Today's Update: Thursday, March 12, 2026

March 12, 2026

Dear Student Life team, 

The last couple of weeks have been very full and also featured quite a bit of change. I want to thank you for your continued, steadfast dedication to supporting our students and each other through it all. 

As you have probably already seen, this morning, Ohio State’s Board of Trustees named Dr. Ravi V. Bellamkonda as Ohio State’s 18th President, and I am very pleased with their choice. I have had the great honor of working closely with Ravi since he became a Buckeye last year, and I am excited to continue our partnership as he takes on his new role. From our work together with the board’s Academic Affairs, Research and Student Life committee, to the many ways our teams are collaborating on the university’s focus on career and internships and overall student success, I know first-hand that Ravi is fully committed to supporting Student Life in advancing an iconic student experience here at Ohio State. Likewise, I know that he takes a great deal of pride and sincere interest in ensuring we are thinking about the student journey from a holistic vantage point. 

If you haven’t followed his career, Dr. Bellamkonda, who trained as a bioengineer and neuroscientist through a PhD at Brown University and a postdoctoral fellowship at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, has served as Ohio State’s executive vice president and provost since January 2025. Previously, he served as provost and executive vice president for academic affairs at Emory University and the Vinik Dean of the Pratt School of Engineering at Duke University. 

At this morning’s announcement, President Bellamkonda talked about how Buckeyes are always willing to take on the hard things that are worth doing for the good of our institution and the entire state of Ohio. I am looking forward to working with him in this challenging, yet critically important work.  

Please join me in sending Dr. Bellamkonda and his wife, Dr. Lalita Kaligotla, the biggest Scarlet and Great welcome into this new role.   

 

Melissa S. Shivers, PhD 
Senior Vice President for Student Life  
The Ohio State University