Dennis W. Cheek, Ph.D.

105 Gypsy Lane, Kennett Square, PA 19348, (c)484-459-1981 dcheek@kauffman.org

Work Experience

Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, Kansas City, MO 2005-present

Vice President of Education (2005-April 2009); Senior Fellow (May 2009-2010)
 Supervised team of 17 individuals and over $25 million in annual grant
awards to education in both Kansas City and the nation including private,
public, and parochial education systems and regional and national research
and professional organizations; work focused on youth entrepreneurship,
future of learning, education research & policy, science, technology,
engineering and mathematics (STEM) education, as well as community
initiatives in Kansas City Metro area
 Led major national effort focused on the future of learning in partnership
with corporations, government agencies, and foundations
 Collaborated with peers at foundations across America and throughout
Europe; spoke at major national and international education conferences;
wrote articles and essays about our work; prepared and presented reports
to Board of Trustees; mentored Kauffman Global Scholars and Global
Entrepreneurship Faculty, interns, & staff; advised foundations &
corporations
 Representative to Business Higher Education Forum, Alliance for Science
and Technology Research in America, European Foundation Center

John Templeton Foundation, West Conshohocken, PA 2002-2004

Vice President for Venture Philanthropy Innovation and Managing Director,
Templeton Venture Philanthropy Associates
 Supervised staff of 5 individuals and advised on over $60 million of
annual grant awards in human sciences, free enterprise, and science and
religion nationally and internationally to elite research universities
 Worked with all major grantees to structure benchmarks for performance,
created and implemented evaluation plans, and continuously monitored
results
 Prepared and presented reports to Board of Trustees and special reports for
the founder, international investor Sir John Marks Templeton
 Spoke at national and international conferences

Science Applications International Corporation, Oak Ridge, TN 1995-2005

Senior Consulting Professional (part-time, upon demand and availability)
 Provided strategic and operational advise on various multimillion dollar
government contracts related to education in both formal and informal
learning settings
 Prospected future projects, prepared recommendations and bids;
represented corporation at major educational events

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Rhode Island Department of Education, Providence, RI 1993-2002
Director, Office of High School Reform, Research, and Adult Education
 Served as State Superintendent for 10 area career and technical education
centers (responsible for principals, programs, and state-owned buildings)
 Supervised use of federal Perkins dollars; ran annual competitions for
federal Goals 2000 dollars; supervised uses of categorical funds
 Commissioner’s Senior Leadership Team; presented to the Board of
Regents various reports, proposed legislation and regulations
 Led efforts to improve high schools across the state
 Created the state education accountability reporting system Information
Works! in collaboration with the University of Rhode Island (joint
appointment as Associate Professor of Education); member state
intervention team in two urban districts
 Commissioned research and evaluation for all state education programs
 Worked with Office of Special Needs to evaluate services and programs
for special populations (including ESL); crafted revisions to regulations
 Served on board and as key member of team that launched public charter
school in Providence focused on science, mathematics and technology
education for disadvantaged youth (Times2 Academy); wrote successful
federal competitive grant for $4.5 million to support charter schools
 Served for two years as CIO for Department; converted disparate
information systems to Oracle, handled Y2K conversion effort, and
improved online information gathering capabilities from schools
 Regularly interacted with all superintendents and principals in state, heads
of teacher unions (both AFT and NEA), leaders of professional
associations; represented Commissioner on Children’s Cabinet
 Spoke at state, regional, and national conferences and published papers
about our work; served for six months as Department’s chief media
spokesperson (in addition to regular responsibilities)
 Supervised all state functions in science, mathematics, instructional
technology, and social studies education
 Provided and/or supervised professional development for superintendents,
curriculum developers, principals, teachers, school counselors, librarians,
and support staff
 Supervised GED programs, adult basic education, and job retraining

New York State Education Department, Albany, NY 1989-1993

Project Coordinator
 Coordinated production of nine curriculum modules for teachers of middle
level science throughout state working with teams of teachers and district
supervisors in Buffalo, New York City, Rochester, Syracuse, and
Yonkers; designed pilot and field tests, conducted evaluation activities,
refined materials in light of data obtained
 Contributed to professional development activities for teachers and
curriculum supervisors across state

