“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.

Following a comprehensive national search, W. Kimryn Rathmell, MD, PhD, former director of the National Cancer Institute (NCI), has accepted the role as CEO of The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC – James). Pending approval by the university Board of Trustees, Rathmell will start on May 27.

“On behalf of Buckeyes everywhere, I am thrilled to welcome Dr. Rathmell to Ohio State. Her exceptional caliber of leadership and visionary approach to cancer research and care exemplifies our firm commitment to excellence,” said Walter “Ted” Carter Jr., president of The Ohio State University. “Ohio State exists to make our state and nation better, and our cancer program is one of the many ways we live up to that commitment. Having a leader like Dr. Rathmell at its helm will ensure we continue to improve and save the lives of Ohioans who are impacted by cancer.” 

Most recently, Rathmell served as the 17th director of the NCI from December 2023 to January 2025. During her tenure, she launched the Early-Onset Cancer Initiative and focused on improving health equity in cancer care, in particular through an NCI advisory group charged with developing recommendations to enhance cancer research and care delivery in underserved and rural communities. She previously served on the NCI’s Board of Scientific Advisors.

Prior to leading the NCI, she served as a professor of medicine and biochemistry at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center, where she ultimately held the titles of Hugh Jackson Morgan Endowed Professor in the Department of Medicine, physician-in-chief and chair of the Department of Medicine. She also previously held faculty positions at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she led a clinical and translational trials program focused on pre-operative therapy, integrated genomics and functional imaging in kidney cancer. 

In her new role at Ohio State, Rathmell will be responsible for the clinical and research excellence of Ohio State’s cancer program, including operational oversight of both The James and the Comprehensive Cancer Center. 

She also will hold the inaugural Jeri B. Block and Robert H. Schottenstein Distinguished Chair in Cancer, pending board approval. This $10 million endowed chair position is the largest ever established at Ohio State.

“Dr. Rathmell’s reputation as a nationally renowned physician-scientist and kidney cancer expert is matched only by her extensive experience and prestigious leadership roles in academic medicine and public service,” said John J. Warner, MD, CEO of The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and executive vice president at Ohio State. “Our cancer program is recognized for its impact, not just for the patients and families we serve across the state of Ohio, but on the future of cancer research nationally and internationally. Her impressive track record strongly positions her to lead the OSUCCC – James to further prominence on the global stage of cancer research and care, and we’re delighted she has chosen to continue her career at Ohio State.” 

Rathmell is a recognized national leader and has been elected to the National Academy of Medicine and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Earlier this year, she received the American Cancer Society Medal of Honor, the highest honor bestowed by the organization. She also has held leadership roles for the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the Department of Defense Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program (Kidney Cancer Research Program) and the American Society for Clinical Investigation, where she served as president in 2019-2020.  

“The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center and The James has a stellar reputation for innovative research and its breadth and depth of exceptional, compassionate cancer care. I’m energized by the collaborative leadership across the health system and university, the commitment of the faculty, staff and trainees, as well as by Ohio State’s ambitious vision of creating a cancer-free world,” said Rathmell. “Ohio State is a place that embraces the excitement of possibility and takes bold steps in advancing biomedical breakthroughs that provide hope and healing. Together, we will lead the way to reduce the burden of cancer.”

Rathmell earned her PhD in biophysics (1996) and her MD (1998) from Stanford University. She completed an internship in internal medicine at the University of Chicago and an internal medicine residency and medical oncology fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania. In 2022, she earned her Master of Management in Health Care from Vanderbilt University. She and her husband, Jeffrey Rathmell, have two children.

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.”

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 Enterprise for Research, Innovation and Knowledge, in partnership with the university’s colleges, tracks annual research and development funding. The numbers measure the resources available to perform cutting-edge science and creative expression research.

“Ohio State’s research community is deservedly recognized as among the best, and this record-breaking funding total highlights the university’s significant impact on our state and the world,” said President Walter “Ted” Carter Jr. “The research conducted on our campuses changes lives for the better and is a critical part of Ohio State’s mission as a land-grant university to deliver discoveries the world needs now.” 

The analysis is part of the university’s submission to the National Science Foundation’s Higher Education Research and Development (HERD) survey. Ohio State ranked 11th among all universities in research expenditures in the most recent survey rankings, up one spot from the previous year. The university remained at 7th among public universities.

The university ranked just behind Duke and Stanford and ahead of the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill and Harvard.

“These numbers illustrate the incredible scientific talent and creativity at Ohio State. From foundational work in materials and physics to space exploration, artificial intelligence and breakthrough therapeutics that improve lives, Ohio State is leading the way in science with impact,” said Peter Mohler, executive vice president for research, innovation and knowledge.

Federal expenditures totaled $694.7 million in FY23, an increase of 9% from FY22. University research saw growth across the portfolio of federal agencies. This includes:

• National Institutes of Health (14% increase)
• National Science Foundation (11% increase)
• Department of Defense (25% increase)
• Department of Energy (10% increase)

Industry expenditures totaled $155.2 million in FY23, up 9% from FY22. State-sponsored research expenditures totaled $61.9 million in FY23.

Growth in research expenditures is spread across the university, with eight of 15 colleges seeing 10% increases or more year-over-year: Business, Dentistry, Engineering, Law, Medicine, Optometry, Public Health and Veterinary Medicine.

In recognition, the inpatient tower will have two named spaces: the John F. Wolfe Lobby and the Wolfe Foundation Crossroads, pending approval by the university’s board of trustees at its February meeting.

John F. Wolfe was well known as the publisher of The Columbus Dispatch and served as chair and CEO of The Dispatch Printing Company. Beyond his professional contributions, Wolfe had a deep spirit of altruism that came from the generations before him and continues in his family today. As a civic leader, he made an impact on projects across the city to help Columbus realize its potential.

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine had many opportunities to work with John F. Wolfe over about 30 years of their careers. He reflected on the understated way the Wolfe family has influenced progress in the community.

“Few people know, or will ever know, even half of the good works John F. Wolfe and Ann Wolfe put their shoulders behind to benefit Columbus and central Ohio. They preferred to be a quiet force for good with lasting impact,” DeWine said. “I think John F. Wolfe would be delighted about his family’s continued efforts to improve the quality of life in central Ohio, and health care is vital to quality of life.”

John F. Wolfe spent much of his time and resources stewarding the vision and growth of The Ohio State University and its health care system through 20-plus years of service on various boards. His widow, Ann Wolfe, has a long tradition of championing health care institutions, including serving as a member of the University Hospitals Board and as the longtime chair of the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Foundation Board.

The Wolfe family’s legacy of service and generosity can be found across many Columbus institutions, including COSI, the Franklin Park Conservatory, the Scioto Mile and the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium. At Ohio State, the Wolfe family has supported many initiatives including cancer research, veterinary medicine, athletic facilities, scholarships and eight endowed chairs and professorships.

“This is a special day for our university, our region and our state,” said Ohio State President Walter “Ted” Carter Jr. “John F. Wolfe’s family and the Wolfe Foundation are building on his lifelong commitment to creating a bright future for the Columbus community. We are grateful for their remarkable investment in the inpatient tower and our medical center. It will enable us to continue serving Ohioans and providing expert care to patients and families that is at the forefront of medicine.”

At 1.9 million square feet and 24 floors, the inpatient tower is 75% complete. It is the single largest facilities project undertaken at Ohio State. The hospital is designed for flexible and team-based care that centers around the patient and their family. Its interdisciplinary focus will allow for collaborative teaching, research and clinical trials throughout the building. With up to 820 private rooms and 51 neonatal intensive care beds, it will add much-needed capacity to care for the growing community. According to the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission, central Ohio is expected to add nearly 1 million people in the next 20-25 years.

“Patients and families are at the center of everything we do at the Ohio State Wexner Medical Center, and our new inpatient tower will further ensure that we are able to provide the very best care for everyone, every time,” said John J. Warner, CEO of the Wexner Medical Center and executive vice president at Ohio State. “Through this transformational gift honoring John F. Wolfe, the Wolfe family and the Wolfe Foundation remain steadfast in their commitment to improving people’s lives within our community. John F. Wolfe’s legacy as a community leader and philanthropist is still helping to shape the skyline of Columbus, and we are honored that our vision for the future of the Wexner Medical Center aligns with what he and others envisioned for the future of central Ohio and the entire state.”

John F. Wolfe also supported Ohio State’s goal to create a nationally renowned academic medical center. He was instrumental in the construction of the original James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute, which opened in 1990 and has steadily grown ever since. When the inpatient tower opens, The James will gain 148 beds and become the second-largest cancer hospital in the country.

Philanthropic commitments such as this gift from the Wolfe Foundation play a critical role in speeding progress toward new treatments and teaching opportunities for the generations to come.

“John F. and the Wolfe family have been the catalyst for many of Ohio State’s accomplishments over the course of multiple decades,” said Andrew Thomas, who was honored as the inaugural Wolfe Foundation Chief Clinical Officer in 2021. “It is inspiring to see how Ann, her family and the Wolfe Foundation have continued to carry on John F.’s legacy, with this leadership commitment to the inpatient tower.”

“Proton therapy is the perfect example of personalized care in cancer. You can target the proton beam in a highly specific way that results in virtually no damage to the surrounding healthy tissues,” said Arnab Chakravarti, MD, director of the proton therapy center and chair of the Department of Radiation Oncology at OSUCCC – James. “This technology has the potential to literally improve the health and well-being of millions of people across Ohio and beyond.”

Located on Ohio State’s west campus at 2121 Kenny Road, the proton therapy center offers comprehensive radiation oncology treatment options for both adult and pediatric patients at a single location.

“This is a significant day, especially for our patients and their families,” said Timothy Cripe, MD, PhD, chief of the Division of Hematology, Oncology and Bone Marrow Transplantation at Nationwide Children’s. “Having this resource right here in Columbus makes vital treatment more accessible for those who need it and allows families to stay here in Columbus throughout their entire treatment. With the opening of this facility, it is thrilling to get a glimpse into what is now possible in the realm of cancer treatment for children, and we look forward to continuing our work to improve the quality of life for all our patients.”

What is proton therapy
Proton therapy is an advanced type of radiation treatment that uses protons (positively charged particles) instead of X-rays to destroy cancer cells. It minimizes the damage to surrounding healthy cells, a common side effect of traditional radiation like X-rays. The therapy can be used alone or in combination with other therapies to treat brain cancer, lymphoma, retinoblastomas and sarcomas in children, and several localized cancers including prostate, brain, head and neck, lung, spine and gastrointestinal in adults.

Research potential through ‘FLASH’ proton therapy 
Scientists will be able to conduct important research on a high-dose proton therapy known as FLASH that can target treatment to a pinpoint and deliver it in a 10th of a second. Ohio State is one of just a handful of institutions in the world poised to conduct translational research in this form of proton therapy.

Preclinical data suggests this proton therapy could reduce what would normally be 30 days of treatment to a single dose, delivered in less than a second. It is estimated that this form of proton therapy is still five to 10 years from approved use in patients, making the research investigating FLASH protons so important.

“If we can shorten that treatment course from what would have been six to eight weeks to a single day, care becomes far more accessible, especially for underserved populations,” said Chakravarti. “Bringing this important technology to central Ohio demonstrates our institution’s commitment to creating a cancer-free world.”

Proton therapy is considered a game-changer in pediatric cancer care, adds Cripe, who treats children with cancer at Nationwide Children’s. The size and physiology of pediatric patients can make traditional radiation more difficult to administer without damaging surrounding tissues, which can lead to long-term side effects.

“Proton therapy is a promising cancer treatment for kids and critical for many of our patients,” he said. “Imagine a child’s cancer is eliminated with proton therapy, and they can go to on to live 70 more healthy, normal years without most of the radiation-related long-term side effects of cancer treatment in childhood.”

Building a complex team to deliver complex disease treatment 
The proton therapy center is staffed by a team of physicians, medical physicists, engineers, IT specialists, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine-learning experts, radiation biologists and cancer biologists who are committed to achieving the best possible outcomes for patients.

It is equipped with the Varian ProBeam 360°  treatment system. This is the first treatment center in the United States specifically built with a dual-capability system that can deliver both conventional proton therapy and research-level FLASH to both adults and children. Varian is testing the FLASH system in pre-clinical models, and FLASH is not yet approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

“The story of proton therapy is still being written, and we are writing it here in central Ohio,” said Chakravarti.

The center’s first proton therapy treatment was delivered to an adult woman with a skull based chondrosarcoma in mid-December 2023. To learn more, visit cancer.osu.edu/proton-therapy.

The most recent settlements total approximately $247,000 – and follow those announced earlier in April 2022, October 2020, May 2020 and March 2020. No taxpayer, tuition or restricted donor funds are utilized for these settlements.

Strauss was a university-employed physician from 1978 to 1998. He died in 2005.

Survivors covered under the agreements announced today had filed lawsuits related to sexual abuse committed by Strauss too late to be eligible for mediations in federal court and the individual settlement program established by the university in May 2021. Previous settlements with additional survivors include two through the court-administered mediation process and one through the university’s public settlement program. All male students who filed lawsuits have been offered the opportunity to settle.

“We continue to work toward restorative justice for survivors,” said Ohio State President Kristina M. Johnson. “This doctor’s conduct was abhorrent, and we are grateful for the survivors’ strength and courage.”

All participating plaintiffs will dismiss their claims against the university. As with previous settlements, the agreement announced today does not prohibit individuals from talking about Strauss’ abuse publicly.

An independent investigation by Perkins Coie LLP determined that Strauss abused students for more than 20 years, and that Ohio State administration failed to appropriately respond at the time. The university announced the independent investigation by Perkins Coie after a survivor came forward in April 2018. Following the year-long investigation, Ohio State released a 180-page report in May 2019 that detailed acts of sexual abuse against at least 177 former students. The report can be found on the Strauss investigation website along with related public records and university communications from 2018 through today.

Since February 2019, the university has also covered the cost of professionally certified counseling services and treatment for anyone affected by Strauss, whether counseling and treatment occurred in the past or is needed at any point in the future. To connect with these services, or if individuals are at all uncertain about how to proceed and have questions, please contact Praesidium at 888-961-9273 or visit https://website.praesidiuminc.com/wp/osu/.

Ohio State continues to commit resources to prevent and address sexual misconduct, including policies, programs, staffing and tools. Anyone who has experienced sexual misconduct while at Ohio State — and the incident involved another student or university employee — is encouraged to report to the Office of Institutional Equity, the university’s anonymous reporting service or law enforcement.

Those who have experienced sexual misconduct outside of Ohio State should contact local law enforcement. Additional resources include:

• If you reside in the Columbus, Ohio, area, advocates from SARNCO can assist you in reporting, explain the investigation process and support you. SARNCO’s confidential, 24/7 support hotline is 614-267-7020.
• If you do not reside in the Columbus area, you can contact the RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline, a confidential, 24/7 resource, at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). You can also visit the website to chat live with a representative. Advocates will help you find a resource in your community.

Current Ohio State students seeking additional support services can contact the Office of Student Life’s Counseling and Consultation Service while faculty and staff can access support resources through the Employee Assistance Program.

For academic researchers, no guide exists to help them take that first step toward commercializing their research. Now, a new book is filling that resource gap.

Titled “Beyond Discovery: Moving Academic Research to the Market” (Oxford University Press, 2022), the book is aimed specifically at researchers working in academe, and details how to approach and navigate the world of commercialization, the many ways in which the process can play out, and who the major players are in a university environment.

“Most of the world doesn’t know how this happens, and people in universities don’t realize they’re part of a pipeline. This is the first book written specifically for faculty that tells them how to play the game,” said co-author Jean Schelhorn. “There are multiple ways to commercialize research, and faculty need to hear that. There are different levels of involvement with tech transfer, and the hallmark for academics is that the inventor stays involved – but only as involved as they want to be.”

Schelhorn and co-author Joan Herbers, both affiliated with The Ohio State University, brought very different, but complementary, backgrounds to development of this guide.

Schelhorn, a chemist, is a serial patented inventor and former industry executive who over decades has developed expertise in coaching and strategizing with scientists as they wade into commercialization waters. She is the current director of commercialization and industry collaborations in Ohio State’s College of Veterinary Medicine, where she shepherds faculty inventors through patent applications, licensing agreements and other ventures.

Herbers, an evolutionary biologist, is a professor and dean emerita in biological sciences at Ohio State, where she was the principal investigator on a National Science Foundation-funded initiative to increase the presence and success of women faculty in STEM and foster women scientists’ pursuit of commercializing their technologies.

The authors emphasize their intention is to demystify the world of commercialization by describing the various types of professionals who help move the process along, substituting regular words for the jargon, and explaining the many pathways to achieving the “transfer of technology out of the institution and into another entity.”

