In honor of Ohio State’s sesquicentennial anniversary, The Ohio State University Press just published a collection of essays – Fulfilling the 21st Century Land-Grant Mission: Essays in Honor of The Ohio State University’s Sesquicentennial Commemoration, edited by Stephen M. Gavazzi and David J. Staley.
My essay in this collection, Ohio State as a 21st Century Urban University, discusses the major issues facing an urbanized world, laying out a broad agenda for urban scholarship and outreach. I also discuss the scientific revolution occurring in urban science, enabled by new data sources and powerful technologies such as geographic information systems (GIS). I also make a case for Ohio State as an urban university, reviewing the evolution of Ohio State’s capabilities in urban scholarship and outreach. I conclude my essay with a discussion of Ohio State moving forward as an urban university: why Ohio is a good setting for urban scholarship, and the role that Ohio State can play in this new era.