David Dees, Ph.D., of Guilford Lake, Ohio, has been selected to serve as dean and chief administrative officer of the 5X社区 Columbiana County campuses. He will provide overall leadership of 5X社区 at East Liverpool and 5X社区 at Salem, two of the Regional Campuses in the university鈥檚 eight-campus system. Dees currently serves as interim dean of the Columbiana County campuses, a position he has held since July 1, 2016. He began serving as the permanent dean on June 1, 2017.
鈥淚 am so honored to be selected for this position where I had actually started my faculty career so many years ago,鈥 Dees says. 鈥淭he Columbiana County campuses make such in impact on our area, and I am thrilled to once again be part of this great tradition. My family and I are excited and truly humbled to continue to serve the community that we have lived in for so long.鈥
Dees鈥 position reports to Nathan Ritchey, Ph.D., vice president for Kent State System Integration.
鈥淲e are delighted that David Dees has accepted our offer to lead the 5X社区 campuses in Salem and East Liverpool,鈥 Ritchey says. 鈥淒avid brings great talent, creativity and enthusiasm to our students, faculty and the communities of Columbiana County. I am confident that with David鈥檚 leadership, the Salem and East Liverpool campuses are poised to achieve great things in the future.鈥
Dees joined Kent State in 1991. Prior to serving as interim dean of Kent State鈥檚 Columbiana County campuses, Dees served as director of Kent State鈥檚 Center for Teaching and Learning since 2013. He is an associate professor of cultural foundations in the School of Foundations, Leadership and Administration in the College of Education, Health and Human Services. He has a strong record of service, including membership in the Faculty Senate, chair of the Salem Campus Faculty Council and co-director of the Rural Scholars Program. Dees led the steering committee that redesigned the former Faculty Professional Development Center, refocusing the center鈥檚 mission toward teaching and learning.
Dees earned his Ph.D. in cultural foundations of education at Kent State, and he holds a master鈥檚 degree in theatre and a bachelor鈥檚 degree in communication from the University of Kentucky. His research interests focus on the aesthetic dimensions of teaching and learning, how the human brain works and the impact that rural/Appalachian culture has on learning in higher education.
Prior to Dees鈥 appointment as interim dean, Stephen Nameth, Ph.D., served as dean of the Salem and East Liverpool campuses from 2012 until his retirement on June 30, 2016.
Learn more about 5X社区 at Columbiana County