ASCENT Autumn 2011 by College of Arts and Sciences at Ohio State

AUTUMN 2011

ASCENT

College of Arts and Sciences

ART WORKS

CREATIVE CAPITAL INVESTMENTS Ohio State arts facilities are getting a major overhaul with a series of building projects around the Oval. {page 14}

in this ISSUE

WHERE ANCIENT AND MODERN OHIO MEET 100 Years of American Indian History { } EARTHWORKS INTERACTIVE NEH grant to help build tools for interactive learning

making the connection finding a genetic link between prodigy and autism

ROCK SOLID Orton Geological Museum CONVERSATION ON IMMIGRATION A yearlong initiative ...

HOME IS WHERE THE ART IS Immigrant artists making an IMPACT

ART WORKS CREATIVE CAPITAL INVESTMENTS

BETTER LIVING THROUGH CHEMISTRY Alumnus Andrew Dahlem opens doors for science students

20 21 22 23

BACK IN ORBIT A planet hunter comes home ALL THAT JAZZ Undergrad Dan White gets a unique opportunity

FROM INDIA TO OHIO STATE A great experience is what makes a Buckeye TREASURE HUNTER Alumna Maureen Stanton finds history at the flea market

Remembering Robert Reusché

INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE

Keith and Linda Monda’s scholarship fund

science & scholarship Faculty research, awards, and grants

24 Fall on the Oval, courtesy of Jo McCulty cover photo: Hopkins Hall, courtesy of Shellee Fisher Davis

ASCENT a message from dean steinmetz The overwhelmingly positive response that we’ve had over the past year to ASCENT is an affirmation that we are on the right track. To keep moving in the right direction, we are changing the publication from its original divisionally focused format to one that is comprehensive and college-wide, issued twice a year. This is a true reflection of where we are now as a fully unified college. As arguably the largest college of arts and sciences in the nation, we are bursting at the seams with stories to share with you. Let’s start at our “front door,” where buildings housing the arts are getting a long-overdue facelift—world-class arts programs deserve world-class facilities. We invite you to attend a performance or visit one of our galleries. Our humanities faculty and students are taking part in the Yearlong Conversation on Immigration and the Centennial Celebration of the first national Society of American Indians’ conference held at Ohio State in 1911. A psychologist hunting for a link between prodigy and autism and a museum that preserves Ohio’s geological history illustrate the range of our science programs. Then catch up with a few of our students and alumni making their mark on the world. Enjoy the holidays and please let us hear from you. Our alumni are our best friends, strongest advocates, and the legacy of all we do at Ohio State.

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

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 EDITORIAL STAFF Elizabeth Tarpy Alcade, Victoria Ellwood, Shantay Piazza, Sandi Rutkowski

photo: Stephen Wolfe

DESIGN STAFF

Joseph e. Steinmetz, Phd Executive Dean and Vice Provost College of Arts and Sciences The Ohio State University

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

Where Ancient and Modern Ohio Meet

100 Years of American Indian History

By 1911, the American Indian population was wracked by disease, exploitation, discrimination, and extreme poverty. It was during this dark moment in history that American Indian individuals began to organize on a national scale and six highly educated women and men banded together to form the Society of American Indians (SAI). SAI was the first American Indian rights organization to be led and managed by American Indians themselves, and in 1911 they hosted their first national conference at Ohio State. “They established the SAI to organize their efforts, recruit allies, and to address the pressing issues of their day: health, education, civil rights, and local government,” said Marti Chaatsmith, associate director of Newark Earthworks Center. Ohio State Sociology Professor F.A. McKenzie assisted the early SAI leaders with organizing their efforts. After more than two years of correspondence, McKenzie invited them to hold a planning meeting on the Ohio State campus April 3-4, 1911. When Ohio State President William Oxley Thompson and Columbus Mayor George Sidney Marshall learned that the SAI was planning its first national conference, they extended a special invitation to host the event at Ohio State. This progressive and hospitable gesture would link both the city and the university to one of the key moments in American Indian history. Nearly 50 American Indian leaders, scholars, clergy, writers, artists, and other professionals participated in the 1911 symposium, as did representatives of the university, the Columbus mayor’s office, the Ohio governor’s office, and the National Office of Indian Affairs.

