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Sumpter named AU Chaplain and Executive Director of the Office of Christian Ministry
ASHLAND, Ohio – Joshua D. Sumpter, D.Min., has been named chaplain and executive director of the Office of Christian Ministry at Ashland University, his alma mater. He earned a bachelor’s degree in religion from AU in 2007 and a master of divinity degree from Ashland Theological Seminary (ATS) in 2010. Sumpter will begin his duties in August. “To a person, our search committee felt that Josh was called by God to minister to our students and community, just as…
Coburn Gallery calling all alumni artists to submit works for October exhibition
ASHLAND, Ohio — Alumni of the Ashland University Department of Art + Design are invited to submit artwork for an alumni exhibition, which will take place in AU’s Coburn Art Gallery this fall from Oct. 9-31. The exhibition will celebrate the creativity, innovation and dedication of graduates of the Ashland art + design program. For those alumni interested in putting forth their artwork for the exhibition, the entry deadline is Aug. 10. All artwork should have…
Ashland MBA helped Todd Rea ascend to President of Consumer Brands Group at Sherwin-Williams
The same year (2014) that Todd Rea earned his Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from Ashland University, he also was promoted to his first executive position at Sherwin-Williams. “I had been in multiple Vice President roles since then, several Senior Vice President roles and a few President roles,” said Rea, who has been with the global paint company for 32 years. “Most of those, if not all of them, were more North America-centric roles. Four…
Brown to step down as dean of College of Arts & Sciences, will join faculty
ASHLAND, Ohio — Katherine T. Brown, Ph.D., has announced that she will step down as dean of the College of Arts & Sciences at Ashland University, effective July 31. Brown, who has been serving as dean since July 2022, will join the faculty of the Department of Art + Design. “Dean Brown has made tremendous impact on our students through her superb faculty hires and persistent focus on academic excellence,” said AU President Jon Parrish Peede, D.A. “We…
AU professor, student produce art work to fundraise for Ashland Soil and Water Conservation District
ASHLAND, Ohio – Cynthia Petry, an assistant professor of art at Ashland University, and Grace Crall, a senior art education major at AU, are participants in this year’s Rain Beat on Main Street fundraising event. They each designed and painted 55-gallon, urn-style rain barrels that will be displayed at a series of local events, then auctioned off to support the Ashland Soil and Water Conservation District. Petry’s and Crall’s original rain barrels, as well as…
Ashland University promotes six staff leaders
ASHLAND, Ohio – Ashland University has promoted six staff members into new leadership roles. Shawn Orr, Ph.D., dean of eAshland, has taken on the additional role of senior advisor to the president for non-traditional learning. Orr will also lead the restructuring of the Correctional Education program. In addition to serving as assistant provost of student success, Catherine A. Williams, M.Ed., MBA ’18, has been named senior advisor to the president for student…
1,000-plus students recognized on AU Dean’s List for spring 2025
ASHLAND, Ohio – Ashland University is pleased to announce its Dean’s List honorees for the 2025 spring semester. More than 1,000 students earned the distinction. In order to be eligible for the Dean’s List at Ashland, one must be enrolled as a full-time undergraduate student at the university and receive a grade point average of 3.50 or above for the semester. The students and their hometowns can be found here.
Metzger appointed as AU’s ninth Trustees’ Distinguished Professor
ASHLAND, Ohio – Mitchell Metzger, Ph.D., professor of psychology at Ashland University, has been appointed as a new Trustees’ Distinguished Professor, as recognized during the 2025 commencement ceremony and previously approved by the AU Board of Trustees. Metzger is AU’s ninth Trustees’ Distinguished Professor, an academic honor awarded to a professor who is recognized as an outstanding educator, researcher and campus leader. He was nominated, then…
AU graduate sworn in as Springfield Township Police officer in Summit County
Dan Fidoe gives Ashland University a great deal of credit for helping him earn his newest position as an officer with the Springfield Township Police Department in Summit County. Fidoe, a 2018 AU grad with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice, said Ashland’s strong reputation played a meaningful role in his agency’s decision to hire him. He was officially sworn in this spring. “Additionally, the university’s faith-based heritage resonated with my…
Teaching CE courses helps AU adjunct become an economic development director
Ceann Bales has only been an adjunct professor for Ashland University since January, but it is already paying dividends for her. Bales said it “absolutely” helped her be named the executive director of the Jay County Development Corp. in Indiana this spring. “The adjunct role deepened my understanding of workforce development – a critical pillar of economic development,” said Bales, who taught two sessions of ORGLD 403: Assessment of Workforce Development to…
