New Assistant Dean for Oakton Community College

Michael Carr, Ph.D., has been named as assistant dean for Academic Affairs at Oakton Community College. A resident of Elgin, Carr previously chaired the College’s Biological Sciences Department and served as a professor of biology. 

In his new post, Carr will oversee Oakton’s large and diverse adjunct faculty.  “We have an incredible group of part-time instructors,” he notes. “Many of them are professionals in their respective fields, all bring a wealth of experience to the table. This rich resource is part of what makes the College such a vibrant learning community.” Carr’s duties will include coordinating evaluations of part-time and adjunct faculty, managing Oakton’s dual credit initiatives, and administering the College’s program through which students receive academic credit for prior learning. 

“I look forward to this new challenge and I’m excited to work more closely with College faculty and staff, as well as those from our surrounding educational institutions,” says Carr, whose appointment took effect on January 28. “This new role gives me the opportunity to help develop the vision and educational goals of the College and to enhance the education of our students.”

Carr joined the College in 1994 as an adjunct biology instructor. In 1995, Oakton promoted Carr to professor of biology, a position he held until January 2013. As professor of biology, Carr served on the College’s Biological Science Department review committee and taught anatomy and physiology, general biology, and online genetics. 

In 2010, the College named Carr chair of Biological Sciences, a position he also held until his appointment as the assistant dean for Academic Affairs. While serving as chair, Carr was appointed to the Illinois Biotechnology Science Education advisory board, awarded a $25,000 grant to develop service learning projects for environmental science students, and selected as a regional Illinois Science Olympiad Site Coordinator for which he coordinated science events for 13 high schools and 10 middle school teams on Oakton’s campus. 

Carr received a doctorate degree in molecular biology from the University of Illinois at Chicago, a master’s degree in human physiology from Ball State University, and a bachelor’s degree in zoology from Olivet Nazarene University.