Missy and Bob Weiler have donated $800,000 to Ohio State University to establish the Dr. James L. Moore III Scholars Program. The fund will support 10 undergraduate students annually who are transferring from Columbus State Community College to Ohio State University.
Bob Weiler stated that “our motivation has been and continues to be, regardless of your background and where you come from, how do we create a situation where optimal success can occur?”
The program’s namesake, Dr. Moore, is vice provost for diversity and inclusion and chief diversity officer at Ohio State. The Weilers chose to name their program after him because of the passion for lifelong education that all three of them share. They all want to bring educational opportunities to people who otherwise would not be able to participate.
“We believe in the power of education,” Dr. Moore said. “We believe that it is transformative and to some degree redemptive.”
In addition to serving as vice provost and chief diversity officer, Dr. Moore is the EHE Distinguished Professor of Urban Education, a title he earned after conducting pioneering research on college admissions of African American men. He also serves as executive director of the Todd Anthony Bell National Resource Center and administers the Weiler Scholars Program (also funded by Bob and Missy Weiler), which supports African American males studying to become teachers.
Dr. Moore holds a bachelor’s degree in English education from Delaware State University, and a master’s degree in education and a Ph.D. in counselor education both from Virginia Tech.
