Dr. Chad Bennett, Department Chair
Dr. Chad Bennett is a passionate, collaborative, and innovative educator, advisor, and coach. He has presented at numerous regional and national conferences on developmental education, first-year programming, student leadership, advising and program management. He has over 19 years of experience working in academic and student support. Dr. Bennett is a recent recipient of the Shippensburg University Center for Excellence in Scholarship and Teaching (CFEST) Teaching Innovations in Pedagogy and Scholarship Award (TIPS Teaching Award) and the 2015 Martin Luther King Humanitarian Award. Additionally, he has been the chair of the Department of Academic Engagement and Exploratory Studies at Ship for over 10 years. During Dr. Bennett’s time as director and chair, he has secured over a million dollars in grant funds and has created the program’s lending library as well as the “ASP Super Star” Award during the Summer Bridge Program.
Prior to working at Shippensburg University, Dr. Bennett served as the director of a youth shelter in Harrisburg, Pa, in addition to teaching at Harrisburg Area Community College while playing a stint of professional soccer in the USL as well as coaching for the Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer Association’s Olympic Development Program.
He was a board member for the Pennsylvania Association of Developmental Education (now PA-NOSS) and member Act 101 Directors group. In addition, Dr. Bennett has been published in the monograph for the Educational Leadership Development Conference at St. Peter's College, University of Oxford, England.
Dr. Bennett received his undergraduate and master’s degrees in psychology from Shippensburg University and his doctoral degree in Educational Leadership through Duquesne University in 2009. He enjoys the outdoors participating in various activities and sports, working on home improvements, listening to a wide variety of music, but most especially spending time with his family.
Classes taught:
- AEES101: Foundations for Academic Success
- AEES102: Leadership and Community
- AEES103: Introduction to Exploratory Studies
- UNIV101: SU First-Year Seminar.