John Freed Ph.D.
John Freed, Ph.D.
PRIMARY SPECIALTY
Liberal Studies
Biography
Pennsylvania native, the high point of Dr. Freed’s acting career occurred there at age 17 playing the lead in “Kiss me, Kate.” He received a standing ovation for his fireman's carry of his co-star off the stage after her slap nearly knocked him out at the close of Act One.
Upon finishing his doctoral work at Penn State, he was offered a tenure track, teaching position in the English Department and taught there for 10 years.
John subsequently renovated Victorian-era houses and was a low-income housing advocate for Neighborhood Housing Services of Pittsburgh.
Returning to academia primarily as an administrator, he was the dean of Continuing Education at the University of St. Thomas in Houston, Texas, and academic dean at two other liberal arts colleges before joining Chapman University College (now University of Massachusetts Global) in 2002.
John is a member of the Dramatists Guild of America having written four plays and a musical about William Randolph Hearst set in his castle in San Simeon that premieres in the Bay area in the summer of 2017. His wife, Stacy Alexander, is a mixed-media artist and organizational psychologist. They reside in Portland, Oregon.
Specialty
- Liberal Studies
- Humanities
- Communications and Media
Education
Penn State University, State College, PA
Dissertation:“Salvation / Damnation: The Theology and Personae of George Herbert's 'Temple'”
Gannon University, Erie, PA
Scholarly Activities
2009-2017
Dramatists Guild Member - Four plays, One musical
2017
Board member of the National Low-Income Housing Coalition
Professional Experiences
Elms College, Chicopee, MA
Marylhurst University, Portland, OR
University of St. Thomas, Houston, TX
Saylor Foundation, Washington, DC
Neighborhood Housing Services, Pittsburgh, PA