Rick Ostrander

{{Short description|American academic}}

{{Infobox academic

| name = Rick Ostrander

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| birth_name = Richard S. Ostrander

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| occupation = Executive Director, Michigan Christian Study Center

| alma_mater = Moody Bible Institute
University of Michigan
University of Notre Dame

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| notableworks = Academically Speaking

| spouse = Lonnie Ostrander

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| awards = Fulbright Scholar

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|workplaces= Michigan Christian Study Center

|doctoral_advisor = George Marsden}}

Richard S. Ostrander, known as Rick Ostrander, is a U.S. historian and higher education leader. He serves as Executive Director for the Michigan Christian Study Center in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Career

After earning a PhD in history from the University of Notre Dame under the direction of George Marsden,{{Cite book|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/880244112|title=American Evangelicalism : George Marsden and the state of American religious history|last=|first=|publisher=|year=2014|isbn=9780268038427|editor-last=Dochuk|editor-first=Darren|location=Notre Dame, Indiana|pages=488|oclc=880244112|editor-last2=Kidd|editor-first2=Thomas S.|editor-last3=Peterson|editor-first3=Kurt W.}} Ostrander taught at Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, Arizona. In 1997, Ostrander became an assistant professor of history at John Brown University in Siloam Springs, Arkansas.{{cite web| title=Dr. Rick Ostrander Receives Prestigious Fulbright Award| url=http://www.jbu.edu/news/press_releases/?id=428| work=jbu.edu| publisher=John Brown University| access-date=28 May 2013}} In September 2002, he became the dean of undergraduate studies at John Brown University.{{cite web| title=JBU Appoints New Dean of Undergraduate Studies| url=http://www.jbu.edu/news/press_releases/?id=13| work=jbu.edu| publisher=John Brown University| access-date=28 May 2013}} In 2004, he was selected as a Fulbright Scholar to teach in Wurzburg,Germany. From 2009 to 2015, he served as provost at Cornerstone University in Grand Rapids, Michigan.{{cite web| title=Cabinet| url=http://www.cornerstone.edu/cabinet| work=cornerstone.edu| publisher=Cornerstone University| access-date=28 May 2013}} Ostrander became Vice President for Academic Affairs & Professional Programs at the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU), Washington, DC in 2015.{{Cite web|url=http://www.cccu.org/news/articles/2015/OstranderNamedVPAA|title=Dr. Rick Ostrander Named Vice President for Academic Affairs & Professional Programs|last=|first=|date=May 18, 2015|website=Council for Christian Colleges & Universities News|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151109074004/http://www.cccu.org/news/articles/2015/OstranderNamedVPAA|archive-date=November 9, 2015|url-status=dead|access-date=2019-02-23}} During the pandemic, Ostrander worked for Acadeum, an online course-sharing network. In 2021 he served as Assistant to the President for Academic Innovation at Westmont College in Santa Barbara, California. Ostrander began his role as Executive Director for the Michigan Christian Study Center in 2023.

Education

Publications

Author

Contributor

  • Searching for Spirituality in Higher Education, New York City: Peter Lang Publishing, 2007. {{ISBN|978-0-8204-8159-3}}.
  • American Evangelicalism : George Marsden and the State of American Religious History, Notre Dame, Indiana: University of Notre Dame Press, 2014. {{ISBN|9780268038427}}.

Personal life

Rick is married to Lonnie. They have four children.{{cite web| title=Provost| url=http://www.cornerstone.edu/provost| work=cornerstone.edu| publisher=Cornerstone University| access-date=28 May 2013}}

References