Since American Indians were not citizens until 1924, the topic of citizenship was hotly debated, as were issues of education, law, traditional and contemporary arts, and economics. To mark the 100th anniversary of the SAI, Chad Allen, professor of English and coordinator for Ohio State’s American Indian Studies Program (AIS), oversaw the planning of the 2011 SAI symposium. “The SAI Centennial was an opportunity for us to highlight Ohio State’s central role in this important historical moment,” said Allen. “Our university has a long history with American Indian Studies. We can reclaim that cutting edge.” “I was surprised to learn that Ohio State played host to the first national assembly in history to address the problems that faced Native American society,” said Executive Dean Joseph Steinmetz. “At this year’s meeting, participants re-opened the dialogue that began a century ago. Professor Chad Allen and the other organizers of the meeting are to be congratulated for putting together an outstanding meeting that inspired the participants and provided a great forum for the exchange of ideas on this important matter.” Ohio State faculty, staff, and scholars from around the country attended the 2011 Society of American Indians Symposium held Columbus Day weekend. The celebration began with a formal welcome and brief remarks from the Chief of the Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma, a representative of the Native American Indian Center of Central Ohio (NAICCO), Vice Provost of Diversity and Inclusion Valerie Lee, Executive Dean and Vice Provost Joseph

{ the } View Members of the first Society of American Indians, photo: courtesy of Indian aSchool Journal,of Chilocco, Oklahoma slideshow archival photos

at americanindianstudies.osu.edu/SAISymposium

original 1911 invitation from Ohio State President William Oxley Thompson and Columbus Mayor George Sidney Marshall} Steinmetz, and University President E. Gordon Gee. Keynote addresses were delivered by today’s prominent American Indian scholars, Philip Deloria (University of Michigan), K. Tsianina Lomawaima (University of Arizona), and Robert Warrior (University of Illinois) with workshops to examine the current state of the field such as: Rhetoric and Reality of American Indian Citizenship; Boarding School Generations; and, WellKnown SAI Figures and Native American Languages: Past, Present, and Future Tense. The symposium also included a performance by American Indian performer, and recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Native Writers’ Circle of the Americas, Joy Harjo. Harjo is part of the President and Provost’s Diversity Lecture and Cultural Arts Series. Deloria has a familial connection to the SAI since his great-grandfather, also named Philip Joseph Deloria, was present at the 1911 conference. His great-grandfather was one of the first Dakota Sioux people to be ordained a minister in the Episcopal Church

historical timelin

Let us, if we may, forget any animosities of the past, and jointly work for those conditions and those policies, which in the future will justify peace because based upon the principles of equity, intelligence, and progress. {excerpt from

and during the symposium, preached to 1911 participants. Deloria has authored books on American Indian customs, culture, experiences, and history. He is currently a professor at the University of Michigan in both the Program in American Culture and the Department of History “The experience gave me an emotional and psychological connection to the past. To know that just one century ago, my greatgrandfather was occupying the same space was amazing,” he said. In keeping with the tradition of the first national meeting, the 2011 symposium included a trip to the Newark Earthworks. Built by the indigenous people of the Americas, the Newark Earthworks is 2,000 years old and served as a place of ceremony, astronomical observation, social gathering, trade, and worship.

Chaatsmith said, “There are more questions than answers surrounding the earthworks. Like the participants of the 1911 symposium, we’re hoping the 2011 participants can apply their American Indian

2011 - SAI Centennial Symposium 2004 -The National Museum of

the American Indian opens

2000 - Sacajawea dollar issued 1992 - First American Indian

senator, Ben Nighthorse Campbell

1990 - Native American Grave

Protection and Repatriation Act

1978 - Indian Child Welfare Act 1975 - Indian Self-Determination Act

1972 - Indian Education Act 1970 - Native American Rights Fund established

1968 - Indian Civil Rights Act 1962 - Institute of American Indian Arts established

