Dr. Michael Paul Waide is honored to represent Pierpont Community and Technical College and Community College higher education on the WVPEC. Michael earned his Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership at the American College of Education (ACE) in 2021. Dr. Waide holds a Master's in Child and Family Studies (Syracuse University) and a Master's in Divinity (Emory University). Michael has worked in community college higher education for 17+ years, serving as a faculty member and the academic Dean of Health Sciences. Dr. Waide is a tenured professor in Medical Laboratory Technology at Pierpont Community & Technical College and is a certified and licensed Medical Laboratory Scientist. Dr. Waide is certified with the American Association of Bioanalysts (AAB) and the American Medical Technologists (AMT), on whose national Board of Directors Dr. Waide also serves.
Currently, Dr. Waide has served as the Provost and Vice President forAcademic Affairs (2018) and the Chief Academic Officer (2018) for Pierpont Community & Technical College (Fairmont, WV), a role which has provided a depth of experiences with curriculum development, online course development, assessment of student learning, accreditation practices, and a justice-oriented approach to higher education, meeting students “where they are”.
As an Appalachian from an under-represented student group, Dr. Waide has witnessed first-hand the barriers to access and success for students in higher education. As an educator, Michael has witnessed and celebrated the triumphs and successes of students, who overcame barriers to achieve academic and workforce success. Dr. Waide's research focused on the resilience and persistence of nontraditional aged community college students in rural Appalachia. As an administrator, Dr. Waide's research has informed professional practices, as Michael has worked with instructional faculty and student support staff to innovate strategies that promote adult learners' persistence toward success. Within any role, Dr. Waide advocates for the success of adult learners.