Millennium Magazine_2ndEd

236 MILLENNIUM-SECOND EDITION D r. Robert M. Maxon turned his passion for teaching into a career that has spanned over five decades. Raised by two parents who shared his desire to help others become more knowledgeable, it was only befitting that Dr. Maxon would follow in their footsteps. To prepare for his career, he earned a Bachelor of Arts in history from Duke University in 1961 and a PhD from Syracuse University in 1972. After graduating from college, he had the amazing opportunity to teach in Africa, which subsequently led him to begin teaching Africana studies. In 1968 he began working as a part-time instructor of history at the State University of New York at Oswego. With the knowledge and experience he obtained there, he made a home at West Virginia University, where he was an assistant and associate professor of history, chair of the department of history, director of the graduate studies history department, and coordinator of the Africana studies program. He currently serves as professor of history, a position he has held since 1992. Dr. Maxon has received many awards, including the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Kenya Scholars and Studies Association, the Outstanding Researcher Award from the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences, the Benedum Distinguished Scholar Award, and the Cheikh Anta Diop Award for Outstanding Faculty Scholarship in African and African-American Studies from the Center for Black Culture and Research at West Virginia University. He has also received several grants to continue his research. Throughout his career, Dr. Maxon has had the pleasure of teaching some of the brightest and best students studying in his field. In 2010, he received an honorary degree from Moi University in Kenya. ROBERT M. MAXON, PHD PROFESSOR Department of History, West Virginia University Morgantown, WV