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 the card is easy to use, with just a tap, it requires users to always carry it, and it can be lost or stolen.

Now, Buckeyes on the Columbus campus can instead use a mobile BuckID that’s part of what they always have on them — a compatible smartphone or smartwatch.

“A BuckID provides access to all kinds of important things at Ohio State, and adding a mobile option makes it even easier for students, faculty and staff to use,” said Josh Bodnar, director of BuckID. “People who have already switched to mobile really enjoy how easy it is to use.” 

Mobile BuckID is free and available for the Apple Wallet, Google Wallet and Samsung Wallet. Users can simply tap their iPhone, Apple Watch, eligible Android phone or Samsung watch at readers, just like a physical card. If they have an iPhone or Samsung phone, it will still work for several hours after the battery dies.

Switching to the mobile BuckID is optional, and when a user begins using the mobile BuckID it will deactivate their existing BuckID card. If someone does not have a compatible device, or prefers to have a physical card instead, they will still be able to keep their current physical BuckID.

Students, faculty and staff who are eligible to switch to mobile BuckID received an email from the BuckID office on Aug. 25. Some people, including in the Wexner Medical Center and some health science colleges, are not currently eligible to switch. 

Mobile BuckID is initially open to the Columbus campus, with plans for a rollout in regional campuses in 2027. Students that are in online programs and remote-work employees can access a basic digital BuckID in the Ohio State App without needing to add the full mobile BuckID to their mobile wallet. All Columbus campus BuckID readers include mobile-credential capabilities in addition to the tap-enabled cards; if anyone on the Columbus campus still has a swipe-only BuckID, they will not be able to enter buildings or print until they switch to mobile or the tap-enabled cards.

Ohio State is one of the first colleges or universities in North America to integrate mobile functioning for student IDs into an existing app — here, the Ohio State app — instead of requiring an additional app for Apple users to download. To find out more about the mobile BuckID and how to easily switch to mobile, please see the BuckID website and answers to frequently asked questions.

Areas of focus include:

• Safety resources
• Getting around campus
• Well-being resources
• Freedom of expression and civic engagement
• AI Fluency

Safety resources

The safety of all Buckeyes is Ohio State’s top priority. The Ohio State University Police Division (OSUPD) has an authorized strength of 78 full-time officers supported by hundreds of non-sworn security personnel, a campus 9-1-1 call center and security technology. OSUPD works closely with the Columbus Division of Police (CPD) to offer increased patrols in the off-campus University District, including through the joint patrol program that pairs four OSUPD officers with officers from CPD to work in the nearby neighborhood where many students live.

While campus is a safe place, crimes do still occur. Police recommend the following safety tips:

• Lock doors and windows and do not allow unknown people into your home or residence hall.
• Utilize public transportation or walk in groups to avoid walking alone, especially at night.
• Report suspicious activity to OSUPD (614-292-2121) or local city police. Always dial 9-1-1 in emergencies.

The Office of Student Life provides students with complimentary safety devices for their off-campus homes, including window and door alarms. These can be picked up at the Willie J. Young Sr. Off-Campus and Commuter Student Engagement office at the Ohio Union from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

To learn about safety resources and more, visit the university’s public safety website.

Getting around campus

Lyft Ride Smart at Ohio State offers students discounted late-night rides in a designated area from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. CABS On-Demand is a free service offered to all Buckeyes, providing daytime and overnight service to select buildings. As autumn semester gets underway, campus will be busier than usual. Expect heavier traffic, plan for extra travel time, avoid distractions and watch out for your fellow Buckeyes. Review transportation updates, including CABS and CABS On-Demand changes, the COTA digital pass in the Ohio State app and the university traffic impact map.

Well-being resources

A variety of services are available to help support the well-being of our community. Students can utilize the university’s online Health and Wellness Resource Guide to quickly search for the most appropriate resource. Health and wellness related services are listed alphabetically and can be searched by feature using the specific criteria within the 10 Dimensions of Wellness.

• The Office of Student Life’s Counseling and Consultation Service (CCS) provides individual and group mental health services, workshops and outreach programming to currently enrolled undergraduate, graduate and professional students, and others covered by the Student Health Insurance Plan. CCS on-demand services offer ways for students to get help whenever it’s needed.
• Student Life Disability Services consults with students on a one-to-one basis to: review academic accommodations based on concerns including mental health; discuss concerns with classes or instructors; and refer students to additional campus and community resources.
• The Monda Student Resource Center helps students’ holistic, essential needs through resources and support from campus and community partners.
• Student Health Services offers on-campus health care options to the student population while Recreational Sports promotes living an active life of balance, physical activity and well-being.
• The Ohio State: Wellness app supports students’ mental health and well-being on campus with resources, connections to support, information about setting goals and building healthy habits.

Faculty and staff are encouraged to utilize resources through the Ohio State Employee Assistance Program (EAP). The EAP member portal connects employees with online tools, well-being resources and work-life services that are available to eligible Ohio State employees, their dependents, household members, parents and parents-in-law.

Freedom of expression and civic engagement

The First Amendment and Ohio law expressly protect the rights of students, faculty, staff and visitors at the university to lawfully engage in speech and expressive activities. The Freedom of Expression website is an online hub for support resources, policies and other information to help everyone participate in public discourse and exercise their rights. Ohio State's University Space Standards provide comprehensive information about using spaces on our campus, including the space reservation process and associated rules.

Ohio State expects members of our community to contribute to an environment where trust and respectful dialogue are the expectation — not the exception. To advance this, the university launched an initiative to help members of our community listen and discuss different perspectives productively, build trust with one another, learn how to clearly articulate their points of view and successfully navigate complex conversations. Listen. Learn. Discuss. helps students, faculty and staff draw connections and form skills to engage in productive and respectful dialogue. Visit the Listen. Learn. Discuss. website to find courses, workshops and events that support the practice of civil discourse.

The university remains committed to its motto of “Education for Citizenship” by supporting civic engagement.

• OSU Votes is a nonpartisan, student-led initiative in the Office of Student Life that works to register, educate and encourage other students to vote. OSU Votes can provide resources and facts on the voting process and voter registration.
• Ohio State is implementing a university-wide Asynchronous Learning and Civic Engagement Day on Tuesday, Nov. 3, following a resolution passed by University Senate in autumn 2025.

AI Fluency

In autumn 2025, Ohio State unveiled the groundbreaking AI Fluency initiative to integrate artificial intelligence into the Ohio State educational experience and support an educational environment that maximizes learning, creativity and impact. In the second year of this initiative, the university is expanding its offering of programs, courses and resources for students, staff and faculty.

• Colleges across the university have developed academic roadmapsshowing how undergraduates will build and use AI skills within their majors, from the College of Arts and Sciences helping to shape the future of AI to Fisher College of Business forging connections and collaborationwithin its research community.
• The Michael V. Drake Institute for Teaching and Learning continues to expand its AI Fluency support resources for instructors at all levels and launched a fellows program for this fall.

Visit the Office of Academic Affairs for a list of Frequently Asked Questions and subscribe to the AI Fluency at Ohio State newsletter to stay up to date on AI Fluency news and developments. For staff, the Office of Technology and Digital Innovation offers training, educational courses and more, and all available resources are offered on the “Learn to use AI” webpage. Virtual and in-person training can be found on the AI Resources and Events page.

By examining small air bubbles trapped in ancient ice, scientists studied a 2,000-year-old record of how atmospheric methane evolved over time. They discovered that the concentrations found in Nevado Huascarán, the world’s highest tropical mountain, broadly agree with global fluctuations recorded in polar regions – but are slightly higher.

These results support the longstanding hypothesis that methane emissions from tropical sources like the Amazon rainforest likely dominated the Earth during the pre-industrial period, while a rise in human-driven agricultural and industrial emissions contributed to methane increases in later periods.

“Huascarán is a Goldilocks spot for capturing global methane, partly because of its high elevation to capture gases and location close to the equator,” said Kara Lamantia, lead author of the study and a former graduate student at the Byrd Polar and Research Climate Center at The Ohio State University. “While past studies hypothesized the tropical dominance of past methane sources, with this new core we can confidently confirm that the region was likely responsible for more of these emissions than we assumed before.”

The study was published today (Aug. 19, 2026) in Nature.

The second-most abundant greenhouse gas after carbon-dioxide, methane traps about 28 times more heat, meaning it contributes greatly to the planet’s warming. This study was the first to sample ice cores from Huascaran to identify the historic sources of these powerful gases.

After collection, five ice core samples were selected from different depths in the core to correspond to key periods in time. Lamantia’s colleagues then tested it for the presence of specific isotopes, chemical signatures that are used to determine the origins of the greenhouse gases.

“Depending on the source signature, it is possible to differentiate where the methane originated, letting us separate natural sources from fossil fuels,” said Lamantia, now a Royal Society Newton International Fellow at the University of Bristol. “Our sample revealed a globally well-mixed signature, but methane emissions lean slightly towards a more biogenic source, potentially from the wetlands in South America or Asia.”

Researchers also found that more recent measurements from the ice matched well with observations from the Mauna Loa base station in Hawaii, the global center for monitoring greenhouse gases.

According to the study, previous reconstructions of historical methane records point to the same trends shown in this paper, but because those were built solely around polar ice cores — collected from Greenland and Antarctica — they may have underestimated the importance of tropical emissions.

The researchers noticed spikes in their tropical methane record that could be attributed to events like the rise and fall of the Inca Empire, as well as the Little Ice Age, which could be helpful markers for assessing their data against other models.

Overall, the data from this work strengthens historical climate records and further solidifies the significant role the tropics play in both monitoring and understanding the distribution of global greenhouse gas emissions, said Lamantia.

Learning more about global sources of greenhouse gases can help researchers propose steps to mitigate increased warming, but opportunities to extend the analysis to more targeted ice core sampling in the tropics are rare due to rapid glacier melt. Still, these findings open up new pathways to help resolve other pressing environmental uncertainties, said Lamantia.

“My hope is that this data will be integrated into future climate models,” she said. “Because if we can understand Earth’s past, we can better understand the present and plan for our future.”

This study was supported by the National Science Foundation and the Volo Foundation.

Other co-authors include Lonnie Thompson, Mary Davis, Emilie Beaudon, and Ellen Mosley-Thompson from Ohio State, as well as Ben Riddell-Young from the University of Colorado Boulder, Newton Nguyen from Stanford University, and Ivo Strawson and Edward J. Brook from Oregon State University.

“The field is very narrow in France, where I came from,” said Robillard, assistant professor for computational visual design. “It’s a niche thing there. In the U.S., there was a need. That need and my path met.”

Robillard’s class, available to undergraduate and graduate students, is part of a larger initiative at the university. AI Fluency allows students to develop a rich understanding of how AI can be used in their chosen field of study.

“Ohio State is a good example of how a university can transform in the AI era,” he said. “I’m happy to contribute to this dynamic with my course as well as my research in AI, art and design.” 

Before diving into using AI, Robillard will walk students through the technology’s history. The question of using technology in the arts is not a new one, he said.

“This goes back to the 1960s,” he said. “Now, software like Adobe is everywhere. It’s a core component of design. With AI, it’s worth it to ask, ‘Where is my agency as a designer or an artist? How does this relationship work?’ It’s a question we should ask – we shouldn’t forget about it. But that relationship has shifted in a big way.”

Robillard also wants students to grasp the impact of AI and generative media.

“Generative media is spreading on the internet,” he said. “It’s a media phenomenon. So we’re looking at not just AI as a tool but AI as a system.”

Students will complete a series of creative projects that cover skills like developing prompts for AI generators, creating thematic atlases and exploring AI frameworks.

“I want students to be able to design interactions with AI in things like smart watches,” Robillard said. “They will make design choices as to how we relate to AI in our daily life.”

Thywill Olude is a graduate student in Robillard’s class. Working with emerging technologies is one of the reasons he’s studying at Ohio State.

“I have a background in art – I used to paint,” he said. “When I saw this class, I wanted to explore how tools like AI can be helpful in creating art beyond using traditional tools.”

Olude said he and other artist friends used to view technology with some skepticism. As they’ve developed and matured, though, that’s no longer the case.

“One way or another, we’ve always accepted technology, whether we like it or not,” he said. “It’s your reality at the moment. The best you could do is embrace it.”

Joining Olude in the class is Maria Palazzi, Ohio Eminent Scholar in Art and Design Technology and professor of design. She hopes to learn from Robillard’s curriculum and best practices.

“Obviously, AI is going to become an important aspect of the way designers practice,” she said. “I want designers to be able to make informed choices about the way in which they’re going to use AI. That means I have to be informed, too.”

Ensuring that her students are ready for an AI world is a driving force, Palazzi said. Working with AI as developers, instead of just consuming it, will help direct how it should be used in and out of the classroom.

“We want to prepare our students for the future they’re going to face with these new tools.”

“This is the first time y’all have seen the mural, right?” Terron Banner, director of Urban Arts Space at The Ohio State University, asked the students before teachers pulled down the cover. They could barely contain their enthusiasm, all shouting “Yes!”

Students from both schools supplied the designs. Banner and the Urban Arts Space team facilitated much of the work, including scanning and arranging student drawings into the larger painting, which was then split into halves.

Rainbows, joined hands, flowers, ice cream, and more covered the brightly colored mural, as did words like “kindness,” “honesty” and “responsibility.” Students were eager to point out their own contributions.

“I painted the people,” said Akari Campbell, a Shady Lane student. “I love painting.”

“There’s two ice cream cones with a ring around them like Saturn,” said Gwen Gigliello, a Cassingham student. “I painted those.”

Akari was looking forward to bringing her parents to the mural. They’re excited to see it, she said.

She was not the only one ready to show off their hard work. Gwen said she couldn’t wait to come back.

“I’m going to show my whole family,” Gwen said. “I’m going to have people come in from where they live and come here.”

The mural is the product of a larger process, Banner said. Banner and the Urban Arts Space team – connected with Erase the Space by university’s College of Arts and Sciences' engagement office – facilitated much of the work, including scanning and arranging student drawings into the larger painting, which was then split into halves. 

“We had prompts every week and they would share their ideas about their community, about fairness, about responsibility … hardships, too. When something’s not fair, what do you do? We started putting that into a visual language. What does it look like to be happy? What does it look like to be fair, to be kind?”

Combining the halves, each painted by a different school, made the metaphor real, Banner said.

“We’re literally erasing the space between both proximity and distance but also between different communities, different cultures, different identities and different personalities.”

Melissa Hohenberger, art teacher at Shady Lane, was happy to see how quickly the students bonded.

“When we met for the first time, we met at the library and talked, did some initial drawings,” she said. “After we left, the kids talked about wanting to meet up again and missing their new friends.”

Gwen remembered feeling nervous when she met her partner.

“My partner was shy and I was shy, but then we slowly started to come together,” she said. “I asked how old she was, if she had any pets. She asked me the same.”

Banner hopes that the students hold on to the lessons they learned from the experience.

“Working together, this collaboration and community, I think, builds bonds and that’s really the importance of this,” he said. “Whatever they may do in their future, whether it be through high school, college, their career paths – maybe they’re artists, maybe they’re politicians – collaboration and community are central things.”

Community engagement projects like this are fundamental, Banner said, both to Urban Arts Space and Ohio State as a whole.

“It’s part of our responsibility, right?” he said. “We are a land-grant university. We have a responsibility to the community.”

Michael T. Bivens, Whitehall’s mayor, agreed. He learned about the unveiling just that morning and immediately added it to his schedule.

“I couldn’t help but to come support our young people,” he said. “I’m not surprised that Ohio State is involved in this. They’re a great community partner. I’m never surprised that they’re involved.”

The pitch event featured 12 teams presenting their ventures to a panel of judges representing a cross-section of entrepreneurs and business professionals. Teams delivered timed pitches followed by a timed question-and-answer session, and judges selected six ventures to receive funding. The ventures will advance as the President’s Buckeye Accelerator Cohort 5 companies.

The finalists were chosen from more than 50 student ventures that took part in Boost Camp, the Keenan Center’s semester-long, pre-accelerator program, earlier this spring. A preliminary pitch competition narrowed the group to the 12 teams that competed in the pitch finale.

“What impresses me most is our students’ instinct to tackle real problems. They’re not just imagining what the future could look like — they’re building it,” said Cheryl Turnbull, senior director of the Keenan Center. “Through the President’s Buckeye Accelerator and the resources of the Keenan Center, these founders gain the skills and confidence to transform challenges into viable businesses and solutions that can create meaningful impact.”

Student founders said the program’s support helped them strengthen their ventures and plan for what comes next.

“Throughout Boost Camp, we were able to build and improve SimVive based on user feedback with the help of incredible mentorship,” said Kevin Ravakhah, SimVive co-founder. “Now, with PBA funding and support, we’ll be able to expand our patient- scenario library, pursue accreditation, and help more EMS providers prepare for real-world emergencies.”

