Cleopas Samudzi

Dr. Cleopas Samudzi is the present Dean of the Missouri Academy, and has been since February of 2004.

Education

• BA in Biology (Minor: Chemistry) from Dakota Wesleyan University
• MS in Biology and Crystallography from University of Pittsburgh (1983)
• PhD in Biology and Crystallography from University of Pittsburgh (1990)

Work History

• 1983 - 1989 Community College for Allegheny County - Part-time professor of biology and chemistry
• 1989 - 1993 National Cancer Institute - Associate Scientist in molecular pharmacology
• 1991 - 1992 Shepherd College (now Shepherd University) - Part-time adjunct professor of physics
• 1993 - 1998 University of Missouri - Columbia - Assistant professor of biochemistry and chemistry
• August 1998 - January 2004 Missouri Department of Higher Education
  • Senior Associate for Academic Affairs and Planning
  • Commissioner’s Associate for Life Sciences
  • Director of the Improving Teacher Quality Professional Development Program

Student Impressions

Superficially, Cleo is a short, tubby, black man with a short Afro and a Jamaican accent. Unfortunately, student encounters with him tend to be precisely that: superficial. Occasionally he might say something worth listening to, but he has a way of speaking that placates the listener with disinterest. He has an apparent lack of respect for any opinions that run counter to his own, and little to no regard for any traditions that don't fit with his vision of what the Academy should be. I don't mean simply to insult him; I have deleted several lines that amounted to no more than that. However, I have very little positive to say about the man. His recruitment efforts seem to be more effective than those of his predecessor, and that is no bad thing. I think he genuinely cares about the future of the Academy, but I do not like what he is turning it into. It was a refuge for students that felt stifled or impeded by traditional schools, but under his leadership it is becoming more a college fast-track program. I think perhaps for many, myself included, Cleo's administration is a symbol of the death of the idealism present in the earlier years, and his willingness to break so cleanly from past policies made him an easy target. Even understanding that, it is difficult to like him. -Chris Johnson, Discoverer

From the perspective of a student of the Class of 2010, I see Dr. Cleo much differently than described in the above comment. While Cleo is often criticized for his manner of speaking, every word is says is measured carefully before spoken. Never will he make a false statement, and he makes sure to adequately and fully describe what he speaks of. For this reasons, students may often get bored with him; however, I feel it is an indication of the massive amounts of time he spends considering the issues that are brought to him. It also shows that he has more respect for students than to simply ignore them or decree something without justifying it. When it comes to opinions opposite of his own, I would agree that it would, at first, appear that Cleo is initially dismissive. However, when you consider that Cleo has spent the past six years discussing with students almost every issue imaginable, it makes sense that he has established opinions. The key to capturing his attention is through formality and demonstration of professionalism: Often, students come up with a half-baked idea and rush to talk to Cleo about it, or have some whim they think would be best for the Academy. Obviously, most these ideas are shot down, and students are disgruntled. If the time is taken to formalize, prepare, and support opinions, on the other hand, Cleo will always consider the proposal, and is often times responsive. Most ideas he rejects, however, never make it to this point because the authors, during the formalization process, realize the flaws in the idea. As for what he is "turning the Academy into", I feel Cleo has accomplished much good, and is taking the institution in the correct direction. Cleo is working to make the Academy more prestigious in the eyes of high schools and colleges. This leads to having a more selective admissions process for the Academy (increasing the quality of students) and aiding graduates in the college admission process. The Academy may have started as a refuge for stifled, advanced students, but I feel that there is nothing wrong with its current incorporation of average students willing to put in extra effort to get a jump-start on college. Admittedly, this can lead to a high dropout rate (just look at my class! 59% retention!), but students should have the option. Eventually, however, I would like to see the Academy receive so many applications each year that we can run at full capacity, and still only accept the best of the best. This is the path Cleo is working ceaselessly to take us down, and I commend him for it. -Alum2010

Sources

Missouri Academy Staff Page