Ohio State appoints new dean and director of Ohio State Marion

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State University has selected Jennifer Schlueter as its next dean and director of The Ohio State University at Marion, effective March 17, 2025, pending approval by the Board of Trustees. An accomplished academic administrator, teacher, performance maker and producer, Schlueter currently serves as the vice provost of academic affairs at The New School in New York City, where she also holds a faculty appointment in the university’s School of Drama.

At Ohio State Marion, Schlueter will lead initiatives to enhance and broaden the university’s dedication to student achievement, innovative teaching and learning, research opportunities and community engagement.

“Jennifer is an experienced leader deeply committed to educational access and innovation,” said Ryan J. Schmiesing, senior vice provost for external engagement. “Her passion for collaborative problem-solving and high-impact learning practices makes her an exceptional choice for dean at Ohio State Marion.”

In her current role, Schlueter is responsible for creating and managing institution-wide processes in academic strategy, policy and operations. Before joining The New School, Schlueter held leadership roles at Columbus College of Art & Design (CCAD), serving as the college’s inaugural dean of graduate studies before becoming associate provost and dean of academics.

In joining Ohio State, Schlueter will return to familiar ground. Before joining CCAD, she was an Ohio State faculty member for nine years in the Department of Theatre (currently the Department of Theatre, Film, and Media Arts). She served as director of undergraduate studies and associate chair, and she also took on university-level service as a faculty fellow of curriculum development at the Graduate School and as project director of the Global Arts & Humanities Discovery Theme. At Ohio State, Schlueter received several top teaching awards, including the Alumni Award for Distinguished Teaching, the Ronald and Deborah Ratner Distinguished Teaching Award, and, while a graduate student, the Graduate Associate Teaching Award.

“Ohio State has been fundamental to my development as a scholar, artist, teacher and leader,” said Schlueter. “Because I have been an Ohio State student, faculty member and administrator across my 16 previous years at the institution, I know, personally, what it is to be mentored by Ohio State’s faculty, to teach its students across campuses, and to collaborate across its colleges. I am excited to return to serve it as Marion’s dean and director, and to bring my experiences beyond it with me as I do.

Schlueter’s creative endeavors have received accolades from prominent publications, including Backstage Magazine and the Chicago Tribune. In addition, she has directed full productions and staged readings, written several journal articles and book chapters, and was commissioned by BBC Radio 4.

Ohio State Marion fosters student engagement through its supportive campus culture and small class size. In May 2024, the first class of Bachelor of Science in Engineering Technology graduates completed their degrees at Ohio State Marion. This innovative program emphasizes hands-on learning, including immersive internships and senior capstone experiences with regional manufacturers.

“The Marion campus is rich with expertise and opportunity,” said Schlueter. “From the Prairie Learning Lab to the Memories Project, Marion faculty dovetail their research with service learning and civic engagement work in ways that are ripe for expansion and amplification.”

More than 1,500 first-year Ohio State students start their academic journeys on a regional campus. Students can complete the first one to three years of any of Ohio State’s 200-plus majors on the Marion campus before transitioning to the Columbus campus to complete their degree. Nine majors can be completed at Ohio State Marion.

Schlueter’s appointment rounds out new leadership across Ohio State’s four regional campuses. She will join Margaret (Meggie) Young at Ohio State Lima, Jason Opal at Ohio State Mansfield and Matthew Smith at Ohio State Newark, who began their service earlier this year. Together, this cohort of four regional campus deans will work together to ensure the university is enhancing access and impact across Ohio.

“The commitment to the regional campuses that President Carter has articulated — and the opportunity to join a cohort of new deans with a mandate to lead a collaborative, strategic, growth-oriented approach to that commitment — is once in a lifetime,” said Schlueter. “The mission to provide people across Ohio with a pathway to an affordable, well-reputed post-secondary education — and to connect them with world class faculty, facilities and programs in the process — is needed now more than ever.”

Schlueter earned her PhD in theatre performance, history, and theory, and her master’s degree in theatre from Ohio State. Her Bachelor of Arts is in theatre from Truman State University in Kirksville, Missouri.

"We are grateful to Ohio State Marion Dean and Director Greg Rose for his longstanding leadership,” said Karla Zadnik, interim executive vice president and provost. Rose will retire from Ohio State at the end of December after 20 years as dean and over 40 years as a faculty member at Ohio State Marion. John Maharry, assistant dean of academic opportunities and professor of mathematics on the Marion campus, will serve as acting dean and director from Jan. 1 until Schlueter’s arrival, pending approval of the Board of Trustees.

“We also deeply appreciate the members of the search advisory committee, chaired by Noelle Arnold, senior associate dean in the College of Education and Human Ecology, for their commitment to finding our next exceptional leader,” said Zadnik. “We look forward to welcoming Dr. Schlueter back to Ohio State.”