Campus engagement

The Ohio State community actively engaged in discussions of the Comprehensive Energy Management Project in face-to-face meetings; public forums; campuswide emails; updates in campus publications; and this website.

The university has established two committees of students, faculty and staff to provide ongoing advice related to the operations, capital improvements and sustainability aspects of the Comprehensive Energy Management Project. A third advisory committee is focused on development of the Energy Advancement and Innovation Center.

Energy Academic Collaboration Council

The EACC is specifically focused on academic collaboration and campus engagement related to the partnership. Read the charge

Co-facilitators: 

  • Kate Bartter, Executive Director, Sustainability Institute at Ohio State
  • Randy Moses, Senior Associate Vice President for Research Administration and Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering

Kate Bartter, Director, Office of Energy and Environment

Jeff Bielicki, Assistant Professor, College of Engineering and John Glenn College of Public Affairs

Kate Calder, Professor, Statistics

Molly Ranz Calhoun, Associate Vice President for Student Life

Kip Curtis, Assistant Professor, Environmental History, Department of History, Mansfield

Elena Irwin, Faculty Director, Sustainability Institute; Professor, College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences

Cathann Kress, Vice President of Agricultural Administration, Dean of College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences

Randy Moses, interim senior vice president, Research Administration

Keith Myers, Vice President of Physical Planning, Administration and Planning

Stephen Post, President, Council of Graduate Students

Scott Potter, EAC Chair, Senior Director – Comprehensive Energy Management

Giorgio Rizzoni, Director, Center for Automotive Research; Professor, Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering

Sara Rubin, Vice President, Principal Gifts - Office of Advancement

Jay Sayre, Assistant VP, Materials and Manufacturing Sustainability; Director of Innovation, Institute for Materials Research

David Staley, Associate Professor and Interim Director of the Humanities Institute; Director of the Center for the Humanities in Practice

Claudia Turro, Dow Professor, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry

Jordan Vajda, President, Inter-Professional Council

Richie Waino, Undergraduate Student Government

Peter Ward, Richard M. Ross Chair in Management, Fisher College of Business

David Williams, Executive Dean of the Professional Colleges, Dean of the College of Engineering

Visionary Project Advisory Committee

The VPAC, comprised of EACC members and a representative of Ohio State Energy Partners, is specifically focused on the Energy Advancement and Innovation Center component of the academic collaboration plan.

  • Chair: Jay Sayre, Assistant Vice President, Office of Research 

Elena Irwin, Faculty Director, Sustainability Institute; Professor, College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences

Randy Moses, Senior Associate Vice President for Research 

Keith Myers, Vice President of Physical Planning, Administration and Planning

Jay Sayre, Assistant VP, Materials and Manufacturing Sustainability; Director of Innovation, Institute for Materials Research

Serdar Tufekci, CEO, Ohio State Energy Partners

Mike Stevens, Chief Innovation Officer, City of Columbus

Energy Advisory Committee

The EAC is charged with reviewing and providing advice to university leaders on Ohio State Energy Partners' proposals for capital improvements, its operating plans, and other aspects of the energy partnership.  Read excerpts from the concession agreement

  • Chair: Scott Potter, Senior Director - Comprehensive Energy Management

Randy Allen, Corporate Controller Financial Services – Wexner Medical Center

Kate Bartter, Director - Sustainability Institute

Amy Burgess, Asst. Vice President – Planning and Administration

Molly Ranz Calhoun,  Senior Associate Vice President – Student Life 

Mike Dixon, Asst. Vice President – Facilities Operations 

Wayne E Eckert, Senior Director Facilities Management – Wexner Medical Center

Christopher Hadad, Professor – Chemistry and Biochemistry

Michael B. Hofherr, Vice President and Chief Information Officer – Office of Academic Affairs

Douglas A. Huffner, Senior Director and Chief Risk Officer – Business and Finance

Scott Klute, Senior Director – Financial Planning & Analysis

Keith Myers, Vice President Physical Planning – Planning and Real Estate 

Mike Penner, Executive Associate Athletic Director – Internal Operations

Scott Potter, Senior Director Comprehensive Energy Management – Business and Finance

Daniel J. Prater, Student

Paul Sherwood, Asst. Vice President – Facilities Design and Construction

Serdar Tüfekçi, Chief Executive Officer – Ohio State Energy Partners

Thomas Wood, Energy Management Engineer - Innovations

Jake Wozniak,  Treasurer and Vice President – Financial Services & Innovations

Contact information

  • For general questions about the Comprehensive Energy Management Project,  email us

 

Engagement during the evaluation 

The university held a series of meetings in October, November and December 2014 to introduce the project to faculty, staff and students through the university governance process. The university met with more than 30 groups and sought input from three advisory groups throughout the evaluation process. On April 4, 2017, the University Senate passed a resolution supporting a partnership. The Board of Trustees approved the partnership on April 7, 2017. 

Updates about the project also were shared with the full university community through regular email updates and university news channels including onCampus Today, onCampus Weekly and onCampus. In addition, we frequently updated this website and responded to questions or comments submitted through this email address.

These are some of the ways students, faculty and staff were engaged and kept informed about the project:

Advisory groups (See detail)

  • President and Provost's Council on Sustainability
  • Faculty Advisory Group
  • Council on the Physical Environment

Governance, leadership and other campus groups

  • Academic leaders: Council of Deans, Faculty Council and others
  • Employees: Utilities staff and Communications Workers of America leaders
  • Governance: Senate Steering, Senate Fiscal Committee and other governance committees, as well as University Senate
  • Student leaders: Council of Graduate Students, Inter-Professional Council, Undergraduate Student Government 
  • University Staff Advisory Committee
  • Other campus groups: Climate Reality Project, United Students Against Sweatshops

Campuswide communication

Public forums (See detail)

  • Jan. 28, 2016: About 70 people attend Undergraduate Student Government town hall
  • Feb. 4, 2015: More than 130 students, faculty and staff attended two campus meetings hosted by the Office of Academic Affairs. 

Media

  • Articles in publications including The Lantern, The Columbus Dispatch, Columbus Business First, Dayton Daily News and others