John O. Schwenn

Dr. John O. Schwenn served as interim president from May 31, 2006 to Oct. 31, 2006.

A native of La Crosse, Wisconsin, Dr. Schwenn obtained his BS degree in Psychology from the University of Wisconsin - La Crosse where he received the Maurice O. Graff Distinguished Alumni Award in 2005. He earned a M.S. and a Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin - Madison.

In 1976, Dr. Schwenn became a faculty member and Director of Special Education at Delta State University in Cleveland, Mississippi. In 1989, he was named the Associate Chair of Psychology and Special Education at Emporia State University. He has since held the positions of Chair of Psychology and Special Education, Dean of Graduate Studies and Research, Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs, and since 1997, Vice President for Academic Affairs.

Dr. Schwenn has been active in numerous professional organizations including the Learning Disability Association where he was Mississippi and Kansas state president, the Council for Exceptional Children where he was the Mississippi Federation President, the Kansas Division of Learning Disabilities where he was state president, and the Kansas Teacher Education Division state president. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the William Allen White Community Partnership, Incorporated, the Board of Governor’s of the Renaissance Group, and the Board of Directors of the National Teachers Hall of Fame. He is also a member of the Board of Trustees of the Flint Hills Technical College.

His more than 40 scholarly publications include books, chapters, and journal articles. He has presented at more than 60 international, national, and state conferences.