He wears a signature scarlet and gray bow tie. He never leaves an "O-H!" hanging. And he's an extremely vocal cheerleader for Ohio State programs, whether he's chatting with students on the Oval or conducting an interview.
On campus, President Gee is known as the quintessential Buckeye.
But beyond Ohio State, he's looked to as a national leader in higher education.
As chair of the National Commission on Higher Education Attainment, Gee is working to raise the number of college grads across the nation. (Read the commission's report--"An Open Letter to College and University Leaders"--to see the group's plan to increase the number of students who graduate from college.)
"Our economic future depends on an educated citizenry," Gee says. "The problem is that far too many of our best and brightest college students are not making it to the finish line."
Gee's message is being heard around the country:
- He was a Jan. 26 guest on C-SPAN's Washington Journal, where he discussed college costs and "the new traditional student," among other topics. (Watch the interview.)
- He's spoken to the New York Times and Washington Post. (Read "To raise graduation rate, colleges are urged to help a changing student body" from the Times and "College leaders: Focus on ensuring students get degrees" in the Post.)
- He's been quoted in academic media coverage of the group's reports. (Read the story from The Chronicle of Higher Education.)
He's also brought the conversation back to campus. During his first Twitter chat, he fielded questions related to #HigherEdFuture, answering tweets from Ohio State students, professors, alumni, and local reporters, along with higher education leaders from across the country.
"Without a doubt," Gee says, "new voices and fresh perspectives that we have gained on this digital frontier are adding a great deal to our ongoing national dialogue about the future of higher education."
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