President Gonzalez celebrates OHIO achievements, outlines future priorities in State of the University address

Ohio University President Lori Stewart Gonzalez honored students, faculty and staff for their many accomplishments in the last year, while she also discussed plans for the University moving forward in the State of the University Address on Sept. 9.

Speaking in the Walter Rotunda on the Athens Campus, with the address shared online, President Gonzalez discussed how OHIO’s Dynamic Strategy is guiding its response to challenges facing higher education. She also credited students, faculty, staff, alumni and community members for the University’s success. 

Ohio University Board of Trustees Chair Matt Evans gave the opening remarks for the event and discussed how for more than 220 years, Ohio University has transformed lives through discovery, creativity and service.

“As we look ahead to the next chapter of this institution's story, it’s clear that Ohio University is in capable hands,” Evans said. “We need a leader who can honor our rich heritage while positioning us to meet the opportunities and challenges of a rapidly changing world. We need a leader who believes deeply in our students, our people, and our purpose and who can help guide OHIO into its next 223 years with courage, clarity, and confidence."

“The Ohio University Board of Trustees agree that President Gonzalez is that leader,” Evans said. 

President Gonzalez said that she is honored to now begin her fourth year as president and that she is continually encouraged by the passion that the OHIO community has for the university.

“What makes OHIO special is its people: the students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community members who bring this institution to life every day,” Gonzalez said. 
 

Celebrating OHIO 

President Gonzalez highlighted several accomplishments and points of pride, including:

• The new Marching 110 Performance Facility and how it is already benefiting OHIO students.
• OHIO welcomed more than 500 students into the new McDavis Hall in August and will celebrate the grand opening of the residence hall on Sept. 25.
• OHIO will celebrate the opening of the Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine's Translational Research Center in November.
• OHIO continues to earn national recognition in numerous areas, including maintaining its prestigious Carnegie R1 designation, as one of 187 national research universities earning this classification. OHIO is also recognized as a Carnegie Opportunity College, which means that it is nationally recognized for offering high access to higher education while ensuring its students earn higher wages upon graduation. 
• U.S. News and World Report has named Ohio University as the best value public university in the state of Ohio for six years running.

Recognizing faculty

President Gonzalez highlighted the achievements of several OHIO faculty for their research, creative activity and academic success, including:

• Associate Professor Alyssa Bernstein, for her work in teaching philosophy and her advocacy for liberal arts education.
• Distinguished Professor Brian Clark, whose pioneering research on bone health and fracture risk is a powerful example of how OHIO research translates into healthier communities and better lives.
• Associate Professor Josh Antonuccio, who has elevated OHIO's reputation in the music industry through initiatives such as the Music Industry Summit.
• Associate Professor Paul Benedict for his work in advancing entrepreneurship education and encouraging students to become creators, innovators and problem-solvers who help shape the future.
• Professor Stephen Harvey, whose research on game-based learning has earned international recognition and showcases how OHIO faculty are generating knowledge that influences communities worldwide.

“These are only a few examples of the amazing work happening every day at OHIO,” Gonzalez said. “Across every college and division and department, faculty are generating new knowledge, mentoring students, advancing discovery, creating art, solving problems, and serving communities.”

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Expanding scholarship support

President Gonzalez also announced the launch of a three-year scholarship fundraising campaign that will begin this fall, placing access and affordability at the center of its efforts to expand opportunities for students. The campaign will build on OHIO’s commitment to student success by helping more learners afford an education and take part in the experiences that prepare them for life after graduation.

“This fall we are launching a three-year campaign to raise scholarship funds to expand opportunities for students and ensure that more learners can access and afford the life-changing education and experience OHIO provides,” Gonzalez shared.

The effort also comes as Ohio University approaches its 225th anniversary in 2029, connecting its longstanding educational mission with an investment in future generations of Bobcats. The University plans to announce the next phase of the fundraising campaign during that anniversary year.

Advancing OHIO’s Dynamic Strategy

“The first phase of the Dynamic Strategy focused on creating alignment across the institution and turning ideas into action,” Gonzalez said.

This included increasing experiential learning opportunities for students, creating new opportunities for alumni to engage in mentoring activities with students, and investing in OHIO’s research enterprise. Through the Faculty for the Future Research Opportunities Initiative, OHIO hired 13 faculty members and launched a six-faculty cluster hire focused on brain health and cognition across the lifespan.

OHIO also expanded its focus on innovation and partnership, and is now developing new industry partnerships, expanding non-credit learning opportunities, and elevating fundraising efforts.

As part of the Dynamic Strategy, OHIO is also strengthening employee recruitment and retention strategies, enhancing employee well-being resources and expanding professional development opportunities to benefit employees.

In the coming year, there will be new opportunities for members of the OHIO community to provide feedback and share ideas that will define the next steps of the Dynamic Strategy and help shape OHIO’s future. 

“When we developed the initial Dynamic Strategy, we engaged faculty, staff, students, alumni, trustees, and community partners. We’ll work with our campus community again as we plan years four through six,” Gonzalez said. 

Building OHIO’s future together

Moving forward, President Gonzalez stressed that we must continue our collective efforts to in ways that will enable OHIO to continue to be academically strong, financially sustainable, deeply engaged with its communities and unwavering in its commitment to student success.

“Every student who graduates represents a life changed and a promise fulfilled,” Gonzalez said.

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