Gerlach Award

2024 Recipients: Tim and Jenny Smucker

Tim and Jenny Smucker are longtime supporters of Ohio State. Through Tim’s past leadership on the Board of Trustees, his continuing service on the Foundation Board and their sustained scholarship support to students, they have championed the university and changed lives.

In 2012, the Smucker family and The J.M. Smucker Company made a generous gift to empower ongoing research and student success at Ohio State’s Agricultural Technical Institute and the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences, where The J.M. Smucker Company Innovation Research Award Fund also supports undergraduate, graduate and faculty researchers.

The Smuckers’ ongoing investments in students enable Buckeyes to flourish in and out of the classroom. More than 100 students have benefited from The J.M. Smucker Company Scholarship Fund and The Smucker Leaders Scholarship Fund, while The Timothy P. and Jennifer C. Smucker 100% TBDBITL Scholarship helps marching band students thrive in their studies and as talented musicians on the field.

Celeste Miller ’23 is one of many Buckeyes who has benefited from a Smucker scholarship. At 16, Celeste was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, which fueled her curiosity about nutrition and solidified her decision to study food science at Ohio State. “Receiving a Smucker scholarship as an undergraduate helped me pursue my food science and technology degree. I’m now involved in that research as a graduate student,” Celeste says. “Thank you, Tim and Jenny, for making a difference not only in my life, but in the lives of so many others.”

In addition to the family’s years of dedicated philanthropy, Tim Smucker, chairman emeritus at The J.M. Smucker Company, also served on The Ohio State University Board of Trustees from 2011–2020, leading the board for part of this time and serving as the finance chair. The university also benefits greatly from his leadership on the Foundation Board.