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John C. Green
(2018-2019)
Dr. John C. Green became Interim President of The University of Akron on May 1, 2018. Before then he served as Interim Dean and then Dean of UA’s Buchtel College of Arts and Sciences. Prior to becoming dean, he served as Vice Dean for Liberal Arts, Chair of the Department of Political Science, and Interim Chair for five other departments.
Green is the director emeritus of the nationally renowned Ray C. Bliss Institute of Applied Politics, a senior research advisor to the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, and a political scholar whose insights are frequently reported by local, state and national media.
A Distinguished Professor of Political Science, Green was twice selected as Outstanding Faculty Member by the Board of Trustees. His works include 9 books, 32 edited books, 39 refereed journal articles and 120 other scholarly and popular publications. He earned a Ph.D. in Political Science from Cornell University in 1983 and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of Colorado in 1975.
As Interim President, Dr. Green continued the work of his predecessor by continuing to grow partnerships and address the University’s financial challenges. This included completing two data-driven University-wide reviews of current offerings and operations–Academic Program Review and Administrative Activities Review. This led to a Three-Year Action Plan outlining the important decisions and actions needed to help the University be distinctive in a crowded, competitive higher education landscape. Additionally, Dr. Green helped pave the way for his successor and laid the ground work for the University’s 150th anniversary celebration.
“We cannot and should not try to be all things to all people. What we can and should do is to see to it that The University of Akron makes a special contribution to the world by doing what we do best, and doing it better than anyone else.”
– John C. Green
From the Ray C. Bliss Papers in Archival Services of University Libraries
Before becoming Interim President of The University of Akron, John Green served as Professor of Political Science at UA and Director of the Ray. C. Bliss Institute of Applied Politics. He later worked his way up the ranks, serving numerous administrative roles on campus. This included Vice Dean for Liberal Arts, Chair of the Department of Political Science, and Interim Chair for five other departments before becoming Interim Dean and then Dean of UA’s Buchtel College of Arts and Sciences.
From The University of Akron Office of Marketing and Communications Records in Archival Services of University Libraries
In 2003, Dr. John C. Green was named a Distinguished Professor at The University of Akron, as noted in this article by the Akron Beacon Journal. Today, he is one of only 51 professors with distinguished status. As the article also notes. Green was recognized as an Outstanding Faculty member in 1989, only his second year at UA, and again in 1994.
From The University of Akron Office of Marketing and Communications Records in Archival Services of University Libraries
Dr. John C. Green, an authority on American and Ohio politics, is widely used as a resource for news media locally and nationally, especially for his vast knowledge of and research on American religion and politics, political parties, and campaign finance reform. He has been quoted extensively throughout his career, including in this article in the New York Times during the George W. Bush administration.
One of Dr. Green’s major accomplishments as Interim President was the Academic Program Review and Administrative Activities Review. These reviews of both the academic and administrative sides of the University’s operation were meant to align University resources to build on notable areas of strength, increase revenue by attracting more students to those areas, prioritize areas of investment, and control expenditures throughout the University.
One of Interim President Green’s major accomplishments was the creation of three-year action plans for UA’s 11 colleges. This was undertaken once the two data-driven University wide reviews of current offerings and operations was completed. The plans outlined the important decisions and actions needed to help the University achieve one of Dr. Green’s major goals: to be distinctive in a crowded, competitive higher education landscape.
From The University of Akron Faculty Publications Collection in Archival Services of University Libraries
Dr. Green has done extensive research on American religion and politics, political parties, and Ohio politics, and has authored, co-authored, or edited numerous publications. He is author of “The Faith Factor,” co-author of “Buckeye Battleground: Ohio, Campaigns, and Elections in the Twenty-First Century,” “Portraits of Power, The Elections of 2000,” “Superintending Democracy“, and “Mr. Chairman: The Life and Times of Ray C. Bliss.” He is also editor of “The State of the Parties,” now in its 7th edition. Dr. Green is a respected analyst of American and Ohio politics, and is widely quoted in the news media.
“Dr. Green is respected as a scholar and a leader, and he is admired by students, faculty and staff alike [and] is valued for his collaborative approach to problem solving.”
– UA Board of Trustees Chair Roland Bauer