Public Address This academic year marks my 20th year at surged in Ohio. We moved all our events Ohio State. Just prior to the start of my first online, including a fully virtual memorial academic term in 2001, I went on a for Annie Glenn. Students, faculty and University-organized tour of Ohio on staff joined millions of other Americans Tuesday, September 11. The tour was cut in participating in the 2020 election in short by the news of planes crashing into the record numbers. And we all tightened our Twin Towers in New York City and the belts in response to a dramatic decrease in Pentagon in Washington, D.C., killing just our projected revenues for this academic under 3000 Americans. Seven years later, the year. This issue of Public Address crash of the housing market led to the largest features many of the ways we as a contraction of the economy since the Great College have responded to the pandemic. Depression. And then four years ago, less than What’s missing in this issue is the A Letter a month after a tumultuous 2016 presidential degree to which protests around racism from the election, Ohio State campus police shot and and inequity last summer and the killed a Somali refugee who had rammed his storming of the U.S. Capital have Dean vehicle into a crowd of students. Two weeks engulfed the college. Glenn College later Senator John Glenn passed away. faculty, students and staff are passionate Since the first evidence of COVID-19 about issues of fairness and justice and infections in the U.S. in February 2020, the have been enraged by the loss of Black last nine months have included successive and lives and the effort to derail a free and fair overlapping disruptions that dwarf the events election. We’re in the process of of the last two decades. As of this writing, reviewing and updating all of our COVID-19 has infected close to 22 million curricula to ensure that diverse Americans and taken the lives of over perspectives, ideas and approaches are 371,000. U.S. unemployment peaked at just integrated. We’re reenergizing the way under 15% this year, the highest level since we teach to ensure that students and records began in 1948. An estimated 15 to 26 instructors can have difficult million Americans participated in protests conversations about contentious topics – throughout the summer in the wake of George notably race, inequity and fairness in a Floyd’s killing by a police officer, followed democracy – in inclusive, respectful and by the most contentious U.S. presidential constructive ways. We have also election in over 50 years. In the midst of all of embarked on research designed to be this, just two months after eclipsing 100 years actionable for public decision makers of life, Annie Glenn succumbed to wrestling with how to balance the COVID-19 on May 19, 2020. And now, at the tensions of fairly treating all Americans, dawn of 2021, a mob stormed the U.S. notably Black Americans, while After Action Review: Capitol intent on upending a ceremonial, but continuing to provide public services like 2020 Protest Events in essential part of the electoral process. The policing. For example, the college is Columbus, Ohio breach of the legislative branch and the death conducting a study for the City of The City of Columbus, via the De- partment of Public Safety, has asked of five people has stained American Columbus on how the city and the the John Glenn College of Public democracy. Columbus Police Department have Affairs at The Ohio State University Just as the momentous events of the last 20 responded to the protests of the summer to research and evaluate the city’s response to protests between May years have impacted and engaged the College of 2020. We plan to share these stories in 28 and July 19, 2020. The goal is to in profound ways, events of the last nine a successive issue of Public Address as improve the city’s response to any months have challenged and tested the they deserve the same deep coverage as future protests, particularly in terms faculty, staff and students of the John Glenn the impact of COVID-19 on the lives of of the crucial balance between public safety and freedom of expression. College of Public Affairs. After abruptly our faculty, staff and students. Public Input Needed: Community shifting all of our courses to fully virtual members who participated in Colum- offerings in late spring, we offered a blended Stay safe, healthy, engaged and committed bus protests between May 28 and portfolio of in-person, hybrid, and virtual to improving our democracy and knitting July 19 are invited to be interviewed together our social fabric. We are. for this study. Learn more and get courses this fall, only to pivot back to fully involved at: columbusaar2020.org virtual in mid-November as COVID cases —Dean Trevor Brown WINTER 2021 ContentsPUBLIC ADDRESS 02 | Glenn College Alumni