Nissen Reflects on Her Time at OUZ

ZANESVILLE, OH – A longtime educator in the Zanesville community is set to retire.

After 25 years at Ohio University Zanesville, Dr. Hannah Nissen is planning to retire from her duties on June 30th, 2025. Dean Nissen began her career at OUZ as the Program Coordinator of the Early Childhood Education Program, then becoming Dean in 2020.

Nissesn said some of her plans for the future include taking trips to see family with her husband, enrolling in some classes she’s been interested in, and getting back into some old hobbies that fell to the wayside. She also recounted some of her favorite memories of her time at OUZ.

“There are so many. I think a lot of it has been just the people, with whom I have been able to interact and the things we have been able to do,” Nissen said. “I of course began here as a faculty member, so all of the various students that I’ve had the opportunity to come to know and now know in a different sense. And being a more active member of the community has been important to me too, just thinking in the various ways in which we can connect with the community.”

Nissen said her retirement is a bittersweet time. She said that it’s going to be a little strange that she won’t be on campus on a daily basis, but says she’s looking forward to all the new possibilities in the future.

“The first thing I do in the mornings is check my email, and there’s always a million emails from various people who either need things or just want to tell me things, I will miss that as well,” Nissen said. “And believe it or not I’ll actually miss some of the meetings, I have a lot of meetings but out of those meetings I think there are often some very good things that happen and I will miss those opportunities, but I know those opportunities will continue for whoever comes into this office next.”

Nissen said she hopes she showed the community how important higher education is through her time at OUZ.