The six selected ventures are:

• Coachable, a digital platform that lets coaches create, animate and share plays while giving players instant, secure access to their team’s playbook. Founder: Eric Ishekwene (Engineering).
• Colectic, a curated marketplace that helps vintage resellers manage online sales and operations. Founders: Bria Isaacson (Fisher College of Business); Ritika Chakraborty (Fisher College of Business; Public Health).
• PathoTrace, a passive gel tape that captures airborne microbes and changes color to flag contamination, with app-based tracking. Founders: Hannah Myers (Engineering); Meredith Kuhlman (Fisher College of Business); Cynthia Song (Engineering).
• Side Coach Sports, building an operating system for youth sports where scheduling, payments and athlete interactions happen in one place. Founders: Luke Carrell (Fisher College of Business); Nick Sawyer (Education and Human Ecology).
• SimVive, a browser-based clinical decision-making simulator for EMTs and paramedics, allowing providers to practice realistic emergency scenarios with dynamic vitals, interventions and feedback. Founders: Kevin Ravakhah (Arts and Sciences); Nick Ravakhah (Engineering).
• Viera Wellness, developing an at-home screening kit combining immediate symptom relief with long-term prevention for common, overlooked vaginal health conditions. Founders: Sandy Ilangovan (Arts and Sciences); Ajay Gopalan (Arts and Sciences); Sridurga Karthik (Arts and Sciences).

For the founders, the experience also brought new perspective on business models, customer discovery and the impact they hope to create.

“PBA has been an incredible opportunity for me,” said Luke Carrell, Side Coach Sports co-founder. “It’s pushed me to rethink my business model, engage more deeply with customers and ultimately grow into a stronger entrepreneur. The Keenan Center for Entrepreneurship has provided tremendous support, both financially and through invaluable mentorship and guidance, which has been instrumental in Side Coach’s growth. We truly would not be where we are today without it.”

“The President’s Buckeye Accelerator showed me the potential I have in entrepreneurship,” said Eric Ishekwene, founder of Coachable. “It provided real mentorship, real engagement and tangible financial results. Being able to build something that creates meaningful impact made the experience even more rewarding. I’m honored to be selected as one of the winners.”

The finale was held April 8 at the Ohio Union’s Archie M. Griffin Ballroom West. Additional finalist teams that pitched included Ding!, Harrigan Systems, Mango, Overturn, QR Connect and SpaceReg Navigator. All ventures will receive the opportunity for continued mentorship and support from the Keenan Center.

Watch a recording of the President’s Buckeye Accelerator finale and learn more at the Keenan Center website.

“DataFest is an intensive weekend competition where teams of three to five students tackle a large, real-world data set to uncover insights under time pressure,” said Asuman Turkmen, a statistics professor who serves on the planning committee for the event. “It blends competition, collaboration and creativity at the same time, and it is not only about data analysis. Students also learn how to think critically about data, how to communicate their findings and how to make data-driven decisions.” 

First hosted at the University of California, Los Angeles, in 2011, DataFest is now sponsored by the American Statistical Association (ASA) and has spread to over 60 universities around the world. From March to May, more than 2,000 undergraduates gather for their institution’s weekend-long iteration of the event, all analyzing the same real-world data set and then presenting their findings to compete for university-level awards like “best visualization” and “best insight.”  

Although the source and details of the data are kept secret until all DataFests worldwide are complete, past sets have come from major organizations like Ticketmaster, Expedia and the Canadian women’s rugby team. 

What makes DataFest unique is that this data is all the students receive. There are no questions or requirements that guide how students should analyze the data set or what form their final five-minute presentation should take. For instance, one team might analyze how travel destination affects booking rates while another might create a 3D map visualizing how website users jump between pages while browsing. 

“The students do not have a roadmap. Typically, when you do homework, you have data, and you have some questions, like ‘estimate the parameters,’” Turkmen said. “That is very different from the messy, real-life industrial data students will work with after they graduate, so they get to see this kind of experience through DataFest.” 

Fortunately, the students aren’t completely on their own. Throughout the event, faculty and industry mentors are available to answer questions or provide guidance.  

“The mentors are typically grad students or recent graduates, so they’ve just been in our shoes and can share advice from that perspective,” said Tony Stabile, a junior microbiology major and two-time DataFest participant. “They didn’t just answer questions but gave me advice about classes, skills to prioritize and how to interact with people.” 

In the weeks leading up to the event, registrants can also attend virtual workshops for quick lessons on using data analytics software and attend team formation nights to meet other registered students. 

“Any Ohio State student can be a part of DataFest, and when you make teams, maybe you have someone very good at computation, someone very good at biology, someone very good at art,” Turkmen said. “Gathering an interdisciplinary team is the way to go in this era that we live in, because nobody can know everything, and having a diverse team gives you different points of view.” 

Sometimes, the event also inspires students to become more interdisciplinary in their own studies. 

“Last year, I had zero experience with data science, and I mostly listened to my teammates do the analysis. But I thought, ‘Wait, this is cool. I should learn this.’ So I picked up a statistics minor,” Stabile said. “This year, I was able to use programming software to manipulate the data. It was great to see that progress.” 

Executing such a large event is no small feat, and the planning committee begins preparing for DataFest up to six months in advance. Statistics department faculty, graduate and undergraduate students and university staff work together to book event space and catering, secure sponsors, purchase prizes and recruit mentors and judges. 

Turkmen believes the months of planning are worth it, though, when the committee sees how much the students grow throughout the course of the weekend. 

“I strongly encourage any Ohio State student, regardless of knowing statistics or not, to get involved with the event,” Turkmen said. “It’s a great opportunity to work with real data, learn some new skills and connect with peers, faculty and professionals in the industry. Most importantly, it’s a very fun and supportive environment, and you always gain a lot by being a part of it.” 

The AAAS Fellowship, recognizing scientifically or socially distinguished efforts to advance science or its applications, is one of the most prestigious honors a U.S. scientist can receive. Fellows are elected by their academic peers. The 2025 class consists of 449 scientists, engineers and innovators across 24 AAAS disciplinary sections.

“The American Association for the Advancement of Science has a long history of honoring researchers whose exceptional work is expanding the impact of their respective disciplines,” said John M. Horack, vice president for research. “The contributions and achievements of Ohio State’s newly elected Fellows exemplify this standard of excellence and service.”

Ohio State’s newest Fellows represent the colleges of Arts and Sciences and Engineering. This year’s class, joining over 550 Ohio State scholars who have been granted this lifetime recognition since 1874, are:    

Tanya Berger-Wolf, director of the Translational Data Analytics Institute and professor of computer science and engineering; evolution, ecology and organismal biology; and electrical and computer engineering. For distinguished contributions to the field of computer science, particularly for interdisciplinary, cutting-edge research in the area of computational ecology and Artificial Intelligence for science.

Stuart Ludsin, professor of evolution, ecology and organismal biology. For distinguished contributions to interdisciplinary science at the nexus of limnology, fisheries ecology, global change biology and ecosystem management.

Steven MacEachern, professor of statistics. For distinguished contributions in Bayesian methodology and computation, and for outstanding leadership and service in advancing statistical education, research and professional engagement. 

Michael Poirier, professor of physics. For distinguished contributions to the fields of gene regulation and chromatin biology, particularly for biophysical studies of pioneer transcription factors and chromatin dynamics. 

AAAS is one of the world’s largest general scientific societies and publisher of the Science family of journals. Fellows are recognized for their achievements across disciplines, from research, teaching and technology to administration in academia, industry and government, to excellence in communicating and interpreting science to the public. 

The 2025 class of Fellows will be honored at a forum on May 29 in Washington, D.C.

Brown joined Ohio State’s faculty in 2001 and became dean of the John Glenn College of Public Affairs at its inception in 2015. Prior to that, he served as director of the then-Glenn School.

In June 2025, he was named senior vice provost for academic affairs in the Office of Academic Affairs. In this role, Brown has served as deputy to the provost and as a partner and resource for deans, vice provosts and other academic leaders ­– and helped lead strategy for ensuring student academic success and strong student outcomes.

As interim provost, Brown will lead programs and initiatives in the Office of Academic Affairs, overseeing deans of all Ohio State’s colleges, regional campuses and University Libraries, as well as the Enterprise for Research, Innovation and Knowledge.

“We are pleased to be able to further elevate Dr. Brown’s portfolio and responsibilities at Ohio State,” Bellamkonda said. “He brings stores of knowledge about our academic mission and its many programs, as well as a deep understanding of and appreciation for the shared governance process with which we operate.

“Most of all, Dr. Brown is a dedicated public servant. Like his mentor and friend, the late Senator John Glenn, he has committed himself to the betterment of society through the act and, importantly, teaching of public service.”

Brown said he is ready for the next challenge.

“As President Bellamkonda has said, Ohio State is an academic powerhouse, and our focus on teaching, research, creative expression and community engagement is critical to improving the lives of Ohioans and families around the world,” Brown said. “I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to advance that important mission and continue the university’s momentum related to academic excellence.”

Brown has performed extensive service for Ohio State. Over the last five years he has served as co-chair of the academic transition task force during the COVID-19 pandemic, executive dean of the professional colleges, senior advisor to the provost, and interim dean of Fisher College of Business, alongside his role as Glenn College dean. As a scholar, Brown worked with local, state, federal and foreign governments, as well as public organizations, to improve organizational and managerial performance. He has conducted applied research projects for the city of Columbus, IBM Center for the Business of Government, Pew Center on the States, U.S. Department of the Navy, and others. His research on government contracting has been utilized by the U.S. Government Accountability Office and the U.S. Office of Management and Budget. From 1994 to 2013, he helped lead the Parliamentary Development Project, a U.S. Agency for International Development-funded organization that provided technical assistance to Ukraine’s national parliament.

He is also a renowned researcher in public management and organizational theory, contracting and contract management, and strategic management and performance measurement. The National Institute of Governmental Purchasing recognized him as the Scholar of the Year in 2013. The American Society of Public Administration’s Section on Public Administration Research awarded his co-authored book, “Complex Contracting: Government Contracting in the Wake of the U.S. Coast Guard’s Deepwater Program” (Cambridge University Press), as the Book of the Year. He is also a fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration. 

Brown received a PhD in public policy and political science from Indiana University and a BA in public policy from Stanford University. From 2021 to 2024, he also served in the leadership of the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration, which promotes the ideal of public service through higher education. 

While Brown’s appointment as interim executive vice president and provost will begin immediately, pending Board of Trustees approval, he will continue to hold the title of dean of the Glenn College through April 30. Beginning May 1, Stephanie Moulton, professor and associate dean for faculty and research at Glenn College, will be acting dean.

Moulton, who holds a PhD from the School of Public and Environmental Affairs at Indiana University, is a visiting scholar at the Philadelphia Federal Reserve Bank and a faculty affiliate of Ohio State’s Institute for Population Research in the College of Arts and Sciences as well as the University of Wisconsin’s Institute for Research on Poverty.

She also serves on the Scientific Advisory Board for the Wealth and Mobility Study at the University of Michigan’s Stone Center for Inequality Dynamics. Moulton is a member of the Academic Research Council for the Urban Institute’s Housing Finance Policy Center and an elected fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration. 

“Dr. Moulton is a dynamic, collaborative and proven leader,” Brown said. “We look forward to working with her on the Council of Deans and the many program areas in which our Glenn College excels.”

In the most recent Graduation Success Rate report, the Buckeyes posted single-year and four-year rolling scores of 94 and 93, respectively. Those numbers remained the same for the third year in a row and are the highest in school history.

The NCAA established the GSR in 2002 as a means of understanding student-athletes’ academic completion rates more concretely. It does so by accounting for two groups that play an increasingly prominent role in collegiate athletics: mid-year, first-time enrollees and transfers. This year’s numbers include the 2015-16 to 2018-19 freshman cohorts.

“The consistency of Ohio State student-athletes stands out as they maintained a one-year GSR mark of 94 and a four-year mark of 93,” Faculty Athletics Representative John E. Davidson said. “These high scores reflect a culture of care that values academic achievement as a prime component of the world-class student-athlete experience.”

Twenty-three Ohio State teams had a GSR of 90 or better, including 15 with a perfect 100.

Artistic swimming, women’s cross country/track and field, men’s fencing, women’s fencing, field hockey, men’s golf, women’s golf, women’s lacrosse, pistol, rifle, women’s soccer, softball men’s tennis, women’s tennis and wrestling all had a 100 in the GSR.

Eight programs recorded GSR scores of 90 or better: baseball, men’s ice hockey, women’s ice hockey, men’s lacrosse, men’s soccer, women’s swimming and diving, men’s volleyball and women’s volleyball.

In all, 25 teams maintained or improved their score from the previous year, including 12 teams that maintained a perfect score or improved upon the prior year.

“That two-thirds of the 25 teams maintaining or improving on last year’s score attained a perfect 100 speaks to the commitment of coaches, the support of the Student Athlete Support Services Office staff, and, most of all, the incredible dedication of student-athletes to succeed to the utmost of their abilities in all their endeavors,” Davidson said.

The football program maintained the program-best score of 89 it recorded last year, the fourth year it improved or maintained its GSR. 

The annual stair climb event at Ohio Stadium on the anniversary of 9/11 continues to grow in participation each year. Students, university leaders and community members filled the stadium in the early morning to begin a 45-minute climb of the stairs inside the ’Shoe.  

The volunteers climb the equivalent of 110 flights of stairs – symbolic of the 110 floors of the World Trade Center towers. The event serves as a powerful reminder of the heroism displayed by the firefighters, police officers and emergency personnel who worked to save lives 24 years ago.

“September 11th is always a time where we gather to honor and remember the importance of service and how incredibly critical it is for each and every one of us to do our duty,” said featured speaker Andy Wilson, director of the Ohio Department of Public Safety.

Senior Vice President and Wolfe Foundation-Eugene Smith Endowed Athletics Director Ross Bjork thanked the young members of the ROTC departments who are preparing for a life of service after graduation.

“Thank you for your commitment to our country. The future leadership of our country is in your hands, and we appreciate your commitment to what lies ahead,” he said. “For those of us who were around during 9/11, we all remember where we were. We all remember the feelings that we had and the emotion in our country.”

Bjork also thanked the athletics teams, including wrestling, men’s and women’s lacrosse, swim & dive, artistic swimming and rowing, who participated in the climb.

Air Force ROTC Cadet Aidan Spang, a third-year science education major, said the stair climb also develops connections between the other ROTC branches on campus. Army, Navy, Marine and Space Force members of the tri-services corps join the climb every year.

“It’s really about building a strong sense of community here, and doing it with the other branches as well,” he said. “Because we don’t really get to do much stuff with them, so being able to join them is also pretty great.”

The stair climb has personal meaning for women’s lacrosse player Charlotte Browne. The New York native and marketing major said she remembers 9/11 through her father’s service.

“My dad was on the fire department for 30 years. He was a captain during 9/11, so he was there that day,” she said. “It’s really special to do this with my team, be a part of a community that does this.”

Leading these advances are researchers at The Ohio State University: Engineers are developing a nuclear propulsion system that uses liquid uranium to directly heat rocket propellant as an alternative to solid fuel elements used by traditional nuclear propulsion systems.  

Their concept, called the centrifugal nuclear thermal rocket (CNTR), is specially designed to improve rocket performance while simultaneously minimizing any engine risk.  

While similar breakthroughs in the field have focused more on affordability than performance, CNTR potentially offers a substantial advantage for future crewed space missions even compared to other types of nuclear-powered systems in that it can approximately double an engine’s efficiency, said Dean Wang, a senior member of the project and an associate professor in mechanical and aerospace engineering at Ohio State. 

“In recent years, there has been quite an increased interest in nuclear thermal propulsion technology as we contemplate returning humans to the moon and working in cis-lunar space,” said Wang. “But beyond it, a new system is needed, as traditional chemical engines may not be feasible.” 

Chemical engines have been used in spaceflight since the very beginning of the space age.  However, they are limited in thrust, and use large quantities of propellant. Consequently, missions to the outer reaches of the solar system can take a very long time – nine years in the case of the New Horizons spacecraft that flew by Pluto.  

Because of these limitations, future missions will require propulsion systems that can reduce travel time, increase the amount of material sent on the mission, or both, if researchers want to safely send astronauts to far-off destinations — all vital reasons why demonstrating the potential of these approaches is so important, said Wang.  

“The longer you are in space, the more susceptible you are to all types of health risks,” he said. “So if we can make that any shorter, it’d be very beneficial.”  

If the team’s design is successful, implementing their engine in future rockets could make it easier to travel farther on less fuel, as the highest specific impulse — the amount of thrust achievable from a specific amount of propellant — of a chemical engine is about 450 seconds.  Nuclear propulsion engines based on designs tested in the 1960s achieved approximately 900 seconds and, according to the team, a CNTR could achieve even higher values. 

Utilizing nuclear thermal propulsion would also mean more flexibility for mission operations, as rockets could take advantage of additional flight trajectories not possible with chemical engines,  to help reach deep-space targets in shorter periods of time. More notably, because these systems can utilize a range of potential substances as propellant, widespread use could quickly facilitate the development of in-space resources such as asteroids and Kuiper Belt objects, said Wang.  

Overall, these heightened capabilities could allow quicker round-trip human missions to Mars as well as support novel one-way robotic missions to the outer planets, including Saturn, Uranus and Neptune, said Spencer Christian, a PhD student in engineering at Ohio State. Under John Horack, a professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at Ohio State, Christian leads prototype construction of CNTR.  

“You could have a safe one-way trip to Mars in six months, for example, as opposed to doing the same mission in a year,” said Christian. “Depending on how well it works, the prototype CNTR engine is pushing us towards the future.” 

Despite these newfound avenues for increased space exploration, like with any emerging innovation, there are many engineering challenges that still have to be addressed, said Wang.  

“We have a very good understanding of the physics of our design, but there are still technical challenges that we need to overcome,” he said.  

Many of these challenges were detailed in a study the team recently published in the journal Acta Astronautica. Some potential hurdles include ensuring that the methods used for startup, operation and shutdown avoid instabilities as well as envisioning ways to minimize the loss of uranium fuel and accommodate potential engine failures. 

