2019-2020 Annual Report

My first year as a dean has been eventful, to say the least. I came on board in July 2019 with the goal of moving the college past its fiscal woes. By the end of the academic year, that concern was in everyone’s rearview mirror (we did succeed in achieving positive revenue goals and reducing some of the deficit), as we weathered a complete shift to remote instruction and budgetary and staffing losses; and repositioned ourselves to re-envision our role as a College of Arts and Sciences in the 21^stcentury.

Even with the coronavirus altering our learning environment for the foreseeable future, AY 2020 was a banner year for the College. We could not achieve our goals without the complete dedication of faculty, staff, students and, equally importantly, our alumni and donors. Indeed, our donors came through superbly in this year of crisis, by allowing us to exceed our fundraising goals by raising more than $13M. Particularly prominent were gifts to endow the newly named Niehoff Center for Film Studies; and a foundation’s significant commitment to solidify previous investments in the English department that will set it on a path toward excellence for the foreseeable future, with new support directed toward graduate studies, the staffing of the Elliston Poetry Room archives, and the journals and publications in creative writing. Equally important, and a driving strategy for the college this past year and into the future, have been investments in scholarship and fundraising efforts for 1^st-Generation and underrepresented students, which continue to drive our goal to better support local students in alignment with CPS Strong and Inclusion initiatives in the presidential Next Lives Here mission. Finally, I would be remiss not to mention the generous response in helping the college face the impact of the pandemic on our budgets by alumna Darlene Walley, who turned on a dime to provide $500K of support to the Dean’s Fund discretionary needs.  

Academically and in research, we continue to diversify. We have launched a new major in Public Relations out of the Department of Communication, and an interdisciplinary major in Latin American Studies. New certificates are also being approved, and our graduate programs are working on creating new interdisciplinary tracks to diversify our students’ opportunities on the market. The sponsorship of the Taft Research Center has helped us solidify support for a variety of new research centers, such as the Center for the Public Engagement with Science, The Cincinnati Project, and the new Center for Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation; while the Office of Research is supporting the launch of the Institute for Research in Sensing. It gives me also great pleasure to announce that Dr. Richard Harknett in Political Science has been a key figure in bringing the Ohio Cyber Range Initiative to our University. All these initiatives support our commitment to research excellence.

Equally exciting, despite the concerns raised by the current pandemic, are the opportunities to re-envision who we are. As dean, I have convened a Task Force with representation from every group and governing body in the College. The year-long task we have set for ourselves is to redefine our core mission and find new opportunities in each of these four areas: 1) College Central Values; 2) Entrepreneurial Growth; 3) Structures; and 4) Futures. As I said last year, in these difficult times the College must continue to message internally, but also for external constituents, that the Arts and Sciences continue to provide the foundations for training creative critical thinkers and an adaptable and engaged citizenry. 

I hope everyone will enjoy reading about our recent successes. In a time of crises, we hope that sharing about these accomplishments encourages all about the good that is at the heart of our educational enterprise. You have been and continue to be—as alumni, faculty, staff, or students—what propels us forward into future opportunities.

I wish all of you and your families continued health and happiness.

"UC discovers princely tombs near ‘Griffin Warrior’,”
by Michael Miller, UC News

Archaeologists with the University of Cincinnati have discovered two Bronze Age tombs containing a trove of engraved jewelry and artifacts that promise to unlock secrets about life in ancient Greece ...

“International Media: UC archaeology discovery in Greece goes global,”
by Michael Miller, UC News

“Haaretz: UC sheds light on environmental collapse,”
by Michael Miller, UC News

Haaretz and other international news media examined a study by University of Cincinnati researchers on water pollution in ancient Maya reservoirs in northern Guatemala. The Israeli daily newspaper suggested UC's research could inform modern threats …  

“UC students provide job coaching for people in recovery,”
by Michael Miller, UC News

Riley Jerow, a UC student, sat across a table from three patients at the Center for Addiction Treatment who had little in common apart from their desire to get better. Jerow is taking part in a new UC service-learning project in which students create a curriculum designed to help people in recovery …  

“UC intern program gives students hands-on career experience,”
by Benjamin Harrison, A&S student writer for UC News

Among the millions who have loved classics such as "Mary Poppins" or "Mulan," A&S student Henry Whitaker was one of the lucky few to land an internship with the LA-based Walt Disney Pictures, getting at professional taste of interning with a prestigious international company … 

“A&S releases statement on equity and inclusion,”
by Anne Bowling for UC News

Since March our lives have been dramatically changed. The coronavirus first, the economic crisis that ensued and finally the protests that denounce the repeated abuse of Black American citizens have laid bare the structural and systemic injustices that continue to impede our progress as a nation; a nation whose foundational motto ...