Ohio State awarded $26 million for NSF-funded center

Ohio State awarded $26 million for NSF-funded center

Trustees kick off new academic year by honoring top faculty

The Ohio State University Board of Trustees on Thursday highlighted and approved multiple items to further the university's research and teaching success.

Chief among them is the awarding of $26 million in federal fundingto jumpstart natural rubber production in the United States and enhance workforce development.

The funds come from the National Science Foundation to create the "Transformation of American Rubber through Domestic Innovation for Supply Security" (TARDISS) Engineering Research Center. The first round of funding lasts five years, with the ability to renew for $26 million more for five additional years.

TARDISS will be composed of academic partners and supported by industry stakeholders. The principal investigator is Judit Puskas, professor of food, agricultural and biological engineering (FABE), who will lead the center along with its director, Ajay Shah, also a professor in FABE.

The board also praised Puskas for being named a Distinguished University Professor- the highest faculty honor at Ohio State. Puskas joined the university's College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences Wooster campus in 2019. A world-renowned polymer expert, her impact on her field and her students is broadly recognized.

The Distinguished University Professor honorific title is awarded annually to tenure-track professors who have been at Ohio State for at least five years and have demonstrated truly exceptional records in teaching, research, scholarly or creative work and service.

President Walter "Ted" Carter Jr. celebrated the Robert F. Wolfe and Edgar T. Wolfe Foundation's commitment of $10 million to the College of Veterinary Medicine in memory of the late Rita Wolfe. The generous giftestablishes the Rita Jean Wolfe Deanship, which will help create a sustainable future of excellence in veterinary medicine.

The president also outlined a new initiative called Listen. Learn. Discuss.that offers a centralized set of tools to help the university community develop skills to engage in respectful dialogue and provides opportunities to practice those skills.

He noted that Ohio State received a record 80,000 applications for admission, and that the incoming class is expected to be one of the largest in university history.

"Strong enrollment like this shows that something special is happening here at Ohio State," he said. "It shows that people believe in the value of an Ohio State degree; that that they believe in the quality experience we offer on all of our campuses; that they believe in the future of this institution."

The following actions were taken during the full board meeting:

Resolutions in Memoriam approved

• James L. (Jim) Battersby, professor emeritus in the Department of English, who died on May 12, 2024, at age 87.
• Barbara Z. Kiefer, professor emerita in the Department of Teaching and Learning, College of Education and Human Ecology, who died on May 27, 2024, at age 78.
• Surinder K. Seghal, professor emeritus in the Department of Mathematics in the College of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, who died on Feb. 26, 2024, at age 83.
• George L. Smith, professor emeritus in the Department of Integrated Systems Engineering, who died on Feb. 12, 2024, at age 88.

Amendment to the bylaws of the Board of Trustees approved
The board approved an amendment to the bylaws of the Board of Trustees. The last revision took place on Feb. 21, 2024.

Personnel actions approved
Trustees approved the following appointments and extensions:

