The initiative reflects a university-wide commitment to creating a residential experience that goes beyond merely a place to live, and instead supports learning, well-being, community and engagement. By bringing together housing, dining, recreation, academic engagement and student support services, Ohio State aims to make the residential experience a competitive advantage and create vibrant residential communities where students have extraordinary opportunities to engage, learn and thrive.

"As I shared in my State of the University address, creating a signature undergraduate experience is one of the university's highest priorities," Bellamkonda said. “This includes providing a transformative residential experience that serves each student in line with our academic excellence mission. This initiative represents an opportunity to intentionally shape these experiences in ways that foster connection, support academic success and help every Buckeye reach their full potential."

Research consistently demonstrates that students who live on campus experience benefits that contribute to retention, persistence, community connection and overall success. Building on significant investments already underway in residence hall renovations and renewal, the Residential Experience Transformation initiative will take a broader view of how the university creates environments where students can flourish throughout their Ohio State journey.

University leaders emphasize that the effort is not simply a facilities plan.

"This work is fundamentally about student success," said Senior Vice President for Student Life Melissa Shivers. "Our goal is to create a residential experience that serves as a competitive advantage for Ohio State by intentionally integrating housing, dining, recreation, academic engagement and student support. We are moving beyond conversations about buildings to ask a more important question: How do we design residential communities that help students build meaningful relationships, connect their residential, dining and recreation needs with academic success, engage deeply with the university, access opportunities for growth and ultimately succeed both during and after their time at The Ohio State University?"

The initiative is being led by Shivers, Trevor Brown, interim executive vice president and provost, and Mike Papadakis, senior vice president and chief financial officer. Together, they are guiding a collaborative effort that connects student experience goals with the university's academic mission, enrollment strategy and long-term planning efforts.

A central focus of the initiative is strengthening the connection between where students live and how they learn. The work will explore opportunities to enhance academic engagement, expand support for student well-being and create residential communities that foster learning, leadership development and a stronger sense of connection to the community. Particular attention will be given to opportunities that further elevate the Honors and Scholars experience and support Ohio State's aspirations for a truly distinctive undergraduate journey.

To help shape the future of the residential experience, Ohio State will launch a comprehensive engagement process this fall. Students, faculty, staff, families, campus partners, alumni and community partners will be invited to participate in visioning sessions focused on identifying the experiences, programs and services that matter most to student success.

"The best ideas come from listening," said Brown. "The future of the Ohio State residential experience should be shaped by the students, faculty, staff, families and alumni who know firsthand the transformative impact these communities can have. Their voices will be essential as we define what the next generation of the Buckeye experience looks like."

The Residential Experience Transformation initiative aligns with Education for Citizenship 2035 and the university's broader efforts to strengthen student success, community and academic excellence. Through intentional planning and broad collaboration, Ohio State is working to create a residential experience that will serve future Buckeyes for decades to come.

The analysis, comparing ice cores drilled from the Guliya Plateau in 1992 and 2015, shows that both samples contained similar oxygen isotope patterns, suggesting that the environmental signals they contain are consistent and reproducible.

“Reproducibility of the records within a given ice cap is extremely important,” said Lonnie Thompson, lead author of the study, professor of earth sciences and senior research scientist at the Byrd Polar Research Center at The Ohio State University. “If you get an identical record a quarter of a century later, it can tell you a lot about the behavior of the ice over time.”

To measure the true age of the ice, researchers employed advanced dating techniques to detect two radioactive isotopes, beryllium and chlorine, whose half-lives make them reliable tools for capturing large-scale environmental changes. In this paper, the international team used these elements to mark the Laschamp Geomagnetic Excursion, a reversal of Earth’s magnetic field that left major chemical traces in the ice more than 41,000 years ago.

By comparing these results with oxygen-isotope records from nearby Tibetan cave deposits, this team estimates that the Guliya record’s age may stretch back well over 128,000 years, said Thompson.

“It’s a really critical finding, because outside of the polar regions, this is the only ice core we have from the mountaintops that go back that far,” he said. “Records out of Huascarán only go back over 30,000 years, not over 100,000, so that makes Guliya a very unique record.”

The paper was published today in Science Advances.

Ice cores serve as vital climate archives of the locations and time periods they represent. Yet deciphering these flash-frozen treasure troves can be a challenge, as it requires an accurate knowledge of the ice core’s timescale, said Thompson.

For example, while previous work suggested that Guliya’s record stopped at the Mid-Holocene, an era that began nearly 12,000 years ago, evidence from this work lays to rest doubts about its chronology, confirming that some of its ice is, in fact, much older than the Holocene.

“If we only had Holocene-era ice in Tibet, that would mean that the big ice sheets from the last ice age didn’t persist through the early Holocene,” said Thompson. “But evidence shows that it did.”

While Guliya’s topography likely plays a role in its ability to preserve such old paleoclimate records, constructing a more accurate timescale for the ice cap may also offer answers to bigger environmental questions, such as when Earth’s intense periods of glaciation began and ended.

“When did ice start forming on the planet and what did those natural processes of loss look like?” said Thompson. “We need to know those things, and the only way you can really demonstrate it is with accurate time scales on these records.”

Because these results open new pathways for other types of detailed scientific investigations on Guliya ice cores, the team plans to use future samples to determine how other key climate and environmental indicators may change with this new acknowledgment of Earth’s geologic history.

“The big picture is that our results tell a very consistent story,” he said. “If you get the science right, it’s consistent. It’s our understanding of what it’s trying to tell us that has to catch up.”

This research was supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation. Ohio State co-authors include Mary Davis and Ellen Mosley-Thompson, as well as Juerg Beer from the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Christof Vockenhuber and Marcus Christl from ETH Zurich in Switzerland, Tandong Yao from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Ninglian Wang and Ling Fang from Northwest University in China.

In a new study, researchers found that this protein, called linker histone H1, initially flits around inside a cell with no clear aim even in the presence of its target: a nucleosome containing spooled-up segments of DNA. H1 binds directly to two DNA strands sticking out from the nucleosome, but struggles to bind to the nucleosome itself until a chaperone protein escorts it there.

The team used single-molecule experiments to visualize individual H1 proteins and their nucleosome targets before, during and after H1 bound to the DNA and to the center of the nucleosome. Single-molecule methods provide direct understanding of the target processes by quantifying molecular motions and interactions one molecule at a time, said senior author Michael Poirier, professor of physics at The Ohio State University.

“Many proteins are dynamic, and the way you get at mechanistic dynamic information is by doing these single-molecule studies where you literally can watch in real time what individual molecules are doing,” Poirier said.

These insights are especially important when studying a protein with so much influence over cellular functions, he said.

“H1 is a key regulator of which genes are being used by a cell and which genes are not. If you want to understand how disease develops because gene expression is no longer working properly, then you need to understand how H1 works. Once you understand this, then you open up the possibility for new therapies that counteract this cause of disease.”

First author Ehsan Akbari, a research scientist in Poirier’s lab, led the team’s work. The research was published Sept. 22 in Molecular Cell.

Every cell in a plant, animal or human contains the organism’s entire DNA. In human cells, our 6-foot-long genome must fit inside the nucleus, which is less than 1/10th the width of a human hair. To do this, sections of genomic DNA spool around a collection of histone proteins to form nucleosomes – similarly to how a watering hose might be organized in a backyard.

Nucleosomes then fold in on each other, clumping together to form chromatin. The linker histone H1’s job is to facilitate chromatin compaction, ensuring DNA segments containing genes the cell isn’t using stay wrapped up and unavailable for expression.

“We know that H1 is important for compacting the genome, which is important for regulating gene expression,” Poirier said. “In the genome, regions that are going to be compacted are loaded with a lot of H1, while regions that are more open are going to have less H1.

“Most of your genes are turned off – you only use a small fraction of your genes for any particular cell, so most of the genes need to be maintained in these compacted states so their expression is turned off.”

Poirier and colleagues used optical tweezer instrumentation and single-molecule fluorescence measurements to visualize H1 interactions with DNA and a nucleosome. They observed that H1 continues to move around even after binding to DNA and, instead of loading onto the nucleosome by way of the DNA, the protein reflects away from the nucleosome.

“It moves around and doesn’t even go to the nucleosome, which I didn’t believe,” Poirier said. That’s when the team, predicting a chaperone protein might be the missing link, added three known linker histone chaperone proteins to the experiments.

