$15 million in gifts to help spur Ohio State forward

The Ohio State University Board of Trustees has approved two major donor gifts that will help further the university’s mission to help students and the community.

Trustees on Thursday approved a $10.15 million pledge from The Jay & Jeanie Schottenstein Family Foundation to create the Jeffrey Schottenstein Program for Resilience that will support the College of Medicine and students across campus.

The Schottenstein family’s gift seeks to address the mental health crisis facing young adults on campus and is inspired by Jeffrey Schottenstein’s efforts to help those struggling with mental health issues and remove the stigma attached to them. The Program for Resilience, facilitated through the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, will fight against stigma and help normalize mental health challenges that impact students.

The gift also funds an endowed chair of Psychiatry and Resilience in the College of Medicine that will be held by Dr. K. Luan Phan.

Ohio State President Kristina M. Johnson noted the good timing of the gift, citing the stress the COVID-19 pandemic has caused, and said its importance “cannot be overstated.”

In a separate gift, the Robert F. Wolfe and Edgar T. Wolfe Foundation made a $5 million grant to endow a chair for the chief clinical officer position at the Wexner Medical Center. The new Wolfe Foundation Chief Clinical Officer Chair honors the leadership of its first designee ­– current chief clinical officer Dr. Andrew M. Thomas – who has been a leader in Ohio’s COVID-19 pandemic response. The chair title will be renamed the Wolfe Foundation – Dr. Andrew M. Thomas Chief Clinical Officer Chair upon his retirement.

Trustees also congratulated Johnson on her Investiture taking place on Nov. 19 and her leadership during the pandemic.

“You have led Ohio State with a calm, steady hand, keeping this community together and moving forward during a situation unlike anything we’ve ever seen,” said Gary Heminger, board of trustees chair.

The board also heard from three individuals who are survivors of sexual misconduct committed by former Ohio State physician Dr. Richard Strauss, who worked at the university from 1978-1998 and died in 2005.

Further actions taken during the board’s meeting include:

Changing of master’s degree name approved

Trustees approved a name change of the master of arts in Slavic and Eastern European studies to the master of arts in Slavic, East European and Eurasian studies to more accurately reflect course offerings and the needs of graduating students.

Establishment of master’s degree approved

Trustees approved the creation of a master of athletic training degree program in the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences in the College of Medicine, based on new accreditation expectations that would replace the current bachelor of science in athletic training program.

Honorary degrees approved
The board approved the awarding of the honorary doctor of humane letters degree to Christy K. Mack and John J. Mack. The board also approved the awarding of the honorary doctor of education degree to Freeman Hrabowski III and the awarding of the honorary doctor of public service degree to Bryan Stevenson.

Professional services and construction contracts approved

The board authorized the university to enter into or increase professional service and construction contracts for the following projects:

• Morrill Tower fire alarm replacement

The project will replace the building fire alarm and add a fire command center on the first floor and includes the replacement of the analog camera system. Trustees approved professional services and construction contracts totaling $5.6 million, to be paid for with auxiliary funds.

• North Residential HVAC modifications, phase one

The project will repair boiler flue issues. Trustees approved professional services and construction contracts totaling $5.1 million, to be paid for with university debt. The original project replaced the valance units with fan coil units in Raney House and was included in the fiscal year 2013 capital investment plan.

• Wexner Medical Center loading dock expansion and renovation

The project will renovate 28,000 square feet of existing dock and add 6,000 square feet to support the continued growth of Wexner Medical Center. Trustees approved construction services contracts totaling $15.1 million, part of a $16.9 million overall budget, to be paid for with auxiliary funds.

Special fee for College of Engineering approved

Trustees authorized a special fee for undergraduate engineering students at all campuses to take effect in fiscal year 2023 for first-year students. The fee supports the university’s initiatives to meet the needs of Ohio State students and would remain the same for four years as part of the Ohio State Tuition Guarantee. It will fund acquisition and upkeep of technology and equipment in engineering education laboratories and recruitment of faculty in a highly competitive market.

Submittal of audited consolidated financial statement to state auditor approved

Trustees approved the submittal of the annual independent audit of financial statements to the Auditor of State. University management and PricewaterhouseCoopers produced the final draft of the audited financial statements for the 2020 and 2021 fiscal years.

Progress report on Ohio Task Force on Affordability and Efficiency recommendations approved

The board approved the university’s fiscal year 2021 progress report on recommendations made to the Ohio Task Force on Affordability and Efficiency. Ohio public colleges and universities must submit annual recommendations to the Ohio Department of Higher Education.

Golf course membership dues and fees approved

The board approved golf course membership dues and fees for calendar year 2022. While golf course daily green fees will remain at current levels, a membership dues increase of 5% for alumni, faculty/staff and affiliate memberships and of 2.7% for student memberships is necessary to meet increased costs and remain financially stable for the 2022 calendar year.

