SPRIng 2012
ASCENT
College of Arts and sciences
TulIP on The oval photo courtesy of Psychology student Julia nicely {pg. 3}
in this ISSUE
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aluMnI noTeS: letters from our readers a new daY: Campaign to transform the School of Music SPeaKIng TheIR language: Romain Paumard introduces students to a foreign idea new MaJoRS: educational opportunities reach across colleges and disciplines
on hallowed gRound {
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stUDents eXplore the wAr thAt chAngeD the worlD
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ThRough The lenS: The 2012 Bourguignon lecture
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aluMnI awaRdS: The distinguished alumni awards { }
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no STRaIghT lIneS: Mathematician Matthew Kahle defines his own path
Shell gaMe MUssels retUrn to ohio wAters
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BReaKfaST of {SCIenCe} ChaMPIonS: Middle-school students do hands-on science
20 vIRTual PaTIenT: a collaborative project creates avatars on The SKY: The department of astronomy’s Planetarium gets a makeover 21 eYe
The honduRan PRoJeCT cAn geogrAphers sAve A wAy of life?
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24 ReadY, SeT, Blog!: Two alumni turn blogs into books 26 fooTBall: TaKe one: alumnus directs feature film The aRTS: The lawrence and Isabel Barnett Center 27 SuPPoRTIng for Integrated arts and enterprise enough foR You?: Scientists use statistics to project future climate change 28 hoT
30 SCIenCe & SCholaRShIP: faculty research, awards, and grants
ASCENT Community is a two-way street the school of earth sciences’ orton Geological museum has long been a visible jewel on ohio state’s campus, providing an important resource for students, faculty, and the community. in the early morning hours of Jan. 8, a vandal broke into the museum, leaving behind approximately $23,000 of damage. “our disgust with this senseless incident has been far outweighed by the generous support we have received from faculty, staff, alumni, and friends,” said museum Director Bill ausich. “the museum’s impact on the central ohio community is no better expressed than by the numerous K-12 students who have donated their savings, done chores, or have had bake sales and other fundraisers (including a “Donuts for Dinosaurs” sale) to raise money for the orton museum.” a gift to the orton museum support Fund #308759 can help preserve this invaluable resource. BeBe miLLer nameD Doris DuKe artist Bebe miller, Distinguished Professor, Department of Dance and artistic director of the Bebe miller Company, is one of 21 performing artists named in the first class of Doris Duke artists. they share a total of $5.775 million awarded in a new initiative of the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation.
weLCome to the College of arts and sciences at ohio state.
The aCT oR PRoCeSS of aSCendIng; advanCeMenT
For us, ASCENT reflects the amazing potential and value of an ohio state arts and sciences education. the Buckeye experience is powerful, transformative, and stays with us throughout our lives, reaching far beyond geographic borders. we want to share these stories with you—and we hope that you’ll share your stories, ideas, and feedback with us. (Contact information below.)
circUlAtion the ASCENT print magazine is issued twice a year (autumn and spring) to all College of arts and sciences alumni; additionally, content is added to our website and an html e-newsletter version is sent to our alumni, students, faculty, staff, donors, and friends. in addition to our bi-yearly print issue, we also send supplemental updates throughout the year via e-newsletter. go green if you would like to receive only the e-newsletter in place of your printed copy, please send an email to asccomm@osu.edu. contAct Us Please feel free to send us your feedback, comments, and story ideas. additionally, you can always choose to stop receiving this magazine by sending an unsubscribe notice via email to asccomm@osu.edu, or by mail to: 1010 Derby Hall, 154 n. oval mall Columbus, ohio 43210
imaGe oF tHe Day Julia nicely is a 3rd-year Psychology major, who is also minoring in Criminology. “Photography is an ever-present hobby! i take pictures of anything and everything, especially animals and flowers. i take my camera with me everywhere, especially now that all of the trees and flowers are blooming and the ducklings are back at mirror Lake.”
Joseph steinmetz | executive Dean and Vice Provost Peter march | Divisional Dean, natural and mathematical sciences mark shanda | Divisional Dean, arts and Humanities Gifford weary | Divisional Dean, social and Behavioral sciences eDitor Libby eckhardt
Julia nicely took both the cover photo and the duck photo at left.
eDitoriaL staFF elizabeth tarpy alcalde, Victoria ellwood, shantay Piazza, sandi rutkowski DesiGn staFF
oHio state’s GraDuate assoCiate teaCHinG awarD (Gata) eight asC graduate students were selected for a 2012 Gata, the university’s highest recognition of exceptional teaching by graduate students: Jarrett anderson, French and italian; Leila Ben-nasr, english; Lindsay Bernhagen, Comparative studies; Bora Bosna, mathematics; sara Cline, molecular Genetics; Jim Collier, Communication; Casaundra Harbaugh, Psychology; and adam stier, english.
Greg Bonnell, eva Dujardin Dale, Karin samoviski weB CommuniCations Jody Croley Jones, Beth snapp
COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES 186 university hall | 230 n. oval Mall THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY Columbus, ohio 43210 asccomm@osu.edu
artsandsciences.osu.edu
a MeSSage fRoM dean STeInMeTz
aluMnI notes
It is a genuine pleasure to share our amazing stories with you.
chArles A. ADAMs Journalism, 1948
We continue to be inspired by your response and in this issue have added a new section, aLumni notes, to feature some of your feedback.
i appreciate receipt of asCent. it’s an interesting publication carefully and thoughtfully done.
Our greatest challenge is narrowing our many outstanding stories to a few. It’s a terrific challenge to have. We know that whatever stories we tell, their overarching message will reinforce the spirit, value, and significance of the arts and sciences. Our lead story, on Hallowed Ground: students explore the war that Changed the world, takes you on a once-ina-lifetime trip across time, cultures, and generations. the Honduran Project examines how a team of geographers try to save a way of life; and, in shell Game, a group of aquatic biologists rescue the lowly mollusk. We continue to revamp our existing facilities to be vibrant resources for our students, faculty, alumni, and community. We report on extensive renovations to Sullivant Hall that will house the new Lawrence and Isabel Barnett Center for Integrated Arts and Enterprise, and the complete overhaul of a great university asset in the astronomy department: the Smith Hall Planetarium. As always, we celebrate and honor the achievements of our stellar faculty and alumni. Please let us hear from you. Our alumni are our best friends, strongest advocates, and the legacy of all we do at Ohio State.
JosePH e. steinmetz, PhD executive Dean and Vice Provost College of arts and sciences the ohio state university
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in response to your request for information: i am a 1948 graduate of the school of Journalism. after a good career in what i term industrial journalism, i retired from General motors in 1981. By summer i reside in Centerville, ohio. During winters, my wife and i reside in tarpon springs, Florida. as the oldest resident of the community, i am called upon to make a statement at our weekly coffee hour. i’m 92. i try to mimic, but not match, the late andy rooney of CBs’ 60 Minutes.
in each issue of ASCENT, we ask our alumni to send us updates – over the past year we’ve gotten some great letters and feedback and wanted to start sharing them. we would like to hear from you! Please tell us what you’ve been up to and what you think. send your letters by email to asccomm@osu.edu or to asC Communications, 154 n. oval mall, 1010 Derby Hall, Columbus, ohio 43210. Go Bucks!
chArles forMAn Hamden, Connecticut Ba, ma, History, 1938 Congratulations on a very interesting and informative publication, from a former president of the arts College student Council.
AlAn DAy Fairfax, Vermont History, 1968 in my latest copy of ASCENT, i read about
the Vets 4 Vets program at ohio state. excellent, as a vet myself, i am pleased to read that our university is taking needed steps to accomodate the special needs of these people. Herein lies another reason why the ohio state university is more than a football school—it is a great university that creates opportunity for all. i am so proud of osu.
cAitlin sAMpsel Circleville, ohio Journalism, 2008 Great work! this is a very attractive piece with a lot of great information. Looking forward to many more updates. Go Bucks!
heAther DUBois BoUrenAne sun Prairie, wisconsin ma, african and african-american studies, 2000 i’m an osu alumna, and i just wanted to say i love the look and ease of navigation of the new newsletter—nice work! i look forward to future editions!
Don hAnDfielD Los angeles, California Journalism, 1993 i received my Ba in journalism from ohio state in ‘93—i’ve enjoyed so much reading A look at campus life on the Oval during the 1940’s. The OSU Archives Photographic collection stores nearly 2 million images documenting the university’s history from its inception in 1870 to the present.
