Dr. Denise Pinnick
Professor of Library Services
B.A., Oakland City University
M.L.S., Indiana University
Ed.D., Oakland University, 2007
dpinnick@oak.edu
812-749-1267
School of Arts and Sciences
Dr. Denise J. Pinnick first came to Oakland City University as a student (Oakland City College at that time) in 1986. Denise was a single mother of three young children and felt the need to complete her education so that she could provide for her family. OCU was the perfect fit for her needs and provided an excellent opportunity for her through the Christian guidance and support of staff and faculty. Denise graduated from OCC in 1990 with a BA in elementary education and a minor in reading. She went back to school in 1993 and graduated from Indiana State University with a Master degree in Library Science. Denise came back to OCU in December of 1999 as an employee and is currently the Director of the Library and Associate Professor of Library Services. She was quoted at one time as saying “It was like coming home again”. In 2006 Denise earned her doctoral degree from OCU.
With the exception of one semester, Denise has taught Children’s Literature since the fall semester of 2003. She has a passion for children’s literature and feels blessed to be able to share that with her students. Part of that connection to children’s literature may come from the fact that she is the mother of four children, stepmother of two, and grandmother of nine (with another one on the way).
Denise has been blessed in many other ways as well. “God has provided me with a wonderful husband, who works very hard to serve his family and church.” Some of her hobbies include knitting, crocheting, walking, and reading. Some of her passions are Teen Bible Quizzing (she won the 2010-2011 SWID Teen Bible Quiz Coach of the Year award), working for her church, and serving the students/faculty/staff of OCU. But her greatest passion is spending time attending the gospel keyboard concerts given by her 16 year old son or attending the southern gospel concerts given by the Circle of Friends (of which her husband sings, plays the bass, and is one of the song writers; and her son, of course, plays the keyboard). Denise, however, is not musically blessed. When asked at one of the concerts what she played her reply was “The radio, but not very well”.
Denise has published three articles, Ethical Leadership, Characteristics of Enlightened Management, and The Effect of an Information Literacy Course on the Information Literacy Skills of College Students. She was given the Oakland City University Teacher of the Year award in 2008, and she feels very blessed that God has allowed her to be in a position that affords her to both serve as a librarian and teach.