Two deans and a provost walk into a university
Leadership in higher education has never been more challenging thank during the pandemic, especially for leaders who were recruited and hired during times when campuses were mostly remote. At Miami University, we had significant turnover in deans during the early days of the pandemic (planned, as many of our deans had intended to retire).
This is the story of how one provost, Jason Osborne, and two new deans, Jenny Darroch and Beena Sukumaran at Miami University navigated the transition to key leadership positions while also helping an institution navigate an unprecedented crisis. Hosted by Miami University’s Alumni Association, this Winter College talk shared the approaches of higher education leadership at one public research university.
For more than 15 years, Winter College has provided the opportunity to relive the Miami Experience by returning to the classroom for thought-provoking lectures from Miami’s top faculty and experts. This year, we’re bringing the Miami Experience to you virtually. Join us at this page for the following special presentation: Provost Jason Osborne joined Miami University in the fall of 2019 as the new provost of Miami University. With his leadership, Dean Jenny Darroch and Dean Beena Sukumaran joined in the summer of 2020. They now all face the challenges of a global pandemic as new administrators at Miami. Hear from them where things stand today with campus life, academics and their future plans as they take the helm of these important academic areas.
For more than 15 years, Winter College has provided the opportunity to relive the Miami Experience by returning to the classroom for thought-provoking lectures from Miami’s top faculty and experts. This year, we’re bringing the Miami Experience to you virtually. Join us at this page for the following special presentation: Provost Jason Osborne joined Miami University in the fall of 2019 as the new provost of Miami University. With his leadership, Dean Jenny Darroch and Dean Beena Sukumaran joined in the summer of 2020. They now all face the challenges of a global pandemic as new administrators at Miami. Hear from them where things stand today with campus life, academics and their future plans as they take the helm of these important academic areas.
MEET THE PARTICIPANTS
Dr. Jason Osborne Provost and Executive Vice President of Academic Affairs
Jason Osborne has served as Miami’s Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs effective August 1, 2019. He most recently served as Dean of the Graduate School and Associate Provost for Graduate Studies at Clemson University and prior to that served as a faculty member at the University of Louisville, the University of Oklahoma, North Carolina State University, and Old Dominion University. Osborne earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Rochester, a master’s degree in psychology from the State University of New York at Buffalo, where he also completed master’s level courses in epidemiology research methods, and holds a doctorate in educational psychology from SUNY-Buffalo. He is a prolific and widely cited scholar in applied statistics and education.
Dr. Beena Sukumaran Dean, College of Engineering and Computing
Beena Sukumaran became dean of Miami’s College of Engineering and Computing in August 2020. Sukumaran previously served as vice president for research at Rowan University in Glassboro, New Jersey. She received a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the College of Engineering in Trivandrum, India, and a master’s in civil engineering from Auburn University. She earned a doctorate from Purdue University. While at Rowan, Sukumaran was principal investigator of a $1.92 million National Science Foundation grant, titled Revolutionizing Engineering Diversity, which looked at various strategies to enhance the diversity and success of the student population.
Dr. Jenny Darroch Dean and Mitchell P. Rales Chair in Business Leadership and Professor, Farmer School of Business
Jenny Darroch joined Miami University in July 2020 as dean of the Farmer School of Business. Prior to coming to Miami, she was dean of the Peter F. Drucker and Masatoshi Ito Graduate School of Management at Claremont Graduate University in Claremont, California. Darroch earned her doctorate in marketing from the University of Otago in New Zealand. She has a master of commerce degree from the University of Auckland and bachelor’s degrees from Massey University and the University of Waikato. Darroch has authored three books, including “Why Marketing to Women Doesn’t Work: Using Market Segmentation to Identify Customer Needs” (2014, Palgrave Macmillan).