ASCENT magazine and seeing what my fellow Buckeyes are up to. i am reaching out because i recently directed a feature film called TOUCHBACK starring Kurt russell, Christine Lahti, Brian Presley and melanie Lynskey that was being released theatrically in 20 markets, mainly in the midwest, on april 13. the movie was partly filmed in ohio, and was actually the first feature film to shoot inside the Horseshoe during an actual football game (thanks to Gordon Gee and Gene smith). it’s a heartfelt drama about an ohio farmer who gets a chance to go back in time and change his life—very much in the vein of It’s A Wonderful Life. i thought perhaps it would make an interesting piece for asCent and perhaps rally the Buckeye community in support of a homegrown independent film. see pAge 26 for Don’s story
lew hAgooD marietta, Georgia History of art, 1971 my wife and i graduated from osu in the ’70s and are getting ready to retire and grow grandchildren (actually, i retired in 2006 and my wife will retire in June). i never thought it would be so wonderful having grandchildren, but it is true. in my retirement, i am writing and painting—the things i always wanted to do but got sidetracked and didn’t—just shows that it is never too late. i have written four collections of prose and hope to finish at least four more this year. continued on pg. 6
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PieCes oF Lew Below is an excerpt from ohio state alumnus Lew Hagood’s Pieces of Me (Imagination and Contemplation). according to Hagood’s website, his “writing is presented in several formats— small prose books with sketches by the artist… and small (tongue-in-cheek) ‘selfhelp’ books.” read more about Hagood and his work at lewhagood.com. JaPanese BeetLes i love this garden, the Japanese Beetle said, it’s quite colorful and there are none of those male Ladybugs Confusing the demographics. i can’t stand that sort of contradiction. But she never spoke Japanese, nor was she related to anyone who was Japanese. and she’d never been there. worst of all, she thought it was in the Caribbean.
A new DAy
College of aRTS and SCIenCeS announCeS a CaMPaIgn To RevITalIze The SChool of MuSIC
the College of arts and sciences has kicked off a new fundraising campaign to improve school of music facilities, and is committing $20 million of university funds to the endeavor, according to Joseph steinmetz, executive dean and vice provost. the “new Day Campaign” will raise funds for the school over a three-year time period with the goal to bring the facilities in line to complement the school’s outstanding faculty and students. “at ohio state, we realize the vast importance of the arts, not only to our campus community but to the Columbus community as well,” steinmetz said. “the arts are the front door to our university, a way for us to connect to those around us. our vision is to develop a vibrant arts District on campus, with galleries, and performance and teaching spaces that invite students, faculty and community members to gather and celebrate creativity and the arts. to realize our vision, we are in the midst of a major renovation of our arts facilities. this campaign will help us transform the school of music.” the architectural firm of westlake, reed and Leskosky has conceptually mapped out the feasibility of expanding and renewing weigel Hall and constructing an adjacent, acoustically excellent recital hall and much-needed large teaching and rehearsal studios. the firm’s study generated plans that, depending on resources raised, could result in modest, substantial, or sweeping renovations. read more at go.osu.edu/new-day.
I RIDE FOR MY MOM, who passed away from ovarian cancer when I was 7. It’s not fair that I lost my mom…or that my brother and sister did. But when I ride, I feel her with me – and I know that I’m saving someone else’s mom. I’m Jason Perlman. I’m a grad student in the College of Dentistry.
RIDE WITH ME.
Pelotonia 12
August 10 –12
JOIN TEAM BUCKEYE. teambuckeye.osu.edu
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Every dollar benefits cancer research
The campaign was announced at an April 17 event for friends of the school, where students took center stage, including opera students, who performed a selection from Porgy and Bess.
SPeaKIng TheIR lAngUAge RoMaIn PauMaRd InTRoduCeS STudenTS To a foReIgn Idea and the College of Humanities (now part of the College of arts and sciences). CaaP has reached out to thousands of students and instructors to enhance the quality of foreign language instruction.
one hour. that’s how long it takes roMAin pAUMArD to inspire a room full of high school students. Paumard is an ambassador for the Foreign Language Center’s Collaborative articulation assessment Project (CaaP). He speaks to thousands of ohio high school students each year about the tangible benefits of knowing a second language and the global demand for foreign language speakers in a variety of professions.
in addition to the popular “ambassador” component, CaaP provides an early assessment exam to high school juniors in spanish, French, German, and Chinese.
“it’s more than studying a language and understanding the mechanics of speech,” said Paumard.
the assessment exam measures reading, writing, listening, and speaking. High school students are given a placement score that can be compared to current ohio state students in their third quarter of study.
This is about learning the culture, the people, and using that knowledge to develop a skill set that you can transfer to a career that matches your interests. During the last two years, Paumard, a French native, has traveled to high schools across ohio to help students understand the demand for foreign language speakers in various industries. Born and raised in France, Paumard speaks english fluently and uses his personal story as proof that career opportunities are available to foreign language speakers. Parents, teachers, and students praise Paumard’s ability to motivate students to pursue a degree in a foreign language. “romain did an absolutely terrific job. we had parent-teacher conferences that same week, and his presentation came up again and again. several students who had not planned on continuing past Level 3 are
rethinking their decisions,” said Bexley High school teacher, sandy rainey, about Paumard’s recent visit to her French class. Diane Birckbichler, director of the Foreign Language Center (FLC), and director of CaaP, said, “i believe that if you complement your major with a degree in a foreign language, you double your worth. we want high school students to know that it’s a competitive world out there and being fluent in another language expands your professional outlook in ways they never imagined, both domestically and abroad.” originally developed in 1992 with a grant from the Fund for the improvement of Post secondary education, the project has been supported by the ohio Board of regents
according to rebecca Bias, codirector of the CaaP Project and FLC assistant director, “the results of early assessment tests are used to help high school students understand where they can improve their language skills before they start college.” she explained that the tests encourage high school language teachers to reexamine their curriculum to ensure students are prepared for foreign language study at the college level. CaaP also provides professional development opportunities to instructors with on-site software workshops, exam calibration sessions, and tours of the world media and Culture Center in Hagerty Hall. one of the program’s most attractive features is that it’s free and open to all public and private high schools in ohio.
Find out more about the Foreign Language Center at flc.osu.edu
new MAJors eduCaTIonal oPPoRTunITIeS ReaCh aCRoSS CollegeS and dISCIPlIneS pUBlic heAlth sociology neUroscience A joint venture between the College of Arts and Sciences and the College of Medicine. neuroscience is a field that investigates the organization, development, and function of the nervous systems, and their relationship to behavior, cognition, and disorders. scientific study of the brain requires the skills of many different disciplines. this major is interdisciplinary and interdepartmental. the faculty is comprised of psychologists, biologists, geneticists, chemists, biochemists, statisticians, computer scientists, engineers, and mathematicians, all of whom share a fascination with the function of the brain. students will study the brain at many different levels, including the molecular and cellular levels, the level of systems of neurons, and at the behavioral level. they will have access to more than 80 nationally and internationally recognized scientists and work in one of 68 research labs—the same neuroscience labs that are producing groundbreaking work on brain imaging, alzheimer’s Disease, schizophrenia, drug addiction, Parkinson’s Disease, brain cancer, multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injury, and sensory processing and more.
A degree in neuroscience provides a strong foundation for professional programs in medicine, dentistry, physical therapy, veterinary science, and law, as well as graduate work in neuroscience and psychology, said
John Bruno, director of the neuroscience major and professor of psychology, neuroscience, and psychiatry.
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A partnership between the Department of Sociology and Ohio State’s College of Public Health. Beginning autumn semester, students will focus on both global and public health issues. sociologists investigate the structure of groups, organizations, and societies to understand the characteristics, causes, and consequences of human behavior and social relationships in various kinds of group settings. the profession of public health focuses on prevention of human illness and injury, promotion of healthy behaviors, and interventions to control identified problems. Public Health sociology combines these diverse perspectives with the scientific tools necessary for students to better understand and address complex global health issues.
Students will complete courses that will enable them to identify, present, and discuss contemporary public health issues, identify factors that contribute to existing and emerging problems, and address applicable public health approaches to intervene, said zhenchao Qian, professor and chair, Department of sociology. “these experiences will provide students invaluable work experience, exposure to different cultures and the opportunity to take on leadership roles before they enter the workforce.”
according to the association of schools of Public Health, 250,000 more public health workers will be needed by 2020. without enough public health workers protecting us where we live, work, and play, we all are vulnerable to serious social, psychological, and medical health risks.
on hAlloweD groUnD STudenTS eXPloRe The waR ThaT Changed The woRld
no matter how far world war ii recedes into the past, its legacy lingers. it was clearly a turning point in the 20th century and it effectively reshaped the world. it set in motion processes that affected the lives of those born long after peace treaties were signed, wounds healed, and the Berlin wall was erected and then torn down. it could be argued that there can be no understanding of today’s world without an understanding of the history of world war ii.
