Dick J. Puglisi
Title: Assistant Dean & Professor Stavros Endowed Chairholder in Free Enterprise Education Director, Stavros Center for Free Enterprise and Economic Education
Specialty: Workforce skills, economic education, implications of global economy on education.
Contact Information:
USF College of Education
Phone: (813) 974-2175
E-mail this USF Collaborative Partner
Details:
Topics of expertise:
Workforce skills, economic education, implications of global economy on education.
Professional background:
Puglisi is Professor, Stavros Chair in Free Enterprise & Economic Education and Director of the Gus A. Stavros Center. Dr. Puglisi also is a member of the Department of Secondary Education in the College of Education at USF. A faculty member since 1969, Dr. Puglisi has served as Director of the Center since 1980 and also is the Assistant Dean for Business/Education Partnerships in the College of Education. He is a recipient of the coveted Freedoms Foundation award for Excellence in Private enterprise Education. Puglisi has been with the Stavros Center 22 of his 34 years at USF.
What does the Stavros Center for Economic Education do?
“All of our work is with currently employed K-12 educators. Our mission is based on helping K-12 educators understand the reality of business and the global economy. We also do workshops, courses, essay contests for children, and awards for teachers. Many of our teachers are teachers of children with special needs.”
News You Can Use:
“All of us are engaged in the global economy. Educators usually don’t have direct experience with business except as consumers, but they are supposed to prepare people to function effectively in the global economy. We recruit hundreds of business people to teach educators what’s going on in the business world. Then we help those K-12 teachers apply the lessons. For example, in spring semester 2003 we offered three courses to the teachers. During the 15-week courses, guest lecturers from the business world would speak and each time the teachers would take back the lessons learned to their classes.”
What do you think is the biggest issue in your field right now?
“How do we create authentic learning experiences for students that they find interesting, stimulating and relevant? We need to provide students with the skills and knowledge to function successfully in the global economy.”
What have you learned from your research that you wish every professional knew?
“These kids are a work in progress. We cannot reasonably expect, even at the high school level, that these kids be judged as harshly as they are by performance standards. The grading system and performance tests judge kids prematurely.”
What have you learned from your research that you wish every student knew?
“More compassion, comparing and understanding where kids are emotionally.”
