Ohio State trustees meet, approve university matters - 02/04/05

COLUMBUS – A new endowed chair and an endowed professorship are among the funds accepted by The Ohio State University Board of Trustees at its meeting Friday (2/4). The Marie Clay Endowed Chair in Reading Recovery® and Early Literacy, funded with $2.5 million from Reading Recovery and Early Literacy Inc., honors Dame Marie Clay of New Zealand, an internationally renowned researcher in educational literacy and creator of the Reading Recovery program who was instrumental in bringing the program to the United States while a visiting professor at Ohio State in 1984-85. Income from the fund will be used for faculty support in the College of Education.

The Thekla R. and Donald B. Shackelford Professorship in Canine Medicine, established with a $750,000 gift from the Shackelfords, will provide support for a distinguished faculty member in the College of Veterinary Medicine with a clinical specialty in canines.

In addition, the board accepted 19 new named endowed funds totaling $8.08 million and 222 research grants and contracts totaling $25.6 million received by the university during December 2004.

In other business, the board approved a variety of personnel, fiscal and construction-related issues.

Named endowed funds
• The Wilma H. Schiermeier Wetland Complex Fund, $1,523,200, provided by a gift from the estate of Wilma H. Schiermeier (B.S.H.E., 1955) to be used for operating costs of the Schiermeier Wetland Complex, its components and programs

• The Martin W. and Blanche D. Essex Endowed Fund for Graduate Education in Educational Administration, $1,136,537, provided by gifts from the estates of Dr. Martin (B.S.Ed., 1930; M.A., 1934) and Blanche Essex for student and faculty support in graduate education in the area of educational policy and leadership and to create programs in response to emerging needs in the field

• The Fred Gump Scholarship Fund, $680,955, provided by a gift from the estate of Thomas A. “Fred” Gump to support scholarships to School of Music students majoring in performance in the Bachelor of Music Jazz Studies curriculum

• The Sarah Ross Soter Endowed Chair Fund in Women’s Cardiovascular Health at OSU Heart Center, $502,155, provided by a gift from Sarah Ross Soter to fund a chair position in the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine in the College of Medicine and Public Health in order to advance medical science relating to women’s cardiovascular health

• Ford Motor Company Young Faculty Professorship Fund in Automotive Engineering, $340,000, provided by gifts from the Ford Motor Company Fund of Dearborn, Mich., to provide support for an untenured faculty member in the College of Engineering with expertise in automotive engineering

• The Bob and Mary Reusché Athletic Scholarship Fund, $100,745, provided by a gift from Robert F. Reusché (B.S., 1949), a former Ohio State lacrosse player, and Mary W. Reusché (B.S., 1950), both of Lake Forest, Ill., to supplement the grant-in-aid scholarship costs of an undergraduate student-athlete member of the varsity men’s lacrosse team

• The Charles and Margaret McCollister Plum Alzheimer Fellowship and Research Endowment Fund, $98,000, provided by a gift from Charles W. Plum (B.S.Bus.Adm. with distinction, 1936) of Dallas, Texas, to support a fellowship and/or support basic, clinical or translational research to increase knowledge about Alzheimer’s disease and related neurobehavioral conditions

• The Lloyd G. and Betty J. Wright Alumni Association Endowment Fund, $75,000, provided by gifts from Lloyd (B.S.Bus.Adm., 1943) and Betty Wright to advance the mission of The Ohio State University Alumni Association

• Professor Morgan E. Shipman Endowed Scholarship Fund, $57,100, provided by gifts from Morgan Shipman, his family, friends, former students and various faculty to provide scholarship support based on academic merit in the Moritz College of Law

• The James D. King, M.D., Ph.D. Grant Fund in Surgical Research, $50,000, provided by gifts from Dr. King’s wife, Sonia, and his son, Richard James King, M.D., in honor and memory of Dr. James D. King (M.S., 1937; Ph.D., 1940) to support research by residents in the Department of Surgery with preference to young investigators who exhibit outstanding medical or scientific effort in the Master of Medical Science program

• The Ronald and Ernesta Fay Endowment Fund to Support Research in Prostate Cancer and Brachytherapy, $46,587, provided by a gift from Mr. and Mrs. Ronald Fay of Heathrow, Fla., to support research at the Comprehensive Cancer Center – The Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute

