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| Left to Right: OBR Chief of Staff, Matt Whatley, OBR Chancellor, John Carey, Edison Vice President for Academic Affairs, Patti Ross, Edison President, Cristobal Valdez, Former State Senator and OBR Senior Vice Chancellor for the division of Innovation and Enterprise Development, Gary Cates. |
During the visit, they met with Edison President, Cristobal Valdez, Vice President for Academic Affairs, Patti Ross and Deans Shirley Moore and Gwen Stevenson. While the key focus of the visit was placed on the College’s workforce development division, a comprehensive tour of the Piqua campus was also provided. Program faculty guided the group through different teaching and learning facilities, including the College’s science, medical, networking, and engineering labs. The Medical Assistant Program, iStan nursing simulators, and the Cisco Academy were also discussed.
Governor John R. Kasich appointed John Carey in April to serve as Chancellor of the Ohio Board of Regents. As Chancellor, Carey leads the University System of Ohio – the largest comprehensive system of public higher education in the nation – and is charged to further the Administration’s efforts to better integrate higher education into the State’s job creation and workforce development efforts.
“John Carey can help to continue to transform Ohio’s system of universities into a university system, and in doing so, higher education can become a stronger partner in Ohio's job creation efforts,” said Kasich. “As Chancellor, Carey will work with businesses to ensure that coursework and curricula give students the skills they need to meet the needs of employers. The reforms we’ve made to date have led to greater collaboration among the universities, an increased emphasis on research commercialization, and a funding plan that focuses on improving graduation rates. As a result, universities can better control their costs and help more Ohioans get their degrees so they are better prepared for the jobs that exist.”
Former Senator Cates joined the Board of Regents in May of 2011. According to then Chancellor Petro, “Senator Cates has long been a champion of higher education and the need to align education for the specific needs of our state and future. The governor and I have known Senator Cates for many years and know that he brings strong leadership in education and innovation, along with a reputation for aggressively moving forward important initiatives on behalf of all Ohioans.”
“We are pleased to have Chancellor Carey and Senior Vice Chancellor Cates visit Edison,” added Valdez. “Our college has many assets, including strong student success rates and robust relationships with business and industry that help strengthen the workforce and economic sustainability of this area. We are appreciative of these officials’ willingness to see it first-hand.”