An Ohio State University professor will be the next director of the Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration, according to a University release Monday.

Mary Tschirhart, a professor of organizational theory and nonprofit management in the John Glenn College of Public Affairs at OSU, will take over as head of the Trachtenberg School at the beginning of August, the release states. Officials said Tschirhart’s experience “will give her perspective on the needs and interests of the Trachtenberg School’s stakeholders.”

“I look forward to working with Dr. Tschirhart to build upon the Trachtenberg School’s strong foundation and advance its academic programs and research,” Paul Wahlbeck, the interim dean of the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences, said in the release.

The school’s current director, Kathryn Newcomer, will return to a full-time teaching position, according to the release.

Tschirhart, who formerly worked at Indiana, North Carolina State and Syracuse universities, is the past president of the Association for Research on Nonprofit and Voluntary Action, the release states. She has authored more than 60 publications and serves on the editorial boards for several academic journals, according to the release.

Tschirhart said in the release that the school’s diversity of degrees and breadth of faculty research attracted her to the position. She added that she wants to use GW’s location to “connect community members to life beyond the classroom.”

“The strength of the staff and faculty is amazing – not just the expertise, but also the passion, dedication and true commitment to the mission of the school,” Tschirhart said. “There is a great diversity in interests, experiences and backgrounds, and I look forward to being part of this community.”