A Celebration of Place: Ohio University to honor its past, present, future during Investiture Week in October

In October, Ohio University will celebrate a new chapter in its proud history with the inauguration of President Lori Stewart Gonzalez.

The Investiture Ceremony will be held on Wednesday, Oct. 18, and will be part of a weeklong series of events that will reflect a celebration of place, with a focus on the past, present and future of Ohio’s oldest public university.

Investiture Week events

MONDAY, OCT. 16
OHIO’s Place

1:00–5:00 p.m. -  Alden Library

Librarians from the Mahn Center for Archives and Special Collections will share historical photos of Ohio University to kick off Inauguration Week.

The OHIO’s Place poster exhibition will also be displayed throughout Inauguration Week in Alden Library and in the regional campus libraries campuses to celebrate the Libraries’ special collections related to Appalachia.

TUESDAY, OCT. 17
Earth, Moon, Mars (and Beyond)—and the Science We Need to Get There

4:00 – 5:00 p.m., reception following - Baker University Center Theater

To thrive in space, we’ll need sustainable environments capable of being untethered from Earth for long periods of time. We’ll need the essentials—food, water and air—and those MacGyver-like skills to fix and build things. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine just identified 11 key questions that scientists need to answer about life in space.

Dr. Sarah Wyatt will lead this special presentation about these fascinating and far-reaching questions. The event is open to the entire OHIO community.

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 18
The Investiture of Ohio University’s 23rd President, Dr. Lori Stewart Gonzalez

2:30 p.m., reception following - Templeton Blackburn Alumni Memorial Auditorium

Join the Ohio University Board of Trustees, special guests and Ohio University faculty, staff and students in celebrating the Investiture of OHIO’s 23rd President. This ceremony will feature music from the OHIO Brass, the faculty wind ensemble from the College of Fine Arts and many other festive elements honoring President Gonzalez.

The University community is also invited to participate in a reception immediately after the Investiture ceremony. The reception will be held on the West Portico lawn adjacent to College Green.

THURSDAY, OCT. 19
Student EXPO Showcase

Award-winning OHIO students who participated in the 2023 Ohio University Student Research and Creative Expos will present their work to the Ohio University's Board of Trustees.

FRIDAY, OCT. 20
Innovation and Economic Impact Showcase

3:00–5:00 p.m. - Baker University Center Ballroom

The public is invited to a special event showcasing how OHIO is contributing to the state’s economy and workforce.

Those attending will have the opportunity to engage with the incredible innovative ideas developed by some of OHIO’s best and brightest, including True Pigments, ASCENT, Center for Entrepreneur student Start Ups, OHIO Student Farm and the GRID Lab.

For more information on Investiture Week, see the Schedule of Events website.