• Margaret Herlan Busch Endowed Student Assistance Fund, $32,250, provided by gifts from Eric K. Busch (B.A., 1973, cum laude; M.A., 1981), Myra Busch Goetz (B.A., 1975; M.A., 1978), other members of the family and friends of Margaret Herlan Busch and Office of Student Affairs staff members to provide assistance to current students who have serious and immediate financial need

• James W. Marquand Family 4-H Scholarship Endowment Fund, $26,010, provided by gifts from Terry Lee Marquand (B.S.Nat.Res., 1976), Margaret Marquand Fouts and Lillian Marquand (B.S.H.E., 1946) to provide scholarships for incoming students enrolled in the College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences on Ohio State’s Columbus Campus or the Agricultural Technical Institute in Wooster

• The Biological Sciences Alumni Society Scholarship Fund, $25,050, provided by gifts from alumni and supporters of the College of Biological Sciences and its predecessor departments to provide renewable scholarships or awards for undergraduate students majoring in biological sciences

• The Jo Osborne Award Fund for Humor in Children’s Literature, $25, 030, provided by gifts from the family and friends of Jo Osborne, director of children’s services at the Worthington Public Library from 1979 until her 1995 death, to fund the Jo Osborne Award for Humor in Children’s Literature

• The John H. Higgins Memorial Athletic Scholarship Fund, $25,000, provided by a gift from John H. Higgins, Jr., of Winter Park, Fla., in honor of his father, John H. Higgins, Sr. (B.S.Ed., 1941), a letterman in swimming and a member of the Ohio State and International Swimming Halls of Fame, to supplement the grant-in-aid scholarship costs of an undergraduate student-athlete member of the varsity men’s swimming team

• The Anne Prochazka Endowment Fund for Oncology Nursing Education, $25,000, provided by a gift from the estate of Helen (B.S., 1946; M.S., 1956; Ph.D., 1976) and Albert Churella of Lewis Center to support nursing education in the field of oncology

• Anna Marie Malia Robinson Endowed Scholarship Fund for Mental Health Research, $25,000, provided by a gift from Anna Marie Robinson in honor of Tony Tripodi, dean of the College of Social Work, to partially support a doctoral student researching severe mental disabilities with preference given to research in bipolar disorder

• The Sherry B. Whiting Endowment Fund, $25,000, provided by gifts from Hugh Whiting (J.D., 1974) in honor of his wife, Sherry, to support the Sherry B. Whiting Scholarship in the Moritz College of Law

Change in name and description of named endowed fund
• The Robert and Mary Reusché Scholarships for Study Abroad Fund is now the Robert and Mary Reusché College of Humanities Study Abroad Scholarship Fund

• The Hope Strong Journalism Fund is now the Hope Strong Scholarship Fund

Personnel appointments
• Deborah A. Ballam has been named associate provost for Women’s Policy Initiatives and director of The Women’s Place in the Office of Academic Affairs, effective Jan. 1, 2005. She holds a concurrent appointment as professor in the Department of Finance in the Fisher College of Business.

• Rajesh Balkrishnan has been named associate professor and holder of the Merrell Dow Professorship in Pharmaceutical Administration in the College of Pharmacy and School of Public Health, effective Jan. 1, 2005. Prior to this appointment, he was associate professor of management and policy sciences at the University of Texas School of Public Health.

• Ronald M. Ferguson has been named executive director of the Comprehensive Transplant Center in The Ohio State University Medical Center, effective Feb. 4, 2005, through Feb. 3, 2009. He is currently professor and chief of the Division of Transplant Surgery and professor in the Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences.

• Anil K. Makhija has been named professor and holder of the David A. Rismiller Professorship in Finance in the Fisher College of Business, effective Feb. 1, 2005, through Jan. 31, 2010.

• William Meezan has been named dean and professor in the College of Social Work, effective July 1, 2005, through June 30, 2010. He is currently the Marion Elizabeth Blue Professor of Children and Families in the School of Social Work, University of Michigan.

• Michael J. Mills has been named professor and holder of the Taine G. McDougal Professorship in Engineering in the College of Engineering, effective July 1, 2004, through June 30, 2009.

• W. Michael Sherman has been named vice provost for academic administration in the Office of Academic Affairs, effective Jan. 10, 2005. He holds a concurrent appointment as a professor in the School of Physical Activity and Educational Services.

