100th Anniversary of the Graduate School 
Patrick S. Osmer — February 21, 2012
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Patrick S. Osmer,
Vice Provost of Graduate Studies and Dean of the Graduate School
I am honored to report that this is the Graduate School's 100th year. Since the Graduate School was founded in 1911, over 157,500 graduate students have earned Ohio State master’s and Ph.D. degrees.
This is an extraordinary number, and it helps tell the story of why Ohio State and Ohio State graduate alumni are known all over the world.
Talented students started pursuing graduate work at Ohio State in 1878-79, just a few years after the university was established in 1870. In 1906, then President William Oxley Thompson, recognizing the talent of the faculty and growing demand in the state for more persons with graduate degrees, charged a faculty committee to explore a more comprehensive approach to graduate education. When the Graduate School was officially founded, it was in response to the faculty’s recommendation.
I am intrigued by themes in the Graduate School’s historical documents that resonate through the last 100 years. For instance, we are once again experiencing a growing demand for more people who have graduate degrees. This need is true nationally and across the globe.
At the heart of this demand are the qualities that distinguish students who pursue graduate degrees. These students are forward-thinking, creative, and highly motivated. To focus on the Ph.D. for a moment, the hallmark of that degree is how it prepares people to do independent research. Men and women who have pursued a Ph.D. program have developed their creative abilities in ways that help them formulate new questions addressing the full range of human endeavors and problems. They also bring the necessary knowledge and technical abilities to bear on answering these complex questions.
This is the value of graduate education and of the students who pursue master’s and doctoral degrees. During the Graduate School’s centennial year, we are highlighting this value by working with Ohio State faculty, graduate students, and our partners outside the university on the following projects:
- Innovations in preparing doctoral students
- Opportunities for new professionally oriented master’s programs that meet local, state, and national needs
- A summit at Ohio State in May focusing on career pathways for graduate students
Throughout the year, we will celebrate the achievements of our current graduate students in special and fun ways. I am also getting in contact with Ohio State graduate student alumni to find out how they have put their degrees to work and to get their perspectives on their experiences at Ohio State.
Graduate alumni are invited to participate in discussions about current directions in graduate education at Ohio State that are taking place here. Please share your observations and suggestions.
Patrick S. Osmer is vice provost for graduate studies and dean of the Graduate School at Ohio State. He is currently serving as past chair of the board of directors for the Council of Graduate Schools. Osmer was chair of the Ohio State astronomy department from 1993-2006.
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