University of Delaware
Office of Public Relations
UpDate - Vol. 16, No. 34, June 12

                           Making the grade
             Murray completes 22-year march to graduation

     When David Murray graduated from the College of Human
Resources May 31, it marked the end of an educational
journey that began almost 22 years ago.
     During this time, Murray, who works in Facilities
Management, has gotten married, seen the birth of his two
children and has successfully wrestled with the challenges
of balancing academic requirements with responsibilities at
home and in the workplace.
     Murray's journey began in the fall of 1975, after
graduation from North East High School in nearby Cecil
County, Md., when he enrolled in a four-year program for
construction trades specializing in heating, air-
conditioning and ventilation, at Cecil County Community
College.
     After completing that program, his work and family
duties intervened to put a temporary halt to Murray's other
college goals. But, in 1984, he enrolled in the University's
Division of Continuing Education, taking courses on a
pass/fail basis.
     "I was not sure how I would do," Murray said. "I was
concerned with the limits placed on my time by family and
work obligations."
     During his first class at the University, "Economics
101," Murray said he witnessed the positive results of a
professor's enthusiastic attitude towards his subject and
his students.
     "The professor's knowledge and the excitement that he
brought to teaching provided the spark that I needed,"
Murray said. "He convinced me that I could successfully
return to school."
     Although the birth of his children curtailed his taking
classes for a while, Murray continued to search for a way to
continue his schooling.
     The break for Murray came when he took a self-paced pre-
calculus course that combined classroom and videotaped
instruction that was being offered by the math department
through the University's Focus/distance learning program.
     Halfway through the course, Murray said he became so
busy at work that he stopped going to class, but he was able
to complete the class by watching the videos in Morris
Library when time permitted.
     "It was a pivotal moment in my education," Murray said.
"I had found a way that would allow me to continue my
education and still meet my family and work obligations."
     Murray's next course was also on video, a Focus course
on viruses, genes and cancer, which was offered during
Winter Session. It involved watching about 37 tapes, a
process that often kept Murray up until the wee hours of the
morning.
     During the 13 Focus courses that he has completed,
Murray estimates that he has logged about 375 hours viewing
videotaped lectures.
     An interest in human psychology, and the fact that much
of the coursework was available on videotape, helped Murray
select human resources as his major.
     After taking a course on developmental disabilities in
the fall of 1995, Murray decided to conduct undergraduate
research in the field of child abuse and was involved with
the DUPCA (Delawareans United to Prevent Child Abuse)
project on campus. During this project, he explained,
community-sponsored family/child intervention sessions were
conducted in the state to identify factors that may
contribute to child abuse. The University-sponsored part of
the DUPCA project was coordinated by Donald Unger,
individual and family studies.
     Murray's research team focused on offering research
model development and statistical analysis of the
intervention sessions. The significance of this joint
University/ community project was to promote community
awareness of child abuse, he said, and to develop effective
intervention models for its prevention.
     "In my research," Murray said, "I studied a
contemporary trend in child abuse prevention-the use of
multidisciplinary intervention teams. In this approach,
professionals from diverse fields, such as psychology,
social science and health care disciplines work together.
Together they identify, resolve, and treat child abuse
factors and outcomes.
     "I believe the efforts to study child abuse at the
University says a lot about the contribution our academic
institution can make to improve the real-life, day-to-day
lives of people."
     Having completed his undergraduate requirements, Murray
has been accepted into the UD Master of Public
Administration program.
     Murray said he believes it is very important to set a
deadline for graduation, especially when considering the
stresses and possibility of burnout that can occur in any
student's academic career.
     "Education is exciting, but you can reach a point where
it is a burden," Murray said. "Setting a deadline lets you
know that there is some relief in sight."
     Murray said he feels the experience has enlarged his
role as a member of the University community.
     Instead of just providing services as a result of his
job in Facilities Management, Murray has often found himself
on the receiving end of these services as a student.
     This experience has helped Murray appreciate the
efforts made by his co-workers, members of the academic
community and most of all, the sacrifices made by family
members that have allowed him to pursue his educational
goals.
     "Going to school and getting a degree is all about
sacrifices," Murray said. "It involves a lot of hard work on
everybody's part. It is also very exciting."
                                               -Jerry Rhodes