Concurrent appointment
• Carole A. Anderson has been named the vice provost for academic policy and faculty resources/interim vice provost for graduate studies and interim dean, effective Jan. 10, 2005.

Appointments of chairs and directors
• Meyer J. Benzakein has been named chair of the Department of Aerospace Engineering, effective Jan. 1, 2005, through June 30, 2008.

• Daniel Frank has been named director of the Melton Center for Jewish Studies, effective Oct. 1, 2005.

• C. Magbaily Fyle has been named acting chairman of the Department of African-American and African Studies, effective Oct. 1, 2005, through Dec. 31, 2005.

• Richard F. Green has been named director of the Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies, effective Oct. 1, 2005, through Sept. 30, 2009.

• Dorothy P. Noyes has been named director of the Center for Folklore Studies, effective Oct. 1, 2005, through Sept. 30, 2009.

• Donna L. Pastore has been named interim director of the School of Physical Activity and Educational Services, effective Jan. 18, 2005, through Dec. 31, 2006.

• Mary Lynn Ready has been named deputy general counsel in the Office of Legal Affairs, effective Feb. 28, 2005. She is currently serving as executive director, Ohio School Facilities Commission

• Nawal K. Taneja has been named chairman of the Department of Aviation, effective Jan. 1, 2005, through June 30, 2006.

• Joseph J. Branin has been reappointed director of University Libraries, effective Jan. 1, 2005, through Dec. 31, 2010.

• Kenneth W. Goings, has been reappointed chair of the Department of African-American and African Studies, effective Oct. 1, 2005, through Sept. 30, 2009.

• W. Berry Lyons has been reappointed director of the Byrd Polar Research Center, effective Dec. 15, 2004, through Dec. 14, 2008.

Hospital appointments
• Todd B. Barnum and W.G. (Jerry) Jurgensen have been appointed citizen members of the University Hospital Board for the terms March 1, 2005, through Feb. 29, 2008

• James Phieffer has been appointed a citizen member of the University Hospital East Board for the term March 1, 2005, through Feb. 29, 2008

• Peter Frenzer and Nancy Jeffrey have been named to a3rd term as citizen members of the Ohio State University Harding Hospital Board, effective June 1, 2004, through May 31, 2007

• Mark Milligan has been named to a 3rd term as a citizen member of the Ohio State University Harding Hospital Board, effective Oct. 1, 2004, through Sept. 30, 2007

• Donald Scriven has been named to a 3rd term as a citizen member of the Ohio State University Harding Hospital Board, effective April 1, 2005, through March 31, 2008

Emeritus titles
• John M. Cassady, professor emeritus, College of Pharmacy, effective March 1, 2005

• David E. Fernie, professor emeritus, School of Teaching and Learning, effective Jan. 1, 2005

• Harold J. Moellering, professor emeritus, Department of Geography, effective Jan. 1, 2005

• Randall B. Ripley, professor emeritus, Department of Political Science, effective July 1, 2005

• George S. Serif, professor emeritus, Department of Biochemistry, effective Jan. 1, 2005

• Katherine W. L. Vig, professor emeritus, College of Dentistry (Orthodontics), effective July 1, 2005

• Donald J. McFeeters, assistant professor emeritus, Ohio State University Extension, effective March 1, 2005

• David P. Miller, assistant professor emeritus, Ohio State University Extension, effective Jan. 1, 2005

Resolutions in memoriam
• William C. Dew, college secretary emeritus in the College of Dentistry, who died Nov. 9, 2004

• LeRoy E. Johnson, professor emeritus in the Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, who died on Dec. 4, 2004

• Paul C. Leidheiser, professor emeritus in the Ohio State University Extension, who died Nov. 24, 2004

• Joseph P. McKerns, associate professor in the School of Communication, who died Oct. 23, 2004

• Jeanne E. Orr, associate professor emeritus in the School of Teaching and Learning, who died Dec. 21, 2004

• Muttaiya Sundaralingam, professor emeritus in the Department of Chemistry, who died Dec. 26, 2004

Construction projects
The board authorized the university to enter into design contracts for the following projects:

• Conversion of old classrooms and offices in Bevis Hall into wet and dry lab spaces for the Department of Biomedical Engineering. Preliminary project cost estimate is approximately $409,430, with funding provided by Biomedical Engineering departmental funds.

