Reflection on racial issues in the United States

High profile public protests against racial injustice and police-involved killings have heightened social tensions in the United States. Ohio State is taking steps to address institutional racism and reaffirmed its commitment to the university values of inclusion, diversity and tolerance.

Kristina M. Johnson appointed 16th president of Ohio State

The Ohio State Board of Trustees has appointed Kristina M. Johnson, PhD, as the 16th president in university history. Johnson, who currently serves as chancellor of the State University of New York, brings more than 30 years of experience as an academic, business and policy leader.

“We are pleased beyond measure to welcome Dr. Johnson to Ohio State,” said Board of Trustees Chair Gary R. Heminger. “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.”

China Gateway Releases 2019 Annual Report

The China Gateway recently released its annual report and summary report.

Throughout 2019, the China Gateway continued to find success in three key areas, including faculty support, student services and alumni engagement. The China Gateway finds opportunities to expand locally and regionally to enhance Ohio State’s collaborations in East Asia.

Beijing Alumni Club hosted online improv comedy training

The Beijing Alumni Club successfully hosted an online improv comedy training class. About 20 alumni from Beijing, Shanghai, New York and Toronto participated. Ms. Fu, board member of the Beijing Alumni Club and the organizer of this event said, “The club and I hope our alumni can enjoy this event and release the pressure of daily life.” This is the first time the club hosted the online program for alumni. A senior alumni talk will be held in the coming month.

China Gateway connecting with admitted first year students

The China Gateway partnered with undergraduate admissions in the Office of Student Academic Success to host webinars for first year admitted students to provide more information about the university, answer questions and help them navigate life at Ohio State. In April, the China Gateway hosted two webinars in Mandarin Chinese for more than 50 first year admitted students living in China. These webinars were part of 15 sessions that undergraduate admissions hosted for all first year admitted students. By sharing stories specific to Chinese students on campus, the China Gateway encourages incoming Buckeyes to get involved in university activities.

The Fisher College of Business and the China Gateway coordinated to host virtual coffee chats with first year admitted students. The program that connected first year students with Fisher alumni was launched in April. More than 10 prospective students joined and five Fisher alumni volunteered. By connecting former students with potential incoming students, the hope was to create a platform that helped the admitted students understand the resources and value that Ohio State will provide. The alumni also gave practical advice about living and studying in Ohio State and Columbus.

Global Perspective: Heping Cao

Heping Cao is an economist, professor and the doctoral supervisor at Peking University School of Economics. He holds a master’s degree in economics, a master’s degree in agricultural economics and a doctorate degree in international finance from The Ohio State University.

Faculty Spotlight: Renee Zhao

Originally from Xi’an, Shaanxi, Renee is an assistant professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering in the College of Engineering. Visit her Soft Intelligent Materials Laboratory website to learn more.

“Ohio State is a big university with extremely active research activities in diverse fields. In addition, Ohio State has a large population of talented students. Furthermore, Ohio is well known for its industry, including automobile, aerospace, and biomedical. These together can bring many opportunities for collaborative research at the interface of conventional mechanical engineering and advanced science.”

China Gateway Creates Career Networking Opportunities

To continue connecting Buckeyes with resources and networking opportunities in this unprecedented time, the China Gateway introduced a series of virtual career events to support career development as well as to engage alumni in China. The virtual events include alumni career talks, employer informational sessions and an online career fair.

Plans announced for autumn semester

Ohio State announced that it plans to resume in-person classes for the autumn semester. The announcement was made by President Michael V. Drake at a meeting of the Board of Trustees and in a message to the university community.

Specific guidelines will be announced in the coming weeks based on guidance from state and local health authorities and recommendations of the Safe Campus and Scientific Advisory Subgroup of the university’s COVID-19 Transition Task Force.