This team’s CNTR concept is expected to reach design readiness within the next five years — but in preparing their model for potential next-generation use, researchers are most looking forward to showing how well it could fare under extreme conditions.  

After all, a final laboratory demonstration will likely help inform the direction of future nuclear thermal propulsion technologies. “We need to keep space nuclear propulsion as a consistent priority in the future, so that technology can have time to mature,” said Wang. “It’s a huge benefit that we can’t afford to miss out on.”  

The team’s effort was supported by a grant provided by NASA.

Beyond the reduction in self-reported and clinician rated depression, the students’ global well-being increased nearly three-fold and their performance improved on several cognitive tasks. All but one participant also lost weight. 

The 16 students who completed the pilot trial were receiving medication, counseling, or both for major depressive disorder before beginning the keto diet. The findings suggest achieving nutritional ketosis through diet is a feasible adjunctive therapy for depression and pave the way for a larger clinical trial, researchers say. 

The pilot study did not have a non-keto control group for comparison. Previous research has suggested medications and counseling reduce depressive symptoms by about 50% in a similar time period. 

“So many people are suffering right now, so it’s rewarding to potentially bring forward a solution,” said Jeff Volek, PhD, lead author of the study and a professor of human sciences at The Ohio State University. “There is more science yet to do, but because there is evidence of a benefit, expanding accessibility to a well-formulated ketogenic diet as an augmentation to treatment for depression is something to think about.” 

The study is published today (Sept. 9, 2025) in the journal Translational Psychiatry. 

Volek’s lab teamed with Ohio State mental health experts to design and complete the trial with young adults studying at the university. 

Stress, anxiety and depression are the No. 1 impediment to academic performance for U.S. college students, said co-author Ryan Patel, DO, a psychiatrist in Ohio State’s Office of Student Life Counseling and Consultation Service: About 40% of college students report depression symptoms, and about half of them are receiving treatment of some kind. 

“We have a treatment gap in that we have more students suffering from mental health concerns than can feasibly receive professional treatment,” Patel said. “There is a need for finding ways of helping students on a large scale. And nutrition is one way we can do that.” 

Twenty-four students were enrolled in the trial and 16 students – 10 women and six men with an average age of 24 – completed the entire study. 

Participants received extensive education on the keto diet, consisting of fewer than 50 grams of carbs per day combined with higher fat and moderate protein intake. The keto diet converts fat into ketones used by cells in the body and brain as an alternative to glucose, and is designed to put the body in a state of nutritional ketosis, when it has greater access to ketones as both fuel and a signaling molecule.  

“It was very important to make sure participants knew what they were getting themselves into,” said Drew Decker, MS, first author of the study and a graduate student in Volek’s lab. “And a big part of increasing chances for adherence to the diet was talking to each individual about what they like and don’t like to eat so we could tailor some suggestions for how they could structure their diet.” 

The team also provided 10 complete starter meals, offered consistent advice and snacks for the first half of the trial, and communicated throughout the study with participants through a private app. The students were advised to eat when they were hungry and finish eating when they were full, and not to worry about calories. 

At baseline and over the course of 10 to 12 weeks, the students reported depressive symptoms using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-09), the standard instrument to measure the severity of depression in clinical settings, and completed the World Health Organization-Five Well-Being Index (WHO-5). They also took a series of cognitive tests assessing episodic and working memory, processing speed, executive function, and attention and inhibitory control. 

Co-author Jennifer Cheavens, PhD, professor of clinical psychology at Ohio State, oversaw clinical assessments of participants before and throughout the trial. 

“One of the things we really wanted to make sure of is that we were providing a treatment for people who met the diagnostic criteria for having major depressive disorder,” Cheavens said. “Each participant had about a 2 1/2-hour interview at the beginning, and then weekly assessments of their symptoms.” 

Students were also screened to ensure that they did not have any contraindications to a ketogenic diet, such as Body Mass Index under 20, eating disorders, pregnancy or high alcohol consumption. 

Results included:

• Participants achieved ketosis, based on a measure of ketone values in their blood, 73% of the time – an indication of good adherence to the diet.
• Self-reported depression scores decreased 37% by week two and reached 69% of improvement at week 10-12. The range of symptom severity varied, but nobody’s symptoms worsened.
• Clinician-rated assessments of depression at week six and week 10-12 decreased by 59% and 71%, respectively.
• By week two, perceived ratings of global wellness had increased two-fold, which improved to nearly three-fold at the end of the intervention.
• As a group, participants lost an average of 11 pounds and their body fat decreased by 2.4% – with most exceeding the clinically significant drop of 5% weight loss.
• As a group, participants’ performance improved on cognitive tasks assessing episodic memory, processing speed and executive function.
• No significant changes in cholesterol or triglycerides were found.

Patel, who met with the students throughout the trial, said the magnitude of the reduction in depressive symptoms linked to the keto diet was notable. 

“The average effect size for medications and counseling after 12 weeks is about 50%, and we saw a substantially greater result,” he said. “That is an impressive finding, that across the board, in this real-world setting, everybody got better, and across the board, our participants did not need more treatment or emergency intervention.” 

For over two decades, Volek has been studying therapeutic applications of ketosis for conditions such as heart disease and cancer as well as athletic performance and soldier health and resilience. 

“The idea is that the ketogenic diet is working through a variety of potentially different mechanisms – there’s a whole range of physiological metabolic adaptations to the diet that could overlap with some of the pathophysiology of depression,” Volek said. 

The team collected a range of biological data on changing levels of proteins related to inflammation and brain function in this pilot that may help inform a future study examining potential mechanisms behind the diet’s effects. 

“We haven’t teased out those mechanisms here because this is a proof-of-concept study for an adjunctive therapy,” Volek said. “This is one of the first really well-controlled studies and it has limitations, but the results encourage us to want to keep pursuing it.” 

This project was supported by a grant from the Baszucki Group Brain Research Fund. 

Additional co-authors included Scott Hayes, Whitney Whitted, Ann Lee, Alex Buga, Bradley Robinson, Christopher Crabtree, Justen Stoner, Madison Kackley, Teryn Sapper and Ashwini Chebbi, all of Ohio State. 

• On- and off-campus safety resources
• Well-being resources
• Buckeye Commons
• Senate Bill 1 guidance and resources
• Freedom of expression
• Listen. Learn. Discuss., Ohio State’s civil discourse initiative

For more on faculty and instructor resources and support, visit the Office of Academic Affairs website for a comprehensive collection of resources.

Safety resources
The safety of the Ohio State community is the university’s highest priority. Ohio State is taking multiple measures to keep students, faculty and staff safe both on and off campus.

Ohio State has increased the presence of police on the Columbus campus by hiring and training additional Ohio State University Police Division (OSUPD) officers — and worked with the Columbus Division of Police (CPD) to increase patrols off campus. The joint patrol program pairs four OSUPD officers with officers from CPD to work in the nearby neighborhood where many students live. This is over and above the regular patrols in place on and off campus.

The popular Lyft Ride Smart at Ohio State continues to offer students discounted late-night rides in a designated area from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m., and the Office of Student Life is offering any Buckeye student complimentary personal safety alarms that, when triggered, create a loud noise that can be heard a couple hundred feet away. These can be picked up at the Willie J. Young Sr. Off-Campus and Commuter Student Engagement office at the Ohio Union from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The office also offers complimentary safety devices for student homes, including window and door alarms.

Ongoing safety initiatives and investments include:

• Authorizing OSUPD to hire additional police officers with the goal to have 75 full-time officers supported by hundreds of non-sworn security.
• Purchasing and installing additional cameras supported by a 24/7 dispatch center.
• Continuing support for license plate reader (LPR) cameras located on and off campus to assist with law enforcement investigations.
• Continuing the cruise lights initiative for on-campus police vehicle patrols utilizing steady, low-intensity blue lights in the rear window of cruisers to increase visibility and deter crime. The program, initially announced as a pilot, has been fully adopted by OSUPD for nighttime patrols.
• Providing non-sworn security Buckeye Block Watch patrols in targeted University District areas. The program features security teams that are taught how to deal with difficult situations and learn best practices for public engagement, including mental health responses, first aid and CPR.

Public safety officials are working toward more safety enhancements as part of both short-term and long-term planning so look for additional announcements throughout the year. More safety resources are available on the university’s public safety website.

Well-being resources
Ohio State offers an array of services and resources for students, faculty and staff, meeting Buckeyes where they are and when it’s convenient for them.

The Office of Student Life utilizes a model of 10 Dimensions of Wellness to support all aspects of well-being. Students and others can access the online Health and Wellness Resource Guide with a searchable database of support services available to the Ohio State community.

Among the services and resources available to students through the Office of Student Life:

Counseling and Consultation Service offers a multi-model approach with a variety of free treatment options based on the individual’s specific needs. Students have access to a number of on-demand services such as drop-in workshops, Let’s Talk informal mental health consultations, and Uwill teletherapy as well as individual and group therapy.

The Student Life Student Wellness Center offers peer-to-peer coaching on topics such as personal finance and nutrition. They also facilitate Community Wellness Education, consisting of online modules about alcohol, prescription drug safety and mental well-being. Our Collegiate Recovery Community offers resources for students in or seeking long-term recovery.

The Monda Student Resource Center enhances students’ holistic, essential needs through resources and support from campus and community partners.

In addition, Student Health Services offers a variety of on-campus health care options to the student population while Recreational Sports promotes living an active life of balance, physical activity and well-being.

Buckeye Commons
The Office of Student Life has opened the Buckeye Commons, a central hub where students can connect, network, engage, learn and thrive in an inclusive, dedicated space focused on advancing student success. The Buckeye Commons, on the first floor of the Ohio Union, provides robust educational offerings and opportunities for networking and hosts events, workshops and programming on a number of topics from leadership, career preparation and study skills, to time management and building community.

Senate Bill 1 guidance and resources
In the spring, Ohio Governor DeWine signed SB 1, the “Advance Ohio Higher Education Act,” into law, with most provisions of the bill taking effect June 27, 2025. A university-wide committee developed implementation guidance in collaboration with teams of faculty, staff and students.

Please continue to visit the SB 1 Compliance website, which includes resources, policies and guidance, guidance from the Ohio Department of Higher Education and more. In the coming weeks, the university will continue to communicate this and still-emerging guidance as additional elements of the law go into effect. Throughout the fall semester, the Office of Faculty Affairs will hold a series of open office hours for faculty and instructors to answer questions on a variety of issues, including SB 1-related topics. Each session will include representatives from faculty affairs, the Drake Institute for Teaching and Learning and the Center for Ethics and Human Values (CEHV). These sessions are open to all faculty and instructors, including graduate teaching associates. More information is available on the Faculty Affairs website.

CEHV has also created a guide for Facilitating Civil Discourse in the Classroom offering instructors confidence and resources to ensure that their discussions with students reflect the mission of the university by being open, rigorous and constructive. It follows the center’s 4Cs methodology for leading challenging conversations in the classroom.

Academic freedom is a core value at Ohio State, and SB 1 does not restrict the freedom of faculty to teach, conduct research or publish research findings or to discuss in classrooms, in their own manner, any material that is relevant to the subject matter as defined in the course syllabus. Additionally, SB 1 also does not prohibit controversial issues from being discussed in class, though it does require the university to “ensure the fullest degree of intellectual diversity” to allow students to reach their own conclusions.

Students, faculty and staff are also encouraged to review the one-page SB 1 overview and visit the Information on Legislative and Executive Actions website for additional information.

Freedom of expression
Ohio State remains committed to protecting the First Amendment right to free speech, academic freedom and freedom of expression on our campuses. The First Amendment and Ohio law expressly protect the rights of students, faculty, staff and visitors at the university to lawfully engage in speech and expressive activities. The Campus Free Speech Policy, adopted in May 2023, supports this dedication, and the Freedom of Expression website serves as an online hub for support resources, including frequently asked questions.

The university may adopt and enforce time, place and manner restrictions for speech and expressive activities. These content-neutral restrictions, like the university space standards and university signage standards, are in place to ensure that teaching, learning, research, service and patient care missions can occur without interruption. The signage standards were recently updated, and chalking is no longer permitted on campus and will be removed.

To maintain neutrality that assures academic freedom and freedom of speech and expression, Ohio State refrains from taking institutional positions on matters that extend beyond the university. For more information, see the Philosophy on Institutional and Leadership Statements. Consistent with SB 1’s requirements about controversial beliefs and policies, the university updated the philosophy in June with more detailed guidance on who it applies to and what constitutes an institutional statement. 

Listen. Learn. Discuss.
At Ohio State, we share one important thing with each other: We have all chosen to be Buckeyes. We can use this common ground to engage with one another in a way that is respectful and caring, even — and especially — when we disagree.

The university’s civil discourse initiative is focused on helping members of our community listen to and discuss different perspectives productively, build trust with one another, learn to successfully navigate complex conversations and clearly articulate their point of view. Listen. Learn. Discuss. will help students, faculty and staff form skills to engage in productive and respectful dialogue. Visit the initiative’s website for courses, workshops and events.

Convocation is held at the Schottenstein Center before the first day of classes each year and is the official welcome ceremony for new students. It’s the one time before graduation when the class of 2029 is called together as a group.

“This is that moment when you see your future, your life. It starts right here,” Carter said. “Everything you will do for the rest of your life will start and be shaped by what’s happening right here today. Class is starting tomorrow. There are friends that you will make that will change your life forever.”

University leaders joined Carter to help familiarize the students with some of the history and traditions of Ohio State. He introduced head football coach Ryan Day, who encouraged the students to be great fans.

Day will lead the defending national champions into Ohio Stadium to face the Texas Longhorns on Saturday in a matchup of the two top-rated teams in the country.

“We need you to be great fans. Because we need everybody to reach our goals,” Day said. “The students are a big part of it. … If you’re in the stadium, you gotta be loud, right when the foot hits the ball at kickoff.”

Senior Vice President for Student Life Melissa Shivers introduced the students to the university’s school song: “Carmen, Ohio.”

“It reminds us of the joy and privilege of being here to learn and grow as a member of this community,” she said.

The convocation ceremony also introduced students to the city. Mayor Andrew Ginther entered the arena on a COTA bus to highlight the benefits of living in Columbus.

Mascots from the Columbus Blue Jackets, Crew and Clippers helped energize the crowd. Some students won gift cards or discounts to popular campus-area restaurants.

Students also received a token of what is to come. Alumni Association President and CEO Molly Ranz Calhoun shared that each student received a Block O pin to celebrate the community of alumni they will join in four years.

“It may look simple, but it represents so much. It represents a connection to a family of more than 630,000 living Buckeye alumni,” she said. “It represents tradition and 155 years of excellence at The Ohio State University. And it represents pride.”

At the event, Ohio State leaders and Google Public Sector representatives announced that university students, faculty and staff can now access secure versions of Google AI tools, ensuring that Google does not save or share the information they enter. The event included demonstrations of the Google Gemini large language model, the Google NotebookLM research assistant and note-taking tool and other applications.

Data & AI Day was designed to help Ohio State instructors, researchers and staff learn more about how Google’s AI tools complement the university’s AI Fluency initiative, said Ohio State’s Executive Vice President and Provost Ravi V. Bellamkonda. Starting this year, the initiative will embed AI education into the undergraduate curriculum, preparing students to use AI tools, as well as understand, question and innovate with them.

“Our mission is to shape the future for our students,” he said. “Every student who’s coming in this year will graduate being bilingual – fluent in AI and the application of AI in their careers.”

Ohio State’s partnership with Google Public Sector also ensures that Ohio State’s faculty and researchers have access to advanced technology that can help carry out their work, Bellamkonda said. 

“What we’d like to do is to empower you, our faculty, our scholars, our teachers to have access to the tools, to have access to resources, and then you interpret how AI makes the most sense for you,” he said. “How might we create a moment for our students to think about them discovering something that they did not know before? AI Fluency at its core is our journey together at Ohio State.”

The goal of Data & AI Day was to shed light on how colleges and universities can adapt to AI’s growing role in education and research, said Google Public Sector Chief Technology Officer Charles Elliott.

“We really try to focus on making sure that AI can be folded into the workstreams that many of you do. And of course, think about productivity,” Elliott told participants. “There’s a lot of great resources … out there specifically for teaching. I encourage all of you to go check those things out.”

Data & AI Day included breakout sessions for classroom instructors and researchers. Google Public Sector representatives demonstrated how instructors can use Google AI tools to assist with tasks such as course and lecture design and helping students prepare for exams.

By experimenting with the tools, “you will have an idea of what you can do,” said Jillian Yoerges, Google for Education workspace specialist. “You will also have an idea of what your students can do.”

Breakout sessions for researchers included demonstrations on how to use Google AI tools to access hundreds of models and datasets on a wide variety of subjects and distill complex research articles into succinct audio overviews, among other functions.

“Understanding what tool to use for what is important,” said Chris Daughtery, education strategy lead representative for Google Cloud.

For more information on how Ohio State students, faculty and staff can access Google AI tools, visit Ohio State’s Sign Up and Provisioning website.

An analysis led by Kate Stewart, a PhD student in communication at The Ohio State University, found that films that feature teen protagonists tend to depict experiences incongruent to those that real-life adolescents face. Unlike a typical high school student, protagonists in movies, for example, are rarely shown to struggle with the physical aspects of puberty, and typically excel at initiating romantic relationships. 

These findings contribute to the idea that while on-screen representations of youth are vital touchstones, they emphasize largely unfamiliar and unattainable narratives, so that when young viewers compare their lives to what they see in media, they find they don’t measure up. 

