
Writer, Professor, NonProfiteer
MARJORIE KELLY COWAN, PH.D.

BIO
I had 5 years of postdoctoral employment at the Center of Marine Biotechnology in the Inner Harbor of Baltimore and in the Department of Material Sciences at the Rijksuniversiteit Groningen in the Netherlands . In 1993 I became a faculty member at Miami University, achieving the rank of full professor in 2004. While I spent the first half of my career as a bench scientist, I increasingly turned to pedagogical research, publishing in the Journal of College Science Teaching, the Journal on Excellence in College Teaching and The Teaching Professor. I had the privilege of chairing the Undergraduate Education Committee of the American Society for Microbiology and am past chair of ASM's Division W. From 2003 to 2009 I was an administrator for Miami University's regional campus in Middletown, Ohio, first as Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, and then as Campus Dean. I also served as Acting Director of Cincinnati State Technical and Community College (Middletown) in 2015-2016.
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While I was Campus Dean, the city of Middletown captured my imagination and in 2009 I created the Community-Building Institute (CBI), an independently funded organization that helps create strong neighborhoods and supports under-resourced citizens from pre-school to career. CBI's dedicated staff nurtures hope in people every day, currently spending over $1 million/year serving Middletown’s needs.
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I was educated at the University of Louisville. I have three children: Sam, a professional musician and all-around creative savant; Taylor, a tea entrepreneur, and Suzanne, a psychologist, stand-up comic, and great mom. I like to claim her husband Aaron as mine as well.
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Please contact me at - for help or information of any kind.