Title
To honor Dr. Melinda Wright upon her retirement from The Ohio State University and recognize her for her extensive contributions to the fields of service-learning and education outreach.
Body
WHEREAS, Dr. Melinda Wright graduated cum laude from Wittenberg University in 1976 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and mathematics. She earned her Master’s degree in English from Brown University in 1978. She earned her Ph.D. in English, Rhetoric and Composition from The Ohio State University in 1996; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Wright currently serves as Assistant Provost for the Office of Academic Affairs and the Office of Undergraduate Education. She began working at The Ohio State University in 1982 in the Rhetoric, Composition and Literacy Program where she taught undergraduate and graduate courses, trained teachers, conducted programmatic research assessments and developed curricula including two service-learning partnerships with local schools. Dr. Wright became assistant director of the program in 1987 and served as director from 1987-2007; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Wright’s work also focused significantly on education outreach. From 2001-2002, she was the interim Director of Outreach for the Center for the Study and Teaching of Writing, From 2002-2006, she was a consultant in the University Outreach and Engagement Office and during that time served on national planning committees for the Outreach Scholarship Conference; and
WHEREAS, a pioneer in service-learning, Dr. Wright was instrumental in developing many service-learning courses and initiatives. She led a university-wide team that received a $1.6 million grant from the Board of Regents to create more than 400 new internships with 82 employers. She also established the Office of Community Partnerships to connect community organizations and non-profit leaders with faculty, staff and students through curriculum, student internships and collaborative projects; and
WHEREAS, as a testament to her work, Dr. Wright rec...
Click here for full text