A veteran Ohio University educator with deep roots in regional higher education, Dr. Martha Kline took the helm of the Zanesville campus Aug. 1, aiming to build on the campus’ momentum in student success, academic excellence and community engagement.
Kline steps into the role following two years as interim dean of campus and community relations at the Lancaster campus, where she helped guide it through a period of growth, investment and strengthened community partnerships. When she assumed the interim dean position in 2024, she embraced the mission of regional higher education and the important role campuses play in transforming lives.
Among her most significant accomplishments was helping advance academic and facility improvements that support the future of health care education. She played a key role in expanding instructional space for the bachelor of science in nursing program while helping move forward new teaching spaces for associate degree programs in nursing and respiratory therapy. Pending final approval, these programs are expected to launch in Spring 2027, increasing access to career-focused education in high-demand fields.
She also supported campus improvement projects that included enhanced building security, new water bottle filling stations, refreshed classrooms and common spaces, and funding efforts for the upcoming renovation of the Wagner Theatre. Together, these improvements helped create a more welcoming, modern and student-focused campus
For Kline, leadership has always centered on relationships.
“I am thankful for the faculty, staff, students, alumni and community partners who welcomed me, supported our shared goals and worked together to make great things happen,” she said of her time in Lancaster. I look forward to carrying those relationships and experiences with me as I begin this next chapter at OHIO Zanesville.”
Kline’s connection to Ohio University spans three decades. Throughout her career, she has been recognized for her dedication to student learning and academic excellence, receiving the Phi Theta Kappa Professor of the Year Award in 2005 and an Apple Teaching Award from Ohio University’s Center for Teaching Excellence.
Before joining Ohio University, Kline served as an adjunct instructor of chemistry at Santa Fe Community College, a research associate at the Center for Drug Discovery in Gainesville, Florida, and a postdoctoral fellow at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, British Columbia.
Kline earned her doctorate in chemistry from the University of North Carolina and a bachelor of science in chemistry from Ohio University.
This article originally appeared on Zanesville Times Recorder: From Lancaster to Zanesville, Kline continues a student-first mission
Reporting by Staff Reports / Zanesville Times Recorder
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Staff Reports | USA TODAY Network
