Kristina Johnson was officially named Ohio State’s 16th university president on Wednesday, culminating a months-long search to find Michael Drake’s successor to lead the university.
She comes to Columbus with no shortage of credentials on her résumé. Previously the chancellor of the State University of New York, Johnson has substantial experience not only in academia, but also in government and the private sector. Also a former college athlete, Johnson has ties to Ohio State and the state of Ohio and has worked to create more opportunities for women during her career.
“Her credentials are long and impeccable, and her references are glowing,” Lewis Von Thaer, who chaired Ohio State’s presidential search committee, said Wednesday during a Board of Trustees meeting in which her hire was officially approved.