Richard M. Houseman

Richard Michael Houseman serves as the dean of Continuing Education at Brigham Young University, where he brings a wealth of experience in education, leadership, and discipleship. Born on Travis Air Force Base in Fairfield, California, Houseman has an educational background rooted in the life sciences. He earned a PhD in entomology from Texas A&M University, a master’s degree in zoology from BYU, and bachelor’s degrees in biology and secondary education, also from BYU.  

Houseman’s academic career includes roles as a postdoctoral researcher at Texas A&M University and adjunct faculty at both Blinn College and Utah Valley University. After receiving his PhD in 1999, Houseman went on to serve as an associate professor of urban entomology at the University of Missouri for 17 years. 

Houseman returned to BYU from 2021 to 2022, where he was the associate director for enrolled student services for BYU Continuing Education, supervising programs and faculty for BYU Evening Classes and the BYU Salt Lake Center. Before his appointment as dean in August 2023, Houseman served as the worldwide manager of in-field missionary services for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, overseeing day-to-day support for more than 400 mission presidents globally. 

Not just a respected scholar and administrator, Houseman has dedicated his life to sharing Christ’s light with others. He has served as a stake president, bishop, high councilor, stake Young Men president, elders quorum president, seminary teacher, and missionary in the Portugal Lisbon Mission. From 2017 to 2020, he and his wife, Lori Ann Wilcox Houseman, presided over the Brazil Recife Mission. Together they have six children.