Class Acts

Class Acts

Ohio Wesleyan Welcomes Cohort of Five Assistant Professors for 2024-2025 Academic Year

DELAWARE, Ohio - Ohio Wesleyan University welcomes five tenure-track professors this fall committed to helping OWU students achieve their career and life goals and complete their college degrees.

For four years, new faculty have been hired in an innovative "cohort model," built around the university's commitment to flexibility, interdisciplinarity, and belonging.

"Ohio Wesleyan's new assistant professors join a university where all faculty are classroom teachers," said Provost Karlyn Crowley, Ph.D. "They are energized by sharing cutting-edge knowledge creatively and by seeing their students mature as scholars and as engaged citizens changing the world. I am excited to welcome them to our transformative OWU community."

Ohio Wesleyan's new assistant professors and their departments and backgrounds are:

Gabriella Friedman, Ph.D. - English. Friedman teaches and researches contemporary American literature, with emphasis on Black and Indigenous writers, science fiction, and historical fiction. Her courses include "Octavia Butler," "21st Century African American Literature," "(Not) At Home in Multiethnic American Literature," and "American Ghosts." She is a 2024 American Council of Learned Societies Fellow and will use the fellowship to complete her book project, "Speculative Historical Radicalism," which examines how science fiction by Black and Indigenous U.S. writers is reconfiguring conventions of the historical novel. Her scholarship appears in publications including PMLA, American Literature, Modern Fiction Studies, and the forthcoming collection "Science Fiction and the Historical Novel: Days of Future Past." Friedman holds a Bachelor of Arts in English Language and Literature from Whitman College and a doctorate in English from Cornell University.

Miranda Horn, Ph.D. - Neuroscience. Horn is interested in how the brain ages at the molecular level. Her current work investigates the effects of infection on the expression of several molecular markers of aging in the brain. Horn's work is highly translatable to the treatment and prevention of neurodegenerative diseases. Additionally, she brings over seven years of experience creating engaging science courses and programs for students in sixth grade through graduate school. Horn holds a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry from the University of Washington, a Master in Teaching from Whitworth University, and a doctorate in Neuroscience from Tulane University.

Eric Nauman, CPA, MAcc - Accounting. Naumanhas been practicing accounting for 15 years, primarily in auditing. Specializing in audits of employee benefit plans, he also has extensive experience with governments, nonprofits, and accounting for both private and public companies. Currently, he is consulting with nonprofit organizations to help them more effectively fulfill their missions while improving their accounting and reporting functions. He began teaching in 2022 after spending much of his career training entry- and mid-level accountants. He believes experiential learning will lead to accounting and business graduates who are well-prepared to succeed in their careers. Nauman holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Milligan College and a Master of Accountancy from East Tennessee State University.

Elizabeth "Liz" Starns, D.Ed., ATC, CSCS - Health and Human Kinetics. Starns has a background working in numerous allied health settings, from orthotics and prosthetics, to high school athletic trainer and orthopedic physician extender, to coordinator of sports medicine. In addition, she has enjoyed teaching future fitness and allied health professionals for over six years. Her primary research interest is the inclusivity in fitness of persons living with disabilities. Starns holds a Bachelor of Science in Athletic Training from Manchester University, a Master in Sport and Exercise Science from Gannon University, and a doctoral degree in Administration and Leadership Studies from Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

Grant Walby, Ph.D. - Chemistry. Walby is interested in utilizing organic chemistry to explore and solve problems in medicine and biology. Building on his experience of applying organic chemistry toward areas of neurodegeneration and RNA recognition, his research centers on using naturally produced molecules as the basis for investigating proteins involved in Type 1/Type 2 diabetes and cancer. He received his Bachelor of Arts in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Gustavus Adolphus College and his doctorate in Organic Chemistry from the University of Texas at Austin. Walby recently completed a National Science Foundation teaching and research postdoctoral position at Elizabethtown College in Pennsylvania.

Learn more about academics at Ohio Wesleyan at owu.edu/academics and about enrolling at the university at owu.edu/admission.

Founded in 1842, Ohio Wesleyan University is one of the nation's premier liberal arts universities. Located in Delaware, Ohio, the private university offers more than 70 undergraduate majors and competes in 24 NCAA Division III varsity sports. Through its signature experience, the OWU Connection, Ohio Wesleyan teaches students to understand issues from multiple academic perspectives, volunteer in service to others, build a diverse and global perspective, and translate classroom knowledge into real-world experience through internships, research, and other hands-on learning. Ohio Wesleyan is featured in the book "Colleges That Change Lives" and included on the U.S. News & World Report and Princeton Review "Best Colleges" lists. Connect with OWU expert interview sources at owu.edu/experts or learn more at owu.edu.

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