Kevin Doremus

I have known Mr. Doremus since I hired him at LCC International University to teach and research in LCC’s Department of International Relations and Development several years ago. Thus, I had the pleasure of serving as his executive supervisor in my role of Academic Vice- President and Dean of the Faculty at LCC – a position that I held from January 2017 until the summer of 2022, when I took the position of the Provost at American University in Bulgaria. My leadership role at LCC afforded me the privileged perspective of observing Mr. Doremus’ work as a well-liked and highly successful instructor. It also put me in the position to mentor Mr. Doremus as a very strong up-and-coming scholar. To my delight and his great credit: he is a very highly rated instructor by the students; he is admired and supported by his faculty peers; and he continues to work hard at building a good research portfolio. He is a serious young scholar, an inspiring instructor, and an outstanding and trustworthy colleague. Mr. Doremus has the potential to blossom into an intellectual leader in the various academic circles in which he travels and to which he contributes. In conversations both public and private he speaks only when he has something of genuine substance to contribute, and this self-confidence and respect for thought wins admiration from colleagues. Mr. Doremus is always attentive, curious, and thoroughly and quickly processes information and interpretations in real time. Along with his intelligence and focus, Mr. Doremus possesses another extremely important characteristic for continued professional success: he always does what he says he will do. Many academics work very hard, and Mr. Doremus is certainly no exception. But in his case, he pairs his industriousness with a natural sense of responsibility and a respect for the work and time of others. He knows how to organize his work and his time, and this translates to an ability to set goals and actually reach them. In short, he is trustworthy—a quality critical for a successful team-member and co-researcher.

Mr. Doremus is an excellent colleague. He has developed close connections with his fellow teachers and never hesitates to take on new responsibilities. He works with students out of the classroom as well as in a formal teaching setting. Kevin has supported a number of student initiatives, including introducing students to international academic organizations and helping start a chapter of one here on campus. Mr. Doremus is also an excellent teacher. He pays careful attention to his craft and puts considerable effort into developing his courses. Kevin has a particular talent for connecting with students. He is able to draw them into the sort of discussions which lead students to deep understanding of theory and concepts. Mr. Doremus has a gift for explaining these theories and concepts to students and to others. He can present the basic elements of International Relations in ways which make them clear to people who are unfamiliar with them. This is one of the skills which makes him an effective teacher. Of course, this is also one of the skills which makes for an effective researcher and writer.

Kevin is one of the best, thoughtful, hard working, and responsible students I have met during my more than twenty-five years of university teaching...I could always rely on him as my graduate assistant. He has also shown himself to be a serious scholar.

Kevin was a thoughtful student and a high caliber thinker. He was also a very amiable personality. Unlike most Politics and Government graduates of Bryan College, who either go to law school or do not pursue graduate school at all, Kevin's tremendous interest in and talent for International Relations generally and Russian Politics and History specifically let him to complete a Master's degree from Middle Tennessee State University.