Mark Shanda has been named interim dean of arts and humanities by Joseph Steinmetz, arts and sciences dean and vice provost.

Shanda, a theater professor, will begin his appointment on July 1.

“Becoming the interim dean was a surprise, but it presents a new
challenge for me in terms of placing the arts and humanities into a strong role in the university fabric,” Shanda said.

Ohio State’s College of Arts and Sciences is undergoing a restructuring process to develop a more collaborative structure and culture, to create a more inclusive and integrated community and to encourage more teaming across departments, according to the college’s website.

“We’re in the midst of restructuring, so I look forward to continuing the efforts and moving forward to stabilize and support that restructuring effort,” Shanda said. “As that unfolds, we’ll continue to look for opportunities for students to engage in all the exploration of the various parts of arts and humanities that are so critical to their education.”

Shanda is the co-author of “Drafting for the Theatre,” a theater textbook that is used across the country. He also was recently elected as vice president of communication for the United States Institute for Theatre Technology.

Shanda received a bachelor’s degree in speech and theater from Iowa State University and a Master of Fine Arts in theater technology from the University of Wisconsin.

Theater technology is the study of the design and engineering of stage movement and construction, Shanda said.

OSU’s theater department refers to Shanda as its resident technical director, and Shanda was previously the technical director for the Fireside Dinner Theatre at the Madison Opera Company in
Wisconsin.

Shanda is looking forward to his new role, which is different from his previous experiences.

“I had never really thought about this as a career path, but it’s such a terrific opportunity at this point in time in where I am as an administrator and a scholar,” Shanda said. “I just look forward to working with a remarkable faculty in the arts and humanities.”

Shanda has been an OSU faculty member since 1986. He became the Department of Theatre chair in 2005 and also chairs the Arts and Science Curriculum Committee’s Assessment Subcommittee and the University Level Advisory Committee on the General Education
Curriculum.

Shanda succeeds John W. Roberts who, on July 1, will become
dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences at the University of Houston.