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  Coordinated the creation of Regents examination items by classroom
teachers, piloted items across state, refined items for use on future Regents
examinations
 Spoke at state, regional, and national conferences and published papers
about project

Other Positions 1976-present

 Teacher of science, social studies, and religious instruction in various
private and public schools in Germany, United Kingdom, and Maryland,
elementary through high school levels
 Current teaching faculty in mid-career doctoral program in educational
leadership, Graduate School of Education, University of Pennsylvania,
(course: “Frameworks for the future of learning and education”)
 Adjunct professor in graduate programs at Pennsylvania State University
Great Valley, University of Rhode Island, Empire State College (SUNY),
Continental Theological Seminary (Belgium)
 Adjunct professor in undergraduate programs at Penn State main campus,
University of Maryland European Division and University of Rhode
Island
 Occasional Visiting Scholar, Max Planck Institutes for both Human
Development and History of Science, Berlin, 2009-2010
 Visiting Fellow, Center for Contemporary History & Policy, Chemical
Heritage Foundation, 2009
 Visiting Scholar, Center for Bioethics, University of Pennsylvania, 2009

Education

B.A. History/secondary education, Towson University, 1979

B.S. Biology, Excelsior College, 1988
M.A. History, University of Maryland Baltimore County, 1984
Ph.D. Curriculum & instruction/science education, Pennsylvania State University,
1989
Ph.D. Theology, University of Durham, 2007
75 additional graduate credits in archaeology, educational administration, information
sciences and policy, law, and national security studies, 1979-1993
Gordon Conference on Science Education & Visualization, 2007
Extensive travel and business in 42 nations on five continents

Publications and Awards

 Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Technology Studies, 2003-2009

 Editorial board, Odyssey, 1991- present (science magazine for young adolescents)
 Editorial board, International Journal of Technology & Design Education, 2005-
present
 Editorial board, Journal of Science Education and Technology, 2006-present
 Editorial board, Journal of Technology Education, 1989-2001

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  Editorial board, Speculations in Science and Technology, 1992-1999
 Editor, STS Today, 1995-1997
 Manuscript review board, The Science Teacher, 1999-2002, 2007-present
 Manuscript review board, Middle School Journal, 1991-2002
 Manuscript review board, Social Education, 1992-2002
 Author, editor, contributor to over 770 publications and multimedia products
 Honor societies: Kappa Delta Pi (education), Phi Alpha Theta (history), Epsilon
Pi Tau (technology professions)
 Distinguished Service Award, Epsilon Pi Tau, 2004
 First place award, AERA Division H publications competition, Summary Reports
Category, 1999
 Second place award, AERA Division H publications competition, Institutional
Research Category, 1999
 Current nominee, Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science

Selected Board and Advisory Services

 Board, National Center for Earth and Space Science Education, 2009-present
 Board, By Kids For Kids Foundation, 2009-present
 Board, Sloan STEM Career Center, 2009-present
 President’s Advisory Council, Excelsior College, 2007-present
 Advisor, Philadelphia Math & Science Coalition, 2007
 Advisor, Institute for Effectiveness in Education, York University, UK, 2006
 Founding Member, Steering Group, International Campbell Collaboration and
Co-Chair, Communications and Internationalization Group, 1999-2006; Board
Member, Nordic Campbell Centre, Copenhagen, 2004-2005
 Chair, “International perspectives on evidence-based policy,” Committee on
Standards of Evidence and the Quality of Behavioral and Social Science
Research, National Academy of Sciences, “Uses of Evidence for Social Policy
Decision Making,” Irvine, CA, 2005
 2004 and 2006 Board of Examiners, Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award,
National Institute of Standards and Technology; state examiner in RI for two
years
 Associate Executive Director, Epsilon Pi Tau, 2003-2006
 Board Member, Penn-Del Charities, 2003-2007
 Principal, Council for Excellence in Government and Advisor to CEG’s Coalition
for Evidence-Based Policy, 2003-
 Board, SkillsUSA-VICA, Inc., 2001
 Board, College Board, 2001-2002
 Board, National Occupational Competency Testing Institute, 2001-2002
 Consultant, Committee on Technological Literacy, National Academy of
Engineering, 2000
 Executive Council and Council Member, RI Human Resources Investment
Council, 2000-2002