Academic Background

parsonsm2213@gmail.com

Academic Vita

My schooling

  • I did my primary and intermediate education in Chemsford, UK where I was born.
  • After high school I entered college Brasenose College at Oxford–(1955-1958) and completed a B.A. in English Language and Literature with honors.
  • After 2 years of mandatory military service, I completed a one-year teacher certification program at the University of London.
  • My first teaching job (1959-1963) was at the Plymouth High School for boys. I loved teaching English Literature but the same class conflicts I had while at Oxford were even more starkly apparent while teaching at this elite high school.
  • After a chance meeting with E. Stanley Hall in a pub in Plymouth and a long conversation about education in England, I was encouraged to apply to the doctoral program at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where Professor Hall was teaching.
  • My wife, Ann, also applied for a doctoral program at Illinois and we moved to Urbana-Champaign and lived in student housing with our 2 small children from 1963-1967. I was a Graduate Teaching Assistant to Harry Broudy.

Academic Positions

Visiting Research Professor, Art and Design, The University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, 2006 to present,

Emeritus Professor, Department Head and Professor, Department of Art Education, 1986-2006

Distinguished Advisory professor, The Hong Kong Institute of Education, 2003-2006.

Associate Dean and Chairperson, Department of Educational Studies, University of Utah, 1979-1983; Assistant, Associate, Full Professor, 1967-70, 70-75, 75-87

Adjunct Professor Department of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 1971-1987

One-year Visiting or Summer Faculty appointments at: The University of British Columbia, Pennsylvania State University, University of Minnesota, the North East London Polytechnic, Hong Kong Institute of Education, Chang Hua University (Taiwan)

Emeritus Professor, Department of Art Education, The Ohio State University, 1986-2006.

Visiting Research Professor, Art and Design, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2006-2022.