Ohio State University announces autumn commencement speaker

The Ohio State University today announced that Timothy Gerber, professor of music, will address graduates as speaker for the autumn 2016 commencement. Approximately 3,400 degrees will be awarded at the ceremony, which begins at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 18, in the Schottenstein Center.

Timothy Gerber

Gerber joined Ohio State’s faculty in 1984 and has taught all levels of undergraduate and graduate music education courses. His work has been published widely in professional journals, monographs, books and instructional music materials. He is a co-author of Music! Its Role and Importance in Our Lives, published in 2016 as one of the nation’s first all-digital music textbooks.

His current research focuses on music teacher education, musical development in adolescents and arts policy in secondary schools.

“We are delighted to welcome Professor Timothy Gerber as our speaker at the 414th commencement ceremony,” said Ohio State President Michael V. Drake. “Dr. Gerber’s passion for students and music education is infectious, spanning more than three decades at Ohio State alone. Whether it’s his service to the university or volunteering his time as a general music teacher, Dr. Gerber is an exemplar of the dedication and excellence we seek to instill in all of our graduates. He is a wonderful colleague.”

Gerber has championed the notion of music study for all students in middle and high schools, and has volunteered some of his research time as a classroom music teacher in the Columbus City Schools. For 18 years, he served as the principal author of educational materials for the Columbus Symphony Orchestra.

Long active in university governance, he has served on numerous key university-wide committees. In 2009 he was elected as chair of the Ohio State Faculty Council. He is currently serving in his second term as secretary of the University Senate, a position he has held since 2011.

Gerber was selected by students to receive the School of Music’s Distinguished Teaching Award, and in 2013 he was named the Distinguished Scholar in the School of Music.

He earned a B.M. from Oberlin College, and an M.Ed. and D.M.A. from Temple University. In 2007, he was awarded the Distinguished Music Education Alumnus Award at Oberlin College. Earlier in his Ohio State career, he was honored with a visiting appointment to the Roy Acuff Chair of Excellence at Austin Peay University.

During the ceremony, the university will award the honorary Doctor of Science degree to Robert Parris Moses, president and founder of The Algebra Project, a mathematics literacy effort aimed at helping low-income and students of color improve math skills.

Ohio State will also present the Distinguished Service Award to Gary E. Booth, who earned a Ph.D. in chemistry in 1965, built an impressive career as a research chemist with Procter & Gamble, and has provided fundraising leadership and resources for the new Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and Chemistry building, which opened in 2014.