Wendy Sherman Heckler has accepted the position of Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. Sherman Heckler began her career at Otterbein University as an associate professor of science education in 2007, and served as director of graduate programs in education from 2009 to 2012. She was associate vice president for academic affairs and dean of university programs from 2012 to 2017. She has been Interim Provost since 2017.

“She has been a remarkable asset to Otterbein for many years and will continue to make a wide and positive impact for students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends of the University,” said President John Comerford in an email to campus. “We look forward to working alongside Wendy in her new role to lead our university into the future.”

Sherman Heckler has taught courses in science teaching methods for pre-service and in-service teachers; master’s-level research methods; current issues in education; physical science; life science; integrative studies (energy and society); and women’s leadership. She has served as advisor, second reader, or graduate faculty representative on 59 master’s level projects at Otterbein, and remains an active faculty representative of the honors program on undergraduate student defenses. She has authored published pieces on Wittgensteinian perspectives on research related to student learning in science. Since 2010, Sherman Heckler has led an annual Improving Teacher Quality grant-funded physics professional development course for middle school science teachers, receiving over $850,000 from the Ohio Department of Higher Education and enrolling 225 teachers from 56 school districts around central Ohio (in 20 different counties).

Sherman Heckler’s service to Otterbein includes co-chairing the university-wide Accreditation Steering Committee from 2011-2015, which spearheaded our reaffirmation of accreditation by the Higher Learning Commission. She has also co-chaired or chaired other groups including the Institutional Effectiveness Committee, working sub-groups of the Diversity and Inclusion Committee, and the General Education subcommittee of Curriculum Committee. She currently serves as Vice Chair of the Board of Communities in Schools of Central Ohio, a nonprofit focused on dropout prevention for K-12 students.

Sherman Heckler earned her bachelor’s and her master’s degrees, as well as her doctorate in teaching and learning, from The Ohio State University. Before coming to Otterbein, she taught at Kent State University.