Dean of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences

Sue Ott Rowlands begins her tenure as Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences on July 15, 2007.   Ott Rowlands comes to Blacksburg following a five-year association with the University of Toledo, where she served as Professor of Theatre and Interim Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.

“Sue Ott Rowlands’ background and leadership skills will allow the college to expand upon the great progress achieved under Dean Jerry Niles," said Mark G. McNamee, university provost and vice president for academic affairs.  “Dean Rowland’s vision, energy, and collaborative experience will be a great addition to the leadership team at Virginia Tech.”

"During my visits to the campus I was impressed with the expertise, energy and innovative spirit fostered under the leadership of Dean Niles,” said Ott Rowlands.  The opportunity to further the mission of the College and to work with such a talented body of faculty, staff and students is indeed an honor."

Ott Rowlands served as Interim Dean at Toledo since 2005. Prior to this appointment she served as Chair of the Department of Theatre and Film from 2002-2005. From 1997-2002 she was an Associate Professor and Head of the Acting and Directing Program in the Department of Theatre at Ohio State University. She is the Artistic Director for the Cleveland Women's Theatre Project, an organization she co-founded in 1995. She is the former Associate Artistic Director of Round House Theatre in Washington, DC and Managing Director of The Actor's Space in New

York City. Ott Rowlands’ career has spanned higher education administration, university teaching, arts administration and professional theatre. She continues to work actively as a theatre professional and travels extensively as part of her ongoing efforts to establish and promote international study abroad opportunities and international arts exchanges. She is considered an authority on acting technique and international arts collaborations.

As a stage director, Ott Rowlands has worked extensively in Cleveland at Porthouse Theatre, The Cleveland Play House, Dobama Theatre, Beck Center, The Halle Theatre, the Cleveland Women’s Theatre Project and The Cleveland Theatre Company. Additionally, she has directed productions in Columbus, OH at The Contemporary American Theatre Company and Ohio State University (including Orpheus Descending with Czech scenographer Jaroslav Malina); in Washington, DC at Round House Theatre and The Asian American Theatre Project; and in New York at The Studio of the Actor’s Space. For The University of Toledo, she has directed Richard III (with scenographer Malina), Gypsy, and Once on this Island. With a particular interest in the development of new scripts, Ms. Ott Rowlands has directed a number of world premiere productions including Behind the Mask with L.A. actor Ted Lange. She is a member of the professional directors’ union, The Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers.

As a member of Actor’s Equity Association, the professional actors’ union, Ott Rowlands has worked at theatres around the country including Columbus’ CATCO and Red Herring Theatre; Dayton’s Human Race Theatre; Cleveland’s Dobama Theatre; New York’s The Actor’s Space; and Round House and Arena Stage in Washington, DC. Her one-woman show, Mercury Seven with Signs Following premiered at Columbus’ Red Herring Theatre in 2003. Since then, she has toured the production both nationally and internationally and has performed in India, Taiwan, New Zealand, and Italy. She recently performed Tony Kushner’s The Homebody from Homebody/Kabul throughout Hungary in two tours, July and September 2006.

In addition to Ohio State University and the University of Toledo, Ott Rowlands has been on the faculties of university and professional training programs throughout the country including Circle-in-the-Square, New York University, The Actor's Space, The American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York City, Western Maryland College, Webster University in St. Louis, and The Cleveland Play House. She continues to teach internationally and has conducted residencies at Toi Whakaari: New Zealand Drama School and Victoria University (Wellington, NZ), National Taiwan University (Taipei), Chetana Theatre (Calcutta, India) and Rangayana Theatre (Mysore, India), the University of Debrecen and the University of Szeged (Hungary).