COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — He’s won an Emmy, two James Beard Awards and has published best-selling cookbooks. Ted Allen’s rise to fame led him on an unforgettable path.

“I think there’s a lot of luck in life, but also a little bit of hustle certainly doesn’t hurt,” Allen says.

That mentality has driven Ted his entire life. His life began in 1965 in the Children’s Hospital in Columbus. Ted’s father moved the family to central Ohio for his work as a CPA.

“This all started out in a small apartment on Broad Street.” Ted days. “Later in Columbus, we lived on a street called Conestoga Drive. The view from our front yard,I could see them building up the soil, the berm to create the beltway that now exists around the city of Columbus.”

The Allen family moved to Indianapolis when Ted was 7. He went on to earn college degrees in psychology (from Purdue) and journalism (from NYU), but it was his passion for food and wine that drove his career path.

“Chefs are in the business of making happiness, as are winemakers, and they also tend to do it in really exciting or very beautiful places,” he says. “The whole food and wine world is in pursuit of happiness and joy. And who doesn’t want to be a part of that culture?”

Allen became a writer for Chicago Magazine and Esquire. While at Esquire in 2003, he got an audition for a new reality-style show on Bravo: Queer Eye for the Straight Guy.

“I was the only one who wasn’t from New York City. I’m from the Midwest, as you know. I was from Columbus, Ohio, and I didn’t talk like them. I was different.”

Allen earned the role of food and wine expert in the cast, and the show went on to win an Emmy Award. His profile soared.

“Grateful again, nothing but grateful. It was a trip getting famous.”

That led to Ted’s next big break as the host of one of television’s longest-running shows. He’s hosted nearly 1,000 episodes of “Chopped” and other Food Network shows under the “Chopped” brand. He’s also published best-selling cookbooks.

Ted and his husband, Barry, met while they were both working in Chicago, and oddly enough, Barry was also born in Columbus. He still has family members in central Ohio.

Allen’s traveled the world, but in his trips back to Columbus, he’s found world-class culture.

“I tasted the food and thought, I’m in Soho, New York,” he says. “This was a moment when it really gelled for me that the culinary revolution of the United States is certainly not confined to New Orleans, San Francisco, New York. It is everywhere. And Columbus was an excellent example of that. The food was just killer.”

The work that educators do every day in teaching and furthering research and innovation is the foundation of The Ohio State University’s land-grant mission, President Ravi V. Bellamkonda said at the university’s annual Faculty Awards Celebration. The event was held May 6 at Vitria on the Square on Ohio State’s Columbus campus.

“The question is, what should we be doing together and what’s the goal for us as we move forward? I’d like to suggest that I would like for all of us to give ourselves the gift of reasonably high expectations of what we can achieve together, and you exemplify this,” Bellamkonda told the honorees.

“I’m optimistic about our future because of what you do in the classroom and the scholarship and the mentoring and the teaching and the community that you have created.”

The celebration shines a light on faculty’s contributions to Ohio State and the citizens that the university serves, Interim Provost Trevor Brown said.

“I want to acknowledge how special all of our faculty are in the work that they do in generating knowledge and sharing that with students and the broader community,” he said. “That is important and essential work.

The Distinguished University Professor appointment, Ohio State’s highest faculty honor, was awarded to: Gail E. Besner, College of Medicine; Shan-Lu Liu, College of Veterinary Medicine; Alan Luo, College of Engineering; Giorgio Rizzoni, College of Engineering; Brent Sohngen, College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CFAES); and Claudia Turro, College of Arts and Sciences.

“The title of distinguished university professor is a permanent honorific that includes automatic membership in the president’s and provost’s advisory committee,” said Patrick Louchouarn, senior vice provost for leadership and external engagement.

Three professors were recognized with the President and Provost’s Award for Distinguished Faculty Service: Caroline T. Clark, College of Education and Human Ecology (EHE); Susan E. Cole, College of Arts and Sciences; and John E. Davidson, College of Arts and Sciences.

The Distinguished Scholar Award was presented to six faculty members: Christopher R. Browning, College of Arts and Sciences; David L. Hoffman, College of Arts and Sciences; Christopher Jaroniec, College of Arts and Sciences; Christopher A. Jones, College of Arts and Sciences; Matthew D. Ringel, College of Medicine; and Han-Wei Shen, College of Engineering.

Also recognized were recipients of the Provost’s Award for Distinguished Teaching by a Lecturer and the Alumni Award for Distinguished Teaching

These honorees “are inducted into the Academy of Teaching and are honored with the academy’s medallion,” said Helen Malone, vice provost for faculty affairs. “Academy of Teaching members wear these distinctive medallions as part of their academic regalia.”

The Provost’s Award for Distinguished Teaching by a Lecturer honorees are:

Christiane Buuck, College of Arts and Sciences.

Alexia Leonard, College of Engineering.

David Matthews, College of Pharmacy.

Calvin Olsen, College of Arts and Sciences.

U.S. Navy Lt. Michael L. Terranova, Naval ROTC.

Jennifer Walters, College of Arts and Sciences.

The Alumni Award for Distinguished Teaching honorees are:

Jasmine Abukar, EHE.

Yigit Akin, College of Arts and Sciences.

Dawn Allain, College of Medicine.

Rebecca R. Andridge, College of Public Health.

Amanda Bird, College of Arts and Sciences.

Ellen Klinger, CFAES.

Danielle Schoon, College of Arts and Sciences.

Guramrit Singh, College of Arts and Sciences.

Margaret Sumner, College of Arts and Sciences.

Ryan J. Yoder, College of Arts and Sciences.

MANSFIELD ― If you’re interested in manufacturing, you can come and see hundreds of products made in North Central Ohio — including appliances, tires, pumps, Klondike bars, cigars and pieces made for streetcars.

The North Central Ohio Industrial Museum inside the lower east diagonal wing of the historic Ohio State Reformatory showcases the history of manufacturing in Mansfield and surrounding areas.

Location

The Ohio State Reformatory, 100 Reformatory Road, Mansfield.

Why it matters

The museum traces the history of manufacturing in North Central Ohio since the first steam locomotive came through town in 1846. Exhibits highlight the accomplishments of local residents and industry in peace and war, according to NCOIM President Jerry Miller.

What to see

The NCOIM has several themed sections of exhibits, beginning with “Every town had a mill,” then the Cast Iron Age, City of Stoves, Wires & Electric Exhibits, Cigar & Beer, Wheels, AG Industry and Mickey Rupp, which then begins an exhibit on what is currently manufactured in Richland County.

Miller said the late Bob Glasener started the museum and was responsible for saving many local industrial artifacts over the years. Miller said Glasener’s daughter has in her possession the 1939 World’s Fair Westinghouse (gold-plated) roaster, which she donated to the museum.

The museum is full of surprising finds.

Elektro the Westinghouse robot should be on display this summer at the North Central Ohio Industrial Museum after being restored.

A manhole and stormwater grate from 1935 made by the Tappan Stove Co. are among the treasures Miller helped to preserve. He also has the Tappan marquee and a Westinghouse marquee.

Plan your visit

Hours/admission: The museum will be open the same hours as OSR and will be free to tour with the purchase of a ticket to the prison-turned-museum.

Getting there: OSR is on the north side of Mansfield, just off U.S. 30.

Learn more: mrps.org (OSR is operated by the Mansfield Reformatory Preservation Society).

Contact Lou Whitmire at 419-5-21-7223. She can be reached at X at @lwhitmir.