• Julia Applegate as senior lecturer (2024 Provost's Award for Distinguished Teaching by a Lecturer) in the Office of Academic Affairs.
• Kent Barnett as dean and professor (J. Gilbert Reese Chair in Contract Law) in the Moritz College of Law for a term running from Aug. 15, 2024, through June 30, 2029.
• Stephen Bell as professor (Ohio Eminent Scholar in Industrial Microbiology) in the College of Arts and Sciences for a term running from Aug. 15, 2024, through June 30, 2029.
• Eric Bielefeld as professor and chair (2024 President and Provost's Award for Distinguished Faculty Service) in the Office of Academic Affairs.
• Trevor Brown as interim dean in the Fisher College of Business for a term running from July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2025.
• Lisa Burris as associate professor (College of Engineering Innovation Scholar) in the College of Engineering for a term running from Aug. 15, 2024, through June 30, 2029.
• Bryan Carstens as professor and chair (Robert W. and Estelle S. Bingham Designated Professorship) in the College of Arts and Sciences for a term running from Aug. 15, 2024, through Aug. 14, 2029.
• Angela Collene as senior lecturer (2024 Provost's Award for Distinguished Teaching by a Lecturer) in the Office of Academic Affairs.
• Edward Cooper as professor-clinical (Wolfe Associates Inc. Endowed Professorship in Canine Clinical and Comparative Medicine) in the College of Veterinary Medicine for a term running from July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2028.
• Maryam Ghazisaeidi as professor (Distinguished Professor of Engineering) in the College of Engineering for a term running from Aug. 15, 2024, through June 30, 2029.
• Philip Hart as professor-clinical (Endowed Professorship in Gastroenterology Research) in the College of Medicine for a term running from July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2028.
• Elizabeth Hewitt as professor and chair (2024 President and Provost's Award for Distinguished Faculty Service) in the Office of Academic Affairs.
• Christopher Jaroniec as professor (2024 President and Provost's Award for Distinguished Faculty Service) in the Office of Academic Affairs.
• Maureen Kelleher as associate professor-clinical (Trueman Chair in Equine Clinical Medicine and Surgery) in the College of Veterinary Medicine for a term running from July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2028.
• Ryan Kennedy as professor (Andrei Baronov and Ratmir Timashev Endowed Chair in Data Analytics) in the College of Arts and Sciences for a term running from Aug. 15, 2024, through June 30, 2029.
• Katrina Lee as professor-clinical (2024 Alumni Award for Distinguished Teaching) in the Office of Academic Affairs.
• Russell Lonser as professor and chair (Sanford and Rife Family Chair in Neuro-Oncology) in the College of Medicine for a term running from July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2028.
• Jason Newland as professor (Henry G. Cramblett Chair in Medicine) in the College of Medicine for a term running from July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2028.
• Jason Opal as dean and professor at The Ohio State University at Mansfield for a term running from Aug. 15, 2024, through Aug.14, 2029.
• Joe Raczkowski as associate professor-clinical (2024 Alumni Award for Distinguished Teaching) in the Office of Academic Affairs.
• Sunnie Rucker-Chang as associate professor (Kenneth E. Naylor Professorship) in the College of Arts and Sciences for a term running from July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2029.
• Frances Sivakoff as assistant professor (2024 Alumni Award for Distinguished Teaching) in the Office of Academic Affairs.
• Matthew Smith as dean and professor at The Ohio State University at Newark for a term running from Aug. 1, 2024, through July 31, 2029.
• Dawn Starr as senior lecturer (2024 Provost's Award for Distinguished Teaching by a Lecturer) in the Office of Academic Affairs.
• Mary Sterenberg as assistant professor-clinical (2024 Alumni Award for Distinguished Teaching) in the Office of Academic Affairs.
• Amy Tibbals as senior lecturer (2024 Provost's Award for Distinguished Teaching by a Lecturer) in the Office of Academic Affairs.
• Bryan Warnick as professor and interim chair (The Daniel Tanner Foundation Endowed Professorship in Curriculum Studies on Adolescence and Democracy) in the College of Education and Human Ecology for a term running from Aug. 15, 2024, through Aug. 14, 2029.
• Zach Woods as assistant professor-practice (2024 Alumni Award for Distinguished Teaching) in the Office of Academic Affairs.
• Margaret Young as dean of The Ohio State University at Lima for a term running from July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2029.

Reappointments for the following:

• Greg Allenby as professor (Helen C. Kurtz Chair in Marketing) in the Fisher College of Business for a term running from Oct. 1, 2024, through Aug. 14, 2029.
• Sharyn Baker as professor (Gertrude Parker Heer Chair in Cancer Research) in the College of Medicine for a term running from July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2028.
• Prosper Boyaka as professor and chair (Stanton Youngberg Professorship of Veterinary Medicine) in the College of Veterinary Medicine for a term running from July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2028.
• Teresa Burns as associate professor (Bud and Marilyn Jenne Designated Professorship in Equine Clinical Sciences and Research) in the College of Veterinary Medicine for a term running from July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2028.
• Osvaldo Campanella as professor (Carl E. Haas Chair in Food Industries) in the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences for a term running from June 1, 2024, through June 30, 2029.
• Ralph Augostini as professor-clinical (Bob Frick Chair in Cardiac Electrophysiology) in the College of Medicine for a term running from July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2028.
• Daniel Clinchot as professor and chair (Harry C. and Mary Elizabeth Powelson Professorship in Medicine) in the College of Medicine for a term running from July 1, 2024, through Feb. 28, 2025.
• Roger Fingland as professor (Frank Stanton Endowed Chair in General Practice and Canine Health and Wellness) in the College of Veterinary Medicine for a term running from June 1, 2024, through May 30, 2029.
• Christopher Hoch as associate professor (The Endowed Chair for Director of The Ohio State University Marching Band) in the College of Arts and Sciences for a term running from July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2028.
• Mark Landon as professor and chair (Richard L. Meiling Chair of Obstetrics and Gynecology) in the College of Medicine for a term running from July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2027.
• Cheryl Lee as professor and chair (Dorothy M. Davis Chair in Cancer Research) in the College of Medicine for a term running from July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2028.
• Peter Mansoor as professor (Major General Raymond E. Mason, Jr. Chair of Military History) in the College of Arts and Sciences for a term running from July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2029.
• Sayoko Moroi as professor and chair (William H. Havener, M.D. Chair in Ophthalmology Research) in the College of Medicine for a term running from Jan. 5, 2024, through June 30, 2028.
• Andrew Niehaus as professor-clinical (Vernon L. Tharp Professorship in Food Animal Medicine) in the College of Veterinary Medicine for a term running from July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2028.
• Timothy Pawlik as professor and chair (Urban Meyer III and Shelley Meyer Chair for Cancer Research) in the College of Medicine for a term running from July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2028.
• Laura Selmic as professor (Teckie and Don Shackelford Chair in Canine Medicine) in the College of Veterinary Medicine for a term running from July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2028.
• Ori Yehudai as associate professor (Saul and Sonia Schottenstein Chair in Israel Studies) in the College of Arts and Sciences for a term running from Aug. 15, 2024, through June 30, 2029.

