Henry J. Findlay
Henry J. Findlay was born and grew up in Faith's Pen, St. Ann. He obtained his primary education at Village School, his secondary education at Knockalva Agricultural Training Center and his post-secondary at Mico Teachers' College. He earned the BS and MS degrees from Tuskegee University and the doctorate from Auburn University, Alabama. He has been an educator for over 40 years. Findlay began writing as a way to pass time, when he lived in Lawrence Tavern and taught at Oberlin High School. Twisted Minds was completed in 1975.
In the 1990's, a literary agent, assessed the work as intriguing, but cited difficulties unpublished authors have in getting into the mainstream publishing industry.
Findlay developed an interest in the literary field while attending Mico Teachers’ College. One of his roommates was Trevor Nairne and at that time Nairne was one of the actors in a play at the Little Theatre. Findlay used to read the script to help him get his cue for his lines.
After graduating from Mico, Findlay taught agricultural science and drama at Oberlin High School and co-directed several plays. Clive Anderson received his initial training under Findlay’s tutelage. Because of Anderson’s lead performance role in a play titled: Buryin’, written by Olive Forester, in 1974, the Jamaica Festival Commission awarded Findlay the J.J. Golden Trophy as director of the year as well as a gold medal.
In the area of teaching, he has established the annual new faculty development institute, designed to enhance teaching and learning for all new faculty members to the University. He is the founding director for Center for the Improvement of Teaching and Learning, Tuskegee University. He has developed novel approaches to teaching especially in the areas of critical thinking, integration of research into the undergraduate curriculum, alignment of instruction with cognitive neuroscience learning theories; use of the technologies that millennial students bring to the classroom to enhance teaching and learning, and the development of a sustained pedagogical teaching model.
He has made over 450 presentations in 30 states and nine countries, focusing on teaching and learning, leadership development, strategic planning, evaluation, curriculum development and assessment at many colleges and universities, community-based organizations, and government. He has also conducted executive leadership training for top administrators at several universities, government, and community-based organization leaders at the national and international levels.
In the last 12 years, he has written several grants and received funding, totaling over eight million dollars. Dr. Findlay spent over twenty-five years conducting pioneering research work on suicidal leadership, which occurs when fatal leadership errors are made that deplete leaders' effectiveness and eventually culminate in their termination from the position. Also, he has conducted pioneering research work on homicidal leadership, and other forms of leadership studies. He has published widely in professional journals and other publications and has received many awards for teaching, research and service. His latest publications are: Mobile Technologies Transforming the Brain and Impacting Various Aspects of Societal Life (2014) -- co-authored with his wife, Hyacinth Elaine Findlay and Cognitive Neuroscience Learning Theories Coupled with Technologies: A Conduit for Deep and Lasting Learning (2012).
He currently serves on several boards including: The Journal of Higher Education Outreach and Engagement, a board member and a past president for the HBCU Faculty Development Network, chairman of Leadership Macon County, etc. He is an active member in the Tuskegee Church of Christ, where he serves as church treasurer and director of the educational program. He is married to the former Hyacinth Elaine Robinson, a professor of educational leadership at Alabama State University and they have two children, Damian Henry, DMD, MD, and Curdell Theresa Grimes.
