Ohio State University’s board of trustees appointed Executive Vice President and Provost Ravi Bellamkonda as president after Walter “Ted” Carter Jr.’s abrupt resignation over an “inappropriate relationship,” the university announced. Trustees voted unanimously to promote an insider and bypass a nationwide search, installing Ohio State’s fourth president since 2020. The move is intended to stabilize campus governance and preserve continuity in academic operations, research programs and donor relationships, according to the university’s statement and reporting from AP. The appointment reduces transition risk for students and funders but concentrates immediate pressure on Bellamkonda to steady leadership after repeated turnovers. For higher‑education leaders, the decision underscores how governing boards are increasingly opting for expedited, internal successions to limit disruption—a choice that shortens search timelines but can raise faculty and shared‑governance concerns when external vetting is curtailed.