The extensions of appointments for the following:

• Eric Anderman as interim dean and director of The Ohio State University at Mansfield for a term running from July 1, 2024, through Aug. 14, 2024.
• William Macdonald as dean and director of The Ohio State University at Newark for a term running from July 1, 2024, through July 31, 2024.
• Greg Rose as dean and director of The Ohio State University at Marion for a term running from July 1, 2024, through Dec. 31, 2024.

Amendments to the contracts of the following athletics coaches:

• Football coach Ryan Day, updated bonus structure based on the new playoff format.
• Women's basketball coach Kevin McGuff, annual merit increase and two-year extension.

The following for President Carter:

• A performance review for fiscal year 2024 and compensation reward and salary adjustment of 3.5%.
• The issuing of performance goals for fiscal year 2025.

Capital investment plan for fiscal year 2025 approved
The board approved the capital investment plan for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025.

Ohio State Energy Partners utility system capital improvements plan for fiscal year 2025 approved
The board approved the Ohio State Energy Partners utility system capital improvements plan for fiscal year 2025.

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

• Dorothy M. Davis Heart & Lung Research Institute fire and HVAC system renewal
  Professional services totaling $1.8 million, to be paid for with university funds.
• Ohio State University Airport capital improvements
  Professional services and construction totaling $7.9 million, to be paid for with university debt and partner funds.
• College Road rebuild
  Professional services and construction totaling $5.5 million, to be paid for with university debt.
• Rhodes Hall third floor lab expansion
  Professional services and construction totaling $4.7 million, to be paid for with auxiliary funds.
• Riffe second floor classrooms
  Professional services and construction totaling $3 million, to be paid for with university funds.
• Tunnel rehabilitation phase one
  Professional services and construction totaling $31.2 million, to be paid for with university funds, university debt, state funds and partner funds.

Real property acquisition approved
The board approved the purchase of 4.16 acres at 1165 Kinnear Road. Ohio State has leased the property since 2006.

Amendment to the university's investment policy approved
Trustees approved an amendment to the university's investment policy to clarify that certain gifts may be added to the economic development fund.

University Foundation report approved
The board approved the report as of June 30, 2024, which includes the pre-approval of one endowed deanship: The Rita Jean Wolfe Deanship in the College of Veterinary Medicine; the establishment of one designated professorship: The NetJets Designated Professor of Aviation; one endowed fellowship: the William G. and Ernestine R. Lowrie Endowed Chemical Engineering Fellowship; 13 scholarships as part of the Scarlet and Gray Advantage Endowed Matching Gift Program; 14 additional named endowed funds; and the revision of 16 named endowed funds.

Naming of internal spaces
Trustees approved the following namings:

• The classroom studio (Room N300) in the Timashev Family Music Building, located at 1900 College Road, as the Dr. Donald E. and Ruth L. McGinnis Music Collaboratory.
• Internal spaces in the Interdisciplinary Health Sciences Center located at 1645 Neil Ave. as:
  • Generous gift from The Balaloski Family (Room 435)
  • Generous gift from Steven Suh MD '94 & Daphne Yu Suh '95 honoring Dr. Sang & Jung Suh and Drs. Edward & Imelda Yu (Room 025F)
• Internal spaces in the Engineering Education and Manufacturing Center at The Ohio State University at Lima, located at 1155 Bible Road, as:
  • Cenovus Energy Lima Refinery Rotunda
  • Honda Robotics Lab (108)
  • Rudolph Foods Company Conference Room (202)

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