Meet the Dean: Gary Packard

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Deans are not only campus leaders, but also experts in their fields. This occasional Lo Que Pasa series introduces deans across the University and provides insight into their motivations, challenges and reasons for choosing to work at the University of Arizona.

In this installment, meet Gary Packard, dean of the College of Applied Science and Technology, who has logged more than 60 half-marathons and more than 3,900 hours flying jets for the U.S. Air Force.

Name: Gary Packard

College: Applied Science and Technology

Dean since: September 2020

Why did you choose to join the University of Arizona?

When I spoke with President Robbins during my interviews, he asked me a similar question. I told him that sometimes you find an opportunity and sometimes an opportunity finds you. I believe this opportunity found me. The more I learned about the strategic vision of the University and the progressive vision of CAST, the more excited I became about the idea of joining this team. The opportunity to work with a new, future-focused college was a great fit for me at this point in my career and I could not be happier to be a Wildcat at CAST.

What do you enjoy most about serving as dean of the College of Applied Science and Technology?

Working with great people committed to an exciting vision. As a new college focused on applied education and research, every day is a day filled with planning ways to expand our Fourth Industrial Revolution commitment to future-focused, career-ready programs. There is an infectious excitement in our staff and faculty, who work alongside amazing transfer students on their journey. I love coming to work every day and working with people who want to make a difference.

What are some of the challenges and rewards of serving as dean?

Carol Dweck, in her book "Mindset: The New Psychology of Success," says, "When people … change to a growth mindset, they change from a judge-and-be-judged framework to a learn-and-help-learn framework. Their commitment is to growth, and growth takes plenty of time, effort and mutual support." CAST's model challenges many assumptions and comfort zones for people, which is both challenging and rewarding. However, we must get uncomfortable with our current way of thinking if we are to embrace the rapidly changing 21st century world and prepare students for their future. Change is a challenge. However, the big rewards come from embracing hard work and the idea of "learn and help learn."

What's one exciting thing happening in your college right now that people should know about?

The most exciting thing is our growth. We just launched our five-year growth strategy. It is filled with an exciting plan to triple the size of the college, add graduate programs, establish a new cyber and applied research center, and add research facilities to the Sierra Vista campus. There are so many exciting things happening at CAST.

What is your leadership philosophy?

Positive change happens through relationships. This is an idea from my counseling education based on the work of humanistic psychologist Carl Rogers. The most important role of the leader is to create an environment where people thrive in pursuit of their own growth and development while supporting the organization's mission. Healthy personal relationships are built on trust, honesty, passion, love, boundaries, accountability and common interest. Professional relationships built on these same values lead to organizational cultures where people value the success of others as much as they value their own success.

What is one thing most people don't know about you?

Last year I turned 60, and for my 60th birthday I completed my 60th half-marathon. Unfortunately, most of the races last year ended up being virtual races. My significant other and I completed 18 virtual half-marathons between March 15 and the end of the year to get to that goal.

What are some of your hobbies?

As indicated above, running is certainly one of them. I am not fast, which gives me more time to enjoy the run! I also like to drive through the mountains in my Jeep, camp, fish, watch sports – especially baseball – read and play golf.

How do you envision the role of the College of Applied Science and Technology in the Fourth Industrial Revolution?

When I was a cadet at the Air Force Academy a few decades ago, we had to memorize quotes as part of our first-year training. One of my favorite quotes was written by Italian air marshal Giulio Douhet in his 1921 book "The Command of the Air." He wrote, "Victory smiles upon those who anticipate the changes in the character of war, not upon those who wait to adapt themselves after the changes occur." While anticipating change has long been important to success in any endeavor, the pace of change in the Fourth Industrial Revolution makes this approach to education indispensable in a complex, disruptive, nonlinear and rapidly changing world. CAST's role is to exemplify the Fourth Industrial Revolution ideal of being proactive rather than reactive to trends in the world in order to support our applied education model and the University's strategic vision.