“A faculty member once said to me, ‘You know, this world is like trying to cross the Grand Canyon. How am I going to do that without a guide?’” Herbers said. “So we’re trying to be their guide.”

Among the book’s major take-home messages: Moving research into the marketplace does not have to mean forming a startup company. 

“If you look at the world right now, there is a huge emphasis on startups and entrepreneurship, which implies you are forming a company,” Schelhorn said. “Some technologies are not appropriate for a startup. Meanwhile there is this huge world of licensing, and how you do that is not understood. 

“Essentially, everything leaves the university as a license. However, getting there is a very complex process and in this book, we explain it at a detailed level.”

Because the information may feel heavy for trepidatious aspiring inventors, Schelhorn and Herbers made a concerted effort to write a highly readable book that inspires scientists to consider how their work might change the world.

“A lot of it is very complex information. There’s a lot of fun in there, too,” Schelhorn said. “And I can say from experience that going through this process with a team is really a great ride.”

In developing the book, Schelhorn drew on her deep knowledge as a former private-sector patent strategist and longtime Ohio State tech-transfer specialist helping academic scientists imagine a future in which their inventions are making a difference in people’s lives. She partnered with Herbers, who has spent her entire career steeped in the academic culture, and trying to improve it.

“The result is truly one of a kind,” Herbers said. “This is a culture underserved in terms of material that will help them advance in this area, so our goal was to bring clarity to the field the inventor has to walk through. And we are meeting people where they are, in this culture.

“I have not patented or commercialized a darn thing. But I do know how faculty think and why this can be a hard sell for them.”

Interspersed among the book’s explanatory chapters are profiles of inventors representing a range of fields, career stages and institution types that are designed to increase the chances that readers will see themselves in the commercialization world and be encouraged to give it a try.

The inclusion of these profiles was particularly attractive to the publisher, said Sarah Humphreville, senior editor, Oxford University Press.

“What we thought was so special about this book was that, though Drs. Herbers and Schelhorn themselves brought a wealth of hands-on teaching, research and commercialization experience, they also gave space throughout their manuscript to the diverse experiences of so many individuals who had taken interesting, often unusual paths toward commercial success,” Humphreville said. “Readers from nearly all academic specialties can find glimmers of their story, or the potential of their ideas, in the stories shared – which, as a publisher, we found quite exciting.”

To help inventors share their stories and build new networks, Schelhorn and Herbers have also established a website, https://gobeyonddiscovery.com/.

“There’s a whole ecosystem for startup founders,” Schelhorn said, “but there’s very little out there for people who want to keep their foot in an institutional environment and still have things matter in the world.”

Columbus campus will resume regular operations beginning on Tuesday, April 26 at 7 a.m. Staff members should work in accordance with their normal schedule, in consultation with their supervisor. Students and faculty should also resume regularly scheduled activities.

Water pressure has begun to return closer to normal levels as crews continue to repair the water line break on John Herrick Drive. The road remains closed between Olentangy River Road and Cannon Drive. CABS service delays are anticipated. Service updates will be posted on the Transportation and Traffic Management website.

The city of Columbus has issued a water advisory for Ohio State’s Columbus campus. Do not drink water or brush your teeth with water from the faucets, drinking fountains etc. until you are told it is safe to do so. Drink bottled water instead and do not try to boil or treat water in your residence hall room or elsewhere. Students in the residence halls will receive updates through their university email and hall message boards.

Instructors with classes canceled on Monday should be flexible with their students. For those who had scheduled projects/presentations/graded activities for in-person classes, they can use their prescheduled final exam period, if needed. If a final exam is already scheduled during that period, they should work with their students to find a mutually agreed upon time for an in-person or virtual session.

Students should work with their instructors if scheduled class time from Monday needs to be made up for projects/presentations/graded activities. Instructors will use the original final exam window, if possible, but should be flexible with students.

Monday, April 25 (2:30 p.m.) - Classes Canceled

Due to a major water line break, most buildings on The Ohio State University’s Columbus campus are experiencing low or no water pressure. In the interest of health and safety, all in-person classes are canceled for the remainder of Monday, April 25. 

Classes scheduled to meet online will occur as planned. Please check with leaders of other scheduled activities to be sure there are no other changes or cancellations.

Crews are actively responding and working to resolve the issue. No restoration estimate is currently available. Potable water quality is still being assessed. Out of an abundance of caution, do not consume water provided through water lines and instead drink bottled water. This includes not using ice machines, coffee makers and drinking fountains.

Any faculty and staff members with the ability to work remotely are encouraged to do so in consultation with their supervisor. Essential staff whose responsibilities must be done in person should report to work in alignment with their normal schedule. For specific staffing questions, please contact your supervisor or HR Business Partner. The university is prioritizing services for students in residence halls, medical center patients and essential staff remaining on campus.

• The Wexner Medical Center remains OPEN. Medical center staff can continue to check HealthBeat HUB.
• Veterinary Medical Center continues to provide care to hospitalized patients, and will be on diversion for emergencies until further notice.
• Optometry remains OPEN.
• Dental clinics are CLOSED.

For additional clinical information, check directly with the service provider.

Student Health Services and all recreational facilities are closed. The Traditions dining facilities will offer grab and go service at Scott House, Kennedy and Morrill Tower, all other dining facilities are closed.

The waterline break is located near the John Herrick Drive bridge. Herrick is closed between Olentangy River Road and Cannon Drive. The Ackerman Shuttle, Patient Courtesy Shuttle and paratransit will be rerouted during this time. CABS service delays are anticipated. Service updates will be posted on the Transportation and Traffic Management website.

Please continue to check emergency.osu.edu for updates.

Including these resolutions, Ohio State has reached settlement agreements with 289 survivors, more than half of the plaintiffs, for $59.79 million.

Strauss was a university-employed physician from 1978 to 1998. He died in 2005.

Survivors covered under the agreements announced today had filed lawsuits related to sexual abuse committed by Strauss too late to be eligible for mediations in federal court and the individual settlement program established by the university in May 2021.

There have been three previous settlements with other survivors, two through the court-administered mediation process and one through the university’s public settlement program. 

“Our deepest gratitude goes to the survivors of Strauss’ abuse for their courage in coming forward,” said Ohio State President Kristina M. Johnson. “They brought this terrible abuse to light, and the university is committed to continuing to work toward restorative justice.”

Under the terms of the two new agreements, an anticipated 57 survivors from seven lawsuits, represented by five law firms, have settled for $35,000 on average. No taxpayer, tuition or restricted donor funds are utilized for these settlements.

All of the participating plaintiffs will dismiss their claims against the university. As with previous agreements, the settlement does not prohibit individuals from talking about Strauss’ abuse publicly.

“Our clients are pleased to have resolved this matter and wish to express their support for all the victims of Richard Strauss,” said John Camillus of the Law Offices of John C. Camillus LLC, and Ben Bianco and Mitch Schuster of Meister Seelig & Fein LLP.

An independent investigation by the law firm Perkins Coie LLP determined that Strauss abused students for more than 20 years, and that the university administration failed to appropriately respond at the time.

Ohio State announced the independent investigation after a survivor came forward in April 2018. Following Perkins Coie’s year-long investigation, the university released a 180-page report in May 2019 that detailed acts of sexual abuse against at least 177 former students. The report along with related public records and university communications from 2018 through today can be found on the Strauss investigation website.

Since February 2019, the university has also covered the cost of professionally certified counseling services and treatment for anyone affected by Strauss, whether counseling and treatment occurred in the past or is needed at any point in the future. To connect with these services, or if individuals are at all uncertain about how to proceed and have questions, please contact Praesidium at 888-961-9273 or visit https://website.praesidiuminc.com/wp/osu/.

Ohio State continues to commit resources to prevent and address sexual misconduct, including policies, programs, staffing and tools. Anyone who has experienced sexual misconduct while at Ohio State — and the incident involved another student or university employee — is encouraged to report to the Office of Institutional Equity, the university’s anonymous reporting service or law enforcement.

Those who have experienced sexual misconduct outside of Ohio State should contact local law enforcement. Additional resources include:

• If you reside in the Columbus, Ohio, area, advocates from SARNCO can assist you in reporting, explain the investigation process and support you. SARNCO’s confidential, 24/7 support hotline is 614-267-7020.
• If you do not reside in the Columbus area, you can contact the RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline, a confidential, 24/7 resource, at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). You can also visit the website to chat live with a representative. Advocates will help you find a resource in your community.

Current Ohio State students seeking additional support services can contact the Office of Student Life’s Counseling and Consultation Service while faculty and staff can access support resources through the Employee Assistance Program.

This week marks an important moment in our state’s and university’s commitment to eradicating any form of hazing in educational institutions across Ohio. Collin’s Law, Ohio’s Anti Hazing Act, which went into effect this week, enacts a number of important requirements and changes, all in effort to end hazing and interrupt contributing factors that have enabled the persistence of hazing in the past.

Ohio State has been a strong supporter of this legislation. We are steadfast in our dedication to all of its requirements, in addition to advancing the Inter-University Council of Ohio’s Anti-Hazing Principles, which President Johnson unveiled with state leaders in July.

To complement the actions the legislation calls on us to take and to further promote a culture of care, Ohio State will offer more educational workshops around hazing for our students and employees. In addition, a website has been created to share updates about educational programming, resources, provide updates and answer frequently asked questions.

We want all members of the Buckeye community to have the information and support they need to fully understand and take action against hazing, which is defined as “doing, requiring, or encouraging any act, whether or not the act is voluntarily agreed upon, in conjunction with initiation, continued membership, or participation in any group, that causes or creates a substantial risk of causing mental or physical harm or humiliation.”

Collin’s Law requires that any administrator, employee, faculty member, teacher, consultant, alumnus or volunteer of any organization immediately report hazing to a law enforcement agency in the county in which the victim of hazing resides or in which the hazing is occurring or has occurred. Failure to report could constitute a criminal offense, so it is important for campus community members to understand their obligations and how to report instances of hazing. 

Ohio State’s Code of Student Conduct also requires students to report hazing to the university through the Code of Student Conduct and may be eligible for amnesty.

Thank you in advance for doing your part as a member of our Buckeye community to interrupt and put a stop to hazing. Your efforts are important and appreciated. 

Sincerely, 

Melissa L. Gilliam, MD, MPH
Executive Vice President and Provost

Stacy Rastauskas
Vice President, Government Affairs

Jeff Risinger, PhD
Senior Vice President, Talent, Culture and Human Resources

Melissa S. Shivers, PhD
Senior Vice President, Student Life

Fiscal year 2021, which ran from July 1, 2020, to June 30, 2021, outperformed the previous fiscal year, driven primarily by strong investment performance, continued positive momentum at the health system and significant efficiency measures across the university.

Overall, the university’s response to the pandemic helped to preserve and protect its long-term fiscal health while continuing to invest in needed initiatives for the short term.

The university’s financial footing also allows for the resumption of the Annual Merit Compensation Process for faculty and staff—budgeted at three percent. Eligible employees can receive base salary increases based on performance related factors. 

“While it has been a challenging year, I’m pleased with how the university and health system responded to the sudden and drastic impacts caused by the global pandemic,” said Chief Financial Officer & Senior Vice President for Business and Finance Michael Papadakis. “Following suit in a year full of extraordinary events, the performance of our investment portfolio has yielded its strongest returns since fiscal year 1985.”

COVID-19 still had an impact on the university. Compared to the previous year, core areas of Ohio State’s operations faced significant declines in revenue, including a:

• $78 million drop in net tuition revenue
• $85 million drop in housing and dining revenues
• $157 million drop in athletics revenue

In response to these anticipated disruptions, the university instituted a series of cost controls at the start of the pandemic, including freezing hiring and pulling back spending to business essentials only. This led to more than $195 million in cost savings, exceeding the university’s goal of $175 million.

Additionally, the health system saw fewer inpatient admissions, but those admitted were more acutely ill because of COVID-19, leading to higher costs. Yet, efficiency measures led to $103.7 million in savings, eclipsing their goal by $26 million.

Federal stimulus funds totaling $164 million helped to offset increased COVID-19 related expenses, and an additional $40 million was awarded as emergency financial aid to students.

“These short-term mitigation strategies continue to help the Buckeye community navigate through prevailing challenges,” Papadakis said. “Moreover, our future is buoyed by the strong performance of our Long Term Investment Pool, which increased in value to $6.81 billion from $5.29 billion in fiscal year 2020, producing $1.54 billion in investment income.”

The pool is made up of endowments that are funded by private donations, strategic investments by the university and rainy-day funds. While some is used to help fund university initiatives, much of it is secured for investment in the future.

“This positive investment performance protects the university for the long term and provides opportunities to invest in the areas of excellence President Johnson shared in her first State of the University address,” Papadakis said.

Targeted efficiency savings for the current fiscal year total $90 million and includes: $35 million at the university; $30 million at the Wexner Medical Center; and $25 million in capital.

Evidence of the university’s financial strength is further demonstrated by the AA/AA/Aa1 credit rating affirmed in fiscal year 2021, with the Fitch rating agency upgrading the university’s rating outlook from stable to positive.

Dear Students, Faculty and Staff:

I hope you had an enjoyable Fourth of July weekend celebrating our Declaration of Independence. This year’s glorious Fourth allowed us to return to some of the in-person celebrations and traditions that we love. These moments were made possible by steadfast adherence to safety protocols during the COVID-19 pandemic and significant scientific advancements to rapidly develop and deploy highly effective vaccines.

If you are already vaccinated, thank you for taking this critical step to protect yourself, your friends and family, and your community! If you aren’t, and are in the Columbus area, there’s a new vaccination site open at University Health (McCampbell Outpatient Care) Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. for people 18 years of age and older. Students, faculty and staff can also get vaccinations at Jesse Owens North on Wednesdays (8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.) and Fridays (9:30 a.m. to noon) throughout the summer.

Read more about scheduling a vaccination. Thank you, Buckeyes, for helping to keep one another safe.

Return to campus

As we continue to refine our public health response, Ohio State is asking students and employees to voluntarily share their vaccine information to help inform decisions to keep our entire university community healthy and safe. This data will also allow us to relax health requirements as appropriate. Students can share their vaccination status at My BuckMD. Faculty and staff can report through a simple online form.

In accordance with changes in public health guidance, maintaining a safe physical distance and masks are no longer required on our campuses for those who are fully vaccinated, with the exception of Wexner Medical Center clinical facilities, Student Health facilities and colleges and units with public-facing clinical operations, and on public transportation. Those who are not vaccinated should continue to observe masking protocols throughout our campuses.

In a message to employees, we outlined expectations and addressed key questions about the campus reactivation process. Leaders in individual colleges and areas will make decisions 

about work arrangements based on the mission and needs of each college or area as well as the roles of individual employees. Plans are expected to be finalized by July 15.

Graduation celebrations

We are excited to be preparing for our in-person commencement ceremonies – the first near-normal celebrations of student achievements at Ohio State since the pandemic began. Graduates and their friends and families will be able to enjoy the celebration of the Class of 2020 at 7:30 p.m. on August 7 and the Summer 2021 commencement at 2 p.m. on August 8, with limited health and safety protocols. I can’t wait to celebrate with all of our outstanding Buckeye graduates!

Buckeyes in Tokyo

A record 26 Buckeyes will compete in the Summer Olympic Games beginning July 23. The opening ceremony will take place at 8 p.m. local time in Japan, which is 7 a.m. EDT in the United States.

Follow the Buckeyes

College visits

I was thrilled to tour our College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CFAES) Wooster Campus on June 23 with Dean Cathann Kress and other campus leaders. This amazing campus is home to our Ohio State ATI, Secrest Arboretum, Plant and Animal Agrosecurity Research Facility, Center for Food Animal Health and more. CFAES is home to ground-breaking education and research that have a positive impact on our environment, the preservation of critical flora and fauna, and how we produce food and protect our planet. 

On June 30, I visited the College of Veterinary Medicine and had a wonderful tour led by Dean Rustin Moore and the college’s exceptional students, faculty and staff. I would be remiss if I did not note the recent virtual ribbon-cutting ceremony for our Frank Stanton Veterinary Spectrum of Care Clinic, which launched a first-of-its-kind educational experience that gives students opportunities to work alongside clinicians and help solve problems across a broad spectrum of cases. The college excels at providing firsthand, real-time knowledge to students, experiences that are invaluable to their long-term professional success.

Leadership announcements

We are pleased to share that Dr. Carroll Ann Trotman will be the next dean of the College of Dentistry, effective August 15. She has deep experience as an educator, clinician, researcher and academic leader – and will join us from the Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, where she serves as associate dean for faculty development and chair of the Department of Orthodontics. Dr. Trotman will build on the achievements of Dr. Patrick M. Lloyd, who announced last year that he would be stepping down as dean in August. We thank Dr. Lloyd for helping to lead the college to new heights and look forward to welcoming Dr. Trotman.