Repeated exposure in the movies to idealized portrayals of romantic interaction and body image impacts how teens interact with the world around them, said Stewart.  

“In a perfect world we would see comforting, reassuring, informative depictions of these types of things,” she said. “But if you’re seeing certain depictions over and over again, then it’s going to start to affect how you view things and especially what you may come to expect.”

The study was recently published in the Journal of Children and Media. 

The researchers analyzed 53 popular films released between 2012 to 2021 such as Lady Bird, Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters or The Fault in Our Stars, in which the main character was high school-aged. They coded key elements of puberty found in the movies. 

The main result was that these coming-of-age movies didn’t really include narratives about how real adolescents experience puberty. The large majority of movies exhibited a marked absence of physical puberty traits for both male and female characters, said Stewart.

Of the 53 main characters, both male and female, only two (3.8%) of them dealt with body hair. There were two characters (3.8%) dealing with acne. Among the 28 female leads, two characters dealt with breast development (7.1%) and four characters (14.3%) dealt with menstruation on screen. There were no characters who were depicted navigating growth spurts, changes in muscle development or voice changes. 

The study found that the actors portraying the main characters were typically older than high school students. The ages of the actors playing the lead roles ranged from 16 to 28 years old. Only 10 lead actors were actually high school-aged (14 to 18 years old) at the time of filming. 

And there is a lot of romance in these movies – much more than typically experienced by most adolescents, Stewart said. In most movies (88.7%), the main character had a clear love interest. Across all movies, there were 1,467 shared scenes between the main character and love interest. Of the 47 movies that had a love interest, 78.7% of them showed the main character having a successful romantic pursuit of their love interest.

Despite these choices, normalizing inauthentic experiences like easy romances and false body image expectations certainly isn’t something the movie industry is doing maliciously, said Stewart. 

“It’s kind of a weird disconnect and misalignment between those two big features of adolescence,” she said. 

This study suggests that movies don’t typically provide a realistic view of adolescence, instead offering an aspirational view. That’s not what young viewers want, according to a 2024 report by the Center for Scholars and Storytellers.

It found that many teens are steering away from romance in the movies, as 63.5% of adolescents expressed a preference for stories focused on friendships and platonic relationships, rather than romance unnecessary to advancing the plot. 

In other words, movies dealing with real-world issues with models whose lives are more relatable would be powerful tools for teens navigating extreme developmental changes.

Researchers add that the work serves as a stepping stone to understanding how other types of social norms impact young people’s feelings toward relationships and body image. 

“Our hope is that the industry will begin to weigh those pros and cons of allowing teen audiences to see puberty and more realistic changes,” said Stewart. “By shining a spotlight on this, we’re hoping to move forward and build on what we know about what teens learn from media.” 

Nicole Martins of Indiana University was a co-author. 

Ohio State and Learfield Impact, the company’s NIL services, are fueled by on-campus leadership professionals who prioritize Buckeye student-athlete brand engagement and content-driven campaigns. Additionally, BSG will have access to Learfield’s Compass NIL technology to facilitate deal transactions and gain insights into student-athlete interests that foster authentic brand connections.

“Ohio State has always been a leader in college athletics, and this initiative is another step forward to build upon our strong NIL foundation,” said Carey Hoyt, Ohio State’s deputy director of athletics. “By combining the power of our athletic brand with Learfield’s expansive network, we are creating an innovative, full-service approach to NIL that directly benefits our student-athletes.”

The House v. NCAA settlement marks a pivotal shift in college athletics. As part of the agreement, signed and approved Friday and taking effect July 1, schools will now be permitted to directly compensate athletes for use of their name, image and likeness. A key component of the settlement is the implementation of a Fair Market Evaluation process, and a “range of compensation” designed to establish standardized benchmarks for NIL deals across sports and institutions. Buckeye Sports Group will serve as a centralized hub for NIL brand deal facilitation, corporate partnerships, student-athlete storytelling and NIL support.

A comprehensive NIL strategy

The Buckeye Sports Group will support Ohio State’s student-athletes with comprehensive efforts within three key areas: deal facilitation and management, content creation and storytelling, and support services.

NIL deal facilitation & management

1. Negotiating and securing brand partnerships locally, regionally and nationally for student-athletes.
2. Overseeing contract preparation and fair market value assessments.
3. Utilizing analytics to track NIL performance and return on investment.

Content creation & student-athlete storytelling, powered by Learfield Studios

• Creating athlete-driven digital content, including social media campaigns, video series and podcasts.
• Leveraging Learfield’s Fanbase data and digital expertise to optimize distribution across social media and digital channels.
• Providing marketing resources for brand collaborations to maximize results, including the use of Ohio State marks and logos and access to campus facilities.

Athlete support & services

• Providing financial literacy and tax support through partnerships with industry experts.
• Offering branding and social media growth training to help athletes build their personal brands.
• Connecting student-athletes with brand partners to provide business experience and micro-internships and build professional networking relationships with companies.

A unified approach to NIL

In a move to streamline and optimize NIL operations, Buckeye Sports Group will also work to consolidate existing NIL collectives under a single marketing team. This unified structure will provide student-athletes with seamless access to opportunities while competing for the Buckeyes. The founding members of THE Foundation and The 1870 Society will remain engaged and serve in an advisory capacity to the new Buckeye Sports Group. Additionally, re-occurring donations and subscriptions made to The Foundation will continue to play a vital role in supporting Ohio State Athletics.

“We’re incredibly thankful for everything our NIL collective’s leadership, businesses and donors have done to support our student-athletes,” said Ross Bjork, senior vice president and Wolfe Foundation-Eugene Smith Endowed Athletics Director. “Their commitment has helped shape the landscape in powerful ways. As we move forward with a more unified approach, we’re excited to combine efforts and further strengthen the NIL success of our student-athletes.”

Impact & vision

Through this partnership, Ohio State Athletics and Learfield are setting a new standard for NIL excellence. The initiative aims to:

• Maximize student-athlete earning potential.
• Strengthen Ohio State’s brand value through strategic partnerships.
• Create a sustainable, best-in-class NIL ecosystem that benefits athletes, brands and the university.

“As we enter a new era for college athletics, we’re excited to build on our past successes and create even more meaningful NIL opportunities for Ohio State student-athletes,” said Todd Knisley, vice president & general manager of Learfield’s Ohio State Sports Properties. “Buckeyes have excelled both on and off the field, and we’re committed to amplifying that momentum. We also recognize the unique potential of our footprint in Columbus, one of the fastest-growing metro markets, for impactful deal-making. With the strength of Buckeye Nation behind us, we’re able to unlock incremental opportunities for partnerships on a local, regional and national scale.”

BSG will fuel Ohio State’s NIL deal-making success and build upon the momentum of over 500 NIL brand partnerships featuring Buckeye student-athletes across all 36 sports. Buckeye student-athletes have already collaborated with prominent brand partners such as Beats by Dre, Chipotle, Right Rug, Weber Grills, Element Electronics and more.

“We are committed to making Ohio State the premier destination for NIL success,” Hoyt said. “With Buckeye Sports Group, we’re building a model that will serve as the new standard for college athletics.”

Ohio State has added a game against Navy, scheduled for Sept. 1, 2029. The contest will be that season’s opening game. In order to add that game, Ohio State and the University of Nevada have agreed to move their previously scheduled game on that date to Sept. 7, 2030.

Ohio State also rounded out its 2029 non-conference schedule by adding a game against Youngstown State, which will be played at Ohio Stadium on Sept. 15, 2029. The Buckeyes have one game remaining in order to fill out the team’s non-conference schedules over the next five years: the season opener on Aug. 31, 2030.

Ohio State 2026 Non-Conference Schedule
Sept. 5 – Ball State
Sept. 12 – at Texas
Sept. 19 – Kent State

Ohio State 2027 Non-Conference Schedule
Sept. 4 – Bowling Green
Sept. 11 – New Hampshire
Sept. 18 – Alabama

Ohio State 2028 Non-Conference Schedule
Sept. 2 – Buffalo
Sept. 9 – at Alabama 
Sept. 16 – Northern Illinois

Ohio State 2029 Non-Conference Schedule
Sept. 1 – Navy
Sept. 8 – Charlotte
Sept. 15 – Youngstown State

Ohio State 2030 Non-Conference Schedule
Aug. 31 – TBD
Sept. 7 – Nevada
Sept. 14 – at Georgia

2025 Single Game Tickets Available Soon

On-sale dates to purchase 2025 Ohio State single game football tickets and to select games for the Pick 3 mini-plan option are set and are approaching soon. The dates for the mini-plan sale and single game tickets for students, alumni association members and the general public are as follows: 

• June 6 / 4 p.m.: Deadline for students to request ticket packages;
• June 16 / 10 a.m.: Pick 3 mini-plan; Fans can build their own mini-plan by selecting one of these two games (either Grambling or Rutgers) and adding any two games from this trio of games: Ohio University, Minnesota and UCLA;
• June 24 / 10 a.m.: OSU Alumni Association members single game presale; and
• June 27 / 10 a.m.: General public single game sales.

Prices for the Pick 3 mini-plan will start as low as $190. Depending on availability, fans will be able to choose the best available seating from multiple price zones in Ohio Stadium to build their package.

Where available, single game ticket prices will start as low as $64 and will vary across price zones and opponents. More information on mini-plan and single game ticket options can be found by visiting https://go.osu.edu/fbtix.

2025 Ohio State Football Schedule

Aug. 30 – Texas – 12 Noon / FOX

Sept. 6 – Grambling – 3:30 p.m. / BTN

Sept. 13 – Ohio University – 7 p.m. / Peacock

Sept. 20 – Off

Sept. 27 – at Washington

Oct. 4 – Minnesota (Homecoming)

Oct. 11 – at Illinois

Oct. 18 – at Wisconsin

Oct. 25 – Off

Nov. 1 – Penn State

Nov. 8 – at Purdue 

Nov. 15 – UCLA

Nov. 22 – Rutgers

Nov. 29 – at Michigan – 12 Noon / FOX

“I didn’t pick up my first digital camera until I was done with my undergraduate degree,” said Shannon, associate professor of art at The Ohio State University. “Once digital photography exploded, I found myself existing between two worlds, grounded in the physical and evolving with the digital. I’ve been fascinated by that change. I think about what we gain and what we lose as we shift from a physical photographic process to a digital one.”

Last month, Shannon was named Ohio State’s third Artist Laureate. The program allows each year’s recipient to travel the state – including the university’s regional campuses – and share their art with a variety of audiences.

“This is a wonderful opportunity,” she said. “I’m excited about it. I’m hoping it will also open up new avenues for my own artwork, whether that’s creating artwork in collaboration with the communities I visit or finding inspiration in what we do together.”

“Insofar as the Artist Laureate program was created to engage with communities across the state — especially those with less access to the arts — Kate’s application really resonated with the selection committee,” said Lisa Florman, vice provost for the arts. “The events she’s proposing involve both hands-on making and historical inquiry into photography, which struck a chord. Photography is an eminently accessible art form — almost everyone has photographs, even old analog ones, in those historical archives we call the family photo album. I’m excited to see what arises from Kate’s collaborations across the state.”

Shannon teaches at Ohio State Mansfield. It is a joyful experience, she said, working with students.

“I have the opportunity to engage with students from Mansfield and the surrounding areas that may not have as much exposure to the arts,” she said. “We’ll have students who have never been into an art gallery and by the time they finish the year, they’ve not only gone to an art gallery and interacted with professional artists, they’ve also had the opportunity to display their own artwork. Creating those types of experiences for students is really meaningful.”

Shannon is thrilled that a regional campus faculty member was selected this year.

“Ohio State is one university,” she said. “The Artist Laureate program was created with the regional campuses in mind. While art students in Columbus have access to a wide range of cultural opportunities, students at the regional campuses sometimes don’t have the same access. This program acknowledges that gap and helps create meaningful arts experiences for those students. As a faculty member at a regional campus, I appreciate that.”

While Shannon started her career with film, her students today have grown up in a digital world. They’re curious about other ways to capture images, she said.

“They were born into the smartphone age,” she said. “An age where everyone has a camera in their pocket. That’s why showing them how a camera obscura works, letting them hold antique photographs, feels increasingly meaningful as they grow further removed from the physical world of photography. Learning about the history of the medium helps them better understand and be more mindful of a tool they now use almost instinctively every day.”

Shannon is planning to bring these physical interactions with photography to the state in her new role. In the past, she has taught students how to make cyanotypes, a type of photographic printing process that involves exposing light-sensitive paper to ultraviolet light, resulting in a vivid blue image. Shannon and other photographers often make them outdoors, using natural light.

“I’d like to adopt that model around the state,” she said. “It’s a great way to engage with the community, make art, explore your surroundings and learn about the history of photography.”

At previous events, participants brought photographs to share with Shannon. She hopes this trend will continue.

“I didn’t ask them to do that; they just did,” she said. “They wanted to show me and have conversations about their own photographs.”

The conversations are part of the photography experience for Shannon. People don’t need to be artists to appreciate the medium, she said.

“Photography can engage different communities and interests. I can engage with people regardless of their artistic background,” she said. “We can find ways to connect to whatever their passion is.”

“This is daunting,” he said, staring out at the crowd in Ohio Stadium.

And the world students are graduating into can be daunting, he said. Still, he encouraged the graduates to accept and give help no matter the circumstances.

“You are the ones who will build and strengthen bridges of understanding and cooperation here in America and around the world. It’s not always an easy thing to do, but it’s worth the effort,” he said. “You never know where your friends and allies are going to come from. But you must allow yourself to be surprised and receptive to others not like you.”

He also reminded students to remember what they learned at Ohio State.

“Serving a purpose greater than yourself is at the core of the Buckeye philosophy,” he said. “You can’t go wrong with it.”

A friend of Bolden’s, Ohio State President Walter “Ted” Carter Jr. told graduates that it can be easy to look at someone like the former astronaut and think they won’t measure up. He suggested that the students all look closer.

“The people on this stage have something in common,” he said. “Something that is an example to all of us. Something the world needs more of. They have all answered a call to serve the greater good.”

Students can answer that call however they see fit, he said, whether that’s public service, military service or philanthropy. Ohio State has prepared them for success.

 “With the Ohio State degree you are earning today, I know you will answer that call and make the world a better place. And when you set out to create good, there’s a multiplier effect. Each act of service, each positive interaction with another person, has an impact far beyond what you might think is possible.”

During the ceremony, Atul Gawande, celebrated physician, public health expert and author, received an honorary Doctor of Science. In addition, Distinguished Service Awards were given to William B. Farrar and Elizabeth B. Germain and Richard B. Germain in recognition of their support of the university.

Ninety-one countries were represented in the graduating class, including Costa Rica, India, Kenya and Sweden.

A total of 12,357 degrees and certificates were awarded, of which 294 were doctorates, 1,770 master’s and 975 professional degrees. The remaining 9,318 were bachelor’s and associate degrees and certificates.

With a background in track and field training at Oklahoma State University and the University of Iowa, Ohio State athletic trainer Sam Wagner was pulled into ROTC after initially joining the team to work with the Performing Arts Medicine program.  

Similar to high-performing dancers and other athletes, cadets and midshipmen suffer chronic injuries from an increase in physical activity when entering the program or overexertion to the point where their bodies break down.  

“Education really is an important factor there, because they require, from a physical standpoint, a similar effort to a student-athlete, but they don’t have the same resources as a student-athlete,” Wagner said. 

Athletic trainers like Wagner have taught students how to prevent injuries, whether it’s going over running programs, finding the right shoes for their foot type, showing when to change those shoes out, and foam rolling and stretching techniques.  

“Did you know that you have to change your running shoes every six months or 500 miles or it can start to cause problems in your bones and joints if you don’t?” said Yasmine Moukadam, a third-year midshipman, 2nd class in Navy ROTC. “Well, I didn’t and I don’t think I ever would have if it weren’t for the athletic training staff team educating us on self-care.” 

One of the larger concerns for ROTC students when it comes to medical attention is the potential lifelong impacts of an injury, even a minor one. When Wagner is treating students, she looks at it from a bigger picture.  

She used concussions as an example: “One concussion may not have an impact now, but we ...  do the best that we can to make sure this doesn’t affect you later on–in and outside of the military.” 

To prevent fear of speaking up about any discomfort or injury that a student might be feeling, Wagner emphasizes the importance of treatment as soon as possible to avoid future problems.  

She often tells cadets, “This one thing won’t affect you if we stay on top of this now. If it’s something that’s minor, we can get it taken care of and nip it in the bud, then it’ll have a better impact on your career versus us ignoring it and things getting worse.”  

In an effort to grow the progran, Wagner also has connected with athletic trainers working with ROTC at Auburn University, Texas A&M University and University of South Carolina to see what other programs are doing.  

Bringing the athletic training team into ROTC has produced positive results.  

“Our ROTC departments have an amazing relationship with the Wexner Medical Center and Health and Rehabilitation Services,” said Kevin P. Cullen, assistant vice provost and director of military and veteran services. “At the individual level, our athletic training program prevents injuries, speeds up recovery and enhances performance in difficult military activities. At the academic department level, our athletic trainer increases military readiness and combat preparedness, helps build physical and mental resilience, and establishes a foundation for long-term health benefits.” 

In addition to the partnership with ROTC, athletic trainers were brought into the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office in February 2024 in an effort to reduce medical costs for the department and individuals.  

Over the past year, athletic trainers have conducted injury evaluation, rehabilitation, treatments and paperwork for a research study supported by the Human Performance Collaborative. 

