Dr. Pugh has a broad set of interests and experiences that have led him to his current position as a Dean in SHSS. He was originally trained as an anthropological archaeologist and he has research experience throughout the United States as well as in France, Hungary and Kazakhstan. His research interests are in social organization, ethnic interaction, and the role of material culture in social change. He also has interests in innovative strategies for teaching and student support as well as community organizing and academic governance. In the past these interests led Dr. Pugh to mentor students through the McNair program in the US, to encourage volunteerism and service learning for which he has won an award, to be recognized for innovative teaching, and to take leadership roles in organizing faculty both within the United States as well as at NU where he was the founding Chairperson of the Faculty Senate. Now he uses his expertise in intercultural organization to support student life in SHSS and to develop new systems that encourage student success. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology at the University of Kansas in 1999 and a PhD in Anthropology at the University of Michigan in 2010.