David Grossman has been a leader in the field of continuing higher education and an authority on distance education for more than 35 years.  He has taught American history to adults and has been a dean and program developer at the University of Minnesota, Northern Illinois University, Florida International University and Thomas Edison State College.  For many years he served as the Director of Independent Study at Minnesota, a pioneer in the distance delivery of higher education courses and degree programs to students throughout the world.  Grossman has led the creation of  American collegiate degree programs abroad--in China, Mexico and in the Caribbean  as well.  In addition, he has worked to create innovative degree and certificate programs in higher education, collaborating with university faculty in reshaping collegiate offerings and creating through the continuing education enterprise a curriculum laboratory for teaching and programmatic  initiatives.  David holds a doctorate in history from Washington University at St. Louis, and has degrees from the Johns Hopkins University and the City College of the City University of New York.