I want to give kudos to President McDavis for choosing Kathy Krendl as the new provost, despite the carpings of a very small but vocal group of students and faculty. As a '72 J-school graduate who has been involved with Ohio University since graduation via mentoring programs, development giving, alumni functions, Communications Week and many other related opportunities on campus, I am pleased to say publicly that Krendl is one of the smartest, most forward-thinking administrators I have met in all my dealings with the university.
She has a true appreciation for all that the academic experience should be for both students and faculty but never loses sight of the fact that OU must function in the real world, -making budgets work, meeting development goals and preparing students to compete in the future. Because of her tireless work in those areas, I have often thanked the former dean of the College of Communication for making my own degree more valuable --and for providing my son, Brent (BSJ '04), with a degree whose reputation is respected across the country.
Now that Krendl is the provost, and with McDavis at the helm, I'm even more pleased that my daughter, Morgan, chose to attend OU. If you knew Kathy personally and had heard her speak passionately about her hopes for her own freshman daughter, the rights of women in the workplace, and her distaste for discrimination at all levels, you would know why I say without hesitation that by the time Morgan graduates, this new leadership will usher in a vision for OU that will benefit the entire university community.
-Susan Weiss Mulgrew, a 1972 OU graduate from the school of journalism, lives in Columbus. Send her an e-mail at SWM1982@aol.com.
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Letter to the Editor
