[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 202 (Friday, November 19, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1259]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  CELEBRATING THE INVESTITURE OF DR. KRISTINA M. JOHNSON AS THE OHIO 
                   STATE UNIVERSITY'S 16TH PRESIDENT

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JOYCE BEATTY

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, November 19, 2021

  Mrs. BEATTY. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize and celebrate 
the investiture of Dr. Kristina M. Johnson as the 16th president of The 
Ohio State University. As a former administrator and longtime member of 
the university community, I know her investiture is a significant 
milestone in the life of this land-grant university and world-class 
institution of higher learning.
  Each of The Ohio State University's 16 presidents have left a lasting 
mark during the 151-year history of the institution. Since taking over 
as President on August 24, 2020, President Johnson has added an 
immediate impact as an inclusive leader and advanced the university's 
mission to uplift lives through academic and research excellence.
  With Dr. Johnson's more than 30 years of experience and leadership in 
the academic, business, and public policy sectors, the future of Ohio 
State is indeed bright. Before joining Ohio State, she served as 
Chancellor of the State University of New York (SUNY) since 2017. Prior 
to that, she founded several successful science and technology 
companies, served as undersecretary of energy at the U.S. Department of 
Energy, and held academic leadership positions at prestigious 
institutions, including Johns Hopkins University, Duke University, and 
the University of Colorado at Boulder.
  Dr. Johnson's investiture is very much a homecoming, as she has close 
family ties to Ohio State and the state of Ohio. Her grandfather 
graduated from Ohio State in 1896 and played on one of the early 
football teams. Family lore has it that Dr. Johnson's grandfather met 
her grandmother on the Columbus campus.
  In academic circles, the installation of a new president is a 
ceremony of dignity with many protocols and traditions. An academic 
procession takes place that includes delegates from other colleges and 
universities, trustees, and university faculty and leadership. It is an 
honor to recognize and celebrate this momentous occasion for the 
university, which is so near and dear to my heart, and the heart of the 
central Ohio community.
  I wish Dr. Johnson, her spouse Veronica Meinhard, and the entire 
Buckeye Community well as they embark on this journey together. Go 
Bucks.

                          ____________________