IwO JImA: YeSTerdAY And TOdAY photo: Kyle nappi, history major, class of 2012
Course BuLLetin: wwii with this in mind, ohio state’s Department of History, with a battery of top world war ii scholars and military historians, embarks on an ambitious new venture in spring 2013. the new program, the united states, europe, and the second world war: intersections in 20th Century History, is built around the in-depth study of world war ii as a focal point to launch a thousand thoughtful conversations. the brainchild of history professor Bill Childs, this academic/study abroad program, “will have a cross-disciplinary, indepth approach focused on giving students an understanding of the importance of u.s./european relationships.” although the use of world war ii battlefields as history teaching tools has been done elsewhere, Childs emphasized that ohio state’s initiative will be profoundly different. “this is not an understanding that comes from one course and a 10-day european trip. it had to be developed as a program, and semester conversion made that possible. “the new ‘maymester’ aspect of semesters, with the month of may set aside for students to take one course in a short time-span, allowed us to build a three-week european tour into the program.” the five-course program, with a mini-course in conversational French, is not limited to history majors, but will include 20 students from diverse disciplines and backgrounds. non-history majors will receive a minor in history upon completion. it is not for the faint-hearted. these students will have arguably the most intense learning experience of their lives: immersed in four upper-level courses that examine world war ii from historical and cultural perspectives, they will study with leading scholars from history and French.
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this rigorous coursework, supplemented by frequent small group meetings to exchange ideas and discuss research, will ready them for their fifth course—a three-week tour of european battle sites, cemeteries, memorials, and museums in London, normandy, Paris, and Berlin. “this is where it becomes real,” Childs said. “the best part of the program is getting our students interacting with the europeans. there is no substitute for going abroad, seeing the tunnels where the British took shelter, laying roses on the graves of the nine ohio state students killed at normandy. and Berlin, where the Cold war began and ended, is a wonderful place to finish.” “it’s a very demanding program,” said Department of History Chair Peter Hahn.
From the first day of classes through the end of the tour, students will be as close to living the subject matter as one can get. This program will not only expand their understanding of the intricacies of the war and its outcomes, but will make them better citizens of the world. indeed, this powerful, interdisciplinary program was specifically designed with that in mind; it is fully aligned with ohio state’s motto: education for Citizenship. it will help arm these students for future leadership roles in government, business, academia, and other professions. { } View a slideshow of images at go.osu.edu/on-hallowed-ground
GUAM - July 21 – august 10, 1944 photos left (from top): Peter marzalik with Lewis H. Seago; danelle Gagliardi and James Blane; Caitlyn Bentley with Thomas “Cotton” Billingsley photos courtesy of John reidy Photography
IWO JIMA - feb. 19 – March 18, 1944
18,000 KIA
21,000 KIA
3,000 KIA
6,800 KIA
taLes oF tHe CentraL PaCiFiC “although a Pacific study-tour was not in our immediate plans, when an opportunity arose in late 2011 for a small group of our students to accompany world war ii veterans on a trip to four Pacific islands— we felt we had to try to take advantage of it,” said Peter Hahn, Department of History chair. these commemorative tours for veterans of world war ii battle sites are made possible through the Greatest Generations Foundation. eight students were carefully chosen based on essays explaining why they wanted to go. nearly all had a close, personal family connection. For some it meant a kind of closure, for others a connection to someone never known. For all, it was a way to help honor and preserve the memories of those who had served. Hahn and military historian Peter mansoor started scrambling: for ways to set up a study-tour course, a means of selecting students, and dealing with a thousand and one logistical details to make it all happen in less than five months. each student was paired with a veteran, as were Hahn and mansoor. the students were to be witness to and chroniclers of the memories and experiences of men who had last seen these islands, Guam, iwo Jima, saipan, and tinian, under the most horrific conditions. “world war ii is just so much ancient history to many young people today,” mansoor said.
1972: Last Japanese holdout discovered hiding in a cave
island secured 18 march—marking end to one of the most costly battles of Pacific.
SAIPAN - June 11 – July 9, 1944
TINIAN - July 24 – august 1, 1944
21,000 KIA
6,050 KIA
3,500 KIA
389 KIA
22,000 CIVILIAN DEATHS
Japanese propaganda convinced many civilians to hurl themselves off cliffs rather than be captured by americans. - us Landing sites
1944-45 one of world’s most active airfields; here on runway able the Enola Gay took off for Hiroshima
- us troop movement
- Japanese Lines
But hearing the stories of courage and sacrifice firsthand from veterans who fought, and in many cases bled, on these battlefields makes it come alive. This was a once-ina-lifetime experience for these young men and women.
Brill, history/political science, rallied at Los angeles international airport with Hahn, mansoor, and the veterans to begin the journey of a lifetime.
on march 10, andrew eskander, international studies; Caitlin Bentley, mike tabor, Kyle nappi, and Danelle Gagliardi, history; eston wirsing, electrical and computer engineering; Peter marzalik, international studies/russian; and nick
tHe worLD war ii sCHoLarsHiP FunD in History (#481997) helps make this opportunity accessible for undergraduate students. For more information, contact Professor Peter L. Hahn, (614) 292-3001 or hahn.29@osu.edu.
all were well prepped with extensive readings and intensive seminars on diplomacy and military strategy and were well aware of their responsibility and its emotional weight.
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rememBer/reCorD/reVere throughout the entire trip, students (escorts) were contributing to a blog about their experiences. the following are exerpts: eston wirsing (sergeant John “Jack” thurman): on the flight to iwo Jima from Guam, i talked with Jack thurman about what he wanted to do while he was on the island… First, he wanted to go to red Beach 1, where he landed during the invasion, and say a prayer for all the marines who died on their way to the island and were never able to get a proper burial. Kyle nappi and Jim Baize, photo courtesy of John reidy Photography
KyLe naPPi, CoLLeCtor eXtraorDinaire
the Past is now
while most kids his age were collecting comic books or baseball cards, 11-yearold Kyle nAppi was busy gathering remnants of past lives and past wars. inspired by the movie Pearl Harbor, nappi, a history major from ostrander, ohio, began collecting autographs and biographical stories from ohio veterans in 2001. nappi, now 21, has been on a mission for roughly half his life to collect and preserve anything to do with military history—and the memories of those who lived it. this memorabilia includes letters, photos, signatures, posters, and flags—and, he said, “a very unique thing: military veterans’ stories.” He is a tireless detective using both old-school and high-tech research tools to track them down worldwide. nappi does not discriminate: both German and Japanese world war ii veterans have contributed to his collection. to date, he has gathered biographical accounts from more than 4,500 veterans, ranging from world war i (Frank Buckles, the last living american veteran of “the Great war,” who died early last year at age 110) to present campaigns in the middle east. His collection is systematically catalogued and carefully preserved. the Pacific trip was a dream come true for nappi. “the privilege to go to such places of hallowed ground, especially with someone who fought there, is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity—and an honor.” nappi, the collector, brought back thousands of photos and about 30 pounds of sand from iwo Jima, 15 pounds of which he gave to his veteran partner. But what mattered most, nappi said, was the time he spent with 87-year-old indianapolis native Jim Baize. “this warrior enlightened me about the human side of the battle, reminding me of the ever-present personal aspect to war: ‘all gave some, some gave all.’”
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AnDrew esKAnDer (sergeant al eutsey): al’s experience on iwo Jima was unique to him and never truly can be explained to or felt by those of us listening. even among veterans, the war was different to each man… For al, the return to iwo Jima brought closure to a hero who never once thought of his own hardships, but only of the men under his command who lost their lives.
cAitlin Bentley (Corporal David Greene): upon our arrival on iwo Jima, Greene and i walked down to the landing beach to gather sand and touch the waves the invading soldiers waded through so many years before, and we gathered sand and rocks for his grandchildren.
MiKe tABor (sergeant major “iron mike” mervosh): Being paired with iron mike has been the highlight of this trip. He has stories about everything. some are serious and straight to the point, while others are hilarious. Being on top of mount suribachi and listening to him describe the fighting was surreal and it is something i will not soon forget.
nicK Brill (sergeant ike rigell): today our group visited the tiny Pacific island of saipan…and the iconic suicide and Banzai cliffs, where thousands of Japanese civilians…jumped off the cliffs to their deaths instead of facing capture by the american forces. it was here that my veteran… captured the spirit of the visit… ike was concerned with feeling what the Japanese families must have been dealing with as they peered out over the cliff.
students’ full accounts at ohiostateartsandsciences.tumblr.com
peter MArzAliK (sergeant Lewis H. seago, “Lew”): the final question i asked Lew…was whether or not he found saipan captivating even during his time spent in the throes of fighting. He admitted despite the brutality of battle, there was still a hidden beauty embedded in the tropical wonders of saipan. it was this juxtaposition between war and paradise… that has really defined this trip for me.
throUgh the lens The 2012 BouRguIgnon leCTuRe foCuSed on JaPaneSeaMeRICan ReSeTTleMenT
Kyle nAppi (Boatswain’s mate 2nd Class Jim Baize): on Guam at our first stop at the park, mr. Baize explained his duties ferrying u.s. marines to the landing beaches of asan as a 16-year-old sailor. upon gazing at the stretch of landing beaches, i tried to envision the 16-year-old version of myself driving u.s. marines ashore while taking substantial fire from the hills concealing Japanese positions.
