Leadership

Mark Whitmore has extensive background in leadership development, succession planning and coaching and assessment centers. Before joining Kent State in 2013, Mark had 20 years of experience in leadership development and assessment centers in government and the financial services industry. He has received national recognition for his coaching expertise and leadership development programs. He is a published author in both of the areas of leadership development and assessment centers. He is a former Human Resources executive and has managed every area of Human Resources.

Jan Yoder is a social psychologist and Research Professor in the College of Public Health at Kent State University. She has made significant and longstanding contributions to the psychology of women in teaching, research, and service. Her text, Women and gender: Making a difference, is now in its fourth edition, and she is the recipient of five teaching awards including the 2015 Outstanding Teaching and Mentoring Award from the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues (Div. 9 of the American Psychological Association [APA]).

As an Ohio native I began my educational pursuits at Ohio University where I earned a B.S. in Health/Long Term Care Administration in 1985 and a M.A. from the University of Akron in 1989. In the course of my early tenure, I was actively involved as a consumer, coach, administrator, and participant in a variety of managerial and sport endeavors. These experiences help to solidify my chosen career pursuit of a Ph.D. in Sport Management/Marketing from the Ohio State University. I completed my degree in the spring of 1996 and in the subsequent fall joined the Kent State community.

I am the director of graduate student services in the College of Nursing and a doctoral student in the Department of Sociology. I began working at the College of Nursing as an academic advisor in 2005. Previously I worked at the East Liverpool Campus as an enrollment management generalist. I have also worked in Greek life, admissions, and residence life.

Courses

• US 10097 - First Year Experience
• SOC 32762 - Deviant Behavior

As an educator, I have taught several courses in the undergraduate and graduate nursing programs. My current responsibilities include coordination of the Nursing and Health Care Management concentration in the MSN program. 

Thor Wasbotten has served as director of the School of Journalism and Mass Communication since July 2012. Prior to arriving at Kent State, Wasbotten served as the assistant dean for student media and online operations at The Pennsylvania State University, where he also was a senior lecturer of journalism.