StevenGaa
I am Dr. Steven M. Gaa. I served in the U.S. Navy back in the 70s and early 80s. After I got out, I used the GI Bill to go to college. I had a full-time job and three small children. I received my bachelor’s degree from a small traditional college while attending classes during the day and working in the evening. I started working on a computer science degree but switched to finance after working with some computer scientists and realizing that it was not for me. I started working on my master’s degree the summer after I graduated. I earned my MBA in management in a program designed for adult learners that worked fulltime. After a twenty-year hiatus, I returned to school to obtain my doctorate. The program was a hybrid of online learning and residencies. I received my Ph.D. in Organization and Management with a concentration in Organizational Behavior.
I have a diverse work history. After working on submarines at a base in Scotland, I got a job working at the Pentagon. I did a short stint working at the White House for the first President Bush. I spent several years working for Naval Intelligence at the Norfolk Naval Station. After I received my MBA, I went to work as a stockbroker. I quickly learned that it was a job for which I was not well suited. I then moved to New Mexico to work for NASA at a satellite tracking station. Moving from the government back into the private sector, I took a position as the Logistics Manager with an internet company in Dallas. After the events of 9/11 destroyed our two largest data centers within the World Trade Centers, the company went bankrupt. I moved back to New Mexico to work for a non-profit research laboratory where I was the Director of Quality. When my wife got accepted to Texas Tech in Lubbock, Texas to work on her Ph.D., I started teaching. I taught middle school for five years. I also started teaching college courses as an online adjunct instructor and have been doing so off and on again since 2011.
I am now a full-time Lecturer at UNT teaching Logistics and Operations Management courses. I live in the Mid-Cities area now. I have three grown children and four grandchildren. I also have two daughters at home, a 12- and a 15-year-old. My youngest is an elite gymnast and my oldest is an accomplished musician. My wife is a licensed professional counselor with her own practice. I also live with a Weimaraner and Bloodhound.