DAnelle gAgliArDi (seaman secondclass Joe Lanier): tinian was a particularly significant strategic location, having an airfield and serving as a command post for the Japanese. after tinian fell to u.s. forces, the island was left… in the hands of… men like Joe, the navy seabees… naval engineers who cleared the war zones and built roads, airfields, ports, and other critical logistical installations.
aLumni anD FrienDs wwii tour History Department alumni & Friends world war ii tour: July 7-15, 2012, begins in London, moves to France, the beaches and battlefields of normandy, and ends in Paris—with an optional excursion to Berlin. Faculty hosts provide background lectures and local guides escort the group through historical sites. For more information, contact Professor Peter L. Hahn, (614) 292-3001 or hahn.29@osu.edu.
photo by Hikaru Carl Iwasaki, courtesy of the national Archives and records Administration
Lane Hirabayashi, professor and author of Japanese-American Resettlement through the Lens: Hikaru Iwasaki and the WRA’s Photographic Section, 1943-1945, and Hijaru Carl iwasaki, photographer, war relocation authority (wra), were featured speakers at the ninth annual Paul H. and erika Bourguignon Lecture in art and anthropology on may 3. Hirabayashi teaches in the asian american studies Department at uCLa, where he holds an endowed chair dedicated to research on and teaching about the Japanese american world war ii internment, redress, and other Japanese-american issues. iwasaki, 19 years old in 1943 and living in an internment camp himself, was the only Japanese-american who was hired full-time as an official photographer by wra’s Photographic section (wraPs). He is the only full time wra photographer from the period still living. He took more than 1,300 pictures for wraPs before going on to an illustrious career as a photojournalist. continued on pg. 14
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continued from pg. 13
For Through the Lens, Hirabayashi divides iwasaki and the wra’s photo documentation into two phases; evacuation and internment, and the process of resettlement. this second phase began in 1943, the year that iwasaki was hired. During this period, wraPs’ goal, according to Hirabayashi, was to pressure “loyal” imprisoned Japanese-americans to return to society as quickly as possible. “naturally,” Hirabayashi writes, wraPs did not document stories of Japaneseamericans “in difficult or impoverished conditions.” Designed to further the wra’s goal of resettlement, the photos depicted former prisoners as “smiling, happy, free, confident about their safety,” eager to contribute to the war effort through their compliant and successful resettlement.
the annual Paul H. and erika Bourguignon Lecture in art and anthropology is made possible by a generous gift from erika Bourguignon. Bourguignon is one of ohio state’s most distinguished, influential, and interdisciplinary faculty members. Known above all for pioneering work on the relationship of religious trance to gender roles and social change, she is considered the premier anthropological authority on trance, possession, and altered states of consciousness. Bourguignon has set long-term agendas in psychological and psychiatric anthropology, religious studies, women’s studies, and african-american performance studies. in her 40 years at ohio state (1949-90), Bourguignon chaired the Department of anthropology, co-created with her husband (Belgian artist Paul-Henri Bourguignon) a weekly radio program on world music, co-founded the still-running women in Development seminar, and was the first chair of the Council on academic excellence for women.
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AlUMni AwArDs The annual College of aRTS and SCIenCeS dISTInguIShed aluMnI awaRdS dInneR on aPRIl 27 gave uS an oPPoRTunITY To ReCognIze and honoR ThoSe whoSe aCCoMPlIShMenTS aRe TangIBle evIdenCe of The dISTInCTIon of aRTS and SCIenCeS aluMnI. aLumni DistinGuisHeD aCHieVement awarD DiAnne Mcintyre (BFa, dance, 1969), choreographer, dancer, director, and scholar, is a Cleveland native. mcintyre has performed around the world, from Hollywood to Broadway to europe and back—on big stages, dance floors, film sets, and concert halls. a 2007 John s. Guggenheim Fellow for Choreography, mcintyre founded Harlem’s legendary dance/music ensemble, sounds in motion. in addition to completing works for her own company, she has choreographed for alvin ailey american Dance theater, ailey ii, Cleo Parker robinson Dance ensemble, Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, and Dallas Black Dance, as well as college dance groups. mcintyre’s theater work includes Broadway, off-Broadway, regional productions, and productions in London, england. mcintyre’s work appeared in the film, Beloved and the television productions of for colored girls who have considered suicide when the rainbow is enuf; Langston Hughes: The Dream Keeper, and Miss Evers’ Boys—for which she received an emmy nomination.
The faculty at Ohio State really supported and actually pushed me as a choreographer through my studies in the dance department, meeting my professors and the professionals they brought in for us to study with, the guest artists—these were people that I thought, ‘Here, they have made their lives through dance, and they have changed people’s lives through dance.’ I said, ‘Oh, I can do that, too!’ { } Watch videos of our award winners at go.osu.edu/ascalumni
People have asked: as your program became more successful, why didn’t you, like many people do, pick up and go some place else? We’ve never found anything that we couldn’t do at Ohio State. Ohio State has been a fantastic place to build our program, our careers and Columbus, Ohio, has been a wonderful place to raise our daughter. ellen MosleythoMpson (PhD, geography, 1979), Distinguished university Professor of Geography and director of ohio state’s Byrd Polar research Center, is considered one of the world’s leading experts on paleoclimatology, the study of ancient climates. she has led nine expeditions to antarctica and six to Greenland to retrieve ice cores. mosley-thompson was elected a member of the american academy of arts and sciences in 2011, the american Philosophical society in 2009 and is a Fellow in the american Geophysical union. she is also a member of the national research Council’s national academy of sciences’ Polar research Board and a fellow of the national academy of sciences. mosley-thompson, with her research partner and husband Lonnie thompson, founded the world-class ice Core Paleoclimate research Group (iCPrG) and created one of the most impressive “libraries” of the earth’s climate history, both located at ohio state. under their leadership, the Byrd Polar research Center has amassed the second largest archive of prehistoric ice core samples in the world.
r.l. (roBert lAwrence) stine (Ba, english, 1965) is one of the best-selling authors of children’s books in history. His Goosebumps series, along with such series as Fear Street, The Nightmare Room, Rotten School, and Mostly Ghostly have sold nearly 400 million books in the u.s. alone and are translated into 32 languages. this year marks the 20th anniversary of the Goosebumps book series, comprised of more than 100 books. stine continues to write Goosebumps books, published by scholastic. in addition, touchstone books will publish his first hardcover horror novel for adults in many years, Red Rain, in october 2012. as a student, stine edited the student comic magazine—The Sundial. He has been honored with many awards, including the Disney Children’s Choice award and the nickelodeon Kids Choice award. in 2011, the international thriller writers honored him as “thrillermaster” at their annual banquet.
I was so excited to learn upon arriving at Ohio State that there was a humor magazine there called The Sundial, this was a wonderful magazine that had been around, done by students, for over 100 years—James Thurber had actually worked on it in 1917. I just thought, ‘Wow, this is great, this is all I want to do in college.’ Actually, working on The Sundial paid my way to New York City. 15
One of the things I see in the newer generation is that they’re very concerned with doing something that will make a difference—that can improve the world as we know it. To me, that is a very good turn of events, and I think that the way we’ll change the future is through the young people. lonnie thoMpson (PhD, geology, 1976), Distinguished university Professor in earth sciences and senior research scientist, ohio state’s Byrd Polar research Center, has led more than 50 expeditions to ice caps and glaciers on five continents, retrieving ice cores that contain a diary of past climate conditions around the globe, some dating back farther than 750,000 years. His observations of glacier retreat over the last three decades confirm that glaciers around the world are melting and provide clear evidence that the warming of the last 50 years is now outside the range of climate variability for several millennia, if not more. thompson’s list of accomplishments is long. He is a member of the national academy of sciences and a Fellow of the american association for the advancement of science. He is the recipient of the national medal of science, the highest honor the united states bestows on an american scientist; the tyler Prize for environmental achievement, and the Heineken Prize for environmental sciences research, both environmental science equivalents of the nobel Prize. He was the only american scientist ever elected a member of the Chinese academy of sciences, and has been named one of america’s Best by Time and Cnn and featured as one of “25 leaders who are fighting to stave off the planetwide catastrophe” in Rolling Stone.
