The Ohio State University has its new president.
Kristina Johnson, formerly the State University of New York Chancellor was, officially named to the post by the Ohio State Board of Trustees on Wednesday morning.
The search for the replacement of retiring current president Michael Drake was long and extensive, and at the end of it, OSU will usher in its second-ever female president to run the show. Her tenure is set to begin on September 1.
“We are pleased beyond measure to welcome Dr. Johnson to Ohio State,” said board chair Gary R. Heminger in a statement. “Her range of knowledge, service and accomplishments across sectors and throughout her career is nothing short of remarkable.
“She is uniquely positioned to make an immediate impact – building on Ohio State’s momentum and advancing our mission to uplift lives through academic excellence.”
Johnson’s credentials and experience are impressive and varied. Prior to acting as the chancellor to SUNY, she was the Secretary of Energy at the U.S. Department of Energy. She also held the CEO position at Cube Hydro Partners, a company that builds and operates hydropower plants in North America.
Johnson has a Ph.D. in electrical engineering from Stanford, and has a career in academia in her background. She was the dean of Duke University’s engineering school for eight years, as well as provost and senior vice president of academic affairs at Johns Hopkins University.
Despite her varied stops around the country, she does have some significant ties to the University. Her grandfather played right guard on the Ohio State football team — graduating in 1896 (when Michigan was dominant in football). Also, according the news release by OSU, her extended earlier family traces back to some of the first families in Ohio.
Johnson has been a longtime advocate for women, and it’ll be exciting and interesting to see kind of initiatives and direction she leads Ohio State in the near future.
