Dr Eric Derr

Vice President

Biography

Dr Eric Derr is the Vice President as well as Lecturer in History, Quality Assurance Officer, and International Officer

Dr Eric Derr graduated magna cum laude from St. Ambrose University (Davenport, IA) with a B.A. majoring in History, Philosophy and Theology. He later continued his studies at the University of Limerick where he attained an M.A. in History graduating with first class honours. After spending several years teaching at the junior high and community college levels in Illinois, he received the John and Pat Hume Doctoral Award to pursue his PhD at Maynooth University, a degree he completed in 2014.

As Quality Assurance Officer, he liaises with Senior Management and faculty / staff members to ensure that quality assurance procedures are dynamic, fit-for-purpose, improvement-focused and quality oriented. He further provides direction and motivation to faculty / staff members in creating a quality culture whereby all internal stakeholders assume responsibility for quality. This role ensures that the quality systems at Carlow College, St. Patrick’s are compliant with the statutory guidelines developed by Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI), the validating body of the College.

Dr Derr also serves as the International Officer where he acts as the Academic Advisor for visiting semester study abroad learners, promotes study abroad opportunities for Carlow College learners (in the second or third year of their undergraduate studies) and works with degree-seeking undergraduate learners. He further coordinates the Irish Experience Programme at Carlow College, which is an interdisciplinary programme whereby visiting semester study abroad learners are introduced to important aspects of Ireland’s history, political system, religious life, music, language, heritage and culture. A key component of the programme is assisting visiting learners to address questions related to Irish identity in historical and contemporary terms.

In addition to the above roles, Dr Derr is a history lecturer on the English & History Programme. He co-teaches on the following modules: Revolutions in the Transatlantic World, 1763 – 1877; Nation States and Global Conflict, 1877 – 1945; and Europe and the United States in the Post War World, 1945 – 2000. He is also serves as a dissertation supervisor for fourth year learners.

Committees

  • Management Board (2015 – Present)
    • Deputy Chair (2017 – Present)
  • Academic Council (2017 – Present)
  • Quality Assurance Committee, Chair (2018 – Present)
  • Teaching, Learning and Assessment Committee (2017 – Present)
  • Strategic Planning Committee (2016 – 2017)
  • Student Affairs Team (2012 – 2015)
    • Secretary (2014 – 2015)
  • Academic Resource Office Committee (2009 – 2015)

Special Projects

  • President’s Working Group on Higher Education System Positioning (PWG) (2017 – Present)
  • Review and Revalidation Project Group, Co-Chair (2017 – 2018)
  • Management and Structure Working Group (March 2016 – January 2017)

Research Interest

Dr Eric Derr is an historian of Ireland in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries with a focus on the Irish Catholic episcopal corps, his doctoral thesis was titled, The Irish Catholic Episcopal Corps, 1657-1829: A Prosopographical Analysis, 2 vols (2013). He also has a publication in Archivium Hibernicum titled, ‘Episcopal visitations of the dioceses of Cloyne and Ross, 1785-1828 [with index]’ (2013).

Dr Derr also has a strong interest in U.S. History having taught academic courses on: American Government (delivered online); History of the United States to 1877; and History of the United States from 1877 to Present. Moreover, he has organised lectures centred on U.S. politics and has spoken at regional and national forums related to U.S. politics.

Publications

Qualifications

B.A. (St. Ambrose University); M.A. (University of Limerick); Ph.D. (Maynooth University); Certified Project Management Diploma (Institute of Project Management Ireland)

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