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aLumni DistinGuisHeD serViCe awarD stephen e. chAppeleAr (Ba, social sciences, 1974, JD, 1977) is the managing partner of the Columbus offices of Hahn Loeser & Parks LLP, one of the country’s premier law firms. Currently, he is president of the national Conference of Bar Foundations and serves as the chair of the trial techniques Committee of the american Bar association tort trial and insurance Practice section. He is the past president of the ohio state Bar Foundation, the ohio state Bar association, and the Columbus Bar association. He currently serves as a member of the osu moritz College of Law national Council and president of its Law alumni association. Chappelear has a long history of service to the arts and sciences. in 2006, he was instrumental in getting the sBs alumni society off the ground by providing legal guidance in crafting the society’s constitution and bylaws. when the university announced the move to a unified College of arts and sciences in 2009, Chappelear assumed the leadership role to transition the sBs alumni society into the new arts and sciences alumni society. His strong leadership skills were a tremendous asset in building the consensus and support necessary to ensure a seamless and smooth transition.
I felt like I received so much from the university when I was here and it gave me so many opportunities, that it’s really been a pleasure for me to continue my association with the university—I don’t think I’ve ever stopped, ever since I took classes here I’ve continued to have some involvement with Ohio State.
no STRaIghT lines MaTheMaTICIan MaTThew Kahle defIneS hIS own PaTh Casian said. “He was already considered a leader in the exciting new field of random topology, so proposing Kahle for a sloan seemed a very natural thing to do.” in his younger years, few who knew him might have guessed they would be seeing Kahle’s name on the sloan Fellow list. “i took a long, winding path to a tenure-track faculty position,” he said. “i always loved math. i competed in math competitions on a national level, but got bad grades in classes. i graduated from high school—but barely. “sometimes people say, ‘oh, that’s because you were bored.’ i love that romantic idea, but the truth is i was unfocused and unsure of what i wanted. even as a little kid, i had a passion for math—i loved it. But not until i was away from it for a while did i realize i wanted to do it for a career.” earlier this year, mathematician MAtthew KAhle received the coveted alfred P. sloan research Fellowship, an award that acknowledges and supports promising young scientists and mathematicians. Kahle, who came to ohio state in august 2011, was nominated for the award by Department of math Chair Luis Casian even before he arrived on campus. “when we hired matt Kahle as an assistant professor, we knew that we had made an extraordinarily good junior hire,”
after high school, Kahle ended up at a community college, then attended Colorado state, and dropped out. ultimately, he took about four and a half years off school working odd jobs—as a janitor, waiter, and working the graveyard shift at Kinko’s. “in many ways, i was perfectly happy being a janitor,” Kahle said. “there’s not much supervision and there’s a sense of satisfaction—you feel like you did something and physically you can see the
fruits of your labor. you walk into a dirty building; you walk out, it’s clean. “what i did miss, though, was talking about math. and it was this that propelled me back into school. Despite common stereotypes, mathematicians are very social, collaborative, and helpful. we rely on conversations and the exchange of ideas— which is, i think, the future of math. Deeper problems are not solved by one person— sometimes it takes a team with different techniques.” Kahle’s work is highly interdisciplinary and collaborative, at the intersection of different fields of math—topology and geometry; probability, statistical mechanics, and combinatorics.
Sloan fellowShIP wInneRS ohio state’s Department of mathematics is doing something very right. Kahle’s sloan Fellowship makes it five in a row for their extraordinary junior faculty. He joins roman Holowinsky (2011), Janet Best (2010), Chiu-yen Kao (2009) and Jean-Francois Lafont (2008) in this select group. all are doing leading-edge research in their areas: Best studies mathematical biology and dynamical systems; Holowinsky is a number theorist, whose work has implications for problems in physics; Kao is an applied mathematician whose work helps in designing materials with specific properties, such as solar cells; and Lafont works on differential geometry, geometric group theory, K-theory, and topology. the alfred P. sloan Foundation has awarded the two-year, $50,000 sloan research Fellowships annually since 1955 to early career scientists and scholars in recognition of achievement to date and potential to make significant future contributions to their fields.
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Shell gAMe MuSSelS ReTuRn To ohIo waTeRS ohio state, in collaboration with the Columbus zoo and aquarium, the u.s. Fish and wildlife service, and the ohio Department of natural resources, has reintroduced endangered, freshwater mussels to several ohio rivers. in the past couple of years, researchers have placed more than 3,700 of the golfball-sized critters in local rivers, making the endeavor the largest reintroduction of an endangered species in ohio history, according to tom watters, curator of mollusks at ohio state’s museum of Biological Diversity and science director at the collaborative Freshwater mussel Conservation and research Center, across the river from the Columbus zoo. For their efforts with the freshwater mussels, the center recently was named the “premiere conservation facility in north america” by the national association of zoos and aquariums.
Students monitor the reintroduced, federally endangered northern riffleshell mussels in Big darby Creek.
“Freshwater mussels are the most endangered animals in north america because of habitat destruction and poor water quality,” said watters. the group obtained northern riffleshell mussels, which have all but disappeared in ohio, from a river in Pennsylvania, where a bridge project would have disrupted their habitat, then bred them at the research center before reintroducing them into the wild in Big Darby Creek. each mussel is tagged so that it can be followed and studied, despite its habit of burrowing into muddy stream bottoms. so far, so good. the mussels seem to be adapting to their new habitat and their population continues to grow. at the research center, more mussels are being raised this spring and were released in may in the ohio river, Big Darby Creek, Clear Creek, and Leading Creek. ohio state staff members Jennifer Cecil and trisha Gibson keep close tabs on huge tanks of mussels and stacked aquariums full of their fish “hosts,” such as darters, bass, bluegill, chubs, and catfish.
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“they truly are the nastiest of the mussel family,” watters said of the riffleshell. “the female mussel lies still and tries to attract a curious fish. when a fish swims close, she slams her shell shut, trapping the fish.” she then lets her “parasite” baby mussels loose onto the fish’s face before letting it go. once the parasites grow into young mussels, they fall off the fish and make their home in the river bottom. the ohio state researchers hope to have thousands of little mussels ready to go this spring. why so much effort for a tiny, mud-brown mussel? “the zoo places a high importance on partnerships in terms of research and conservation,” explained Doug warmolts, director of animal care at the Columbus zoo and aquarium. “we have a long history of these efforts all over the world, and it’s important to practice what we preach right here in our own backyard.”
This mussel is part of Ohio’s natural heritage,” he added. “It’s as much a part of our wildlife heritage as the bald eagle. Granted, it’s not as charismatic as the bald eagle but it’s just as important. it’s also a really good indicator of water quality and water characteristics.”
added watters, “they don’t have to be ‘good’ for anything; they are just part of our environment, part of our heritage. they’re a link to our quality of life.” the conservation and research center is a resource for ohio state students and often opens its doors to them for field trips. it also hosts K-12 students for educational visits with their teachers.
BreAKfAst of {SCIenCe}chAMpions earth sciences emeritus Professor Garry mcKenzie started the Breakfast of science Champions in 1998 to give middle-school students a chance to engage in hands-on science using resources their schools don’t have. this year, 133 students from eight Columbus city middle schools spent the morning of Feb. 8 at five separate educational sites. “we have an amazing array of world-class research centers here at ohio state, and an important part of their mission involves education and outreach to share their expertise with schools and the public,” said Chris andersen, director of ohio state’s stem (science, technology, engineering, and math) initiatives. “the Breakfast of science Champions is a great opportunity for our faculty and staff to ‘pay it forward’ to inspire the next generation of budding scientists and engineers.” “our hosting research centers do a great job of making learning fun.” andersen said. “who wouldn’t enjoy flash-freezing a carnation in -321 degree liquid nitrogen?”
Imagine that—a superconducting train! middle-school students see the science of the future at the Center for emergent materials.