Dr. Gretchen Ritter, who has been vice provost and executive dean at our College of Arts and Sciences since 2019, will become vice chancellor, provost and chief academic officer of Syracuse University. She will remain in her current role at Ohio State at least through August 1, and we thank her for her tremendous work throughout the communities we serve. And thank you to Dr. David G. Horn, associate executive dean for undergraduate education in the College of Arts and Sciences, who has agreed to serve as interim executive dean of the college. The university will launch a national search for the next dean.

President’s Research Excellence program
Nineteen teams received Accelerator Grant funding through the program,
announced at the 2021 State of the University in February.
Learn more

Discovery, learning and impact

Twelve cross-disciplinary projects have been awarded funding in the second round of Ohio State’s Seed Fund for Racial Justice. The grants will seed innovative research approaches and creative ideas that contribute to the elimination of racism and address its underlying causes and consequences. Each project will be undertaken in collaboration with community partners.

Additional developments and shout-outs of note include:

• A spring semester that concluded with our first in-person commencement since late 2019 also saw more than 23,000 students excel in the classroom. The spring 2021 dean’s list featured 23,941 students with top grades. Congratulations, all!
• Members of a team at the Wexner Medical Center and its Neurological Institute are among the first in the nation to implant a new deep-brain stimulation device that will help improve the quality of life for patients with Parkinson’s disease. Neurosurgeons Dr. Vibhor Krishna and Dr. Brian Dalm, in collaboration with neurologists Dr. Aristide Merola and Dr. Barbara Changizi, performed the first two surgeries in the Midwest.
• Dr. Ayanna Howard, dean of the College of Engineering, has been named one of the “20 Most Influential Academics” by Smart Manufacturing magazine. Dr. Howard and I sat down to talk on International Women in Engineering Day on June 23. You can view the conversation, hosted by College of Engineering alumna Lisa McCauley, here.
• My special thanks go to Dr. Shawn “Thunder” Wallace, director of jazz studies and associate professor of jazz saxophone in our School of Music. He was kind enough to host me on his podcast, and it was wonderful to be part of such a lively, fun discussion. I was also excited to join second-year student Sam Feudo on his “Understanding Healthcare” podcast (available on multiple platforms, including Spotify). Sam is studying public policy analysis on a pre-medicine track at the John Glenn College of Public Affairs. We had a great conversation, and it’s always terrific to chat with other Buckeyes!

A little bit of a public service announcement before I sign off: It has been very warm as of late, though thankfully, not as brutal as the heat wave experienced in the Pacific Northwest. It’s important to remember to stay hydrated, limit exercise – and walking pets – to the cooler morning and evening times of the day, and take frequent breaks from exertion in the shade.

Sincerely yours,

Kristina M. Johnson, PhD
President

Dear Students, Faculty and Staff:

I hope you had an enjoyable Memorial Day weekend, despite the cool temperatures, and found a moment to reflect on members of the U.S. armed forces who have made the ultimate sacrifice to defend our country and its ideals. 

The holiday weekend is traditionally the unofficial start of summer. Here at Ohio State, our summer term is already well underway. There is so much going on in our campus community, and I want to be sure to keep you all up to date.

Campus reactivation planning

Looking ahead, we continue to plan for a fall semester that will be a lot closer to normal. Our campuses will be reinvigorated with activity in classrooms, labs, studios and throughout the Ohio State experience. 

A reminder: To return to the activities we love with maximum flexibility, we need to have as many people vaccinated as possible. As such, we continue to strongly encourage each and every one of you to avail yourself of the ample opportunities to obtain a vaccine no matter where you might be this summer.

We also are asking students to voluntarily share their vaccination status with the university so that we can better determine our overall vaccination rate – and to allow us to relax health requirements as appropriate. For instance, Columbus campus students who are vaccinated will test once a month or less frequently, while other students will be tested at least once a week. To share your vaccination status, log in to My BuckMD. We expect to launch a similar voluntary reporting process for employees in the coming days.

On a related note, Ohio State has signed on as a proud participant in the White House’s COVID-19 College Vaccine Challenge, an effort to increase vaccination rates among younger Americans. As a champion of the program, Ohio State has committed to engaging with our campus community members about the importance of vaccinations and facilitating vaccine access for those who want to take part. 

The university is continuing to refine plans for the fall, and we will keep you updated as additional details are available. For up-to-date information, visit the Safe and Healthy Buckeyes website.

Annual Merit Compensation Process 

We were pleased to announce that the university will resume its Annual Merit Compensation Process for eligible faculty and staff. The process was paused last year to proactively address financial challenges caused by COVID-19, and we are very happy to bring it back for fiscal year 2022. 

Pelotonia 

Pelotonia is almost here! Though we won’t ride until the weekend of August 6-8, all of the training and fundraising to benefit critical and life-saving cancer research is already well underway. 

There’s an extra incentive to give this month for Team Buckeye members. From June 7-13, every gift of $25 to $500 will be matched dollar for dollar up to a total of $30,000. If eligible donations exceed $30,000, Pelotonia will draw names at random for members of Team Buckeye to receive matching funds. All Team Buckeye members (Riders, Challengers and Volunteers) are eligible to participate. 

I will be joining you for a portion of the ride in my role as this year’s honorary captain for Team Buckeye and am so excited to see you there. Whichever your Team Buckeye peloton this year, let’s ride to fight cancer. 

Mental well-being 

I have asked Dr. Melissa Shivers, senior vice president for student life, and Dr. Bernadette Melnyk, chief wellness officer and dean of the College of Nursing, to co-chair a commission that will study how the university can further promote mental health and well-being. 

This effort is a progression of Ohio State’s Suicide and Mental Health Task Force, formed in 2018. Over the past three years, students’ mental health needs have continued to change and grow – including accounting for impacts from the pandemic, the extent and significance of which we have yet to fully understand. The commission will review current approaches and identify new, evidence-based recommendations. We have invited members of our student, faculty and staff populations to take part and will share more as this work progresses. 

Welcoming new Buckeyes! 

Last week, we were thrilled to announce the latest addition to our Buckeye leadership team. Dr. Melissa L. Gilliam will serve as our next executive vice president and provost, effective August 1 – the first woman of color to hold the prestigious post of our chief academic officer. 

Dr. Gilliam is currently serving as vice provost at the University of Chicago, where she is the Ellen H. Block Distinguished Service Professor of Health Justice, and professor of obstetrics and gynecology and pediatrics. In her role as provost, she will be charged with advancing the university’s strategic priorities, including increasing the number of net new tenure-track faculty and maximizing the academic experience. Through the RAISE initiative I announced this past February, for example, one of her focus areas for the initiative will be on faculty whose work addresses social equity and racial disparities. 

Also coming on board is the Wexner Center for the Arts’ new Chief Curator & Director of Exhibitions Kelly Kivland, who will join us August 2. She is currently the curator at the Dia Art Foundation in New York, where she has been working since 2011. Welcome!

Discovery, learning and impact 

I’m proud to announce our 2021 Distinguished Diversity Enhancement Award recipients, selected for exceptional contributions to the university and advancing diversity and inclusion efforts in our community. This year’s recipients are: Lidia K. Garcia Berrelleza; Dr. Donna Hight; Dr. Jamie L. Robinson; Dr. Sondos Al Sad; and the Ohio Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation, under the direction of Dr. Dorinda Gallant. Read more here about the winners.

We are also honored to share that 13 individuals have been selected to receive Ohio State’s Distinguished Staff Awards, which are the university’s highest recognitions for staff and the critical work they do to advance the university’s mission each day. Congratulations to all! You can read profiles of each recipient on the Ohio State Human Resources website.

Below are just a few more of the incredible honors and achievements our Buckeyes have received in recent weeks: 

• Dr. James L. Moore III, the university’s chief diversity officer and professor in the College of Education and Human Ecology, received the 2021 Reginald Wilson Diversity Leadership Award from the American Council on Education (ACE). ACE President Dr. Ted Mitchell described Dr. Moore as “one of the most influential voices in our country” on issues related to racism and equity on campuses and in communities. Watch a video.
• At our Board of Trustees meeting last month, we were thrilled to announce that Dr. N. Geoffrey Parker, Distinguished University Professor and Andreas Dorpalen Professor of European History in the College of Arts and Sciences, is the recipient of the university’s 2021 Sullivant Medal. This prestigious award is bestowed once every five years.
• As I shared in May, Dr. Ayanna Howard, dean of the College of Engineering, was named the Association for Computing Machinery’s 2021-22 Athena Lecturer. Now, MIT Technology Review has featured Dr. Howard for her work toward the award and beyond.

In closing … 

Before I go, a few final items of note: 

June is Pride Month, which is held annually to honor the 1969 Stonewall Uprising (June 28) in Manhattan – a tipping point for the Gay Liberation Movement in the United States. Programming and events are available throughout the month both on campus and off. Our Multicultural Center, for example, on June 9 is hosting a virtual workshop on creating LGBTQ inclusive classrooms. In addition, this is a good opportunity to remind you of the upcoming Virtual LGBTQ+ Unity Summit, which will be hosted by the Ohio Diversity Council on Friday. Learn more about the summit and other events on the Office of Diversity and Inclusion website.

June is also the 25th anniversary of National Safety Month, which was established to elevate awareness about leading health and safety risks and decrease the number of unintentional deaths that occur in homes, at workplaces, on the roads and elsewhere across the U.S. I want to take this opportunity to urge everyone to take precautions this summer season. Related to safety on and off our campuses, we continue to implement recommendations from our Task Force on Community Safety and Well-Being. Also, we’re all very excited about getting back out and about after a long year of lockdowns and curtailed interactions. Even with the reduced threat of COVID-19, we still need to remain vigilant to care for ourselves and one another. 

Take care, have fun, and above all, stay safe.

Sincerely yours,

Kristina M. Johnson, PhD
President

Dr. Gilliam will join Ohio State from the University of Chicago, where she is vice provost, the Ellen H. Block Distinguished Service Professor of Health Justice, and professor of obstetrics and gynecology and pediatrics. At Ohio State, she will become the first woman of color to serve as provost, leading the educational mission of one of the largest and most comprehensive universities in the country as its chief academic officer.

As vice provost at the University of Chicago since 2016, Dr. Gilliam has led efforts related to faculty development, chair development, recruitment and retention, graduate student mentoring, inclusive pedagogy, and diversity and inclusion. Her portfolio includes the Provost’s Postdoctoral Fellows Program and the Neubauer Family Assistant Professors Program. An interdisciplinary researcher focused on adolescent health and well-being, her research and scholarship have resulted in over 100 peer-reviewed publications.

“Dr. Gilliam is a national leader in multiple areas – from recruiting, developing and building strong, engaged and innovative faculty across all disciplines to ensuring exceptional student education,” said Ohio State President Kristina M. Johnson. “She is a highly accomplished physician and research scientist with an academic background rooted in the humanities and a lifelong dedication to service.

“I am delighted to welcome her to our Ohio State family.”

Dr. Gilliam brings more than two decades of experience in clinical practice and higher education after earning a Bachelor of Arts, English literature, from Yale University; a Master of Arts, philosophy and politics, from the University of Oxford; a Doctor of Medicine from Harvard University; and a Master of Public Health from the University of Illinois Chicago. She completed an internship in general surgery at the University of Chicago and her residency in obstetrics and gynecology at Northwestern University.

Prior to her current role as vice provost at the University of Chicago, she served as dean of diversity and inclusion for the Biological Sciences Division at University of Chicago Medicine. Since 2012, she has served as the founder and director of the university’s Center for Interdisciplinary Inquiry and Innovation in Sexual and Reproductive Health. From 2005 to 2017 she was chief of the Section of Family Planning and Contraceptive Research in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Since 2007, Dr. Gilliam has led the Program in Gynecology for Children, Adolescents and Young Adults.

She began her higher-education career as a faculty member at the University of Illinois Chicago, where she served as director of the Center for Reproductive Health; director of the Fellowship in Family Planning; and co-director, research and clinical cores, for the National Institutes of Health Center of Excellence in Women’s Health.

“The opportunity to work closely with President Johnson and one of the most respected and academically robust academic communities in the world is a dream come true,” Dr. Gilliam said. “I look forward to engaging with the entire Ohio State community, especially the outstanding faculty, staff, students and partners that drive our academic mission.”

Dr. Gilliam’s work as provost will help advance the university’s strategic priorities, including increasing the number of net new tenure-track faculty and maximizing the academic experience. Through the RAISE initiative announced by President Johnson in February, for example, Ohio State will include a focus area on faculty whose research and creative expression efforts address social equity and racial disparities.

Among her many awards and honors, Dr. Gilliam is a member of the National Academy of Medicine, American Gynecological Club and American Gynecological & Obstetrical Society. She was named a Centennial Scholar of the Institute of Medicine of Chicago and received the Chicago Urban League Innovator Award, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Advisory Committee Service Award and Chicago Foundation for Women Impact Award. Additionally, Dr. Gilliam was included in the Newsweek/Daily Beast list of “Women in the World: 125 Women of Impact” and was voted by her peers as among the Best Doctors in America from 2007 to 2014.

Dr. Gilliam succeeds Bruce A. McPheron, PhD, who shared last year that he would step down from the position as executive vice president and provost.

Her appointment is pending approval by the Ohio State Board of Trustees.

The university spent tens of millions of dollars since March 2020 to combat COVID-19 on campus and faces revenue losses caused by the pandemic in areas including net tuition and fee revenue, auxiliary revenues and athletics. Yet, long-term, Ohio State is poised to rebound, university officials noted in an interim financial report covering July 1, 2020, to March 31, 2020.

The long-term picture is anchored by an increase of nearly $1.4 billion of investment income for Ohio State compared to the previous fiscal year.

The university plans to resume its Annual Merit Compensation Process for faculty and staff, in which eligible employees can receive an increase of up to 2% of their base salary.

The board also heard and approved proposed Tuition Guarantee rates for incoming first-year students. The university plans to increase tuition and fees for incoming Ohio freshmen by 3.8%, a $418 annual change from last year’s rate. This rate will be frozen for four years for these students – representing the sixth straight class of Ohio students to graduate with no tuition and fee increases.

Ohio State will remain the second most affordable for resident undergraduates among selective admission public universities in Ohio and at the median for in-state tuition and fees among public Big Ten schools.

University leadership also shared more plans on reactivating campus in the fall, centered on reinvigorating campus life because of the success of the COVID-19 vaccines. At least 75% of classes will be in person, and class size will be tiered, with classrooms with fewer than 50 students allowing full capacity.

Additionally, residence halls will revert to a more traditional setup, with visitors permitted, increased engagement and an estimated capacity of 15,200 students across campuses, up from 12,600 last academic year. Dining options will also expand, with more than double the amount of capacity for in-facility dining.

“Our plans are on track for a more-normal, in-person semester,” Ohio State President Kristina M. Johnson told trustees on Thursday.

The board also took the following actions:

Provost McPheron honored
The board issued an expression of appreciation to Provost Bruce A. McPheron, who will be ending his term as provost and returning to the faculty in the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences. The board noted McPheron’s contributions as an alumnus, scholar, former dean and provost, where he launched groundbreaking initiatives including the Buckeye Opportunity Program, Teaching Support Program and the Digital Flagship initiative. McPheron has served as provost since December 2015.

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

• Campbell Hall renovation
  The project will replace the existing building systems, roof and windows, and will make building envelope improvements eliminating up to $18.5 million in deferred maintenance. Additionally, the renovation of interior spaces (115,000 square feet) will enable the College of Education and Human Ecology’s longtime goal of centralizing teaching, research and administrative functions along Neil Avenue. Trustees approved professional services contracts totaling $4 million, to be paid with state funds.
• College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences, Wooster: Fisher Auditorium renovation
  The project will renovate under-utilized space around the existing auditorium to create a combination of new teaching and outreach functions, a combined campus library and co-located student service functions, creating a new academic, social and cultural hub on campus and addressing $8.1 million in deferred maintenance. Trustees approved professional services contracts totaling $1.2 million, to be paid with state funds.
• Newark: Founders Hall enhancements
  The project will renovate 70,000 square feet of interior classroom and lab spaces that have been relocated to the new Alford Center for Science and Technology. This will allow the campus to meet the demand for growing enrollment and expand academic offerings and address $13.8 million in deferred maintenance. Trustees approved professional services contracts totaling $2.4 million, to be paid with state funds.
• Wexner Medical Center loading dock expansion and renovation
  The project will renovate 28,000 square feet of the existing dock area and add 6,000 square feet; the expanded dock will support the continued growth of the Wexner Medical Center. Trustees approved an increase to professional services totaling $1.3 million, to be paid with auxiliary funds. The total project budget is $16.9 million.
• Energy Advancement and Innovation Center
  The project builds a 66,154-square-foot facility to serve as a cornerstone of the public/private partnership with Ohio State Energy Partners. It includes dedicated lab space, collaborative learning and gathering space and small focused workspace, plus a 210-seat seminar room and a 96-seat café that will serve the Innovation and Research buildings. Trustees approved an increase in professional services and construction contracts totaling $10.4 million, to be paid with university and partner funds. This includes a plan to add a fourth floor of 13,609 square feet, which includes additional lab/research space, testing pod and smaller innovation spaces. The total project budget is $47.1 million.
• Newton Hall renovation and new nursing building
  The project will build approximately 35,000 new square feet to the south of Newton Hall including flexible classrooms, informal learning spaces and offices, and renovate existing space including a new facade, relocation of existing entryway and plaza, and an updated corridor and wellness space. The project will accommodate student and faculty growth and enable the relocation of College of Nursing groups back to Newton from off-campus leased space. Trustees approved an increase of $5.1 million, to be paid with fundraising, university funds and state funds, for a total budget of $30.7 million. The increase will renovate 12,300 square feet of multiple areas on the first floor of Newton Hall and include other updates.

