What Makes Working at OWU Great

At Ohio Wesleyan, the mentoring relationships with students and the collaborative relationships with coworkers are strong, supportive, and long-lasting.

OWU faculty and staff are committed to helping students persist to graduation and to transforming their lives by equipping students to become moral leaders positively impacting the local, state, national, and global communities where they live and work.

University employees also collaborate on projects and committees intended to improve the OWU experience for everyone. This has included working together to create OWU Connection travel-learning experiences; improve administrative-academic collaborations; and plan campuswide events in support of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Here is what current Ohio Wesleyan faculty and staff have to say about being a Bishop and living in Delaware and Central Ohio:

Faculty Comments

"For me, OWU is a professional home with a strong sense of community and commitment to student success. Since joining OWU, I've been continually impressed by the dedication of our faculty to our students' professional development. Every day, our faculty members provide strong support to students in many aspects of their academic journey. Whether it's offering guidance on coursework, mentoring through research projects, or simply being a listener, faculty members at OWU go above and beyond to ensure that every student feels valued and supported.

"What also sets OWU apart is the integration of the OWU Connection Conference into a holistic education. The full-day program provides students a unique opportunity to share their world connection experiences, such as serving the community, learning through traveling, conducting research with advisors, and reflecting on their academic and personal growth. As an OWU faculty, I am privileged to see the transformative journeys our students have made."

Yunhua Ding
Assistant Professor of Physics & Astronomy

"One of the things that I appreciate the most about being a member of the OWU community is the ability to be at a school where we are focused on teaching and the undergraduate experience, while still doing the highest levels of academic research. Just in the sciences, faculty have grants from the National Science Foundation and NASA (and our students work with us on those projects). We publish in journals and books with student co-authors. I love to be surrounded by amazing scientists that are also here because they love to teach."

Shala Hankison '95
Associate Professor of Zoology

"As an Ohioan who attended college in Ohio, I was always aware of Ohio Wesleyan's reputation. When I first discovered Loren Pope's book, "Colleges That Change Lives," I had only recently started my teaching career. I remember snatching up the book from a Barnes & Noble shelf and flipping to the table of contents page, hoping to see my alma mater being praised (because why wouldn't it? ha ha. I felt, then and now, that my school had done a great job in training me). My school was not in that now-infamous list, but OWU was, and yet I was not the least bit surprised, despite feeling envious. I had a relative who had attended OWU, and so I had personal data to confirm that Ohio Wesleyan was indeed a place of growth and transformative power for its students. As the years passed and I moved to different cities, pursuing a range of artistic and teaching opportunities, the one constant was my desire to use the gifts I feel I have been blessed with to help improve the world. Whether it was through powerful storytelling or inspiring teaching, I wanted to change lives. Eventually my journey brought me here, where I serve the community as an Assistant Professor in Theatre, and I feel I am surrounded by change-makers and humans open to change on all sides. Students listen deeply and bring the teaching power of their lived experience into the classroom. Staff/administration and faculty are "real ones" (to use some street slang)--we encourage each other in the work, celebrating exciting ideas and modeling the openness and curiosity that all great artists, scientists, and entrepreneurs have. I think people here care deeply. I think people here understand that life is hard, and none of us do this alone. I think, as someone who is a champion of liberal arts and a kind of relationship to the life of the mind, that Ohio Wesleyan is a place where powerful thinking and creating can and does happen. I wanted to be part of a community like that, and I think that this is just such a community. I guess I'm saying that, on the one hand, OWU's reputation is earned. And then on the other hand, this is a place that is about doing the work of helping people live lives of purpose, more than it is a place about reputation. Lastly, and on a lighter note, OWU is in a very sustainable proximity to Columbus, my hometown and increasingly one of the hippest, interesting cities in the United States. I've lived in a lot of cities in the U.S. (really, a lot) and Columbus is my favorite. There is great grassroots activism, incredible art-making, more wonderful restaurants than you could reasonably visit in a year, rich history, a booming tech industry, and a fast-growing population. This creates its own challenges. However, OWU feels ever more like a quiet, cozy escape from the excesses of what I just listed. This is a place where I can do focused work, then walk to a park or to a sandwich shop on my lunch break, and then come home at the end of the day to more quiet or, if I'd rather, to any of the lively joys that the city of Columbus has on offer."

Brian Granger
Assistant Professor of Performing Arts

"From my first moments on the Ohio Wesleyan campus, I felt a strong sense of belonging that has only strengthened in the years since. Everyone at OWU has a passion for educating students and helping them grow into the best versions of themselves. Always, this is at the heart of everything. Whatever differences we may have in our roles, scholarly field, or, sometimes, opinion, no matter what, you can be sure that the motives of your fellow OWU Bishops are student-centered. The commitment and clear-eyed focus of my colleagues at Ohio Wesleyan is second to none."

Franchesca Nestor
Associate Professor of Politics & Government

"OWU strives to provide an inclusive environment for its faculty and students. It seeks to welcome many diverse perspectives and offers different opportunities for students and faculty to learn significant facets of the history and culture of Africans and African Americans through its course offerings and semester abroad program in Tanzania. What brought me to OWU and why I have stayed for almost two decades can be summarized in three words – support, openness, and welcoming – for faculty of color and students. These are nurtured through the University's course offerings and also in its co-curricular programming with diverse minority student organizations."