But there’s more than science learning going on during the visit, andersen pointed out. For many of these young visitors, it is their first time on a university campus;
spending a morning with Ohio State students and scientists makes it much easier to picture themselves as future college students and scientists. artsandsciences.osu.edu
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vIRTual pAtient mr. Covington has a backache. He’s nervous, sitting there in the doctor’s exam room, and his eyes quickly dart back and forth. He carefully answers the medical student’s questions, grimacing from the pain as he describes where it hurts, and how badly. the student continues to probe with questions, hoping to hone in on the problem while trying to keep mr. Covington calm and talkative. mr. Covington is an avatar: a simulated, virtual patient. He’s actually one of several avatars built by researchers at the advanced Computing Center for the arts and Design (aCCaD) for a collaborative project with the wexner medical Center’s Doug Danforth, PhD, associate professor in the Department of obstetrics and Gynecology. the avatars in the Virtual Patient Project give medical students life-like practice in interviewing patients, delving into health histories, and narrowing possible diagnoses. the aCCaD research team includes alan Price, associate professor of design and acting director, and graduate student Kellen maicher. “Dr. Danforth came to aCCaD to see if we could build an avatar that would create a rich, high-fidelity experience for the medical
The virtual patients are designed so students can practice interviewing, asking the right questions, and developing effective communications skills. students,” explained Price.
the goal was to create an immersive environment for the medical students with a believable virtual patient with whom they could practice their clinical skills. “the avatar will appear life-sized on a large computer screen in a room set up like a doctor’s office in our new Clinical skills Center,” Danforth said. “the student will ask the avatar questions, and will get responses, and emotions, back. they’ll be able to practice
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and test their skills one on one with a life-like patient. it will allow them to do all of the ‘detective work’ on a new patient and get immediate feedback from that patient.” most medical schools, including ohio state’s, use “standardized patients” to teach these clinical skills. standardized patients are members of the local community who are trained to act like real patients. that approach has some limitations, including variability in the skills of the standardized patients, as well as being relatively expensive. this led Danforth to consider using a virtual patient instead. use of virtual patients isn’t new in medical schools, but most virtual patient programs are computer-based, clinicalreasoning scenarios, leading medical students through a predefined list of problems and diagnoses. this program is different. “nobody to my knowledge is using avatars, artificial intelligence, and virtual reality that combine communication and emotion,” Danforth said. Plus, the program will not be housed only in the Clinical skills Center. a web-based version of the program will allow medical students to practice communicating with the virtual patients anywhere—from laptops or home computers. the avatars, representing various ages and genders, will complain of such common ailments as backache, headache, abdominal pain, cough, and chest pain.
Kellen maicher (left) and Alan Price stand side by side with mr. Covington, one of several avatars built by researchers at the Advanced Computing Center for the Arts and design (ACCAd).
so how do you build a believable mr. Covington? maicher’s senior thesis is based on developing “affect” in the virtual character, which he is building in a computer animation studio and importing into a gaming engine. Communication is achieved via an extensive database built by Danforth. “we want the avatar to elicit emotions, rather than just being robotic and cold,” maicher said. “the emotional element will help students develop their clinical skills in the exam room.” He adds that the project focuses on the personal exchange between doctor and patient. “not only do we want to have the lip-synch correct, but we are buildingin seven different facial, emotional tags to create any number of different emotional responses. that adds another level to the doctor/patient relationship.” the Virtual Patient Project is funded through several grants to the medical school, and is being piloted with students now. it’s expected to begin final testing and be employed in the curriculum early next year.
eYe on the sKy The dePaRTMenT of aSTRonoMY’S ReBuIlT PlaneTaRIuM wIll TaKe vISIToRS ouT of ThIS woRld
the existing Planetarium, constructed in 1967, struggles with outdated equipment, a waterdamaged planetarium dome, and many broken chairs. the planetarium shuts down on June 4 to be stripped down to bare cement and start from scratch. when it re-opens in late autumn 2012, visitors can expect to be wowed—by both the overall look of the new planetarium, and its technical capabilities. Great chairs, carpeting that reduces scattered light, an improved sound system, and lighting will enhance visitor enjoyment of what takes place above them. But the real show is not in these amenities. the über-wow factor lies in the new spitz sciDome XD, the latest in digital projection technology. the XD uses two projectors to display 2,560 x 2,560 (that’s over 6.5 million) pixels onto the planetarium dome. one of the coolest images
that the XD can project is the night sky from anywhere on earth. among the possibilities the XD provides: flying over planetary surfaces, flying through the solar system, projecting the latest images and movies from nasa spacecraft on the dome, and showing how the skies looked millions of years ago—and millions of years in the future. Currently, the planetarium hosts 2,000-3,000 visitors annually. the new planetarium will be able to serve even more people, on campus and throughout Columbus. Planetarium shows are given by astronomy graduate students working on forefront research. Finally, they will be able to give visitors insight not only into motions of the stars and planets, but into new areas of discovery— quite a change from the current equipment that can show only the motions of stars and planets across the sky.
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The honduRan proJect
Can geogRaPheRS Save a waY of lIfe?
Geographers are specialized in focusing at the heart of the relationship between humans and their environment, and in recognizing that the connections are two way. {Kendra mcsweeney, associate professor of geography} in spring 2011, three ohio state geographers ventured up the Patuca river in the remote rainforests of eastern Honduras. a goal of the trip was to work with the indigenous tawahka and miskito who live there to assess the potential impacts of a massive hydroelectric dam under construction upstream. the trip was led by KenDrA Mcsweeney, an associate professor of geography who has a primary interest in the relationship between people and natural resources. she was joined by zoe peArson, a PhD student in geography with several years of field work in ecuador under her belt, whose research focuses on understanding how political dynamics shape human-environment interactions. sArA sAntiAgo, a senior majoring in geography and international studies, also joined the trip, bringing with her experience of fighting social injustice in ohio. During the trip, the three conducted a survey of more that 150 tawahka households to assess how tawahka health, agriculture, and income have been changing. they also did in-depth interviews with indigenous leaders, and spent time with river dwellers to understand locals’ perspectives on their ongoing adaptation, and the likely impacts of the dam on their lives and livelihoods.
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artsandsciences.osu.edu
the trip would put physical and mental demands on the students. temperatures were routinely in the high 90s; they stayed primarily on the floor of a local building where they could rig up their mosquito nets. Getting and treating water to drink could take more than an hour each day. Bathing was in a local stream. But mcsweeney was confident that the students were not only up to it, but would benefit from the challenge, especially given that tawhaka families were eager to collaborate. “whenever possible, it’s great to engage students in this kind of hands-on research and collaboration,” said mcsweeney.
Zoe Pearson, Sara Santiago, and Kendra mcSweeney, on the Patuca river
“the tawahka are irrevocably linked to the land,” mcsweeney said. “their livelihoods are based on their ability to grow and sell cacao, rice, beans, cassava, plantains, and other crops.” For centuries, the tawahka, one of Honduras’ smallest indigenous groups, have lived and worked along the Patuca river, the central artery of the moskitia rainforest, Central america’s most biologically diverse tropical wilderness and one of the region’s largest remnants of intact rainforest. there are no roads in the moskitia rainforest, so the Patuca river is a life-line for the group; it transports crops for sale and its fish provide a vital source of protein.
on the first of three dams within the Patuca river basin. the Patuca is Honduras’ biggest river, and it has stoked the dreams of hydroelectric developers for more than 40 years. Designed to sell power to neighboring nicaragua, two of the three dams would block the main river channel.
and now, the construction of a dam threatens it all.
mcsweeney began her work in the tawahkan community in 1994, as a research associate for the Harvard institute for international Development (HiiD). since then, she has traveled to Honduras to track the effects on tawahka lives of climaterelated disasters, such as Hurricane mitch; land loss from an aggressive colonization frontier, outside encroachment (narcotrafficking), as well as the tawahka’s own population growth.
in January 2011, the Honduran government signed a contract with the Chinese company, sinoHydro, to start construction
this was the first time mcsweeney brought an undergraduate and graduate student into the field with her. she was aware that
They bring an added curiosity and inquiry that enriches and informs the project; and, in turn, they get to have a lifechanging experience. Pearson helped conduct the household surveys and acted as a sounding board for the villagers to voice their concerns about the construction project. For more than a month, santiago accompanied Pearson on interviews and together they lived and worked alongside villagers. “working as a team is an amazing experience,” said Pearson. “you learn how to forge relationships and what a long-term research project can look like.” For an undergraduate, the experience of being in the field and working so closely with a graduate student and professor can be transformative. “i really learned how to be a geographer,” said santiago. “i was able to see another way of life and the very real risks to that way of life.” For her part, mcsweeney believes that Pearson and santiago’s participation in the project was invaluable.
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Professor mcSweeney at a village meeting, Honduras
“Having zoe and sara as part of the research group forced me to go beyond simply stating what i know to explaining how i think i know it,” said mcsweeney. “as a researcher, you never really learn anything, until you have to teach it.” what they all have learned is that the proposed Patuca iii dam will choke off the enriching sediment in the Patuca river, slowly starving the downstream agricultural systems of the tawahka and other groups. it will result in lower water tables and soil humidity, which in turn will negatively impact crop-growth. Canoe-based trade and navigation will be severely curtailed, effectively destroying trade. “the tawahka are river people,” said mcsweeney. “their lives and livelihoods pulse with the river. if this dam project moves forward, we may witness the complete decimation of a centuriesold way of life.”
