A whirlwind of activity has followed Ohio University interim President David Descutner through his first week in office — a week that he simply described Thursday night as being "very cool.”
Since taking over the position from former OU President Roderick McDavis, Descutner has presided over the Distinguished Professor Award Ceremony, received an engineering award in Washington, D.C., and attended the Board of Trustees’ appointment of incoming OU President Duane Nellis.
Thursday evening, however, was a time for meeting and mingling with faculty members, student leaders and community members during a reception in Walter Rotunda.
“We feel that it’s important for students to be connected to administrators and to be able to ask questions and hear what the goals are,” Student Senate President Hannah Clouser said. “And so we thought by bringing together the interim president with the community and allowing that chance to interact in a casual setting that people would be able to meet him and talk to him.”
In the midst of nationwide tension and a short-lived ban on travel from a number of Muslim-majority countries, a number of demonstrations have occurred on campus within the last month, most notably, one in which 70 OU students were arrested for criminal trespassing.
While McDavis was criticized by a number of students for distancing himself from the rallies, the interim president spent his first evening in office with the Muslim Students Association, which he described as being “deeply meaningful” to him.
“Just to see that community and the spirit of that community and all of the feelings that they’re having right now … it’s really a place of love and family,” Descutner said.
He spoke highly of Nellis, the former Texas Tech University president who was confirmed by the Board of Trustees on Wednesday and will begin his term on July 1.
“I’ve heard so many things about him from colleagues of his,” Descutner said. “This isn’t like the official references. These are people who have worked with him, including a woman who worked with me here at OU who just went on and on about what a great leader — a great heart.”
Descutner, who previously served as a special adviser of faculty & academic planning in the Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine, was appointed during the January Board of Trustees meeting. Before taking up that position, he served as dean of University College and executive vice provost for undergraduate education.
Graduate Student Senate President Ian Armstrong described the night as being both an opportunity to welcome Descutner into his new position and an evening to “celebrate his long stay” at OU.
“There’s a new president coming in … there’s also a momentum that’s going on here at Ohio University,” Armstrong said. “So I think that Dr. Descutner's job, or what he envisions doing, is taking that momentum, parlaying it to the new president to help him steer things in a direction that’s going to be best for the university.”
With his first week as interim president coming to an end, Descutner had only praise for those who have supported him during the transition.
“People have been so warm and so receptive,” Descutner said. “I can’t imagine a better or more amusing start.”