“Amazingly, the chaperones did a bunch of things to regulate how H1 goes around and how it actually finds and gets onto nucleosomes. And that’s the main point, that people have not understood how H1 loads and gets onto a nucleosome,” he said. “What we found was that it actually will directly load and likes to slide along DNA – we also didn’t even know that it would do that – but it needs a chaperone to help get onto the actual nucleosome.”

Though this work doesn’t tell the entire H1 story, the step-by-step visualizations offer new hints about where the process could go wrong. Poirier’s lab has previously studied H1 variants and their post-translational modification that can occur – changing H1 targeting and function after it’s been fabricated by the cell.

“One very natural thing to do next is to look at how these variants, post-translational modifications, and, most importantly, cancer-relevant mutations influence H1 properties and function that we are now in a position to measure,” he said.

This work was funded by the National Institutes of Health and the U.S. National Science Foundation.

Additional co-authors were Nathaniel Burge of Ohio State and Matti Valdimarsson, Aritra Chowdhury and Benjamin Schuler of the University of Zurich.

The initiative establishes an on-campus AI space in Ohio State’s Innovation District, including Google DeepMind collaborations, provides Gemini Enterprise and Gemini Notebook access campuswide through Google for Education, and launches an exclusive student research ambassador program.

The collaboration is one of the largest partnerships between Google Public Sector and any U.S. university, uniting Ohio State’s preeminent research and academic programs with Google Cloud’s full AI-optimized tech stack and high-performance computing power.

“Ohio State’s new partnership with Google unites two powerhouses of innovation to create excellence at scale for our students, faculty and staff and the state we serve,” said Ravi V. Bellamkonda, president, Ohio State. “In close collaboration with our partners, we will accelerate research across the enterprise through the AI^(X) Hub, enhance and improve the student experience and strengthen our AI Fluency initiative goals.”

Accelerating scientific research and computing

The partnership focuses on driving life-changing scientific discoveries across the hub’s core research pillars — including biomedical engineering, earth sciences and the humanities. University researchers tackling complex challenges will have access to more than 200 AI models, AI-optimized supercomputing systems and technology from Google DeepMind.

Key research components include:

• AI model and Google DeepMind access: Ohio State researchers gain access to Google DeepMind’s advanced scientific models — such as AlphaFold, Google Earth Engine and agentic AI like AlphaEvolve — to accelerate breakthroughs.
• Google’s AI for Science: As one of an initial cohort of leading R1 institutions, Ohio State will receive enterprise access to Google’s AI research agents through Gemini Enterprise, helping researchers shorten discovery timelines by generating and testing scientific hypotheses.
• Project SCARLET: An AI-powered human performance platform that uses predictive models, computer vision and advanced analytics to optimize Buckeye athletes’ training, recovery and health across all 36 sports, custom-built in partnership with the Ohio State Athletics and the Human Performance Collaborative.

“We are entering a new era of scientific discovery where AI acts as a true force-multiplier for human curiosity and breakthrough research,” said Karen Dahut, CEO, Google Public Sector. “Through our advanced tech stack and AI research tools we are putting unparalleled computing power and scientific models directly into the hands of Ohio State’s world-class faculty and researchers. This is one of our largest and most comprehensive education partnerships to date, and we are incredibly proud to partner with Ohio State to pioneer solutions in critical, rapidly evolving fields.”

AI Fluency and student experience

New tools for students will transform the Ohio State experience, providing personalized AI assistants, advanced career pathway tools and unique experiential learning opportunities.

Student-focused initiatives include:

• Increasing technology access: Through Google for Education, select students, faculty and staff members will have access to Google Workspace for Education and Gemini Enterprise.
• Student concierge experience: Ohio State will launch a 24/7 virtual assistant powered by Google Cloud’s AI. This student concierge will enhance academic advising, registrar services and career pathway planning, and provide a streamlined personalized experience for every student.
• Research ambassador program: A first-of-its-kind Google Public Sector ambassador program will recruit Ohio State students to work alongside Google teams, gaining hands-on industry experience.

Collaboration with Google will also help the university modernize campus operations, enabling intelligent campus infrastructure and cybersecurity automation, and eliminating operational barriers for faculty and staff.

Dear Colleagues:

I hope you’re enjoying a successful start to the academic year. As I shared during my recent State of the University address, I’m reminded daily what a privilege it is to be part of such an extraordinary community.

I’m writing to share results of the Ohio State Listening Survey that we conducted this spring with the help of Perceptyx, a third-party research firm. We have periodically conducted these surveys to gather your input on how Ohio State can become an even better place to work and learn.

I want to thank the many of you who participated. Your feedback is helping us take action to remain a workplace of choice for talented faculty and staff – the heart of our university and the people who bring our vision for excellence to life.

You may view detailed results of the listening survey here. Key overall points include:

1) Employee engagement remains a point of pride. A strong majority of you report that your work gives you a sense of accomplishment – an affirmation that you are engaged in meaningful, mission-oriented work.

We’re also working hard to ensure that all of us who hold leadership roles can speak to the university’s priorities and their alignment to our teams’ daily work.

2) We’ve heard your feedback about the importance of affirming that good ideas can come from anywhere at Ohio State. I’m pleased with the early success of our University Continuous Improvement initiative, which has turned input from staff and faculty into tangible actions to improve our efficiency and effectiveness. This effort will continue, as our pursuit of excellence will require good ideas from all of us.

3) I’ve asked university leaders to take action from the data – some of it unified across Ohio State and other actions tailored to your units. Your leader will share detailed survey results for your college or unit soon. This year, leaders will prioritize connecting decisions to the “why.” Leaders will also identify additional actions informed by their unit’s results.

Ohio State is a community of extraordinary people who give life to the Buckeye ethos: hard work, grit, passion and grace. Thanks to your engagement, we’re in a position to become an even better place for you to do consequential work that changes lives and communities.

Thank you for all you do.

Sincerely,

Ravi V. Bellamkonda, PhD

President, The Ohio State University

In honor of the 25th anniversary of the Disney classic “Aladdin,” TBDBITL performed selections including “Friend Like Me,” “One Jump Ahead” and “A Whole New World.” An elephant and rider, the genie and his lamp and the Taj Mahal were just a few of the band’s formations.

Saturday’s i-dotter was Connor Croley, a medical laboratory science major from Wadsworth, Ohio.

The Ohio State University is committed to working with the statewide business community on workforce development and advancing innovation and development, President Ravi V. Bellamkonda said during a recent meeting of the Columbus Partnership.

“We have some bold things happening,” he said. “We are reimagining business education. We’re reimagining what partnerships with companies will look like.”

The meeting brought central Ohio business leaders to the Fisher College of Business – the first time the Columbus Partnership held a meeting on Ohio State’s campus. The Columbus Partnership is a nonprofit, membership-based organization of executives from Columbus businesses and organizations.

Bellamkonda said Ohio State has a long-standing relationship with the business community. He noted that Ohio State recently announced BuildX, an initiative designed to help student founders move through every stage of the startup process, from idea exploration to building a company and investor readiness.

Ohio State also recently announced a partnership with Google in which the technology company will establish an on-campus space in the university’s Innovation District.

Bellamkonda said the partnership will accelerate research across fields from biomedical engineering to the humanities through access to premier AI models, high-powered computing capabilities, student research ambassadors and collaboration with Google DeepMind technology.

“The partnership is not just Google’s first announcement of a physical presence of any U.S. university right here on our campus, the Innovation District, but also their personnel being here and engaging with our students, offering internships,” Bellamkonda said. “They’ll be working with our professors to take on deep research in multiple spaces, from health to earth sciences to national security and other spaces.”

In addition, the university maintains a host of educational programming and facilities that promote workforce development, Bellamkonda said.

“Right here on our campus, we have a 45,000-square-foot classroom for manufacturing,” he said. “One hundred and fifty companies work with undergraduate students on equipment that companies use in their plants.”

Fisher Interim Dean Aravind Chandrasekaran encouraged the business leaders to tap into the university’s resources and increase engagement by providing internships and employment opportunities for Ohio State students.

“If you think about problems in your organizations, we would love to have those as a learning lab for our students, because at the center of what we all do is our students,” Chandrasekaran said. “We want to make sure they get to see, they get to experience your organizations.”