University Foundation report approved
The board approved the report as of Sept. 30, 2021, which includes the establishment of one endowed chair: The Robert F. Wolfe and Edgar T. Wolfe Foundation Chief Clinical Officer Chair in the Wexner Medical Center; two endowed professorships: the Seth Andre Myers Professorship in Global Military History and the College of Arts and Sciences Alumni Professorship; one endowed fellowship: the Richard R. Duncan Fellowship; 26 additional named endowed funds; and the revision of 11 named endowed funds

Naming of public university spaces
The board approved the naming of the following university spaces:

• Jane E. Heminger Hall in the College of Nursing in recognition of Gary and Jane Heminger’s significant contributions to the college.
• The home team tunnel at Ohio Stadium as Encova Mutual Insurance Group in recognition of Encova’s significant contributions to the Department of Athletics.
• The patient and family visitation room (A1402) in the Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute as Alex’s Sunnyside Playroom in recognition of Alex’s Sunnyside Playroom and Gwendolyn Porter’s significant contributions to the hospital.

Naming of internal university spaces
The board approved the naming of the following internal university spaces, in recognition of significant contributions:

In the Frank Stanton Veterinary Spectrum of Care Clinic:

• Colleen E. Currigan, DVM 1985, AAFP President 2016 (Room 178)
• Supported by: James F. Link, DVM Class of 1978 (Room 112)
• From the Class of 1985 “You can never really pay back. You can only pay forward.” – Woody Hayes (Room 173)

In the Veterinary Medical Center:

• Class of 1982 Exam Room (Room 1014)
• Class of 1989 Exam Room (Room 230)
• Wolff Family Trust Exam Room (Room 1012)

In Bolz Hall:

• The Bill and Katie Shelley Huddle Room (430A)

In the WOSU Public Media Headquarters:

• Phone room (413): In Honor of Helga and Robert Muladore (Ingrid Muladore Robechek and Nils Muladore)

In Outpatient Care New Albany:

• Surgery consult room (2310): Generous Gift from Karen and Steve Skilken

Naming of the Controlled Environment Food Production Research Complex approved
The board approved the administrative renaming of the Controlled Environment Food Production Research Complex in the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences to the Controlled Environment Agriculture Research Complex.

Appointment of new member to Self Insurance Board approved
The board approved the addition of Demetries J. Neely to the Self Insurance Board, which oversees the university’s self insurance program, to a term ending June 30, 2024.

Personnel actions approved

The board approved the following appointments:

• Andrew Thomas has been appointed interim co-leader of the Wexner Medical Center starting Sept. 9, 2021.
• Mark Larmore has been appointed interim co-leader of the Wexner Medical Center starting Sept. 9, 2021.
• Sujit Basu has been appointed professor (Jack C. Geer M.D. Professorship in Pathology) in the College of Medicine for a term beginning Sept. 1, 2021, and running through June 30, 2025.
• Monica F. Cox has been appointed professor (Distinguished Professor of Engineering) in the College of Engineering for a term beginning July 1, 2021, and running through June 30, 2026.
• Eric Fosler-Lussier has been appointed professor (John I. Makhoul Professorship in Electrical and Computer Engineering) in the College of Engineering for a term beginning Jan. 1, 2022, and running through June 30, 2026.
• Russell S. Hassan has been appointed professor (Ambassador Milton A. and Roslyn Z. Wolf Chair) in the John Glenn College of Public Affairs for a term beginning Aug. 15, 2021, and running through Aug. 14, 2026.
• Tasha Lewis has been appointed associate professor-clinical (Nina Mae Mattus Professorship) in the College of Education and Human Ecology for a term beginning Jan. 1, 2022, and running through Dec. 31, 2026.
• Marta Nowak has been appointed assistant professor (Christos Yessios Endowed Professorship) in the College of Engineering for a term beginning Aug. 15, 2021, and running through June 30, 2026.
• Dhabaleswar K. Panda has been appointed professor (Distinguished Professor of Engineering) in the College of Engineering for a term beginning July 1, 2021, and running through June 30, 2026.
• Andrew M. Thomas has been appointed associate professor-clinical (Robert F. Wolfe and Edgar T. Wolfe Foundation Chief Clinical Officer Chair in the Wexner Medical Center) in the College of Medicine for a term beginning Dec. 1, 2021, and running through June 30, 2025.
• Rebecca Reczek has been appointed professor (Berry Chair of New Technologies in Marketing) in the Fisher College of Business for a term beginning Aug. 16, 2021, and running through Aug. 15, 2026.
• Shannon G. Washburn has been appointed professor and chair (Sanford G. Price and Isabelle P. Barbee Chair in Teaching, Advising and Learning) in the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences for a term beginning Oct. 1, 2021, and running through June 30, 2026.
• Bruce Weinberg has been appointed professor (Eric Byron Fix-Monda Endowed Professorship) in the College of Arts and Sciences for a term beginning Aug. 15, 2021, and running through Aug. 14, 2026.
• Jennifer A. Woyach has been appointed professor (D. Warren Brown Designated Chair in Leukemia Research) in the College of Medicine for a term beginning Nov. 1, 2021, and running through June 30, 2025.
• Hsin-Jung Joyce Wu has been appointed professor (Ronald L. Whisler MD Chair in Rheumatology and Immunology) in the College of Medicine for a term beginning Oct. 1, 2021, and running through June 30, 2025.
• Dongbin Xiu has been appointed professor (Ohio Eminent Scholar in Scientific Computation) in the College of Arts and Sciences for a term beginning Aug. 15, 2021, and running through Aug. 14, 2026.

