Ohio State University says its new president will be the current head of Nebraska's university system. Walter “Ted” Carter Jr. is a veteran higher education leader with extensive military experience. He'll start his new role on Jan. 1. Trustees voted for his appointment on Tuesday, just as students returned for the first day of classes. Carter will fill a vacancy left by the mid-contract resignation of President Kristina Johnson in May. Her departure has gone largely unexplained. Besides leading the 70,000 students, faculty and staff of the University of Nebraska System, Carter has a strong military background. He is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and the Navy Fighter Weapons School, known as Top Gun.