Stephen K. Mittelstet, Ph.D.
President, Richland College
Superintendent, Richland Collegiate High School of Mathematics, Science & Engineering (RCHS)
CURRICULUM VITAE HIGHLIGHTS (abbreviated 02/09)
Stephen K. Mittelstet is president of Richland College of the Dallas County Community College District (DCCCD), where he
has served on the humanities faculty since the college opened in 1972. Richland’s president since 1979, Dr. Mittelstet was
recognized by the 79th Texas Legislature for more than a quarter century of outstanding service as President of Richland
College and for his contributions to the educational vitality of the State of Texas.
Under Dr. Mittelstet’s leadership, Richland College is the first (and still only) community college to be recognized by the
White House and the U.S. Department of Commerce as a recipient of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award (2005)
and only the third in higher education; is the first accredited higher education institution to receive the Governor’s Texas
Award for Performance Excellence (2005); was selected for the Community Engagement Classification in the Curricular
Engagement and Outreach & Partnerships category by The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching,
addressing the nature and extent of engagement with the community (2006); and was named a Vanguard Learning College
by the League for Innovation in the Community College (1999/2000), a Greater Expectations College in the Liberal Arts by
the Association of American Colleges & Universities, a Pacesetter Best-in-Class Honoree by Florida State University, and
one of eight pilot institutions for new accreditation standards by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. In two of
the last four years in which the Dallas Metroplex Technology Business Council has presented its top annual Tech Titan of
the Future Award to Texas colleges and universities, Richland College received the award in 2006 and 2008 for its
“innovative P-16 industry-ISD-higher education STEM partnerships, including its dual-credit STEM charter high school
(RCHS), its award-winning ‘farm-team’ seamless transfer Engineering program to five Texas Engineering Schools, and its
partnership with two of the state’s first five public school STEM academies.” Richland College has provided technical
assistance and faculty training in Vietnam, Mozambique, Mexico, Brazil, Russia, Wales, New Zealand, and Senegal and is
partnering (since 2005) with Saratov State University (Russia) in offering the first courses in a jointly-developed distancelearning degree program, with current interest expressed by potential additional university partners from Hungary and
Ukraine. Richland is a charter signatory to the American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment.
Dr. Mittelstet also serves as Superintendent of Schools for the dual credit-only RCHS of Mathematics, Science &
Engineering--the only community college charter school in Texas (2005)--rated “Exemplary” since its inception by the Texas
Education Agency, where graduates earn simultaneous high school diploma/associate degrees. He earned his B.A. degree
summa cum laude in English, French, and History/Religion from McMurry College and his Ph.D. in higher education
administration/English from The University of Texas at Austin. He has completed post-doctoral work at l’Institute de la
Valouze, France; Centre d’Etudes Françaises, Institute for American Universities; University of Avignon, France; Centro
Linguistico, Costa Rica; and the Summer Institute for Intercultural Communications, Portland State University. Dr. Mittelstet
has served on numerous national, regional, and state higher education boards and task forces and on boards of chambers
of commerce, planning and economic development councils, homeless assistance entities, and work readiness consortia.
Serving on the faculty of the Salzburg Global Seminar in 2008, Dr. Mittelstet is a frequent national and international keynoter
and panelist on such topics as performance excellence, building sustainable local and world community, and a wholeperson/whole-organization/whole-community approach to building a whole, healthy planet. He delivered the opening
keynote to the first Congress of Vietnamese Community College Presidents (Mekong Delta) (2005) where he awarded ESOL
Teaching Certificates to Vietnamese faculty trained by Richland College faculty.
Selected Individual Professional Honors and Awards:
--Named to chair of the first community college Wingspread Conference, co-sponsored by the Johnson Foundation and the
Continuous Quality Improvement Network: “21st Century Vision for Community Colleges—Building Sustainable Local and
World Community” (2007);
 O’Banion Prize for National Educational Leadership, by the Educational Testing Service and the League for Innovation for
“inspiring significant change in teaching and learning in higher education” (2007);
 International Leadership Award, National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development (2007);
● Texas Association for Black Personnel in Higher Education’s annual TABPHE Community Award for Educational
Advancement (2006);
● The Chair Academy’s International Exemplary Leader Award (2006);
● National Council for Learning Resources’ ALA Administrative Leadership Award (2004);
● Shirley B. Gordon Award of Distinction, Phi Theta Kappa student honor and service organization (1997);
● Outstanding Foreign Language Educator, American Council of Teachers of Foreign Languages (1994);
● Distinguished Humanities Educator of the Year, Community College Humanities Association (1995 and 1989);
● Outstanding Continuing Education Leader, National Council for Community Service and Continuing Education (1992);
● Master Teacher Award, National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development (1991);
● Distinguished Graduate, The University of Texas at Austin (1990);
● Transformational Leader in the Community College, League for Innovation in the Community College (1989);
● Citizen of the Year, City of Richardson Chamber of Commerce (1989);
● Innovator of the Year, League for Innovation in the Community College (1985 and 2008);
● Honorary Doctorate in Humanities, McMurry College (1980);
● Eleven national awards as executive producer of educational and promotional television programs from the USA Film
Festival, Freedoms Foundation, Ohio State Awards American Marketing Report, National Council for Marketing and Public
Relations, and Community College Association for Instructional Technology (1978-1989).