Property transactions approved
Trustees approved the following deals:

• The sale of about 1.44 acres near West Dublin Granville Road, north of the Don Scott Airport. The land is vacant and will be sold to Dave Fox Remodeling Inc., whose office property is adjacent. Ohio State acquired the land in 1968 and the agreed-upon selling price is $500,000.
• The purchase of 149,000 square feet consisting of 3.42 acres of vacated streets and alleys described as 11th Avenue between Neil Avenue and North High Street, together with interconnecting public alleys located between 9th and 11th Avenues, from the City of Columbus. The acquisition will support the goals of creating a walkable campus core by moving traffic from 12th Avenue to 11th Avenue and enable future redevelopment of the block between 10th and 11th Avenues. With the recent purchase of the 75 W. 11th Ave. parcel, the university owns all property on both sides of 11th Avenue. This is necessary to gain ownership of the entire block to execute a project that eliminates parking meters and enables two-way bus and vehicular traffic on 11th Avenue. No purchase price disclosed.
• The purchase of 0.373 acres of land at Hughes Street between Hawthorne Avenue and Phale D. Hale Drive for $20,310 from the City of Columbus. This acquisition supports the university’s plan for redevelopment of land west of Hospital East.
• The leasing of 9.38 acres of property at 420 E. 19th Ave. to Metro Early College High School, which includes a two-story, 95,000-square-foot building formerly known as Indianola Middle School that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The university acquired the property in 2018 from Columbus Public Schools for $2.35 million. In lieu of rent, Metro will acquire necessary funding to renovate the building for educational use and is contingent upon Metro entering into a funding agreement with Battelle and receiving an award for additional funding from the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission.
• A perpetual sewer easement of 2.301 acres located along Olentangy River Road to the City of Columbus to support the city’s Lower Olentangy Tunnel project. The city has compensated the university for the project at $575,138.
• Joint use agreements with the following:
  • Charitable Pharmacy of Central Ohio, a nonprofit, for $50,000 that the university was allocated in the 2020-21 state capital bill for use by the nonprofit. In exchange, Charitable Pharmacy of Central Ohio will use the funds for the construction and renewal of a new facility in Columbus, which the university can use in a variety of ways.
  • Knox County Regional Airport Authority, a government entity, for $900,000 that the university was allocated in the 2020-21 state capital bill for use by the airport. In exchange, Knox County Regional Airport will use the funds for construction of the Knox County Regional Airport Aviation Center, which the university can use for aviation-oriented programs and activities.
  • Ohio Hills Health Services, a nonprofit, for $100,000 that the university was allocated in the 2020-21 state capital bill for use by the nonprofit. In exchange, Ohio Hills Health Services will utilize the funds for construction and capital equipment to outfit the new Monroe Family Health Center in Woodsfield, Ohio, which the university can use to expand its partnerships and activities in Monroe County.
  • PAST Foundation, a nonprofit, for $300,000 that the university was allocated in the 2020-21 state capital bill for use by the nonprofit. In exchange, PAST Foundation will use the funds for construction of a new digital innovation lab in the PAST facility located at 1003 Kinnear Road in Columbus, which the university can use in a variety of ways.

Awarding of Joseph Sullivant Medal
Every five years, the board approves the awarding of the Joseph Sullivant Medal to serve as a memorial to the services of Sullivant, who was a member of the first Board of Trustees and contributed significantly in determining the character and future of Ohio State. The board and president approved the award for N. Geoffrey Parker, Distinguished University Professor and Andreas Dorpalen Professor of European History.

Board of Trustees interim member approved; terms end for Shah, Krueger
The board approved the temporary appointment of Carly G. Sobol to serve on the committees on which Anand Shah currently sits. The governor-appointed terms for Shah and Cheryl L. Krueger ended May 13, 2021, and they’ll continue to serve until their successors are appointed or 60 days has elapsed – whichever is first. Sobol will replace Shah at that time, and his successor will take Sobol’s place when appointed.

Honda, Ohio State partnership recognized
The board formalized Ohio State and Honda’s partnership by signing a memorandum of understanding. Over the past two decades, two of the state’s brightest institutions have collaborated to build a better and brighter future, including partnering on 235 research projects in just the last five years.

New master’s degree in College of Medicine established
The board approved a Master of Science degree in Immunology and Microbial Pathogenesis in the College of Medicine, which will provide graduates with a foundational knowledge of health-related human immunology and microbial pathogenesis.

University Faculty rules, hospital bylaws amended
The board approved amendments to the University Faculty rules to clarify existing non-mandatory review procedures for both probationary and tenured faculty and establish consistent probationary contracts for clinical/teaching/practice faculty, and set a maximum contract of eight years for clinical/teaching/practice professors.

The board also approved Bylaws of the Medical Staff of the Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute and the Bylaws of the Medical Staff of University Hospitals.

Honorary degrees approved
The board approved the awarding of the honorary doctor of science degree to Ellen Ochoa; the awarding of the honorary doctor of public service degree to Joyce Beatty; and the awarding of the honorary doctor of business administration degree to Jamie Dimon, each of whom was honored at spring 2021 commencement.

Faculty personnel actions approved
The board approved the following personnel appointments and reappointments:

• Jeffrey J. Chalmers has been named professor and Helen C. Kurtz Chair in Chemical Engineering in the College of Engineering, effective July 1, 2020, through June 30, 2025.
• Laura Dugan has been named professor and holder of the Ralph Mershon Designated Professorship of Human Security in the College of Arts and Sciences, effective Aug. 15, 2021, through Aug. 14, 2026.
• Todd Gannon has been named professor and holder of the Robert S. Livesey Professorship in Architecture in the College of Engineering, effective March 1, 2018, through May 31, 2021.
• Pierre Giglio has been named associate professor-clinical and Esther Dardinger Endowed Chair in Neuro-Oncology in the College of Medicine, effective June 1, 2021, through June 30, 2025.
• Maria B. Ignatieva has been named professor and holder of the Martha W. Farmer Endowed Professorship in Theatre at Ohio State University, Lima, effective July 1, 2021, through June 30, 2023.
• Dana Renga has been named divisional dean, arts and humanities, in the College of Arts and Sciences, effective July 1, 2021, through June 30, 2026.

Reappointments

• William E. Carson III has been reappointed professor and John B. and Jane T. McCoy Chair in Cancer Research in the College of Medicine, effective July 1, 2021, through June 30, 2025.
• John W. Christman has been reappointed professor and holder of the John A. Prior Professorship in the College of Medicine, effective July 1, 2019, through June 30, 2023.
• Steven K. Clinton has been reappointed professor and Robert A. and Martha O. Schoenlaub Cancer Research Chair in the College of Medicine, effective July 1, 2021, through June 30, 2025.
• Datta V. Gaitonde has been reappointed professor and The John Glenn Endowed Chair for Technology and Space Exploration and Ohio Research Scholar in Advanced Propulsion Systems Integration in the College of Engineering, effective July 1, 2021, through June 30, 2025.
• Patrick L. Green has been reappointed professor and Robert H. Rainier Endowed Chair in Industrial Veterinary Medicine and Research in the College of Veterinary Medicine, effective Jan. 1, 2021, through June 20, 2023.
• Wael N. Jarjour has been reappointed professor-clinical and Martha Morehouse Chair in Arthritis and Immunology Research in the College of Medicine, effective July 1, 2021, through June 30, 2025.
• Sorabh Khandelwal has been reappointed professor and holder of the Samuel J. Kiehl III MD Professorship in Emergency Medicine in the College of Medicine, effective April 1, 2021, through June 30, 2025.
• Susan L. Koletar has been reappointed professor-clinical and holder of the Franke E. and Mary W. Pomerene Professorship in the Prevention and Treatment of Infectious Diseases in the College of Medicine, effective July 1, 2021, through June 30, 2025.
• Peter E. Larsen has been reappointed professor and holder of the Dr. Larry J. Peterson Endowed Professorship in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery in the College of Dentistry, effective Oct. 1, 2019, through Sept. 30, 2023.
• Alan Michaels has been reappointed professor and Edwin M. Cooperman Chair in Law in the Moritz College of Law, effective Jan. 31, 2021, through Jan. 31, 2026.
• W. Jerry Mysiw has been reappointed professor and Dr. Ernest W. Johnson Chair in the College of Medicine, effective July 1, 2021, through June 30, 2022.
• Anil V. Parwani has been reappointed professor-clinical and Donald A. Senhauser, MD, Chair in Pathology in the College of Medicine, effective Dec. 1, 2021, through June 30, 2025.
• Kamal S. Pohar has been reappointed associate professor and Julius Skestos and Diana Skestos Chair in Urology in the College of Medicine, effective Dec. 1, 2021, through June 30, 2025.
• Matthew D. Ringel has been reappointed professor and Ralph W. Kurtz Chair in Hormonology in the College of Medicine, effective July 1, 2021, through June 30, 2025.
• Orlando P. Simonetti has been reappointed professor and holder of the John W. Wolfe Professorship in Cardiovascular Research in the College of Medicine, effective Oct. 1, 2021, through June 30, 2025.
• Marcia M. Worley has been reappointed professor-clinical and holder of the Merrell Dow Professorship in Pharmaceutical Administration in the College of Pharmacy, effective Jan. 31, 2020, through June 30, 2023.

Director of athletics’ contract extended
Gene Smith, Ohio State’s senior vice president and Wolfe Foundation Endowed Athletics Director, agreed to a contract extension that runs from July 1, 2021, through June 30, 2026. Smith has run the department since 2005.

Executive compensation philosophy, strategy approved
The board approved a new Executive Compensation Philosophy and Strategy to replace the Total Compensation and Philosophy for University Executives and the Procedure for Setting and Reviewing Compensation for University Executives.

Interim capital investment plan for fiscal year 2022 approved
The board approved the interim capital investment plan that allows the university to begin or continue capital projects from July 1, 2021, through Aug. 31, 2021; the university has not yet finalized its operating budget for the fiscal year.

Utility system interim capital improvements approved
The board approved the Ohio State Energy Partners fiscal year 2022 interim capital improvements plan and authorization to make capital improvements for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2021; the university has not yet finalized its operating budget for the fiscal year.

Revocation of emeritus status for two professors
The board approved the revocation of emeritus status for Dr. Samson Jacob and Bradley Peterson, in the College of Medicine and College of Arts and Sciences, respectively. University policy says faculty members’ emeritus status can be revoked if they have engaged in serious, dishonorable conduct or caused harm to the university’s reputation.

Interim operating budget for fiscal year 2022 approved
The board approved the interim operating budget for fiscal year 2022, allowing the university to continue to advance its academic and financial goals from July 1, 2021, through Aug. 31, 2021, prior to the operating budget’s finalization and adoption.

Waiver of tuition for certain students approved
The board approved a waiver of tuition for Ohio State students who enroll in university-approved third-party provider or direct enrollment study abroad programs for fiscal year 2022 and fiscal year 2023. Since fiscal year 2015, the university has requested and received a tuition waiver for approved provider programs from the Board of Trustees and the Ohio Department of Higher Education so that students avoid two tuition payments during study abroad.

Amendments to university’s investment policy approved
The board approved amendments to the policy to govern the management of the university’s investment portfolios to better align it with policy best practices and Ohio State’s current investment management strategy. A complete update to the policy last occurred in 2013, with revisions in 2014 and 2016.

University Foundation Report approved
The board approved the report as of March 31, 2021, which includes the establishment of two endowed chairs; seven endowed professorships; one designated professorship; two endowed professorship funds; one endowed fellowship; one endowed scholarship; 28 additional named endowed funds and the revision of 15 named endowed funds.

Committee charters approved
The board approved the revised charter for the Academic Affairs and Student Life Committee, the Audit, Finance and Investment Committee, and the Master Planning and Facilities Committee.

The board also approved the charter for the new Research, Innovation and Strategic Partnership Committee and the new Legal, Risk and Compliance Committee.

Klingbeil reappointed as charter trustee
The board approved the reappointment of James D. Klingbeil as charter trustee of the Board of Trustees for a third three-year term from May 14, 2021, through May 13, 2024.

Establishment of the Farm Financial Management and Policy Institute
The board approved the establishment of the Farm Financial Management and Policy Institute, to be housed in University Extension, College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences, to serve as a unified center for the integration, translation and communication of critical farm financial management and policy issues affecting Ohioans.

Retirement plan amendments confirmed
The board approved changes to the Ohio State retirement plan that expands eligibility for participants and documents amendments made in response to federal COVID-19 legislation. These are the third amendments made to the plans since 2016.

Benchmarks for the Long-Term Investment Pool and university operating funds approved
The board approved new and modified benchmarks to evaluate the investment performance of the Long-Term Investment Pool and removal of the Sharpe ratio benchmark for the pool that had been used to evaluate the risk-adjusted investment performance of the pool.

Authorization for designated officials to buy, sell, assign and transfer securities approved
The board approved a request for designated officials to buy, sell, assign and transfer securities; to deposit or withdraw funds from bank and investment accounts held in the name of Ohio State; to designate depositories; and to execute treasury- and insurance-related agreements. This annual resolution is required by the institutions with which the university does business, and there are no changes from last year’s resolution.

Authorization to establish quasi-endowment fund
The board approved the establishment of the Entrepreneurial and Technology Commercialization Initiatives Endowment Fund, a quasi-endowment fund to provide a permanent source of funding for operations that support the university’s entrepreneurial and technology commercialization initiatives, with an establishment amount of $1 million.

Amended and updated charter for the internal audit department approved
The board approved the amended and updated charter for the internal audit department to ensure comprehensive oversight of the department and the university's operations through the adoption of best practices.

Reappointments to the Self-Insurance Board approved
The board approved the reappointment of six members of the board that oversees the University Self-Insurance Program. The terms end for the members on June 30, 2023. The members are:

• Dr. Arick Forrest
• Reed Fraley
• James Gilmour
• Michael Leach
• Cynthia Powell
• Dr. Andrew Thomas

Center for Slavic and East European Studies, Fisher College of Business department renamed
The board approved the renaming of the Center for Slavic and East European Studies to the Center for Slavic, East European and Eurasian Studies, as the center’s research and teaching mission has expanded to include Central Asia and Eurasia more broadly.

The board also approved the renaming of the Department of Management Sciences in the Fisher College of Business to the Department of Operations and Business Analytics, as the focus of the department has shifted substantially to operations management.

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

• The Prior Family Rotunda in the Jerome Schottenstein Center, in recognition of significant contributions from Kevin and Raegan Prior to the Department of Athletics and the Athletics District.
• In the John and Mary Alford Center for Science and Technology, on the Ohio State Newark campus, the following internal spaces were named in recognition of support from the organizations that contributed to the center’s construction:
  • Ariel Corporation General Chemistry Suite (300, 308, 310, 320)
  • Ariel Corporation Research Corridor (X309C)
  • Gilbert Reese Family Foundation Atrium (X102L)
  • Raymond H. and Beryl Dean Penick Organic Chemistry Suite (305)
  • LeFevre Foundation Biology Suite (265, 275, 285)
  • Newark Campus Development Fund Anatomy Suite (270, 280)
  • Park National Bank and Associates Concourse (X206C)
  • Melissa Warner Bow Earth Sciences Suite (205)
  • Licking Memorial Health Systems Simulation Center (110)
• The Allinson Family Classroom (202) in Parks Hall, in support of the significant contributions to the College of Pharmacy by Russel and Amy Allinson.
• The Clifton J. Latiolais Library (202a) in Parks Hall, in honor of the significant legacy left by Clifton J. Latiolais.
• The Richard C. Hannon ’50 Teaching Laboratory (0152) in the Mars G. Fontana Laboratories, to recognize the continued partnership with Richard C. Hannon Jr. and his contributions to the College of Engineering.
• In the new WOSU Public Media Headquarters at the corner of East 14th Avenue and Pearl Alley, the following internal spaces were named in recognition of support from donors that contributed to the center’s construction:
  • Linda Larrimer and Hugh Westwater Call Screen Room (222)
  • Bill and Mae McCorkle Foundation Master Edit Suite (313)
• The Applewood Village Community Center at the Ohio State College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences, Wooster campus, a renaming of the housing administration building to align with the future vision of the campus.
• The renaming of Founders Hall to Louella Hodges Reese Hall on the Ohio State Newark campus, which honors the commitments and service from the Reese family, led by Louella and J. Gilbert, in the founding and support of the Newark campus.