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Back home, mcsweeney, Pearson, and santiago volunteer their time, as part of an international effort to encourage the Honduran government to work more closely with indigenous communities to mitigate the potentially devastating effects of the dam on downriver communities, and to explore alternative paths to electricity generation. Pearson will be traveling to Bolivia this summer to continue her research on the impact of the war on drugs on indigenous communities there. she is expected to receive her PhD in 2015. santiago is president of the campus chapter of oxFam america, an international development organization working to find lasting solutions to poverty and injustice. she will graduate in June 2012 and plans to work in the nonprofit sector and eventually attend graduate school in geography.
reADy, set, Blog! Two aluMnI TuRn BlogS InTo BooKS From the intense outdoor adventure seekers to the selfproclaimed breakfast foodies, arts and sciences alumni nicholAs DeKKer and MichAel evAns are using social media to celebrate and explore the unexpected pleasures of ohio with their blogs: Breakfast with Nick, and OHventures. For nicholas Dekker, breakfast isn’t just the the most important meal of the day, it’s also the most delicious. with hundreds of local restaurants and diners each serving up their own unique breakfast style, Dekker has discovered that Columbus is the perfect place for the breakfast connoisseur. “Breakfast can be solidly traditional or endlessly innovative. it features a wide range of foods: sweet and savory, light and heavy, fruits and meats, dairy and starches, vegetables and proteins.” inspired by his passion for breakfast food and love of Columbus, Dekker, a lecturer in the Department of theatre, began Breakfast with Nick after completing graduate school at ohio state in June 2007. “most people are unaware that Columbus has a fascinating breakfast and brunch scene. this city has so much to offer and i want people to go out and experience these unique local places for themselves.” the thriving success of Dekker’s blog ultimately led to his book, Breakfast with Nick: Columbus, which serves as a guide to the coffee shops, donut shops, and restaurants serving up tasty breakfast fare in Columbus. Dekker’s food blog and book have garnered him local attention from the Columbus Dispatch, Writers Talk, Columbus Alive, Columbus Crave, Good Day Columbus, WCBE Foodcast, and The Lantern. recently, he was featured as one of Columbus Business First’s “Forty under 40” honorees.
nicholas dekker turned his passion for breakfast food into a book, photo courtesy of robin Oatts, Genre Creative
Fellow alumnus and adventure seeker, michael evans, is the voice behind the increasingly popular outdoors blog, OHventures. evans created the blog to showcase the lesser-known outdoor activities that can be enjoyed throughout the Buckeye state. He uses video
and images to capture his adventures to the less explored areas of ohio. evans said, “i love the outdoors and i wanted to inspire others to explore ohio. you don’t have to go to California or Colorado to go hiking or parasailing; you can actually do that right here.” continued on pg. 29
Visit Breakfast with Nick at breakfastwithnick.com and OHventures at ohventures.blogspot.com
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don Handfield in Ohio Stadium
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fooTBall: tAKe one
SuPPoRTIng the Arts
aluMnuS dIReCTS feaTuRe fIlM
ohio state alumnus and entertainment industry leader Lawrence Barnett has committed $6 million to the College of arts and sciences to establish the multi-disciplinary lAwrence AnD isABel BArnett center for integrAteD Arts AnD enterprise and to support extensive renovations to sullivant Hall.
when Don hAnDfielD (Journalism, 1993) was a student at ohio state in the early ‘90s, his then-girlfriend would wax nostalgic about growing up in the small town of Coldwater, ohio, where high school football took center stage. the stories stuck with him over the years, and today Handfield has brought a version of them to life on the silver screen. Handfield wrote and directed the feature film, Touchback, which opened in theatres nationwide in april and stars Kurt russell, Christine Lahti, and Brian Presley. the film tells the tale of a former high school football star who has the unique opportunity to revisit his glory days during a state championship game where he permanently injured his knee in a game-winning play. Given a second shot at his destiny, he seeks counsel from a coach to help him decide how to let his fate unfold. Handfield, who also took theatre and film classes at ohio state, moved to Los angeles after graduation and soon landed a job as a production assistant at e! entertainment television. “i would not have been hired for that job without my journalism degree from ohio state. that got me on the other side of the camera,” he said, eventually leading to production of the independent film, which was shot primarily in the midwest.
We were the first film to ever shoot scenes inside Ohio Stadium during a football game, he said. “Fortunately, Gordon Gee and Gene smith were able to allow us onto the field during a game in autumn 2010. it was amazing being on the field with 110,000 people in the stadium.”
Handfield credits ohio state with helping him find his niche. “what i remember most is the sense of opportunity,” he said. “whatever you want to do, you can find ways to pursue it at ohio state. you can find support within the university and outside of campus in Columbus. there’s a wonderful, shared sense of community there.”
this gift from the Barnett family will create a collaborative center in sullivant Hall, which will include the Barnett Conference room and the Barnett theatre. Barnett and his late wife, isabel Barnett, supported ohio state students in the arts for many years through the Barnett Fellowship for graduate students in art education, the bi-annual Barnett arts and Public Policy symposium, and the Barnett Distinguished Visiting Lecturers series. the renovated sullivant Hall, new home for the Billy ireland Cartoon Library and museum, will also house the Department of Dance, Department of art education, and advanced Computing Center for the arts and Design (aCCaD), all of which will interact with the new Barnett Center. sullivant Hall will be a crux of arts activities, with a state-of-theart performance space, collaborative research facilities, and quarters for guest artists and scholars, as well as the designated home for Barnett scholars. Demolition began over the winter in preparation for the building’s extensive renovations. according to ohio state senior project manager nikolina sevis, demolition crews are working in the building during phase two of the project, expected to be completed by the end of may. the demolition will make way for a construction management firm to oversee the building’s transformation, which is expected to reopen in september 2013. artsandsciences.osu.edu
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hoT enough for yoU? SCIenTISTS uSe STaTISTICS To PRoJeCT fuTuRe ClIMaTe Change
noel Cressie, statistics professor and founder and director of Ohio State’s Program in Spatial Statistics and environmental Statistics at right: The “red Zone,” shows regions whose lower-end error barshows projections of 3.6 degrees F, or greater
Climate models are useful tools for scientists to project future climate change. the north american regional Climate Change assessment Program (narCCaP) is an international program to produce high-resolution weather and climate simulations. it allows researchers to investigate spatial variability in regional-scale projections of future climate and to generate temperaturechange scenarios for use in impacts research.
statistics Professor noel cressie, who heads up ohio state’s Program in spatial statistics and environmental statistics, is the go-to guy for information about projected temperature change in north america. Cressie’s recent project, with colleague and former PhD student emily Kang, of the university of Cincinnati, analyzed data from regional Climate models, or rCms, run up to 60 years into the future on 50 km x 50 km regions in north america. they considered current (1971–2000) and future (2041–2070) average seasonal surface temperature fields from two regional climate models. “we are looking at differences in temperatures, not absolute temperatures, and seasonal changes, ” Cressie said. “it’s important to understand that we are not considering weather,
Climate is a long-term property of weather. Weather can vary a lot, but when analyzing climate, any trends become more apparent. but rather climate.
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in their 2012 article in the International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation, Cressie and Kang examined all four Boreal seasons and chose to illustrate their results at four locations: the Hudson Bay, the Great Lakes, the midwest, and the rocky mountains. using a Bayesian analysis, they computed and plotted the posterior means of the average temperature-change projection for these four locations. the results for all of north america showed a warming trend of usually more than 2 degrees C, or 3.6 degrees F. their Bayesian spatial statistical analysis of all possible 11,760 narCCaP grid locations took 40 hours of computing time, but enabled them to put “error bars” around their estimates. “our statistical analysis shows that warming effects can differ over areas and seasons, regardless of which rCm was used,” Cressie said, “For example, the warming effects are much stronger in the north in winter, and they are stronger in the south in summer. the overall conclusion from the regional climate projections is that cities and rural communities alike will be experiencing a much warmer climate in 50 or so years.” Cressie used a Bayesian hierarchical statistical model to describe the long-run average differences between future and current climate-model runs. read further details on this research at go.osu.edu/cressie
continued from pg. 25
evans has been to cities like akron, Canton, toledo, Chillicothe, youngstown, Columbus, zanesville, and countless others. He’s written about ohio landmarks like the statehouse, the Harding memorial, and the mansfield reformatory; as well as staple events such as warrior Dash, Pelotonia, and the ohio state Fair.
“there are several advantages to using a hierarchical statistical approach,” Cressie said. “non-hierarchical models with few parameters generally do not fit the data well, or those with many parameters may tend to ‘over-fit,’ making them less useful for predictive purposes. Hierarchical statistical models can often fit the data with few parameters and also do well for predictive purposes. Furthermore, the uncertainty in the predictions is quantified and firm conclusions can be drawn.” so what is the bottom-line? “i am not a climate scientist; i didn’t build the climate models,” Cressie said. “what we have done is a careful accounting of the some 100,000 data that we extracted from the north american regional Climate Change assessment Program. “our analysis has been conservative in the choices we made when fitting the statistical models. the image above shows the 50 km X 50 km regions whose lower end of their error bar is projected to be 3.6 degrees F, or greater. this is at the limit of sustainability, and the message from the climate-projection data is that most of north america’s communities will be beyond this limit.”