Huntington Bank CEO Steve Steinour, co-chair of the Columbus Partnership, said Ohio State’s research and the expertise of the university’s faculty are assets to the business community.

“There are clearly things happening. There’s an energy about the place,” Steinour told Bellamkonda and Chandrasekaran. “We’re thrilled with the energy and effort you’re bringing on so many fronts, including what you’re doing around innovation and entrepreneurship.”

One of the few university-based initiatives of its kind in the country, Ohio State Events serves as a central point of access for planners and helps to attract events such as conferences, meetings, athletic competitions, symposia, celebrations and other events to campus.

The no-cost resource helps planners navigate site selection, event proposals, site visits and the more than 150 rentable spaces on the institution’s Columbus campus. Ohio State Events also connects planners with the university’s many event-related resources, including catering and dining, transportation, technology and on-site event support. This coordinated approach is particularly valuable for complex events that span multiple venues and require services and expertise from across the university.

The new Ohio State Events website (ohiostateevents.com) gives planners a starting point to explore venue and service options and learn more about hosting an event at Ohio State.

“This initiative will enhance the academic reputation of the university and support its overall academic mission by attracting and convening events that will bring scholarship, innovation and creativity directly to our campus,” said Xen Riggs, vice president of business advancement and chief operating officer of athletics at Ohio State.

Recent events hosted on campus have ranged from national academic conferences to international athletic competitions utilizing multiple Ohio State venues and services.

“We have incredible spaces across Athletics, Student Life, academic facilities and other signature campus locations,” Riggs said. “What makes Ohio State Events special is not just identifying a venue, but the expertise and experiences we can surround events with to simplify the planning process and make an event truly unforgettable.”

The launch also formalizes Ohio State’s partnership with Experience Columbus, the city’s official destination marketing organization, and the Greater Columbus Sports Commission, an LLC of Experience Columbus. Located in the heart of one of the Midwest’s fastest-growing cities — where more than half the U.S. population lives within a single day’s drive or one-hour flight — Ohio State provides an accessible and attractive event hub.

“Ohio State is an integral part of the Columbus experience, and this partnership allows us to connect the university’s extraordinary event capabilities with the hotels, attractions, restaurants and culture our city offers,” said Sarah Townes, chief marketing and innovation officer for Experience Columbus and the Greater Columbus Sports Commission. “Columbus is a premier destination for meetings, conventions and sporting events, and through this new initiative, meeting planners will have unprecedented access to Buckeye Nation and unique experiences that create unforgettable events.”

Ohio State Events is the public-facing name of the Office of Events and Experiences, whose goal is to streamline the event planning process while helping planners take advantage of the depth of venues and event resources available across Ohio State.

“Events are one of the most powerful ways universities share knowledge, build partnerships and advance their mission,” said Kelly Mulhern, senior director of sales for Ohio State Events. “Our role is to help turn opportunities into meaningful connections by bringing the right people, places and resources together to create experiences that have lasting impact.”

Darmanie is one of 10 participants in a pilot program that pairs Ohio State students with second- and third-graders at Weinland Park Elementary School near the university’s Columbus campus. Ohio State’s Leading Through Service class is a partnership with Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) of Central Ohio.

When Darmanie first began meeting with her Little Sister when the program began last spring, she worked on helping the second-grader open up.

“We were really working on her being able to express her emotions because sometimes that can be really hard, especially when you’re little and may not be able to understand the whole spectrum of emotions,” Darmanie said.

“She’d just always say either, ‘[I’m feeling] good or bad.’ And we’re like, ‘OK, well let’s break that down a little bit.’ And by the end [of the semester], she was able to articulate really well, ‘Well, I'm feeling frustrated because of this class.’ We were really working on her emotional ability to regulate.”

By helping her Little Sister express herself, Darmanie said she enhanced her own communication skills.

“When you’re working with someone who’s in second grade, I realize patience is a really important virtue,” she said. “I definitely learned some of my own emotional regulation, working with her.”

Darmanie and several other Ohio State students from last spring’s cohort have returned to participate in the mentoring program at Weinland Park Elementary this academic year. The students spend one class period each week with their Weinland Park counterparts. Mentors help their “Littles” cultivate emotional intelligence and leadership skills, as well as gain an understanding of basic business principles.

In addition to the personal satisfaction that comes with volunteering, the Ohio State students receive course credit.

The Leading Through Service class marks the first time Fisher students have received course credit for community service, said Cynthia Turner, Fisher’s strategic advisor to the dean.

“One goal was to have, at the end of the semester, the Littles knowing a little bit more about business, a little bit more about Fisher and Ohio State,” she said.

“But what I thought was unique about this program is the ability for our students, in a safe space, to develop emotional intelligence skills, being able to engage with students who are often from different backgrounds, learning how to inspire those students.”

To prepare to interact with their mentees, the Ohio State students attended weekly Leading Through Service classroom sessions at the university. Terry Esper, a professor of logistics who teaches the class, said the curriculum aligns with BBBS’s goals of matching children who need guidance with responsible adults.

“We developed a class that was focused on the importance of mentoring as it relates to being an effective business leader. Of course, the essence of the engagement with Big Brothers Big Sisters is all around mentorship,” he said.

“This was a really good opportunity for us to leverage this idea of mentoring someone who’s significantly younger than you and how that would play out if we were to apply that to a business organization.”

Gabriella Perkins, BBBS public service strategist, said the organization’s partnership with Ohio State offers numerous benefits for the Weinland Park Elementary students. The advantages include connecting with young adults from whom they can learn both social skills and entrepreneurial concepts.

“We are focusing on, for our Littles, providing them with that one supportive adult. But on the other end of that for our Ohio State students, we’re providing them with some service learning and leadership,” she said. “[Ohio State students] came up with an idea for a lemonade stand that they work on with the Little as well. What that looks like is a business plan, and they work through that throughout the year.”

Samantha Roman, a human resources major, said she decided to return to the Leading Through Service program this academic year so that she can strengthen the bond that she formed with her Little Sister last spring.

“Every single time that I got to go with my Little, whether it was rain or shine outside, I feel like I always took something with me, especially when it comes to working with younger people,” Roman said. “Since it was my first experience [mentoring], I didn’t even know if I was going to be able to interact with her or connect with her on the level that I did, but I’m so glad I got the opportunity. And that’s what motivates me to come back this year.”

Juan Colon, who is majoring in real estate and urban analysis as well as political science, said he bonded with his Little Brother by teaching him strategy through chess.

“I started bringing my chessboard, and during our free time we’d play chess. And through that, I was able to connect with him more. He was more comfortable talking to me,” Colon said. “He called me his best friend, and that really touched me. … Chess is what built our connection.”

Mike Zebedee Musungu, a finance major, said he returned to the mentoring program this year to help his Little Brother explore academic and career options and encourage him to maximize his potential.

“Seeing him having fun, just being a kid, that’s also one of the also reasons why I decided to continue,” Musungu said. “But also to try and tap into his creativity and give him the opportunity to understand that he can be something.”

Ohio State is also ranked 17th in the nation in the new Best Value Schools for In-State Students category. The university also ranked 44th overall among more than 400 universities nationwide.

The rankings emphasize Ohio State’s focus on fostering a commitment to excellence that yields high-quality academic programs and research.

“These rankings highlight the academic excellence across Ohio State. We are proud of the hard work and exceptional talent of our faculty, students and staff who support these nationally recognized programs,” said university President Ravi V. Bellamkonda. “We have ambitious goals at Ohio State and are committed to a strategy for excellence to become the national leader in public universities.”

In his recent State of the University address, Bellamkonda encouraged the students, faculty and staff of Ohio State to pursue excellence to become the nation’s finest public university.

His strategy for excellence includes six pillars: a signature undergraduate experience with access to excellence for students; investment in the faculty and staff who lead and innovate every day; a commitment to life-changing research; vibrant colleges and academic programs; and a pursuit of operational excellence and efficiency. He also highlighted bold ideas to build on the university’s success, including embracing an entrepreneurial mindset and pursuing AI fluency.

Beyond overall rankings, the university remains among the top 10 in a variety of academic programs. The College of Nursing’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing program is ranked 4th nationally and 2nd among public universities.

In the Fisher College of Business, the supply chain management program ranks 5th nationally and 4th among public universities. The accounting program ranks 12th nationally and 6th among publics.

