Mark Menaldo, Ph.D.

Associate Professor & Department Head

Mark A. Menaldo, Ph.D., is an associate professor and head of the Department of Liberal Studies. He came to A&M-Commerce in 2017 after spending seven years at Texas A&M International University. He attended Colorado College as an undergraduate student, and it was here that Menaldo discovered the art of close reading and the power of interdisciplinary scholarship. He took these skills with him to Michigan State University where he earned his doctorate in political science. As a teacher, he encourages students to see the connection of ideas across disciplines and beyond the classroom. When he is not teaching, he can usually be found drinking coffee at the local cafe, reading a book or talking to friends. He and his wife are the proud parents of three children, Oliver, Henry and Ava. They live in Greenville, Texas.

A Conversation with Dr. Menaldo

What would you tell a student who is thinking about attending A&M-Commerce?

Unlike most regional schools, A&M-Commerce draws students from multiple areas. Our university is a microcosm of the changing landscape in the United States. So in addition to a great education, a student will be able to meet and form lasting relationships with people from all walks of life.

What do you like most about your career?

Teaching and working with college students is highly rewarding, especially when you see a student embrace education for its own sake. I also enjoy that my career allows for limitless curiosity, which I can explore both in teaching and research.

Tell us about an academic project you are working on or recently completed.

As part of Routledge’s Leadership Horizons series, the book I am co-authoring connects three classic works of philosophy (Plato, Aristotle and Machiavelli) to contemporary research on leadership, and clarifies how these works apply to current leaders' ethical thinking and doing in a quick and easy-to-digest format.

Educational Background

• Ph.D., Political Science, Michigan State University, 2010
• BA, Philosophy and Sociology, Colorado College, 2001

Academic Positions

• Department Head and Associate Professor of Liberal Studies, Texas A&M University-Commerce, 2018-present
• Associate Professor, Department of Political Science and Director of Liberal Arts Academy, TAMUC, 2017-2018
• Assistant Professor of Political Science, Texas A&M International University, 2010-2017
• Visiting Assistant Professor, Texas A&M International University, 2009-2010
• Visiting Dissertation Scholar of Political Science, Northeastern University, 2008-2009
• Instructional Language Assistant of Foreign Languages, Palomar College, 2003
• Paraprofessional of Sociology, Colorado College, 2001-2002

Research Funding

• Latino Leadership Development Center, Southern Methodist University
• University Travel Grant, Texas A&M International University

Awards and Honors

• Finalist, Department of Leadership Studies Outstanding Leadership Book Award, University of San Diego, 2015
• COAS Teacher of the Year, 2014-2015
• Fredric M. Jablin Doctoral Dissertation Award, International Leadership Association and Jepson School of Leadership Studies, 2011

Selected Publications

• Menaldo, M.A. (co-editor) and Cusher, B. (co-editor) (2018) Leadership and the Unmasking of Authenticity: The Philosophy of Self-Knowledge and Deception. New Horizons in Leadership Studies. Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar Publishing.
• Menaldo, M.A. (2013). Leadership and Transformative Ambition in International Relations. New Horizons in Leadership Studies. Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar Publishing.
• Menaldo, M.A. (2018) Totalizing Tyranny: Mario Vargas Llosa's The Feast of the Goat. In K. Bezio & K. Yost (Eds.) Leadership, Popular Culture, and Social Change. Edward Elgar Publishing.
• Miller, K. and Menaldo, M.A. (2016) Bringing Leaders Back In: A Critical Examination of Why States Expand Schooling. Leadership and Policy Quarterly. (5)1: 1—18.