Dr. Brent W. Chowen serves as director of the Educator Preparation Program, a role he has held since 2019. He is also a Teaching Professor in the McKay School of Education. In his role as director of the EPP, he led the BYU teaching education programs to national accreditation and recognition through the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP). He teaches courses in Social Studies Education and the BYU University 101. Before his work at BYU, Brent served as an associate professor of teacher education at BYU-Hawaii and as department chair. He led the BYU-Hawaii’s McKay School of Education to national accreditation. During his time at BYU-Hawaii, he collaborated with government and school officials to set up student teaching networks in places such as Hong Kong, New Zealand, Polynesia, and Micronesia.
Brent graduated from BYU with a degree in History, along with a French teaching minor and licensure in secondary education. He also earned an MA in History from the University of Utah and a PhD in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Texas at Austin. Most recently, he added a School Leadership endorsement after completing field work in Guangzhou, China. His experience in K-12 schools includes 12 years as a classroom teacher in Utah and Texas. He has observed hundreds of teacher candidate lessons in field experiences across multiple national and international settings. Brent has presented at numerous regional and national conferences for Social Studies and K-20 public-school partnerships and is a national Clinical Practice Fellow with the Association of Teacher Educators (ATE). Brent received the McKay School’s Benjamin Cluff Award in 2022.
Brent enjoys time with family, traveling to historical sites, traveling internationally. He is an avowed Francophile and spends time reading.