It is said that teaching is a profession that teaches all the other professions. Undoubtedly, it is.
Teachers and professors hold the power to influence and shape young minds. With their stock of information and knowledge, they are actually helping children learn the truths and facts about the world. Everything that a professor passes on to the new generation leaves a lasting impression in their heads. It helps them perceive, understand, grow, and achieve their goals.
Indeed, teaching is a sacred profession. Most of us are who we are because of what our teachers taught us when we were young. Allen Coats Meadors is one such example. He holds not just one but four Master’s, a PhD, an associate degree, and numerous certifications. Meadors’ stellar academic background, paired with his extensive experience, has proven fruitful for many renowned educational institutions.
Allen Meadors was born in Van Buren, Arkansas, on May 17, 1947. He received his early education from Van Buren Senior High School. A bright student, Meadors’ excelled in all subjects and successfully graduated in 1965, after which he enrolled at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. He transferred to the University of Central Arkansas after a year and graduated with a Bachelor in Business Administration in 1969. Meadors went back to the University of Arkansas to get his MBA but left a semester later to join the United States Air Force. Meadors served the US Air Force for four years, after which he started working for Blue Cross Blue Shield in Topeka, Kansas.
While working for the Blue Cross Blue Shield, Meadors studied Business Administration at the University of Northern Colorado, acquiring his Master’s in Business, after which he also obtained a Master’s of Public Administration from the University of Kansas. He became an associate professor and director of the Division of Health Administration at the University of Texas soon after and was appointed as a professor and chair of the Department of Health Administration at the University of Oklahoma in 1987. Between 1989 and 1990, he was dean of the College of Public Health at Oklahoma.
Meadors also holds a Master’s Degree in Psychology and Human Relations and Health Services Management from Webster University. Meadors was awarded his PhD in Administration and Education by Southern Illinois University in 1981. He also has an Associate’s Degree in Computer Science from Saddleback College and certificates in Health Services Administration from Trinity University and Health System Management from MIT.
Meadors’ served as President/Chancellor at Penn State University-Altoona; The University of North Carolina-Pembroke; The University of Central Arkansas; and St. John’s International University in Italy. He was also a Professor and Dean at Eastern Washington University, the Dean of the College of Public Health at the University of Oklahoma, and the Executive Director of the Higher Education Coordinating Council in the UAE.
Meadors was also an adjunct professor at multiple universities, some of which include Southern Illinois University, Webster University, University of Texas, and Central Michigan University, among others.
Today, Allen Meadors is an American higher education professor and administrator. In 2021, he was selected as a Fulbright Specialist serving areas of Public Health and Higher Education till 2025. Unlike Fulbright Scholars (who may spend one to two years with an institution or agency), Fulbright Specialists normally spend 6-12 weeks providing expert consultation to institutions and countries that participate in the Fulbright program.
Meadors has been relentlessly providing expertise to higher education institutions, public health agencies, and healthcare organizations in participating countries and aims to keep doing so throughout his term.
Meadors is also a receiver of numerous accolades, including the Alpha Sigma Lambda Honor and the outstanding professional service award. He is a member of the 43rd Athletic Hall of Fame of the University of North Carolina-Pembroke and the Van Buren School District Hall of Honor.
For his excellence, UNCP has also endowed chairs, namely, the Allen C. Meadors Distinguished Professorship in Mathematics and the Allen C. Meadors Endowed Chair in Computer Science, in his honor.
