Q&A
with Dr. David Tamisiea Dr. David Tamisiea uses his legal and theological background and his love of learning to serve the University of Mary in his role as dean of the School of Arts and Sciences. Q: What was your career prior to coming to Mary? A: I was an attorney in Dallas, Texas, for ten years. I did mostly business litigation, and I had just become partner in my firm when I got this crazy idea that I wanted to go back to graduate school to study theology. I was always interested in theology and philosophy, and I had gotten involved with teaching it informally. I’d just gotten married when I left my law career to go to graduate school and become a professor of theology.
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Momentum
After beginning my academic career, I left teaching for a little while to move back to Texas and start the Saint Philip Institute for Catechesis and Evangelization as the executive director and founder. I missed being at a university, so I called a friend who was working at the University of Mary and got a job as a professor of theology in 2018. In the summer of 2019, I became interim dean of the School of Arts and Sciences, which eventually became a permanent role.
Q: How has your past experience helped you in your role as dean? A: My legal background has helped a lot. As a lawyer, you’re required to communicate orally and in writing, and being a good communicator is important when you’re overseeing a lot of people. Our school is one of the largest at the university, so it’s important that I’m able to communicate well to my faculty. Being a lawyer also helped me learn to multitask and stay organized, and that’s something I need to do as dean as well.
