On August 1 Robert Holub began a four-year term as chair of the Department of Germanic Languages and Literatures. Holub joined the faculty at Ohio State in 2012 after resigning as Chancellor at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Formerly Holub had been on the faculty of the German Department in Berkeley (1979-2006), and had chaired that department from 1991 to 1997.

Stepping down from the chair position was Bernd Fischer, who had served in that capacity for fourteen of the past eighteen years. The Department and the campus owe a huge debt of gratitude to Professor Fischer for his outstanding service to GLL.

Assuming the position of Director of Graduate Studies is John Davidson, who has previous experience in this role. Professor Davidson is also the founding Director of the OSU Film Studies Program.

Katra Byram will once again be entrusted with leadership in the Undergraduate Program. Professor Byram has been a faculty member in GLL since 2008 and has served as Director of Undergraduate Studies since the fall of 2013.