Before then he held teaching positions at Darton College (Albany, Georgia), Kirkwood Community College (Cedar Rapids, Iowa), and The University of Iowa. A native of Alabama, Gilbert served in the U.S. Navy and earned his BS in physical therapy, prior to entering graduate school in history. At Clayton State he teaches introductory world history surveys, as well as upper level courses in Renaissance and Reformation, Ancient Greece and Rome, Caribbean, Mexican, and Latin American history. His dissertation is entitled: “ ‘Long Live the True Religion!’: Contesting the Meaning of Catholicism in the Mexican Reforma (1855-1860).” A superb professor, Gilbert has been nominated for a number of teaching awards, based on his lively, engaging, fun, and creative lectures, an extraordinary sense of humor, and his passion for serving others.