The Ohio State University (OSU) has announced that it’s appointed Walter “Ted” Carter Jr. to be its next president.
Carter, 64, currently the president of the University of Nebraska system, will be OSU’s 17th president. He is scheduled to take office on January 1 of next year.
Carter succeeds Kristina M. Johnson who suddenly announced last November that she would be stepping down as president of the university, after only about two-and-a-half years on the job, despite signing a five-year contract for the post when she began in August, 2020.
Carter brings a long record of leadership in education and military service to his new position. Prior to assuming his current post at the University of Nebraska in 2020, he served as the superintendent of the U.S. Naval Academy, where he was the longest continuously-serving superintendent since the Civil War. Carter, a retired Vice Admiral with 38 years of military service, has also been president of the U.S. Naval War College in Newport, R.I.
Carter earned his bachelor’s degree in physics and oceanography from the U.S. Naval Academy, where he captained the hockey team. He’s also a graduate of the Navy Fighter Weapons School (Top Gun) and holds educational credentials from the Navy Nuclear Power School, the U.S. Air Force Air War College, the Naval War College and the Armed Forces Staff College.
“President Carter brings an unparalleled combination of strategic leadership and true service. and we could not be more thrilled to welcome him and his family to Ohio State,” said Hiroyuki Fujita, chair of the OSU Board of trustees.
In an official statement, Carter expressed his gratitude for the opportunity “to serve as president of Ohio State, an institution founded upon and well known across the globe for research, teaching and an enduring commitment to service.” Carter added, “the work being done across Ohio and beyond to shape the future of research and innovation, workforce development, the arts, health care, college affordability and college athletics is remarkable. These are areas of particular passion for me, and I can’t wait to begin my journey as a Buckeye.”
When Kristina Johnson departed the president’s office in May, the OSU Board of Trustees took the unusual step of not appointing an interim president, deciding instead to have senior and executive vice presidents report directly to the trustees until it hired a new permanent leader. The University began its search for a new president last February and retained Education Executives to serve as its executive search firm.
On Tuesday, the OSU Board of Trustees also announced that OSU Executive Vice President for Research Peter Mohler would serve as acting president, coordinating with Carter, through the end of the calendar year.
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