The production/operation management program ranks 11th nationally, up one spot from last year, and 8th among public universities. The college’s undergraduate business programs were also 8th among publics and 15th nationally. The finance program ranks 18th nationally and 8th among public universities.

In the College of Engineering, the biological and agricultural engineering program ranks 11th nationally and 10th among public universities. The materials engineering and mechanical engineering programs also ranked in the top 10 of public universities, placing 7th and 8th, respectively.

Ohio State remains among the top universities for commitment to military-connected students. The new report ranks the university 22nd nationally and 14th among public institutions.

Ohio State’s top ranking in Ohio is tied with Case Western Reserve University.

Now in its 42nd year, the Best Colleges issue evaluates nearly 1,500 colleges and universities on up to 17 measures of academic quality.

“The backlash we’re studying is different than people disagreeing about wearing masks or getting a COVID vaccine,” said lead author Marian Moser Jones, associate professor of health services management and policy in The Ohio State University College of Public Health. “This is true hostility. Threats of violence. Undermining these people in ways that harm their ability to do their jobs.”

Of 109 leaders interviewed for the study, 76% were threatened or harassed, a category of backlash the researchers deemed “extraordinary.”

Among the experiences shared by public health leaders:

• The FBI arrest of a person making ongoing credible death threats. “That was the first time I felt scared because in his house he had over 100 guns…”
• A public health official described a persistent “scary,” “obsessed” male “stalker” who sent a picture of someone strangling a child the same age as her child.
• “The worst day was [when] I came home from work one day. … I came home and on my front door I found a note taped. And when I opened it up, it was a threat to kill my dog. And it had a picture of my dog in my backyard.”

About half experienced “undermining” backlash, which made it hard for them to work — things like overwhelming their offices with data requests, repeatedly demanding revisions to pandemic guidelines and publicly disparaging their qualifications. The research appears in the American Journal of Public Health.

The research team interviewed leaders from 18 geographically and politically diverse states. Participants were from suburban and rural areas and included local and state leaders.

Many of them have retired early or left the field, Moser Jones said.

“Politicians expect this kind of thing when they go into the field. But before this, most public health officials hadn’t been in the spotlight and they hadn’t been targets. It’s been hard on the profession,” Moser Jones said.

The good news? The research team identified some successful strategies officials used, approaches that could inform future fraught moments in public health leadership.

Particularly in smaller areas, officials often had deep ties to the community and knew the people making threats and creating other challenges, Moser Jones said. Sometimes, they had success bringing upset community members or small business owners to the table for conversations or calling opponents and talking it through.

“They’d say things like, ‘Listen, you’re threatening my kids,’ and it would sometimes turn the temperature down,” Moser Jones said.

“Anecdotally, promoting civil discourse seemed to cut down on the backlash. It didn’t stop it entirely, but it helped prevent officials from being fired or forced out.”

Amy Fairchild, senior author of the study and a professor at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health, said some health officials who weathered backlash involved local businesses in decision making.

“They understood that they needed to explain not only the science but acknowledge the painful tradeoffs at stake and explain the rationales behind these tough decisions,” she said.

The researchers, whose work with public health leaders is ongoing, have identified some potential policy approaches as well, including:

• Criminalizing doxing, the act of publicly revealing private or personally identifiable information about someone online without their permission. (In many cases, officials’ addresses or phone numbers were shared online to encourage organized backlash.)
• Requiring boards of health members to have backgrounds related to the field. (In some communities, people with little or no connection to public health are calling the shots.)

Outside of policy approaches, Moser Jones said health officials may build bridges outside a pandemic by building relationships with different groups in the community who have different values and viewpoints.

“Bringing people who have disagreed about the pandemic together around issues that matter to them, such as the ongoing opioid crisis, can be powerful,” she said.

“Another take-away is there is a lot of work to do to deal with the vicious polarization in this country. For public health officials, it may be working harder to explain why they’re relevant, and all the work they do to keep people healthy — from keeping food safe, to helping moms and babies, to offering people help quitting smoking.”

The project received funding from the Commonwealth Fund, the Mellon Foundation and the National Science Foundation.

Study co-authors from NYU include Shevya Awasthi, Faith Daniel, Cheryl Healton, Julie Holm, José Plascencia Jimenez, José Pagán and Mahathi Vojjala. Study co-authors from Syracuse University include Ashley Marie Bursie, Anne N. M. Getz Eidelhoch, Tori-Ann Haywood, Sierra Jade Kaplan, Winston Junior Scott and Kelsey Anne Wilber.

New numbers from the university’s autumn 2026 enrollment census show total enrollment at Ohio State increased 1.4% over last year to a total of 68,183 students.

“We’re excited that so many talented students in Ohio and around the country are choosing the extraordinary educational experience that Ohio State provides,” said President Ravi V. Bellamkonda. “As Buckeyes, our students have access to excellence: experiential learning, industry-connected internships, research opportunities and an immersive campus life that will prepare them for success as professionals and leaders in their communities.”

Total enrollment on the Columbus campus reached a record high of 62,010 students, up 1.1% from the prior year. Undergraduate enrollment on the Columbus campus also reached a record high of 47,308 students.

The new enrollment report highlights growth on the university’s regional campuses. Regional campus total enrollment increased 4.1% to 6,173 students. And new first-year enrollment on the regional campuses is 3,256, a 6.1% increase over last year and a 22% increase over the past two years.

Autumn 2026 is the first year for the Regional Campus Commitment program, where eligible new first-year students who enroll at one of the university’s campuses in Lima, Mansfield, Marion or Newark or at Ohio State ATI in Wooster can now attend Ohio State without having to pay tuition or mandatory fees. The program supports qualifying students whose family income is less than $100,000 and who have demonstrated financial need

On the Columbus campus, new first-year enrollment grew to 8,585 students, up 375 students from the previous year. Students from the Buckeye State are at the heart of the new first-year class, with 70% coming from Ohio.

The new class remains academically strong with an average ACT score of 28.6 and an average SAT score of 1300. Students are also succeeding once they are on campus. Ohio State achieved a 93.9% first-year retention rate on the Columbus campus, according to the new report, up from 93.5% the previous year, with first-year retention also increasing on nearly all regional campuses. 

In his State of the University address, Bellamkonda highlighted several bold initiatives to support student success. They include a new university partnership with Google Public Sector that will offer student ambassadors research opportunities with on-campus Google researchers. BuildX combines real-world startup practices, rapid experimentation, and mentorship from experienced founders, operators and investors to help students turn promising ideas into scalable ventures. And the continued growth of AI Fluency to help students become AI fluent – fluent in their field of study and fluent in applying AI in that field.

Additional highlights from the enrollment census include:

• Graduate student enrollment remained stable with 11,427 students.
• Professional student enrollment increased slightly to 3,281 students, up 1.3% from the prior year.
• Ohio State Online total enrollment grew to 4,196 students, up 884 students, or 26.7%, from the previous year.

The Quality and Professional Affairs Committee of the Wexner Medical Center Board will meet at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026, in Room 234 of Meiling Hall, 370 West 9th Avenue.

The agenda is as follows:

4-4:05 p.m., Public Session

• Approval of August 25, 2026, Meeting Minutes – Ms. Kara Trott
• Clinical Accomplishments – Dr. Andrew Thomas

4:05-4:55 p.m., Executive Session

4:55-5 p.m., Public Session

• Medical Staff Appointments, Initial FPPE Recommendations and Requests for Additional and/or Special Privileges and Change in Category, September 2026 – Dr. Andrew Thomas, Dr. Kami Maddocks
  1. OSU Wexner Medical Center
  2. James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute
  3. New Albany Ambulatory Surgery Center
  4. Dublin Ambulatory Surgery Center
  5. Powell Ambulatory Surgery Center
• Approval of New/Revised Privilege Application Forms – Dr. Andrew Thomas
  1. Certified Nurse Midwife
  2. Gastroenterology
  3. Intraoperative Neuromonitoring – Telemedicine (Department of Neurosurgery)
  4. Neurology
• Approval of the Antimicrobial Stewardship Program – Dr. Andrew Thomas, Dr. Kami Maddocks
  1. OSU Wexner Medical Center
  2. James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute
• Approval of the Infection Prevention and Control Program – Dr. Andrew Thomas, Dr. Kami Maddocks
  1. OSU Wexner Medical Center
  2. James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute

In a dynamic performance, the band saddled up tunes like “Ghost Riders in the Sky” and the themes from “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly” and “Tombstone.”

