ONU Announces Hiring of New Dean

Stacey Lowery Bretz, Ph.D.

ADA, Ohio – Ohio Northern University Provost and V.P. of Academic Affairs, Julie Hurtig, Ph.D., announced that Stacey Lowery Bretz, Ph.D., has been named the next dean of Ohio Northern University’s Getty College of Arts & Sciences. She will begin as dean on June 19 and will succeed Chris Bowers, Ph.D., who has been serving as interim dean.

“We’re so pleased to welcome Dr. Bretz to our Ohio Northern University community,” says President Baumann. “As an accomplished educator and administrator who cares deeply about student success, we’re confident she will lead and guide the Getty College of Arts and Sciences, in partnership with faculty and staff, ever forward in strengthening the college’s current programs while moving forward in innovative ways to meet the needs of tomorrow’s students and employers.”

“I am honored, humbled, and excited to join Ohio Northern University,” said Dr. Bretz. “Championing the diverse voices and dreams of the students will be my privilege. The dedicated faculty and staff of the Getty College of Arts & Sciences share a passion for graduating students who will improve their local and global communities. We will continue to innovate and create signature learning experiences in our studios, laboratories, and classrooms. I look forward to connecting with alumni and building strong relationships with corporate and community partners to ensure that the Getty College of Arts & Sciences thrives as a distinctive and contemporary college of arts and sciences.”

Dr. Bretz most recently has held the position of inaugural executive fellow in the Office of the President at Miami University and has concurrently served as the director of special projects in the Office of the Vice President for Enrollment Management and Student Success. During the 2021-2022 academic year, she was an ACE Fellow with the American Council of Education. 

At Miami, Dr. Bretz has led multiple initiatives critical to university growth and transformation. She directed academic program prioritization while serving as special assistant to the provost for academic initiatives. She served for four years as the chair of the Fiscal Priorities & Budget Planning Committee where she was a tireless advocate for shared governance and transparency. She is passionate about creating highly collaborative environments to catalyze student success.

Dr. Bretz has held the rank of University Distinguished Professor of Chemistry at Miami University where her research group has investigated students’ learning of chemistry. She is internationally recognized for her expertise in developing assessments to measure students’ thinking, both in the chemistry laboratory and with multiple representations of molecules and compounds. Dr. Bretz is an elected Fellow of both the American Chemical Society (ACS) and the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Dr. Bretz was honored with the 2020 ACS Award for Achievement in Research on Teaching and Learning of Chemistry.  She has given more than 515 invited keynotes, seminars, and conference presentations. She has authored more than 100 peer-reviewed articles. 

Dr. Bretz has been honored with Miami University’s highest faculty distinction award, the Benjamin Harrison Medallion, and multiple teaching awards. She co-authors three chemistry textbooks that feature pedagogy developed from her research, all published by W.W. Norton. Dr. Bretz has mentored more than 60 post-docs and research students; 15 of her former mentees teach chemistry at colleges and universities, while 10 former mentees are successful high school chemistry teachers. 

Born in Sandusky, Ohio, Dr. Bretz is a first-generation college graduate. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry from Cornell University, a Master of Science in Chemistry from Penn State University, and a Ph.D. from Cornell University. She completed post-doctoral research at the University of California, Berkeley.

Dr. Bretz is married to Dr. Richard Bretz, and together they have three grown children – Suzannah, Joe, and Mikaela.