He said, “my blog isn’t always about me. i have a series, Featured OHventurer, that introduces readers to awesome ohioans like Columbus Blue Jackets player Derek Dorsett, zanesville anchorwoman Kelly mills, and ohio state marching Band drummer-turned-actor Drew thompson.” For the past two years, OHventures has seen a significant increase in readership and followers. evans partners with the ohio Division of tourisms blog, Discovering Ohio, as a guest blogger. He’s currently blogging about his training for the Capital City Half-marathon in Columbus, ohio, where he’ll be featured as a celebrity runner. evans has been interviewed by Columbus Alive and Writers Talk. Currently, he plans to transform his blog into a book, like fellow blogger, Dekker.
(top) evans at Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Gardens, posing with two African elephants; (bottom) evans at the Ozone Zipline Adventures at YmCA Camp Kern in Oregonia, Ohio. This is the largest zipline tour in Ohio and the midwest.
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SCIenCe & scholArship the DistingUisheD scholAr AwArD, supported by ohio state’s office of research, recognizes exceptional scholarly accomplishment by senior professors. nominated by their departments, scholars are chosen by a committee of senior faculty, including past award recipients. Distinguished scholars receive a $3,000 honorarium and a $20,000 research grant to be used over the next three years.
the AlUMni AwArD for DistingUisheD teAching honors faculty members for superior teaching. recipients are nominated by students and colleagues and are chosen by a committee of alumni, students, and faculty. they receive a cash award of $3,000 and a $1,200 increase in their base salaries. the recipients will be inducted into the university’s academy of teaching, which provides leadership for the improvement of teaching at ohio state.
JAnet BoX-steffenMeier, Vernal riffe Professor, Political science—Box-steffenmeier is a leading scholar in american politics and political methodology. Her studies of mass politics, legislatures, and political methodology have provided substantive understanding of these areas, while fostering advances in research methodology and ways to capture change and dynamics.
DAviD herMAn, Professor, english—many of Herman’s students see him as “the most approachable, student-centered, responsive professor they have had at ohio state,” and as a “model for my own teaching.” several cite the fact that it was a thrill to be taught by a scholar who is considered “a rock star in the world of narrative theory.”
loUis DiMAUro, Professor, Physics—Dimauro’s work in atomic physics focuses on the interaction between atoms and intense laser pulses on an atomic timescale (attoseconds). recently, his team recorded the first real-time image of two atoms vibrating in a molecule, using a new ultrafast camera. this is a first step toward both observing chemical reactions, and controlling them on an atomic scale.
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MArK Kleffner, Professor, earth sciences—a student nominator said, “i hated science through school. it was dull, way too complex, and was just not for me. and then i enrolled in earth science 100 with Dr. Kleffner...he can put a spin on the information that makes it enjoyable. i never believed i would do well in a science course, let alone walk away with a personal interest in the subject—which i did.”
AnitA hopper, Professor and Chair, molecular Genetics— Hopper is an international leader in rna research. Her studies on intracellular trafficking of trnas showing that trnas move retrograde from the cytoplasm to the nucleus and accumulate there under particular stress conditions was a surprising, and revolutionary, discovery.
hAsAn KwAMe Jeffries, associate Professor, History—Jeffries’ students praise his teaching style, which centers on the belief that effective teaching is a collaborative effort between the instructor and the student; students say, “his accessibility goes beyond the classroom, and he is genuinely interested in our progress.”
vincent J. roscigno, Professor, sociology—roscigno studies social stratification, work, education, and culture, using historical, qualitative, and quantitative methods. His work re-examines theories of power and their relevance in the contemporary world, looking at workplace discrimination surrounding race, sex and age; and the dynamics of workplace bullying and abuse.
John r. rice, associate Professor, music—rice, whose students have performed with more than 70 opera companies and symphony orchestras, cite his attentiveness, vast knowledge of vocal techniques, and encouragement; as one said, “i have discovered my voice under his tutelage and feel prepared to embark on a professional career in opera.”
pictured from l to r: Janet Box-Steffenmeier, Louis dimauro, Anita Hopper, Vincent J. roscigno, david Herman, mark Kleffner, Hasan Kwame Jeffries, John r. rice, Henri Cole, Paolo Gabrielli,
internAtionAl/nAtionAl scholAr and reseArch AwArDs shows that the work of our outstanding faculty continues to be recognized and supported by top national and international government and private granting agencies, and academic and professional societies. henri cole, arts and Humanities Distinguished Professor, english, is the sixth winner of the Jackson Poetry Prize by Poets & writers, inc. the $50,000 prize is presented annually to honor an american poet of exceptional talent who deserves wider recognition. pAolo gABrielli, research scientist, and lonnie thoMpson, Distinguished university Professor, earth sciences and Byrd Polar research Center, have been awarded a three-year $588,000 grant from the nsF Division of atmospheric and Geospace sciences to assess the human impact on the chemical characteristics of the glaciers in the Himalaya and the tibetan Plateau from the preindustrial era to present time. r. Kelly gArrett, assistant Professor, Communication, has been awarded a five-year $500,000 national science Foundation’s early Career Development award (Career), given to the nation’s most promising junior faculty. Garrett’s grant will support his research on the ways social networks and recommendation systems might influence u.s. political misperceptions. AnDrew goUlD, thomas Jefferson Professor for Discovery and space exploration, research scientist BrUce AtwooD, and senior mechanical engineer toM o’Brien, all from astronomy, were awarded a $5 million dollar contract from the Korean astronomical sciences institute to build three 400 mega pixel cameras—the largest ever built—for the Korea microlensing telescope network. erich grotewolD, Professor, molecular Genetics and Horticulture & Crop science, and Director of the Center for applied Plant sciences, received a $4,234,908 national science Foundation grant to comprehensively dissect the gene regulatory networks that target the metabolism of phenolic compounds, which have fundamental importance to agriculture and biofuel considerations.
geoffrey pArKer, Distinguished university Professor, andreas Dorpalen Professor, History, and associate of ohio state’s mershon Center; received the top international award for historians, the Dr. a.H. Heineken Prize for History 2012 from the royal netherlands academy of arts and sciences. the prize, given biennially, recognizes international scholars and scientists who exemplify the highest levels of accomplishment in their fields. Parker is the first ohio state historian to be selected. Parker was cited for “outstanding scholarship on the social, political and military history of europe between 1500 and 1650…for contributions to military history in general; and for research on the role of climate in world history.” rUth sMith, Graduate student, art education, was selected as a 2012-13 Columbus-athens schweitzer Fellow. smith will employ fine art as a vehicle to build and improve the health and well-being of refugees and immigrants involved with the somali women & Children’s alliance in Columbus, ohio. lonnie thoMpson, Distinguished university Professor, earth sciences, and ellen Mosley-thoMpson, Distinguished university Professor, Geography, and Director of the Byrd Polar research Center, were named 2012 Franklin institute Laureates by the Franklin institute, for “their contributions to our understanding of the earth’s climate history from the chemical and physical properties of ice cores…have positively impacted the quality of human life and deepened our understanding of the universe.” AleXAnDer wenDt, Professor, Political science, and ralph D. mershon Professor of international security at the mershon Center for international studies, was selected as the scholar who has had the greatest influence on the field of international relations in the past 20 years by a 2011 survey of international scholars across 20 countries. the survey was part of the teaching, research, and international Policy (triP) Project done by the theory and Practice of international relations at the College of william & mary. wendt was also named one of the top scholars who have produced the best work in the field of international relations over the past 20 years.
r. Kelly Garrett, Andrew Gould, erich Grotewold, Geoffrey Parker, Lonnie Thompson and ellen mosley-Thompson, Alexander wendt
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Agri CulTuRe the Department of Dance brought dance back to its roots with Dance uptown: Dirt, a program of original choreography by internationally acclaimed artists and faculty members Bebe miller and esther Baker-tarpaga, may 24-26. the dances were literally performed in the dirt in the agricultural arena of Plumb Hall, used for decades for the display of livestock. sitespecific dances were created for the space, dirt and all. “while our spaces in sullivant Hall are under complete reconstruction, we did something quite unusual by using the animal sciences arena,” said susan Petry, chair. “Given ohio state’s history as a land-grant institution, this was an apt celebration of the agricultural economy of ohio coupled with culture and creativity —a new meaning, perhaps, of agri-culture.”
photo courtesy of nick Fancher
dancers: Andre morgan and Jennifer meckley
artsandsciences.osu.edu