ATHENS, Ohio -- Ohio University Provost Stephen Kopp has appointed David Descutner, professor of interpersonal communication in the College of Communication, to serve as dean of University College and associate provost for undergraduate studies. In this capacity, Descutner will report directly to the provost.
Descutner has served as interim dean of University College as well as associate provost for undergraduate studies since September 2001. Descutner earned both his Ph.D. (1983) and his master's degree (1976) in rhetorical and communication theory from the University of Illinois. He is a 1974 graduate of Slippery Rock State College in Pennsylvania where he majored in speech, French and English.
Descutner has taught in Ohio University's School of Interpersonal Communication since 1979, when he joined the faculty as an instructor. He was named a professor in 1997. He served as director of undergraduate studies, director of graduate studies and interim director for the school.
Kopp said Descutner as dean will be responsible for the leadership, management and oversight of all University College programs, including those dealing with precollege orientation, student retention and university-wide programs, projects and initiatives focused on improving students' university experience.
As associate provost for undergraduate studies, Descutner will provide leadership and work closely with the deans of the university's other colleges, the university library, student affairs and the regional campuses to advance undergraduate education and general education to maximize effectiveness and improve the quality of the educational opportunities available to undergraduate students at Ohio University.
"David is a vigorous, insightful and creative leader," Kopp said. "His numerous awards for outstanding teaching are evidence of his skill in motivating students and engaging them actively in enriching learning experiences. He is a passionate and inspirational advocate for general education and student engagement. This advocacy is modeled through his dedication to students."
"David's history of service to the university and his colleagues is evident in his exemplary record of participation in and contributions to the university. He is a dedicated scholar who has advised undergraduates and directed masters' theses and more than 40 doctoral dissertations while publishing extensively. I am confident that his expertise and energy will be instrumental in helping to advance a distinctive vision for University College. I believe that in this role David will also continue to make significant contributions toward establishing Ohio University as a national leader in engaged learning and educational achievement."
Descutner has been named University Professor twice: 1998-1999 and 1986-1987, and he was nominated for the award in 1992. The Honors Tutorial College named him its Outstanding Tutor in 1996. His teaching has been recognized by the College of Communication, which honored him with the L.J. Hortin Faculty Mentor Award for Excellence in Student Mentoring in 2000 and their award for Outstanding Teaching in 1988.
Highlights of recent service contributions at Ohio University include serving as a member of Faculty Senate from 1991-97 and the General Education Steering Committee in 1999, appointment by President Robert Glidden to co-chair of the university's Diversity Planning Committee and appointment by the provost to the AQIP Steering Committee and chair of Action Project Committee 4.
Descutner's scholarship in political communication and cultural studies has been supported by grants from the National Political Advertising Research Project and university research programs. His publications include "Bad Signs and Cryptic Codes: A Semiotic Analysis of the Dukakis Advertising in the 1988 Presidential Campaign," "Strategic Silences and Transgressive Metaphors in Out of Africa: Asak Dinesen's Double-Voiced Rhetoric of Complicity and Subversion" (with B. Cooper, 1996) and "Interiority: Thinking Inside the Box," published in 1998.
