News and Notes

Starting Monday, March 8, students who live in university housing or university-managed facilities on the Columbus campus will be required to schedule and complete two COVID-19 tests each week until further notice.

State lawmakers continue hearings on Ohio’s proposed two-year, $75 billion state budget this week. Ohio State University President Kristina M. Johnson offered her advice on the sections of the bill that affect the university to the House Finance Subcommittee on Higher Education.

On Sunday, I was honored and excited to be invited to Gospel Fest, part of the university’s 43rd African American Heritage Festival. The event featured music, dancing and more — a joyous expression of pride and celebration organized by an amazing and dedicated group of students.

More students in classrooms, reduced testing and “something special” for graduates at spring commencement. Those are some of the positive opportunities for The Ohio State University community as conditions related to the COVID-19 pandemic continue to improve.

Together, we have worked as a university community throughout the pandemic to lift up one another. We have connected through masks and screens, fought the spread of COVID-19 and continued to innovate, create, research, teach and learn. We have demonstrated that the Buckeye spirit cannot be held back.

Even when faced with the challenges of a global pandemic, unprecedented in the modern age, the Ohio State spirit has not wavered. If anything, it shines brighter in our care and support for one another. I am truly honored to be a part of that.

In her first State of the University address as the 16th president of The Ohio State University, Kristina M. Johnson today announced a commitment to hire hundreds of new faculty members and invest more than $750 million in new cutting-edge research, and promised a debt-free undergraduate education in a decade.

Her career had included titles such as inventor, professor, policymaker, business leader – but it started with “scientist.”

Your efforts to slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus continue to pay off. I am proud to be part of such a caring and conscientious Buckeye community. As this challenge continues, you are succeeding every day in advancing our overall mission and building a better world.