Melinda McClimans

EDUCATION                                                                                 

May 2019

            Doctorate in Social Studies and Global Education

            Ohio State University                                                                                    

            (Columbus, OH)

December 2004

            Master of Arts, Near Eastern Languages and Cultures, Arabic

            Ohio State University

            (Columbus, OH)                                                                                          

June 1997

            Bachelor of Arts, Visual and Communication Arts with honors

            Franklin University, Switzerland                                                                    

            (Lugano, Switzerland)

SKILLS                                                                                          

Cross-Cultural Communication

Experiential Learning Design

Curriculum Development

Teaching Cross-Cultural Competency

Community Building (Online and Off)

Supervising and Mentoring

Grant Writing and Editing

Teamwork and Collaboration

Teaching and Public Speaking

EXPERIENCE                                                                                  

2003-Present                  Assistant Director of Middle East Studies Center (MESC)                                                                                                                          The Ohio State University 

I have been teaching at the university level and training organizations in multiple sectors for the past 15 years on how to successfully navigate significant cultural difference. I have supervised and mentored teams of up to 5, including OSU staff, graduate interns and students.  Under my administrative leadership the Center has trained teachers from across the country, countless students at OSU, and the U.S. military.  I contribute by teaching about intercultural awareness and gender across cultural contexts (see speaking engagements), in addition to organizing and designing courses and programs.  I have obtained $4 million in grant funds, managed over $5 million, plus tens of thousands in donations and contributions. 

2002-2003                      Fellow: Foreign Language and Areas Studies (FLAS) for Arabic

The Middle East Studies Center

                                    The Ohio State University                                                        

1999-2001                      Bulletin Editor and Web Developer                                                                          

                                    Near Eastern Languages and Cultures (NELC)

                                    The Ohio State University          

Produced NELC’s academic periodical, "The Middle East and South Asia Folklore Bulletin", published by the Near Eastern Languages and Cultures Department at The Ohio State University.  Developed previous NELC web site.

1998                             Intern                                                                                               

                                    United Nations Environment Program (UNEP)

                                    Bangkok, Thailand                                    

Created instructional materials on biodiversity and sustainable development for general audiences in the South East Asian and Pacific region. Copy edited other UN documents and publications.

SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS                                                               

December 2018

She Can Do Something: Authentic Narratives of Muslim/Arab Women” with Hanadi Shatara. At the Nationa Council on the Social Studies Conference, Chicago.

May 2018

"Engaging Students in Global Online Learning", with Dr. Danielle Schoon, Ohio State University, and Mark Visco, CEO of Suitable, Innovate Conference at Ohio State University. 

January 2018

"Using ePortfolios to Engage Students and Improve Assessment of Global Learning: OSU, Istanbul U Collaborations," Association of American Colleges and Universities, e-Portfolio Forum, 2018

September 2017

"Exploring Saudi Culture: The Visible and the Invisible," with Rasmiya Al-Bayani, Ohio Council for the Social Studies Conference, 2017

January and March 2015              

Gender and Culture in the Middle East

Wright-Patterson Air Force, Base Central Command (Ohio)

Defense Institute of Security Assistance Management

November 21, 2014

Citizenship and Identity: Lessons from World War One and Turkey (Boston, MA)

Featured Presentation at National Council on the Social Studies (NCSS) Conference

co-presented, Joan Brodsky-Schur

August 20, 2014

Update on Afghan Women: Inside Afghanistan 24 Years After the Soviet Withdrawal

World Congress on Middle East Studies, (Ankara, Turkey)

co-presented with Alam Payind

February 2013

Turkey in Economic Perspective: Middle East Conference

North Central Michigan College (Petoskey, MI)

May 2013

      Decolonizing Study Abroad: My Reflections on a Study Tour in Turkey; American Educational Research Association (AERA) Roundtable

      (San Francisco, CA)

February 2012

Presenter: Teaching Other Cultures, Identities, (Mis)representation, and Empowerment 

Presented with Gilbert Kaburu, Heejeong Kang, and David To

Miami University's Annual Graduate Student Educational Leadership Conference. 

September 9-10, 2011

Strategies for Raising Cultural Awareness

Annual Middle East National Language Resource Center Arabic Teacher Training Workshop Brigham Young University; (Provo, UT)

November 2011

      Cross-Cultural Communication Pragmatics Training for Army Officers

Camp Mabry (Austin, TX)

July 2010

Intercultural Difference: Applications in Afghanistan for Military Personnel

Training for 3^rd Battalion, 25^th Lima Company, U.S. Marines,

November 21, 2009

Global Education, Human Rights and the Middle East Region

A Day-Long Workshop for Teachers, co-organized with the Center for Middle Eastern Studies,

Harvard University

November 2009

Pedagogy for Public Outreach

Roundtable at the Middle East Studies Association Meeting

November 2009

Using Primary Sources to Teach About the Middle East

co-presented with Merry Merryfield and colleagues at the National Council on the Social Studies Conference.