Reappointments

• Todd N. Gannon has been reappointed professor (Robert S. Livesey Professorship in Architecture) in the College of Engineering for a term beginning July 1, 2021, and running through June 30, 2022.
• Creola Johnson has been reappointed professor (Presidents Club Designated Professorship in Law) in the Moritz College of Law for a term beginning Oct. 1, 2021, and running through June 30, 2022.
• Matthew Mayhew has been reappointed professor (William Ray and Marie Adamson Flesher Professorship in Educational Administration) in the College of Education and Human Ecology for a term beginning Aug. 15, 2021, and running through Aug. 14, 2026.
• Jami J. Shah has been reappointed professor (Honda Designated Professorship in Engineering Design for Manufacturing) in the College of Engineering for a term beginning Aug. 1, 2021, and running through June 30, 2022.
• Kui Xie has been reappointed professor (Ted and Lois Cyphert Distinguished Professorship in Teacher Education) in the College of Education and Human Ecology for a term beginning Aug. 15, 2021, and running through Aug. 14, 2024.
• Dongbin Xiu has been reappointed professor (Ohio Eminent Scholar in Scientific Computation) in the College of Arts and Sciences for a term beginning Aug. 15, 2021, and running through Aug. 14, 2026.
• Xiaodong Zhang has been appointed professor (Robert M. Critchfield Professorship in Engineering) in the College of Engineering for a term beginning June 1, 2021, and running through June 30, 2026.

Resolutions in Memoriam announced

The board approved resolutions honoring the following former faculty emeriti who recently died:

• William P. Baker, professor emeritus in the School of Music in the College of Arts and Sciences, who died on Aug. 11, 2021, at age 85.
• Eleanor S. Block, associate professor emeritus with University Libraries, who died on Jan. 21, 2021, at age 80.
• Philip M. Clark, professor emeritus of psychology in the College of Arts and Sciences, who died on June 21, 2021, at age 91.
• Charles E. Corbató, professor and associate provost emeritus in the School of Earth Sciences in the College of Arts and Sciences, who died on July 28, 2021, at age 89.
• Robert D. Cottrell, professor emeritus in the Department of French and Italian, who died on July 2, 2021, at age 91.
• Patrick M. Ewing, assistant professor emeritus in the Department of Mathematics at the Ohio State-Mansfield campus, who died on April 10, 2021, at age 84.
• Howard P. Fink, professor emeritus in the Moritz College of Law, who died on Aug. 2, 2021, at age 88.
• Rate A. Howell, associate professor emeritus in the Department of Finance in the Max M. Fisher College of Business, who died on Aug. 24, 2021, at age 98.
• Alfred C. Long, professor emeritus and assistant dean emeritus in the College of Dentistry, who died on March 4, 2021, at age 96.
• Julian H. Markels, professor emeritus in the Department of English in the College of Arts and Sciences, who died on July 22, 2021, at age 96.
• James W. Marquand, professor emeritus in Ohio State Extension in the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences, who died on Sept. 12, 2021, at age 96.
• William L. Marsh, professor emeritus in the Department of Pathology in the College of Medicine, who died on Aug. 27, 2021, at age 74.
• William J. Meyers, professor emeritus in the College of Dentistry, who died on March 6, 2021, at age 90.
• William A. Newton Jr., professor emeritus of pathology and pediatrics in the College of Medicine, who died on Feb. 25, 2021, at age 97.
• Francis O’Hare, professor emeritus in the Department of English in the College of Arts and Sciences, who died on June 2, 2021, at age 86.
• Clyde E. Opliger, associate professor emeritus at the Agricultural Technical Institute, who died on Sept. 23, 2021, at age 88.
• Richard N. Pratte, professor emeritus in the School of Educational Policy and Leadership in the College of Education and Human Ecology, who died on June 5, 2021, at age 91.
• Randall R. Reed, professor emeritus of animal sciences in the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences, who died on Sept. 6, 2021, at age 100.
• Daryl L. Siedentop, professor emeritus in the School of Physical Activity and Educational Services in the College of Education and Human Ecology, who died on July 15, 2021, at age 82.
• Donald J. Tosi, professor emeritus in the School of Physical Activity and Educational Services in the College of Education and Human Ecology, who died on July 21, 2021, at age 81.
• Bennie L. White, associate professor emeritus in Ohio State Extension in the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences, who died on Feb. 18, 2021, at age 87.

Board committee appointments ratified

The board approved the ratification of committee appointments for fiscal year 2022-23 as follows: