A Letter from the Acting Dean

Published Date September 16, 2026
News Type Public Address

By Acting Dean Stephanie Moulton

As we settle into a new academic year, I am humbled and honored to settle into my role as acting dean of the John Glenn College of Public Affairs. As a member of the Glenn College community for 18 years, I’ve always known this is a special place. In this new role, I am fortunate to get to experience firsthand what makes us so special. The members of our community truly embody public service — from our students, to our staff members, to our faculty and to our alumni.  

I’ve been inspired by how this commitment to public service plays out in the day-to-day activities of our college. It is fundamentally, as Sen. John Glenn once said, a commitment to “something bigger than ourselves.”  But perhaps as importantly, that “something bigger than ourselves” is about working across differences to make our community, and the world, a better place. 

In these increasingly polarized times, it is heartwarming to see how our college community breaks down silos and reaches across the aisle to work together for the common good.  

As a trusted connector and integrator, our college bridges barriers and perspectives because addressing society’s most pressing challenges requires working together.

Develop Leadership. Inspire Citizenship.

Learn more about the Glenn College Public Leadership Academy, which brings together a bipartisan group of state and local elected leaders who want to build trust across the aisle and return to political life with a better understanding of their colleagues and a renewed commitment to public service.

For example, this summer, I had the honor of spending time with participants in our Public Leadership Academy. The Public Leadership Academy brings together 24 elected officials from across the state of Ohio representing different communities, jurisdictions and political parties. 

They each serve in different roles but share a commitment to public service and improving the lives of Ohioans. They spend a week in residence at the Glenn College to build relationships, exchange ideas and strengthen leadership skills.  

At the end-of-the-week celebration, the participants gathered to reflect on their experience. There was an outpouring of support and community and a shared commitment to working across the aisle to make life better for all Ohioans. Sure, there were differences in policy positions on particular issues (property taxes, anyone?!). But those differences were not used to divide, they were used to push toward solutions to complex public problems. That is the very essence of public service. 

As we begin a new academic year, I look forward to working with all members of our Glenn College community to take on complex challenges as we carry out our teaching, research and service mission. 

Learn about Moulton’s excitement for her new role and the college moving forward. 

Read the latest edition of Public Address, the Glenn College magazine.