Fans were roped in by formations of a sheriff’s badge, boots and spurs, cowboy hats, and more.

Saturday’s i-dotters were Evan Kvach, an electrical and computer engineering major from Northfield, Ohio, and Wyatt Smith, a geographic information systems major from Findlay, Ohio.

When kids regularly miss school, it creates a ripple of consequences that negatively impact everything from grades and test scores to future education plans, career opportunities and economic mobility. Yet one group of especially vulnerable students has been largely overlooked in existing research on absenteeism: kids who have had contact with Child Protective Services (CPS).

New research from The Ohio State University, published in Children and Youth Services Review, found that students with CPS contact were more likely to be absent from school than their peers, for both excused and unexcused reasons. These students were also 14 percentage points more likely to have their teachers contact their families about attendance problems and reported feeling less connected to their schools than their classmates.

The research, led by Arya Ansari, an associate professor of human development and family science, used data from the Future of Families Child Wellbeing Study, which tracked 3,334 adolescents across 20 urban cities from birth through age 15. They examined responses from kids who have had CPS contact through the age of 15, relative to those who have not, including what their families reported about their attendance, and any feelings students expressed with respect to their school connectedness.

According to Ansari, many kids have contact with CPS at some point in their childhood. These investigations are prompted by concerns about children’s safety and well-being, with reasons including suspicion of potential abuse, neglect, substance abuse or domestic violence. In 2024, almost 3 million children were the subject of a CPS investigation. By the time they reach 18, over a third of children in the U.S. will likely be impacted by a CPS investigation, and that number is even higher for Black children — more than half of whom will have contact with CPS before turning 18.

Chronic absenteeism has always been an issue in U.S. schools. During the 2018-19 academic year, 15% of K-12 students were considered chronically absent, meaning they missed at least 10% of instructional time. The COVID-19 pandemic drove national rates of absenteeism up to 28% in 2021-22 before declining to 24% in 2024.

“Surprisingly, in the attendance or absenteeism literature, there’s been very little intersection with kids or families that have had contact with CPS,” said Ansari, also a faculty associate at the Crane Center for Early Childhood Research and Policy.

Contact with CPS itself can be a source of adversity, he explained. And families often respond to the increased surveillance in one of two ways: Some disengage, avoiding the system through even more school absence, while others become more diligent about getting their kids to school every day.

Ansari wanted to explore how schools could better compensate for some of the adversity kids in contact with CPS might be experiencing outside of school.

“Absenteeism reflects many challenges that children and youth experience. Our study suggests that youth with CPS contact face elevated risks,” he added. “But an important piece of that puzzle, as schools think about how to engage students and families, is their connection to school. This is important because school connectedness is malleable and modifiable.”

For example, he said, past studies have found that positive relationships with teachers, inclusive school climates and extracurricular activities all help kids feel safe, valued and connected to their school.

While school connectedness explained some of the attendance gap between kids with CPS contact and their peers, the study found that on its own, school connectedness doesn’t effectively reduce attendance gaps between youth with CPS contact and their peers who haven’t interacted with the system. In other words, while school connectedness interventions don’t necessarily benefit kids with CPS contact more than others, they benefit all children equally.

“School connectedness is one piece of the puzzle, but it ultimately can’t be the only answer to the adversity these kids face,” Ansari said. “It has to be one piece of a larger toolkit.” The toolkit, he explained, should also address issues like housing and income instability, food insecurity, and mental and physical health disparities that students and their families are navigating.

“Many families have to cut meals, and when kids come to school hungry, they’re less likely to be engaged. … If kids don’t have a school bus, they have to walk, and sometimes families don’t feel comfortable with that because of traffic safety or crime. There are a lot of issues at play, largely driven by poverty,” Ansari said.

For kids involved with CPS who are dealing with potential abuse and neglect in their homes, school can serve “as a resource and a getaway — a way out in terms of pursuing higher education and moving on to greater opportunities. But it cannot counteract all these other historical and ongoing forces happening at the same time,” he added.

While schools are often viewed primarily as academic institutions, the relationships between students, teachers and peers are essential to this toolkit. “The social-relational aspect of education is really important,” Ansari said. “We need to keep that in mind as we strategize around tackling absenteeism.”

The study was co-authored by Kierra M.P. Sattler from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

BuildX combines real-world startup practices, rapid experimentation and mentorship from experienced founders, operators and investors. The pathway empowers students to transform promising ideas into scalable ventures with tangible impact. 

“BuildX will further establish Ohio State as a haven for student entrepreneurs – a place where innovators can turn big, bold ideas into new businesses and products with real-world impact,” said Bellamkonda, who helped create a business accelerator while a professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology. “Students will not only learn practical skills for startup success, but will also experience the extraordinary joy of building, making our university one of the most vibrant communities of creators in higher education. As we have always done, Buckeyes won’t wait for the future – we’ll build it.”

The president unveiled details about BuildX at today’s State of the University address, highlighting the initiative’s place as a presidential priority.

The initiative aims to launch 100 investable student startups annually by 2030 and to increase investment in Ohio and grow the startup ecosystem.

Building on a strong foundation
BuildX leverages the momentum of existing university offerings while creating new programming for students who want to pursue entrepreneurship at a higher level.

Students will engage actively and directly in key steps of the startup experience. Teams will be challenged to move quickly from idea to early traction while receiving structured support and feedback from builders who have already been there.

Beginning in spring 2027, students will have access to two new three-credit-hour BuildX startup labs in addition to the already piloted Intro to Software Startups course founded by Arnab Nandi, professor of computer science and engineering and multiple-time founder. One lab will be open to all students who are validating a problem and developing an initial solution. A second lab will support student teams that have demonstrated that they are ready to build and launch their ventures. These intensive, experiential-based courses provide students interested in the BuildX Accelerator with a foundation of skills and access to mentorship needed to excel.

BuildX is embedded directly into the student academic experience rather than existing solely as an extracurricular activity. Students will also have dedicated time to work on their ventures alongside mentors and experts such as Ohio State alumni Andy Sparks, co-founder of Mattermark and Holloway, and Alan Gilbert, product and engineering leader who helped scale CoverMyMeds and Codonics.

Students participating in BuildX lab courses will be eligible to apply for startup development funding to help advance their ventures, and those interested can register for the spring 2027 courses starting in October.

BuildX Accelerator
The focal point is the competitive, in-person summer BuildX Accelerator, designed to help the most promising ventures accelerate growth and prepare for investment.

Selected teams will receive $15,000 in funding along with embedded founder coaching and access to investors, hosted in a new dedicated, 7,000-square-foot space in Pomerene Hall at the heart of Ohio State’s Columbus campus. The space will provide an active environment where students can collaborate, test ideas, advance their ventures and connect with mentors and a community of peers.

It culminates in a Demo Day, where founders present their ventures to investors and supporters.

A new $1 million BuildX Fund, established through donor investment in student innovation and entrepreneurship, supports the program.

Applications for the BuildX Accelerator open Oct. 1 and will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

Students will receive direct access to a range of industry and startup experts as part of an expanding network of mentors, including:

• Christina Cacioppo, co-founder and CEO of Vanta
• Chris Farinacci, former COO of Asana and CMO of Google Cloud
• Dan Manges, co-founder of RWX and Root Inc.

Existing innovation
The initiative builds on the strengths of the Keenan Center for Entrepreneurship, which supports more than 1,000 students annually, the Center for Software Innovation and OHI/O, Ohio State's student-led innovation community that engages thousands of student builders each year, as well as the vibrant student founder community on campus.

The Keenan Center for Entrepreneurship is Ohio State’s platform for innovators looking to transform bold ideas into market-ready ventures by guiding Buckeyes as they launch and grow their entrepreneurial ideas. The center was established through a commitment from the Keenan Family Foundation, founded by philanthropists Tim and Kathleen Keenan. Tim Keenan, an Ohio State alum, founded the center with an eye toward cultivating an active entrepreneurial mindset across multiple academic disciplines.

The Center for Software Innovation is a digital tech hub that advances interdisciplinary learning and software entrepreneurship. It was made possible by a watershed donation from alumnus Ratmir Timashev, a technologist and founder of Veeam Software, and his wife Angela through the Timashev Family Foundation, with a goal to help position central Ohio and Ohio State as a tech epicenter.

