Craig’s academic credentials have a common theme to them – all his degrees are from schools in the great state of Tennessee. He received his Bachelor’s of Business Administration in Accounting from East Tennessee State University, his Master’s in Organizational Management from Tusculum College, and his Doctor of Education degree from University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
Tusculum College is also where Craig began his professional career having served in a variety of instructional and administrative positions including overseeing Tusculum’s Knoxville campus. Having spent nine years at Tusculum, Craig became a project manager at Oak Ridge Association Universities (ORAU) then later a section and group manager. Currently, he is Associate Director, Workforce Development, for the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education. He has been instrumental in the development of STEM education programs and manages a team of one hundred full-time professional, educational, and scientific staff. Over the last ten years, Craig’s career has helped provide more than thirty-five thousand students and recent graduates’ access to approximately forty-five thousand research experiences, internships, and fellowships. Additionally, Craig works with local K through twelve teachers and students at the Oak Ridge Associated Universities Center for Science Education where free, hands-on STEM programs are offered such as a robotics academy, traveling science fair, science bowl, and professional development workshops for teachers.
Beyond his responsibilities at ORAU, Craig serves as a member of the board of trustees at the Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge as well as the Board of Directors and the Education and Workforce Development Council at the Anderson County Chamber of Commerce while also being a 2017 Leadership Oak Ridge graduate. He is a member of numerous professional organizations and is a proud Knights of Columbus leader. Early in his career, Craig was honored with the Tusculum College Civic Advancement Award which recognizes an individual’s commitment to the mission of the college through the creative integration of citizen service, academic course goals, and demonstrated dedication to developing student opportunities for active citizenship. He has also been the recipient of numerous ORAU employee awards of excellence for his leadership abilities, effective collaboration techniques, and innovative approaches to challenges.