Meet the Dean

Dr. Max Ruhl

Dr. Max Ruhl has served as Dean of the College of Education & Human Services and Director of Teacher Education at Northwest Missouri State University since 1997. Prior to his current role, he served as a faculty member and chair of the department of Educational Leadership where he was promoted to the rank of full professor.

A native Missourian, Dr. Ruhl completed his undergraduate degree in history and political science at the College of the Ozarks in Point Lookout, Missouri. He currently serves as a trustee for the college. Dr. Ruhl was a teacher and administrator for more than 12 years with the Neosho (Mo.) Public Schools. He holds master’s and educational specialist degrees in school leadership from the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, and the Ed.D., also in educational leadership from the University of Missouri, Columbia.

The author and co-author of articles in a variety of professional journals, Dr. Ruhl has served as a consultant on education issues for former Missouri Governors John Ashcroft and Bob Holden. He was instrumental in the creation of a cooperative doctoral program in Missouri and in the creation of an Urban Residential Internship Program (and the related higher education partnership), which has gained national attention. The program provides Kansas City’s urban schools access to new teachers from a variety of higher education institutions. Dr. Ruhl also led in the creation of Northwest’s graduate center in Kansas City. His research interests surround continuous quality improvement, systems analysis, and educational policy analysis.