Friday, March 10, 2000
OSU president calls for research emphasis
More funding needed, he says
BY JAMES PILCHER
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Ohio State University president William E. Kirwan wants the triangle of Cincinnati, Columbus and Wright-Patterson Air Force Base outside Dayton to become the next Silicon Valley — an area known for technological advances sparked by the area's research universities.
And part of that goal hinges on OSU becoming one of the top 10 research facilities in the country, Dr. Kirwan said Wednesday during a whirlwind tour of the city.
“We need to become a part of the technological revolution that the rest of the country is undergoing,” Dr. Kirwan said. “We are way behind in this issue, and for us to reinvent our economy, we need to reinvent the way we fund research in this state.”
Dr. Kirwan, a Kentucky native whose father served as president of the University of Kentucky in Lexington, made a recruiting stop at Walnut Hills High School before meeting with the editorial board of The Cincinnati Enquirer.
He said the need for additional research funds need not create friction between OSU and the University of Cincin nati, which also has set lofty goals in research and technology development.
“We will always be competitive ... but as long as the allocations are based on merit, I think we all win,” Dr. Kirwan said.
UC spokesman Greg Hand agreed that the universities can cooperate and compete at the same time.
“We've done it before, we can do it again,” Mr. Hand said. “The money isn't really there yet, but if this does come to pass, we can all concentrate on our strengths.”
Dr. Kirwan said he would be lobbying the Ohio General Assembly this spring for more research funds and that OSU would be giving an additional $1 million to departments that have shown they can achieve top national status.
The Columbus school receives $470 million from the state, and has the nation's second-largest enrollment at nearly 55,000, including graduate students.
Yet Ohio ranks 47th in per capita state spending on higher education, making any new allocations difficult, said Dr. Gerald Winer, a psychology professor and president of the OSU branch of the American Association of University Professors. “They are trying to build excellence by taking from within,” he said, adding that students will suffer because of the focus on research. Dr. Kirwan agreed that the school can't lose its focus on student education, pointing out that the history and psychology departments got an additional $1 million in last year.
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