Ohio State's 'Top Gun' to lead through tough times - President Carter shares his plans

It's been nearly a month since Lynda and Ted Carter moved into the Ohio State University president's residence in Bexley. He's officially been on the job for less than two weeks. But between meeting with dozens of students and faculty, hosting elected officials and university stakeholders, and settling into his new role, Carter's initial impressions are glowing.

"I chose to come to Ohio State University because they are so excellent in so many different areas: research, the arts, medical care, athletics," Carter told The Dispatch in a sit-down interview Thursday morning.

"Everything I've seen and everything that I thought I was coming into has in the first 11 days been validated," said Carter, who formerly headed the University of Nebraska.

Carter, 64, comes to Columbus and the university at an interesting time.

He succeeds former OSU President Kristina Johnson, who officially stepped down in May months after her sudden resignation revealed consternation with the board of trustees. Regional leaders are navigating how the arrival of Intel and other manufacturers will change the landscape of central Ohio for decades. Some students and families are questioning the value of a college degree. And elected officials, both locally and nationally, are questioning the value of a higher education.

Carter said he sees a role for Ohio State to play in all of that, and he's ready to get to work.

"I believe we can continue to do better," Carter said. "Anytime you come into a large, complex organization, your goal should be first, 'Do no harm.' Then second, whenever you do leave that organization, make sure you leave it in a better place than when you came. That's how I'll draft my strategy. That's my vision."

Looking for leaders in athletic director and provost hires

Carter has two huge hires to make right off the bat.

Melissa Gilliam, who most recently served as Ohio State's provost, departed at the end of the semester to lead Boston University as its new president. Athletic Director Gene Smith will retire June 30, ending what will be a 19-year tenure at Ohio State.

When thinking about the people to fill those roles, "leader" is the first word that Carter said comes to mind.

"That's one thing that's in common," he said. "They both have to know how to work across a very complex spectrum."

The ever-changing landscape of collegiate athletics means Smith's replacement at athletic director will need to be someone with "a whole lot of experience," Carter said.

He's also looking for someone who understands the challenges (NIL, conference realignments, changes to the college football playoffs and managing 36 Division 1 teams, to name a few).

They must be able to make hard decisions, Carter said, "because there will be some hard decisions coming up."

On the provost side, Carter said he wants somebody who can be not just a leader of the college deans, but also "somebody that can look inside our academic programs."

"These are tough times. (The new provost must) be able to look at our curriculum and make sure ... we can look at them through an objective lens, so we can find ways to improve," he said. "One of our primary missions here is to deliver knowledge and have our students continue to have that thirst for knowledge."

'Universities are one of the most cherished institutions'

Carter begins his tenure as Ohio State's president on the heels of several elite university presidents ending theirs.

University of Pennsylvania President M. Elizabeth Magill resigned in December, after her testimony before Congress sparked controversy as she appeared to evade questions related to antisemitism on her campus. Harvard President Claudine Gay also came under fire for her congressional testimony, as well as accusations of plagiarism. She resigned earlier this month.

Universities have long been accused of being bastions of liberalism, and recent events have once again roiled some conservative lawmakers against higher education. In Ohio, Republican lawmakers like Sen. Jerry Cirino, R-Kirtland, are seeking wide-ranging and controversial changes to the state's higher education system.

Carter doesn't see it that way.

"Universities are one of the most cherished institutions in this country, and we need to continue to tell the narrative," he said. "We need to ensure that we are empowering the ambassadors, who are mostly our own students, who really can tell the story of why they want to be on campus."

Carter said college is not only a critical time in a young person's social development, especially following the COVID-19 pandemic, it's also a pathway to economic prosperity.

An Inter-University Council of Ohio study published last summer found that college graduates earn about $1.2 million more during their careers than individuals with a high school diploma, and students who earn a bachelor’s degree from Ohio's public universities can expect to earn approximately $62,600 per year within the state, about $28,600 more than someone with a high school diploma.

Carter said he now gets to be the chief spokesperson for Ohio State and what it stands for, a role he's proud to play. Part of that role, he said, means he's responsible for sharing that story to the state General Assembly and Ohio's elected officials.

"I'm looking forward to making sure they know that we're going to be doing the right things for the right reasons here at Ohio State," he said.

No Ph.D, no problem

After it was announced that Carter would take over as Ohio State's 17th president, some in academia questioned his credentials, namely his lack of a Ph.D.

Carter said he isn't afraid of the criticism.

"My background is my background," he said. "The hallmark of my career is I've always been asked to go do something that I didn't expect. I've always been willing to serve and go take on those jobs, and do the very best I can."

Carter recalled a moment early in his career as a newly minted rear admiral when the chief of naval operations approached him about running the U.S. Naval War College.

"I actually questioned him ... 'Why would you want me to do that? I don't have that typical background,'" Carter recalled. "He said, 'Exactly.'"

Carter was named the 54th president of the Naval War College in 2013. It was there that he "fell in love with watching the development of young minds and seeing them go on to success."

A year later, then-Vice Admiral Carter became the 62nd superintendent of the U.S. Naval Academy, a post he held until July 2019. After retiring, Carter wondered if his military experience could translate to civilian higher education.

That led him to the University of Nebraska system, and eventually to Ohio State.

"I believe I'm where I'm supposed to be," he said.

To those who question him, Carter asks two things.

"One is give me a chance," he said. "And they'll find that I am a champion for those that have been classically trained in academia, because I respect what they've done."

His second ask is to remember that he's been in teaching and learning spaces for most of his career.

"It may not be in the classic academic sense," Carter said. "But I've been teaching the academics of what it takes to be a top flight fighter pilot, how to rebuild aircraft carriers, how to run academic institutions, all different structures in the military that have a lot of civilian connections.

"So when you take a look at the depth of my entire background, as unusual as it is, however, it's happened," Carter said. "I'm here, and I'm really excited to be here."

Lightning round with OSU President Walter 'Ted' Carter, Jr.

Currently reading? A 720-page copy of "TOPGUN: The Legacy: The Complete History of TOPGUN and Its Impact on Tactical Aviation" by Brad Elward that Carter received over the holidays. "I read a lot of history books, and a little bit of a World War II history buff," he said.

Favorite movie? "The Natural" and, of course, "Top Gun". ("I've only seen 'Top Gun' like 57 times," Carter joked.)

Most excited to try in Columbus? The Carters are foodies, he said, so they're excited to experience the city's culinary scene. He's also looking forward to seeing the Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena.

Advice to students this semester? "Take every day one day at a time," he said.

Sheridan Hendrix is a higher education reporter for The Columbus Dispatch. Sign up for Extra Credit, her education newsletter, here.

shendrix@dispatch.com

@sheridan120

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: President Ted Carter begins role as Ohio State University's 'Top Gun'