Osmer named Council of Graduate Schools board president

Patrick S. Osmer, vice provost of graduate studies and dean of the Graduate School at Ohio State is the new chair of the Council of Graduate Schools’ Board of Directors. Osmer started his term at the end of CGS’s annual meeting in Washington, D.C., Dec. 1-4.

The Council of Graduate Schools is an organization of over 500 institutions of higher education in the United States and Canada engaged in graduate education and research. Based in Washington, DC, CGS’s mission is to improve and advance graduate education through research, dissemination of best practices, and advocacy in the federal policy arena.

Among U.S. institutions, CGS members award 93 percent of the doctoral degrees and 76 percent of master’s degrees.

 “I’m honored and privileged to be chair of the board of the directors,” Osmer said. “CGS is a remarkable organization and a tremendous resource for the graduate community across the globe and at Ohio State.”

Osmer was a member of a commission that produced a recent CGS and Educational Testing Service (ETS) report on the future of graduate of graduate education. That report, The Path Forward, is providing a framework for universities to plan for new directions in graduate education that respond to changing demographics among students and the workforce needs.

“That report makes a compelling case for our need as graduate educators to look forward and to rethink our graduate programs. What do we need to do to make sure that our graduate programs continue to be competitive and attractive to students? What new directions should we pursue—such as professional science master’s programs—that provide added value to students and their future employers?”

During winter quarter, he plans to bring these and other topics to the attention of Ohio State’s graduate programs and graduate faculty with the goal of engaging the faculty in conversations about the purpose and function of doctoral and master’s programs going forward.

Osmer’s appointment as CGS board chair “reflects the good work that we are doing at Ohio State to enhance the quality of our graduate education,” said Joseph A. Alutto, executive vice president and provost. “The doctoral review carried out by the Graduate School in 2008 is just one example of the seriousness, innovation, and collegiality that Pat brings to every task.  He is sure to bring those same qualities to his leadership role in CGS.”

Osmer became vice provost for graduate studies and dean of the Graduate School in 2006. A Distinguished Professor of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, he was chair of the astronomy department from 1993-2006.

Before coming to Ohio State, Osmer was a member of the scientific staff and deputy director of the National Optical Astronomy Observatory in Tucson, Arizona. Prior to that, he was on the scientific staff of the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in La Serena, Chile, where he served as director of the observatory and head of mission from 1981-1985. He earned a B.S. in astronomy with highest honors from the Case Institute of Technology and a Ph.D. in astronomy from the California Institute of Technology.