Tony Sanfilippo Named Director of The Ohio State University Press

November 17, 2014

Tony Sanfilippo Named Director of The Ohio State University Press

Tony Sanfilippo has been named director of The Ohio State University Press, effective Dec. 8, according to an announcement from Mark Shanda, divisional dean, Arts and Humanities, in the College of Arts and Sciences. Sanfilippo comes to Ohio State with more than 14 years of experience as a leader and innovator in academic publishing.

“After an extensive national search, I am thrilled to welcome Tony to Ohio State,” Shanda said. “His passion for publishing, leadership in digital distribution, and engagement plans for faculty and students are just what The Ohio State University Press needs at this time of transition.”

Since 2000, Sanfilippo has been at Pennsylvania State University Press, serving as marketing director and assistant director, and earlier as acquisitions editor of regional titles. While at Penn State, he drove initiatives to bring the press into the digital age, leveraging technologies and business models that bring content to a broader audience and acting as the press’s contact with Google, Apple and Amazon. He has had key roles in the Association of American University Presses and The Association of American Publishers.

He directed an active internship program at Penn State Press, where their involvement helped the organization develop its e-book program. Today, out of 1,449 active titles, the press has 1,042 available as e-books.

Sanfilippo graduated from Southern Illinois University with a degree in English, and spent more than 20 years in trade bookselling. He was co-owner and manager of Svoboda Scholarly Books in State College, Pennsylvania.

Sanfilippo said, “I'm really excited to be joining the amazing staff at The Ohio State University Press. I strongly believe that with the right partnerships and the continued strong support of the administration, we can grow the press into a leader in scholarly communications, and can sustainably address the many technological and economic challenges currently facing American university presses.”

The Ohio State University Press is an internationally recognized academic publisher established in 1957, currently publishing 30 new books per year. It specializes in literary studies, including narrative theory, Victorian studies, medieval studies and classics. The press also acquires books in linguistics, offers foreign language pedagogical material and publishes the annual winners of its non/fiction collection and poetry prizes.

Among its notable titles are Language Files, an introductory linguistics textbook in its 11th edition; The Centenary Edition of the Works of Nathaniel Hawthorne, the definitive 23-volume edition of the American master’s writings; Dickens’ Journalism, a four-volume collection; and Listen to Me Good, a moving autobiography of an Alabama midwife. The press was the original publisher of the Helen Hooven Santmyer blockbuster . . . And Ladies of the Club, which is now out of print.

In addition to books, The Ohio State University Press publishes a distinguished group of journals, including the Journal of Higher Education, Narrative and American Periodicals.