Marilyn Johns Blackwell

The Vorman-Anderson Professor of Nordic Languages and Literatures
Department of Germanic Languages and LiteraturesIt would be difficult to imagine a faculty member more dedicated to university service than Marilyn Johns Blackwell.
“Her devotion to her varying leadership responsibilities, and her keen attentiveness to evolving policies and practices on this campus provide clear evidence of the importance of taking university governance seriously and of constantly striving to make this a better institution,” wrote one of her colleagues on University Senate.

With the exception of short mandatory breaks, Blackwell has been an elected member or alternate on University Senate for the last 20 years. She has served two terms as chair of Faculty Council and one as chair of the Steering Committee. She has served on the Council on Academic Affairs and for 10 years on the Committee on Academic Freedom and Responsibility, including four terms as that committee’s chair, and has served on numerous important ad hoc senate committees. She’s also been a member of the Arts and Sciences Faculty Senate and has led several committees in the Department of Germanic Languages and Literatures, and has chaired the department’s Promotion and Tenure Committee since 2006.

“Marilyn has always been a model to me in her service — the devotion, enthusiasm and energy with which she carries it out is remarkable and the convictions that guide her steadfast,” another colleague wrote. “It is perhaps for this reason that Marilyn Blackwell has been so successful in guiding important changes and maintaining excellence and high standards at The Ohio State University.”

Blackwell earned her master’s degree and doctorate at the University of Washington and has been at Ohio State since 1984.