MANSFIELD — The Ohio State University at Mansfield has announced Dr. Stephen M. Gavazzi, Dean and Director of the school, has decided to step down from his post effective June 30, 2017.
Gavazzi will return to his full-time position as Professor of Human Development and Family Science in the College of Education and Human Ecology on the Columbus campus, according to a press release from the school.
“The campus community thanks Dr. Gavazzi for his exemplary leadership during the past 6 1⁄2 years on the Mansfield campus,” the press release stated.
Ohio State has not yet announced a future leadership position for the Mansfield campus.
Dr. Bruce McPheron, Executive Vice President and Provost, released the following statement in connection with Gavazzi’s departure:
“Under his leadership, the Mansfield campus has made substantial progress on many fronts to support the campus’s missions. For example, several capital projects 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, the renovation of the student union dining facilities and the facilitation of an off-campus student housing initiative as part of a public-private partnership. Generous gifts from local donors have supported the development of ecologically based programming and facilities, including a wetlands boardwalk and outdoor classroom.”
During the next six months, Gavazzi plans to complete a book entitled Land-Grant Universities for the Future: Higher Education for the Public Good that will be published by Johns Hopkins University Press in 2018. Co-authored with E. Gordon Gee, president of West Virginia University, this scholarly work will focus critical attention on the ability of land-grant institutions to meet the needs of the communities they were designed to serve.
“(Dr. Gavazzi) has also nurtured a strong town-gown community in Richland County, and this university-inspired 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 Ohio State in the North Central and Northeastern communities of Ohio,” McPheron stated. “In addition, he has continued his scholarly work throughout his time in Mansfield, focusing on higher education leadership issues, particularly related to the relationships between universities and their surrounding communities.”
