Jason Pina will start his first semester at Ohio University this month along with the class of 2020 and his daughter, Kayla.
Pina, whose first day as vice president for Student Affairs at OU was June 13, said his new job is going well as he and his family settle into a new town and university and prepare for the upcoming academic year.
Kayla, a freshman studying chemical engineering, will be starting at OU alongside her father this semester.
"I feel proud that my daughter chose to be a Bobcat,” Pina said in an email. “She is excited to start her education here and that enthusiasm is key to anyone fulfilling their potential as a student.”
The Rhode Island native said one of his favorite parts about OU so far includes listening to the stories of how students came to be community members.
"Their love and gratefulness for OU has been reinforced almost every day since I moved to Athens," Pina said in an email.
Pina also said he enjoys the overall beauty of OU's campus, especially the bike path and golf course.
"Being out and about early in the morning is one of my favorite times to enjoy nature and the welcoming nature of our colleagues that come to campus before dawn to help us carry out OU’s mission and vision," Pina said in an email.
OU announced Pina as the new vice president for Student Affairs on March 24, according to a previous Post report.
Ryan Lombardi held the position for seven years before leaving OU on July 3, 2015, after taking a job as vice president for Student and Campus Life at Cornell University.
After Lombardi left, Dean of Students Jenny Hall-Jones was named interim vice president for Student Affairs. July 1, 2015 was her first day in that position, and she held it until Pina took over this summer.
Lombardi’s salary for the 2014-15 academic year was $213,262, according to information obtained in a public records request. Pina’s salary is $245,000.
Most recently, Pina worked as the vice president of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management at Bridgewater State University in Massachusetts, which had a little more than 11,000 undergraduate and graduate students for Fall 2015, according to its website.
Pina also previously worked at the University of Rhode Island, Roger Williams University, Stonehill College and Babson College.
He earned his bachelor’s degree in economics from Occidental College in California, a master’s in educational leadership from the University of Northern Colorado and a doctorate in higher educational leadership from Johnson & Wales University in Rhode Island.
He has been married for more than 20 years and has two children.
Since he moved to Athens, Pina has become a regular at the Saturday Farmer's Market and enjoys eating at the many local restaurants.
The people Pina has come in contact with in Athens have been "overwhelmingly welcoming and kind," he said.
Pina is also a fan of the lack of the traffic, though he said he looks forward to students returning to campus for the upcoming semester.
“I look forward to experiencing the rhythms of the academic year,” Pina said in an email. “Students have unique insights into OU and I need to hear their voice on a number of important issues.”
@megankhenry
