Dear Friends,
I begin this message by wishing to all in our community a (somewhat belated) happy Juneteenth National Independence Day, our newest national holiday.
With solstice just behind us we are planning for an Autumn semester with in person classes, meetings, and events, and casual encounters that lead to exciting discussions about topics which might include scholarship, teaching, cuisine, or fashion. I for one cannot wait to be back on campus!
Spring semester was remarkable. Our committed staff, students, and faculty once again came together to ensure a successful offering of our courses to thousands of students, we planned a variety of exciting invited talks and larger symposia and conferences, and gathered regularly in virtual meetings to think towards our future. A particularly fond memory is our third annual graduation ceremony (like last year, this time virtual) when we celebrated about 100 students who graduated over the past year with a major, minor, M.A. or Ph.D. in FRIT. Also, several instructors made the most of our challenging circumstances through creating innovative virtual projects that engaged students outside of the classroom.
The bulk of this issue of FRONTIERE focuses on members of our community, such as Adam Keller who is our Administrative Manager and he works tirelessly to make FRIT, CLLC, SPPO, OSU University Press, ASC, and the broader OSU community, a better place. In my role as chair, I have had the true pleasure to work closely with Adam for four years and I am so impressed by his commitment to FRIT and to Ohio State as a whole, which is also the case for all of our amazing staff.
We also celebrate FRIT alumna Lauren Hamlett who graduated in 2019 with BAs in Italian and International Studies and also with minors: one in Social Psychology and one in Law Prep (can I just say WOW!). Her experience working with refugees while studying abroad in Siena was a key motivation to pursue a law degree so that she can use her position to help refugees in the future. In that Lauren is beginning the law program at OSU this fall, FRIT looks forward to her stopping by and catching up.
Finally, one feature is an interview with me and Sonya Afanasyeva, our academic program coordinator who is the brains behind FRONTIERE. In that I will be taking on a new role of Divisional Dean of Arts & Humanities, Sonya had the great idea to interview me and to ask some really fun questions about my experience in FRIT and my vision for the future.
I have been truly blessed to have had the honor of acting as chair for such a spectacular department. I leave the role with warm memories of many collaborations with a caring community. I have learned so much from our students, staff, and faculty!
FRIT is incredibly fortunate that Professor Jennifer Willging will take on the role of interim chair. Professor Willging is generous, smart, innovative, and collaborative and comes to the role with six and a half years of chair experience. I am confident that the department is in amazing hands!
Please stay in touch by subscribing to our Friends of FRIT listserv, and following us on Twitter and Facebook where you will receive news of all of FRIT’s happenings.
Warmly,
Dana Renga
