Dr. Doug Campbell   Home page:  www.professorcampbell.org
Email:  docampbell@nvcc.edu

About me: Hi there!  My name is Doug Campbell, and I will be your instructor for the upcoming semester.  I started teaching at NOVA in the Fall of 2006 after receiving my Ph.D.  from the University of Maryland, College Park.  My specialty as an historian is Europe in the twentieth century, but I am fascinated by all eras of the human past as well.  

In addition to history, my interests include cooking Indian food, watching TV (particular favorites have been Doctor Who, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Deadwood, Dark, Russian Doll, Reservation Dogs, and Squid Game) reading sci-fi and horror fiction, watching the movies of Akira Kurosawa, Orson Welles, Terrence Fisher, Darren Aronofsky, and Ben Wheatley, and listening to heavy metal music.  I'm also keenly interested in long distance running.   I've completed several marathons (26.2 miles) as well as races of 50 km, 50 miles, and 100 km. In October of 2016 I (barely) finished a 100 mile trail race in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia-- definitely not for the faint of heart!  I have also been known to wear a kilt when running.

About the course: An asynchronous online course  is obviously not like standard history courses where students meet with the instructor and the rest of the class on a weekly basis.  Rather, you yourself will be responsible for keeping up with the weekly readings and assignments.  Basically, you will only get out of this class what you put into it.  Please do remember that it is YOUR responsibility to keep copies of all of your coursework and graded assignments.  Make sure to refer to the course schedule often!

About problems that may well arise: Online learning is an imperfect animal.  When it works well it can be marvelously flexible and rewarding.  On the other hand, though, it can feel like you're isolated out there in a virtual wasteland. Staying in touch with me, and informing me as soon as problems arise is the best way to keep things running smoothly.  I'm here to help you get as much as possible out of this course, so let me know if you need anything.  And, of course, thanks in advance for your patience should any bumps in the road arise.

About getting in touch with me: If you have problems or questions concerning some aspect of the course please, don't hesitate to contact me.  I'm not always in my office, so contacting me by phone is not generally the most practical option.  I do, however, check e-mail several times a day and that is the easiest way to get in touch with me.  I promise to respond to any e-mail message sent to me within 48 hours.