1942 - Navajo “Code Talkers” established

continued on pg. 6

{ } View more historic photos at americanindianstudies.osu.edu/SAI

1934 - Indian Reorganization Act passed

1932 - Santa Fe Indian School established

1924 - Congress grants citizenship to Indians

1911 - SAI established

earthworks interactive NEH GRANT to HELP BUILD tools for INTERACTIVE LEARNING Art Education Professor Christine BallengeeMorris’s grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) will fund the development of a Flash-based game for children to help them learn about the Native American mounds in Newark, Ohio. “We want to focus on fourth graders, who are already studying Ohio history, and provide a different Newark’s 2,000-year-old Octagon Earthworks perspective than they’re consist of a 50-acre octagon, connected to a 20-acre getting from their history circle by two parallel walls. A rounded rectangular Observatory Mound stands along the outer rim of books,” Ballengee-Morris the circle opposite the octagonal enclosure. These said. “The computerized, earthworks are a testament to the architectural and engineering skill of the American Indian cultures of interactive game will help that time. Photo courtesy of Dan Campbell them explore the mounds, find clues, and answer questions such as, ‘How were the mounds

Where Ancient & Modern Ohio Meet continued from pg. 5

expertise toward a greater understanding of the people who built the earthworks and formulate theories on why they were built.” Several of the Newark Earthworks are owned by the Ohio Historical Society (OHS), well preserved, and open to the public, including the Great Circle. The Octagon Earthwork, although also owned by OHS, has been leased to the Moundbuilders Country Club since 1910. The club limits access to the site so that its members can play golf, allowing four days for public access each year. The Newark Earthworks are included on the UNESCO World Heritage Site’s Tentative List, a collection of sites that are in the nomination process to become a World Heritage Site. Once the nomination is accepted, the Newark Earthworks will be recognized

We want to develop a fun, user-friendly game for students to learn part of Ohio history that’s not in their school books, ballengeemorris said. built?’ ‘Who lived there?’ ‘Why were they built?,’ and ‘What do the stars and moon have to do with them?’” Ballengee-Morris, who has extensive expertise in Native American representation and identity, is teaming up with former Ohio State student Michelle Aubrecht, a researcher in game development, to lead the project. Other team members include representatives from the Advanced Computing Center for the Arts and Design (ACCAD), the Newark Earthworks Center, a Shawnee group, and others. Ballengee-Morris thinks that it will take a year to refine the idea and develop content for the game; she expects to have a prototype in design by the end of summer 2012. as a place of outstanding universal value to humanity – like the Pyramids of Egypt, the Grand Canyon, and the Acropolis. “This experience isn’t just about replicating the 1911 meeting. Although native intellectual traditions are older than the Newark Earthworks, I want the trip to Newark and the 2011 symposium to help move American Indian Studies forward at Ohio State by linking the ancient intellectual history of the earthworks with the centuryold political history of American Indians to the contemporary issues of the field today,” said Allen. Although the SAI lasted only until 1923, the SAI and the journal it published between 1913 and 1920, originally titled the Quarterly Journal of the American Indian (1913-1915) and later renamed the American Indian Magazine (1916-1920), are of great significance to the history of twentieth-century American Indian political, cultural, intellectual, and literary development.

If you would like to become involved or support the American Indian Studies Program please contact Chad Allen with questions at (614) 292-6065, or Emily Alonso-Taub with questions regarding gifts at (614) 292-3487, or visit americanindianstudies.osu.edu.

making the connection

FINDING A GENETIC LINK BETWEEN PRODIGY AND AUTISM

Lauren Voiers, a self-taught, Cleveland, Ohio-based visual artist and painter, has established herself as an internationally recognized artist—at the age of 20. She is considered a prodigy: someone with a skill set or an ability that is incredibly accomplished, far beyond her years. “I didn’t know if I was a child prodigy, but I hoped I was,” said Voiers. “I admired kids I saw on TV who were gifted and I wanted to be like them. Art has always been an obsession with me.” Recognized as an art prodigy since she was in grade school, Voiers is the rarest of painting prodigies—mastering several styles ranging in variety from cubism and surrealism, to American traditionalism. What is also rare is Voiers’ family history. She has several biological first-degree relatives with autism spectrum disorders, raising the question of whether there is a genetic link between autism and prodigy. Joanne Ruthsatz, assistant professor of psychology at Ohio State’s Mansfield campus and a member of the Department of Psychology’s integrative neuroscience group, has set out to find the answer.

