Interim Executive Dean and Vice Provost Janet Box-Steffensmeier has announced the appointment of three faculty members to leadership positions within the College of Arts and Sciences. The many experiences and perspectives they bring will be of great benefit to the college as it enters the new academic year.

Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Wendy Smooth, associate professor in the Department of Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies, will serve in the new position of associate dean for diversity, equity and inclusion for a three-year term.
 
In this vital role, Wendy will work closely with college leadership, administrative staff, and academic departments and schools to develop, promote, coordinate, and advise on diversity and inclusion initiatives across the college. She will charter and chair the new Dean’s Diversity Advisory Committee and act as a thought partner and accountability advocate to ensure that diversity and inclusion objectives are articulated and implemented in our ongoing work and planning. As the chief diversity officer, she will represent Arts and Sciences at university-wide meetings and symposia related to diversity and inclusion priorities, progress and programs.
 
Wendy’s research and teaching focus on women’s experiences in political institutions and on the impact of public policies on women’s lives. She leads Ohio State's participation in the Collaborative to Advance Equity through Research, a national initiative created by the Obama administration’s White House Council on Women and Girls to close the gaps in research on women and girls of color. Wendy holds a BS from Xavier University of Louisiana and a PhD from the University of Maryland, College Park.

Faculty Fellow for Special Priorities

Trevon Logan, Hazel C. Youngberg Trustees Distinguished Professor and chair of the Department of Economics, will serve as a faculty fellow for special priorities for a one-year term.
 
Trevon will work with college leaders as they strive to leverage and maximize resources with a commitment to the academic mission. Among his duties will be evaluating and creating opportunities for additional resource generation; monitoring GE revision impacts and identifying areas of needed support; and working directly with Chief Administrative Officer Kim Kinsel and the finance team to align budget policies and implement best practices for ASC departments and centers. In addition, Trevon will oversee some aspects of faculty affairs and spearhead some special projects to assist with promoting the college.
 
A member of the economics faculty since 2004, Trevon specializes in economic history and applied demography, and his research interests intersect with health economics, applied econometrics and microeconomics, and sociology. He holds a BS from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and MA and PhD degrees from the University of California, Berkeley.

As Trevon concludes his service as chair, James Peck, professor of economics, has graciously agreed to serve as interim chair of the department for a one-year term beginning July 1.

Divisional Dean for Social and Behavioral Sciences

Morton O’Kelly, professor and chair of the Department of Geography, is the new divisional dean for social and behavioral sciences. As divisional dean, Morton will oversee and support the administrative needs of units within the division of social and behavioral sciences, including in faculty affairs, promotion and tenure, advancement efforts, budget management, and program reviews.
 
Morton has been on the geography faculty since 1981, and he has been serving in a second term as chair of the department. His longstanding research interests include transport economics, sustainable transit and spatial interaction. Morton holds a BA from University College Dublin and MA and PhD degrees from McMaster University.
 
As Morton concludes his service as chair, Darla Munroe, professor of geography, has graciously agreed to serve as interim chair of the department for a one-year term beginning July 1.