Sunday will be Ohio State President Kristina M. Johnson’s last day in office and an interim leader has not been announced. Credit: Zachary Riley | Lantern Photo Files

President Kristina M. Johnson will tip her Tudor bonnet toward Ohio State students for the last time at spring commencement this Sunday.

With almost a half-year turnaround between Johnson’s resignation, confirmed Nov. 29, 2022, and her last day on Sunday, University Spokesperson Ben Johnson said he has no information about a possible interim appointment at this time. According to moderators at public forums who sought input from the university community in April, they are at the “gathering information” point in the process.

“I think once all the sessions are finished, this information — a bunch we collected today — will be compiled, and I believe that will then be used…to develop a profile for the President and also be supplied to the search firm,” Phillip Popovich, chair of the Department of Neuroscience and member of the presidential search committee, said.

This was at one of three forums the week of April 17, one held that Monday at the Biomedical Research Tower attracted professor and Chair of the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences Sayoko Moroi, who inquired how far the search process has come, since they are still gathering information about what a potential candidate should look like. 

Popovich said from his perspective, he thinks they’re early on in the process. In the last search for a university president, Kristina Johnson was announced in early June, about six months after former President Michael V. Drake announced plans to retire.  

The second moderator, Dean of the College of Medicine Carol Bradford, is one of the 20-some members of the presidential search committee. She recommended that beyond these forums, people should submit presidential nominations on the website with search information. This nomination form and a similar one requesting input on “qualities and experiences” wanted in a president are both still open online.

Ohio State and the Presidential Search Committee retained Education Executives, a California-based firm, as its executive search firm that “specializes in the identification, recruitment and mentorship of senior leaders for comprehensive research universities, academic medical centers and scientific entities,” according to Ohio State’s Board of Trustees website. 

Without an interim president announcement before Sunday’s commencement ceremony, Ben Johnson said the president’s cabinet will carry much of the responsibility.

“Members of [the] president’s cabinet have always had day-to-day oversight of their units,” Johnson said in an email. “During this transition period, cabinet members have reported on their work directly to the appropriate board committee. That arrangement will continue when President Johnson departs.”

The cabinet “consists of senior leaders from across the university who advise the president on short-, medium- and long-term issues, priorities and initiatives,” according to their website. There are 14 members in addition to Johnson. 

The two other April forums attracted over 60 attendees who expressed a variety of priorities or areas of expertise they wish to see in the next university president. These included a focus on the diversity, equity and inclusion initiative, which Johnson introduced during her tenure with the Race, Inclusion and Social Equity initiative. 

The program was created with the goal of adding “at least 50 tenure-track faculty members whose research can help to address racial and social disparities,” according to the Office of Academic Affairs’ website.

Affordable tuition, commitment to carbon neutrality and awareness of Ohio State’s history were other major themes throughout the forums.

Moroi, who attended the forum on the medical campus, said one of her biggest hopes for the next president is balancing the medical world with academics and sports, which she felt influenced the institution quite a bit.