Dear Students, Faculty and Staff:

While Mother Nature did not cooperate, even the rain could not put a damper on the excitement and enjoyment of our first in-person commencements since 2019 – two in one day!

We conferred 12,345 degrees and certificates, and attendees adhered to pre-arranged public health protocols that made these in-person experiences possible. I thank you for your cooperation and for observing requirements to continue to keep yourselves and one another safe and healthy. 

Every graduating class of Buckeyes is special, and the Class of 2021 will be forever remembered for epitomizing the very definition of resilience. With your help, we overcame challenges and out-performed expectations. 

It was a true privilege for me to celebrate with our graduates and their families, and also to mark the end of my first academic year. I was so inspired to hear the personal stories and expressions of gratitude from so many of you.

We also recognized six individuals from business, public service, science and education who, as I said at commencement, share our Buckeye commitment to seeing and amplifying the good.

JPMorgan Chase Chairman and CEO Mr. Jamie Dimon, U.S. Congresswoman Joyce Beatty, renowned scientist and Moderna co-founder Dr. Robert Langer and NASA astronaut Dr. Ellen Ochoa – our honorary degree recipients – have each made an indelible mark in our society by challenging and changing our perspectives for the better. And our Distinguished Service Award honorees Dr. David Harrison, president of Columbus State Community College, and Mr. Frederick L. Ransier III, a distinguished lawyer and public servant in central Ohio for decades, remind us that deep and sustained commitment close to home yields benefits for us all

As Mr. Dimon, our commencement speaker, put it so eloquently, this past year was “extraordinary by any measure” – from the pandemic to a presidential election to long-overdue debates about equity and social justice. 

The tough times, while incredibly difficult in the moment, only serve to make us stronger. I know you will all go on to do great things, equipped with all the tools you need to succeed. 

Once again, congratulations to all!

COVID-19 updates

We are thankfully continuing to see infection rates drop across the state and nation. Just last night, Governor Mike DeWine announced that the state of Ohio’s public health orders will be lifted, effective June 2. We will continue to closely monitor evidence and public health guidance and adjust our safe and healthy protocols as needed based on our congregant setting.

In order to keep the infection trends going in the right (downward) direction, it is critical that you get vaccinated over the summer if you have not done so already. It is increasingly easy to get a shot – many locations are no longer requiring appointments. To schedule an appointment, see the nearly 1,300 locations in Ohio and many other sites outside of Ohio.

Also, a reminder about the summer term: Students living in university housing or who are enrolled in courses on the Columbus campus will need to complete weekly testing at the Jesse Owens North testing facility. Students can schedule testing appointments in advance. 

Students can also pick up a take-home saliva test kit at testing locations on all campuses to complete each week. We are encouraging you to engage in regular at-home testing to keep yourself and those around you safe and healthy. Kits are also available at various locations around the state – including at local libraries.

May 6 was National Nurses Day, kicking off National Nurses Week, which ran through May 12. The theme for this year’s week, according to the International Council of Nurses, is “Nurses: A Voice to Lead.” Nursing is regularly ranked among the most respected, honest and ethical professions in the U.S. – a well-deserved honor, and one that is perhaps truer now than ever before. Nurses, and all medical professionals, did incredible work over the past year battling the COVID-19 crisis, and without them we could not possibly be where we are today. I know you’ll join me in offering them a very hearty and public: THANK YOU.

Discovery, learning and impact

Amazing accomplishments and well-earned accolades are continuing across our campus community. I’d like to take this opportunity to share a few of the latest announcements with you:

• We are pleased to share that the College of Engineering’s Dr. Umit S. Ozkan and Moritz College of Law’s Martha Chamallas, JD, have been named Distinguished University Professors. Each year, the university recognizes Ohio State faculty members for exceptional records in teaching, in research, scholarly or creative work, and in service. Dr. Ozkan and Professor Chamallas were selected for their scholarship, leadership and mentorship in, respectively, the field of heterogeneous catalysis and electrocatalysis, and the fields of tort law and feminist theory. Congratulations to you both!
• Dr. Wendy Smooth, associate professor of women’s, gender and sexuality studies, is one of eight members who have been appointed to the national advisory board of the Kamala Harris Project. The project, based at the University of Southern California’s Dornsife Center for Leadership by Women of Color, is a collective of academics who will track all aspects of Harris’ vice presidency.
• Dr. Ayanna Howard, dean of the College of Engineering, has been named the Association for Computing Machinery’s 2021-22 Athena Lecturer. The recognition from the world’s largest educational and scientific computing society is for Dr. Howard’s contributions to robotics, artificial intelligence and broadening participation in computing.
• Dr. Michael Mills, chair of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering and McDougal professor, has received Germany’s most prestigious award in the field of materials science and engineering. The German Materials Society selected Dr. Mills to be the 2021 recipient of the Heyn Denkmünze (Heyn Memorial Medal) for his scientific contributions to the materials science and engineering field along with his significant efforts to advance scientific relations between the U.S. and Germany.
• The OSU Early Head Start Partnership Program received a $10 million federal expansion grant to build on vital services funded by its current five-year grant for $18 million that supports the health, learning and well-being of young children and families in central Ohio.

Faculty leadership

Starting May 16, University Senate’s faculty leaders will begin their roles for 2021-22. They include:

• Dr. Ken Lee, chair, Faculty Council
• Dr. Amy Darragh, chair-elect, Faculty Council
• Dr. Enrico Bonello, chair, Steering Committee
• Dr. Ben Givens, secretary, University Senate

Good luck to our graduates! We look forward to seeing our summer students around campus, and to seeing everyone else in the fall. 

Have fun, be safe and take care of one another.

Sincerely yours,

Kristina M. Johnson, PhD
President

The university previously reached settlement agreements with 185 survivors in 17 lawsuits, totaling $46.7 million. The average settlement value per survivor in the previous agreements, terms of which were announced in May and October 2020, was $252,551. Through the new Strauss Individual Settlement Program, the university is committed to providing an average settlement amount of up to $252,551 to individual survivors involved in five of the active cases against Ohio State. Individual settlement amounts will vary and be determined by an independent administrator. Similar to the previous settlements, the program offers tiered compensation on an individual basis depending on the nature of the conduct and other factors.

"Ohio State remains committed to acknowledging the condemnable behavior of a medical doctor who so clearly betrayed his position of power and trust,” said Ohio State President Kristina M. Johnson. “We once again thank the survivors for coming forward and the courage to bring this abuse to light."

The program will be independently administered by Matt Garretson, who also oversaw the May 2020 and October 2020 settlements and is a nationally recognized administrator of settlement programs, which includes extensive experience administering settlements in sexual abuse lawsuits. Regardless of the mediation or litigation, in a continuation of its effort to do the right thing for Strauss survivors, Ohio State now invites eligible claimants and their counsel who have not already settled their claims against Ohio State to do so on an individual basis through the program. The program is available at StraussIndividualSettlementProgram.com.

Eligible survivors who choose to participate in the new settlement program must do so through their attorneys and have 120 days from the beginning of the program on May 7.

Strauss was a university-employed physician from 1978 to 1998. He died in 2005. An independent investigation by the law firm Perkins Coie LLP determined that Strauss abused students for more than 20 years, and that the university administration failed to appropriately respond at the time.

Ohio State announced the independent investigation after a survivor came forward in April 2018. Following Perkins Coie’s year-long investigation, the university released a 180-page report in May 2019 that detailed acts of sexual abuse against at least 177 former students. The report along with related public records and university communications from 2018 through today can be found on the Strauss investigation website.

Since February 2019, the university has also covered the cost of professionally certified counseling services and treatment for anyone affected by Strauss, whether counseling and treatment occurred in the past or is needed at any point in the future. To connect with these services, or if individuals are at all uncertain about how to proceed and have questions, please contact Praesidium at 888-961-9273 or visit https://website.praesidiuminc.com/wp/osu/.

Ohio State continues to commit resources to prevent and address sexual misconduct, including policies, programs, staffing and tools. Anyone who has experienced sexual misconduct while at Ohio State — and the incident involved another student or university employee — is encouraged to report to the Office of Institutional Equity, the university’s anonymous reporting service or law enforcement.

Those who have experienced sexual misconduct outside of Ohio State should contact local law enforcement. Additional resources include:

• If you reside in the Columbus, Ohio, area, advocates from SARNCO can assist you in reporting, explain the investigation process and support you. SARNCO’s confidential, 24/7 support hotline is 614-267-7020.
• If you do not reside in the Columbus area, you can contact the RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline, a confidential, 24/7 resource, at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). You can also visit the website to chat live with a representative. Advocates will help you find a resource in your community.

Current Ohio State students seeking additional support services can contact the Office of Student Life’s Counseling and Consultation Service while faculty and staff can access support resources through the Employee Assistance Program.

Dear Students, Faculty and Staff:

Finals are behind us and we’re now in the countdown to our first in-person commencement in over a year. Amid this swirl of activity, I am taking time to look back and recognize how far we’ve come over the past nine months – an experience none of us could have possibly predicted.

Now that things are slowly reopening, we are focusing on new beginnings. The future does look much brighter, which is something to look forward to and celebrate. The difficulties of the past year shaped us and made us stronger. The resilience, tenacity and coping skills you honed will take you far and serve you well in all manner of situations.

Whatever challenges we may face, I am confident we’ll be ready.

From a personal standpoint, this past year impacted me deeply. I embarked on a journey as president at a time when so much was in flux, with no blueprint to follow in the face of a public health crisis. Thankfully, I was surrounded by a passionate student body, committed staff and dedicated faculty, expert researchers and talented administrators – all of whom played a role in getting us through this year safely while preserving our commitment to academic excellence.

At the same time, we have faced important societal challenges, including systemic racism broadly, as well as issues of safety, especially off-campus safety, policing and race. Again, we have worked peacefully and respectfully – and with consideration for a range of perspectives – to make our world a better place, and that work will not stop.

I extend my deepest thanks and gratitude to all of you for everything you have done this year – down to the smallest gesture – that lifted us all up during difficult days. I am prouder than ever to be a Buckeye.

For now, it’s time to celebrate our 2021 graduates. As the May 9 commencement draws closer, a quick and important reminder: While infection rates are dropping and vaccines are in wide distribution, COVID-19 is still very much with us. Working within state and local guidelines, we are taking precautions to keep everyone healthy and safe on commencement day. Please familiarize yourself with the requirements for in-person attendance here.

May 9 is also Mother’s Day – making our commencement celebration even more of a special occasion. So many of us, myself included, would not be where we are today if it weren’t for the support and love of our families. If you are celebrating commencement with your mother, be sure to take a moment to thank her for all she has done. I know she’s proud of what you have accomplished, as are we.

COVID-19 vaccination and summer testing updates

On Thursday, April 29, the Wexner Medical Center hit a significant milestone: 200,000 COVID-19 vaccines distributed. This is an amazing accomplishment, and I congratulate and thank all our hard-working health care professionals who have made this possible.

We have come a very long way since administering the first vaccine doses last December. At the time, vaccines weren’t easy to come by. Now, however, the rate of vaccination has plateaued in Ohio and nationally. It’s imperative that we continue to vaccinate as many individuals as possible to improve our ability to return to all the events and activities we love. The Wexner Medical Center is collaborating with a coalition of 60 top hospitals and health care institutions across the nation to encourage adults to get vaccinated. Learn more about that here.

In addition, we are making plans for a safe and healthy summer term, during which students will be living and learning on campus in the coming months. Those who will be living in university housing or who are enrolled in courses in Columbus will need to complete weekly testing at the Jesse Owens North testing facility. Testing appointments can be scheduled in advance by logging into MyChart. Testing hours and additional information are available on the Safe and Healthy Buckeyes website.

Diversity and inclusion

Early this week, the Office of Diversity and Inclusion held its annual National Conference on Diversity, Race and Learning – a two-day dialogue around issues of diversity, cultural inclusion and acceptance. I was privileged to be able to participate in this year’s virtual event, which attracted a record-high 511 participants from public, corporate and nonprofit organizations, as well as academics from across the country.

This is one of Ohio State’s most comprehensive conferences focused on these important topics, which have become the subject of long-overdue national debate over the past year.

The overarching theme was Diversity is a Verb: The Journey to Equity and Inclusive Excellence. Participants examined approaches to effectively bridge the economic, political and socio-educational divides that have long persisted in this nation. I am proud that Ohio State continues to facilitate these kinds of important conversations that will help move us to a more just and equitable place in the world.

You can also register for a special webinar being held on Tuesday, May 11 from 3 to 4 p.m. in celebration of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Dr. Grace Wang, executive vice president for research, innovation and knowledge, will be one of five Asian Pacific American leaders in public higher education participating on the panel.

The speakers will discuss their respective personal journeys and discuss the important role Asian American and Pacific Islander students, faculty, and staff play on campus and in their communities. In addition, they will address how university leaders can best support this community while recognizing and honoring their diversity.

The webinar will be hosted by the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities. For more information and to register, click here.

Discovery, learning and impact

I’m pleased to report that Ohio State’s Office of Student Life has, for the seventh year in a row, been named one of the Most Promising Places to Work in Student Affairs by Diverse: Issues in Higher Education. With a focus on workplace diversity, staffing practices and work environment, the publication uses a web-based survey approach to examine categories including family friendliness, salary/benefits and professional development opportunities.

Congratulations to Allyana Rice, a PhD student at the ElectroScience Laboratory on West Campus, who has won a prestigious NASA fellowship for her work in bioelectromagnetics. The NASA Space Technology Graduate Research Opportunities fellowship program sponsors graduate students “who show significant potential” in contributing to NASA’s goal of creating innovative new space technologies that advance science exploration and contribute to the country’s economic future.

In other innovation news, Ohio State and IGS Energy, a leading sustainable energy provider, recently announced a new public-private initiative to support research, student engagement and other university programs to combat climate change. IGS will invest $1 million over five years in sustainable energy research and student learning through the university’s Sustainability Institute with the goal of developing new innovations and cultivating a new generation of leaders who will help facilitate the transition to renewable energy.

Thank you, as always, for the work you do and your ongoing commitment to our campus community. To our Class of 2021: I look forward to celebrating with you shortly.

Stay safe, be well and look out for one another.

Sincerely yours,

Kristina M. Johnson, PhD
President

Dear Students, Faculty and Staff:

The last days of the spring semester are upon us, and I wish all of our students the best on their finals this week. It has been an extraordinary year, marked by unparalleled challenges and accomplishments. You are almost at the finish line. Don’t forget to try to take some moments to reflect and look back at how far you’ve come – as individuals and as members of the Buckeye community.

And to our rising freshmen: I’m right there with you in coming to the end of my first academic year as a Buckeye. While nothing like what I expected or could even have imagined, the year was transformative in so many ways. I know you, like me, are looking forward to being able to experience more of what our campuses have to offer in the next academic year. Let’s continue to all do our part in keeping one another safe and healthy to ensure that happens.

Last week, we learned the verdict of the trial concerning the murder of George Floyd. At nearly that same moment, we were learning of the death of Ma’Khia Bryant in an officer-involved shooting in Columbus. This has rightly attracted nationwide attention, and I am thankful for the peaceful manner in which our students have led protests to address these critical issues of safety, policing and race. During an already stressful time, I encourage all of you to take care of one another while engaging in respectful and open dialogue. Support resources for all our campuses are available on the Office of Diversity and Inclusion’s website.

Finally, I have heard from so many Buckeyes who join me in lamenting the behavior and destruction of property that occurred just off campus late on April 17 and into the morning of April 18. Most of the student body did not take part in these harmful behaviors, and I am grateful for your continued support of our safety and wellness efforts.

Individuals who destroyed property or committed other misconduct on Chittenden Avenue will be held responsible, and the university is taking steps to address future student-led gatherings. The university urges anyone with information to contact Central Ohio Crime Stoppers at 614-461-TIPS (8477) or on Twitter at @OhioCrime.

We must all work to safely finish out this challenging year – and every year beyond.

