New Department Chairs
Susan Fisher, Department of Entomology
Susan Fisher will assume leadership of the Department of Entomology, October
1. Fisher, who received her Ph.D. in entomology from the University of Illinois,
has been at Ohio State since 1981. Fisher is well-known for her innovative
teaching methods, research in toxicology and for an exemplary record of service
to the university community. She has long been active in University Senate,
serving in a variety of capacities, chairing the Faculty Council and the
Steering Committee. In 2000, she was appointed Secretary of the University
Senate--the highest faculty governance position. Fisher has been recognized
with a University Distinguished Service Award--the highest award for faculty
service, and the Louis Nemzer Award for Academic Freedom.
Peter Curtis, Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology
Peter Curtis assumed the chairmanship of the Department of Evolution, Ecology
and Organismal Biology in June. Curtis is an ecologist who studies ecological
responses to global climate change and the effect those responses will
have at the individual, population and ecosystem levels. Also a dedicated
teacher, Curtis has been the coordinating and honors advisor to the Evolution
and Ecology major. Additionally, every other year, Curtis teaches a Tropical
Field Ecology honors course for undergraduate students. While classroom
work is involved, the learning goes beyond the classroom and into the field--in
Costa Rica, where his students have the exciting opportunity to study tropical
field ecology in a real tropical setting.
Originally published Summer 2005
