Chancellor Carey lauds Wright State for access, opportunity

The chancellor of the Ohio Board of Regents paid a visit to Wright State as part of his statewide budget tour, underscoring the importance of access to higher education and applauding the university for providing opportunities.

During the July 29 stop, John Carey met with Wright State President David R. Hopkins and other top officials. He then took part in an engineering education presentation and news conference.

(L-R) Wright State University President David R. Hopkins, Chancellor John Carey, College of Engineering and Computer Science Dean Nathan Klingbeil and Wright State Provost S. Narayanan.

Carey, the state’s top higher education official, said his charge from Gov. John Kasich is to align higher education with the workforce.

“What we really want to do is provide students with pathways so that they can be successful and have the opportunity to choose the path that they want to choose,” Carey said. “I see Wright State and the other partners in this region as really leaders in getting people to cross that finish line, as President Hopkins talks about.”

He said Wright State is providing opportunity to many people through its commercialization efforts and through co-ops and internships.

“And one of the strengths that Wright State has shown is their leadership in serving veterans,” Carey added. “That’s a very important issue. We’re looking really at Wright State as a model.”

The university serves more than 650 veterans or military-connected students—service members, National Guard/Reserve members and military dependents. And it offers an array of resources to help these students transition to campus.

Chancellor John Carey at the podium in the Wright Brothers Room.

During his stop, Carey listened to a presentation by Engineering Dean Nathan Klingbeil, who has helped redesign the university’s engineering mathematics curriculum to increase retention and graduation, a model that is spreading across the country.

Hopkins said Carey represents “what we care deeply about, and that’s the future of higher education.”

“He understands very clearly the challenges ahead for ensuring that we provide affordable, high quality education for all Ohioans,” Hopkins said.