Students interested in BuildX can attend a virtual information session on Sept. 25, followed by an in-person student information session on Oct. 1.

For comprehensive information about BuildX, including entry points and opportunities, visit the BuildX webpage.

Bellamkonda delivered his first State of the University address Thursday morning on the university’s Founders Day. Founded in 1870 as the Ohio Agricultural and Mechanical College, the university committed to a mission of access, excellence and citizenship and, more than 150 years later, is an athletics, healthcare and academic powerhouse, he said.

Bellamkonda pointed out that Ohio State has a history of excellence that includes Jesse Owens, Archie Griffin and Katie Smith. The university’s researchers have invented the first functioning electron microscope, the first self-driving car and pioneering treatments for lymphoma and leukemia.

“There is no doubt in my mind that we are a consequential university, important to this region, to the nation, and to the world because of our spirit of innovation,” he said. “What do we do now from this moment going forward? It is important to trace our roots and our traits before we craft our future. And my suggestion is that we will become the finest public university in the country, and that should be our goal because our mission demands it.”

Now it is time to build upon that foundation, he said, with guiding principles that include a relentless pursuit of excellence, embracing the scale of the university as an advantage and winning with hard work, grit and grace.

His strategy for excellence included six pillars: a signature undergraduate experience with access to excellence for students; investment in the faculty and staff who lead and innovate every day; a commitment to life-changing research; vibrant colleges and academic programs; and a pursuit of operational excellence and efficiency.

The president highlighted bold ideas to build on the university’s success.

Ohio State has entered a partnership with Google Public Sector to establish an on-campus space at the university’s Innovation District. It will be one of the largest foundational partnerships between Google Cloud and a U.S. university and one of the first Google spaces on any university campus.

The partnership will accelerate research across fields from biomedical engineering to earth sciences to the humanities through access to premier AI models, high-powered computing capabilities, student research ambassadors and collaboration with Google’s DeepMind.

The partnership will enhance year two of the university’s AI Fluency initiative. The initiative is ensuring that every Ohio State student, beginning with the class of 2029, will graduate AI fluent – fluent in their field of study and fluent in applying AI in that field.

This year includes dozens of new and current courses that specifically center on AI. Support for the project includes the Drake Institute for Teaching and Learning continuing to expand its AI Fluency support resources for instructors at all levels.

Bellamkonda also announced BuildX, an initiative that combines real-world startup practices, rapid experimentation and mentorship from experienced founders, operators and investors. The pathway empowers students to transform promising ideas into scalable ventures with tangible impact.

The initiative aims to launch 100 investable student startups annually by 2030, increase investment in Ohio and grow the startup ecosystem.

“Many times, parents ask me, what should my child study in a world that’s changing so fast? And I say that one should optimize for meta-skills: the ability to solve complex problems with incomplete information, the ability to work in a team, to have analytic skills, to have communication skills, and one of the qualities I always say is an entrepreneurial mindset – the ability to imagine a process, a product, or a state that doesn’t yet exist and have the confidence to make that real.”

Bellamkonda also announced that Ohio State will invest up to $1 million in five bold, high-potential research concepts that are too early, too interdisciplinary or too novel for traditional funding sources in their current form. This fund will help Ohio State researchers unlock breakthrough discoveries by empowering them to pursue ideas that challenge conventions and could create entirely new fields of inquiry.

The story of Ohio State is still being written, the president said. He invited students, faculty and staff to write their own bold chapters to further the mission of education for citizenship and change the world for the better.

“I said in the beginning that I’d like us to be the finest public university in the country. What does that mean? It means that we embrace who we are. We embrace our scale. We embrace our region. We embrace our mission unapologetically,” he said. “We don’t need to be somebody else. We will be ourselves. We will be unafraid to lead. And we will do this in the pursuit of excellence. We will do this with our access mission. And we will do this with boldness and fearlessness to take on the hard problems. This is our path to defining and becoming the finest public university in the country.”

While attending an international convening about the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement, which brought an end to the 30 years of conflict in Northern Ireland known as the Troubles, lab co-director Teri Murphy met with a group from the UBPD.

Since the 1960s, Colombia has been ravaged by warring factions, criminal gangs and internal conflict. A strategy on all sides of these conflicts was to “disappear” people; many were killed and thrown into municipal dumps, wells, rivers and mass graves.

The Colombian and Northern Ireland delegates were keen to share their perspectives and learn from each other, Murphy said.

“I had the privilege of being able to sit in on those conversations and be part of that exchange,” she said. “And during our time together, [UBPD director] Dr. Luz Janeth Forero Martinez came up to me and said they were looking for a university partner and wondered if we might be interested.”

Two years later, in June of this year, the Mershon Search Lab was launched.

The lab brings together an interdisciplinary team with backgrounds in social psychology, forensic anthropology and archaeology, geography and sociology. Research topics range from geographic (What happens when dead bodies are thrown into rivers?) to psychological (How can search contribute to social healing?) to technical (How can data-driven approaches improve search efforts?).

“[At Ohio State], you’ve got brilliant minds, people with time and resources who focus on solving problems, but they’re often disconnected from the people who may need that support,” said Derek Congram, Mershon Search Lab’s co-director. “The people who need that support, if you think of Colombia, they’ve got more than 137,000 people that they’re investigating. Who among them has time for research? Research is a luxury for them.”

Ohio State is able to provide that research, Murphy said. 

“If we can come alongside and say, ‘What are the problems you’re wrestling with? What do you need to learn more about? What can we unpack for you? What can we track for you?’” she said. “We are really supporting that work.”

“Writing is slow, publishing is slow,” Congram said. “It takes two years to publish something. Guess what: It’s a different Colombia in two years. So, we’re constantly assessing how we can be supportive in a way that’s actually useful to them.”

“On behalf of Colombia’s Unit for the Search of Missing Persons,” said Director Forero Martínez, “we extend our deepest gratitude to the Mershon Center at Ohio State University for the opportunity to continue advancing this search laboratory – this wonderful project we have built together.”

The benefits of the partnership flow in both directions. Colombia’s search process is considered the best and most coordinated approach in the world, Murphy said, providing a rare opportunity for the Mershon Search Lab team, graduates students included.

“These people, in Colombia, they’re experts,” Murphy said. “They’re forensic experts, they’re medical experts, they’re dental experts. They’re psychological experts. … We’re gaining access to real, live data in real time. It’s exposure for us; it’s exposure for the students.”

Given the at-times tense history between the United States and Colombia, Murphy stressed that humility is crucial to the partnership’s success.

“We’re not flying in with savior capes on. We don’t say we know what’s best for you,” she said. “We want to support the work, not get in the way of it.”

“Miles Davis said that what makes jazz great isn’t the notes you play but the notes you don’t play,” Congram said. “When I got to a new place, when I’ve been sent to help, the first thing I have to do is listen. Don’t tell people how you’re going to solve their problems.”

This attitude is foundational to the alliance with UBPD and is a core value of Mershon’s Search Lab, Murphy said.

“We’re a land-grant institution,” she said. “This pivot out of the ivory tower, to step out and make our knowledge available, to share it, to make it practical so it can be useful to the people who need it most, that’s embedded in the history of Ohio State. A real-world impact, not just knowledge for knowledge’s sake.”

The search lab team is driven in part by the desire to bring answers to families of the missing, Congram said. He finds their courage remarkable.

“These are the people who teach you as well,” he said. “When we talk about teaching and expertise, it’s not just the scientists and the academics, it’s also the families, it’s the community leaders, the people involved in all of this who teach you about what it is to be resilient and how you define what is right and what is wrong.”

Murphy’s motivator is “the fight against oblivion.”

“In Colombia, when individuals were taken, they were vanquished. Their history, their identity, their personhood was literally snuffed out,” she said. “Together with UBPD, our work is an act of remembering each person's humanity, to recognize their worth and to support a dignified return to their families and communities.”

The event is part of the university’s broader initiative to invest in language education, named “Global Fluency, Career Agility: Ohio State’s Model for Transforming World Languages,” supported by a Mellon Foundation grant. Programming includes new interdisciplinary language double majors, a multimedia campaign promoting language study and research into how Ohioans view language education.