• Repair of fume hoods and associated work in Evans Laboratory and other Columbus Campus buildings. Preliminary project cost estimate is approximately $1.5 million, with funding provided by Physical Facilities departmental funds.

• Renovation of the Unit Operations portion of Koffolt Laboratory and extension of the fourth floor to add new space. Preliminary project cost estimate is approximately $6.75 million, with funding provided by the College of Engineering.

• Renovation of existing space on the first floor of Morrill Hall on the Marion Campus to provide faculty offices, office support space and classrooms. Preliminary cost estimate is $1.43 million, with funding provided by a combination of future capital appropriations, House Bill 675 and Marion Campus general funds.

The board authorized the university to enter into construction contracts for the following projects:
• Modification of the existing test cell room and addition of a new test cell room to upgrade plumbing, power, exhaust and lighting at 930 Kinnear Road for the College of Engineering. Construction document project cost is $166,000, with funding provided by a Board of Regents Action Fund grant and College of Engineering departmental funds.

• Renovation of office space for the Center for Integrative Medicine, 2000 Kenny Road. Construction document project cost is $254,125, with funding provided by the University Property Management account.

• Conversion of rooms N143, N149 and N150 in Doan Hall into offices as part of the Clinical Space Reorganization project. Construction document project cost is $174,479, with funding provided by University Hospital funds.

• Creation of temporary office space for the Digestive Disease Center on 5 East Rhodes Hall as part of the Clinical Space Reorganization project. Construction document project cost is $286,000, with funding provided by University Hospital funds.

• Renovation of 8 East Rhodes Hall for medical/surgery beds and development of a prototype for future inpatient renovations as part of the Clinical Space Reorganization project. Construction document project cost is $2.38 million, with funding provided by University Hospital funds.

• Renovation and expansion of an existing operating room in Doan Hall to accommodate the MRI modality as part of the Clinical Space Reorganization project. Construction document project cost is $665,991, with funding provided by University Hospital funds.

• Renovation of the existing Surgical Pathology space of the fourth floor of Doan Hall to update HVAC service and accommodate new grossing stations as part of the Clinical Space Reorganization project. Construction document project cost is $493,550, with funding provided by University Hospital funds.

• Rehabilitation of the original drainage system and meeting controls requirements for the McCracken Power Plant. Construction document cost is $340,000, with funding provided by House Bills 640 and 675.

• Completion of Phase 3 of the renovation of Thorne and Gourley Halls at the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center. Construction document project cost in $4.75 million, with funding provided by House Bills 640, 675, 748 and 790.

• Demolition of Dakan Hall and construction of a new Ohio 4-H Center on a portion of the existing site. Construction document project cost is $10.5 million, with funding provided by the College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

• Renovation and rebuilding of bunkers, renovation of several greens and tees and reconfiguration of the driving range on the Scarlet Golf Course at the Ohio State Golf Course. Construction document project cost is $1.5 million, with funding provided by Athletics.

• Roof replacement and installation of fall protection on Talbot Hall at University Hospital East. Construction document project cost is $129,149, with funding provided by University Hospital funds.

The board authorized the university to enter into a design build contract for the following project:
• Construction of a new feedmill at the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center. Preliminary project cost estimate is $5.74 million, with funding provided by House Bills 748 and 850.

The board authorized the university to enter into a construction management contract for the following project:

• Employment of a construction manager to oversee the demolition of the two-story north wing of Doan Hall and replacement with a five-story office structure. Preliminary project cost estimate is $19 million, with funding provided by University Hospital funds.

New degree approved
Trustees approved the establishment of an interdisciplinary master of arts degree in East Asian Studies that recognizes the growing importance of East Asia in the global economy and global politics. The university’s East Asian Studies Center calls on the expertise of many faculty to examine diverse issues of East Asian culture, history, economy and their relationship with the rest of the world. The new degree will be effective upon approval by the Ohio Board of Regents.

Medical centers established
Trustees approved the establishment of three centers within the Ohio State University Medical Center: the Comprehensive Wound Center, the Spine Center and the Comprehensive Transplant Center. The term “center” is usually reserved for academic centers, according to the university’s faculty rules, unless approved by the Council on Academic Affairs. Upon review, the council had no objections to the use of “center” for the three units.

