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OHIO STATE NAMES NEW HUMANITIES DEAN

   COLUMBUS -- Michael J. Hogan, interim dean of the College of Humanities at The Ohio State University, has been nominated to fill the position on a permanent basis. The nomination, which is subject to approval by the Board of Trustees, was announced today by President William E. Kirwan and Executive Vice President and Provost Edward J. Ray.

Kirwan said Hogan, who previously served as chair of the Department of History, is uniquely qualified to assume the leadership of the college.

"Dr. Hogan brings a deep commitment to maintaining and increasing the College of Humanities' strong momentum," Kirwan said. "He is widely respected as a scholar and an able administrator. He has a clear vision for the college and he brings to the position the deep respect and support of faculty throughout the college and all those who know him across the campus."

Ray noted that:

"Under Mike's leadership, the Department of History earned not only the University Departmental Teaching Award but also a Selective Investment Award. These two awards demonstrate that excellence in teaching and excellence in research thrive side-by-side in a creative and dynamic environment. Mike's stewardship is precisely the leadership we want as we move Ohio State to the top tier of universities in this nation."

Hogan, 55, of UPPER ARLINGTON, received his B.A. from the University of Northern Iowa, and his M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Iowa. He taught at Miami University for nine years before joining the Ohio State faculty in 1986. He served as chair of the Department of History from 1993 until 1999, when he was named interim dean of the college, succeeding Kermit Hall who resigned to become provost and vice chancellor at North Carolina State University.

"I am deeply honored by the confidence that President Kirwan and Provost Ray have shown in me," Hogan said. "I believe that the College of Humanities has never been stronger. We have excellent faculty, a deeply committed staff, and some of the best students to be found anywhere. The future is indeed bright, and I am optimistic and enthusiastic about what the college will yet achieve."

Hogan's teaching and scholarly interests are in American diplomatic and recent U.S. history. The author of three books, including a prize-winning history of the Marshall Plan, he is also the editor of five additional volumes and a recipient of the University's Distinguished Scholar Award.

The College of Humanities includes 13 departments: African-American and African Studies; East Asian Languages and Literatures; English; French and Italian; Germanic Languages and Literatures; Greek and Latin; History; Linguistics; Near Eastern Languages and Cultures; Philosophy; Slavic and East European Languages and Literatures; Spanish and Portuguese; and Women's Studies. In addition, the college is home to the centers for the Study and Teaching of Writing, Epigraphical and Paleographical Studies, Folklore Studies, Foreign Language, and Medieval and Renaissance Studies, the Institute for Collaborative Research and Public Humanities, the Melton Center for Jewish Studies, and the Resource Center for Medieval Slavic Studies. The college has approximately 280 regular faculty and offers more than 3,300 classes annually.

Hogan's nomination will be taken to the March 3 Board of Trustees meeting.