“The idea behind the 5K had to do with a lot of important things that are happening in the world right now related to connectedness, intercultural competency and trends in higher education,” said Dana Renga, dean of arts and humanities. “I wanted to shed light on the world languages and run a campaign on why studying the world languages matters, how it can get you a job, how it can really be transformative and why students should come to Ohio State to do that.”

Ohio State currently offers courses in over 30 world languages, ranging from Spanish to American Sign Language to Uzbek. And language study is expanding: The university plans to hire six faculty and postdoctoral scholars in world language departments within the next year.

The university invests in world language study, Renga says, because of its benefits to students. Beyond offering cohort-based learning within some of the smallest classes on campus, language education opens doors to a variety of professions by helping students build transferable skills. A recent study by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York found world language majors have one of the lowest unemployment rates of all academic disciplines.

“Employers across the world want people with the competencies world language study can provide. It gives students intercultural competence, critical thinking skills, and the ability to read and write well and work across a range of disciplines,” Renga said. “One of the best things about learning a world language is that you’re always making mistakes. It’s terrifying! But you learn how to come out of those mistakes as a better communicator and collaborator.”

The Love of Languages 5K will commemorate these aspects of language learning at Ohio State. Aside from the race itself, the event will feature appearances from student ambassadors from all language departments, the women’s glee club, Brutus Buckeye and local food trucks.

Renga has three goals for the event: to raise awareness about world language study, to encourage students to major or minor in a language and to create time for people in the community to have fun with one another. She also hopes the 5K will become an annual tradition.

“This 5K is important right now, at a time in higher education when morale around world languages is down at a lot of other institutions across the U.S.,” Renga said. “I see this as an opportunity to show why the country looks towards Ohio State as an example of why language study and learning matter.”

Named for both the 88 keys on a piano and the 88 counties of Ohio, Opus 88 launched in October 2022 with a mission of bringing music to every corner of the Buckeye State. The initiative sends music faculty, staff and students to perform, teach and present in every county in Ohio.

“The program came about from the broad idea of being active across the state to meet our land-grant mission,” said Michael Ibrahim, director of the School of Music. “For us, engaging across Ohio is a real opportunity and a gift, but it’s also a responsibility.”

Opus 88 outreach options include conducting workshops, presentations on music research and performances by large and small ensembles in a variety of settings, from performance halls and schools to assisted living facilities and coffee shops. Angela Heck Mueller, manager of the Ohio State Community Music School, coordinated the final 33 county visits and worked to match the university’s offerings to community needs.

“I think about, ‘What can we do to bring new and exciting opportunities to every county?’” Heck Mueller explained. “A school that has a band program might be able to experience a string quartet or a chamber orchestra, so they have a unique experience.”

A highlight of the program was the connections formed between Ohio State students and K-12 students in school districts across the state.

“Sometimes, I think hearing about something like discipline or leadership from a person who is not too far from a student’s age is different than when it comes from a teacher,” Ibrahim said. “Bringing college students to a middle or high school is kind of like bringing in Taylor Swift.”

Heck Mueller also worked to match Ohio State students to their home school districts and counties, noting that this allowed students to become “a hometown hero for budding musicians hoping to follow in their footsteps one day.”

While Opus 88 was welcomed across the state, it also benefited the students and faculty who attended the trips.

“We recently took a bluegrass band to a rural part of Ohio, and some of the students on that trip had also been on larger trips to Japan and Ireland,” Ibrahim said. “They spoke to how the impact and the feeling they got from performing in a rural setting in Ohio was just as meaningful, if not more, as those international trips.”

As the school approaches its final county, it plans to launch a second iteration, known as Opus 88 Encore, to address a growing waitlist among counties requesting additional visits. Offerings will expand upon the original program’s performance and teaching options to include new areas like hip hop.

“As we’re making these trips, we’re serving the state,” Ibrahim said. “That partnership is important for us. We are Ohio’s music school.”

To request an Opus 88 visit, go to the program website: https://music.osu.edu/form/request-opus88-visit

Once home to the Huntington National Bank Building, this historic downtown landmark at 17 S. High St. is distinctively beneficial to the Moritz College of Law. Just minutes from many of the flagship law firms that recruit from the college, the move will embed students closer to professional opportunities at a scale few other facilities can match.

It also brings Ohio’s flagship university into the heart of Columbus – enabling world-class researchers and scholars to engage with decision-makers and create an even greater impact.

“Ohio State’s land-grant mission calls for us to be deeply connected to the community we serve. Our Moritz College of Law is central to that excellence, driving academic distinction and public impact,” said Ohio State President Ravi V. Bellamkonda. “Moving the college to this historic facility in the heart of downtown will give our students greater access to internships, future employers and city policymakers – a truly immersive experience for Ohio’s future legal leaders. I’m grateful to our partners at Huntington, the city and Downtown Columbus, Inc. for their vision and support in creating extraordinary opportunities for our students, faculty and staff to engage with our community and contribute to Ohio’s vibrant future.”

The project reflects a coordinated public‑private partnership between Ohio State, the city of Columbus, Downtown Columbus, Inc. and Huntington Bank.

"By establishing a nationally recognized law school in downtown Columbus, this initiative advances the city’s goals of economic growth and downtown resilience,” shared Mayor Andrew Ginther. “It also benefits students and strengthens the city’s ability to retain and grow our workforce. This partnership underscores Columbus’ position as a hub of talent, governance and innovation."

Downtown locations have become more common for university colleges of law. Universities are increasingly locating key academic programs in the hearts of cities – integrating education with the environments where professions are practiced.

“Being within walking distance to courts, policymakers, law firms and public-interest organizations dramatically expands opportunities for externships, clerkships, clinical experiences and meaningful mentorship,” explained Kent Barnett, dean of the Moritz College of Law. “This location also amplifies the impact of our faculty’s research and community-focused programming, allowing us to engage more directly in our land-grant mission while visibly shaping the rule of law.”

The facility will also provide opportunities for various colleges and university administrative offices to use as needed, expanding educational programming, experiential learning, and connections with private and public sector partners downtown.

“For 160 years, Huntington has called the corner of Broad and High home, and we’re proud to support the future of this core part of downtown Columbus,” said Steve Steinour, CEO of Huntington Bank. “The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law will bring new energy and opportunity to the heart of downtown Columbus, creating a dynamic environment for students, faculty, staff and alumni. Huntington is proud to partner with Ohio State and Downtown Columbus, Inc. on a project that reflects our shared commitment to the continued vitality of our city.”

Downtown Columbus, Inc. will serve as the developer and lessor, leading the renovation of the existing building. Ohio State will occupy the space as a tenant under a 30‑year lease, with an option to purchase the property in the future.

“When we toured Phoenix several years ago, we saw firsthand the mutual benefits that come from connecting a major university with a thriving downtown,” said Alex Fischer, board member of Downtown Columbus, Inc. “There’s a unique energy when education and innovation intersect with the momentum of business, culture and civic life. Those benefits are even greater when you consider the tremendous scope and breadth of The Ohio State University, and the remarkable growth downtown Columbus has experienced over the past decade. I commend Mayor Ginther and President Bellamkonda for their leadership and vision in taking this idea and turning it into a reality.”

Ohio State expects to open its downtown location in fall of 2029.

The university’s tri-service ROTC departments (Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force) host the climb each year. And each year, more supporters arrive before dawn to climb hundreds of steps in honor of the first responders who climbed into the World Trade Center to rescue as many people as possible.

“There’s nothing like a little pain and discomfort, and soon the morning sunrise, to remind you that you’re alive. … It’s a privilege,” said Trevor Brown, Ohio State’s interim executive vice president and provost. “I hope as you’re running up and down these stairs, you feel that privilege of being alive and that joy of being in a community. Thank you for getting up early and joining all of us to remember what happened 25 years ago.”

Brown was joined in the opening remarks by keynote speaker Maj. Gen. John C. Harris Jr. (Ret.), director of the Ohio Department of Veterans Services.  

“I encourage you, even those of you who weren’t born yet, to never forget the plight of that day,” he said.

Harris spoke about the central question in the National Anthem that still echoes today: Is the flag still there?

“The flag does not wave over our armed forces, our economic systems. It waves over the land of the free and the brave,” he said. “And that’s not only those who wear the uniform of the nation, but all those who stand behind them. You are the free and the brave. So as you run the stairs today, I encourage you to query yourself, have I done my part to ensure this is the land of the free and the home of the brave?”

