Dr. Mike Dishman is a Professor of Education of Policy & Governance in the Department of Leadership, Research, and School Improvement and serves as seventh Dean of the University of West Georgia College of Education.  Dr. Dishman holds doctorates in law (J.D.) from the University of Mississippi and education leadership & policy (Ed.D.) from Vanderbilt University.  Concurrently with his academic practice, he represented public school districts and other education organizations for over twenty-five years.  Dr. Dishman’s areas of scholarly agenda include education law and policy, governance, organizational change, ethics, and leadership during crisis.  Dr. Dishman is the co-author of six books on these topics and a frequently requested speaker at state and national conferences.  Dr. Dishman also served on numerous state-level task forces relating to the profession of education.  He also served on the editorial review board of the Peabody Journal of Education, one of the nation’s oldest and most respected journals in education, and on the publications review board of the American Association of School Administrators (AASA). Prior to serving as dean of the University of West Georgia’s College of Education, Dr. Dishman served as a faculty administrator for more than a decade, including program coordination, department chair, associate dean, graduate dean, associate vice president, and associate vice provost.