After a whirlwind few days for The Ohio State University, the school appears ready to name its next president.
The university’s Board of Trustees is expected to appoint Ravi V. Bellamkonda, Ohio State’s executive vice president and provost, as the institution’s 18th president during a meeting Thursday morning. Bellamkonda has served as the university’s chief academic officer since 2025.
If approved, Bellamkonda will step into the role following the resignation of former president Ted Carter, who stepped down over the weekend after acknowledging he had an inappropriate relationship with someone seeking public resources to support her personal business.
Carter had been in the role for just over a year. He was appointed in August 2023 and officially began serving as president in January 2024.
Bellamkonda joined Ohio State last year after serving as provost and vice president for academic affairs at Emory University in Atlanta. At Ohio State, he oversees the university’s academic operations, including its colleges, regional campuses, and thousands of faculty members.
Before his time in Columbus and Atlanta, Bellamkonda held several major academic leadership roles.
He served as dean of the Pratt School of Engineering at Duke University and previously worked as a professor and department chair of biomedical engineering at both Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory.
Outside of administration, Bellamkonda is also a bioengineer and neuroscientist. In 2021, he received a major award from the National Institutes of Health for research focused on developing new technology to help treat pediatric brain tumors.
Carter’s resignation followed reports that his relationship involved the host of a veterans-focused podcast that had been recorded at WOSU Public Media studios in Columbus. The university is currently investigating whether any public resources were used in connection with the situation.
Ohio State’s Board of Trustees is expected to vote on Bellamkonda’s appointment during Thursday’s meeting, with a public announcement and news conference likely to follow.
If confirmed, Bellamkonda would become the university’s newest leader during a moment of sudden transition for one of the largest universities in the country.