Randolph Quaye
Professor of Black World Studies

"What I find most satisfying about being a faculty member at OWU is that it is a very small community (93 tenure-track faculty). Through this, I have had the opportunity to meet folks outside of my area of expertise (unlike at my large state-school prior institutions). Through my interactions with colleagues, we are able to share ideas that, at first glance, may not seem to be connectable, but provide a completely new perspective to my teaching and our students' learning.

"For the most part, we have a very collegial faculty, and there's a fun tradition of a weekly faculty happy hour. In addition, I, like many colleagues, live in Columbus, which is a great place to live. Columbus provides many of the amenities associated with larger cities but for less cost and hassle – that's a plus in my book.

"Lastly, the intimate nature of the teaching-learning experience allows me to really connect with my students. Not only do I feel like I am preparing the next generation of doers and solvers, I also feel as though I have a wonderful group of friends that I will connect with for decades to come. I am very fulfilled in my job and it drives me to work hard, despite any challenges (like COVID)."

Nathan Rowley
Associate Professor of Geology and Geography

Staff Comments

"What I appreciate most about being a member of the OWU community—I grew up in Delaware County and from a very young age, I can remember thinking OWU was a big deal. I have many great memories of community events held on campus and I have always felt proud that OWU was in my hometown. When OWU invited me to accept a position in Information Services, I was very excited (and a little nervous) knowing my work would be an extension of the excellence that is OWU. In my eight years of service, I have learned that OWU is so much more than a beautiful campus and an excellent reputation. The true heart of the OWU community is rooted in the rich diversity, service, scholarship, and talent of our students, alumni, faculty and staff."

Jason Cox
Senior Systems and Security Analyst

"OWU students continue to impress me every day! They are eager and emerging leaders ready to contribute to a vibrant, ever-changing world. I am energized by their creativity, enthusiasm, and desire to make an impact."

Dina Daltorio
Director of Student Involvement

"The benefits of being part of the OWU Community are built upon the University's dedication to building, encouraging, and fostering growth and success. This is true from all levels of employment through senior leaders. The success and fulfillment of each of us are connected to the betterment of the whole community. I have been supported, encouraged, challenged in positive ways, and given the room to grow professionally. This growth and dedication to others' success are at the core of the OWU Community. It is found in our dedication to OWU students and exemplified through every staff and faculty member!"

Megan Ellis '05
Executive Director, OWU Connection

"What I love about working at OWU is being a part of a community that is full of ambitious minds and friendly collaborators. The best part is our incredible students, guided by bright faculty and dedicated staff, who are so interested in getting involved on campus and learning how to become difference-makers in the world. The student-athletes I get to work with every day make this job a true joy."

Kirsta Cobb
Head Volleyball Coach and Senior Woman Administrator

"I moved to Delaware with my family 28 years ago. Delaware is a wonderful and charming city. I enjoyed raising my two daughters in a town that felt safe and is close to the capital. Ohio Wesleyan University is an asset to Delaware. It's a beautiful campus with an amazing student body, top-notch faculty, and fantastic colleagues. I consider myself blessed because of OWU. I not only have the opportunity to grow professionally, but I get to witness the development of young men and women whose contributions to society will make the world we live in a better place for all."

Ida Mostofi
Administrative Assistant to the Vice President for Student Engagement and Success

"As a graduate of OWU, I admit that I have a biased impression of Ohio Wesleyan. But, there is a reason that I have worked here for more than 23 years. There is something truly special about this place and the people who are part of it. People here are friendly. They approach their jobs always with our students at the center of what they do. They provide transformational experiences for our students every day. I've witnessed that hundreds (maybe even thousands) of times since I started working here. But it is even more meaningful now that my children are both students at OWU. To watch their experiences is reaffirming of everything I already knew! In addition, Delaware is a lovely town that offers all of the charm of a small community with access to the benefits of a large city nearby! I live in town—just two miles from campus—and I love being able to frequent the many quaint downtown shops, dine at the locally owned restaurants, buy produce from vendors at the farmers' market and run (safely) through the streets of Delaware."

Laurie Patton '95
Director of Admission

"I so appreciate the people that I work with every day (and have for over three decades!) I am surrounded by smart and dedicated students who give me faith in the future. My administrative colleagues are creative and a pleasure to work with on any project. Since the founding of Ohio Wesleyan, we have benefited from an engaged and brilliant faculty who care deeply about our students."

Nancy Bihl Rutkowski
Senior Associate Director, Alumni and Family Engagement

"The people are the best part of Ohio Wesleyan and the Delaware community. I've lived in this area for more than 25 years, and it's been a wonderful place to live, work, and raise a family. The unique food, First Fridays, amazing parks, and events at OWU keep us engaged and entertained without leaving town. Knowing it's an easy drive to Columbus is an added perk."

Sara Stuntz
Creative Lead, University Communications