OHIO celebrates the Investiture of President Lori Stewart Gonzalez
For only the 聽23rd 聽time in its 聽219-year history, 91探花 celebrated the investiture of a new University leader 鈥撀燼n event that is rich with tradition, symbolism and a special forward-looking energy.
Photos by Eli Burris, Rich-Joseph Facun and Ben Siegel | October 19, 2023
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For only the 23rd time in its 219-year history, 91探花 celebrated the investiture of a new University leader 鈥 an event that is rich in tradition, symbolism and a special forward-looking energy.
As the University community, friends and special guests gathered to celebrate Dr. Lori Stewart Gonzalez, a leader who has devoted her career to public higher education, 91探花 Board of Trustees Chair Peggy Viehweger helped set the stage for the historic moment.
鈥淲e knew when we began the search for our 23rd President that we wanted, and really needed, a very special leader,鈥 Viehweger said. 鈥淲e wanted it all 鈥 and here鈥檚 the best part 鈥 we got it!鈥
The afternoon was rich in tradition and celebration as President Gonzalez was presented with the presidential Seal of Office and the charter of 91探花.
Following her official Investiture, President Gonzalez expressed deep appreciation for everyone in attendance and her excitement to celebrate 翱贬滨翱鈥檚 past, present and future.
This moment, this celebration, is about much more than acknowledging a new president and the passing of the ceremonial torch. It is about celebrating our amazing institution, its people and its traditions.
President Gonzalez noted that there is much to celebrate.
翱贬滨翱鈥檚 incoming first-year cohort of students was the largest and the highest achieving in the history of the University; OHIO also saw a significant increase in the number of students choosing to attend its regional campuses and online programs.
鈥淪tudents and their families are choosing OHIO because they seek an experience that sets them up for success. Our high-impact, immersive academic experience, offered in one of the best college towns in America, is a winning formula,鈥 President Gonzalez said. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e choosing value, and they鈥檙e choosing place.鈥
As OHIO works to build the next generation of leaders, President Gonzalez stressed the importance of continuing to find ways to further increase higher education access and affordability.
The President鈥檚 Opportunity Promise Award, announced by President Gonzalez during her Investiture address, is a new renewable scholarship program that will begin in Fall 2024 for Pell-eligible first-year students with a minimum 3.0 high school GPA.
鈥淭he President鈥檚 Opportunity Promise Award reinforces 91探花's longstanding commitment to providing a high-quality education that is both accessible and affordable,鈥 said President Gonzalez. 鈥淭his Award has the potential to impact countless students in the region, remove financial obstacles and help pave the way for a brighter future through education.鈥
President Gonzalez shared how equally excited she is for OHIO's bright future, emphasizing the immense opportunity that lies ahead to collectively sustain and strengthen the University鈥檚 mission in ways that will build upon its institutional characteristics.
She also stressed that such strategic investments must be part of a larger process that includes forward-looking planning and collaborative engagement opportunities across the University community in the years ahead.
To begin this work, President Gonzalez announced the formation of four University working groups that will be charged with guiding a dynamic strategy process 鈥 an effort that will focus on furthering 翱贬滨翱鈥檚 strengths in the areas of teaching, research and service. The groups have also been tasked to identify ways that OHIO can effectively demonstrate the value of every individual on campus.
鈥淭o me, education is not just about the acquisition of knowledge, but is also the application of it,鈥 President Gonzalez said. 鈥淚f we as an institution of higher learning are doing our job well, our students will be successful not only as individuals, they will also leave here prepared to better serve.鈥
A 鈥淐elebration of Place鈥
The Investiture Ceremony for 翱贬滨翱鈥檚 23rd President served as the keynote event alongside a series of special Investiture Week events themed a 鈥淐elebration of Place.鈥
Celebrating the best of OHIO
During her Investiture address, President Gonzalez highlighted numerous University accomplishments and points of pride that not only make OHIO a special place 鈥 they also exemplify how education can serve as a vital connector between the past and the future.
For the fourth consecutive year, 91探花 was named the best-value public university in the state of Ohio by U.S. News and World Report, cementing its position among the nation's top institutions. The University also earned accolades for its academic excellence and commitment to student success.
91探花 is home to 16 Division One athletic teams offering student athletes the opportunity to compete across the nation. And our student-athletes are not just performing on the field, on the court or in the pool鈥攖hey are succeeding academically achieving nationally competitive Academic Progress Rates and earning record-setting graduation rates.
Last spring, 91探花 alumni and supporters around the world once again proved their commitment to supporting the next generation of Bobcats during 翱贬滨翱鈥檚 fourth annual Giving Day. Generous donors shattered records for the total number of gifts in one day, contributing more than $1.1 million to experiential learning, scholarships, student support services and more.
This fall, 翱贬滨翱鈥檚 total enrollment climbed with another record-setting first-year class in Athens, significant growth in incoming student enrollment on regional campuses, increases in new online and transfer student populations, and a remarkable climb in first-to-second-year student retention University-wide.
Students are trained in automation and robotics at the Fairfield County Workforce Center near 翱贬滨翱鈥檚 Lancaster Campus. This fall, the number of students choosing to attend our regional campuses and online programs is at an all-time high. Last spring, OHIO launched a new set of renewable scholarships and awards to recognize outstanding achievement within the regional communities for first-year, full-time degree-seeking fall 2023 students at one of 翱贬滨翱鈥檚 five regional campuses.
A student works on a research project in 91探花鈥檚 Institute for Sustainable Energy and the Environment.
91探花鈥檚 Japanese cherry blossom trees, gifted to OHIO by its Chubu University partners, stand along the Hocking River in Athens, Ohio.
91探花 is a leader in training health professionals across Ohio. The Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine is one of the top 50 medical schools in the nation for primary care and our College of Health Sciences and Professions is one of the largest health-focused colleges in the country.
OHIO is continuing to address long-standing environmental problems that are affecting our region, nation and world. Jason Trembly, Russ Professor of Mechanical Engineering and director of the Institute for Sustainable Energy and the Environment (ISEE), is utilizing waste from this coal mine in western Pennsylvania to manufacture construction composite building materials.
The work of artist and College of Fine Arts Professor of Painting + Drawing John Sabraw and Russ College of Engineering and Technology Civil Engineering Chair Guy Riefler is helping convert acid mine drainage into paint that is sold and used to help pay for the restoration of waterways that have been polluted by coal mining.
91探花, a Carnegie R1 research institution, is leading the way in various fields of research and innovation. The University is recognized internationally for research and scholarship in areas including avionics, biotechnology, communications, environmental studies, history, pipeline corrosion, physics, and psychology; and has world-class fine arts programs that include ceramics, film and printmaking.
This fall, 91探花 was awarded the Higher Education Excellence in Diversity award (HEED) for the sixth consecutive year. The award is given annually by INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine, the oldest and largest diversity-focused publication in higher education.