KSU-Geauga names new dean

Angela Spalsbury of Chester Township has been selected as the new dean and chief administrative officer of Kent State University at Geauga in Burton Township and Kent State’s Regional Academic Center in Twinsburg.

A Kent State alumna, Dr. Spalsbury currently serves as professor and chair of the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at Youngstown State University, according to a press release. She will join Kent State on Jan. 1.

“I am sincerely looking forward to being a part of the dynamic Kent State family,” Spalsbury said in the release. “I will work diligently with faculty, staff and students to foster a thriving academic environment at Geauga and Twinsburg that best serves the needs of their communities. I am excited about engaging with local businesses and residents to help meet their workforce and educational goals.

“Geauga County has been my home for decades, and I know that there is much talent to cultivate in this region.”

Todd Diacon, Kent State’s senior vice president for academic affairs and provost, said Spalsbury is an excellent fit to serve as dean of Kent State Geauga and the Regional Academic Center.

“Angela Spalsbury knows Northeast Ohio and the challenges and opportunities of public higher education in the state,” Diacon said in the release. “This knowledge, her experience and the fact that she resides in Geauga County will allow her to quickly face our challenges and capitalize on our opportunities.”

Spalsbury’s position reports to Nathan Ritchey, vice president for Kent State System Integration.

Spalsbury has served as chair of Youngstown State’s Department of Mathematics and Statistics since 2013.

She first joined the department in 2001 and rose the ranks from assistant professor to associate professor to professor and chair. Prior to joining Youngstown State, she worked at John Carroll University, Hiram College and the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Spalsbury will succeed Susan Stocker, who has been serving as interim dean and chief administrative officer of Kent State Geauga and Kent State’s Regional Academic Center since Aug. 20, 2016, in addition to her permanent duties as dean and chief administrative officer of Kent State University at Ashtabula.