MEDIA ADVISORY: Battelle Executive, Former Ohio University System Chancellor Eric D. Fingerhut to Speak at U.Va. Board of Visitors Dinner

Eric D. Fingerhut, vice president for education and STEM learning at the Battelle Memorial Institute, will be the featured speaker at a dinner session of the University of Virginia Board of Visitors on Monday.

Fingerhut previously served as chancellor of the Ohio Board of Regents, a gubernatorial appointment, from 2007 until 2011, and was the author of a bold, 10-year strategic plan for the state higher education system.

U.Va. Rector Helen E. Dragas extended the invitation to Fingerhut and said he will discuss the evolving landscape of higher education, including the following topics:

  • Humanities vs. STEM (science, technology, engineering and math), bridging the false divide
  • Innovation and technology in higher education
  • The coming culture of accountability in higher education

As chancellor of the Ohio Board of Regents, Fingerhut was responsible for leading the University System of Ohio, which comprises 14 universities, 23 community colleges and more than 120 adult workforce and training centers serving more than 600,000 students. Fingerhut also held elected office in Ohio, including representing Ohio’s 19th District in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1993 to 1995, and the 25th district of the Ohio Senate from 1999 to 2006.

Battelle Memorial Institute, the largest non-profit research and development organization in the world, is an international science and technology enterprise that explores emerging areas of science, develops and commercializes technology, and manages laboratories for customers.  Fingerhut is currently responsible for leading Battelle’s efforts to train future science and technology leaders.

A biography of Fingerhut can be found here.

The event, scheduled at 7 p.m. on Monday, is open to members of the news media. Reporters intending to cover the event are asked to notify the U.Va. Office of University Communications at 434-924-1400 or by emailing to pdc@virginia.edu.

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