Trustees Announce Presidential Search Process

The Ohio State University Board of Trustees today announced the process by which it will seek the next president for the university.

“The selection of the university’s next president is the most significant responsibility of the board of trustees,” said Robert H. Schottenstein, chairman of the board. “We undertake this responsibility at a time of both enormous importance and promise. The university has real momentum and is ideally situated to attract the next great leader for Ohio State.”

Schottenstein named board of trustees member Jeffrey Wadsworth to chair the Presidential Search Committee. Wadsworth holds a Ph.D. from Sheffield University and has served as adjunct or consulting faculty at four universities, including Ohio State. He currently leads Columbus-based Battelle and is a member of the National Academy of Engineering.

“The combination of Jeff’s outstanding academic credentials and his leadership of large, complex organizations makes him an ideal chair of the search process,” said Schottenstein.

The Presidential Search Committee includes two subcommittees that will work in concert with one another – a selection subcommittee and an advisory subcommittee.

The selection subcommittee led by Wadsworth will consist of five members of the board. In addition to Schottenstein and Wadsworth, it will include Michael J. Gasser, Janet B. Reid and Alex Shumate. The selection subcommittee will ultimately provide a presidential candidate recommendation to the Ohio State Board of Trustees. The selection subcommittee will likely receive external assistance from an executive search firm, as well as important insight from the advisory subcommittee.

The 13-member advisory subcommittee will consist of faculty members, elected student leaders, staff and senior administrators. The advisory subcommittee charge is to represent and seek input from the university community, and delineate the desired qualities, skills and experiences of the next president. Deborah Jones Merritt, Ohio State law professor, will convene the advisory subcommittee.

“The academic standing of the entire university, from programs to faculty to students, is at an all-time high and there are a number of exciting and transformative strategic initiatives occurring across campus,” said Wadsworth. “We believe the presidency of Ohio State offers an exceptional opportunity because of the university’s strong positive momentum and the collegial environment in which it operates. We are committed to an open, inclusive and informed search process that attracts a world-class leader.”

The Presidential Search Committee will convene for the first time on July 19. During that meeting, Schottenstein will provide the charge and Wadsworth will present the vision, roles and timeline for the work of the search committee. In addition, the board intends to convene a significant discussion about the challenges and requisites of the modern university presidency in a Panel Discussion on the University Presidency, which is currently scheduled to coincide with the board’s regularly scheduled meeting August 29 - 30. The discussion will feature national leaders who are incumbent or former presidents and scholars of the university presidency.

About The Ohio State University
Founded in 1870, The Ohio State University is a world-class public research university and the leading comprehensive teaching and research institution in the state of Ohio. With more than 63,000 students (including 56,000 in Columbus), the Wexner Medical Center, 14 colleges, 80 centers, and 175 majors, the university offers its students tremendous breadth and depth of opportunity in the liberal arts, the sciences, and the professions.

The Presidential Search Committee of The Ohio State University

Selection Subcommittee

Robert H. Schottenstein, Ohio State Board of Trustees chair and president and CEO, M/I Homes, Inc.

Jeffrey Wadsworth, Ohio State Board of Trustees presidential search committee chair and president and CEO, Battelle Memorial Institute

Michael Gasser,Ohio State Board of Trustees and executive chairman of the board, Greif, Inc.

Janet Reid, Ohio State Board of Trustees and founding partner and director, Global Novations

Alex Shumate,Ohio State Board of Trustees and managing partner - North America, Squire, Sanders & Dempsey, LLP

Advisory Subcommittee

Deborah Jones Merritt, convener of the advisory subcommittee and the John Deaver Drinko-Baker and Hostetler Chair in Law

Cheryl Achterberg, dean of the College of Education and Human Ecology

Sarah Adelson, chief of staff of the Inter-Professional Council

Leslie Alexander, associate professor in the departments of African American and African Studies

Jane Box-Steffensmeier, the Vernal Riffe professor of political science and faculty liaison to the Board of Trustees

Michael Eicher, senior vice president for Advancement and president of The Ohio State University Foundation

Archie Griffin, senior vice president and CEO of The Ohio State University Alumni Association

Richard Hart, chair and professor of the Department of Biomedical Engineering

Emily Meyer, chair of the University Staff Advisory Committee

Randy Nelson, the Dr. John D. and E. Olive Brumbaugh Chair in Brain Research and Teaching

Colin Odden, representative, Council of Graduate Students, and a Ph.D. candidate in Sociology

Taylor Stepp, president of Undergraduate Student Government

Andrew Thomas, chief medical officer for The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.