“Not all child prodigies are autistic,” says Ruthsatz. “However, they are highly reliant on a similar set of skills as autistic savants.” Ruthsatz began working with prodigies in 2003. She is currently tracking the lives of nine prodigies, ranging in age from six to 34 years old and accomplished in the fields of music, art, physics, and mathematics. Over half of the child prodigies have one or more than one biological first- or seconddegree relative with autism-spectrum disorder, and all of them scored higher than average on the Autism-Spectrum Quotient (AQ) survey and significantly higher in attention to detail on the same survey. The AQ is designed to evaluate the presence of autistic traits in individuals with normal intelligence. Previous research supports the AQ as a reliable and valid predictor of autistic traits found in the biological relatives of individuals with autism. Nine case studies do not generally constitute a large population, until you consider the pool of prodigies in the country. There are estimated to be only 30 to 50 prodigies in the U.S. “Prodigies are so rare,” explained Ruthsatz. “Child prodigies are diagnosed one in 10 million in the United States whereas autismspectrum disorders are diagnosed in one in 110 children in the United States.” Until Ruthsatz began her study, much of what we know about prodigies came from observations of clinicians; case studies of prodigies were descriptive, not quantitative by nature. Ruthsatz is probing the prodigy mind from the inside, using tools like gene mapping and fMRI scans, and she has amassed the only cognitive data on prodigies available. While investigating her first case study, a 6-year-old musical prodigy, Ruthsatz

discovered that the young prodigy had a biological second-degree relative with autism spectrum disorders. “It was truly an eye-opening moment for me, when I first began to suspect that there might be a genetic link,” said Ruthsatz. In furthering her investigation of the possible link between prodigies and autism, Ruthsatz administered the AQ to the biological first-degree relatives of individuals with autism spectrum disorders, the biological first-degree relatives of child prodigies, and the biological relatives of children without documented disabilities. What she discovered was that the biological first-degree relatives of individuals with autism and the first-degree relatives of child prodigies scored significantly higher in attention to detail. What is the next step? “I am working with several researchers to compare the DNA between child prodigies

and children with autism who have a savant skill,” said Ruthsatz. “If we can isolate the gene it can revolutionize our treatment for autism and other cognitive impairments along the autism spectrum.” Voiers is one of the prodigies working with Ruthsatz who has volunteered to be part of a DNA test. She is emphatic about wanting to be a part of helping find a treatment for her relatives who struggle with autism. “If I can contribute to helping them and others with autism, then I’ll do whatever I can.” Ruthsatz also hopes that her research with prodigies will change the way that society thinks about them. She is all too familiar with how popular culture portrays prodigies and is determined to set the record straight. “Prodigies are portrayed as eccentric, socially awkward misfits pushed too hard artsandsciences.osu.edu

by overbearing parents but that just isn’t the case.”

opposite page: Joanne Ruthstaz and Lauren Voiers at left: Voiers’ Peace & Harmony sculpture, John Lennon Peace Monument, Liverpool, England

“They’re more mature than most, but in many ways they are just like their contemporaries. Most importantly, they love what they do and their passion is what propels them forward.”

eventually evolved into an 18-foot tall metal and glass monument that was unveiled to the world in October 2010, on what would have been John Lennon’s 70th birthday. “I love making art because I know what my purpose is—to beautify the world and encourage people to be kind to others,” said Voiers.

finding peace In 2009, Voiers came up with an idea for a painting about the concept of world peace.

As a mark of the true impact of Voiers’ work, John Lennon’s son, Julian, asked Voiers to incorporate a white feather within the design of the Peace and Harmony sculpture, as a symbol of John Lennon’s spirit and of world peace.

“Art has the power to change things for the better,” said Voiers. “I want my art to contribute to humanity’s progression and the way people think.” She decided to incorporate a musical theme into her creation to reflect music as a common denominator among all people of the world. She named her painting Peace and Harmony. Later, Voiers was asked to make the painting into a sculpture as part of the

Global Peace Initiative, a project to erect seven distinct monuments, one on each continent, symbolizing the efforts of mankind to create a non-violent world of peace and harmony. The sculpture

Voiers and Ruthsatz are teaming up to produce a series of children’s illustrated picture books. The first in the series, Kate and the Grand Adventure, is due out next year. Voiers will be providing the illustrations for the book.

