Dr. Lance Kaltenbaugh never set out to become a teacher. But 25 years after stepping into his first classroom at Ashland University, he can’t imagine being anywhere else. Today, as associate dean in the College of Business and Economics and a long-time sport management professor, Lance has helped shape the lives of thousands of students—through teaching, mentoring and a commitment to one simple truth: people matter.
“From day one, I’ve always said, call me Lance,” he says. “It breaks down walls. I want students to know I see them as individuals first—not just as a grade or a name on a roster.”
Lance arrived at Ashland in 2000, hired as a professional instructor at just 23 years old. Though he’d planned to work in sports programming, a conversation with a family friend—Dr. Frank Pettigrew, then-chair of Ashland’s sports science department—led to an unexpected opportunity. “I took the job thinking it might be temporary,” he says. “But I fell in love with it. Every day was different. I loved the challenge.”
In the years since, Lance has helped shape and grow Ashland’s sport management program into a dynamic, hands-on learning experience that continues to resonate with students. He earned his doctorate along the way, transitioned to tenure-track faculty and now serves as associate dean, all while continuing to teach, advise and lead students on immersive learning trips around the country and the world.
“I’m a big believer in learning by doing,” Lance says. “Internships, site visits, travel—those experiences are game changers. You can sit in a classroom for 16 weeks, or you can get your hands dirty and actually do the work.”
This philosophy has taken students from Ashland to places like the Super Bowl, the Women’s Final Four and even overseas. One trip to Europe included a chaotic—but unforgettable—14-hour train ride through Germany and the Netherlands, with flooding, detours and no air conditioning. “In the moment, it was rough,” Lance says. “But now? We laugh every time it comes up. The students just grin ear to ear. That trip will be with them for life.”
The goal, he says, is to create experiences that stay with students—and to ensure no one misses out because of financial barriers. “Up to this point, we’ve been fortunate to have donor support,” Lance says. “But I never want to look a student in the eye and say, ‘You can’t go because of cost.’ I’ll always fight to keep these opportunities accessible.”
He’s also eager to create even more opportunities by tapping into the power of Ashland’s alumni network. “If there’s someone out there running a business and they want students to see what they’ve built—let’s do it,” he says. “If there’s a door to open for our students, I want to walk through it.”
Lance’s impact goes far beyond the trips he plans or the courses he teaches. He’s known for answering emails at midnight, supporting students through personal crises and showing up for their moments—big and small. “I’ve been to weddings, met their kids, attended their games,” he says. “They’re not just students. They’re people. And once they graduate, they’re friends.”
Now a parent of an Ashland student himself, Lance has seen the university from another angle—and it’s deepened his belief in its mission. “There’s something about this place you can’t bottle,” he says. “When you’re here, you feel it. And when students know they’re seen and supported, they thrive.”
He credits this same sense of support with his own growth. Mentors like Drs. Frank Pettigrew, Randall Gearhart, Paul Milton and Dan Fox shaped his early years at Ashland, and he’s paying it forward now by investing in the next generation. “I’ve grown up here,” he says. “I started at 23, got married, had kids, built my career—and Ashland let me do this while staying true to who I am.”
Looking ahead, Lance is energized by what’s still to come. “I’m just getting started,” he says. “The best stories don’t come from perfect classrooms. They come from long train rides, late-night emails, unexpected conversations. If you create space for those moments, everything else falls into place.”
