Walter “Ted” Carter Jr. was announced as Ohio State’s 17th president at a University Board of Trustees meeting Tuesday. Photo courtesy Ohio State.
Walter “Ted” Carter Jr. was announced as Ohio State’s 17th president at a University Board of Trustees meeting Tuesday.
After a nearly six-month search process following former president Kristina Johnson’s resignation Nov. 29, 2022, the university named her successor. Carter is currently the eighth president of the University of Nebraska system and will officially begin his role as Ohio State’s 17th president on Jan. 1, 2024. Peter Mohler, the current executive vice president for research, innovation and knowledge and member of the president’s cabinet, was named the acting president.
“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,” Hiroyuki Fujita, chair of the board of trustees, said.
A former graduate of the United States Naval Academy and the Navy Fighter Weapons School, Top Gun, Carter has an extensive military background, according to the Navy’s website. Additionally, Carter completed a course for Air Command and Staff College, the Armed Forces Staff College and a program for the Navy’s Nuclear Power Program, according to the website.
“I am immensely grateful 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 said in the release.
Carter served as the 54th president of the U.S. Naval War College located in Newport, Rhode Island from June 2013 to July 2014, according to the U.S. Naval War College website. His leadership history continued as in 2014, Carter served as the 62nd superintendent of the U.S. Naval Academy as its “longest continuously serving superintendent since the Civil War,” and in 2022, received the U.S. Naval Academy Distinguished Graduate Award, the highest decoration an academy graduate can earn, according to the release.
Similar to Ohio State, the University of Nebraska system is a land-grant institution with a medical center and four campuses with over 50,000 students.
“President Carter represents the qualities, skills and attributes our faculty, staff and students sought in a leader,” professor and Presidential Search Committee’s University Advisory Subcommittee co-Chair Janet Box-Steffensmeier said.
Before naming the new president, the cabinet from Johnson’s time at Ohio State carried out the duties of the leader throughout the summer.
Mohler will coordinate with Carter until he takes over before the spring semester, according to a university release.
“Dr. Mohler is a trusted and proven member of the university’s leadership team,” Fujita said. “We are grateful that he has agreed to serve in the role of acting president. He will provide vital continuity this semester and a seamless transition in the new year.”
Johnson initially resigned in November following an article by the Columbus Dispatch speculating her departure. She then finished out the school year as president before leaving the position after spring commencement in May.
A full explanation surrounding Johnson’s departure has not been provided by the university. Last month, The Lantern successfully gained access to a general release and agreement between Johnson and the university through a lawsuit for public records.
