William Ausich is an Academy Professor of Earth Sciences in the Geoscience field at The Ohio State University School of Earth Sciences. He earned a B.S. in Geology from the University of Illinois in 1974, an A.M. in Geology from Indiana University in 1976, and a Ph.D. in Geology with a Biology minor from Indiana University in 1978. Ausich joined The Ohio State University in 1984 as an Associate Professor, advanced to Professor in 1990, and became Professor Emeritus in 2013. He previously held faculty positions at Wright State University from 1978 to 1984. At Ohio State, he served as Chair of the Department of Geological Sciences from 1995 to 1999, Director of the Orton Geological Museum from 2002 to 2019, and now holds positions as Director Emeritus of the museum and Academy Professor. Additionally, he has been a Research Associate at the U.S. National Museum, Smithsonian Institution since 1993.

Ausich's research centers on the evolutionary dynamics of Paleozoic crinoid faunas amid major climate and biosphere changes, phylogeny and classification of Paleozoic crinoids, and paleocommunity dynamics through the Phanerozoic. He has produced influential works such as the book Fossil Crinoids (Cambridge University Press, 1999; paperback 2002), Echinoderm Paleobiology (Indiana University Press, 2008), and edited volumes of the Treatise on Invertebrate Paleontology including Part B, Prokaryotes (2023) and Part V, Hemichordata, Second Revision (2023). Key papers include "Tiering in suspension-feeding communities on soft substrata throughout the Phanerozoic" (1982) and "Phanerozoic development of tiering in soft substrata suspension-feeding communities" (1986). His impact is reflected in major awards like the Raymond C. Moore Paleontology Medal from SEPM (2018), Golden Crinoid from the International Echinoderm Conference (2017), Schuchert Award from the Paleontological Society (1990), Ohio State University Distinguished Scholar Award (2013), and Gilbert Harris Award (2011). Ausich was President of the Paleontological Society (2002-2004), Fellow of the Geological Society of America (1997) and Paleontological Society (2005), served as Interim Editor-in-Chief of the Treatise on Invertebrate Paleontology (2020-2022), and contributed to numerous committees including NSF panels. He has mentored many students and remains active in research post-retirement.

Professional Email: ausich.1@osu.edu