Dean and director
The dean and director provides leadership for the Newark campus in academic programming and research; in student, faculty and staff recruitment, retention and development; and
in financial resource management and development.
I’ve lived in or near Ohio for most of my life, and no other institution that I have seen is held in such high regard by its community or has demonstrated as much of a commitment to giving back to its community. I am eager to get to know our long-term community partners and explore how we may welcome new partners into the fold.
Matthew J. Smith, PhD assumed the role of dean and director of Ohio State Newark on Aug. 1, 2024. With his appointment, Smith will spearhead efforts at Ohio State Newark to align campus priorities and further strengthen the university’s commitment to student success, innovation in teaching and learning, research opportunities, and community engagement.
Smith formerly served as dean of the College of Humanities and Behavioral Sciences at Radford University, a comprehensive public university in Radford, Virginia, where he was also a professor of communication. In his deanship at Radford, Smith led the university’s largest college, which includes about 120 full-time faculty and up to 2,200 students. The college includes a school, eight departments, four interdisciplinary programs and Army ROTC.
Prior to joining Radford in 2018, Smith held leadership and faculty roles at Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio. He served in various leadership roles at Wittenberg, including as Department of Communication chair, co-director of communication and business leadership experience, and director of cinema studies.
A native of Wheeling, West Virginia, Smith earned his PhD in interpersonal communication and his Master of Arts in English from Ohio University, and his Bachelor of Arts in English from West Liberty State College. As a scholar, he has published 12 books and co-edits an ongoing international book series.
Contact
Nichole Lengle
Executive Assistant to the Dean and Director
740.366.9211
Louella Hodges Reese Hall
1179 University Dr.
Newark, OH 43055
Newark Board
Academic leadership