Unlike the ROTC and BalletMet patients, employees at the Sheriff’s Department range in age and background, which leads to different injuries, Wagner said. The gear they wear also has an impact.  

“We see a lot of upper extremity injuries in regard to them wearing the vests all day,” she said. “Because of this, they get into a more rounded shoulder position, leading to shoulder impingement and some chronic upper extremity injuries.” 

After considering joining the Air Force in high school, Wagner has found a new way to contribute to their work and help ROTC students and the tactical athlete through athletic training.  

“I had very bad shin splints, and I found that the shoes that I was wearing and also the way I was running had a large impact on me getting injured,” he said. “I really started looking into biomechanics.”

Diallo was one of dozens of Ohio State students who presented their research during the 30th annual Richard J. and Martha D. Denman Undergraduate Research Forum. The event was held recently at the Ohio Union.

“The Denman students must not only be scholars and researchers, but creators, makers and presenters as well,” Ohio State President Walter “Ted” Carter Jr. said in his welcome message to participants. “You truly embody the mission of Ohio State – to prepare thoughtful, capable leaders in every field of study.”

Diallo’s research centers on the development of medical equipment that people of all ages can use to assess their risk for injuries and learn how to prevent them.

“With increasing age and neurological disorders, you do see people more susceptible to falling,” he said. “We’re trying to mitigate that risk of them falling by using balance-based preparations to enhance their balance stability while they’re working, performing everyday tasks.”

Diallo said he plans to enroll in graduate school and further his research. He said his studies have also helped him avoid further injuries.

“On the sports side of things, I’m just a lot more cognizant of biomechanics now,” he said. “As I continue to progress in my research, I’ve become more and more cognizant of how external factors or even internal factors can affect me being injured.”

Other areas of research that students presented during the Denman forum included interventions for runaway adolescents with depressive symptoms. Amalia Rodriguez-Giusti, Yvonne Gong and Natasha Slesnick presented research on the topic.

“I wanted to focus on that because runaway adolescents tend to be a really at-risk group,” said Rodriguez-Giusti, a human development and family science major. “Annually, there are 3.1 million adolescents that suffer from depressive symptoms.”

Rodriguez-Giusti’s research explores therapies that can help teens reconnect with their families and improve their mental health.

“You take the parents or guardians in one individual therapy session, and you teach them how to set up better boundaries,” she said. “And then you take the adolescents and teach them how to better handle difficulties. And then you put them together to see how well they can mesh together and … help them learn healthier lifestyles and hopefully create their happiness.”

Maddison McMaken, a business major, presented a concept titled “Green Roots Market – Innovating Food Systems for Urban Sustainability in Franklinton.”

“Green Roots Market is focusing on alleviating food insecurity in Franklinton, Ohio, which is a Columbus neighborhood, by providing fresh, locally grown produce through sustainable hydroponic systems grown on-site in greenhouses,” she said. “It also offers educational opportunities in gardening, sustainability and hydroponics, encouraging the local community to grow their own produce.”

The ultimate goal of the Green Roots Market concept is to provide a sustainable source of fresh produce, McMaken said.

The market concept is designed to provide “space for the community with a cafe, outdoor growing area and an educational space, multifunctional area for the community,” she said. “They can see it … and learn about how to grow themselves.”

The women’s team recognized seniors at the Feb. 26 game in which the team bested the Michigan State Spartans, 89-78.

Players Taylor Thierry and Madison Greene were honored before the game, while managers Shelby Granger and CJ Williams as well as videographer Enrique Cabotage were honored at halftime.

The women’s team plays their first game in the Big Ten tournament on Friday in Indianapolis.

The men’s team recognized veterans at the March 4 game in which they prevailed over the Nebraska Cornhuskers, 116-114.

The men’s team honored players Ques Glover and Kalen Etzler as well as managers Nick Moore and Eric Oberholtzer, equipment manager Kyle Peters, student trainer Taylor Finnerty and Cabotage, the team’s social media manager, prior to the game.

The men’s team takes on the Indiana Hoosiers Saturday at Bloomington. They play their first game in the Big Ten tournament on March 12.

No. 6 Ohio State (14-2) scored 31 unanswered points to pull away from No. 5 Notre Dame (14-2) to earn the program’s ninth national title Monday at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia.

After the Irish scored on the first drive of the game, the Buckeyes scored the next 31 points on their way to the 34-23 win, the seventh consecutive victory for the Buckeyes over the Fighting Irish.

Prior to the title this year, Ohio State won the 2014 title, in the inaugural College Football Playoff national championship.

Will Howard quarterbacked the Buckeyes to the win behind 17-of-21 passing for 231 yards and two touchdowns.

Running back Quinshon Judkins scored twice on the ground and once through the air. He finished with 11 carries for 100 yards to go with two receptions for 21 yards.

Jeremiah Smith had five catches for 88 yards and a touchdown. Emeka Egbuka added six grabs for 64 yards. Cody Simon led the defense with eight tackles, with Sonny Styles adding six stops.

Fans are invited to celebrate the historic achievement at Ohio Stadium on Sunday, Jan. 26, at noon. The event will be free along with parking. More information to follow here: https://ohiostatebuckeyes.com/feature/2024-fb-national-champions.

U.S. News & World Report has again ranked Ohio State Online programs among the top in the nation in its 2025 Best Online Programs Rankings announced today (Jan. 21, 2025).

The university’s online bachelor’s programs ranked No. 5 nationally – marking its place within the top 10 for the 10th time since online programs were first ranked at Ohio State 12 years ago.

The College of Nursing’s RN to Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN); the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences’ Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences and AS to Bachelor of Science in Radiologic Sciences in the College of Medicine; and the College of Dentistry’s RDH to Bachelor of Science, Dental Hygiene contributed to the 2025 ranking.

Ohio State is also the only institution in Ohio to be ranked within the top 50 for undergraduate online programs.

This year’s rankings mark the 11th consecutive year the College of Nursing’s online master’s programs have ranked within the top 10, tied with Duke University for No. 3 in the nation (ranked No. 4 in 2024).

Ohio State’s online Master of Science in Nursing features five specialization areas, two of which received rankings this year. The Master of Science in Nursing in Family Nurse Practitioner ranked No. 5 (tied with Drexel University) and is top-ranked among public institutions in this category.

The university’s Master of Science in Nursing in Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner was the top – and only – public institution ranked within the Online Psychiatric Mental Health, Across the Lifespan category. Ohio State ranked No. 3 overall and tied with Drexel University and George Washington University.

“Continued online program growth and excellence is driven by our shared commitment to accessibility, workforce development, affordability, serving Ohio, and increasing options and opportunities for student success,” said Jason Lemon, vice provost and dean for online learning. “We are excited to serve learners in Ohio, and beyond, when and where they need education through online degree opportunities.”

Ohio State’s online programs have previously been recognized for being military-friendly by organizations like the National Veterans Leadership Foundation and the Pat Tillman Foundation. This year, U.S. News & World Report Best Online Programs rankings added to that, recognizing Ohio State’s Fisher College of Business with a No. 3 rating for its online business programs for veterans (tied with Rutgers University – New Brunswick and Newark). Ohio State was eligible to be ranked in this category for the first time thanks to its growing military and veteran enrollments.

Fisher’s Specialized Master in Business Analytics (SMB-A) program jumped forward in the rankings to No. 5 (No. 25 in 2024) in the graduate business (non-MBA) category, tied with Duke University and the University of Massachusetts-Amherst.

Ohio State’s online engineering master’s degree programs – the Master of Global Engineering Leadership, the Master of Engineering Management and the Master of Science in Welding Engineering – also saw a jump in the rankings from No. 34 in 2024 to No. 22 in 2025, tied with the University of Arizona and Virginia Commonwealth University.

In the Best Online Master’s in Engineering Management Programs category, Ohio State ranked No. 13 (ranked No.14 in 2024), tied with the University of Maryland-College Park. The university was also the only Ohio university to be ranked in this category.

Together, Ohio State’s Master of Learning Technology offered by the College of Education and Human Ecology and the Master of Arts in Art Education from the College of Arts and Sciences were ranked alongside four other institutions at No. 54 in the Best Online Master’s in Education programs.

Over the past decade, Ohio State Online’s academic program portfolio has grown to nearly 90 degrees and certificates offered by 13 of Ohio State’s 15 colleges.

“Ohio State has expanded and supported its fully online degree options and increased their quality at the same time. This has been possible through strong partnerships between Ohio State Online, the academic colleges and senior university administration,” Lemon said.

Affordability and quality of instruction are at the forefront of the consideration of U.S. News & World Report. The site uses insights from these factors and others to rank online programs at regionally accredited institutions across the country.

View the full list of 2025 U.S. News & World Report Best Online Programs rankings.

Now restored, the third-party Lexis Nexis service pulls data from the CPD crime log and populates a map showing off-campus crime reports. Ohio State preprogrammed the map to a one-mile radius to include the crime reports from the most recent 7-day period. The default crime categories are pre-determined by Lexis Nexis and serve as another tool for Buckeyes to stay informed about crime and crime trends. Additional features available include the ability to:

• Turn on additional crime categories
• Access months or years of data
• See heat maps and trends including time of day
• Sign up for crime alerts (daily, weekly or monthly)
• Enter your own, personal home address to set up tailored alerts

The Community Crime Map shows crimes occurring off-campus and outside The Ohio State University Police Division (OSUPD) jurisdiction, while on-campus crimes can continue to be accessed via the OSUPD daily crime log. 

When crimes occur on, or directly impact campus, Ohio State’s Department of Public Safety uses a variety of methods to communicate — watch to learn more. These methods include, but are not limited to, the Buckeye Alert System and Public Safety Notices and are supported by the Department of Public Safety website, social media, traditional media and other communication channels.

The Ohio State University football team is scheduled to play seven home games next fall, highlighted by a season-opening game v. Texas along with Ohio Stadium visits from Grambling, Ohio, Minnesota, Penn State, UCLA and Rutgers.

The 2025 season marks the second in a new, expanded 18-team Big Ten. Of the four west coast teams, Ohio State plays two of them – at Washington (Sept. 27) and home v. UCLA (Nov. 15). The trip to Seattle will be Ohio State’s first since 2007.

Schedules are arranged so that each Big Ten team will continue to play nine intraconference games per season, and teams will play every other conference opponent at least twice, and not more than three times, in a five-year period.

In addition to Texas, which is making its second trek to Columbus (2005), the nonconference portion of the schedule features a first-ever meeting against prominent FBS program Grambling State University and the first meeting since 2010 with Ohio University, the 2024 Mid American Conference champion.

Ohio State’s game at Illinois will mark its first trip to Champaign in 10 years, since a 28-3 win on Nov. 14, 2015. The Buckeyes have visited their other three conference road sites for next year – at Purdue, Wisconsin and Michigan – as recently as the 2024 season.

There will be two off weeks: Sept. 20 (after the Game 3 home game v. Ohio) and Oct. 25, following Ohio State’s road game at Wisconsin on Oct. 18.

The 18 conference teams will be vying to compete in the 2025 Big Ten championship game Dec. 6 at Lucas Oil Stadium, with the winner claiming the league’s automatic entry into the College Football Playoffs.

2025 Season Ticket Information

Ohio State season ticket holders for the 2024 season were sent renewal information in November and can renew their seats anytime until March 1. Those interested in becoming season ticket holders or learning more about other ticket packages for the 2025 season should visit https://go.osu.edu/fbtix.

2025 Ohio State Football Schedule
Aug. 30 – Texas
Sept. 6 – Grambling
Sept. 13 – Ohio
Sept. 20 – Off
Sept. 27 – at Washington
Oct. 4 – Minnesota
Oct. 11 – at Illinois
Oct. 18 – at Wisconsin
Oct. 25 – Off
Nov. 1 – Penn State
Nov. 8 – at Purdue
Nov. 15 – UCLA
Nov. 22 – Rutgers
Nov. 29 – at Michigan

The Heather Pick Music Program at The James offers just that. Pick, a local newscaster who died from breast cancer in 2008, was an avid musician. Friends raised funds in her honor, leading to the program’s start in 2015.  Since then, the musicians have performed music of all kinds – folk, jazz, classical and more – and listeners can enjoy it without leaving the building.

“Having live music in patient space has become a hot topic,” said Peggy Kohler, who manages the performing and visual arts programs at The James. “Why do we not have art, music and poetry in our health care? It’s always been a part of the human condition.”

Kohler ensures that The James has performers year-round. In some cases, the calendar fills itself. Kohler has regulars, she said.

“It’s important to the players,” she said. “It means a lot for them to volunteer. Some people come every week. They’ve been doing it for years because they know how much it means to the patients, and it means that much to them, too.”

One returning act is the MEEK Quartet. The foursome began playing at The James in 2016 and paused only during the COVID-19 lockdown. Rob Montgomery, Dan and Pat Epley and Tom Kaelber met at Ohio State’s Marion campus years ago. The group plays music from the 1930s through the 1960s, which Kohler said is easily recognizable and perfect for singing along.

“It’s nice to give back,” Kaelber said. “It’s my favorite thing to do. I like it better than our other concerts. Even the staff, they appreciate it. They walk by and you can see smiles.” 

“It really brightens up our day,” Pat Epley said. “You can be in a bad mood and then after you sing, you feel better – just to see people and know that you’ve brightened their day a little bit.”

People are drawn to the music, Kohler said. Staff plan their lunches around the schedule so they can eat and listen. Patients will watch and listen from the second-floor balcony near the radiation unit that overlooks the lobby.

“I watch people all the time,” she said. “Some people will go and interact with the performers. Some will sing the words. Some just listen. [People] will dance on their way up the stairs. It’s fun to see how it affects everyone.”

Kohler recalls seeing a patient who wasn’t on the schedule for treatment listening to the music.

“I had a patient who spent two hours sitting here,” she said. “I knew he was listening. He went over to the performers and said, ‘This helps so much with my pain.’ He came in just for the music that day.”

Patients who cannot leave their rooms don’t miss out, Kohler said. The hospital streams performances in-room.

“Channel two [on The James’ televisions] is all live performances from years past. And we’re recording as people perform now, too,” she said.

The music benefits health care providers as well.

“Everyone who comes in that door – patients, family, visitors – has heard the word ‘cancer,’” she said. “They’re scared and often don’t feel well, so, staff are working with people with high levels of worry all the time. … It’s an amazing thing what music does for people in relieving stress, worry and pain for everyone, including staff

In fact, some of the staff members at The James are performers themselves. Despite their long hours, Kohler said doctors, nurses and students volunteer their time to play.  

“I have two doctors who are coming to play Taylor Swift,” she said. “I have a jazz group. I have classical pianists who are doctors. I have a pre-med student flutist who plays with her dad, a medical student who plays soft indie rock. … They want to return here after a long day and give back [to their patients].”

Dallas Carpenter, a lecturer in the School of Music, has brought his contrabass to The James.

“You’ll never find a nicer audience, a more welcoming audience, than at The James,” he said. “As a performer, that’s the number one thing I enjoy. I know I’ll bring music and it’s going to help somebody.”

Kohler and Carpenter are hoping to build a program between The James and the School of Music, with the goal of expansion to other local hospitals.

“I feel it’s important to get real bridges between music schools and hospitals,” she said. “I’m passionate about every hospital having this.”

The limestone mine is a perfect place to house such an important resource. It is temperature- and humidity-controlled and is kept under tight security. Visitors are searched before they enter, as are their vehicles and belongings. Advanced preservation methods allow the materials held inside to be viewed by present and, the hope is, future generations. 

Picturing Black History uses images from the Bettmann Archive to tell previously untold stories from the lives of Black people, said Nicholas Breyfogle, one of the book’s editors and a history professor at The Ohio State University. The book was published this month.

“We were able to embrace the power of images to really be able to capture stories from Black history,” he said. “We live in a very visual world. [We] use these images to tell the stories of everything from oppression and resistance to perseverance, resilience and joy, to everyday life and political moments ... to bring all of that out of the archives, into the world.”

Breyfogle is joined in the editor role by Steven Conn, a history professor at Miami University. Breyfogle and Conn edit Origins: Current Events in Historical Perspectives. After the civil unrest in 2020, Getty Images approached Ohio State and Miami about using their historic images to better understand racial injustice in the United States. So far, this collaboration has created the book and a Picturing Black History website.

Also serving as editors are two Ohio State doctoral students: Daniela Edmeier and Damarius Johnson. For them, the book was a special opportunity. 

“I feel like the chance to work on something like this, as a graduate student, is unheard of,” Edmeier said. “As grad students, especially as historians, we’re deep in the archives. It’s easy to be in your insular little bubble, so to be working on a project that’s so forward facing, that’s collaborating with an organization like Getty, I don’t think I’ve ever had an opportunity like this.”

Johnson was struck by how valued his and Edmeier’s input was. 

“The reception we’ve had from the larger team is important. Conversations could be had between the folks who started the project,” he said. “Graduate students having this much input is awesome. There was a baseline principle that we work as a team and have input from the team in equal balance.”

Having the chance to go down to the Bettmann Archive was remarkable, they agreed.

“Even entering the mine (that houses the archive), you’re going through extreme security,” Edmeier said. “You’re brought in on a golf cart, you’re going literally into a hollowed-out mountain, it’s dark and cold. You see other areas for this branch of the military or that organization. We’re in the epicenter of valuable information, a collection of American history that most people aren’t even aware exists, much less have the opportunity to physically enter.”

Having access to images and being able to discuss them on-site was invaluable, Johnson said.