Following the blast of an air horn, volunteers march up and down the stairs in the stadium for 45 minutes. The climb is the equivalent of 110 flights of stairs – symbolic of the 110 floors of the World Trade Center towers.

For Emilia Riddell, a third-year graduate student in the occupational therapy doctorate program, the first experience with the stair climb was moving.

“It was incredible seeing everyone come together for such a special event. I’m doing work with the Upper Arlington Fire Department for my capstone, so I got to see a couple of them and cheer them on today,” she said. “I have so much gratitude for all of our fire, police, military, everyone.”

Riddell said the attendance at the memorial stair climb shows the exceptional qualities of the Buckeye community.

“The Buckeye community is already so strong. Like anywhere you go, you see Ohio State gear,” she said. “I knew it was already a tight community, but coming together for more than just Ohio State, seeing surrounding communities come in, it’s just incredible.”

The honorees are:

Christian Alliegro

Beau Atkinson

Nolan Baudo

Cam Calhoun

Bennett Christian

Phillip Daniels

Alec DelSignore

Zach Hayes

Carson Hinzman

Ty Howard

Brandon Inniss

Julian Goines-Jackson

Ja’Kobi Jackson

Kenyatta Jackson Jr.

Brenten Jones

Earl Little Jr.

Justyn Martin

Jermaine Mathews Jr.

Devin McCuin

Luke Montgomery

Terry Moore

Kyle Parker

Dalton Riggs

Qua Russaw

Brennen Schramm

Austin Siereveld

James Smith

John Walker

Vasean Washington

Hunter Welcing

Brady Young

“We want to make it easier to work and learn at Ohio State,” Interim Executive Vice President and Provost Trevor Brown said. “The latest round of improvements will give faculty, staff and students more time and resources to focus on teaching, research and essential support services.”

Recently completed UCI projects, based on input and feedback originally provided by Ohio State faculty and staff, include the following:

• The Office of Business and Finance reduced the travel pre-approval process to two steps from five and the expense process to three steps from six, resulting in approximately 6,700 hours saved, primarily at the employee certification and department leader levels.
• Sprint Studios, launched by OAA, introduced a new, agile approach to remedying barriers for students. The first sprint conducted this summer centered on the major-change process to assist students in more efficiently changing majors. An implementation plan is being led by OAA and the Office of Undergraduate Education to improve this process. Future studios will focus on various ways to advance student success, reducing friction and proactively guiding students to degree completion.
• The Office of Faculty Affairs has implemented a Voluntary Phased Retirement Program, which enhances unit succession planning and is intended to meet the needs of a full-time faculty member who would like to transition into full-time retirement. Faculty affairs has also begun a pilot for Interfolio Faculty Search, which ensures clarity and consistency in attracting and retaining world-class faculty at Ohio State.  This comprehensive, user-friendly applicant tracking platform guides and supports units in managing materials and documentation throughout each stage of the search process. The implementation of this platform ensures alignment with university policies and faculty-recruitment best practices while providing search committee members and support stakeholders ease of use and efficiency.

Previous UCI “wins” since the initiative launched in spring 2026 include:

• The Office of Human Resources’ implementation of the new Quick Hire process designed for the efficient hiring and rehiring of select populations such as graduate associates and semester lecturers. Early results with a group of 2,600 individuals significantly reduced the time to hire.
• Improving and simplifying the Strategic Hiring Initiative for Faculty Talent (SHIFT) while enhancing the user experience for hiring units and faculty search committees.
• Increased visibility for advising staff through a new tool supporting retention efforts and aiding students and families in college planning.
• Implementing closer drop-offs at the new University Hospital via a Med Center Express bus system expansion, improving reliability and safety.

More information, as well as a project intake form for submissions from Ohio State faculty and staff, is available on the UCI webpage.

The idea for UCI emerged from faculty and staff input around administrative and operational challenges that affect their work. Additionally, in the 2025 Ohio State Listening Survey, employees shared that they value having a greater role in decision making and elevating good ideas from anywhere at the university. Based on subsequent listening sessions with President Ravi V. Bellamkonda, then in his role as provost, and an operations survey administered by Faculty Council, UCI aligned administrative units and colleges to make a large and complex public university more effective though operational efficiencies.

Along with being the direct result of feedback from the Ohio State Listening Survey, UCI addresses the importance of operations to all aspects of the university’s strategic plan.

It’s hard enough for adults with deep-rooted mental checklists to make it out the door. For young children, such lists give way to treasure maps.

Everything from clothing choices to snacks and toys for the car require diplomatic negotiations that can’t be rushed without risking a meltdown. The clock is ticking, but your child is blissfully unaware and is suddenly more interested in staying home.

Whereas adults rely on streamlined internal mind maps to carry out their daily routines, young children’s brains appear to be wired for distraction. According to a review paper published recently in Trends in Cognitive Sciences, what might look and feel like pure chaos — or worse, obstinance — is an important window into how growing minds think and learn through exploration.

In the paper, lead author Vladimir Sloutsky, a professor of psychology at The Ohio State University, revisits research his lab previously reported in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, and notes that “children tend to explore broadly, and, despite its costs, exploration confers important benefits, especially early in development, when they know little.”

In other words, Sloutsky said, “they are humans learning to be human.”

When choosing between trying something new (exploration) or repeating actions that have already proven successful (exploitation), learners of all ages encounter what researchers call the “exploration-exploitation dilemma.” Trying new things might prove to be a waste of time and energy, but repeating familiar actions could prevent someone from acquiring new skills or knowledge.

Adults are typically more exploitative, preferring to repeat actions that have previously led to successful, rewarding outcomes, while children are less selective about where they direct their attention. Sloutsky and his co-authors wanted to find out more about what is driving this exploratory behavior, particularly in children between the ages of 3 and 8 years old.

For decades, the prevailing theory was that children explore simply because they are naturally curious — or, possibly, because their decision-making is more random. Sloutsky’s work offers a different explanation: Early exploration is driven by the immaturity of a child’s working memory system.

A mature working memory helps adults hold onto a plan and selectively filter out distractions, while an immature working memory, by contrast, is set to “distributed attention,” meaning young children are prone to spreading their attention broadly. To test this, Sloutsky’s team overloaded adults’ working memory by asking them to complete a decision-making game while also reporting whenever two consecutive odd numbers appeared in a stream of continuous numbers. When their working memories were taxed, adults in the study abandoned their strategic choices and explored more broadly, exhibiting attentional patterns nearly identical to 5-year-olds.

While children’s lack of focus might make leaving the house a test of patience, it serves a crucial evolutionary purpose, ensuring that young learners absorb as much information as possible about the world. “Because they don’t have a fully developed working memory system, children will explore and resample, especially in less familiar situations. An adult will quickly decide that something is worthy of attention and other things are not. Children do not make those selective decisions as quickly,” Sloutsky said.

For example, let’s say you’ve researched nearby gas stations and found a couple with lower prices. You might start to frequent those stations without continuing to search for better options. Meanwhile, other stations are dropping their prices and becoming more competitive, but you won’t benefit because you are certain that your initial choices are the best ones.

“Because children explore, they may not immediately optimize the benefit of the best option, but they also won’t lose out if something in the environment changes,” Sloutsky explained. “That is where exploratory behavior becomes very beneficial, guarding them against being entrapped by their own knowledge early in development.”

Sloutsky hopes studies like this help remind parents that kids “are annoying and destructive for a reason: They need to acquire a lot of knowledge in a relatively short period of time. We need to provide them with things that are OK to break, because exploring and breaking things is how they learn about the world.”

If you plot immaturity — measured by the onset of the first molar in mammals or the age of sexual maturity — against brain size, you will find an almost perfect dependence: the greater the brain size, the longer the period of immaturity, he noted.

“Children are almost completely immobile for the first year of life, disorganized for the next three, extreme risk-takers for the next 15 and self-insufficient for the first 22 years,” Sloutsky said. “It is extraordinarily costly, and that cost is mainly borne by caregivers. But it is necessary given how much kids need to learn. Organisms with bigger brains have longer periods of immaturity to allow them the flexibility to learn all that.”

This work was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health. Co-authors include Qianqian Wan of the University of California, Davis and Brandon Turner of The Ohio State University.