08/10/2026
Congratulations to Rotarian Michael Lafreniere on his appointment as Ohio University Chillicothe's Dean of Campus and Community Engagement! 🎉
Your leadership is greatly appreciated within our organization and throughout the community. A well deserved honor, indeed! 🎓
We are pleased to announce the appointment of Michael Lafreniere as dean of campus and community engagement at Ohio University Chillicothe.
Mike has served as interim dean for more than a year and was selected following a competitive national search and rigorous interview process. In his new role, he will continue to lead the campus as it builds on a strong foundation of growth, expanded partnerships and deeper community engagement.
“Students come first here, and that is not a slogan. It is how we decide what to build, who to call and where to spend our time,” said Lafreniere. “This campus has been my professional home for more than 30 years. I have taught here, raised a family here, and watched generations of students cross the graduation stage and go to work in this region. I am grateful to the students, alumni, faculty, staff and community partners who make this work possible, and I am eager to keep going.”
Mike's connection to OHIO Chillicothe spans more than three decades. He joined the campus as a faculty member in 1994, teaching environmental engineering technology, hazardous materials technology and mathematics, and he holds a tenured appointment as associate professor of mathematics in the College of Arts and Sciences.
He has served in nearly every administrative function on the campus, including associate dean, director of student services, budget and human resources oversight, and acting dean. Earlier in his career, he founded and directed the OHIO Chillicothe Environmental Training and Resource Center, an industry-facing training enterprise that served employers across southeastern Ohio. That experience shaped a conviction he still holds, that partnerships work best when the campus arrives with something to offer.
Read more: ohio.edu/news/2026/08/dean-lafreniere-lead-ohio-chillicothes-next-chapter