Lead the State During a Year 11 of Crisis by Mary Cavanaugh Thompson 05 | The COVID-19 Pandemic: Glenn Dean College Researchers Trevor Brown on the Frontlines by Donna Marbury Associate Dean for Curriculum 08 | Glass Half Full Robert Greenbaum COVID-19 classroom Associate Dean for observations from a fourth- Faculty Development year student. Jos C.N. Raadschelders by Sarah Handau Assistant Dean of 09 | Two Week Students and Instruction Kathleen Hallihan Notice 16 | New Survey Helps 23 | Senator Glenn In- Glenn College’s ‘First Responder’ Gauge Future for Ohio ducted into the Govern- Executive Editor Pivotal to Virtual Instruction. Nonprofits ment Hall of Fame Lisa Frericks by Deidre Woodward by Deidre Woodward Editor 24 | Donor Spotlights: Erin Greene 11 | Remembering Annie 17 | Faculty Highlights Honoring the remarkable life of For the Future of Public Writer the late Annie Glenn. Service Deidre Woodward 18 | New Research Yields by Deidre Woodward 14 | Virtual Conference Community Recom- Contributors Builds Civic Engagement mendations to Stimulate Carly Dearborn 26 | Faculty Notes with Ohio State Student Smart Job Growth Post- Donna Marbury Athletes COVID Mary Cavanaugh Thompson by Deidre Woodward 30 | New Hires Designer 20 2020 Glenn | Jason Turner 15 | Department of College Award Recipients 31 | Alumni Updates Defense Grant Goes to Comments Battelle Center Editor, Public Address by Deidre Woodward 34 | Connect Virtually Page Hall, 1810 College Rd. Columbus, OH 43210 [email protected] WINTER 2021 ■ JOHN GLENN COLLEGE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS 1 FEATURE STORY Glenn College Alumni Lead the State During a Year of Crisis By Mary Cavanaugh Thompson n January 2020, the notion prudent, Murnieks immediately made of a global pandemic had decisions to contain spending, such as I barely registered on the cutting back on new hires. A few weeks radar of most Americans. But later when the first cases of COVID-19 as a virus in China became a were confirmed in Ohio, more decisions compelling threat to supply chains were made: no new government hires, no around the world and worse, mass gatherings, and the closing of bars, lives, government officials across restaurants and schools. the globe began to plan for the The governor turned to Murnieks unknown. Closer to home, at the to manage Ohio’s robust disaster and top levels of Ohio government, imberly Murnieks imberly emergency funds. “It’s been clear four state agency directors began K throughout the pandemic that the crisis to make quick decisions that At the first signs of the coronavirus is managed locally in our communities, allowed for continuity of service. last January, a team at the Ohio Office our families, schools and local These four leaders, John Glenn of Budget and Management (OBM) institutions,” declared Murnieks. “This College of Public Affairs alumni, began tracking global economic data. has heightened the need to communicate relied on strong communication, “If Ohio were a country, it would be and collaborate. We acted quickly to agility, conservative forecasting the 21st largest in the world, so what open channels of communication to and empathy to lead their happens in China and Asia will affect ensure dollars were sent where they were teams, and the state, through an us,” noted director of OBM Kimberly needed most.” unprecedented crisis. Murnieks, MPA ’95. To be extra Early on, and throughout the 2 JOHN GLENN COLLEGE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS ■ WINTER 2021 FEATURE STORY pandemic, the management of resources about potential rumors, anxieties and has remained a top priority for the OBM. technology concerns. He credits a strong “We gather information quickly, not just relationship with the Ohio Department from our agency but from leaders across of Public Health for timely, weekly the state as well as front line workers. discussions with statewide community It’s crucial to have a structure in place leaders from Toledo to Marietta. so you can make those connections DeMaria’s team and officials immediately,” added Murnieks. from districts around the state were looking to him for direction during an unprecedented crisis with no end in sight. “People were looking for approval Gies yan R on decisions that were unconventional but okay in an environment that wasn’t Continuity of education is equally contemplated,” DeMaria stated. important to keeping thousands of troubled young Ohioans safe as they attempt to get on the right path. Ryan “I led by saying, Gies, MPA ’94, director of the Ohio Department of Youth Services, has we’re going to do worked for the juvenile corrections what’s right for system since 1993. His last promotion was in January of 2019, when Paolo DeMaria Paolo districts. If for Governor DeWine named Gies to his In a time of incredible change and some reason that cabinet.