Trustees honor national champion teams for athletic, academic successes

The Ohio State University Board of Trustees on Wednesday recognized the athletic and academic prowess of the Buckeye football and spirit teams.

Trustees heard from assistant coach Brian Hartline, who lauded the team’s performance on its way to winning the first national championship in the 12-team playoff era. Returning student-athletes Caleb Downs, Carson Hinzman, Sonny Styles and Tegra Tshabola – along with the championship trophy – were featured during the meeting.

President Walter “Ted” Carter Jr. celebrated the team, but noted Ohio State’s exceptionalism includes more than athletics.

“We strive for excellence in all aspects: athletics, student learning, research and patient care,” Carter said.

The board also honored coaches and student-athletes from the Buckeye spirit program, which last month won the national championship, its second in a row.

At the Monday meeting of the Athletics board committee, Head Coach Ryan Day outlined the major changes impacting college football – and how Ohio State has adjusted to them to become champions.

“With all this change going on, to me it was the timeless principles and values of this university that our team displayed which allowed us to reach our goals of becoming national champions,” Day said. Those include hard work, sacrifice, loyalty, courage, humility, excellence, perseverance and resilience.

Day also highlighted the academic achievements of the team. The most recent semester was the fifth straight for the team to achieve a cumulative GPA over 3 – with more than 120 student-athletes on the team – and a perfect academic progress rate of 1,000, tying Harvard University as the best in the country.     

The board on Wednesday approved Day’s contract extension through Jan. 31, 2032. Athletic Director Ross Bjork on Monday lauded the move for providing “longevity, stability, [and] continuity in this ever-changing world we think is so, so important, and we’re just blessed to have Coach Day’s leadership of our football program.” 

Trustees also approved the establishment of the Salmon P. Chase Center for Civics, Culture, and Society as a tenure-initiating unit. The University Senate’s Council on Academic Affairs granted the Chase Center temporary center status in September 2023 to support the center’s initial organizational efforts pending the hiring of the Chase Center’s inaugural executive director, Lee Strang, in August 2024.

Initiated in 2023 by the state of Ohio, the Chase Center will serve as an academic home at Ohio State for teaching and researching the foundation of the American constitutional order and its impact on society. The Ohio General Assembly selected Ohio State and four other state universities for these independent academic units.

Trustees also approved the appointment of Richard Silveria as vice president and chief financial officer of the Wexner Medical Center, effective April 1, 2025, and the extension of Michael Eicher’s contract as senior vice president for advancement and president of the Ohio State University Foundation through June 30, 2025. The board also approved the reappointment of Trevor Brown as dean of the John Glenn College of Public Affairs for a term ending June 30, 2028.

The following actions were taken during the full board meeting:

Distinguished Service Awards approved
Trustees approved the following Distinguished Service Awards to be presented in 2025:

• Patricia Brundige
• William Farrar
• Elizabeth and Richard Germain
• Gerald Newsom
• Charles Wise
• Melissa Conrath

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

Ohio State Brain and Spine Hospital: Air handler replacement
Professional services totaling $5.2 million, to be paid for with auxiliary funds.

Dental simulation space modernization at Postle Hall
Professional services totaling $1.4 million, to be paid for with university funds.

Bus technology testing facility for Center for Automotive Research
Professional services and construction totaling $14.6 million, to be paid for with partner funds.

Schottenstein Center main roof replacement
Professional services and construction totaling $8 million, to be paid for with auxiliary funds.

Cell therapy lab at Polaris
Professional services and construction totaling $4.6 million, to be paid for with auxiliary funds.

Emergency response radio system for Wexner Medical Center facilities
Construction totaling $3.2 million, to be paid for with auxiliary funds.

James Outpatient Care: Nuclear medicine expansion
Construction totaling $5 million, to be paid for with auxiliary funds.

Ohio State East Hospital: Emergency generator
Construction totaling $4.2 million, to be paid for with auxiliary funds.

