COLUMBUS — Walter "Ted" Carter Jr. has been unanimously named the new president of the Ohio State University by OSU's board of trustees and will begin his new role Jan. 1, 2024.

He is currently serving as president of University of Nebraska, where he oversees four campuses with 50,000 students and 16,000 faculty and staff members.

Known for his "strategic ingenuity and a highly collaborative leadership style," Carter is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and the Navy Fighter Weapons School, known as Top Gun. He holds educational credentials from the Navy Nuclear Power School, the U.S. Air Force Air War College, the Naval War College and the Armed Forces Staff College, according to an OSU release.

“President Carter brings an unparalleled combination of strategic leadership and true service, and we could not be more thrilled to welcome him and his family to Ohio State,” said board chair Hiroyuki Fujita. Fujita served as chair of the presidential selection subcommittee.

Carter assumed his current role in Jan. 2020 as the eighth president of NU, the state’s only public university. 

During Carter's tenure, NU has been ranked among the world’s top 100 institutions for research patents. NU was awarded a $92 million federal contract for its National Strategic Research Institute, which is one of the nation's 14 university-affiliated research centers conducting research for the Department of Defense.

The U.S. Naval Academy's longest continuously serving superintendent since the Civil War, Carter also led the Naval Academy to achieve top national rankings and set institutional records for student success. 

“I am immensely grateful for the opportunity to serve as president of Ohio State, an institution founded upon and well known across the globe for research, teaching and an enduring commitment to service,” Carter said. “The work being done across Ohio and beyond to shape the future of research and innovation, workforce development, the arts, health care, college affordability and college athletics is remarkable. These are areas of particular passion for me, and I can’t wait to begin my journey as a Buckeye.”

Carter recently received a positive evaluation from NU and was going to be awarded a $144,000 bonus. The Lincoln Journal Star reported Carter said he planned to donate his bonus to charity, as several of the university’s campuses are facing a $58 million budget shortfall.

Despite the shortfall, under Carter's leadership, NU was able to maintain its AA bond rating from S&P Global, which allows the school to borrow money at lower interest rates.

A letter by S&P Global, dated July 13, affirmed the rating, with the analysts citing a five-point plan by NU leaders that aims to increase recruitment, boost the school’s academic profile and increase operational efficiencies. The strong rating kept the university system in the top 8% of all public institutions S&P Global analysts rate.

In his review, Carter, was commended for his work with a private fundraising campaign to raise $3 billion, as well as efforts to secure more funding for the university than was proposed in the state budget, the Nebraska Reporter wrote.

Carter launched Nebraska Promise, a program that helps low-income residents attend NU free of tuition.

Carter earned a BA in physics and oceanography from the U.S. Naval Academy, where he played ice hockey and served as team captain.

The Board of Trustees also announced Peter Mohler will serve as acting president of OSU, coordinating closely with Carter through the end of the calendar year.