What does Ohio State mean to you?

The Ohio State University is about changing people’s lives. It is that simple.

Improving lives of people in our local communities. Making a difference here and around the world by creating ideas that can be translated into opportunities. We have the capacity, the leadership, the talent, the research agenda, and the ambition to reveal ideas and solutions that can have enormous impact for hundreds of millions of people. And our students are partners in that endeavor.

There is a magnificence about this place. I believe we have the best students in the world and the best faculty in the world—in engineering, medicine, science, the humanities, the arts, the social sciences, business, education, and so many other fields of study. Because of our comprehensive campus in Columbus as well as our fine extended campuses across the state, Ohio State is in an excellent position to foster the cross-disciplinary intersections that allow us to be leaders at a time when leadership is sorely needed. My wish is for this great university to reach beyond our already high attainment and become the country’s most vibrant, most engaged, most forward-thinking public institution.

The But for Ohio State campaign is about the difference between good and great. Our ability to garner private support from alumni and friends will allow us to play on the world stage in ways we cannot otherwise. People invest in strength, and Ohio State is stronger than ever. Our students are better-prepared and more ambitious than ever. We have attracted faculty stars from neurology to materials science to history to English. Our research expenditures have reached a record $829 million, and we received more financial support from more individuals than ever before in the past year.

It is Ohio State’s time, and the But for Ohio State campaign will enable us to harness the power of your generosity to become a more agile, more responsive university that serves our community and our global society with unrestrained vigor. Our future, your future, will be unprecedented. Unparalleled.

But for Ohio State ... I would not be in the position to consider my role here as both a calling and a blessing. I am enthusiastic and energized by the passion I see in the eyes of our students and professors. We are a university that puts students first, that celebrates and facilitates the achievements of a remarkable faculty, that casts its research and scholarly agenda with a profound concern for the good of the people.

You are ‘the people.’ By investing in Ohio State through the But for Ohio State campaign, you, our alumni and friends, represent the possibility that exists when people believe in an enduring mission. With your help, there is no predicting the magnitude of our impact on people’s lives. It is truly without limit.

Whether Ohio State is your alma mater or your employer, your business incubator or your partner, your medical center, your cultural outlet, or the place where your children are being educated, you have your own ‘But for Ohio State’ story to tell. Give it legs. Give it support. Give it wings by joining our exciting effort to lead boldly into the future.