Before coming to the College of Applied Science and Technology, you were a career U.S. Air Force officer, then a faculty member and administrator at the U.S. Air Force Academy. What made you decide to enter academia?

At the 10-year point of my flying career in the Air Force, I was faced with a choice most Air Force pilots face: move to a desk job or leave for the airlines. Neither of those options was appealing to me, so I applied for an opportunity to go to graduate school as preparation to join the faculty at the Air Force Academy. Thankfully, I was selected and fell in love with education. While I returned to do more flying for the Air Force, the remainder of my career was a blend of flying, graduate school and faculty duty. I loved every minute of it. I eventually migrated toward administration, which I also find professionally rewarding. I have been very fortunate to have a career where I have been able to do the things I love: flying, teaching and leading.

Can you explain for the average person how applied science is different from the other types of science that are studied at the University?

All science shares a common methodology. Where applied science differs is in its purpose. In research terms, this distinction is often made by talking about applied versus basic research. Many of the science programs at the University focus on basic research that seeks to expand our knowledge about things, people, planets, etc. Applied science and research, on the other hand, is primarily interested in using our scientific methodology to apply what we know to improve our lives and our world.

Your college's student body is predominantly undergraduate. What are some unique opportunities – both for the students and the faculty – presented in that environment?

We are not only predominantly undergraduate but also transfer only. Our post-traditional student population is wonderfully diverse and motivated to learn. The Class of 2021 was almost 50% first-generation college students. Our focus on applied education allows us to build a project-based education model that is both rigorous and focused on career preparation for post-traditional learners who are normally juggling school with work and family. Our model allows us to create accessible education to this group of students. 

Your college's programs in intelligence and information operations and cyber operations are both nationally recognized. Why does CAST excel in these areas?

Two important components led to our success. First, we have an amazing team that is committed to cutting-edge education. This commitment to innovation led to the creation of CyberApolis, our one-of-a-kind virtual learning environment developed by Jason Denno, our cyber operations program director. This environment is a virtual city inside a virtual environment so our students can apply the cyber operation skills we teach them in real time. The city is home to 15,000 artificial intelligence-driven bots who run businesses, use social media and make all the mistakes humans make. We are bringing all our academic programming into this virtual world.

The second component is a commitment to helping students succeed with rigorous, applied degrees. We believe our students are motivated and looking for a program that will challenge them and make a difference. We keep our standards high and provide significant student support to help them get to the finish line. We are proud that our rigorous cyber program has a completion rate of more than 60% in our online program.

As a military psychology expert, you were one of the lead authors of the study that led to the repeal of "don't ask, don't tell," a policy that barred openly lesbian, gay and bisexual people from military service. What is it like as a researcher to have been involved in work that had such an impact?

Of all the things I was able to do in my military career, participating in this work was the most meaningful and rewarding. To participate in national policy work that allowed people to serve with integrity and honor regardless of their sexual orientation was truly an honor. The team who worked on this study took their work seriously and provided the secretary of defense and the president with a report unbiased by personal opinion on either side of the issue. I was proud to be a part of a professional team that created a historically important report.

You're also a former Air Force pilot and pilot instructor with more than 3,900 flying hours. Are there any lessons or guiding principles when it comes to flying Air Force jets that you still come back to in your current work?

My passion for applied education is grounded in my many years as an instructor pilot. Teaching someone to fly is a one-on-one activity that uses education, training and experience to develop the critical thinking and practical skills needed to fly complex military missions. The skills and critical thinking I developed there are very similar to the future-focused, career-ready skills and mindset we try to develop at CAST.

Where are some unique or favorite places that you've flown?

I was fortunate to fly over most of the United States as well as parts of Europe, Asia and South America. One of my favorite places to spend time was in Zaragoza, Spain. When I was flying the KC-10, an air refueling aircraft, we would operate out of the Zaragoza Air Base for two to three weeks at a time. This gave us time to explore the city's wonderful history, food and culture in between flying missions over the Mediterranean Sea and most of Europe.