Center named
Trustees approved the naming of the Center for Interdisciplinary Law and Policy Studies. The center serves as a catalyst for the intellectual exchange and collaboration between the Moritz College of Law faculty and students and faculty and students from other university units who are doing law-relevant work.

Eye Center renamed
The board approved a Department of Ophthalmology request to rename The William H.
Havener Eye Center the William H. Havener Eye Institute, effective immediately. The new name will more accurately convey the three-fold mission of clinical care, research and teaching, aligning it with those at other institutions.

ATI division renamed
The board approved the Agricultural Technical Institute’s Division of Agricultural Technologies the Division of Agricultural and Engineering Technologies, effective immediately, to better reflect and recognize the programs that it includes.

Easements granted
Trustees authorized the university to grant Columbus Southern Power Company a renewal easement for an electric power line to provide electric utility service to the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center’s Piketon Research and Extension Center.

The board also authorized granting the city of Columbus an easement for a sanitary sewer trunk line to provide sewage utility service as part of the Biomedical Research Tower project. The easement goes from King Avenue north to Lane Avenue along Cannon Drive, across Twelfth Avenue and across central campus.

WOSU to lease space
The board authorized the university to enter into a long-term lease of approximately 12,000 square feet of space from the Center of Science and Industry (COSI) in Columbus to be used by the WOSU Stations. The lease will further the collaborative efforts between the university and COSI in developing community and educational programming. The space will be renovated to provide digital broadcast production facilities, including a television studio, radio studio, edit suites and offices. It also will serve as an interactive exhibit as part of COSI displays. The WOSU Stations will be responsible for all capital, operating, maintenance and lease costs for the space.

Student receives board recognition
Barbra Teater, a Ph.D. candidate in the College of Social Work, received the board’s Student Recognition Award. Teater is focusing on housing policy for her dissertation and has had four refereed conference presentations accepted on Section 8 housing and housing programs for the homeless and mentally disabled. Her extracurricular activities include serving as a research evaluator for the Ohio Tobacco Use Prevention and Control Foundation and the Ohio Women’s Coalition Smoking Cessation and Prevention Initiative. Additionally, she is a senior medical social worker for the Children’s Medical Center in Dayton, where she conducts psychosocial assessments and child abuse assessments and provides crisis intervention and community resources to children and families. Teater was nominated by College of Social Work Dean Tony Tripodi.

Lazarus project updated
Senior Vice President for Business and Finance William J. Shkurti gave a briefing on the Lazarus project. In July 2004, Ohio State, Battelle Memorial Institute and the Columbus Downtown Development Corporation (CDDC) signed a Memorandum of Agreement to redevelop portions of the downtown Lazarus building as the Columbus Center for the Arts and Sciences. The commitment is to explore the use of 50,000 square feet for the arts, and 200,000 square feet for applied sciences and non-profit. Shkurti said the university is moving forward with Battelle on the governing principles for managing the project, including the possibility of a new independent, non-profit corporation.

He said the first phase for the arts space is progressing well, but the non-profit center and applied research phase is on a longer timeline and still needs detailed planning and funding sources. He recommended the university move forward with the project, which is important to downtown and community revitalization efforts, but said Ohio State must continue to protect its fiduciary responsibility regarding funding and ensure that the project is consistent with the Academic Plan. All planning related to the project will follow the university’s regular review and approval process, with detailed recommendations for long-term leases and financial commitments to be approved by the Board of Trustees.

PeopleSoft agreement outlined
Shkurti told the Fiscal Affairs Committee that an agreement Ohio State signed with PeopleSoft financial and human resources systems in late December has the potential to save the university $6 million to $7 million in maintenance costs over the next 10 years. In return, the university has committed to purchase $4.5 million in additional software from the company. Aside from the savings, the agreement is significant because it will help protect the university’s existing investments in PeopleSoft, recently acquired by Oracle Corp., and will address future strategic needs.

Ohio State had 14 signed maintenance agreements and schedules for PeopleSoft human resources and financial software, with an annual cost of $1.1 million. However, current caps and escalators could increase that amount by $7 million to $8 million over the next 10 years. Shkurti said the proposed PeopleSoft deal would consolidate the 14 agreements into one master agreement that allows no maintenance increases for the first five years and 4 percent annually over the final five years.
The key to the contract is the Student Information System (SIS), which accounts for $3.5 million of the $4.5 million in additional software to be purchased. Shkurti said the university had already identified the need to replace its 30-year-old SIS because it is unreliable and technologically obsolete, difficult to maintain, poses security concerns due to a reliance on social security numbers, and has limited capability to address increasingly complex functional requirements, such as joint programs and differential fees.

