Dr. Harvey Dean is the founder of Pitsco Education. During
Dean’s high school years, a great teacher showed faith in his
potential and changed his life forever. This powerful episode turned
Dean toward the education profession, and his teaching experiences
showed him that he was only one of a great many students who felt
left behind by traditional classroom methodology. Dean and two
other teachers founded Pitsco in 1971 with the vision of empowering
students to take ownership of their own educations and futures.
Since that time more than 300 million students have experienced
Pitsco’s STEM products and curricula.
Dean holds bachelor of science, master of science, education
specialist, and education doctorate degrees. Before Pitsco, he worked
as a teacher at various levels, as a coach, and as an entrepreneur. He
has published two books (Changing Education and The HOT Plan™)
and was named a regional Entrepreneur of the Year by Inc. magazine.
He has been awarded the Pittsburg State University Meritorious
Achievement Award, the Pittsburg State University Distinguished Service Award, the East
Central University (Oklahoma) Distinguished Alumni Award, the Spirit
of Pittsburg Award, and the Door-Opener Award, recognizing
achievements in helping others maximize their potential. Pitsco was
awarded the Governor’s Exporter of the Year Award in Kansas in 2012.
Active in his community, Dean has contributed to many
organizations including the Ronald McDonald House Charities,
Angels Among Us, and the United Way Fund. He traveled to Haiti to
support medical relief efforts after the country was devastated by an
earthquake in 2010. Pittsburg State University named a 300-meter
track after Dean in recognition of his support to the university. This
recalled Dean’s own time as a high school track coach. Dean lives
with his wife, Sharon, in Pittsburg, Kansas. Together they have three
children and several grandchildren.