Vaccine and COVID-19 updates

We are still at a critical moment when it comes to the coronavirus pandemic. While our student positivity rate remains low, Franklin County is currently in a “purple” zone due to an uptick in positive cases, most notably in the 20 to 49 age group. In order to get through to the other side of this public health crisis, we must double down on our vaccination efforts. We are at the 47% mark – and aiming to get as many shots in arms as possible to achieve herd immunity.

A vaccine site for students, faculty and staff is now open in the Performance Hall on the first floor of the Ohio Union. This site will operate Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. through at least Friday, May 7. Appointments can be scheduled through MyChart or by calling the Wexner Medical Center COVID-19 vaccine hotline at 614-688-VAXX (614-688-8299).

Additionally, the university is dedicating a portion of two-dose vaccine appointments at the Schottenstein Center to students, faculty and staff (which can also be scheduled through MyChart). A shuttle to the Schottenstein Center is available for members of the university community with appointments. Lyft Ride Smart is also offering free rides for students.

Commencement reminders

For our class of 2021, I hope you are as excited as I am to be back inside the ’Shoe on May 9 to celebrate your hard-earned accomplishments.

As a reminder, the university has partnered with state and local officials on a plan to ensure the health and safety of all graduates and their guests. Please know that we will be unable to grant entry to those who are not fully compliant with all health and safety requirements. In addition to wearing masks and physically distancing, all graduates – including staff members who are graduating – are required to complete a COVID-19 test during the week of May 3 and bring with them proof of a negative test to Ohio Stadium in order to participate in the ceremony.

Graduates will also be required to show a green status from their Daily Health Check on the day of commencement. Details are available on the commencement website.

Discovery, learning and impact

So many in our university community work every day to advance us to new heights of innovation and find solutions to issues that impact Ohio, the nation and the world. Below are just a few of the most recent examples.

• Dr. Fritz Graf, Distinguished University Professor in the Department of Classics, and Dr. Stewart Shapiro, the Steve R. and Sarah E. O’Donnell Professor of Philosophy, have been elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. The honor is among the highest that scholars can receive from their peers. Well done, Dr. Graf and Dr. Shapiro!
   
• Dr. Anita Hopper, professor of molecular genetics in our College of Arts and Sciences, has been elected to the National Academy of Sciences. Dr. Hopper is one of 120 new members and is part of the academy’s largest-ever cohort of 59 new female members.
   
• The Research and Innovation Showcase recognized some of the incredible work being done by Ohio State scholars and scientists. I had the opportunity to commend our research, innovation and knowledge community, under the leadership of Dr. Grace Wang, for their hard work, resilience and dedication over the last year.
  
  As usual, there were many impressive candidates, and our congratulations go to them all. This includes Dr. Peixuan Guo, the university’s Innovator of the Year; Dr. Abraham Badu-Tawiah, our Early Career Innovator of the Year; and Dr. Jenny Barker and undergraduate student Caroline Karbowski, the Next Generation Innovators of the Year.
   
• The Distinguished Scholar Awards honor faculty for exceptional achievements in their fields. Recipients receive a $20,000 research grant and a $3,000 honorarium to pursue scholarly activity. This year, there were 24 outstanding candidates, and the selection committee had a difficult task in whittling down the field to six awardees in law, physics, geography, English, pathology, and civil, environmental and geodetic engineering.
   
• I was also delighted to be part of the 2021 Graduate School Award Ceremony. The virtual program honored our Presidential Fellows; President’s Postdoctoral Scholars; Graduate Associates in the areas of teaching, leadership and performance; and winners of the Three Minute Thesis competition. Join me in recognizing our graduate awardees.

We will have more updates to share soon. You are making a real difference in the places we live, work and learn.

Sincerely yours,

Kristina M. Johnson, PhD
President

Dear Ohio State Community Members: 

Over the past months, local and national events have sparked critical and long-overdue conversations about policing, safety and racial justice. Some in our community have called on the university to cut ties with the Columbus Division of Police (CPD). Others have called for the increased presence of CPD in the off-campus neighborhood. Others say we need to entirely change the way that we approach public safety.

The university is hearing you and acknowledges the perspectives that are being shared by students, their families, faculty and staff members, and our community as a whole. The issues currently being discussed are as vital to our society as they are multifaceted and complex.

I want to take the opportunity to address questions and concerns and provide information on the ways we are working to address safety issues on our campuses. 

CPD partnership and police and security patrols

We have heard the calls to disassociate from CPD. We must acknowledge that they have jurisdiction on and off our Columbus campus and are responsible for keeping our students off campus safe. The Ohio State University Police Division (OSUPD) is the primary agency that performs police work on all of our campuses. There is a mutual-aid agreement in place between OSUPD and CPD that benefits the Ohio State community by allowing OSUPD to assist CPD off campus where many students live. This permits our OSUPD officers to have additional influence and opportunities to offer support in the area, learn about and disseminate crime information, and offer university resources. In Columbus, the university also hires individual CPD officers to perform specific services, largely traffic control for athletics events when city streets are being utilized. 

We have also heard calls to expand police presence. During the autumn semester, the university re-engaged with the Community Crime Patrol to increase security in the off-campus area. In the fall and spring, Ohio State also increased off-campus police presence with a combination of OSUPD and CPD officers. Ohio State and the city of Columbus continue to adjust to crime trends by redeploying on-duty patrols and staffing patrols on overtime to add to the police presence in the University District. We know that patrols and policing cannot be the only solution; safety means many different things to many different people, and we must take a holistic approach. 

Task Force on Community Safety and Well-Being

The safety and well-being of our campus and neighboring communities is our top priority, and the university continues to implement a series of recommendations that were made as part of the Task Force on Community Safety and Well-Being. The task force, created in fall 2020, is composed of students, faculty, staff, public safety officials and city and community partners. With a central guiding point that safety means different things to different people, the task force developed a comprehensive list of 15 recommendations that include a variety of strategies from community outreach and engagement to public safety staffing. To date, substantial progress has been made on 13 of those recommendations.

We have quickly implemented task force recommendations, including increased Community Crime Patrols made up of community partners, improved lighting, and expanded discounted ridesharing hours as part of Lyft Ride Smart at Ohio State. In addition to these steps, the university has increased police presence in the off-campus area with a combination of OSUPD and CPD officers and has longer-term plans to increase the staffing of OSUPD to allow for more joint patrol coverage and increased presence of OSUPD officers east of High Street. The task force also continues to advance longer-term recommendations designed to influence the overall safety culture both on and off campus such as expanding community policing programs and initiatives, with a special focus on outreach and interactions with marginalized groups.

Research-based solutions

We continue to provide thought leadership based on research and scholarship, a vital part of our mission as a land-grant university. Earlier this week, Dr. Trevor Brown, dean of the John Glenn College of Public Affairs and executive dean of the university’s professional colleges, presented the results of an independent, eight-month research study evaluating how the city of Columbus and CPD managed and responded to protests in Columbus last summer. I encourage you to read the After-Action Review from former U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio Carter Stewart and the Glenn College. The recommendations address the way police train and prepare for protests and large-scale events, and better ways for police to manage and engage with protesters. The recommendations also provide active steps for working toward a reconciliation with those community members who are angry, particularly Black community members.

As a modern land-grant public university, Ohio State honors diverse perspectives, engages on challenging issues and works to improve the well-being of our state, regional, national and global communities. 

Sincerely yours,

Kristina M. Johnson, PhD
President

Dear Students, Faculty and Staff:

The pace of life is picking up quickly due to the warmer weather. We’ve been through a lot over this past year and, like you, I’m eager to return to something close to normal.

As wonderful as it is to be engaging with one another again, please remember that we must continue to observe public health COVID-19 protocols. We can see the light at the end of the tunnel, though we’re not there just yet. Stay vigilant. Together as Buckeyes, we will come through the other side of this stronger and more united than ever.

I would also like to take this opportunity to wish members of our community who will be observing the holiday a Ramadan Mubarak. Ramadan, a month of sacrifice and prayer, started this week and will last through Wednesday, May 12. 

Additional COVID-19 updates

We have been planning for the fall semester when we expect to be back to the Ohio State experience that we miss and enjoy – from campus events to in-person classroom learning. Your collective efforts to stay safe and healthy are making a difference. The total student positivity rate over the last seven days remains low at 0.38%. We will be adjusting our plans accordingly based on the latest scientific data, and there will be guidelines in place to ensure that we can continue to enjoy all Ohio State has to offer safely and in good health.

As you know, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced a pause in the use of the Johnson & Johnson/Janssen (J&J) COVID-19 vaccine due to the development of a rare blood clotting disorder along with low platelet counts in six patients who have received this vaccine.

Please see our university-wide message. 

To recap, the Wexner Medical Center has administered 1,116 doses of the J&J vaccine since early March. We are not aware of any similar complications associated with the J&J vaccines that we administered. Those who received the J&J vaccine in early March should be outside the 6-13 day time frame when this complication has been reported to have occurred. The rest of our J&J vaccine patients (816) received the vaccine on Saturday, April 10. 

It is important to note the type of rare blood clotting events that are being evaluated following the J&J vaccine have not been detected with either the Pfizer or Moderna two-dose vaccines.

If you received the J&J vaccine, please be aware of the signs and symptoms of this complication. As of Tuesday morning, the university has stopped scheduling new appointments for the J&J vaccine. Appointments continue to be available for the Pfizer vaccine. We will await direction from the FDA and CDC prior to offering the J&J vaccine in the future.

We remain committed to vaccination – along with masking, physical distancing and handwashing – as a critical step in combating the COVID-19 pandemic.

So far, 41% of the campus community has either scheduled or received at least one COVID-19 vaccination shot. Public health experts say herd immunity is reached if 75% to 85% of the population is vaccinated or has antibodies. If we are able to reach that threshold, for example, we may be able to lift the outdoor mask mandate that is currently in place. I know we all enjoy that feeling of the sun and wind on our cheeks and also being able to see one another’s smiles! Please make your vaccine appointment if you have not already done so.

Starting this week, the university is dedicating a portion of two-dose vaccine appointments at the Schottenstein Center to students, faculty and staff. Schedule yours now through MyChart. Read more about considerations for students when receiving a vaccination.

To help make getting a vaccine easier, the university is providing a shuttle to the Schottenstein Center for students, faculty and staff with appointments. Learn more on the Safe and Healthy Buckeyes website. Also, COTA is offering free rides to vaccination sites for those in need.

Please also continue to follow our testing protocols. Details, including adjustments for graduate and professional Columbus campus students, are on the Safe and Healthy Buckeyes website.

Commencement reminders

Remember that you and your guests need to have tickets to attend either of the two in-person commencement ceremonies. Admission is free, and graduates must reserve tickets online through the My Ohio State Buckeyes Student Account by April 19 at 5 p.m.

For more information on ticketing, visit the Spring Commencement webpage. To schedule graduation photos inside Ohio Stadium prior to commencement, visit the Grad Images website.

Also, graduates will need a negative COVID-19 test before attending one of the in-person commencement ceremonies on May 9. See details on the commencement webpage. 

Student recognition

We are so happy to share that Ohio State student Oseremhen Arheghan has been awarded a 2021 Harry S. Truman Scholarship! This prestigious recognition, established by Congress in 1975, supports the next generation of public service leaders who demonstrate outstanding leadership potential, a commitment to a career in government or the nonprofit sector, and academic excellence. Each Truman Scholar receives funding for graduate studies, leadership training, career counseling, and special internship and fellowship opportunities.

Ose is a third-year political science and Chinese major, and one of 62 new Truman Scholars selected from 845 candidates nominated by 328 colleges and universities – a record number of applicants. A Morrill Scholar, Ose has been committed to leadership, diversity and inclusion since choosing Ohio State. They have led as the chair and co-founder of the Undergraduate Black Caucus and a cohort leader for the Queer and Trans People of Color Cohort at our university. Join me in congratulating Ose on this incredible accomplishment!

Our students continue to excel and make significant contributions in the area of research. I was honored to help recognize their achievements by participating (virtually) in the Edward F. Hayes Graduate Research Forum, which represented a broad range of graduate scholarship and research projects – from studies of algae blooms and preschoolers’ vocabulary to hedge funds and the search for failed supernovae.

Another virtual science-related event in which I was able to participate was last week’s Richard J. and Martha D. Denman Undergraduate Research Forum, which has offered students the opportunity to showcase their discoveries and innovation for the past 26 years. 

I continue to be impressed by the dedication and advancements being made by our entire Ohio State student community. Kudos to everyone for all your hard work!

Discovery, learning and impact

All across our campus community, students, faculty and staff are doing great things and making a difference each and every day. There are so many achievements and milestones taking place that it’s impossible to highlight them all, but here are a few recent developments of note:

• Dr. Tarunjit Singh Butalia, research associate professor in the College of Engineering and affiliated faculty at the Sustainability Institute, has been selected by the U.S. Department of Energy for a $1 million project dealing with sustainable beneficial use of ponded coal combustion residues for high-volume reclamation of abandoned coal mined lands.
• Ohio State is vital to glass artist Shahid Khan’s story. Between emigrating from India to Columbus, earning a BFA, starting a business and pursuing an MFA, his experience as a Buckeye has inspired him to wander, but it also taught him the value of home.
• The Ohio State Global One Health initiative has been awarded $5.61 million from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to fight the COVID-19 pandemic and bolster Ethiopia’s public health system capacity for small- and large-scale disease outbreaks and emergencies.
• A new effort led by Ohio State researchers at the Global Water Institute will help the Navajo Nation mitigate the lack of water and food insecurity. This comes at a time when Navajo communities are facing new challenges due to COVID-19.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) Directorate for Engineering has launched the Engineering Research Visioning Alliance, the first organization of its kind, with Ohio State as a core partner. Funded with a five-year, $8 million award from NSF, the initiative convenes, catalyzes and enables the engineering community to identify nascent opportunities and priorities for innovative, cross-domain research. Dr. Dorota Grejner-Brzezinska, associate dean for research at our College of Engineering, is the organization’s principal investigator and played a key role in assembling its collaborators. Dr. Grejner-Brzezinska will become our interim vice president for knowledge enterprise on May 1.

Get out and ride!

The warmer weather presents the perfect opportunity to get out on your bike and get some exercise as well as a dose of very beneficial Vitamin D! If you need something to aim – or train – for, consider this:

Team Buckeye and Pelotonia are offering recruitment incentives for signing up Riders, Challengers or Volunteers through April 25. If you register during that time, your peloton can earn more money for a very worthy cause: defeating cancer. 

I hope you will join me in supporting this year’s Pelotonia. As you know, I am serving as the honorary captain for Team Buckeye, and as this is a very personal effort, the experience is especially meaningful.

Thanks again for all you do. I’m looking forward to seeing each and every one of you in person soon. In the meantime, stay safe, do good work and look out for one another.

Sincerely yours,

Kristina M. Johnson, PhD
President

Dear Students, Faculty and Staff:

Spring is finally here! It’s a time to celebrate new beginnings as we shake off winter and embrace the warmth and opportunities of the season. A wide variety of traditions and religions celebrate at this time; whatever your beliefs or practice, I hope you have had – or will have – a joyful and peaceful holiday. 

COVID-19 update, expanded testing, town hall

This spring, of course, is particularly special, as it brings with it hope that we might finally be coming out the other side of the coronavirus pandemic. But even with the positive developments on fast-tracking the distribution of vaccines – an effort in which we are playing a significant role – public health experts stress that we are not out of the woods yet. 

It is imperative that we stay vigilant and keep up with the public health protocols that have gotten us this far – wearing masks, keeping a safe distance from one another, and please keep washing your hands! In addition, I urge everyone who is eligible to sign up for and receive a vaccine to do so as soon as possible. 

As of last week, Ohio is among a group of states that is leading the way in making vaccines available to everyone 16 and older. We are so pleased to have been able to work with the state of Ohio to dedicate 25% of the Wexner Medical Center’s first-dose vaccine allocation to any Ohio State student, faculty or staff member, while maintaining our commitment to our patients and the central Ohio community. Visit the Safe and Healthy Buckeyes website for more information on how to sign up for a dedicated appointment. The Wexner Medical Center administered almost 63,000 vaccine doses in March and gave a single day record-high 3,644 “shots at the Schott” on March 31. We are proud to be a part of the collective effort to end this pandemic and return to the activities we all miss and enjoy. Together, I know we will succeed. 

A reminder: Starting this week, we moved back to our twice-a-week COVID-19 testing protocol for all students. Again, this is part of our ongoing efforts to ensure we are doing everything possible to protect our campus community and avoid a resurgence of the virus. This also coincided with the end of the second of our two instructional mini-breaks that, as you know, replaced a longer Spring Break due to COVID-19 concerns but also gave community members a chance to take a bit of a breather from academic rigors. I hope you took advantage of these days to fully rest and recharge. 

