A new academic year is about to begin at The Ohio State University at Mansfield with new leadership at the helm. A welcome reception was held for new Dean and Director Dr. Norman Jones at the Renaissance Theatre in Mansfield last Thursday evening (August 9).
More than a hundred faculty, staff, friends, family and community members joined in the celebration. They were joined by officials throughout the Ohio State system, including representatives from the Ohio State Extension, the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (OARDC), Wooster and Columbus.
“I am humbled and deeply inspired,” Jones said. “As I think about all the talents and visions for the future that are represented across our campus and community, what’s extraordinary to me is that they overlap and intersect with one another to become part of something much larger.”
Jones was chosen as the dean and director after a national search. He began his one-year appointment July 1, 2018.
“We knew all along we had a very strong candidate already working at Ohio State Mansfield,” said Ohio State Vice Provost for Strategic Planning and Implementation Ryan Schmiesing. “We were thrilled when Norman accepted the offer.”
During the reception, Jones mapped out his vision for the future of the Mansfield campus. His focus will be on student success: “We have a lot to be proud of, but we also have a lot more we can do to better our campus. We want to create a model for all of higher education, something innovative that will help the campus and the community meet its workforce and economic development needs.”
“Being a part of the Ohio State vision and the greater community, that’s what gets me excited to get up in the morning and go to work,” Jones said. “What makes me grateful for this job is all of the hard work being done by the faculty, staff, board members, and the community. It’s an extraordinary gift.”
Jones joined Ohio State’s faculty in 2004 and had taught undergraduate and graduate-level courses on American literature, the Bible and film. He earned his bachelor’s degree in humanities from Yale University, and his master’s degree and a doctorate in English from the University of California at Los Angeles.
He and his wife, Heidi, live in Mansfield with their son Riley.