Jay and Jeanie Schottenstein are passionate about The Ohio State University. Two of their children, Joseph and Jeffrey, each attended Ohio State and Jeanie herself is a graduate.
The passion doesn’t stop there. Jay Schottenstein is a Columbus native and Jeanie is from Cleveland. Jay’s parents and siblings all have philanthropic ties to the university as well. In fact, the Jerome Schottenstein Center bears his late father's name and opened in 1998 after Jay pledged a donation to help build it.
It was natural, then, for them to pledge $2 million to The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in 2008 to create the Jeanie and Jay Schottenstein Prize in Cardiovascular Science. The prize established an endowed fund to award $100,000 biennially to a physician or researcher who is an international leader in the field of cardiovascular sciences.
Prizes of such magnitude are rare in scientific research and medicine, and the Schottenstein Prize is among the largest monetary awards in the U.S. for cardiovascular research.
"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 said.
“This award has created a connection between Ohio State and some of the most outstanding cardiovascular scientists in the world,” added Jeanie. “Our goal in establishing this prize was to make a strong institution even stronger.”
According to Ohio State’s Heart and Vascular Center Director, Thomas Ryan, MD, this prize not only provides international recognition to someone who is on the leading edge of his or her field, but it also offers an unparalleled educational opportunity for Ohio State’s academic, medical and research communities and the community at large. The awarding of this prize exposes these groups to the knowledge and discoveries of a physician or researcher of great talent and caliber.
“Our vision at Ohio State’s Heart and Vascular Center and College of Psychiatry is to leverage advanced techniques and technologies to innovate and translate knowledge into personalized heart care,” explains Ryan. “The Schottenstein Prize offers another avenue through which to accomplish this.”
“The creation of the Schottenstein Prize addresses two important goals,” Ryan said. “First, it greatly enhances the reputation of OSU on the international stage as an institution where world-class science is recognized and valued. 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 The Schottenstein Prize, Jay and Jeanie recently pledged $10.15 million to create the “Jeffrey Schottenstein Program For Resilience” at The Ohio State University. “The program will support students at Ohio State facing mental health challenges and provides them with tools for a lifetime of mental wellness,” stated Dr. Luan Phan, Schottenstein Endowed Chair of Psychiatry and Resiliency at The Ohio State University.
Jay Schottenstein is the chairman and CEO of American Eagle Outfitters and also holds executive leadership positions at organizations such as Designer Brands and SB360 Capital Partners.
In addition to the Schottensteins’ support of The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center’s Heart and Vascular Center and College of Psychiatry, Jay and Jeanie have a long history of supporting Ohio State. Jay is a former member of The Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute Foundation Board. Jeanie served on The Ohio State University Foundation Board.
They have also supported medical causes and foundations such as the Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami Beach, American Red Cross, the Komen Columbus Race for the Cure, and Nationwide Children’s Hospital; and were together named Humanitarians of the Year by the American Red Cross of Central Ohio, and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.