Sue Ott Rowlands, professor of theatre and interim dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Toledo, will become dean of Virginia Tech's College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences, effective July, 2007. She will replace Jerry Niles, who has announced earlier that he will retire this summer.

"I am delighted that Sue Ott Rowlands has accepted our offer to become dean of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences,” said Mark G. McNamee, university provost and vice president for academic affairs. “Her background and leadership skills will allow the college to expand upon the great progress achieved under Dean Jerry Niles. Dean Rowland's vision, energy, and collaborative experience will be a great addition to the leadership team at Virginia Tech."

"I am pleased to join the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences at Virginia Tech,” said Ott Rowlands. “During my visit to the campus, I was impressed with the expertise, energy and innovative spirit fostered under the leadership of Dean Niles. The opportunity to further the mission of the college and to work with such a talented body of faculty, staff, and students is indeed an honor."

Ott Rowlands has served as interim dean at Toledo since 2005. Prior to this appointment she served as chair of the Department of Theatre and Film from 2002 to 2005. From 1997 to 2002 she was an associate professor and head of the Acting and Directing Program in the Department of Theatre at Ohio State University. She is the artistic director for the Cleveland Women's Theatre Project, an organization she co-founded in 1995. She is the former associate artistic director of Round House Theatre in Washington, D.C. and managing director of The Actor's Space in New York City.

Ott Rowlands' career has spanned higher education administration, university teaching, arts administration and professional theatre. She continues to work actively as a theatre professional and travels extensively as part of her ongoing efforts to establish and promote international study abroad opportunities and international arts exchanges. She is considered an authority on acting technique and international arts collaborations.

In addition to Ohio State University and the University of Toledo, Ott Rowlands has been on the faculties of university and professional training programs throughout the country including Circle-in-the-Square, New York University, The Actor's Space, The American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York City, Western Maryland College, Webster University in St. Louis, and The Cleveland Play House.

She continues to teach internationally and has conducted residencies at Toi Whakaari: New Zealand Drama School and Victoria University (Wellington, NZ), National Taiwan University (Taipei), Chetana Theatre (Calcutta, India) and Rangayana Theatre (Mysore, India), the University of Debrecen and the University of Szeged (Hungary).

Ott Rowlands received her bachelor’s degree from Oklahoma Christian College and her Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of Oklahoma.

The College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences embraces the arts, humanities, social and human sciences, and education. The College nurtures intellect and spirit, enlightens decision-making, inspires positive change, and improves the quality of life for people of all ages. It is home to the departments of Apparel, Housing and Resource Management; Communication; English; Foreign Languages and Literatures; History; Human Development; Interdisciplinary Studies; Music; Philosophy; Political Science; ROTC; Science and Technology in Society; Sociology; Theatre Arts; and the School of Education.

Founded in 1872 as a land-grant college, Virginia Tech is the most comprehensive university in the Commonwealth of Virginia and is among the top research universities in the nation. Today, Virginia Tech’s eight colleges are dedicated to quality, innovation, and results through teaching, research, and outreach activities. At its 2,600-acre main campus located in Blacksburg and other campus centers in Northern Virginia, Southwest Virginia, Hampton Roads, Richmond, and Roanoke, Virginia Tech enrolls more than 28,000 undergraduate and graduate students from all 50 states and more than 100 countries in 180 academic degree programs.

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