Jonathan Baker Named New UITL Associate Director

The University Institute for Teaching and Learning is pleased to announce Jonathan Baker, Ph.D., has been appointed its new Associate Director of Instructional Advancement. Baker has extensive understanding of the Institute and its mission, having served as Faculty Fellow for Strategic Initiatives since Autumn 2017.

In his new role, he will supervise instructional support staff, including assistant directors and educational consultants. He will join the UITL leadership team charged with strategic implementation of UITL goals and objectives. That team includes UITL Director Kay Halasek, Ph.D.; UITL Associate Director for Operations and Strategic Partnerships Melinda Rhodes-DiSalvo, Ph.D.; and UITL Associate Director of Community Engagement Stephanie Rohdiek, M.S.W.

In particular, Baker will work to effectively and efficiently assign UITL staff in support of major initiatives and accommodate requests from various programs, departments and colleges.

According to Halasek, “Throughout his tenure in UITL, Jonathan has demonstrated time and again an ability to work in an intensely collaborative fashion among people and across units. His contributions as a faculty fellow to the development of the Teaching Support Program and leadership in conceiving the UITL affiliate and alliance program, which will launch in 2019-2020, are just two examples of the impact he has already had on UITL and teaching and learning at the University.”

Baker joined The Ohio State University’s Department of Statistics in 2013 as an associated associate professor and served as course coordinator for STAT 1450, as well as the department’s coordinator of statistics transfer credit and tutors. He finds working with part-time lecturers and graduate students particular rewarding.

Baker has worked with ODEE in developing his department’s first online course, has led college-wide presentations on using the student response system, Top Hat, and is an Advocate in the University’s Advocates & Allies (for gender equity) program. He has also served as an instructor for ODI’s Young Scholars Summer Bridge Program, mentors students through the Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation grant, and collaborates with Athletics via their PEAK program for student-athletes.

“It’s been great discussing teaching strategies with graduate students & colleagues within my home department. There’s something exciting about now having these conversations with UITL staff, who’ll then be able to reach the entire campus,” Baker said.

Prior to coming to OSU, Baker was an assistant professor at Columbus State Community College where he taught algebra, calculus and statistic courses and served as Mathematics Department chairperson, managing the largest department on campus for seven years, expanding online course offerings, overseeing a 50% increase in overall enrollments, and providing sustained professional development opportunities for over 150 mathematics instructors. He maintains ties to his previous institution by participating in the Central-Ohio Compact and serving as an annual moderator for the We Are STEM event that expands high school students’ awareness of STEM courses & careers. 

Jonathan will officially join UITL in the associate director role beginning Aug. 15. His office will be located at UITL’s Younkin Student Success Center, 2nd Floor. He will hold .75 FTE with UITL and retain .25 FTE with the Department of Mathematics.