Resolutions in Memoriam approved

• Marion L. Cremer, professor emerita in hospitality management in what is today the College of Education and Human Ecology, who died on Nov. 6, 2024, at age 89.
• Mark E. Headings, professor emeritus of entomology in the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences, who died on Dec. 19, 2024, at age 87. 
• Larry E. Miller, professor emeritus of agricultural education in the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences, who died on Oct. 5, 2024, at age 81.
• Carole Rogel Poirier, associate professor emerita of history in the College of Arts and Sciences, who died on Sept. 30, 2024, at age 85.
• Stacy Weislogel, professor emeritus in the former department of aviation in the College of Engineering, who died on Nov. 30, 2024, at age 85.

Personnel actions approved
Trustees approved the following appointments and extensions:

• Ezekiel Johnston-Halperin as professor (ENGIE-Axium Endowed Professorship) in the Office of Academic Affairs, for a term running from Sept. 1, 2024, through Aug. 31, 2029.
• Mitch Phelps as professor (Charles H. Kimberly Professorship in Pharmacy) in the College of Pharmacy, for a term running from Nov. 1, 2024, through Oct. 31, 2027.
• Emma Read, professor-clinical (Ruth Stanton Chair in Veterinary Medicine) in the College of Veterinary Medicine, for a term running from Jan. 1, 2025, through Dec. 31, 2030.

Trustees approved reappointments for the following:

• Marcelo Dapino as professor (American Honda Motor Co., Inc. Designated Professorship) in the College of Engineering, for a term running from Sept. 1, 2024, through Aug. 31, 2025.
• Jonda McNair as professor (The Charlotte S. Huck Professorship in Children’s Literature) in the College of Education and Human Ecology, for a term running from Aug. 15, 2025, through Aug. 14, 2030.
• John Nusstein as professor (Dr. William J. Meyers Endowed Chair in Endodontics) in the College of Dentistry, for a term running from July 1, 2024, through Aug. 14, 2026.

Joint use agreements approved
Trustees approved joint use agreements between Ohio State and PrimaryOne Health for $250,000 and Rev1 Ventures for $500,000.

Establishment of new affiliate for university-owned captive insurance company approved 
Trustees approved the establishment of a new affiliate for a university-owned captive insurance company, Great River Insurance, LLC, in the state of Vermont. The establishment is necessary to manage and mitigate risks, enhance cost-efficiency and improve the overall control of the insurance program and process for the university.

University Foundation report approved
The board approved the report as of Dec. 31, 2024, which includes: the establishment of a designated professorship: the Smathers Designated Professor at the Moritz Entrepreneurial Business Law Clinic; one endowed chair: the Dr. Tom Mack Endowed Chair in Global One Health; one endowed chair fund: the Edward and Julie Bacome Foundation Head Basketball Coach Fund; two endowed professorships: The Russell C. Shaw and Lynn B. Shaw Endowed Professorship in Mathematics and the Kaufmann Family Professorship for Breakthroughs in Psychiatry and Behavioral Health; four endowed professorship funds: The Dr. Frederick H. Davidorf Honorary Professorship Fund, the Elizabeth McKeever Ross Professorship Fund, The Drs. Malati and Ganesh Potdar Professorship Fund in Radiation Oncology-Proton Therapy and the Tingkang Xia Endowed Professorship Fund in Physics; nine scholarships as part of the Scarlet and Gray Advantage Endowed Matching Gift Program; two scholarships as part of the Joseph A. Alutto Global Leadership Initiative and 54 additional named endowed funds; the revision of 13 named endowed funds; and the closure of two named endowed funds.

Amendment to Ohio State Energy Partners utility system capital improvements plan approved
Trustees approved amending the Ohio State Energy utility system capital improvements plan for fiscal year 2025.

Property sale approved
Trustees approved the sale of 23.5 acres at 3455 West Dublin Granville Road, located north of the Don Scott Airport.

Naming of internal spaces
Trustees approved the following namings:

• The Julia S. Hansen Auditorium in Morrill Hall, 1465 Mt. Vernon Ave., in Marion.
• The Reid Family Career Closet in the Younkin Success Center, 1640 Neil Ave., in Columbus.
• The Reactor Annex at 1296 Kinnear Road (building 155), in Columbus.