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Ohio State University swiftly appointed a new president Thursday, following the sudden resignation of Walter “Ted” Carter Jr. over an “inappropriate relationship” with a podcast host who received public funding.
The university’s board of trustees unanimously selected Executive Vice President and Provost Ravi Ballamkonda to succeed Carter without conducting a nationwide search. Board chair John Zeiger expressed confidence in Ballamkonda’s leadership abilities during the special meeting.
“The right leader is already at our university,” Zeiger said, “and his vast experience, his personal values and management skills, his strong record here at Ohio State and his ability to inspire excellence in all those around him give this board great confidence.”
Carter resigned just two years into his five-year contract that paid him more than $1.1 million annually, plus bonuses and housing at the president’s mansion. The board confronted him after receiving an external tip, prompting Carter to admit he had “made a mistake in allowing inappropriate access to Ohio State leadership.”
The investigation centers on Carter’s relationship with Krisanthe Vlachos, host of “The Callout,” a podcast for military veterans. JobsOhio, the state’s privatized economic development office, revealed it had paid $60,000 for a four-episode pilot of Vlachos’ podcast at Carter’s recommendation. The office is now attempting to recover those funds.
“Ohio State is a trusted partner and Admiral Carter, sharing our passion for military and veterans, recommended The Callout Podcast as an opportunity to build and engage a military and veteran audience in Ohio,” JobsOhio stated on social media. The organization added that Carter had suggested the podcast could help “connect them to the massive job opportunities coming to Ohio’s super sectors like advanced aerospace/defense and energy.”
Carter had appeared as a guest on Vlachos’ podcast. University spokesperson Ben Johnson confirmed that VetEarnUSA LLC, a business registered by Vlachos in December 2023, is part of the ongoing investigation. Records show Vlachos listed WOSU Public Media’s address for her business, though WOSU has clarified she merely had a contract to record in their studios near campus.
Additionally, JobsOhio paid Vlachos $10,000 for a veterans’ theater production titled “Last Out: Elegy of a Green Beret” as part of its Hometown Heroes program, which provides free programming for military personnel, veterans, and their families.
Ballamkonda addressed reporters after the board meeting, acknowledging the university community would have various reactions to Carter’s departure and the circumstances surrounding it. He pledged to maintain high standards and guide the institution forward during this transition.
Carter came to Ohio State in 2023 from the University of Nebraska system, bringing significant credentials. A former superintendent of the U.S. Naval Academy and graduate of the Navy Fighter Weapons School (Top Gun), Carter holds the national record for carrier-arrested landings with over 2,000 mishap-free touchdowns.
Ballamkonda’s background includes leadership positions at several prestigious institutions. A bioengineer and neuroscientist with a Ph.D. in medical science and biomaterials from Brown University, he previously held positions at Emory University, Duke, Georgia Tech, and Case Western Reserve University before joining Ohio State.
In his first remarks as president, Ballamkonda emphasized his commitment to excellence across all university endeavors.
“Looking ahead, knowing our collective strengths, I promise you this: Together we will take on hard things that are worth doing,” he said. “Hard things that are worth doing in athletics, in healthcare, in education, in fact in all the things we do. We will lead and we will not be afraid to lead.”
The rapid leadership change marks Ohio State’s fourth president since 2020, highlighting a period of significant administrative turnover at one of the nation’s largest public universities. The board’s decision to appoint an internal candidate rather than conducting an extended search signals a desire for stability and continuity during a challenging transition.
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6 Comments
Appointing the provost as the new president makes sense to provide stability, but I hope the board will still conduct a more comprehensive search process in the future. It’s important to ensure Ohio State has the best possible leadership going forward.
The abrupt resignation of the previous Ohio State president is certainly troubling. While I’m glad the board moved quickly to name a new leader, the circumstances around the departure seem murky. I hope the university will conduct a thorough and independent investigation to fully understand what happened.
This is certainly an interesting development at Ohio State. While I’m glad to see a quick transition to new leadership, the circumstances around the previous president’s resignation raise some red flags that will need to be addressed. I hope the university can move forward in a transparent and accountable manner.
It’s good to see the board acted swiftly to appoint a new president. Ballamkonda’s experience and strong record at the university should help ensure continuity. However, the details around the previous president’s resignation raise important questions that need to be addressed transparently.
This is an unfortunate situation for Ohio State. The sudden resignation of the university president over inappropriate conduct is concerning. I hope the new interim president, Ravi Ballamkonda, can provide steady leadership during this transition period.
The sudden resignation of the Ohio State president over an ‘inappropriate relationship’ is certainly concerning. I hope the university will conduct a thorough investigation to fully understand what happened and ensure it doesn’t happen again. Appointing the provost as the interim president seems like a reasonable short-term solution.