“There are thousands of images we looked at. We’re having conversations back and forth about these images, in this mine. We’re thinking about how they’ll fit within the structure of the book,” he said. “Our table of contents was set; we knew who the contributors would be and we needed supplementary images. So, there was a lot of conversation, even in the mine.”

In addition to research experience, Breyfogle said, graduate students get valuable career training.

“These are a set of skills that are essential as one goes off into the job market,” he said. “Editing, budget management, engaging with the larger public on a topic, teaching the broader public. It’s a way to train a whole series of skills and opportunities that most graduate students don’t have.”

Proceeds from book sales will support more opportunities for work, research, and education in Black history, he said.

“We’ve designed it to be self-sustaining,” he said. “We’re not doing this because we want to get rich. We’re doing this because it’s the right thing to do and because it’s going to help us do these kinds of projects with graduate students moving forward.”

In an open letter to Buckeye Nation, Ross Bjork, senior vice president and Wolfe Foundation-Eugene Smith Endowed Athletics Director, outlined some of the changes and a direction for the future.

A U.S. District Court recently issued preliminary approval to a settlement agreement in the lawsuits collectively referred to as House vs. NCAA. Ohio State supports the settlement and is hopeful the court will issue final approval in April 2025. At that time, Ohio State and its Big Ten and NCAA Division I peers will institute a number of significant changes, including paying athletes in men’s and women’s sports for their name, image and likeness (NIL) rights. 

Beginning in 2025-2026, in accordance with the settlement and changes in NCAA rules and regulations, Ohio State will compensate student-athletes for their NIL rights, also referred to as “revenue sharing,” leading to direct NIL payments that are anticipated to exceed $20 million annually. 

“The intercollegiate athletics landscape is undergoing a rapid transformation,” Bjork said. “And through this change, it is our goal to continue the tradition of supporting 36 teams, prioritizing academics, winning and maximizing the student-athlete experience on and off the playing fields.”  

The Department of Athletics will continue to be financially stable while generating its own resources. Thanks to the support of Buckeye Nation – alumni, fans, donors, corporate partners and others – the department fields the country’s largest public university athletics program without funding from tax or tuition dollars.  

“Private support from alumni, fans, corporate partners, foundations and individual donors has long been essential to the success of Ohio State Athletics as a self-sustaining department building toward and maintaining a standard of excellence,” Bjork said. “We are grateful and thankful to our donors for their support through the years and for their continued commitment to Buckeye sports.”  

In addition to funding student-athlete scholarships, donor giving supports the “Circle of Care,” a holistic approach to student-athlete well-being. The Circle of Care brings together a dedicated network of professionals and resources to address the diverse needs of all Ohio State’s varsity student-athletes, including in the critical areas of academic support, sports psychology and mental health care, career preparation for life after sports, nutrition and sports performance. 

“Philanthropy will remain crucial to providing the resources necessary to strengthening and advancing our Circle of Care for all our student-athletes, ensuring that we preserve and enhance the proud legacy of Ohio State athletics,” Bjork said. 

Direct institutional NIL payments are just one of several structural changes within the department.

The NCAA will now implement roster limits nationally rather than scholarship limits for each sport. As a result, the number of Ohio State varsity student-athletes will decrease by approximately 150, but the total number of Ohio State athletic scholarships available will increase by 91 scholarships. This new investment will allow Ohio State’s programs to continue to compete for and win championships.

Currently, most Ohio State student-athletes do not receive a full scholarship and 30% receive no athletic aid. As the department transitions from scholarship limits to roster limits, the number of student-athletes provided full or partial scholarships is expected to increase for most sports. All varsity sports will continue to offer scholarship opportunities.

In addition, and unrelated to the House settlement, the athletics department has determined that the co-ed rifle and pistol teams will become women-only sports by 2029. 

The department is actively reviewing a range of initiatives to support increased costs, including FY25 budget cuts, expanding the Buckeye Club and Champions Fund philanthropic arm of the department, a revised football season ticket plan for 2025, increasing corporate sponsorships, new NIL agreements with student-athletes, naming opportunities across athletics facilities, and new strategic initiatives around licensing and branding. 

Carter spoke to an audience of university students, faculty and staff, state and community representatives, and leaders in higher education. He delivered his remarks to a full ballroom in Columbus Friday afternoon as part of his official investiture ceremony.

As he approaches a year in office, Carter is ready to move from learning to action, he said. He encouraged the university to think big about everything from affordability to entrepreneurship to research and application of artificial intelligence – all to elevate Ohio State as a national model for higher education.

“As I take a look at where we are today … our reach, our impact is incredibly strong. But what made us successful in the past is not necessarily what’s going to make us successful in the future,” Carter said.

Carter observed that the next decade will be pivotal for both the university and higher education in the United States. He spoke to the need to boost confidence in the institution of higher education and pointed to the momentum at Ohio State.

The university welcomed the largest class of new, first-year students to start the autumn semester in August – more than 9,500 in total. Carter said Ohio State continues to excel in research with innovation that makes an impact across the state, nation and globe. The university remains one of the largest, and best employers in the state.

“The future of higher education is and will be here at The Ohio State University. … We will be a model for the nation. Excellence is not a destination or a goal at The Ohio State University. Excellence is an expectation. With the team that we have built, that expectation will be a reality,” he said.

Carter said the new strategic plan will be called Education for Citizenship 2035. The plan will focus on improving on six core themes:

• Academics
• Research and creative expression
• Health care
• Talent and culture
• Operations
• Collegiate athletics

Based on this framework, developed in collaboration with hundreds of stakeholders, Carter said Education for Citizenship 2035 will require Buckeyes from across the university community to help build out the initiatives and programs that make up the strategic plan.

“I want you to know these are the things that I will be working on with the board, with the community, and with all of you to achieve excellence in everything that we do. First and foremost, academic excellence. It is our North Star. If we are great at academics, then everything else will soon follow,” he said.

Carter encouraged the Buckeye community to be bold in ideas and action. He suggested improving the career prospects of students through expanded internship opportunities and incorporating entrepreneurship into the student experience. Despite a rapidly changing landscape in athletics, Carter said the university intends to continue to provide scholarships in all 36 sports.

Carter challenged students, faculty and staff to share their ideas in shaping the university’s strategic plan, including ways to drive down student debt, expand the university’s online educational opportunities and elevate the regional campuses.

Carter said one of the most pressing goals is focused on AI research and innovation. He pointed to the university’s strong connections in the artificial intelligence space and the commitment and investment by Ohio State’s Center for Software Innovation. He said the university can be a leader in marketing, technical development, design and software to maximize what AI technology has to offer.

“The workforce of the future will demand that our students are not just articulate, but fluent in how artificial intelligence works. … We will explore what it means and how to use AI in a cross-disciplinary fashion,” he said. “We’re going to be a model for the nation for artificial intelligence.”

The university developed a website to help the campus community support the new strategic plan. Once the framework is built out, the plan will launch on July 1, 2025.

President Carter’s first months in office and his vision for the university have been well received in the state. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine spoke about the importance of Ohio State to the region and how he has come to value Carter’s leadership.

“A good leader must be a good listener. From the moment President Carter came to Ohio State, he and Mrs. Carter have been listening. He’s explored Ohio State's campuses and communities, visited Ohio State regional campuses, listened to faculty, staff, students, alumni, and leaders from business and government,” DeWine said. “He talked to doctors, staff and administrators at the Wexner Medical Center, and he will continue to listen.”

Chancellor of the Ohio Department of Higher Education Mike Duffey echoed the sentiment.

“Perhaps now more than ever, it is crucial to have the right leader in place to steer a university like Ohio State into the future,” Chancellor Duffey said. “Through my interactions with President Carter, I know that the Board of Trustees made the right choice for the university, for its students, and for our state.”

Carter concluded his remarks confident in the idea that Ohio State would be successful in defining the future of higher education in the coming decade. He said he drew inspiration from the university’s alma mater, “Carmen Ohio.” 

“‘Time and change will surely show how firm thy friendship, Ohio.’ How firm thy friendship, indeed. That is the element that makes our campus so special. God bless everyone who works, studies and supports The Ohio State University,” he said. “As always and forever, go Bucks. Now, let’s get to work.”

• Nov. 5 asynchronous learning pilot
• Nonpartisan election resources
• Civil discourse and Listen. Learn. Discuss. – including Nov. 4 pre-election event
• Institutional neutrality and freedom of expression
• Political activity guidelines
• Support and resources

All of this information is also available on the election resources page on the Listen. Learn. Discuss. website.

Asynchronous learning day
Following approval of a proposal from University Senate, Ohio State will hold a day of asynchronous learning on Election Day as a one-time trial to support student participation in the general election. Instructors whose classes would otherwise have met in person or virtually should, in lieu of meeting, assign asynchronous classwork to be determined by the instructor.

Nonpartisan election resources
All Buckeyes are encouraged to support Ohio State’s motto of “Education for Citizenship” by helping to spread the message of nonpartisan civic engagement.

OSU Votes is a nonpartisan, student-led initiative in the Office of Student Life that works to register, educate and encourage other students to vote. If there are requests for voter education materials, OSU Votes can provide resources and facts on the voting process.

The Ohio Secretary of State provides all the information you need to stay informed about election day. You can check your Ohio voter registration status, find your polling location and view details on how to vote early.

Civil discourse and Listen. Learn. Discuss.
Ohio State is committed to building an environment that fosters productive discussions on challenging topics, even when there is disagreement. All members of the university community are expected to treat one another with respect and compassion.

The university’s Listen. Learn. Discuss. initiative helps community members productively listen to and discuss different perspectives, build trust with one another and learn how to clearly articulate their point of view. The initiative’s website includes a page specifically for election related resources including the Center for Ethics and Human Values’ civil discourse guide to help individuals engage with one another around the election.

Students, faculty and staff are invited to join the Institute for Democratic Engagement & Accountability (IDEA) and the Salmon P. Chase Center for Civics, Culture, and Society – in collaboration with Listen. Learn. Discuss. – for a virtual, interactive session on Monday, Nov. 4, 2024, at 6:30 p.m. Participants will be invited to share ideas and concerns in a positive environment and discuss concrete steps that can be taken individually and together to promote understanding and responsible civic engagement. The goal is to create knowledge, skills and strategies to engage responsibly in democracy and our local community, regardless of the outcome of the election.

Institutional neutrality and freedom of expression
To maintain the neutrality that assures academic freedom and freedom of speech and expression, Ohio State refrains from taking institutional positions on complex political or global matters, events, natural disasters or tragedies that extend beyond the operations of the university itself.

Ohio State’s Philosophy on Institutional and Leadership Statements uses the university’s Shared Values, the Chicago Principles and the Kalven Report as guiding principles. The philosophy does not impact academic freedom or any person’s ability to make statements that represent their own, individual views. Faculty have, among other things, the freedom to assemble and freedom in how they choose to conduct research, teach, publish and discuss their areas of academic expertise.

The First Amendment and Ohio law expressly protect the rights of students, faculty, staff and visitors at the university to lawfully engage in speech and expressive activities. The First Amendment protects speech that is offensive, hateful or upsetting unless it falls into a category that the U.S. Supreme Court has determined is unprotected.

When speech becomes incitement or threats of violence, Ohio State has and will always move quickly to enforce the law and university policy. Ohio State has not and will not tolerate hatred, intimidation or harassment of anyone based on their religious beliefs, nationality or identity. The university will continue to follow established processes to address allegations or reports of discrimination, harassment or other violations of university rules, standards, the Code of Student Conduct and other community expectations. The university’s Office of Institutional Equity (OIE) reviews and responds to reports of discrimination and harassment, and reports can be made directly to OIE.

Political activity guidelines
The university has guidelines regarding political activity, which can help employees understand how to exercise their constitutional rights without creating the appearance of endorsement for a particular candidate or cause.

Support and resources
The university recognizes that members of the community may be deeply impacted by a variety of national and global events and is committed to supporting all students, faculty and staff through direct actions and interventions that actively support health, safety and well-being.

The Office of Student Life’s Counseling and Consultation Service has created a Coping with Current Events page for students to help with concerns about global conflict, the political environment, economic stress or other issues that can impact mental health. The webpage outlines a range of resources to help students cope and give them the skills to support their peers.

Faculty and staff are also encouraged to take advantage of the resources offered through the Employee Assistance Program. The program offers tools and support resources available to eligible Ohio State employees, their dependents, household members, parents and parents-in-law.

They spend their time providing free physical therapy to the center’s patients, many of whom do not have insurance or struggle with another barrier to accessing care.

“The parameters for who we see at the clinic are intentionally loose,” said Marka Salsberry, associate professor of practice. “We say ‘a patient with a financial barrier.’ That could be someone without insurance. That could be someone with Medicare who can’t afford their 20% co-pay for physical therapy. It could be someone with 100% insurance coverage but they’ve exhausted all their allotted visits for the year and need more.”

The Ohio State University Student Physical Therapy Clinic is a nonprofit, student-run, full-service clinic. Patients see second-year doctoral students, who are guided on-site by third-year students as well as two licensed physical therapists. Between 70 and 75 students spend three hours, Mondays and Wednesdays, at the clinic each autumn and spring semester.

Many of the clinic’s patients struggle with injuries that are routine but that have plagued them for years, Salsberry said.

“A patient may come in with something presenting like frozen shoulder, which is tightening of the shoulder joint due to inflammation. It’s painful and limiting in terms of function, and all these patients continue to work,” she said. “It takes us four weeks and then they can use that arm again.”

A valuable skill that students learn, Salsberry said, is creating treatment programs that are actually usable for patients. Many physical therapy programs involve exercises at home, which may not be viable.

“These are individuals who work two or three jobs,” she said. “That’s often a 12-hour day or more. We need to give patients programs they can work into their days. We’ve try to give them something they can do if they’re working on an assembly line, like marches or squats. So, it’s a mind shift [for students]. The approach is different because of the needs of the population.”

Claire Black, a third-year doctoral student, found another consideration when working in the clinic: patients’ families.

After working with a patient who had experienced a stroke, Black was approached by the man’s daughter with complaints of back pain. Black realized that the cause of the young woman’s pain was lifting her father.

“How do we teach family members to help without hurting their own bodies?” she said. “Helping is a reality for so many of our patients and their families. We adapt things to make it feasible and safe for everyone. That’s so important.”

The clinic is run by a student board. Black is chair of the board this year. She said the experience has been valuable with graduation on the horizon.

“I serve in a manager role for the clinic,” she said. “I’m in charge of supervising the other board members and also things like making sure the clinic runs smoothly. It’s prepared me to handle things like scheduling challenges, providing exercise programs and making sure we’re teaching the second-year students.”  

Second-year students are paired with third-year mentors. This partnership helps both students. Second-years learn tips from their peers and third-years get experience as instructors.

More importantly, though, said Black, the students are providing care to people who do not have access to it.

“It continues to surprise me – the lack of access to care,” she said. “We are filling a gap.”

Community service is central to physical therapy, Salsberry said.

“I do feel that that is our responsibility, as a profession,” she said. “And I feel the university takes that responsibility seriously, too. … It’s heartbreaking when you see someone with an injury that can be easily fixed; just a couple of visits to a physical therapist would change their day-to-day life. It’s so rewarding when you can reach those people.”

“It’s important, not just as an Ohio State student, but as a person representing the profession of physical therapy [to give back to the community],” Black said. “It’s important that our care meets the needs of every single person, not just those with money, and not just those with high health care literacy. There is an access issue, and we are helping to close that gap.”

Patients can be seen at the clinic this year through Nov. 20. To schedule an appointment, call 614-859-1952.

Carter spoke before about 150 guests at the City Club of Cleveland last week. The club is one of the nation’s oldest free speech forums and has hosted sitting presidents, members of Congress and community leaders.

As he prepares for his Nov. 8 investiture, Carter said he is excited by the momentum at Ohio State. He pointed to more than 80,000 applications to join the university this year, historic enrollment for new first-year students and record-high graduate enrollment.

“There’s something special happening right now, today, at Ohio State. I couldn’t be more excited about that. But we’ve got to think about: How are we going to transform ourselves?” he said. “I’ve said this before: Even though we were founded in 1870 as a land-grant university, we’re going to have to re-imagine what it means to be a land-grant university going past 2030, all the way to 2035.”

Carter said he has engaged faculty, students, staff and alumni in a series of workshops to understand what they think the university should prioritize. He said the fruit of that labor will be launched at his investiture as the university’s new strategic plan – Education for Citizenship 2035.

“I believe our job, our mission, is not only to create the best learning and teaching environment in the country. I believe our job is to create a pathway for the next great citizens of our country, the state of Ohio, and, quite frankly, the next leaders for the state of Ohio,” he said. “In fact, my vision, … why I came to this institution, I believe The Ohio State University is uniquely poised to be the university not only for the state of Ohio, but for the United States.”

He said Ohio State would achieve that goal by emphasizing strategic areas of focus. They will include academic excellence; groundbreaking research and development; world-class clinical care; talent acquisition and retention; resource stewardship; and athletics.

Carter said the focus on these areas would also come with a commitment to affordability.

“I want to not only be the place where people want to go, but I also want people to be able to say, ‘This is the best value education you can get for the dollar,’ whether you’re in the state of Ohio or out of state.”  

The ceremony will be held on Sunday, Dec. 15, at 2 p.m. at the Schottenstein Center, and the university will issue approximately 3,600 diplomas. 

