Name: Ben Ogles
BYU employee since... July 2011. I worked at Ohio University for 21 years before coming home to BYU.
My job at BYU is... Dean of the College of Family, Home and Social Sciences. I oversee the nine departments in our college – Anthropology, Economics, Geography, History, Political Science, Psychology, School of Family Life, Social Work and Sociology. My most frequent duty goes something like this: "Could you please take care of this?"
Currently, I’m working on... Among other duties, I am working side-by-side with LDS Philanthropies to raise money for several endowments in our college.
I’m currently reading… Just finished A World Ablaze: The Rise of Martin Luther and the Birth of the Reformation, written by one of our History professors, Craig Harline. It is a terrific book published just in time for the 500th anniversary of the start of the Reformation last fall – October 31, 1517, the date Luther is believed to have published his 95 Theses.
I get most excited about my work when… I see students benefit from excellent faculty mentoring, especially when it is facilitated through gifts from some of our loyal and generous donors.
My advice to graduating seniors is… Jacob 2:18-19
My favorite TV show growing up was… Perry Mason. I loved the courtroom drama and the surprising, case-changing discovery that accompanied that most important question (aka the “Perry Mason moment”). My mom would let me stay up late to watch it with her while the younger kids had to go to bed.
The best-kept BYU secret is… The Center for Family History and Genealogy (CFHG) in the JFSB because most people know about the family history resources in the library, but many do not know that we have a family history major (the only one we know of in the country) or that there are opportunities to be engaged in faculty research projects involving family history through the CFHG.
On Saturday mornings you’ll find me… On the golf course (in the summer) and in the office catching up, but wishing I was on the golf course (in the winter).
I chose to come to BYU because... I love the mission of BYU and the freedom we have to help students both spiritually and intellectually.
When I have 30 minutes of free-time, you can find me… Playing internet chess – bishopskewer on chess.com
