May 21, 2025
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Laura Lanese, President and CEO, Inter-University Council of Ohio
Phone: 614-537-3816
Email: [email protected]
Ohio’s Public Universities Unite Behind Effort to Bring NASA Headquarters to Ohio
Today, the Inter-University Council of Ohio (IUC), representing Ohio’s 14 public universities, announced its support for the relocation of NASA Headquarters to Cleveland’s NASA Glenn Research Center. In a unified show of leadership, presidents from IUC member institutions submitted a joint letter to President Donald J. Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and NASA Administrator Designate Jared Isaacson, backing the bipartisan efforts of Congressman Max Miller and Senator Jon Husted.
“Without question, Ohio is the best location for NASA Headquarters,” the letter states, citing Ohio’s unrivaled history of aviation and aerospace innovation, its top-tier research capacity, and the robust talent pipeline fueled by its public universities.
Ohio’s public universities are already deeply embedded in national defense and aerospace research with strong ties to NASA, the Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, and a network of global aerospace manufacturers. IUC institutions offer nationally recognized engineering and aerospace programs and are conducting state-of-the-art research in critical areas such as advanced materials, propulsion, and autonomous systems.
“If Ohio does not strengthen its higher education investment, it risks not only falling behind in defense-related research and workforce development but losing out on generational opportunities like the relocation of NASA’s headquarters,” said Laura Lanese, President of the Inter-University Council. “This is a once-in-a-generation chance to cement Ohio’s place at the forefront of American space and defense innovation.”
NASA currently employs more than 17,000 professionals across a range of disciplines, with advanced degrees required for many science, research, and engineering positions. IUC institutions are essential to ensuring access to a highly educated workforce by training thousands of students annually in the STEM fields most critical to NASA’s mission.
As noted in Ohio House Resolution 60 and Ohio Senate Resolution 68, “Ohio’s highly skilled workforce, robust transportation infrastructure, and developed manufacturing sector make Ohio a strategic location to support NASA’s operations.” Realizing that potential will require sustained investment in the state’s higher education infrastructure.
“This is an opportunity to make Ohio the epicenter of America’s next space era,” Lanese added. “The future of American space exploration begins in Ohio through partnership with our public universities.”
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The Inter-University Council is a voluntary educational association of Ohio’s public universities.