“Stephanie Hightower is a trailblazer and an incredible asset to Columbus, the state of Ohio and our university, and we are honored to list her among the Ohio State alumni changing the world for the better,” said President Walter “Ted” Carter Jr. “She is an advocate and trusted resource for underrepresented communities. Her passion for empowering the public and driving economic transformation, while supporting education and family stabilization, epitomizes the Buckeye spirit. I know she will elevate our autumn commencement for graduates and their loved ones.” 

Hightower graduated from Ohio State in 1981 with a degree in communications. During her time at Ohio State, she was a four-time All-American and an undefeated 15-time Big Ten Champion. She held 11 Big Ten and Ohio State records and set a world record in the 60-yard hurdles. She was inducted into the Ohio State Hall of Fame in 1993. 

After retiring from the sport in 1988, Hightower served as the Women’s Track and Field Team Leader of the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens and served two four-year terms as president and board chair of USA Track and Field beginning in 2008. She also chairs the Gender Equity Task Force for the World Athletics. 

Hightower joined the Columbus Urban League (CUL) in 2011 as the organization’s first female president and CEO. CUL develops workforce initiatives that prepare young people and adults to succeed in the high-wage jobs of the future, financial education that leads to greater home ownership, and financial stability and entrepreneurship resources that support minority-, women- and veteran-owned small businesses. 

Under Hightower’s leadership, the organization has sought to become more than a traditional social services agency but also provide services to assist Black and underrepresented individuals participate fully in central Ohio’s economy.  

Pending approval by the Board of Trustees, Bellamkonda, who is currently provost and executive vice president for academic affairs at Emory University, will begin his tenure at Ohio State effective January 14, 2025. 

“We couldn’t be more pleased to welcome Dr. Bellamkonda and his exemplary record of research, teaching and service to the Ohio State community,” Carter said. “In searching for a chief academic officer, it was critical that we find the exact right individual – someone who exemplifies our commitment to excellence in academics as well as collaborative leadership.” 

“Dr. Bellamkonda is that person, and I look forward to working with him to help shape our strategic vision for the future of our university and its impact on Ohio, the nation and our world.”

As Ohio State’s provost, Bellamkonda will oversee a university-wide portfolio of programs and initiatives in the Office of Academic Affairs that support faculty and student success across the university’s campuses. The deans of all 15 academic colleges and University Libraries report to the provost, who also serves as a member of President’s Cabinet, which includes leaders of The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and key administrative units, including the Office of Student Life; Office of Human Resources; Enterprise for Research, Innovation and Knowledge and more.

At Emory, Bellamkonda has launched and led several major initiatives, including faculty recruitment and retention efforts focused on arts and humanistic inquiry, as well as artificial intelligence in service to humanity across areas such as medicine, business, law and more. In addition, he helped lead the ambitious Student Flourishing initiative, which included curricular innovations as well as the Emory Purpose Project focused on well-being and ethics.

Prior to his tenure at Emory, Bellamkonda served as the Vinik Dean of the Pratt School of Engineering at Duke University. During his tenure, annual extramural research increased from $68 million to more than $100 million each year. He also helped launch two interdisciplinary institutes – the Duke Quantum Center and the Center for Advanced Genomic Technologies – and the Wilkinson Engineering Building was conceived, designed and built.

“I believe deeply in the noble mission of higher education and the excellence of higher education in the United States, especially its impact on research, shaping the future through the education of our students, and our responsibility to engagement in our communities,” Bellamkonda said. 

“I am excited to have the opportunity to serve The Ohio State University with its scale and reach. Ohio State is one of the great land-grant universities in our nation, and we are poised under President Carter’s leadership to excel in every part of our academic mission. My leadership philosophy is to relentlessly pursue excellence, and I am honored to join all of the incredible faculty, staff and students at Ohio State who make that their mission each day."

Trained as a bioengineer and neuroscientist, Bellamkonda also previously served as the Wallace H. Coulter Professor and chair of the Department of Biomedical Engineering, and associate vice president for research, at Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University. He began his professional career at Case Western Reserve University, serving as an assistant and associate professor, as well as associate chair for graduate education.

Bellamkonda earned a PhD at Brown University and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Bellamkonda has a bachelor’s degree in engineering from Osmania University. He has won numerous honors from professional societies in biomedical engineering and biomaterials. He served as president of the American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering from 2014 to 2016.

Bellamkonda is an internationally renowned biomedical researcher, whose lab has invented novel approaches to treat pediatric and adult brain tumors.

In 2021, he received a National Institutes of Health Director’s Transformative Research Award for his work, supported by the National Cancer Institute. The tumor monorail device developed in his lab has been recognized as a breakthrough technology by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. He is the scientific founder of a startup, Exvade Bioscience, that is pioneering first-in-human trials for the tumor monorail device. Additionally, Bellamkonda is an elected Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science; International Academy of Medical and Biological Engineering; and Society for Biomaterials; as well as an elected senior member of the National Academy of Inventors. He has been awarded 11 U.S. patents.

“We are delighted to help bring someone of Dr. Bellamkonda’s considerable accomplishments and collegial spirit to Ohio State,” said John J. Warner, co-chair of the university’s search committee and the chief executive officer of The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and executive vice president at Ohio State.

Comprising faculty, staff and students from across Ohio State, the committee was co-chaired by Janet Box-Steffensmeier, Distinguished University Professor, Vernal Riffe Professor of Political Science and professor of sociology in the College of Arts and Sciences.

“We are honored to have Dr. Bellamkonda join our faculty due to his outstanding academic achievements and visionary leadership,” said Box-Steffensmeier. “We are confident that his contributions will inspire and elevate the academic experiences of all our students, faculty and staff at Ohio State.”

Bellamkonda will succeed interim executive vice president and provost Karla Zadnik, who will continue to serve as interim dean of the College of Public Health while that dean search continues before returning to the College of Optometry as dean.

“Our deepest thanks go to Dr. Zadnik, who has provided critical insight and guidance, and will continue to do so throughout this transition,” Carter said. “She is a wonderful partner and colleague – and will work closely with Dr. Bellamkonda as part of our exceptional college leadership team.”

“Safety is my top priority, and these recent incidents are extremely concerning. I have been in touch with the mayor’s office and have been assured of the city’s continued emphasis on safety in the neighborhoods around our campus,” said Ohio State President Walter “Ted” Carter Jr. “Our police agencies are working together closely and will have a highly visible presence on and around campus as well as continue their targeted efforts to reduce crime.”   

On the evening of Wednesday, Sept. 18, the Columbus Division of Police (CPD) and University Police responded to a report of gunshots near 11th Avenue and High Street, for which CPD is the primary responding agency. Multiple Buckeye Alerts were issued that directed everyone on campus to shelter in place. The shelter in place was lifted around 7:30 p.m. Police do not believe that anyone was shot during this incident, which was an altercation between individuals who are not affiliated with Ohio State. 

On Monday, Sept. 16, a separate altercation between two unhoused individuals led to one being shot and transported to the Wexner Medical Center in stable condition. Multiple Buckeye Alerts – the university’s emergency notification system – and a Public Safety Notice informed the campus community of the situation and police arrested the suspect on Tuesday. 

“These recent incidents are tied to three main issues plaguing all major cities: mental health, addiction, and teenagers carrying firearms and committing violent crime,” said Monica Moll, associate vice president of Public Safety and interim chief of The Ohio State University Police Division (OSUPD). “Gun violence remains a national problem and Ohio State and the City of Columbus are not alone.” 

Moll added that people without housing are more often the targets of violent crime than offenders. 

Ohio State continues to engage with appropriate partners, including the City of Columbus Office of Violence Prevention and the Community Shelter Board to not just respond to crime, but also address root causes. 

Police continue to patrol on and off-campus with a high-visibility presence. OSUPD has a strong working relationship with Columbus Police, including a joint patrol program which recently expanded to four full-time OSUPD officers working alongside CPD officers. In total, OSUPD has an authorized strength of 75 sworn police, an expansion from previous years. 

Ohio State’s Department of Public Safety (DPS) has a comprehensive approach that includes sworn police officers, supported by non-sworn security, lights, cameras and other technology and personnel. The Columbus campus has more than 5,000 fixed surveillance cameras that feed into a campus communications (9-1-1) center.  

Over the past few years, Ohio State has expanded safety resources, including the addition of mobile cameras, license plate readers, lights, security and an increased police presence. These initiatives have contributed to a decrease in crime over the past few years in the University District.  

Police presence will remain high as Ohio State football hosts Marshall this weekend. DPS partners with local, state and federal agencies to support a safe, fan-friendly environment. Off-campus, nearby neighborhoods are saturated with uniformed and non-uniformed personnel.  

Police remind everyone to be aware of their surroundings. Travel in groups or utilize public transportation such as CABS, CABS On Demand or Lyft Ride Smart. Lock doors and windows and report suspicious behavior to police. 

To access additional safety resources, please visit dps.osu.edu/resources.

Total enrollment at Ohio State increased to 66,901, up 2.3% from 2023. The new numbers are part of the Autumn Semester Enrollment Report released today. The report includes key data about Ohio State’s undergraduate, graduate and professional students on the Columbus and regional campuses.

“The historic first-year enrollment numbers speak to the exceptional value of an Ohio State education. We are excited to welcome this record-breaking class as they begin their academic careers on the Columbus and regional campuses,” said Ohio State President Walter “Ted” Carter Jr. “Ohio State remains a top choice for students and their families. We are committed to offering our Buckeye community an affordable and accessible education.” 

In addition to the record class on the Columbus campus, the university’s regional campuses and Ohio State ATI on the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences Wooster campus, continue to grow. Total new first-year students on those campuses have increased year-over-year, reaching nearly 20% growth over the past two years – 14.7% in 2023 and 3.9% in 2024.

Graduate student enrollment also reached a record high of 11,408 students, and professional student enrollment remains stable.

The record numbers are part of an intentional strategy following the graduation of one of the university’s largest classes and two years of decreasing the size of the first-year class. The university continues to emphasize serving the Buckeye state, and 71.1% of all enrolled students are Ohio residents.

The new first-year class on the Columbus campus is exceptionally talented, with 96% graduating in the top 25% and 64% graduating in the Top 10% of their high school classes. Average ACT and SAT scores remain at or above the 94th percentile.

Ohio State has updated its admissions process to ensure compliance with the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in the Students for Fair Admissions cases. The percentage of minority students in the new first-year class, 29.5%, is consistent with previous years.

Fueled by overall growth, Ohio State is experiencing increases in many student populations. African American student enrollment increased to 5,449 and Hispanic student enrollment increased to 3,895 students. Both are record highs.

“Ohio State is reaching new heights thanks to impressive and, at times, record-breaking growth across our campuses,” said James Orr, vice provost for strategic enrollment management. “Enrollment at the university reflects the dedication of thousands of colleagues across our campuses to recruit, retain and graduate our students.”

The university remains committed to an affordable education and expects to distribute $415 million in financial aid in 2024. Last year, Ohio State adjusted the Buckeye Opportunity Program to allow all students on regional campuses to qualify for the program immediately at the beginning of their first semester. The program covers tuition and mandatory fees for Ohio residents who are eligible for Pell Grants and show significant need.

In addition to ongoing affordability programs, Ohio State students are graduating on time. The 4-year graduation rate of 72.8% on the Columbus campus reached a record high. The 6-year graduation rate remained stable at 87.7%.

“Looking at 18th-century manuscripts isn’t easy,” she said.

Despite some unfamiliarity with script handwriting, Newell’s students persevered and gained valuable research experience during the four-week lab. In its second year, the lab is funded by a grant from the Mellon Foundation. Over three years, Newell’s team, including faculty from Case Western Reserve University and the University of Victoria, who earned their PhDs at Ohio State, will receive $493,000 to research African and Native American citizenship.

“The grant is under a rubric of civic engagement and higher learning,” Newell said. “So, I think Mellon expected applications about the modern Civil Rights Movement, but we surprised them by pitching and asking questions about this instead.”

Newell’s research focuses on the years between 1780 and 1920.

“We’re seeking ways to get at these questions: What’s going on with Native Americans and African Americans in terms of voting, in terms of citizenship, in terms of other expressions of community and belonging – the founding of schools and land ownership rights advocacy, access to public ‘goods’ like parks and streetcars, and the creation of independent political organizations?” she said. “Native Americans had to decide at different times and places whether the benefits of U.S. citizenship outweighed the loss of sovereignty and citizenship within their tribal nation.”

In the first year, Newell’s team worked locally and primarily with digital resources. For the second year, she and co-researchers Noël Voltz, John Bickers and Niiyokamigaabaw Deondre Smiles wanted the students to experience more fieldwork. The lab has traveled to different parts of Ohio, Massachusetts and Rhode Island, and met with descendants of people who were removed from land they owned, as well as the descendants of people who were able to stay.

“We’re interested in both: the communities that persist and the communities that don’t,” she said. “What are some of the factors that cause these communities to disappear? Do people move voluntarily, were they subject to the race massacres we know were happening in different parts of Ohio, Indiana and Illinois before and after the Civil War?”

Interviewing subjects in person, sometimes on their original land, was a first for many of Newell’s students.

“Talking to these descendant communities has been particularly moving,” she said. “The idea that we can assist in telling their stories is interesting to students.”

Students leave the lab with extensive research skills that are useful not only in academic settings but professional ones, Newell said.

“It’s an employable skill,” she said. “I have this question; how do I answer it? What sorts of things can I look at? … It’s being a detective. It’s being creative. It’s thinking about what might help me answer these questions.”

In fact, Newell’s lab has become a model for research practices.

“The National Park Service is interested in what we’re doing,” she said. “They want to send their scholars and researchers to the lab. They’re interested in helping smaller historical sites get recognition. … We’re talking about workshops and not just for higher ed but for people in this profession, broadly, of researching, interpreting and sharing American history.”

This kind of lab-based research is just as valuable to the humanities as it is to STEM fields, Newell said.

“Labs are where research occurs,” she said. “And history is a research-based discipline. We’re not making things up. We’re not going over the same ground. We’re trying to ask questions that haven’t been asked before or answer questions that people may think can’t be answered.” 

For Newell, the question she and her students circle back to is “What is the purpose of the humanities?”

“Is it to reaffirm what we already know or is it to break new ground?” she said. “We think there’s plenty of new ground to be broken and stories to incorporate into the larger history of the United States.”

The annual celebration is an opportunity for new students to gather together, meet their peers and hear from university leaders about the traditions and opportunities at The Ohio State University.

“You have an incredible journey ahead of you, full of new knowledge, new friendships, new traditions,” said President Walter “Ted” Carter Jr.

While not a new Buckeye, Carter was also celebrating his first convocation since becoming the university’s 17th president. He had two points that he wanted students to understand, the first being his commitment to establishing a safe campus environment and that safety remains his top priority.

“The second thing I want you to know is that this university aims to challenge you. We’ll challenge you academically, of course, but you'll also be challenged to engage with new ideas and new points of view, to think critically and sometimes disagree, respectfully,” he said. “So as we share our views, it’s important to do so with civility and respect – a skill that will serve you well on all of our campuses, as you graduate, and eventually head out into the world.”

Melissa Shivers, senior vice president for the Office of Student Life, said one of the best ways to build connections with new classmates is to become involved on campus. The university has more than 1,400 student organizations that range from club sports and faith-based communities to professional organizations.

“Data shows that students who are involved on campus tend to succeed at the university and beyond at higher rates,” Shivers said. “Students who are involved in co-curricular activities are significantly more likely to have relationships with other Ohio State students and faculty, to feel like they are a part of the Ohio State community, to report that they have developed as a leader during their time at Ohio State compared to peers who were not engaged.”

Students who attended commencement were also offered a glimpse of their future. Each student received an envelope with a Block O pin and a scarlet graduation tassel. The pin serves as a symbol of the new bond between the first-year students and the tassel symbolizes the goal of graduation. Both items were gifts from the university Alumni Association.

“From the moment you stepped onto one of our wonderful campuses, you became a part of that incredible Ohio State family, with more than 600,000 alumni around the globe, ready to support and celebrate you,” said Alumni Association President and CEO Molly Ranz Calhoun. “As you begin this chapter of your Ohio State story, you will quickly discover what it means to be a Buckeye for life.”

Some of the students and their families received a little help on their move-in day from Ohio State President Walter “Ted” Carter Jr. and First Lady Lynda Carter. The Carters visited Blackburn House and Scott House on the Columbus campus Thursday afternoon, welcomed returning students, and in a few cases, made sure what they packed went to the right room.

“It was a little unexpected,” said Kaitlyn Hammerschmidt, a second-year English major who moved back to Columbus from Cleveland. “It’s a little hot, so I’m a little sweaty and I was like, ‘Oh, Mr. President, hey!’”

For Eric Davis, the father of a second-year student from Bexley, it was a nice personal touch from the university’s first family.

“It was surprising. It was special and a little surreal. But it just showed us that he’s pretty down to earth and was very friendly and helpful,” Davis said. “I think it was a very special way for Simon to start his second year. Totally unexpected and just a really cool opportunity.”

By the time move-in is completed Saturday evening, more than 15,000 students will be living in Columbus campus residence halls, according to Ohio State’s Office of Student Life.

“It was very smooth. The directions, the verbal instructions were great. I think we brought slightly less stuff this year, so that was good. Everyone was friendly and helpful,” Davis said. “Plus, the added bonus of President Carter helping push a cart up to the fifth floor.”

Aiding the process are dozens of student and staff volunteers. That group includes Ohio State Welcome Leaders (OWL) who arrive early to campus and help their peers adapt to life on campus.

