Jay and Jeanie Schottenstein are passionate about Ohio State. Their children – Joseph, Jeffrey and Jonathan – have each attended, or are attending the University. Jeanie, herself, is a graduate.
The passion doesn’t stop there. Jay and Jeanie and Jay’s parents and siblings all have philanthropic ties to the University; the Jerome Schottenstein Center bears his late father's name. One might say the colors of scarlet and gray run deep in Jay’s and Jeanie’s veins.
It was natural then, for them to pledge $2 million to OSU Medical Center recently to create the Jay and Jeanie Schottenstein Prize in Cardiovascular Science. The prize establishes an endowed fund to award up to $100,000 biennially to a physician or researcher who is an international leader in the field of cardiovascular sciences.
Because prizes of such magnitude are rare in scientific research and medicine, the Schottenstein Prize is expected to generate a lot of excitement.
“By providing this prize for cardiovascular sciences, we hope to further establish Ohio State as a leader in cardiovascular care and assure that it continues to set the bar for other institutions, nationally and internationally,” Jay says.
“This award will create a connection between Ohio State and some of the most outstanding cardiovascular scientists in the world,” adds Jeanie. “Our goal in establishing this prize is to make a strong institution even stronger.”
According to Ohio State University Heart Center Director, Thomas Ryan, MD, this prize will not only provide international recognition to someone who is on the leading edge of his or her field, it will also offer an unparalleled educational opportunity for OSU’s academic, medical and research communities and the community at large. The awarding of this prize will expose these groups to the knowledge and discoveries of a physician or researcher of great talent and caliber.
“The creation of the Schottenstein Prize addresses two important goals. First, it greatly enhances the reputation of OSU on the international stage as an institution where world-class science is recognized and valued,” Ryan explains. “Second, it will expose our students, trainees, and faculty to the luminaries in modern cardiovascular medicine. I am both grateful and proud that we have been afforded this wonderful opportunity.”
In addition to their philanthropic endeavors, the Schottensteins are very involved in the central Ohio business community. An Ohio-based investor and business leader of national renown, Jay is chairman of several corporations, including Schottenstein Stores and American Eagle Outfitters. Both serve as directors or trustees of several non-profit organizations throughout the region.
The Schottensteins’ combination of business leadership and philanthropy is a positive influence on the OSU community as a whole, Ryan says. “We are deeply grateful for the visionary leadership of Jay and Jeanie in establishing this prize,” he says. “It will ultimately benefit not just the Medical Center, but the entire University and community.”
This story was written by Linda Crew and appeared in the fall 2006 issue of Discovery.
Schottenstein Prize Home Page
Nomination Criteria