.S., Slimbach enrolled in UCLA’s doctoral program in comparative and international education to research non-formal educational development among Muslim populations throughout South Asia. After completing his Ph.D., Slimbach sought a place to develop as an urban, multicultural, and international educator within Christian higher education. Since 1991, his professional energies at APU have been dedicated to creating, teaching in, and managing academic programs aimed at preparing students to learn in socio-cultural settings radically different from their own. He is the coordinator of the global studies major with teaching specialties in urban sociology, applied anthropology, global issues, and international education program design. Silimbach supervises the Global Learning Term — a self-directed, full-immersion study and service abroad program that has enabled global studies students to conduct small-scale community research and academic service-learning projects in over 50 non-western countries.