News & Media

A Higher Education 'ACE'

Ohio Wesleyan’s Dale J. Brugh, Ph.D., Selected as American Council on Education Fellow

DELAWARE, Ohio – Ohio Wesleyan University’s Dale J. Brugh, Ph.D., is one of 45 emerging higher education leaders nationwide to be selected as a 2018-2019 American Council on Education (ACE) Fellow.

Since 1965, the ACE Fellows Program has worked to strengthen U.S. higher education by identifying and preparing faculty, staff, and administrators for senior positions in college and university leadership. Brugh was nominated for the program by Ohio Wesleyan President Rock Jones, who will serve as one of Brugh’s fellowship mentors.

“ACE Fellows are selected based on their potential to positively impact ‘the effectiveness, innovation, and direction’ of higher education,” said Jones, Ph.D. “Dale has shown over and over again that he possesses this ability.

“An example of his effectiveness is his work as chair of the Faculty Personnel Committee to lead the committee and the full faculty in updating policies and practices for supporting and reviewing the work of faculty,” Jones continued. “The result is the most significant enhancement to this important process in the living memory of our faculty. Ohio Wesleyan is better because of Dale’s leadership, and his ACE Fellowship will help him continue to hone his already considerable skills.”

Brugh earned his undergraduate degree at Wabash College in Crawfordsville, Indiana, and his doctorate in physical chemistry at the University of Utah. He joined the Ohio Wesleyan faculty in 1999 and today serves as the associate dean for innovation and a professor of chemistry.

In his administrative role, Brugh researches and evaluates the impact of potential new academic programs, identifies opportunities for administrative efficiencies, leads projects to streamline administrative workflows, and integrates institutional data into decision-making processes. Over the past 16 months, he already has helped the university to add six new majors and minors, update course-scheduling procedures, and create new graduate program partnerships for students planning to pursue advanced degrees.

“I am honored to be chosen as an ACE Fellow, and I am grateful for the support of President Rock Jones and Provost Chuck Stinemetz,” Brugh said. “I look forward to working with colleagues from around the country to learn new ways to approach complicated problems. After completing my off-campus placement, I hope to return to Ohio Wesleyan and apply my newfound knowledge to help the university continue moving forward as a leading U.S. liberal arts institution.”

According to the Washington, D.C.-based American Council on Education, more than 2,000 higher education leaders have participated in its ACE Fellows Program over the past five decades, with more than 80 percent going on to serve as senior leaders of colleges and universities.

“For more than a half-century, the ACE Fellows Program has been a powerful engine fueling the expansion of a talented and diverse higher education leadership pipeline,” President Ted Mitchell, Ph.D., said in announcing the 45 new Fellows. “We are excited to welcome this new class of Fellows and look forward to each enjoying a transformative experience that will help advance individual leadership readiness while also enriching the capacity of institutions to innovate and thrive.”

The Fellows program combines retreats, interactive learning opportunities, visits to campuses and other higher education-related organizations, and placement at another higher education institution to condense years of on-the-job experience and skills development into a single year.

During the placement, ACE Fellows observe and work with the president and other senior officers at their host institution, attend decision-making meetings, and focus on issues of interest. Fellows also conduct projects of pressing concern for their home institution and seek to implement their findings upon completion of the fellowship placement.

About the American Council on Education

Celebrating its centennial in 2018, ACE is the major coordinating body for all the nation’s higher education institutions, representing nearly 1,800 college and university presidents and related associations. It provides leadership on key higher education issues and influences public policy through advocacy. Its ACE Fellows Program is the longest-running leadership development program in the United States. For more information, visit www.acenet.edu or follow ACE on Twitter @ACEducation.

---

About Ohio Wesleyan University

Founded in 1842, Ohio Wesleyan University is one of the nation’s premier liberal arts universities. Located in Delaware, Ohio, the private university offers more than 90 undergraduate majors and competes in 23 NCAA Division III varsity sports. Through Ohio Wesleyan’s signature OWU Connection program, students integrate knowledge across disciplines, build a diverse and global perspective, and apply their knowledge in real-world settings. Ohio Wesleyan is featured in the book “Colleges That Change Lives” and included in the U.S. News & World Report and Princeton Review “best colleges” lists. Learn more at www.owu.edu.