Dr. Kent Gallaher - Department of Biology

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Dr. Kent Gallaher
Professor and Chair, Department of Biology

“The true aim of everyone who aspires to be a teacher should be, not to impart his own opinions, but to kindle minds.”-F.W. Robertson

Dr. Kent Gallaher is a native Tennessean. In fact the Gallaher’s are among the founding families of the state. His family emigrated from Pennsylvania to the frontier in 1779 in what was then Western North Carolina and has been farming the same land in Wayne County since the 1830’s.

Kent married the former Marsha Fort on July 26, 1985. They have two sons, Andrew (b. 1993) and Austin (b. 1994), both of whom attend the David Lipscomb Campus School. Outside of family and work Dr. Gallaher enjoys Tennessee Volunteer Football and Bluegrass and contemporary Christian music. Most of all, he is a huge racquetball enthusiast, having played in tournaments and for recreation for over 30 years.

Kent has a doctorate in Plant Science from the University of Tennessee. He has built a career in the area of curriculum design and new program development, and has designed or consulted on science curriculum at several universities. Additionally he has traveled widely and has consulted on sustainability projects in a number of developing nations in Central America and Africa, most recently the island nation of Madagascar.

Dr. Gallaher serves a professor of biology and is the current academic chair of the department. He is a Godly man who is committed to faith-based education and who truly loves his role as teacher and Christian mentor.

Education: Ph.D. Plant Science, University of Tennessee, Knoxville (1996); M.S. Plant Science, University of Tennessee, Knoxville (1994); B.S. Chemistry, Lipscomb University (1991)

Professional Experience: Lipscomb University: Professor of Biology (2008 – Present), Chair Department of Biology (2008 – Present), Academic Director Institute for Sustainable Practice (2008-2010); Abilene Christian University: Associate Professor of Environmental Science (2004 – 2008); Lipscomb University: Associate Professor of Biology (2002 – 2004), Environmental Science Program Director (1997 – 2004), Assistant Professor of Biology (1996 – 2002); University of Tennessee: Graduate Research Assistant (1991-1996).

Courses Taught: BY 1013, BY 1134, BY 2623, BY 460V

Professional Areas of Interest: Inter-disciplinary curriculum design and program development, the scholarship of teaching and learning, sustainable agricultural production technology for developing nations, medical herbalism and ethnobotany, and environmental, natural resource, and agricultural law and policy issues.

Scholarly Activity: Journal Articles (3), Abstracts (24), Proceedings (4), Research Reports (2) in the Journal of Food Composition and Analysis, Journal of the Weed Science Society of America, Journal of the North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture Southern Weed Science Society, American Society of Agronomy, Proceedings of the Southern Conservation Tillage Conference for Sustainable Agriculture, Journal of the Tennessee Academy of Science, (>20) Professional Presentations.

Awards: Teaching Award of Merit, North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture (2006); Outstanding Teacher Award, Lipscomb University, (1999).

Professional Organizations: Association of Environmental Sciences and Studies, Tennessee Academy of Science, Tennessee Association of Science Department Chairs, Southern Association of Agricultural Scientists, North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture, American Society of Agronomy, Gamma Sigma Delta ( Honor Society of Agriculture - Graduate), Delta Tau Alpha (Honor Society of Agriculture – Undergraduate).

Church: Brentwood Hills Church of Christ

Personal: Born October 6, 1964 in Jackson Tennessee, married the former Marsha E. Fort 1985, two Children: Andrew (b. 1993) and Austin (b. 1994).