Paul Fortunato, a scholar of British literature and drama, began teaching at UHD in 2005. He served as co-Director of the Center for Public Deliberation from 2010 to 2012. He has been a fellow of the Houston Institute, an independent non-profit that seeks to help students think deeply about the best way to live. He teaches courses on British and World Literature, and in his courses he tries to cultivate the art of conversation among students.