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David M. McMahan, J.D.

Adjunct Faculty | College of Psych. and Liberal Arts - School of Psychology

Vice President for Student Affairs

Contact Information

dmcmahan@fit.edu
(321) 674-7386
Denius Student Center Room 215

Expertise

Student Affairs, Dispute Resolution, and Higher Education Security/Emergency Operations.

Personal Overview

While never having taken the bar due to a desire to return to his work in Student Affairs, Mr. McMahan graduated near the top of his class at the University of Tulsa College of Law with a Juris Doctorate degree (after a difficult time adjusting to his undergraduate work where he eventually attained a bachelor of science degree in sociology). During his time at TU-Law, McMahan clerked for Mickey D. Wilson, J.D., Chief Judge of the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma, and was able to practice criminal and civil law in Tulsa County, Oklahoma, under a limited license as an intern in the Criminal and Civil Divisions of the Office of the Tulsa County District Attorney. Through this experience prosecuting misdemeanor criminal cases such as motor vehicle moving violations, animal abuse, petty theft, illegal drug and paraphernalia possession, solicitation, and spousal abuse/ domestic battery, and due to his work with college students alleged to have violated various laws, McMahan has maintained an interest in the law and its application in both criminal matters and civil issues.

McMahan has held key roles in residential life and housing, student conduct/behavior education, and enterprise risk management before becoming a senior student affairs administrator in his recent appointments. 

McMahan has now been able to serve as an adjunct faculty member at four higher education institutions helping students explore aspects of the criminal justice system and in leadership studies in a graduate program.

Having been appointed here in Brevard County by the Chief Judge of the Eighteenth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida to serve as a volunteer Guardian ad Litem, McMahan currently serves as an advocate before the court and in the community for abused, neglected, and abandoned children. By assisting children who are part of his caseload in expressing their needs and wishes, McMahan shared that he is honored to be able to advocate for these children's physical, educational, mental, emotional, social, and legal needs.

McMahan is an Eagle Scout and Vigil Honor Member who is a Founder's Award Recipient of the B.S.A.'s Order of the Arrow and seeks to do his duty as set out in the Scout Oath. He moved to this area to join the Florida Tech family together with his wife, Selda Vasquez-McMahan, and their fur-babies Turtle Louise and Bunnie Wigglesworth at the end of the Spring 2022 term. He enjoys cooking, music (with eclectic tastes), exploring new cultures and communities, scuba diving, and is trying to figure out shore fishing here.

Educational Background

Juris Doctor with Honors with a concentration in Appellate & Trial Law

       University of Tulsa College of Law - Tulsa, OK

  • President, The University of Tulsa Trial Lawyers’ Association (T.U.T.L.A.)
  • Co-Chair, University of Tulsa Board of Advocates
  • Pupil, W. Lee Johnson Chapter, American Inns of Court
  • Trial Lawyers’ Award, University of Tulsa College of Law McAfee & Taft
  • Faculty Honor Roll & Dean’s Honor Roll, University of Tulsa College of Law

Bachelor of Science in Sociology, Minor in Psychology

       University of Houston – University Park, Houston, TX

Professional Experience

As noted above, Mr. McMahan has served as a county criminal court prosecutor and a civil litigator through a limited license. McMahan has also been certified/trained in many aspects of the law such as Title IX, ADA/504, and FERPA, as well as alternative dispute resolution (e.g., mediation and arbitration) over his 29-plus years in higher education administration.

Current Courses

SOC 2541: Juvenile Delinquency

(Prior-SOC 1551: American Criminal Justice)

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