It’s hard to believe that we are nearing the end of another academic year! From the demands of a full-time course load for our degree students to staff transitions and the exciting creation of a new learning community, we have had another year of major growth and change. To say that the 2025-26 academic year was busy would be an understatement! We are anxiously awaiting the summer break not only for a brief respite but also to devote more time to planning for expanded programming at the prisons and advancing the Liberation at the Margins (LAM) Collective’s writing projects.
In this month’s newsletter, we share Amber’s ghost story, which emerged from one of LAM’s writing projects – an architectural history of the Ohio Reformatory for Women (ORW) from the perspective of its residents. We hope you enjoy her creative narrative about the building in which our classroom is housed.
This month’s newsletter also features articles from two of our ORW degree cohort members. Cher discusses the freedom she has discovered in Dr. Lucille Toth’s Performing Body Language class this semester and MarKeeta contributes to our “Day in the Life” series, offering a candid reflection on how she negotiates the pressures of school and work at ORW. Both articles provide a unique glimpse into the experiences of our students.
With support from the Mellon Foundation, the Philosophy for Humans (P4H) Learning Community at Southeastern Correctional Institution (SCI) hosted members from the Rockwood Fellows for Higher Education in Prison, JSTOR, and the University of Puget Sound earlier this month. Check out their recap of the event. The gathering is indicative of facilitators Dr. Amy Shuster’s and Dr. Alia Dietsch’s commitment to creating impactful learning experiences and cultivating space for thoughtful dialogue and collaboration. We are also excited to share that P4H was recently honored with the Program of Excellence Award for Engaged Scholarship from the Office of Outreach and Engagement. We could not be prouder of their well-deserved recognition.
Earlier this month, Dr. Thomas traveled to Lima to participate in the Improvisation program headed by Department of Theatre instructor Margie Anich at Allen-Oakwood Correctional Institution. The program is funded by an Office of the Vice Provost of the Arts Spark Grant. They will have an end of year performance and celebration on May 11 and will be able to invite family members to join in the afternoon event. Margie has enjoyed the experience so much that she will expand her OPEEP teaching this summer as she offers a 3-credit course on improv with the students at ORW. We’re so thankful for her creative energy and for bringing the performing arts to our students in Lima and Marysville.
In other news, thanks to the generous support of the Austin E. Knowlton Foundation, OPEEP had strong representation at the 16th annual convening of the National Conference on Higher Education in Prison (NCHEP) earlier this month. OPEEP faculty Angela Bryant, Brittany Collier-Gibson, Alia Dietch, Terrance Hinton, Amy Shuster, Viet Trinh; staff member, Laura Hennigan; and grad student and P4H learning community member, Emily Erhardt, travelled to Cleveland to engage with a national community of HEP professionals, educators, students, alumni, and funders. Dr. Thomas and Dr. Morris, along with three members of Liberation at the Margins (LAM) Collective and the degree cohort also presented on how Black feminisms have shaped their educational journeys and leadership activities.
Enrollment for Autumn 2026 OPEEP classes will be ending soon! In addition to three classes at ORW – WGSS 3320 with Columbus professor Octavian Robinson, WGSS 3300.01S with Dr. Thomas, and AAAS 3310 – we are offering two classes at SCI in Lancaster – PSYCH 1375 with Newark professor Liz Weiss and ART 5890 with Columbus professor George Rush. Enrollment in OPEEP classes is by permission of the instructor only, and completing an application is the first step. Submit your application for an OPEEP class today!!
We hope that during the final weeks of the spring semester you experience some moments of calm during the typical end-of-semester busyness. We remain grateful for the amazing campus and incarcerated students we have the privilege to teach and for the dedicated staff and faculty with whom we collaborate. If you’re inspired by the work that we do, we would love for you to join our community. And, as always, please follow us on Instagram @opeep_osu.
Dr. Tiyi Morris and Dr. Mary Thomas