Having worked at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette for more than 20 years, I have gained a wide breadth of experiences.  In addition to leading my academic unit for 13 years and establishing the department's M.A. Program in Public History, I established the program's internship program. I created my own history based study-travel program called History on the Move, developed the Graduate Certificate in Historic Preservation, and conceptualized the department's Museum on the Move project.  Many of my initiatives have been copied or replicated within my academic unit and I take great pleasure in the truism that "imitation is the sincerest form of flattery."  I've taken students on over 50,000 miles of excursions from Louisiana to Alaska and Washington, D.C. to Italy.  I also created a local food festival that was named as one of the top ten food festivals in America by Gourmet Magazine and have become a renowned expert on Cajun cuisine (even inventing the world famous Boudin and Cracklin King Cake).  Most recently, and perhaps most importantly, I have established a youth oriented outdoor/education program called "Bob Scouts" and I'm working on a history-based food project called "Eating History."  You can hear me on my weekly radio spot on KPEL 96.5 FM where I do a "This week in history" spot or read my regular contributions to 008 Magazine.  -- There's more, of course, and I suppose it'll be in the Bio section of this site.

  • Established the Public History Program at UL Lafayette in 1997.
  • Created Graduate Public History Internship Program at UL Lafayette in 1998.
  • Created History on the Move - a domestic study-travel program (www.historyonthemove.org).
  • Developed Graduate Certificate in Historic Preservation at UL Lafayette.
  • Project creator of Museum on the Move.
  • Project developer of Acadiana Historical (app geo-locating historic sites in Louisiana).
  • Created "Eating History" Project.


Experience Highlights (Snapshot)

Food Writer/Blogger//Photographer/Creator

Louisiana Based

Dad & Husband/Historian/Professor/Food Writer/Study-Travel Leader

Robert Carriker

Historian/Professor/Higher Ed Administration

21 Years at Ul Lafayette


Program Development

Education Oriented Programming

Here are a couple of videos featuring some of my work.  The first is part of a project where UL Lafayette had some professors read their online reviews and then spontaneously respond.  It is rather funny.  The second is of a Zagat program where I set up a tour of places for them to sample boudin sausage and I served as their guide and "instructor."  Also funny stuff.  There's also a link to the Boudin King Cake story!

  • 13 Years as Dept. Head of History, Geography, and Philosophy. 
  • Urban Homesteads in the West (2010, University of Arizona Press)
  • Boudin: A Guide to Louisiana's Extraordinary Link (2012, University of Louisiana Press)
  • Hired over 23 new faculty.  
  • Undergraduate and Graduate teaching, thesis direction, mentoring.
  • Site Director, UL Study Abroad in Florence Italy, 2015.
  • All sorts of challenges and opportunities met and negotiated.

My Skills

 

  • Higher Ed. Admin (13 Years Dept. Head)
  • History Professor (Public History/U.S. History)
  • Program Development
  • Food Writing/Blogging
  • Study-Travel Leader (Europe and U.S. Locales)

  • Outdoor/Hiking/Kayaking Guide Trip Leader/Coordinator (Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi, New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, Idaho, Montana)

  • Photography (Culinary/Nature)
  • Public Speaking
  • Media Interviews
  • Judge - Cooking Competitions
  • ​Food Innovator