MANSFIELD, OH – Stephen M. Gavazzi, dean and director of The Ohio State University at Mansfield, has been reappointed for an additional five-year term.
Subject to approval by the Ohio State Board of Trustees, his appointment is effective from July 1, 2016, to June 30, 2021.
With his leadership, the Mansfield campus has made substantial progress on many fronts to support the campus’s missions, Interim Executive Vice President and Provost Bruce A. McPheron, PhD. said in a memo to faculty and staff. McPheron mentioned Gavazzi’s efforts to restore the campus’s financial stability, saying it bodes well for the future for new initiatives and academic priorities, including faculty hires.
Under Gavazzi’s first term, the school reported several capital projects were completed which have supported both the campus’s academic mission and enriched student life experiences, such as the transformation of the library into a state-of-the-art information commons and the renovation of the student union dining facilities, as well as the facilitation of an off-campus student housing initiative as part of a public-private partnership.
A press release stated he has also nurtured a strong town-gown community in Richland County and this engagement has led the development of paid student internships with local businesses, an initiative to support first-generation students and their families, and a greater presence of the university in the community.
In addition, he has continued his scholarly work, focusing on higher education leadership issues, particularly related to the relationships between universities and their surrounding communities.
