Robert Farrell Wins Award for Dissertation

Robert B. Farrell, J.D., Ed.D., general counsel, received the American Association of University Administrators’ Donald A. Gatske Award.
Robert B. Farrell, J.D., Ed.D., general counsel at The University of Scranton, received the Donald A. Gatske Award for Outstanding Dissertation on Higher Education from the American Association of University Administrators.
Robert B. Farrell, J.D., Ed.D., general counsel at The University of Scranton, received the Donald A. Gatske Award for Outstanding Dissertation on Higher Education from the American Association of University Administrators.

Robert B. Farrell, J.D., Ed.D., general counsel at The University of Scranton, received the 2020 Donald A. Gatske Award for Outstanding Dissertation on Higher Education from the American Association of University Administrators. The award was presented recently in a virtual format because of health and safety recommendations caused by the pandemic. His dissertation, which he presented in 2019 for an education doctorate degree from the University of Pennsylvania, was titled “Leadership Response to Campus Free Speech Incidents.” His dissertation also earned distinction from Penn.

The selection criteria for the national award include the importance and relevance of the dissertation’s topic to the broad field of higher education administration, the evidence of the development of a theoretical framework which guided the research, and the overall quality of writing, among other standards.

Dr. Farrell has presented at the national convention of the National Association of College and University Attorneys, of which he is also a member.

Dr. Farrell joined the staff at the University in 2008. Previously, he served as city solicitor for the City of Scranton. He was an associate, then partner, at Kreder, Brooks, Hailstone and Ludwig Law Firm and a law clerk for Judge Chester T. Harhut in the Court of Common Pleas in Lackawanna County.

Dr. Farrell has volunteered his time and expertise at a number of government, civic and nonprofit organizations over the years including the Office of the Mayor of the City of Scranton, serving on the advisory board of directors of Catholic Social Services of Lackawanna County, Northeastern Pennsylvania Philharmonic, the Nay Aug Conservancy, Scranton Tomorrow and East Scranton Business Association, among others. He served on the Economic Development Advisory Committee of the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of Pennsylvania. He also serves as a lector and on the Parish Finance Council of Immaculate Conception Parish in Scranton.

Dr. Farrell earned his bachelor’s degree from the College of the Holy Cross, his juris doctorate from Dickinson School of Law and his Ed.D. from The University of Pennsylvania.

The American Association of University Administrators is a non-profit professional organization for higher education leaders and administrative personnel from two- and four-year; public, private non-profit and private for-profit colleges in the United States.

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