Finally, don’t forget to sign up for our April 12 Town Hall. Participants should register using their university email address and are encouraged to submit questions in advance. We will hear updates on the state of the virus and vaccinations and from our teams who are hard at work on fall campus reactivation plans. We will also have time for questions, which will again be moderated by Dr. Teresa Long. The town hall will be recorded and posted on the Safe and Healthy Buckeyes website. 

Commencement celebrations

We continue to actively plan for our spring commencement – actually, two commencements that are scheduled to be held on May 9, which is rapidly approaching. These will be the first in-person graduation ceremonies we have been able to hold since 2019, though they have been modified to ensure everyone can participate safely in light of ongoing COVID-19 concerns. 

Last week, we announced that commencement will feature four special guests with a diverse set of experiences. The university will welcome Mr. Jamie Dimon, chairman and CEO of JPMorgan Chase, as spring commencement speaker. Mr. Dimon’s remarks will be delivered virtually. Joining Mr. Dimon as speakers will be honorary doctoral degree recipients U.S. Rep. Joyce Beatty; veteran NASA astronaut and the first Hispanic woman to go to space, Dr. Ellen Ochoa; and renowned chemical engineer Dr. Robert Langer, a co-founder of the biotech firm Moderna. Read more at Ohio State News. 

Graduates received an email today with instructions on how to reserve tickets for the ceremonies. More information is available at https://commencement.osu.edu/. 

I am so looking forward to publicly acknowledging the hard work of our 2021 graduates, and also to the August 8 in-person celebration with spring, summer and autumn 2020 graduates, who had virtual commencement ceremonies as a result of the pandemic. 

You have waited a long time for this moment, Class of 2020. It will be here before you know it! 

Community outreach and engagement

Last Tuesday was National Doctors Day, which was first observed in 1933 to commemorate the first ether anesthetic for surgery administered by Georgia physician Crawford W. Long on March 30, 1842. Then-President George H.W. Bush proclaimed National Doctors Day in 1991 to honor our nation’s many medical professionals. 

It has been a very challenging year for everyone involved in the medical field – especially doctors, who have been on the front lines of battling COVID-19 for over a year now. With this in mind, it was a particular honor last Tuesday for me to virtually visit the College of Medicine, where I was hosted by the dean, Dr. Carol Bradford, and had the opportunity to meet with a number of faculty, students and staff. We discussed the many ways in which health care can help advance the university’s mission to uplift and unlock opportunity for all Ohioans. I thank Dean Bradford and her team for facilitating such great conversations.

Discovery, learning and impact

Entrada Therapeutics, an Ohio State startup, announced the successful completion of a $116 million Series B financing. This biotechnology company is developing new ways of treating devastating diseases by delivering drugs into target cells – formally known as intracellular biologics. Entrada Therapeutics was co-founded by Dr. Dehua Pei, the Charles H. Kimberly Professor in Chemistry and Biochemistry, and the company plans to use the funding to advance its research and grow its pipeline of therapeutics. Read more at Ohio State News.

Sixteen of our graduate and professional programs are ranked in the top 10 in their fields in the nation, according to the U.S. News & World Report 2022 edition of America’s Best Graduate Schools released last week.

Seven colleges have top 10 graduate and professional programs in the latest rankings: the colleges of Arts and Sciences, Business (Fisher), Education and Human Ecology, Engineering, Law (Moritz), Nursing, and Public Affairs (John Glenn). U.S. News’ rankings of graduate and professional programs cover just a small portion of the programs offered at Ohio State, and not all programs are ranked each year. Read more at Ohio State News. 

Congratulations to Assistant Professor Dr. Michael Stamatikos, who received the prestigious Bruno Rossi Prize from the American Astronomical Society’s High Energy Astrophysics Division. It is the third time in his career that Dr. Stamatikos has won the award, given annually for a significant contribution to the field with particular emphasis on recent, original work.

The Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC) has recognized Ms. Trudy Bartley, associate vice president of local government and community relations, with the Regional Leadership Award. The award recognizes individuals who make extraordinary efforts to ensure the future viability of the region’s communities. 

The 15th Annual International Scholar Research Exposition is now available online. The exposition, supported by our Office of Research and Office of International Affairs, showcases exceptional research undertaken by more than 800 of our international visiting scholars. You can watch research-impact videos from 10 finalists on the Office of International Affairs website.

Thank you, Buckeyes, for all that you do. For those of you who observe Passover or Easter, I hope you had a joyous and safe holiday weekend.

Sincerely yours,

Kristina M. Johnson, PhD
President

Dear Students, Faculty and Staff: 

I write today with exciting news. 

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine has announced guidelines for employer-based vaccine programs starting the week of April 12. Beginning that week and consistent with those guidelines, we are pleased to announce the ability to dedicate 25% of the Wexner Medical Center’s first-dose vaccine allocation to any Ohio State student, faculty or staff member, while maintaining our commitment to our patients and the central Ohio community. This is possible because of the increasing number of doses available to the Wexner Medical Center and the Governor’s work to secure additional vaccines for college and university students in Ohio. 

Appointments under this new opportunity will be displayed in MyChart beginning April 9, with the first available appointments beginning Wednesday, April 14, and running through April 20. Each week, additional appointments will be released after we receive information about the brand and the number of doses for our next weekly allocation of vaccine. 

Between now and the week of April 12:

• We have been provided the opportunity by the state to offer dedicated appointments to Ohio State students so that they can complete both their first and second doses of vaccine prior to the end of the semester. The response from our students has been outstanding, with all appointments filled for this week. Additional student appointments will be available for the week of April 5.
• Faculty and staff of all ages remain eligible to sign up for public appointments at the Wexner Medical Center or any other vaccine provider – and we strongly encourage everyone to continue to do so. More information on the dedicated appointments for faculty and staff will be released in the next week. 

Currently, we estimate that more than 30% of the university community – students, faculty and staff – has already received or is scheduled to receive a first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. This next step means that even more of our campus community can be vaccinated this spring and throughout the summer – potentially allowing for greater safe and robust in-person experiences in the fall. 

Our thanks go to Governor DeWine and his team for their close collaboration throughout this process. As Ohio State is the largest employer in central Ohio, the fourth-largest employer in the state, and the largest institution of higher education in the state, more vaccinations for more Buckeyes are good for Ohio.

The dedicated doses will be distributed at our Schottenstein Center vaccination location.

Both dedicated and public appointments can be scheduled via the Wexner Medical Center by logging into MyChart. You can also follow this step-by-step guide. If you are not a patient of our medical center or don’t have a MyChart account, call 614-688-VAXX (8299) for assistance. If no appointments are available when you try to schedule, visit this website to sign up to be notified when additional appointment times are posted. Click on the “Get Notified” box and follow the instructions to enter your contact information.

In addition to our Wexner Medical Center sites, the COVID-19 vaccine is available at more than 1,300 locations across Ohio and more than 110 locations in Franklin County, including retail pharmacies, hospitals and public health departments. To search for locations, visit the Ohio Department of Health website; new vaccine appointments are updated often, so please do not get discouraged if initial options are filled.

In addition to continuing all of our safe and healthy behaviors, getting vaccinated is the strongest step you can take right now to combat the COVID-19 variants that are trending toward becoming dominant among cases here at the university as well as nationally and internationally. These variants are more contagious and can cause more serious illness, even among younger people.

If you have questions about the vaccine, I encourage you to review these Frequently Asked Questions from the Wexner Medical Center or visit the Safe and Healthy Buckeyes website for more information. There will also be an opportunity to have questions answered by our experts on April 12 at the next COVID-19 Town Hall. You can register by clicking this link.

Our work to combat the spread of COVID-19 has been outstanding and proves what we can do when we come together as a community. Vaccinating as many people as possible is a critical step in keeping our community and our surrounding communities safe from the virus. Let’s do this together – so we can stay safe and stay Together As Buckeyes. 

Sincerely yours,

Kristina M. Johnson, PhD
President

Dear Students, Faculty and Staff:

Public health is in a better place than it was during the winter peak, when hospitalizations, deaths and cases from the pandemic skyrocketed. Importantly, anyone 16 and older can now receive a vaccine in Ohio.

There is much reason for optimism. Yet, COVID-19 still poses a threat and we must not allow anything to slow our progress in the fight against the virus. At this moment in the pandemic, it’s important to redouble our efforts so that nothing disrupts our plans for a better summer and fall. 

Today, I’m writing with an update on the state of the pandemic, to ask the university community to hold on until we have reached the finish line, and to announce and explain why we are going to resume twice-a-week testing for both on- and off-campus students in Columbus, starting on Monday, April 5.

The state of the pandemic

The positive developments – especially vaccinations – since the worst of winter are leading toward a path that we all want: a spring re-emergence of in-person activity, including our first in-person commencement since late 2019.

However, several COVID-19 variants are circulating that are more contagious and can cause more serious illness, even among younger people. As is the case nationally and internationally, these variants are trending toward becoming dominant among cases here at the university, including among Columbus campus students. 

The identification of variants on campus was expected, based on activity seen elsewhere and because viruses routinely change through mutation. What can we do to respond? The key is to remain committed to our safe and healthy behaviors that we know will help keep the virus from spreading on campus and in our community. We cannot let our positivity rates, which at this point remain low, increase. 

For us to progress toward a more normal spring, summer and fall, COVID-19 spread must remain low. We all want to go back to a more normal life, but to do so we need to remain diligent by wearing masks, physically distancing, avoiding large gatherings and getting vaccinated. Student testing is another critically important component. 

What you can do to help

These conflicting developments may be confusing: Are we doing better or worse against the virus? While there are more reasons for optimism right now than at any time in the last year, we have to remain vigilant. Many at-risk Ohioans remain unprotected by the vaccine. There are ways for all of us to help as vaccinations continue:

• Students: Get tested twice a week. Beginning Monday, April 5, Columbus campus students who live on campus, attend in-person classes, visit campus for any reason or interact with other students and campus community members must schedule and complete two COVID-19 tests each week. Students can schedule their weekly appointments via MyChart. Instructions to schedule using MyChart can be found at go.osu.edu/MyChartInstructions. By increasing testing now, with cases still relatively low, we can prevent another rapid rise of cases. Ohio State’s on-site testing lab has significantly increased capacity this semester. Regional campus students remain eligible for weekly testing; that has not changed. 
• Everyone: Get vaccinated as soon as possible. You can sign up now on the Wexner Medical Center website, or one of the thousands of locations, big and small, across the state. Check back often for open slots – they are frequently updated. The quickest path back to normality relies on all of us getting vaccinated as soon as possible. Visit the Safe and Healthy Buckeyes website for more information about vaccination, including a link to the state’s search tool. 
• Everyone: Do not gather with large groups. We want students to take the opportunity to relax during this week’s instructional break, but please do so safely.
• Everyone: Continue to wear masks properly, over your nose and mouth. Continue to maintain physical distance. Continue to wash your hands frequently. 

The lessons we have learned since March 2020 tell us what is working. We know there was a case increase after the last two-day break, and we can’t afford to repeat that again. We also know increased testing frequency works. Earlier this month, we pushed the seven-day on-campus positivity average from 1.02% to 0.34% in under three weeks. We will continue testing twice a week for the next few weeks in order to suppress positive cases going into commencement. This is just the latest example of the Buckeye community adapting and responding to changing conditions during the last year.

There is a finish line, and though reaching it won’t be a straight line, we can get there with continued Safe and Healthy Buckeye behavior. By being proactive and careful now, just like we have all year, we are more likely to go back to a more normal college life – enjoying commencement with friends and family and, yes, cheering on the Buckeye football team at Ohio Stadium. We can do this – stay safe, and stay together – Together As Buckeyes.

Sincerely yours,

Kristina M. Johnson, PhD
President

“Secretary Fudge’s decades of work to protect and uplift the most vulnerable among us, advance social justice and expand opportunity exemplifies our university’s motto: ‘Education for Citizenship,’” said President Kristina M. Johnson. “She is a true inspiration to her fellow Buckeyes and to the next generation of civic leaders; our entire Ohio State family is honored to be entrusted with the important record of her legacy of public service and civic activism.”

The Fudge collection includes materials related to the secretary’s terms in the U.S. House of Representatives, including legislative files, correspondence, speeches, audiovisual materials and artifacts. 

Fudge earned her bachelor’s degree in business from Ohio State and law degree from the Cleveland State University Cleveland-Marshall School of Law. She is a past national president of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and a member of its Greater Cleveland Alumnae Chapter.

During her time in Congress, Fudge focused on legislation related to voter protection, equitable access to quality public education, child nutrition programs and access to healthy food, and civil and human rights. Before serving in Congress, Fudge served in the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office and was elected the first African American and first female mayor of Warrensville Heights, Ohio. 

Fudge’s papers will become part of the Ohio Public Policy Archives (OPPA), a special collection of the Ohio State University Libraries. OPPA compiles, preserves and makes accessible the unique historical materials documenting the immediate and long-term impact of Ohio members of the U.S. Congress. 

The Fudge collection will be open to students, faculty and the general public for research five years following the secretary’s departure from public office and after the papers have been sorted and arranged by archivists. 

For further information, contact Carly Dearborn, Public Policy Archivist, at 614-247-1605 or dearborn.8@osu.edu.

Dear Students, Faculty and Staff:

On Sunday, I was honored and excited to be invited to Gospel Fest, part of the university’s 43rd African American Heritage Festival. The event featured music, dancing and more – a joyous expression of pride and celebration organized by an amazing and dedicated group of students.

Like so many other events and gatherings over the past year, Gospel Fest was held virtually. Yet, the spirit, passion and engagement of our students was undaunted and undeniable. As I have so many times since becoming president of this university, I felt a great connection to Ohio State and our community members. This truly is a special place, and what makes our campuses incredible centers for education and growth are the individuals we count as classmates, colleagues and members of our Buckeye family. I know we all look forward to the day when we can study, teach, sing, dance and embrace each other in person.

That day is coming. But until then, keep reaching out. Keep connecting and keep faith in one another. This is an extraordinary community of which I am proud to be a part. I know that you are, too. 

COVID-19: campus reactivation and vaccination updates

We shared last week that planning is underway for a reactivation of our campuses this fall. The goal is to offer safe and robust in-person experiences significantly expanded from current restrictions. We could not have reached this point without the incredible efforts and sacrifices you have made to combat the spread of the virus from the start of this pandemic. 

Together As Buckeyes, we have helped drive down our seven-day average total student positivity rate to 0.5%. Let’s continue to wear our masks, physically distance, practice good hygiene and avoid large gatherings so that more Buckeyes can be together in person this fall. Thank you for continuing to follow our testing protocols – a vital element of the fight against COVID-19.

The Wexner Medical Center has administered more than 66,000 total vaccinations in accordance with updated state guidelines. Last Tuesday was our highest single day for vaccinations thus far at 2,297 doses. Our second COVID-19 virtual town hall last night included additional information on vaccinations as well as planning efforts related to the summer term and autumn semester. These town halls are recorded, and last night’s event will be posted to the Safe and Healthy Buckeyes website soon. A third virtual event will take place on Monday, April 12.

Buckeyes don’t quit, especially when we are caring for and supporting one another.

President’s Research Excellence program

As part of our vision for accelerating excellence in research and creative expression, I want to share additional details on the newly announced President’s Research Excellence program. This program, part of a larger investment in Ohio State researchers and research, will be supported with $2 million a year on average for 10 years. Calls for two different types of proposals will be issued annually: accelerator grants in the spring and catalyst grants in the fall. Details for both types of proposals – including submission requirements and review and selection processes – are available on the Office of Research website.

Broadly, Ohio State will make a $750 million investment over the next decade in research and researchers, with a goal to double sponsored research and empower the next generation of explorers and discoverers.

University Task Force on Community Safety and Well-Being

As often as possible, we are sharing safety and well-being resources as well as action steps taken by the university. Please continue to check for updates in these Reflections emails; onCampus communications that go to students and their families, faculty and staff; our comprehensive safety resources webpage; and social media feeds like @OSU_EMFP and @OSUPOLICE.

Task force co-chairs Mr. Jay Kasey, senior vice president in the Office of Administration and Planning, and Dr. Melissa Shivers, senior vice president in the Office of Student Life, shared a safety implementation and resources letter with parents this week. Read it here.

We continue to implement recommendations from our task force of staff, faculty, community partners, and student and parent representatives. These include enhanced security measures like increased police patrols in the immediate off-campus area, including a combination of OSUPD and CPD officers. The enhanced security measures complement investments to improve lighting, expand the Community Crime Patrol program and extend operating hours for Lyft Ride Smart’s discounted late-night rides.

We recently sent out a safety survey with a sample of more than 14,000 students, another task force recommendation. If you received the survey, please fill it out and share your thoughts. The goal of the survey is to gauge the overall perception of safety both on and off campus as well as awareness of resources and programs. Additionally, I encourage you to watch the entries in the university’s Safety Spotlight series. In the most recent video, OSUPD Lt. Marjorie Rizalvo discusses what you can do to add another layer of security to your residence. Watch it here.

