Backgrounder
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 13, 2014
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Gina D’Isidoro
Director of Media Relations
617-257-4462
disidogm@miamioh.edu
Santa J. Ono
Santa J. Ono, president of the University of Cincinnati, will be announcing the winners
of the University of Cincinnati Entrepreneurial Business Plan Competition at the American
Sign Museum on Saturday, May 10, 2014. Ono will present the winning student company a
check for $10,000.
Santa J. Ono is the 28th President of the University of Cincinnati. Ono is the first
Asian-American president of the university and in the state of Ohio. Previously, Ono served
as the University Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs.
Ono attended the University of Chicago, McGill University and Harvard University.
He graduated with a BA in Biological Science from the University of Chicago and a PhD in
Experimental Medicine from McGill University in Montreal. During his time at Harvard, he
conducted postdoctoral research in biomedical sciences.
After Ono completed his postdoctoral research, he held faculty positions at Johns
Hopkins University, Harvard University and Emory University. As an administrator, Ono
served on admissions committees at Johns Hopkins University for the program in Cell and
Molecular Medicine and the graduate program in Immunology. After serving as a faculty
member focused on the biomedical sciences, Ono found a love for business. Ono is excited to
be a first time judge for the University of Cincinnati’s Business Plan Competition.