In Honor Of

Jeff Reed experienced a Bobcat epiphany as he peeked over the Ping Center’s second-floor balcony while he and a fellow Bobcat were working out.

“I [saw] a bunch of students from all different parts of the world playing volleyball,” said Reed, BSC ’06. “I thought, how cool, how unique and how special is this? That all of these people, from all different walks of life, are here because of one thing in common: Ohio University. It’s imprinted on my brain.”

That moment cemented his deep connection to Ohio University. Years later, Reed, senior communications strategist at Honda R&D Americas, paid homage to that moment, to OHIO, and to the legacy of alumni in his family when he with the help of his mother Deb, an honorary Bobcat, used the OHIO Match program to establish the Reed Family Scholarship for Excellence in Communications. The program, which ended June 30, provided $0.50 in matching funds for every dollar committed to eligible endowed scholarships. It created more than 203 new endowed scholarship accounts and has awarded more than $580,000 in scholarship funding during the past three fiscal years.

“I hope the students who receive this scholarship are able to continue excelling in their academics and fully experience all the joys of college life,” Reed said.

Reed’s passion for communications and the role it plays in informing the public was a passion he shared with his late great-uncle, Maj. James W. Reed, BSJ ’66, who died while serving as an F4 fighter pilot during the Vietnam War, and shares with his father, Jeff L. Reed, BSJ ’71.

“My father always spoke fondly of Ohio University and his time there,” Reed said. “Truth be told, I didn’t even do a college visit to Ohio University. I just knew I wanted to go there.”

Reed knows not everyone can support OHIO the way he did.

“For me, I was very fortunate to be in a position—a lot of which was made possible by Ohio University—to give back financially.”

But, he says, alumni can still support their alma mater and make a difference.

“Alumni should contribute in ways that are right and doable for them,” he says. “Everybody can give back in some way—donating financially, mentoring students, volunteering in their communities, or simply wearing OHIO green.”