Through a transformative gift, Gifford Weary, PhD, is helping Ohio State recruit top talent and further innovative research.
A foundation for understanding
Gifford Weary's vision draws world-class psychology researchers
When accomplished academics support endowed chairs, they bring a unique view of what truly transforms a university. Gifford Weary, PhD, emeritus faculty and former dean of social and behavioral sciences at The Ohio State University’s College of Arts and Sciences, has applied that lens throughout her more than four decades of giving back.
With a transformative $5 million commitment, Weary established the Collaborative on the Science of Polarization and Misinformation (C-SPAM) and the Weary Family Foundation Endowed Chair.
This gift attracted two renowned psychologists from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to join these initiatives, a significant win for Ohio State’s psychology department and its broader research mission. Kurt Gray, PhD, serves as C-SPAM’s inaugural faculty director. His spouse, Kristen Lindquist, PhD, is the Robert K. and Dale J. Weary Chair, another endowed position made possible from Weary’s longstanding commitment to Ohio State.
Kurt Gray, PhD, holds the Weary Foundation Endowed Chair in the Social Psychology of Polarization and Misinformation;
Kristen Lindquist, PhD, holds the Robert K. and Dale J. Weary Chair in Social Psychology
Gray is an expert in moral psychology and author of the 2025 book, Outraged: Why We Fight About Morality and Politics. His research suggests that political polarization stems from shared concerns about safety, rather than basic differences between liberal and conservative minds.
Lindquist’s expertise lies in emotion and affective science. As president of the Society for Affective Science (2024–25), she studies how the mind and brain create emotions — research that complements questions about the psychological underpinnings of social division.
Curiosity-fueled change
Weary's decision to fund these endowed chairs reflects her perspective as both a distinguished researcher and philanthropist. “The common purpose behind my giving is twofold,” Weary says. “I want to help the university achieve a level of excellence that they can’t without these dollars, and I want to provide funds that support interdisciplinary collaboration across our very strong disciplines.”
What sets Weary’s gift apart is her own faculty experience, which comes with a deep appreciation for curiosity-driven research. After years inside a university classroom, her research laboratory and in an administrative role, she also knows firsthand that endowed positions bring in top-tier talent and advance groundbreaking research.
“What is so beautiful about this is the fact that Giff has been in this position and she knows what research is all about, and she knows what universities are all about,” Lindquist says. “She really respects that academic freedom. To have positions funded to do basic research is incredibly rare. Giff wants to make the world a better place through science.”
As endowed chairholders, Gray and Lindquist pursue fundamental questions about human psychology without constraints that often limit research scope and timelines. Their combined expertise amplifies both C-SPAM's interdisciplinary mission and the broader department’s capacity to tackle societal challenges.
This freedom has practical applications that extend beyond Ohio State, informing more effective approaches to national security, public health and sustainability issues where understanding human psychology can better shape policies and interventions. It shows how one person’s gift can ripple outward to address some of society’s most pressing challenges.
The recruitment of Gray and Lindquist also leverages Ohio State’s strengths. The university's commitment to public engagement through accessible communication — including plans for podcasts, social media and public events — aligns with both researchers’ goals of translating academic insights for broader audiences.
“Ohio State’s land-grant mission and collaborative environment make it an ideal place for this type of interdisciplinary research,” Gray notes. “The university’s scale and resources provide opportunities to build connections across departments and expand course offerings for undergraduate and graduate students.”
Fostering a legacy of leadership
As Gray and Lindquist begin their tenure at Ohio State in fall 2025, their work is setting the university on a path to becoming a national leader in polarization and misinformation research. The endowed chairs provide them with the stability and resources necessary for long-term, results-driven scholarship.
Weary’s investment is a vote of confidence in the power of rigorous research to create positive change. By supporting both the infrastructure and the talent necessary for groundbreaking work, her gift will amplify Ohio State's impact.
“Faculty and endowed positions are incredibly important to an institution,” Weary says. “They are the secret sauce that takes an excellent program into a state of eminence. They increase the profile of the university, and they make our work more accessible to the public.”
In keeping with that commitment, Weary established a third endowed chair in July 2025. The Weary Foundation Endowed Visiting Chair in Social Psychology further demonstrates her dedication to collaboration and faculty excellence. Because of visionary donors like her, Ohio State can continue attracting top scholars and position itself to lead crucial conversations about the future of our increasingly complex social landscape.