Office of the Dean: Introducing Paulette Curtis

I come to The Ohio State University and the College of Education and Human Ecology from another Midwestern institution that is proud of both the rigor of its academic programs and its athletic heritage: the home of the Fighting Irish or the University of Notre Dame.

At Notre Dame, I was the faculty director of the Office of Pre-College Programs, which hosts academic programs for talented high school students from across the United States and abroad. I was also the inaugural faculty director of the AnBryce Scholars Initiative, which supports and mentors several cohorts of first-generation, low-income students who show great promise.

Prior to that, I was an assistant dean in the College of Arts and Letters and a lecturer in the Department of Anthropology and the College Seminar program. There, I taught courses on U.S. War Culture, Commemoration and Science Fiction.

Prior to my career at Notre Dame, I was the resident dean of Dunster House and lecturer in the Department of Anthropology at Harvard University, from which I earned both my BA and PhD. I credit Harvard not only for teaching me how to think, but also for giving me opportunities to hone my administrative skills. As a graduate student resident advisor and teaching fellow, and as a resident dean for six years, I gained experience in managing the academic, residential and judicial affairs for a residence of 400 undergraduates.

The skills I have developed in the course of my career to date have positioned me to understand the complex of factors that goes into making units and institutions successful, collaborative, highly functioning and even, dare I say, fun places to work. But I have much to learn, and I look forward to being stretched and challenged in my new role.

In my dual capacity as chief of staff and director of Strategic Operations, I will represent Dean Pope-Davis and his vision to various constituencies. I also will assist him and EHE in developing a strategic plan that advances the college’s organizational efficiency and its national profile.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to address you. I look forward to meeting and working with all of you in the months ahead.

Sincerely,

Paulette G. Curtis
Chief of Staff and Director of Strategic Operations