Kristina Johnson Named 16th President Of The Ohio State University

State University of New York chancellor Dr. Kristina M. Johnson was officially named the next president of The Ohio State University during a Board of Trustees meeting on Wednesday morning.

“We are pleased beyond measure to welcome Dr. Johnson to Ohio State,” Board of Trustees chair Gary R. Heminger said 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, who will begin her tenure at Ohio State on Sept. 1, spent the last three years as the chancellor of the 64-college system known as the State University of New York. She was previously the CEO of Cube Hydro Partners, a clean-energy infrastructure company focused on building and operating hydropower plants in North America, and the Secretary of Energy for the U.S. Department of Energy before that.

Johnson received her bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in engineering from Stanford University. Her previous work in academia includes serving as the Dean of the Pratt School of Engineering at Duke University from 1999-2007 and Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs at Johns Hopkins University from 2007-09.

According to the university press release, Johnson’s grandfather played right guard for the football team and graduated from Ohio State in 1896, while her roots trace back to the first families in Ohio.

“Ohio State has always been a special place to me – well beyond its standing as one of the most respected teaching, research and patient-care institutions in the world,” Johnson said. “I am humbled to be selected to lead this great land-grant university, and I look forward to meeting with students, faculty and staff to begin our work together.”

Johnson replaces Dr. Michael V. Drake, who announced in November that he would retire at the conclusion of the 2019-20 academic year and assume the role of president emeritus. If he stays with the university for one year thereafter, he will become a tenured distinguished professor in the Colleges of Medicine, as well as the College of Education and Human Ecology. Drake has served as president since June 2014.

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