PirateQ 
Dr. Brian Ward
Dr. Brian Ward wears many hats at Pensacola State College – and wears them well. A dedicated member of the Business Department, Ward teaches a full slate of courses in the Human Resources program, including the capstone course, Strategic Management, and is deeply engaged in College-wide service and leadership.
He currently serves as President of the Faculty Senate, Chair of the Academy of Teaching Excellence, and Vice Chair of the Student Academic Appeals Committee. Additionally, he is a member of both the Scholarship Policy Committee and the Student Excellence Awards Committee, and he represents PSC on the Governor’s Statewide Articulation Coordination Committee.
Ward, a retired Air Force veteran, served for 23 years, including four deployments. His military experience in human resources sparked a deep and lasting passion for the profession. After retiring from the Air Force in 2013, he and his wife returned to Florida’s Panhandle, where Ward completed his Doctorate and began mentoring PSC’s HR program instructors while continuing to serve as an HR advisor for both a nonprofit in Florida and a transportation company in Kentucky.
Ward is also an active community advocate. He serves on the board of directors for Save Our Cats and Kittens (SOCKS), a no-kill, free-roam shelter for homeless cats and kittens in Fort Walton Beach.
His dedication to education and excellence in distance learning was recently recognized nationally – Ward received the U.S. Distance Learning Association’s International Silver Award for teaching and will be honored this June at the USDLA national conference in St. Louis, where he is also scheduled to present.
Beyond his academic and professional achievements, Ward’s story is one of remarkable personal resilience. He is a first-generation college graduate – the first in his family not only to earn a degree but also to achieve a doctorate. Even more inspiring, he completed the final stages of his doctoral studies while undergoing chemotherapy for colon cancer in 2016.
“I was terrified to hear ‘the C-word,’” Ward recalled. “But I knew something was wrong and went to the hospital just in time. The doctor said I was two days from dying.”
Following emergency surgery to remove a tumor the size of a soda can – along with 13 inches of his colon – Ward spent three days in the ICU. Though advised to take six weeks to recover, he was back in the classroom just eight days after being discharged.
“I couldn’t stay away from doing what I love for this wonderful school,” he said. “I love my job here at PSC so much. I am truly proud to be a Pirate.”
And in case students think he’s all business – Ward has a few stories that reveal his fun side, too. A black belt in Tae Kwon Do, he often serves as a bodyguard for visiting celebrities while in the military.
“I got to escort and hang out with some pretty famous faces,” he shared. “Tom Cruise, Macho Man Savage, and NASCAR driver Kevin Harvick, to name a few.”
Whether serving his country, championing student success, or advocating for shelter animals, Dr. Brian Ward leads with heart, determination, and an unwavering commitment to his students and community. He truly embodies the spirit of Pensacola State College.