Carl Larsen's web page

Carl Larsen Associate Director of Academic Affairs Penn State Altoona

Welcome to the office of the Associate Director of Academic Affairs. This office handles program development, strategic planning, accreditation and assessment, student/faculty concerns, and a variety of other issues that effect the academic life of Penn State Altoona.

Academic Affairs
Background
My Favorite Links

Academic Affairs Office The office of the Associate Director of Academic Affairs is in C106 Smith, and the staff assistant is Chyrl Harshbarger. This office is responsible for strategic planning, program development, assessment, accreditation, articulation agreements, and scheduling. Student-faculty complaints are also handled in this office. However, if you have a complaint about a faculty member, class grade, or other issue, you should first meet with the faculty member. If the issue is not resolved, you should then go to the appropriate Division Head. Only if your complaint is still not resolved should you come to my office.

Background I was born in East Los Angeles, California in 1958. I completed my Bachelor of Arts in Political Science at the University of California at San Diego in 1980. After graduation, I cooked professionally for a year before going onto graduate school. I attended Rutgers University with a teaching assistantship beginning in August 1981, and studying Political Science with an emphasis in International Relations. I received my masters degree in 1985, and my Ph.D. in 1990. I taught as a visiting lecturer at Rutgers University and Seton Hall University. I was an Assistant Professor of Government at Centre College in Danville, Kentucky from 1989 to 1996, and chaired the International Relations Program from 1994 to 1996. I was a visiting professor of Political Science at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa from 1996-97. I joined Penn State Altoona in August 1997.

My academic interests include democratization, economic development, international political economy, public culture, and the role of food and drink. I've written on Vaclav Havel's plays and essays, Ivan Klima's novels, the revival of public culture in Central Europe, and most recently on beer and American public life. I have taught a variety of courses including: Introduction to International Relations, International Political Economy, European Political Systems, Latin American Political Systems, American Foreign Policy, International Relations Theory, Ethnicity and Nationalism, Transitions to Democracy, and Politics and Culture.

I am trained as a professional chef with background in classical French, Cajun, Mexican, Italian, and regional American cuisines. Fortunately, I'm now retired from the restaurant business, and simply cook for enjoyment. I also enjoy gardening, hiking, camping, and music.

Links to My Favorite Sites Penn State Altoona Chronicle of Higher Education Ale Street News BluesWorld Send me e-mail to: CKL7@psu.edu

This page was created with Netscape Navigator Gold