Leadership announcements

Please give a warm Buckeye welcome to Dr. Ayanna Howard, who joins our university this week as dean of the College of Engineering. She is an accomplished roboticist, entrepreneur and educator. I can’t wait to work with her to further advance the student experience and our impact in the many communities that we serve.

We are deeply grateful to Dr. David Williams, who helped elevate our engineering college to incredible heights during two terms as dean. I am thrilled to share that Dr. Williams has agreed to serve as a senior adviser to Dr. Grace Wang, executive vice president for research, innovation and knowledge enterprise, as we continue to strengthen our important industry partnerships.

We were delighted to announce that Elizabeth Parkinson will serve in the new position of senior vice president for marketing and communications. She brings more than 25 years of experience in higher education, professional sports, business services, government and more – most recently as assistant vice president for marketing communications at the University of Michigan. We will welcome her to Ohio State on March 22.

The university is launching a national search for the next senior vice president for talent, culture and human resources. Deciding who will become the next HR leader is a pivotal decision for our ability to continue to attract and retain the talent that makes Ohio State such a special place. Our gratitude goes to the members of our search committee, and we will continue to provide updates as the search progresses.

Finally, we wish the very best to Dr. Morley Stone, who shared recently that he will be leaving his post as senior vice president for research to join a startup looking at applications of explainable artificial intelligence networks. He has made a lasting impact on our university’s research enterprise as well as our response to the pandemic as chair of Ohio State’s COVID-19 Implementation Response Team. Thank you, Dr. Stone, for your service as a Buckeye, and we look forward to another successful startup in the greater Columbus area.

Discovery, learning and impact

Congratulations go to Dr. Alan Luo, FEF Key Professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, who has been awarded the International Conference on Magnesium’s Distinguished Scientist Award. The award recognizes research contributions that are considered highly significant and innovative.

College of Education and Human Ecology Distinguished Professor Dr. Donna Ford was featured in The Conversation, an independent national publisher of academic commentary and analysis, for her work on why Black students are underrepresented in gifted education programs. Read the article here.

The Wexner Medical Center is one of four health institutions nationwide to be recognized as a Million Hearts Health System for efforts to prevent heart attacks and strokes. The Million Hearts Hospitals & Health Systems Recognition Program is a national initiative co-led by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to prevent 1 million heart attacks and strokes within five years.

Dr. Karen Hutzel was selected as the Ziegfeld Service Award recipient by the United States Society for Education through Art for outstanding national service in art education. Dr. Hutzel serves as chair of our Department of Arts Administration, Education and Policy.

Thank you for all of your ongoing contributions to our shared mission, and I will share more with you soon.

Sincerely yours,

Kristina M. Johnson, PhD
President

The Department of Athletics proposed increasing the number of price zones for tickets to home football games to six zones from two for the 2022 football season and assigning per-game prices for the six zones. Providing more variability for ticket prices opens up Ohio Stadium to more kinds of fans and is in line with peer universities.

The current two-price-zone seating configuration will remain for the upcoming football season, and season ticket prices will not be increased for the second straight year.

The changes for the 2022 season are part of a Buckeye Club ticket modernization plan to create a more transparent and equitable model, which will allow for more affordable prices for many season-ticket holders – including about 14,000 seats that can be purchased with no annual giving contribution – and more opportunities to purchase tickets.

The new process centers on the Buckeye Club’s transition to a per-seat contribution model, which is used successfully by peer schools around the country and will generate additional donations to fund student-athlete scholarships.

The board also heard from President Kristina M. Johnson, who outlined the university’s intent to reactivate university campuses this fall as positive momentum continues on lessening the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

With the continued partnership and approval of local, state and federal health authorities, the president outlined plans to offer safe in-person experiences, which is a significant expansion from current restrictions.

More details on the plans will be shared in the coming months, and Ohio State will develop contingency plans for multiple scenarios.

“We are solidly on the right track in our fight against COVID-19,” Johnson told trustees.

In addition, trustees heard from Christina Allen and Dominique Hadad, winners of the 2021 President’s Prize, the highest university recognition for exceptional students committed to social change. The two graduating seniors were selected for their projects focused on helping underserved community partners. Allen’s project is Food Leads, which works with type 2 diabetes patients and their medical professionals to make nutrition a central part of treatment. Hadad’s Green Scope Consulting is a sustainability-focused consultation program targeting food waste in restaurants.

The board also took the following actions:

Men’s basketball ticket price update, golf club new membership adjustment

• Men’s basketball ticket prices
  For the 2021 season (fiscal year 2022), the board voted to keep ticket prices unchanged and continue to price individual games according to exhibition, non-conference, conference or premier opponent categorization, with a maximum of five games categorized as premier.
• Golf course new membership initiation fees
  While the Ohio State University Golf Club membership dues and daily green fees will remain at current levels, the board approved an increased initiation fee for new members to meet increased costs and remain financially stable. (A market comparison of daily green fees, membership dues and initiation fees found Ohio State’s current rates were lower than or comparable to local courses.) The board approved raising the initiation fee for new members to $3,000 from $1,000. The increase does not apply to students. The funds will be allocated to the capital reserve account for deferred maintenance and future projects.

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

• Biomedical and Materials Engineering Complex, phase 2
  The project will renovate and replace outdated and unsuitable facilities serving the College of Engineering. This portion allows for the design of all of phase 2 and the demolition of Watts Laboratory, which eliminates $5.8 million in deferred maintenance. The project will renovate MacQuigg Laboratory and replace Watts, at the corner of Woodruff and College avenues, with updated spaces. Trustees approved professional services and construction with contingency contracts totaling $13.6 million, to be paid with state funds.
• Elevator safety repairs and replacements
  The project will replace or renew elevators across the Columbus campus, with priority locations of University Hall, Smith Laboratory, Goss Laboratory, Dulles Hall, Bevis Hall, Arps Hall and Pressey Hall. Twelve of the 270 elevators Facilities and Operations Development is responsible for have already been renovated. Trustees approved professional services and construction contracts totaling $4.9 million, to be paid with state funds. 
• James Cancer Hospital – Halcyon Linear Accelerator
  The project will renovate shelled space to install a new linear accelerator at the James Cancer Hospital. Trustees approved professional services and construction contracts for $5.9 million, including $4.1 million for the purchase of the accelerator and some installation items.
• Newton Hall facility improvements: Renovation and addition
  The project will accommodate student and faculty growth and enable the relocation of College of Nursing groups back from off-campus leased space. It includes construction of about 35,000 square feet to the south with flexible classrooms, learning spaces and offices, plus the renovation of existing space and a fire alarm system replacement. Trustees approved the request to increase professional services contracts and construction contracts of $1.13 million using university debt, fundraising, university funds and state funds, part of a budget of $25.6 million.
• North Residential District – HVAC modifications, phase 2
  The project will install fan coil units in seven residence halls in the North Residential District (Bowen, Busch, Scott and Houston in summer 2021 and Blackburn, Bosker and Torres in summer 2022). Trustees approved professional services and construction contracts totaling $16.7 million, using auxiliary funds.
• Roof repair and replacement
  The project will replace or renew roofs of buildings on the Columbus campus, with the highest priority being the replacement of the roof at 1314 Kinnear Road. Previously, 13 roofs were renovated using state funds. Trustees approved professional service and construction contracts totaling $4.8 million using state funds.
• Veterinary Medicine – Equine Performance Evaluation Arena
  The project will construct a 12,000-square-foot arena for Equine Sports Medicine and provide a connection to the existing equine hospital. Trustees approved professional services and construction contracts totaling $5.3 million, using fundraising dollars, university funds and Ohio State Energy Partners funds.
• West Campus infrastructure, phase 1
  The project will provide infrastructure, including additional vehicle lanes, surface parking lots, sewer, stormwater and water service extensions and modified and new intersection signals to support West Campus development. The total project budget is $23.3 million, including the new scope of $5.8 million for chilled water, heating hot water, gas and electric to serve the Wexner Medical Center Outpatient Care West Campus and the Interdisciplinary Research Facility. Trustees approved the scope with Ohio State Energy Partners/Engie using university funds, auxiliary funds and Ohio State Energy Partners funds.
• Arts District
  The project will develop a new arts district between 15th and 18th avenues. Trustees approved increased construction contracts totaling $3.5 million for new facilities for the School of Music (Timashev Family Music Building) and Department of Theatre, Film and Media Arts, which will include a home for the Moving Image Production program. Total project budget is $165.1 million, to be paid with university debt, fundraising, university funds and Ohio State Energy Partners funds.
• Martha Morehouse Medical Plaza facility improvements
  The project will renovate 14 different department areas in seven phases, including the temporary relocation of some units while their spaces are being renovated. Trustees approved a request to increase construction contracts for $37 million using auxiliary funds, part of a total project budget of $41.8 million.

Honorary degrees approved
The board approved the awarding of the honorary doctor of science to David D. Awschalom, Robert Bilott and Robert Langer.

In addition, the board approved awarding a master of social work degree posthumously to Victoria Strauss and a bachelor of science degree from the College of Education and Human Ecology to Justice Landers. The degrees will be awarded at spring commencement.

Distinguished Service Awards approved
Trustees and the president’s cabinet have approved presenting Distinguished Service Awards to the following alumni in spring 2021:

• David Harrison, PhD, MBA, president, Columbus State Community College
• Fred Ransier, JD, former chair of Partners Achieving Community Transformation and retired partner at the Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP law firm.

University, Wexner Medical Center board of trustees bylaws amended
The board approved amendments related to committee makeup and setup of the university and medical center board of trustees.

Faculty discipline process revised
Trustees approved amendments to Rules of the University Faculty surrounding procedures for addressing complaints of faculty misconduct.

Grading policies revised
Trustees approved amendments to Rules of the University Faculty surrounding the “PE” emergency pass grade system.

Capital investment plan, utility system amendments approved
Trustees approved adjustments to the capital investment plan for fiscal year 2021, which ends June 30, 2021, to include the funding allocated to the university by the State of Ohio.

The board also approved amendments to the Ohio State Energy Partners utility system capital improvement projects for fiscal year 2021 to construct utility system expansion and energy conservation projects in West Campus.

Foundation Report approved
Trustees approved the University Foundation Report as of Dec. 31, 2020, which includes the establishment of the Bob Frick Research Chair in Heart Failure and Arrhythmia; the Urban and Shelley Meyer Professorship in Cancer; 48 additional named endowed funds; the revision of 10 named endowed funds; and the closure of two named endowed funds, totaling $12.8 million in private support to the university.

Personnel actions approved
The board approved the following personnel appointments and reappointments:

• Elizabeth Parkinson has been named senior vice president for marketing and communications in the Office of the President effective March 22, 2021.
• Paul N. Patton has been named interim senior vice president for talent, culture and human resources in the Office of the President effective Dec. 4, 2020.
• Mark Larmore has been reappointed as vice president and chief financial officer of the Wexner Medical Center effective Jan. 1, 2021.

Faculty personnel actions

• Nicole P. Bernal has been named professor and American Electric Power Foundation Chair in Burn Care in the College of Medicine effective March 1, 2021 through June 30, 2025.
• Deliang Guo has been named professor and holder of the Urban and Shelley Meyer Professorship in Cancer in the College of Medicine effective March 1, 2021 through June 30, 2025.
• Ayanna Howard has been named dean and the Monte Ahuja Endowed Dean’s Chair in the College of Engineering effective March 1, 2021 through June 30, 2026.
• Ryan D. King has been named divisional dean, social and behavioral sciences, in the College of Arts and Sciences, effective Jan. 1, 2021 through June 30, 2025.
• Linda Lobao has been named professor and holder of the distinguished professor-CFAES position in the College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences effective Jan. 1, 2021 through Dec. 31, 2026.
• M. Susie Whittington has been named professor and holder of the distinguished professor-CFAES position in the College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences effective Jan. 1, 2021 through Dec. 31, 2026.
• Ahmed Yousef has been named professor and holder of the distinguished professor-CFAES position in the College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences effective Jan. 1, 2021 through Dec. 31, 2026.

Reappointments

• W.C. Benton has been reappointed professor and holder of the Edwin D. Dodd Professorship in Management in the Fisher College of Business effective Sept. 1, 2021 through Aug. 31, 2026.
• Dan Chow has been reappointed professor and holder of the Frank E. and Virginia H. Bazler Chair in Business Law in the Moritz College of Law effective Nov. 15, 2020 through Nov. 15, 2025.
• Katherine H. Federle has been reappointed professor and holder of the Joseph S. Platt-Porter, Wright, Morris, & Arthur Professorship in the Moritz College of Law effective Nov. 15, 2020 through Nov. 15, 2025.
• Edward Foley has been reappointed professor and Charles W. Ebersold and Florence Whitcomb Ebersold Chair in the Moritz College of Law effective Nov. 15, 2020 through Nov. 15, 2025.
• John Fulton has been reappointed professor and holder of the Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering professorship in the College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences effective Aug. 16, 2019 through Aug. 15, 2024.
• Larry Garvin has been reappointed professor and holder of the Lawrence D. Stanley Professorship in Law in the Moritz College of Law effective Nov. 15, 2020 through Nov. 15, 2025.
• Tim Judge has been reappointed professor and Joseph A. Alutto Chair in Leadership Effectiveness in the Fisher College of Business effective Sept. 1, 2021 through Aug. 31, 2026.
• Rustin M. Moore has been reappointed dean and Ruth Stanton Chair in Veterinary Medicine in the College of Veterinary Medicine effective Jan. 1, 2021 through Nov.15, 2025.
• Peter Shane has been reappointed professor and Jacob E. Davis and Jacob E. Davis II Chair in Law in the Moritz College of Law effective Nov. 15, 2020 through Nov. 15, 2025.
• Ric Simmons has been reappointed professor and holder of the Chief Justice Thomas J. Moyer Professorship for the Administration of Justice and the Rule of Law in the Moritz College of Law effective Nov. 15, 2020 through Nov. 15, 2025.
• Marc Spindelman has been reappointed professor and holder of the Isadore and Ida Topper Professorship in Law in the Moritz College of Law effective Nov. 15, 2020 through Nov. 15, 2025.

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

• The Riney Family Myeloma Center for Advanced Research Excellence, within the Drug Development Institute, which will support the acceleration of multiple myeloma-focused drug discovery and development projects.
• The Margaret “Peggy” Warren Welcome Area in the Alber Student Center at Ohio State Marion.
• The Barbara Kunz Distelhorst Demonstration Kitchen in the Kunz-Brundige Franklin County Extension Building.
• The Edwin and Helen Holter Memorial Gardener’s Lab in the Kunz-Brundige Franklin County Extension Building.

WOSU spaces named
Trustees approved the naming of internal spaces to be located in the new WOSU Public Media Headquarters, part of the Arts District at East 14th Avenue and Pearl Alley:

• L Brands Foundation Television Studio A (007)
• ENGIE-Axium Edit Suite (010)
• Linda and Frank Kass Television Studio B (017)
• WOSU Public Media Staff Media Library (020)
• Sandy and Andy Ross Community Studio (109)
• American Electric Power Foundation Community Piazza (110)
• Tom Rieland Control Room (111)
• Lynne Aronson and Bill Schiffman Green Room (118)
• Ingram-White Castle Foundation Collaboration Space (200A)
• The Lazarus Family Conference Room (206)
• Marilyn and Clark Pritchett Family Break Room (208)
• Gloria and Dale Heydlauff Production Studio (211)
• Joanne and David Frantz Production Studio (212)
• The Columbus Foundation Performance Studio - Audio (213)
• Ralph DeStefano Production Studio (217)
• Thomas and Nancy Lurie Production Studio (220)
• Karen and Ron Ickes Conference Room (227)
• Messer Construction Co. Break Room (307)
• Fred Andrle Conference Room (310)
• Robert and Bailey Sorton Edit Suite (315)
• Shiloh and Dimiter Todorov Edit Suite (316)
• Phyllis Kile Edit Suite (319)
• Bill and Jane Miller Edit Suite (320)
• Jeffery Olson and Michael Schmidt Edit Suite (321)
• Margaret and Jerome Cunningham Edit Suite (323)
• Aminah Robinson Edit Suite (324)
• Crane Group and Family Conference Room (325)
• Dana and Paul Navin Huddle Room (326)
• Anne Powell Riley Huddle Room (327)
• Mary and Tom Katzenmeyer Audio Edit Suite (328)
• Mary Alice Akins, Laura Baker and Mike Meadows Phone Booth (414)
• Jane Werum Huddle Room (417)
• Debra and Fred Hadley Huddle Room (418)
• Christine and Neil Mortine Huddle Room (419)
• State Auto Insurance Companies Conference Room (422)
• Tom and Ann DiMarco Family Outdoor Terrace