OUZ WELCOMES NEW DEAN

Ohio University faculty and staff welcomed a new dean to the Zanesville campus today.

Dr. Jenifer Cushman joins Ohio University from Juniata College in Huntindon, PA where she served as Dean of International Education and Associate Professor of German for seven years. A native of West Virginia, she is excited to have moved to such as historic part of Ohio.

"I've lived in Ohio a couple of different times in my life, and it's an area, especially Eastern Ohio, that feels like home to me. It's only about two hours north of where I grew up in Riply, WV. I think that the town itself has a lot to offer. I like the fact that there's this sort of artist heritage and there seem to be a lot of events happening that we're looking forward to, my family and I," said Cushman.

Before holding her position at Juniata, Cushman served as the Director of Off Campus Study at the College of Wooster for two years. Prior to that, she was also a faculty member in German at the University of Minnesota Morris, first serving as Assistant then Associate Professor of German.

Having earned her doctorate from Ohio State University in Germanic Languages and Literature, Dr. Cushman looks forward to bringing new ideas for collaboration and innovative education initiatives as well as creating connections between the classroom and real life experiences.

"As we think about the Association of American Colleges and Universities' ideas about how 21st century curriculum should be, it's important to think about education as a holistic experience in terms of 'how do we connect what we learn in the classroom with whats happening in the world? How do we prepare our students for the challenges of the 21st century?'" said Cushman. "It's our responsibility as educators to make sure that the students make those connections and that they are able to use what they learn in higher education daily. Both in their jobs, and also as citizens in a democratic society."

 Although it's only her first day, Cushman has already witnessed the strong commitment to the institution and the process of learning conveyed by her coworkers. Having traveled to exotic parts of the world, such as Australia and Central China, Cushman has experienced several cultures and languages. She is motivated to bring her perspective on the world and higher education to the OUZ campus.