With successful installations of SIS at Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Northwestern and the California system universities, the PeopleSoft SIS system is by far the preferred choice for large and complex universities, Shkurti said.

Mid-year budget report heard
Shkurti gave an annual midyear budget update and noted higher-than-expected research grants for the current fiscal year. So far, new grants and contracts are up 4.7 percent from last year, and accompanying indirect cost recoveries are 13.4 percent higher. The additional research activity accounts for more than $10.4 million, he said.
Student applications are on target to meet, and may even exceed, freshmen enrollment goals for next autumn. The Health System continued to meet its budget targets during the first half of the fiscal year, and Shkurti reported that athletics, housing, transportation and parking, the Schottenstein Center and Blackwell Inn revenues and expenses are within budget targets, and private fundraising is on target.

Shkurti said Ohio State must continue to behave more entrepreneurially to help offset its reliance on state funding, which is becoming less predictable and less stable. “There also continues to be some uncertainty as to how the state will deal with the loss of revenue from the sunset of the one-cent temporary sales tax in the coming biennium,” he said.

Budget vs. actual report outlined
In a separate report, University Budget Director Lee Walker updated trustees on how the university’s original budget projections of income and expenses for fiscal year 2003-04 compared with annual audited financial statements. Walker told trustees that general fund expenditures were 8.49 percent lower than budget primarily as a result of the uncertainty of the budget situation last year.

Operation of Nicklaus Museum proposed
Trustees heard a report by Shkurti on a proposed arrangement in which the Athletic Department would operate the Jack Nicklaus Museum, which sits on Olentangy River Road near the Schottenstein Center on land leased to it by the university. Shkurti told trustees that athletics is undertaking a review of the proposed management agreement.

MBA housing proposed
The board heard a preliminary proposal by the Fisher College of Business to build apartment-style housing for MBA students in order to recruit top-tier students. The proposed apartments would by subsidized or rent-free, and construction and operating costs would be privately funded. No formal action is required of the board until a detailed proposal and business plan are presented for approval to enter into design and construction phases.

Football ticket prices approved
Trustees approved the Athletic Council’s recommendation to increase the price of football tickets by $1 for the 2005-06 season, which will include seven games instead of last season’s six. Golf Course membership and greens fees will remain at current level for FY 2006.

Trustees heard update on Mathematical and Biosciences Institute
Director Avner Friedman updated the trustees on the Mathematical and Biosciences Institute, the only interdisciplinary center in the world that connects mathematics with biology and medicine. The Institute is funded by a $10 million National Science Foundation Division of Mathematical Sciences grant through 2007. Among other topics, the Institute explores issues in medical imaging, integrated biology in cancer research, robotic surgery, liver toxicity and wound healing. Each year, the Institute has a theme, such as this year’s “Genomics, Proteomics and Bioinformatics,” and hosts six to eight weeklong workshops that explore it. Approximately 450 scientists and researchers take part in the workshops, including people from Europe, Japan, Russia, Australia, Israel and Singapore.

Trustees heard presentation on the Office of Research
Robert McGrath, senior vice president for research, presented trustees with a summary of Ohio State’s research program. “The contributions of Ohio State faculty scholars to science, society and the economy are recognized nationally, internationally and within our local communities,” he said.

During the University’s 2004 fiscal year, research expenditures and awards reached record levels of 447 and 528 million dollars, respectively, with each having more than doubled since 1998, McGrath said. Ohio State ranks 18th among all research universities nationwide, and 12th overall among public institutions. He said the National Institutes of Health is Ohio State’s largest sponsor of research, providing nearly a quarter of new research awards in 2004. National Science Foundation funding has doubled over the past four years to more than $40 million in 2004, and state support for research has climbed to $95 million. In addition, new research contracts from industry were valued at $65 million in 2004, with Ohio State ranking sixth in the nation for research partnerships with industry. From 1998 to 2003, the university’s National Institutes of Health funding climbed from $59 million to nearly $129 million.

“Research brings resources and prestige to our campus essential in recruitment of top-notch faculty, graduate students and undergraduates,” McGrath said.