PUBLICATIONS                                                                              

2018                             e-Book: Windows into Turkish Culture, edited with Dr. Danielle Schoon, student-authored book.

                                    URL: https://ohiostate.pressbooks.pub/windowsintoturkishculture/

2016                             e-Book: Euphrates Tigris Water Issues: An Introduction, edited by Melinda McClimans

                                    URL: https://ohiostate.pressbooks.pub/etwr/

August 2015                   e-Book: Keys to Understanding the Middle East

                                    AUTHORS: Alam Payind and Melinda McClimans.

      URL: https://digitalbookstore.osu.edu/book/keys-understanding-middle-east

January 2014                   Instructional Unit: Students as Collaborative Curators: The Effect of World War I and its Aftermath in Turkey and the United States 1914-1923

AUTHORS: Melinda McClimans and Joan Brodsky Schur

URL: http://kb.osu.edu/dspace/handle/1811/59179

October 2012                 Peer-reviewed Article: “Bringing Social Justice into the Social Studies.” Theory & Research in Social Education 40, no. 4 (461–466)

                                    AUTHORS: Binaya Subedi and Melinda McClimans

                                    doi:10.1080/00933104.2012.728108.

TEACHING EXPERIENCE (OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY)                           

2003-2017          Introduction to the Middle East and Contemporary Issues in the Middle East

Co-taught with Alam Payind, Director of the Middle East Studies Center

OSU’s Undergraduate International Studies Program

2015                 Teaching Global and Multicultural Education

Graduate Global Education level course

2011-2014          Middle East Studies Center’s Study Tour in Turkey for Teachers. 

Taught in Turkey, and conducted pre-and post activities. 

2010-2012          The Middle East in World Affairs

College of Education

Graduate level course for in-service teachers

2010                 World Cultures and Global Issues; online course

Co-taught with Merry Merryfield, Professor of Global Education

2008                 Intercultural Experiential Learning

Assisted Merry Merryfield, Professor of Global Education

2007                 Introduction to Egyptian Culture

Near Eastern Languages and Cultures

Culminating in a study tour in Egypt

GRANTS                                                                                        

2003-2007          Managed $1,517,000 in Title VI Grants from the Federal Department of Education (DOE).

2006-2011          Awarded and managed $2,077,962 in Title VI Grants from the Federal DOE.

2010-2014          Awarded and managed $1,878,369 in Title VI Grants from the Federal DOE.

DISTINCTIONS                                                                              

2014                 Committee for Culture Change in the Office of International Affairs

Head of Curriculum Group

2008-2013          Membership Chair of the Middle East Outreach Council

2007                 Merit bonus and raise. 

ASSOCIATIONS                                                                              

2003-present                  Member: The Middle East Outreach Council (MEOC). Board member 2009-2013.

2003-present                  Member: Columbus Council on World Affairs (CCWA)

2009-present                  Member: National Council on the Social Studies (NCSS)

2003-2014                      Member: The Middle East Studies Association (MESA)

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT                                                        

October 23, 2014

            Managing at OSU: Building Successful Relationships                                            

            Manager Development Training

            (Columbus, OH)

March 2014

            Effective Delegating                                                                                      

            Ohio State University

            John Glenn School of Public Affairs Management Development Program

            (Columbus, OH)

June 2014

            Authentic Leadership in Action (ALIA) Institute                                                  

            Courageous Leadership Institute,

            (Tacoma, WA)

August 2013

            Intensive 2-Day Workshop on Art of Hosting Methodologies

            The Women’s Place at Ohio State

            (Columbus, OH)                                                                           

STUDY & WORK ABROAD                                                                

2011-2014          Turkey: Istanbul, Ankara, other cities in Turkey for the Center’s annual study tour to Turkey for teachers.  2014, presented at the World Congress on Middle East Studies in Ankara, conducted business at Istanbul University, Yeditepe University and Erciyes University. 

1993&2007         Egypt: Cairo, Egypt, American University of Cairo – Arabic Study; Led Study Tour in 2007

1997-1998          Thailand: UN Internship, Freelance English and Cultural Competency Coaching

1994-1997          Switzerland: BA Degree work at Franklin University, Lugano

1993                 Tunisia: Arabic Study, Bourguiba Institute

1993-1995          Saudi Arabia: Residence, Arabic Study