Joseph Steinmetz, Arts and Sciences Executive Dean and Vice Provost, has named Department of Theatre Professor and Chair Mark Shanda, Interim Dean of Arts and Humanities, effective July 1, 2010.

“Mark Shanda is an exceptional leader at the university and in his field,” Steinmetz said. “He understands complex issues, deeply respects the knowledge of others, and has the ability to bring together differing viewpoints that move conversations forward. These are important leadership qualities that will serve the arts and sciences well at Ohio State as we move forward in our restructuring efforts.”

Shanda, who has been at Ohio State for 24 years, became department chair in 2005. Involved in both college and university curricular matters, he chairs the Arts and Sciences Curriculum Committee’s Assessment Subcommittee and the University Level Advisory Committee (ULAC) on the General Education Curriculum (GEC). In 2007, Shanda received the University Career Services Award for outstanding service to undergraduate students.

“I greatly look forward to this new role that is a broader platform to advocate for the arts and humanities on campus,” said Shanda. “These areas of inquiry are essential for our students as they study critical aspects of the human condition.”

Shanda is co-author of “Drafting for the Theatre,” a theater technology textbook widely used around the country. A frequent contributor to “Theatre Design and Technology” magazine, he is active in the United States Institute for Theatre Technology (USITT), and leads workshops at their annual national conference and stage expo. He is a member of its Board of Directors and was recently elected to a two-year term as Vice President of Communications.

He has a bachelor’s degree in Speech/Theatre from Iowa State University and a Master of Fine Arts in Theatre Technology from the University of Wisconsin. Shanda succeeds Dean John W. Roberts, who will become Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences at the University of Houston on July 1.