'Engineers work on teams for a reason'

ADA — Melissa Baumann, Ph.D., became an engineer because she loves solving puzzles. As Ohio Northern University's new president, she plans to lead the campus in solving the puzzle of how to continue to thrive amid demographic changes. "I love interesting problems," Baumann said. "So the worst thing is if I'm bored … To relax, to go to sleep, I do math puzzles." In particular, she said, she likes "breaking down a problem," thinking about its systems. And, she said, a university is "a great system." Baumann began in the position on July 1. She was most recently provost and chief academic officer at Xavier University. Before that, she was assistant provost and head of the Honors College at Auburn University, as well as a professor in its mechanical engineering department. She began her administrative career as associate dean for the Michigan State University Honors College. One day somebody — "I'll never know who" — nominated her for this position, she said. At first, she deleted the email. Then she thought about it and decided, "Why not?" Her first faculty role was at Michigan State as well, where she taught materials science and engineering and focused on research on biomaterials and tissue engineering. Near the end of her interview with The Courier, Baumann mentioned that human bones are actually ceramic, and explained how engineers and physicians work together to create artificial ones. Baumann grew up in Mansfield, and never expected to end up 75 miles away from her hometown. Then she visited ONU's campus last fall. "And that was it," she said. "The place is beautiful." Baumann said people talk about ONU as a "hidden gem." "This is not going to be hidden anymore … I just see amazing things," she said. ONU has been without a strategic plan since before the pandemic. So one of Baumann's first tasks will be guiding them in creating a new one, "not mine, but it has to be ours," she said. Baumann teased, too, that ONU has a major campaign in the works. "Look for an announcement in the early fall," she said. And the population exodus, combined with fewer people having children, combined with a pandemic, will continue to affect demographics for some time. Baumann pointed out there have already been reports of many educational institutions closing their doors. She's determined that ONU, however, will thrive. She said it's about showing off the university's strengths — together. "We're a great institution," she said. "We have a lot of work to do," and it's better to do that work if they build a rapport. "Engineers work on teams for a reason … There's not this lone engineer, right?" Baumann said. "They're always on teams." She started meeting with campus leaders and outgoing President Dan DiBiasio months ago over Zoom and, once arriving in the area, has been trying to get to know as many people as she can. This includes residents of the town of Ada. Most students are away for the summer, but she met some students at a student government meeting. She said she didn't look like what they had expected. She didn't act like it, either. The students were waiting for her to give a speech, and instead she said simply, "Look, I'm here. Tell me what you want to know." "So we just had a conversation," she said. Now, they email her their thoughts, including changes they'd like to see in the cafeteria. Baumann wants to set aside an afternoon each month "just to be open and available," and encourage members of the campus community to visit, she said. She will have chocolate. A mentor at Michigan State taught her years ago, "Feed them, and they will come." So this, too, is part of her plan as a leader. Baumann said she might encounter a very upset student in her office at some point but "you can't cry and eat at the same time." Baumann enjoys baking and has made everything from croissants to five-tier wedding cakes. She makes tartine bread regularly, "a relaxing hobby," and has taught others how to make it. She earned a Ph.D. and master of science degree in materials science and engineering at Case Western Reserve University, following a bachelor of science at Michigan Technological University. Advocating for women in STEM fields is a passion of hers. If you close your eyes and think of an engineer, Baumann said, "It's not me … That means we're not looking at a daughter, and saying, 'You could do that.'" She pointed out that the literature indicates for girls, "it's cool to be smart. Until you're about 12." At that point, "somebody calls you a name," such as "nerdy" or "bossy" or "brainy." Then they start acting like they don't, in fact, have the answer. When a mother tells her daughter math is hard, "You're letting your kids not be good at math," she said. "You would never let them not be good at reading." Baumann said there is, indeed, a lot of work ahead. But she wants everyone who works at ONU to love coming to work. "Because what we're doing, we all believe in," she said.