Tag: Amy McClure

Nine faculty retire from OWU

Ted Cohen, a professor in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology (SOAN), retired at the May commencement ceremony.

Cohen, who was hired in 1984, estimated he had taught roughly 6,000 to 7,000 students during his time at OWU.

“I wish I had an accurate count,” Cohen said.

Senior Alyssa Acevedo described him as a passionate professor, which made is easy for her to learn from him.

“He also helped me with one of my internships and he was my apprentice teacher who also advised me throughout that time and really helped me find the career that I really want to go into,” Acevedo said.

Not only did Cohen teach at the institution, but his wife and two children are also familiar with the campus.

Cohen’s son, Dante Santino (’09) and daughter Allison Cohen (’10) both majored in sociology and anthropology at the university. Allison Cohen took three classes with him, Cohen said.

Cohen’s late wife, Susan, worked as an archivist and curator of the United Methodist
collection for roughly 20 years, he said.

Cohen described the SOAN department as a “very stable family,” because he had been working with people in the department ever since he started.

Cohen will miss his colleagues and his students after retirement.

Alper Yalçinkaya, assistant professor of sociology and anthropology, worked with Cohen since his arrival to the institution in 2010. Cohen was the first person Yalçinkaya met at OWU.

“He made it extremely easy for me to feel happy at this institution,” Yalçinkaya said.

“It’s been a wonderfully fulfilling place to be,” Cohen said. “And very supportive place
to be.”

After retirement, Cohen plans to move to New Jersey. He will also teach part-time at The College of New Jersey and to teach online summer school course for OWU. He also plans on working on a new edition of his textbook, The Marriage and Family Experience: Intimate Relationships in a Changing Society.

Also, retiring at the 2019 commencement were: Mary T. Howard, a 35-year professor of Sociology-Anthropology; Gerald Goldstein, a 36-year professor of botany and microbiology; Alan Zaring, a 29-year professor of computer science; John Gatz, a 44-year professor of zoology; Lynette Carpenter, a 30-year professor of English and film studies: Amy McClure, a 40-year professor of education; Paul Kostyu, a 20-year associate professor of journalism; and instructor Tom Burns, a 21-year instructor of English.

Cafe Space Plans Have Been Set

 

 

    By Spencer Pauley, Managing Editor

 

Due to the Stewart Annex being repurposed, the cafe space in Beeghly Library will now be the temporary meeting space for the Honors Program of Ohio Wesleyan.

Planning for the space will be done throughout the fall semester and the renovation will be done during the mid-semester break to minimize disruption. At some point during the spring semester, the space will finally be ready for the Honors Program to use.

The Beeghly Library was chosen for the new Honors Program location mainly because of its 24/7 access for students. Amy McClure, a member of the Honors Board and professor of education, is looking forward to a designated space for the program members.

“We are looking forward to having the space walled off so that it is truly a designated space,” McClure said. “The space will be used for quiet studying, honor society initiations, meetings, small group discussion with speakers who come to campus and other honors-related events and activities.”

Various locations on campus were being considered, but the Beeghly Cafe was chosen in the end. Brian Rellinger, associate provost for academic support, says that with all the changes of services going on at OWU, the staff members of the libraries, Honors Program and others deserve credit for making the transitions seamless.

As for the cafe itself, Rellinger says that there are solutions in place:

“The Bashford Lounge, which is attached to the cafe, will still remain accessible 24/7 to all students and all equipment and services available in the cafe have been shifted to the lounge,” Rellinger said. “New vending machines have also been added to the space for all to use.”

The change to the cafe space is not the only renovation Beeghly Library saw. During summer break, a meditation and reflection space was added to the third floor, the front steps and patio were repaired, a quad of Apple computers were added, and the restrooms received a fresh coat of paint. The library will also have its cooling towers replaced during mid-semester break.

Dividers for the cafe space will be put up in Beeghly Library later this semester.