Lombardi will have direct responsibility for the departments of Residence Life and Off-Campus Living, Health Promotion, University Judiciaries and Campus Life and will oversee a budget of more than $5 million. He also will serve as a liaison to the city of Athens and provide leadership on high-risk behavior reduction initiatives and to the Council of Student Leaders, a group of 25 leaders representing major student organizations on campus.

Noting his philosophy of working closely with students on all major initiatives, Lombardi said he is excited that Ohio University's Student Affairs staff shares that same conviction. He lists his first three tasks as building relationships on and off campus, becoming familiar with all aspects of the university and learning more about Ohio students.

"I can't make any major changes until I gain an understanding of the campus," Lombardi said. "In fact, one of the reasons I'm starting before commencement is so that I can get the feel for the campus and the students before the end of the school year."

Vice President for Student Affairs Kent J. Smith is excited about Lombardi joining the staff.

"Ryan is an enthusiastic leader and a real people person," he said. "At Duke, he has been a great advocate for students, and he demonstrated a strong knowledge of student affairs during our conversations."

Lombardi has held three jobs since being hired as Duke's assistant dean for student development and residential education in 2001. He was promoted the following year to assistant dean of students, serving in that capacity until accepting his current post in 2006. Before joining Duke, Lombardi served for a year and a half as assistant to the dean of students and as a residence hall director at Colorado College in Colorado Springs.

Lombardi believes his past work experiences will serve him well in his new role. "The nice thing about my past jobs is they all had a broad focus," he said, "and that has allowed me to develop a well-rounded background."

Smith appreciates Lombardi's experience in developing Duke's nationally recognized parent and family programs. "The fact that Ryan has a strong background in parent and family programs is an excellent fit for our division, because that is an area where we have a direct need," Smith said.

Lombardi is pursuing his doctorate in higher education administration at North Carolina State University. He holds a master's degree in higher education administration from the University of Kansas and a bachelor's degree in music education from West Chester (Pa.) University. He is a member of the National Association for Student Personnel Administrators, the National Orientation Directors Association and the American College Personnel Association.

Associate Dean of Students Patti McSteen, who chaired the search committee that led to Lombardi's appointment, said he stood out as the best candidate in a strong pool of applicants.

"He brings a wealth of unique experiences, and I'm positive that he will take the Dean of Students Office to new heights," McSteen said. "He has the ability to connect to all constituencies on campus because of his strong interpersonal skills and professional demeanor. I'm very excited about working with him."

Drew Pusateri, a member of Graduate Student Senate and one of five students on the 14-member search committee, said he expects Lombardi to bring energy and valuable experience to his new position.

"He dealt with some adverse situations at Duke. I thought he would be ready for anything that this job would throw at him," said Pusateri, who valued the role students played in the search. "The students' voices were well-heard. I felt like my input was just as valuable as any other member of the committee."

In addition to Ohio University offering a good professional fit at this point in his career, Lombardi said Athens and the university are a good match personally as well. He and his wife, Kara, who works as senior associate director of the Duke Career Center, have an infant daughter, Anna.

"My wife and I are fond of our time at Duke, but the timing was right to make the move to Athens," Lombardi said. "I have heard from several people who worked or attended school at Ohio University, and they all said Athens is a great place to raise a family. That was one of the selling points for me."

Lombardi succeeds Terry Hogan, who left the university in August to accept the position of vice president for educational and student services at the University of Northern Iowa. He had served as dean of students since 1998.