Kathy A. Krendl Distinguished Lecture Series
Honoring the legacy of Otterbein’s 20th president, the Kathy A. Krendl Distinguished Lecture Series hosts compelling and thought-provoking scholars, dignitaries, business visionaries, and others who impact the areas of innovation, leadership, and collaboration. The series welcomes diverse outlooks that prompt dialogue, advance opportunity and inclusion, spark innovation and foster the pace-setting initiatives that distinguish Otterbein’s past, present, and future.
2024 Speaker: Lynn Pasquerella
The 2024 Kathy A. Krendl Distinguished Lecture Series at Otterbein University features Lynn Pasquerella, Ph.D., one of the country’s most prominent public voices and forceful advocates for the value of liberal education, the importance of access to resources and pathways, and the need for career training for jobs and citizen education for justice.
Speaker: Lynn Pasquerella, Ph.D.
Public Lecture: Tuesday, March 19, 7 p.m.
Location: Church of the Messiah, 51 N. State St., Westerville
Parking: A short walk from the church is the Otterbein Campus Center, 100 W. Home St., with ample parking. You can also find available parking in Uptown Westerville on the Westerville Parking mobile app.
About the Speaker
Lynn Pasquerella, Ph.D., is one of the country’s most prominent public voices and forceful advocates for the value of liberal education, the importance of access to resources and pathways, and the need for career training for jobs and citizen education for justice.
Pasquerella has served as president of the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) since 2016. Her most recent book, What We Value: Public Health, Social Justice, and Educating for Democracy, examines urgent issues — moral distress, access to resources, and the conflict over whose voices and lives are privileged — and argues that liberal education is the best preparation for work, citizenship, and life. Pasquerella’s areas of expertise focus on civic engagement, access, accreditation, strategic planning, and advocacy for equity and inclusion in higher education.
Prior to joining AAC&U, Pasquerella served as the 18th president of Mount Holyoke College and held positions as provost at the University of Hartford and vice provost for academic affairs and dean of the graduate school at the University of Rhode Island, where she taught for more than two decades. She is the host of Northeast Public Radio’s The Academic Minute, a radio segment and podcast featuring a different university-based researcher each day. She also serves as a member of the editorial advisory board for the Public Philosophy Journal.
Pasquerella has won many awards and was named one of America’s top 353 women leaders in Diverse: Issues in Higher Education. She earned her doctorate degree in philosophy from Brown University in 1985.
Lynn Pasquerella, Ph.D.
About Kathy A. Krendl, Ph.D. H'18
After nine landmark years at Otterbein University, President Kathy A. Krendl, Ph.D. H’18 retired in June 2018. President Krendl was a strong and humble servant leader and a fierce champion of the transformative opportunities of an Otterbein education. Kathy’s legacy reflects the ideals for which we stand as a community-opportunity, innovation, service and inclusiveness.
In honoring her legacy, the Otterbein Board of Trustees considered the hallmarks of her tenure-pace setting innovation, increased partnerships and programs, a commitment to women’s leadership and growth resulting in the most diverse and academically prepared classes in recent Otterbein history. Specifically, her tenure included strategic enrollment gains, the largest campaign in Otterbein’s history, the educational model of the 21st century realized at The Point, a tuition freeze for five of her nine years, new partnerships that positioned Otterbein as a national leader and a personal unwavering commitment to access and affordability for all. Because learning and opportunity are key to an initiative that would honor her impact, the decision was made to establish the Kathy A. Krendl Distinguished Lecture Series.
Previous Speakers
2023 – “The Leaders We Need Now” with U.S. Congresswoman Joyce Beatty (OH)
Congresswoman Beatty, a native Ohioan, shared more about connecting people, policy, and politics to make a difference. Since 2013, Beatty has represented Ohio’s Third Congressional District. In the 117th Congress, Beatty served as Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus. Congresswoman Beatty is a vocal leader and advocate for the issues impacting Black Americans, including voting rights reform, police brutality, financial inequality, diversity and inclusion, healthcare access, and gun violence prevention.
2022 – “Working Together to Move Forward”
A panel discussion about ways to work across common “dividing lines” in society (race, gender, ideology, and others) to solve the issues that face us, including healthcare, education, and economic inequality. Featuring:
- Lilleana Cavenaugh Executive Director, Latino Affairs Commission
- Angela Cornelius Dawson Executive Director, Ohio Commission on Minority Health
- Steve Stivers President and CEO, Ohio Chamber of Commerce
2019 – “Preparing for an Uncertain Future: Two Reliable Roads” with Dr. Anita Perez Ferguson, former president of the National Women’s Political Caucus
Sharing insights into the impact e-commerce is having on face-to-face service jobs and how international labor markets, material sourcing and trade agreements are impacting reliable job forecasting in the United States.
