Joseph Wallace

Dr. Joseph ‘Rocky’ Wallace came to Campbellsville University in the fall of 2018 to help develop the graduate school administration program. He had previously served in a similar capacity at Asbury University and Morehead State University. Rocky is a former school principal of a Kentucky and U.S. Blue Ribbon School (Catlettsburg Elementary), served in the Highly Skilled Educator program at the Kentucky Department of Education as a leadership consultant to new principals, and as Director of Instructional Support and Adult Education at KEDC (the education cooperative in Ashland, Kentucky). 

Rocky’s research area is servant leadership, and he consults with schools and presents on the topic regularly at education and leadership conferences. Also, he has authored, co-authored, edited, or co-edited 12 books with education publisher Rowman & Littlefield in the domain of school improvement and servant leadership. His most recent is a co-edited project in 2025 with Kendall Hunt Publishing, featuring faculty and administration from CU and other universities sharing true stories of service excellence in the higher education setting.

Degrees/Certifications: Berea College, BA (1979); Morehead State University, MA (1983), Rank I School Admin (1986), Superintendent (2001); Regent University, Doctor of Strategic Leadership (2007) 

 

Most Recent Books: 

• Wallace, R., Hopkins, J., Michelli, J., & Budai, B. (2025). Lead editor. Service Excellence: True Stories from Higher Education. Kendall Hunt Publishing. (June publication due date).
• Hub, K., Wallace, R., Thomas, F., & Stafford, R. (2025). Co-editor. Voices of Rural Leadership: True Stories of Success in Education. Kendall Hunt Publishing. (Fall, 2025 publication due date).
• Wallace, R., Sullivan, S., & Burns, A. (2024). Lead editor. School Safety: True Stories and Solutions from School Leaders. Rowman & Littlefield.
• Wallace, R., Magruder, R., & Flanagan, V. (2024). Lead editor. Social Emotional Learning and Servant Leadership: True Stories from the Classroom. Rowman & Littlefield.

 

Most Recent Articles Published or Accepted for Publication:

• 2025, March. “Teaching With a Servant’s Heart:  Pedagogy of the Finest Kind." The International Journal of Servant-Leadership. (Fall, 2025 annual edition). Peer-reviewed.
• 2025, March. "Dark Leadership." The Palgrave Encyclopedia of Leadership and Organizational Change. Peer-reviewed. 
• 2024, December. "A Mentor's Journey: I Get It." Regent University Roundtables Journal. Peer-reviewed.
• “Understanding Before Expecting to Be Understood”. (2024). Christian Scholars Review. (Online, editor- reviewed blog).

 

Most Recent Invited Conference Presentations:

• 2024, June. “Servant Leadership and EQ: Fruitful Relationships and Personal Growth”. Educon Conference. Central Kentucky Educational Cooperative. Co-presenter.
• 2024, November. Developing a Service Excellence Institute”. Regent University Servant Leadership Roundtable. Online.
• 2025, January. "Habits to Avoid". Kentucky Department of Education P3 Ed Camp. Online. 
• 2025, February. "Creating a Culture of Care and Relationship in the Higher Ed Classroom." Eastern Educational Research Association. Co-presenter.
• 2025, June. "Collaborating with Co-Authors and Co-Editors". Textbook and Academic Authors Association. Online.

 

Recent Invited Conference Presentations:  

Servant Leadership Roundtable. Regent University (virtual, national). Fall 2021, 22, 23.

 Kentucky Department of Education Ed Camp (virtual, state).  January 2022, 23, 24.

 “Called to the Kingdom–Servant Leadership and EI in Cultivating Healthy Relationships”. India Gospel League. February 2022 (virtual, international).

 “Let the Professional Standards for Educational Leaders Work for You: A Collaborative Book Project”. Midwest Education Research Association (MWERA) Annual Conference. Cincinnati (In person, regional). October, 2021. *Co-presented.

 

Recent Articles Published:

 “A Practitioner Approach to Modeling and Teaching Servant Leadership” (2023). Co-authored with Larry Spears. The International Journal of Servant Leadership (peer reviewed).

 “Servant Leadership: Basic Propositions”. (2022). Kentucky Journal of Excellence in College Teaching and Learning, (contributing author, peer reviewed). “RISE2 Deeper Learning Model: Real-world Innovations = Systemic Enduring Engagement Special Education in Rural Eastern Kentucky”. (2021). (contributing research).

 “My Servant Leadership Journey” (2020). The International Journal of Servant-Leadership. (peer reviewed). 

 

Teams/Committees: CU President’s Taskforce (co-chair) for the Service Excellence Institute;  SOE CAEP Standard 5; SOE Webpage Team (chair); SOE Graduate Education Advisory Council; KDE/UPPI Planning Team; KDE Principal's Advisory;  Kentucky Rural Education Association board member; CU representative to Central Kentucky Education Association (CKEC).