Ella Laws, a first-year early education major from Yellow Springs, joined the OWLs to assist students who are going through the same experiences and emotions. Leaving family and making new friends can be overwhelming and it was a chance to make some campus connections.

“Having someone yesterday reach out to me, that feels good,” she said. “I want to be that for other people and make them feel more comfortable coming to this whole different atmosphere because it really is different.”

Her team of volunteers were getting to know each other and sharing stories and then were surprised by the visit from the university president.

“We met the president of Ohio State earlier, and that was crazy,” she said. “At first, we were thinking ‘What’s with all of the cameras?’ and I was like, ‘Oh, my goodness, what a celebrity.’ It was so funny.”

The program provides scholarship funding to undergraduate and graduate students in internships with startup companies and small businesses. Students are matched with organizations offering project-based internships throughout Ohio State’s summer term (May-August).

“This is an exciting program for us because it gives students an opportunity for real world work experiences and to do some fun things,” said Cheryl Turnbull, senior director of Ohio State’s Keenan Center for Entrepreneurship, a campus-wide hub for the development of student entrepreneurs and part of Ohio State’s Enterprise for Research, Innovation and Knowledge.  

The Wheeler and Wolstein Internship Program is funded by contributions from the late Tom Wheeler, an industrial engineer and Ohio State alumnus, and the Bert and Iris Wolstein Foundation.

“The dollars that they give go 100% to allowing students to have an internship that our startup companies and small businesses don’t have to pay for,” Turnbull said. “It’s a win-win for our companies and for our students. Students get a great experience, and the companies have access to this awesome talent.”

This summer, students interned at companies ranging from business incubators to real estate development companies to technology firms. Several of the host companies got their start through the Ohio State President’s Buckeye Accelerator program that helps students launch business ventures.

Information systems major Parker Haskett interned for one such company, ParaWave, which provides drone technology to first responders. Haskett said he gained valuable experience while managing the company’s social media and website. He also created a three-page leaflet detailing the company’s services for prospective clients.

“I made their new website from scratch using WordPress. … I did get to use my interest in website design,” Haskett said. “I was able to combine my knowledge of ParaWave into this three-pager.”

Radiologic sciences and therapy major Safa Mohamed oversaw customer relationship management operations for PointPro. The company assists businesses in assessing risks and managing assets.

“I gained exposure to the technology industry, which I hadn’t had before,” she said. “Working remotely caused me to manage my time very efficiently.”

Biomedical engineering major Hari Kasi interned for the Ohio Innovation Fund, a business incubator. He conducted market research and brainstormed growth strategies for various central Ohio companies.

Kasi said the internship complemented his personal interest in entrepreneurship. He is a co-founder of Almara, a startup that was one of the winning teams in this year’s President’s Buckeye Accelerator. The company aims to connect cancer patients with potentially life-saving clinical trials.

Kasi said his internship with the Ohio Innovation Fund culminated with a capstone project that enabled him to draw on his background in clinical research. He assisted life sciences and biomedical companies in coordinating clinical trials.

“Working really close with companies was amazing because you got to see how the team develops and see investment and how to keep fueling growth on their journey,” he said. “That really interested me to see how you can position yourself during the clinical trial stage to be successful.”

City and regional planning major Brady Foy interned with real estate firm Spire Development, working with the company’s team to analyze the current state of central Ohio’s real estate market and project future trends.

“I gained a lot of understanding of the real estate world,” he said. “I worked on the development side, I worked with property management, [completed] a lot of the bookkeeping stuff, which is something I’ve never even thought about. [I exchanged] a lot of emails with all different parts of the business. It was my first 9-to-5 experience.”  

Shannon Bradley, the Keenan Center’s program coordinator for entrepreneurial programs and talent, encouraged the students to draw on their internship experiences when they enter the workforce.

“Every project that you worked on has a direct impact on the company,” she told the students. “I encourage you to tell that story to future employers. Make sure you’re showcasing what you’ve done.”

Chila Thomas, YSP executive director, accepted the award on behalf of Ohio State during the Ohio Women’s Leadership Summit on July 13 in Cincinnati.

“It is an honor to serve Ohio and The Ohio State University community through the Young Scholars Program,” said Thomas. “Leading a team of esteemed colleagues with which many of us share the experiences of the students we serve brings my team immense pleasure to partner with and guide students to support college access and success.”

Founded in 1988, YSP is a comprehensive pre-collegiate and collegiate student success initiative offering academically talented, first-generation students with high financial need the opportunity to enhance their academic, personal and career development. YSP serves students from Ohio’s nine largest public school districts: Akron, Canton, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton, Lorain, Toledo and Youngstown.

Connecting multiple levels of education, each year YSP assists over 1,000 students statewide, including 700 students in grades 8-12 and 350 undergraduate students, serving as a stepping stone for success at Ohio State and beyond.

“The Ohio State University is a land-grant institution with a long and proud tradition of educating all Ohioans,” said Yolanda Zepeda, interim vice provost for the Office of Diversity and Inclusion. “The Young Scholars Program is an embodiment of that mission to bring education to Ohioans from every corner of the state and walk of life. We are extremely proud of the role that we play in helping Young Scholars achieve their educational dreams and become leaders in their communities and in their professions.”

YSP serves pre-collegiate students in grades 9-12 by providing year-round college counseling and programming to enhance college preparation and readiness in partnership with school district administrators and staff, Ohio State faculty, staff, students and alumni, and community partners.

YSP undergraduate programs assist Young Scholars in reaching their full potential and achieving their academic and career goals through personal, professional and leadership development. Undergraduate Students Success Programs begin with a summer early arrival program, followed by academic year programming, including an academic bridge program, holistic success coaching, peer mentoring, study skills enrichment, first-year seminar courses and scholarship support services.

To be eligible, scholars must complete a rigorous college preparatory curriculum and demonstrate high academic achievement. Scholars in good academic standing receive a robust financial aid package from Ohio State, which includes federal and state grants, work-study and the Young Scholars Award.

In addition to Thomas and Zepeda, Ohio State was represented at the conference by Wendy G. Smooth, senior vice provost for inclusive excellence, and Ange-Marie Hancock, executive director of the Kirwan Institute.

“This award is a wonderful acknowledgment of the Young Scholars Programs transformative impact on students across Ohio,” said Smooth. “We are deeply honored by this recognition and are committed to continuing our work to empower first-generation students, providing them the tools and opportunities to succeed academically and lead in their communities.”

The Ohio Women’s Leadership Summit is an annual nonpartisan, nonpolitical event hosted by U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown. YSP’s award recognizes individuals or organizations that uplift Ohio women and serve their communities.

“The opportunity, in Ohio Stadium, to dot the ‘i’ is a very special honor,” says Griffin. “I know that Woody was proud to have had that opportunity, and I am following in his footsteps and am extremely proud of this opportunity.” 

The recognition, considered the greatest the band can extend to a nonmember, is being presented by the “i-dotters” — the senior sousaphone members of the Ohio State Marching Band. The students visited Griffin at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center early in July to surprise him with the invitation. 

“As a sousaphone player, dotting the ‘i’ is the highest honor one can achieve. It’s a dream many of us have for years, one that we work hard for each day as a member of this band. It takes unrelenting dedication to finally be able to live that dream,” says Nick Pisanelli, senior sousaphone player, who is dotting the “i” during the Ohio State vs. Nebraska game this year.  “Archie Griffin embodies that same spirit, and on the 50th anniversary of his first Heisman Trophy, we felt it was an easy decision to ask him to share this honor with us. He’s living proof that hard work, determination and passion can take you anywhere, and we are so excited for him to join us as we all live out our dream.”  

As a player at Ohio State, Griffin rushed for a school-record 5,589 yards on 924 carries and scored 26 rushing touchdowns. His 31 consecutive 100-yard games are still an NCAA record. In addition to two Heisman Trophies, Griffin also has a pair of Silver Footballs, which are presented annually by the Chicago Tribune to the Big Ten’s MVP.  

“When you see someone outside of the band dotting the ‘i,’ you know that it is extraordinary. That is how I look at it,” says Griffin. “It is a big-time tradition for our band, university, fans and everyone who knows Ohio State. To give someone who is not part of the band the opportunity, it must be something special.”

“We are super excited and honored to have him be a part of this tradition,” says Christopher Hoch, director of Marching and Athletic Bands. “While I didn’t have the opportunity to watch Archie play at Ohio State, I remember my dad talking about him as a legend and how great of a person he was. We are looking forward to Aug. 31 and being able to watch Archie have his well-deserved moment with the band.” 

After a seven-year NFL football career, Griffin returned to Ohio State and served as the president and CEO of The Ohio State University Alumni Association, as an assistant athletic director, and as Ohio State’s senior adviser for advancement before retiring.  

“To see the band perform, it gives you goosebumps. You wonder what the next big show they’re going to do, because they always do something that is special and that no others are doing,” says Griffin. “It makes you, as an Ohio State alumnus, very proud. Our band is The Best Damn Band in the Land.” 

The invitation to be an honorary i-dotter has only been extended to a select few individuals over the history of Script Ohio. Previous honorary i-dotters have included comedian Bob Hope (1978), Hayes (1983), golfer Jack Nicklaus (2006), Sen. John and Annie Glenn (2009), and Marching Band director emeritus Jon R. Woods (2011). The most recent was former football coach Earle Bruce, who dotted the “i” in 2016.

The Ohio State vs. Akron game begins at 3:30 on Saturday, Aug. 31. The Marching Band will perform a Script Ohio during pregame with band member Brody Hyre dotting the i. Griffin will dot the “i” in a halftime Script Ohio following the band’s halftime show. Griffin will also be recognized at Skull Session, the band’s free pregame pep rally at St. John Arena, which will begin at 1:10 p.m.

Ohio State President Walter “Ted” Carter Jr. led the university’s state tour this week to stops in Cleveland, Oberlin and Medina, among others. The state tour is an opportunity for university representatives to meet with business leaders, community members and alumni outside of Columbus and highlight the shared connections in Ohio.

Carter, who was joined by Ohio State First Lady Lynda Carter, spoke at Green Circle Growers, the first stop on the tour, which is an expansive greenhouse operation that has workforce and research partnerships with the College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

“Lynda and I just couldn’t be more excited to be here along with some of our faculty and, most importantly, these phenomenal students that came up to be with us here on a two-day tour visit of northeast Ohio,” Carter said. “The agricultural mission of Ohio is so important. One in eight people in the state of Ohio work in the ag and food industry. It’s an industry that has over $124 billion in economic impact. So it’s important for us to be here.”

Partnerships and impact are themes Carter mentioned often during the tour. He also visited Patterson Fruit Farm and Sandridge Crafted Foods. Both are family-owned and operated companies led by Ohio State alumni, with university research partnerships embedded in their culture.

The state tour also highlighted the university’s efforts to give back to the community. The Office of Student Life joined staff from the Cavaliers, representatives from Coca-Cola and members of the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics to aid the Children’s Hunger Alliance.

Working on the court at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse, they teamed up to pack 2,300 weekend meal boxes (or the equivalent of 13,800 meals) to distribute to more than 50 partners across the state. The students who participated in the project said it was among the highlights of the trip.

“Honestly, it was amazing, just being a part of a cause that was bigger than all of us,” said Anthony Koulianos, a fourth-year neuroscience major.

On day two of the tour, the university helped open the Lake County Fair. The 169th year of the county fair celebrated the agricultural roots of the region – aided by Ohio State University Extension in Lake County and university-supported 4-H programs.

Carter, students and university staff toured livestock areas, visited the poultry show and helped lead the national anthem.

The state tour also helped the university connect with the future. The Office of Strategic Enrollment Management hosted a pep rally at Mentor High School in one of the largest school districts in Lake County.

About 200 people attended the pep rally, including current Mentor students and staff as well as prospective students from area high schools. Members of the Ohio State Marching Band celebrated students from the region who will be joining Ohio State in the fall. Carter spoke to the crowd about the value of a college degree and the university’s commitment to affordability, noting that 58% of Ohio State graduates leave school without debt.

“We not only want our students to come, learn, grow, become critical thinkers. We also want them to be successful,” he said. “We also want them to know that there are great opportunities within the state of Ohio.”

Kimmara Yarbrough, a fifth-year nursing major, said the state tour helped her understand the passion people in Ohio have for the university.

“I think Ohio State has the craziest school spirit I’ve ever seen in my life,” she said. “Seeing alumni that excited to come back, and even people who didn’t come to Ohio State, they just saw us there and they wanted to say, ‘Hi.’ Their children were like, ‘I want to go there. I want to see Brutus. I want to see the drum major.’ So it just goes to show that the community we build at Ohio State and the spirit that we have here really drives what we do.”

For the second consecutive Summer Olympics, Ohio State will have more than 20 student-athletes competing. The contingent of 25 Buckeyes is the second largest at a single Olympic Games following the school record of 26 who competed in 2021 in Tokyo. 

The Canadian Olympic Team has the most Ohio State representatives with eight, including current student-athletes Alex Axon and Tristan Jankovics of the men's swimming and diving program. Team USA is close behind, with seven Buckeyes.

Seven current Buckeyes will compete in Paris. Alex Axon and Tristan Jankovics will swim for Team Canada, while their Buckeye teammate Tomas Navikonis will be competing for Lithuania. Also representing Ohio State aquatic sports are Germany’s Lena Hentschel (diving) and Ruby Remati (artistic swimming) for the United States. Pistol student-athlete Ada Korkhin will also compete for Team USA, and Leah Bertrand is set to compete for Trinidad and Tobago in track & field.

This year’s games mark the second for Henry Leverett and Hunter Armstrong (swimming) and third for Aina Cid (rowing), Eleanor Harvey (fencing), Nichelle Prince (soccer), Elodie Ravera-Scarramozzino (rowing) and Kyle Snyder (wrestling).

2024 Paris Olympics

The 2024 Olympic Games will be held July 26-Aug. 11 in Paris. During the 17-day window, 10,500 of the world’s best athletes will compete across 32 sports. The 2024 Paralympic Games will be held Aug. 28-Sept. 28 in Paris, with 4,400 world-class athletes competing across 23 sports. 

This year’s Olympics mark the 100-year anniversary of the 1924 Olympic Games in Paris.  For more information on events, see the Olympic schedule.

Ohio State Buckeyes at the 2024 Paris Olympics and the 2024 Paralympics

Current student-athlete unless noted; *Former student-athlete; #Incoming first-year student; **Former student

United States

• Katelyn Abeln* – Pistol
• Hunter Armstrong* – Swimming
• Blake Haxton** – Paralympics, Paracanoe 
• Keana Hunter# – Artistic Swimming
• Ada Korkhin – Pistol
• Henry Leverett* – Pistol
• Ruby Remati – Artistic Swimming
• Kyle Snyder* – Wrestling

 Canada

• Fares Arfa* – Fencing
• Duan Asemota* – Track & Field
• Alex Axon – Swimming
• Emma Finlin# – Swimming
• Scarlett Finn# – Artistic Swimming
• Eleanor Harvey* – Fencing
• Tristan Jankovics – Swimming
• Nichelle Prince* – Soccer

France

• Maximilien Chastanet* – Fencing
• Elodie Ravera-Scarramozzino* – Rowing

Germany

• Lena Hentschel – Diving

Ireland

• Ciara McGing* – Diving

Lithuania

• Tomas Navikonis – Swimming

Nigeria

• Sade Olatoye* – Track & Field

Puerto Rico

• Kristen Romano* – Swimming

Spain

• Aina Cid* – Rowing

Trinidad and Tobago

• Leah Bertrand – Track & Field

In the United States, advancements in specialized farming methods for crops and livestock have boosted efficiency and productivity. However, these improvements have drawbacks such as declines in soil health and organic matter, water quality challenges, loss of biodiversity and increased vulnerability to extreme weather events.

New climate-smart agricultural practices (CSAPs) have the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, enhance carbon storage, improve resilience to climate change and ensure the viability of farms. However, traditional, top-down approaches to boost adoption have been slow. This project focuses on working with farmers from the ground up to overcome barriers and find innovative approaches that can accelerate their use on Midwest farms.

“This is an unprecedented investment by the USDA in a farmer-led response to address water quality and carbon sequestration challenges in agriculture,” said Douglas Jackson-Smith, project lead, professor and holder of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation Endowed Chair in Agricultural Ecosystems Management in The Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES). “We’ll be engaging farmers in Ohio and Missouri, major farm states with different natural environments where the impacts of climate variability on CSAP performance can be compared across time and space.” 

The project is funded through USDA’s flagship Sustainable Agricultural Systems program.

“At our core, we value the discovery, translation and sharing of knowledge toward impactful outcomes,” said Cathann A. Kress, Ohio State vice president of agricultural administration and CFAES dean. “This transformative investment by USDA allows us to cultivate enduring partnerships and advance new collaborations with farmers in Ohio and the Midwest, driving innovation to support the resilience and viability of agriculture within its ecosystems.”

In addition to empowering farmers to lead the design and innovation of practical approaches to climate-smart farming, the project will provide opportunities to train the next generation of students in the use of on-farm research and community stakeholder collaborations as strategies to address future farming system challenges.

“With this investment, we will spur innovation clusters where farmers themselves identify and overcome logistical, agronomic and economic barriers that make it difficult for them to use conservation practices,” Jackson-Smith said. “We believe farmer leadership through collaborative, on-farm research and peer-to-peer learning networks are key to finding realistic solutions that really work on the farm.”

Although led by Ohio State, the project will also involve close partnerships with researchers, extension staff and students at Central State University, the University of Missouri, Lincoln University Missouri and Solutions from the Land.