A lot happened in the College of Arts and Sciences in 2025. Let's take a look back at some of our top stories from the past 12 months as we get ready to share another year of excellence, innovation and community with you in 2026.

College of Arts and Sciences launches first-of-its-kind Forensic Anthropology Lab

The Department of Anthropology in Ohio State’s College of Arts and Sciences has officially opened the doors of the new Forensic Anthropology Laboratory — a milestone that furthers the hands-on learning experience for students and deepens the college’s commitment to community service. The new lab builds on the success of the first-of-its-kind forensic anthropology major, which launched in 2023, and positions the college as a resource for communities throughout Ohio and beyond.

College of Arts and Sciences launches BuckAI Observatory

To capitalize on the opportunities offered by artificial intelligence (AI) and The Ohio State University’s focus on becoming a national leader in the field, the College of Arts and Sciences has launched BuckAI Observatory, a new center of excellence dedicated to applied AI for earth and planetary observation. Led by Joachim Moortgat, a professor in the School of Earth Sciences, BuckAI Observatory advances Ohio State’s leadership in artificial intelligence by integrating cutting-edge AI algorithms with remote-sensing science and other data rich-domains.

Abel Prize winner Michel Talagrand reflects fondly on time at Ohio State

Higher education was not always in Michel Talagrand's plans. However, the newest Abel Prize winner reflects fondly on his time at The Ohio State University, where he spent more than two decades as a faculty member in the Department of Mathematics. Talagrand was awarded the 2024 Abel Prize in Mathematics for his “groundbreaking contributions to probability theory and functional analysis, with outstanding applications in mathematical physics and statistics.” The Abel Prize has often been described as the “Nobel Prize of mathematics.”

Ohio State announces enhancements to Program 60 to support lifelong learners

The Ohio State University is pleased to announce a series of upcoming enhancements to Program 60 (P60), a signature initiative that invites older adults to audit courses alongside degree-seeking students—enriching classrooms with their experience and perspectives. Effective autumn semester 2025, P60 management will transition from Professional and Continuing Education to the College of Arts and Sciences, allowing for closer coordination for greater enrollment opportunities for P60 participants.

Humanities, engineering students come together for global internship

Humanities and engineering students at Ohio State recently completed a week-long internship alongside the University of Osaka and Japanese robotics company OTC Daihen, tackling issues facing the future of manufacturing. The program is the University of Osaka’s Joining and Welding Research Institute's first coupling internship program with a U.S.-based university.

Astronomy PhD candidate receives prestigious NASA Hubble Fellowship

Caprice Phillips, a doctoral candidate in the Department of Astronomy at Ohio State, has always aimed for the stars through her research and outreach. Now, she will have the opportunity to continue those efforts on space science’s biggest stage. Phillips was announced on March 31 as a recipient of the NASA Hubble Fellowship, one of just 24 fellows selected for this year’s class from among over 650 postdoctoral applicants nationwide. She is one of three named a Sagan Fellow, pondering whether or not we are alone in the universe during the three-year fellowship.

Ohio State student using art to highlight women’s experiences

Ohio State senior Kasmira Snyder is using her art to spark conversations around the issues women face in society. Snyder, a self-described representational oil painter, uses her art as a tool for women to share their experiences. This includes issues that she is facing – often reflected by her being the subject of her paintings - or has seen others go through.

Researching white women in the slave trade led to unique opportunity for economics undergraduate

Undergraduate research in higher education institutions isn’t rare. However, an undergraduate student being listed as a first author on a paper cited in The New York Times is significantly less common. That is exactly what happened to Benton Wishart, who graduated with an economics degree from The Ohio State University in May 2024. Wishart is listed as the first author of the paper, “Her Property Transactions: White Women and the Frequency of Female Ownership in the Antebellum Era,” which went on to be discussed by The New York Times and The Economist. 

Ohio State graduate wins Peabody Award for documentary “The Only Doctor”

"The Only Doctor," a documentary film by Ohio State graduate Matthew Hashiguchi ’07, examines rural healthcare in the United States through the eyes of Dr. Karen Kinsell, the lone physician serving a population of 2,800 people in Clay County, Georgia. For helping to highlight these underserved communities, Hashiguchi and the team behind “The Only Doctor” were recognized with a Peabody Award for Public Service and honored at the 85th Annual Peabody Awards in Los Angeles.

Digital project grant funds open-access map creation of Shakespearean London

Imagine you are walking through the streets of London during the Renaissance era. You enter a nearby theater and experience one of Shakespeare’s plays – maybe even the world premiere of “Hamlet” or “Romeo and Juliet” – before a night on the town. Ohio State Professor Chris Highley is working toward recreating just that experience thanks to a recent grant awarded to him and a team of researchers working on "Shakespeare’s Theaterscape: Mapping London's Theater Districts, 1576-1642."