Central College will install Paulina A. Mena, professor of biology, as the new Ruth and Marvin Denekas Endowed Chair in Science and Humanities at 4 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 17, in the Upper Chapel. The ceremony and reception are open to the public. Mena will deliver a lecture titled “It’s in our Nature: Native Bees and the Case for Diversity” as part of the event.
Central named Mena to the chair during the May 2024 Commencement ceremony in recognition of her dedication to students, her teaching excellence and her commitment to the breadth of disciplines across the liberal arts. The Ruth and Marvin Denekas Endowed Chair in Science and Humanities recognizes a Central faculty member who has demonstrated exemplary teaching and scholarship and the ability to cross disciplinary boundaries. The Denekas Chair offers the college a chance to acknowledge and reinforce its institutional commitment to engaging students across disciplines, including the sciences, humanities, social sciences and the arts.
“Dr. Paulina Mena exemplifies the kind of innovative teaching that lies at the heart of Central’s mission,” says Mary E.M. Strey, vice president for academic affairs. “She fosters a classroom culture where students are active participants in their own learning journey, combining rigorous academic standards with genuine care for student success. This recognition celebrates not only her excellence in teaching and scholarship, but also her commitment to helping students discover their potential as learners for life, no matter their major.”
Mena joined the Central faculty in 2009 as an assistant professor of biology. She was tenured and promoted to associate professor in 2015 and promoted to professor of biology in 2023. Her teaching across disciplines is reflected in courses that range from Human Evolution and Genetics to From Lady Bugs to Lady Gaga. Honors seminars, courses taught in Mexico and Peru and undergraduate honors research are also part of Mena’s teaching portfolio.
In 2021, Mena was named the inaugural faculty fellow of inclusive pedagogy for her commitment to ensuring all students at Central enjoy full access to their education. She has been a driving force in re-establishing the robust recognition of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, working with students and colleagues from across campus to plan inclusive programming. Mena has served on at least one faculty committee annually since 2011 including the faculty policy and faculty planning committees, each of which she served as chair, and multiple strategic planning committees. She is currently chair of the faculty personnel committee. Her conference presentations and invited talks often include students or colleagues.
Established in 2006, this endowed chair memorializes the lives of Marvin Denekas, a 1932 Central graduate, and his wife Ruth Mary, who graduated from the Ohio State University and Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing, Cleveland, Ohio. The endowed chair was created with a portion of the Marvin “Mike” Denekas $2 million estate gift to Central.
