Dean Plouck Letter First Year

When I first considered applying to join the Voinovich School as dean, I knew the school to be a reliable partner across the state — one that could help educate current and future public servants, conduct environmental testing and improve public health. I knew the school and its faculty, staff, and students had earned widespread respect and trust at the highest levels of state government.

But in the almost year since, I’ve come to learn that while the Voinovich School is everything I thought it was, it is also so much more. The school is influencing and improving the quality of life for all Ohioans — especially those in southeast Ohio.

Members of the Voinovich School are among the most committed, passionate individuals I’ve known. In many parts of our state, agencies, businesses or local nonprofits don’t have the staff to accomplish their goals. Time after time this year, I’ve seen members of our school step in to help.

We call this “capacity-building,” and it really means that we’re there to partner, to uplift, to amplify, to fill in the gaps — all to start, execute and complete projects that make life better for people across Ohio.

I’ve been amazed by some of these projects. For example, our teams are:

• Helping to expand broadband access across southeast Ohio, bringing high-speed internet to Appalachian Ohioans. This is critical: High-speed internet allows people to work remotely, access telehealth, or connect with family and friends across great distances. But in many parts of our state, high-speed internet simply isn’t available. We’re working to change that.
   
• Developing trainings to help law enforcement officers across the state de-escalate during crises. Our six-module program, developed in concert with Ohio University’s GRID Lab in the McClure School of Emerging Communication Technologies, will be used by the Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy to train approximately 30,000 law enforcement officers. · Remediating and mitigating acid mine drainage pollution in Raccoon Creek, one of Ohio’s longest creeks, which runs through five counties before reaching the Ohio River. The creek, once a polluted place where no aquatic life could survive, is now home to 94 species of fish. We are working on a petition to have it designated an Ohio Scenic River. The creek is 112 miles long and has major implications for recreation and tourism in southeast Ohio, as well as the benefits of biodiversity.
   
• Remediating and mitigating acid mine drainage pollution in Raccoon Creek, one of Ohio’s longest creeks, which runs through five counties before reaching the Ohio River. The creek, once a polluted place where no aquatic life could survive, is now home to 94 species of fish. We are working on a petition to have it designated an Ohio Scenic River. The creek is 112 miles long and has major implications for recreation and tourism in southeast Ohio, as well as the benefits of biodiversity.
   
• Assisting communities across the region with grant-writing, engineering, design and more through the Mayors’ Partnership for Progress. The partnership exemplifies capacity building.

More great things are in the works here, as well. We plan to expand the Voinovich Scholars Program, a competitive program that allows some of Ohio University’s brightest undergraduates to join real-world research and work. And we’re working with the state to complete work on the State Health Assessment and State Health Improvement Plan, which will help local communities to advance health and longevity.

I’ll be using this space going forward to share good and interesting things happening at our school, and I hope you’ll share the stories that resonate with others.

We have a ton to be proud of here, and I’m honored to be a part of it.

Till next time,

Tracy