Happy New Year! Spring semester is well under way, and we hope that this issue finds you safe and warm despite the harsh winter weather.
We are delighted to share that members of the degree cohort at the Ohio Reformatory for Women (ORW) successfully completed their first semester as full-time students with flying colors! We are could not be prouder of the determination, discipline, and resilience they demonstrated as they navigated the demands of a full course load alongside their other responsibilities. They applied the time management and study skills they have been developing (thanks Dr. Brittany Collier-Gibson) to confidently meet this new challenge. One of their favorite assignments from the autumn semester was to create a children’s book for Dr. Christine Warner’s EDUTL 2368: Introduction to Children’s Literature class. Be sure to read Roxie’s thoughtful reflection on this assignment in this month’s newsletter.
After a well-deserved winter break, ORW students returned refreshed and eager to begin another rigorous semester of classes. We are thrilled to have Dr. Jill Leonard-Pingel (Newark) offering her first OPEEP class, Earth Sciences 1110: The History of Life on Earth. Student enthusiasm was evident from the first day of class as they asked numerous questions about every topic she addressed. Another first time OPEEP faculty member, Dr. Theresa Hice-Fromille (Columbus) is teaching Geography 5401: Economies, Space and Society, an undergraduate/graduate level course that understandably has some students nervous. We are confident, however, that they will rise to the challenge. Dr. Terrance Hinton (Columbus), who taught his first OPEEP class at ORW in spring 2023, has returned to teach Sociology 4615: Control and Prevention of Crime and Delinquency. We value the deep knowledge and unique perspective that Dr. Hinton brings to the classroom from his experience as a professor and as a re-entry professional. We are also overjoyed to welcome back Dr. Sierra Austin-King, who is teaching another required major course, WGSS 2250: History of Feminist Thought. We are tremendously grateful for Dr. Austin-King’s continued commitment to OPEEP’s degree program and her deep investment in the students’ academic growth and success.
These classes also enroll campus students, and we remain eager to increase campus student participation in the classes at ORW and the other prison facilities where we offer credited, non-degree coursework. Enrollment for Autumn 2026 classes will open next month, and we encourage you to explore these opportunities!
We are equally thankful for the OPEEP faculty teaching at other facilities this semester. Dr. Amy Shuster (Columbus) who has taught several courses at Southeastern Correctional Institution (SCI) over the years, is now teaching her first class at London Correctional Institution (LoCI), PHIL 3420: Philosophical Perspectives on Gender. We are thrilled that students at LoCI will have the opportunity to learn from them. Dr. Irvin Gonzalaz has returned to LoCI, once again teaching DANCE 5505S: Citizen Artists, and supporting OPEEP’s efforts to expand our art-focused curricula. Dr. Alia Dietsch is teaching Environment and Natural Resources 4193: Disabled Ecologies at SCI, where she facilitates, the Philosophy for Humans Learning Community with Dr. Shuster. And Dr. Terri Winnick is teaching Sociology 2211S: Corrections at Richland Correctional Institution (RiCI). We could not sustain our work without the contributions of our amazing faculty, who make the additional labor of teaching an OPEEP class seem effortless.
In this issue we also share updates from our Learning Community at London Correctional Institution (LoCI), as well as our campus-based student group, Project Peer.
We invite you to visit the Returning Artists Guild (RAG) exhibits currently on display at the Pearl Conard Art Gallery at OSU-Mansfield and Storytellers Gallery at the Earthworks Center, OSU-Newark through mid-March. Funded by Mellon Foundation Spark Grants, these exhibitions highlight the creativity and talent of formerly incarcerated artists. Special thanks to RAG founders Aimee Wissman and Kamisha Thomas and Art Professor Kate Shannon (Mansfield) for coordinating these exhibits.
Finally, in December, we said farewell to Tori Lewis, our Program Education Specialist, who served as the onsite coordinator at ORW. She will be deeply missed by the cohort students, and we wish her well in her future endeavors. We look forward to introducing Tori’s successor in next month’s newsletter.
As always, we appreciate your support, and we ask that you follow on Instagram at @opeep_osu and consider donating to our Campus Campaign. Thank you.
Dr. Tiyi Morris and Dr. Mary Thomas