behavior & the brain Put simply, if we understand mind, brain, and behavior relationships we understand the human condition. In early January 2012, the College of Arts and Sciences will open the new Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Brain Imaging (CCBBI), a state-of-the-art interdisciplinary research facility, housed in the Department of Psychology, dedicated to the study of brain mechanisms underlying individuals’ cognitive capacity and subjective well-being, as well as dysfunctions of the brain mechanism in normal aging and mental disorders. “Brain imaging shows us the critical building blocks of the mind and allows us to explore the brain processes underlying human behavior,” says Zhong-Lin Lu, CCBBI director, professor of psychology and Distinguished Professor of Social and Behavioral Sciences.

What are the key neural pathways responsible for debilitating mental illnesses and developmental disorders, learning and memory, language comprehension, visual and auditory processing, aging, personality and emotion, self control and risky behavior? These are just a few of the questions our CCBBI researchers will be investigating. With a new Siemens 3T Trio Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) system, CCBBI researchers can go beyond merely asking the questions to literally seeing the answers. Wil Cunningham, CCBBI’s associate director and associate professor of psychology, believes that psychology is at the very beginning of a revolution. “The brain is not static. It is constantly changing, rewiring, reconnecting to deal with the challenges of everyday life. Advancing our understanding of the relationship between mind and behavior truly will allow for transformative discoveries.”

ROCK SOLID ORTON GEOLOGICAL MUSEUM To walk through Orton Geological Museum is to walk though time—the Ordovician, Silurian, Devonian, and a few more geological ages. It is also to walk through the prehistory of Ohio and the history of Ohio State from its beginning. Located on the Oval, landmark Orton Hall, named for Ohio State’s first president and first geology professor, Edward Orton, the museum’s first 10,000 specimens came from Orton’s own teaching collection. Scattered throughout the massive collection are specimens numbered on the back by Orton himself, their numbers still vivid red after all these years. “We don’t know what he used; we just know that we can’t wash them,” Bill Ausich, earth sciences professor and museum director, said. Fossil skeletons, meteorites, mastodon teeth, crystals, minerals, and fossils from Ohio and around the world, from Antarctica to Siberia, abound. Visitors are immediately greeted, or accosted, depending on the visitor’s frame of mind, by the 7-foot fossil skeleton of the giant ground sloth, Megalonyx jeffersoni, or “Jeff,” as he is affectionately known around Orton Hall. While the collection is invaluable as source material for both teaching and research and is used by faculty and students on campus and off, it is the museum’s outreach efforts that set it apart from the other Arts and Sciences museums. It is the only one open to the public daily, 8 am – 5 pm, with the only gift shop.

pictured clockwise from opposite page: a replica of a Tyrannosaurus rex skull (the original is housed at the American Museum of Natural History in NYC); a coiled Cephalopod fossil found in Coldwater, OH; Orton museum curator Dale Gnidovec (left) and Earth Sciences Professor and musuem director Bill Ausich; a spiny trilobite fossil from Morocco; a large crystal of the mineral Celestine found in Portage, OH; a chunk of silver ore.

Additionally, Gnidovec gives talks and tours throughout the area, including a twice-yearly fossil tour at the Ohio Statehouse, which was built out of Columbus limestone complete with wonderful fossils.

Its curator, Dale Gnidovec, gives a staggering array of guided tours and talks. In 2010, the museum’s electronic counter told him that 12,264 people came through the heavy oak doors. Gnidovec personally gave tours to 47 groups that served 1,532 people—both adults and children. The museum is a popular destination for school groups of all ages, along with Scouts—Boy, Girl, and Cub. Other special groups include retirement communities, metropark naturalists, teachers, and a diverse range of Ohio State classes, from civil engineering and biology to art and poetry. Ausich said, “We bring the community to campus. Going out to the community is great, but this is more valuable. It shows kids what they can become and how they can fit in.” “This is objective reality. I’m not a big fan of virtual museums. The thrill of putting a fossil in a child’s hand and watching that growing sense of wonder cannot be duplicated online.” Both Ausich and Gnidovec offer a free fossil identification service and said, “We never know what we’re going to get. Lately, we’ve had a run of horse teeth.” “The best-ever,” Gnidovec said, “was the call I had from a woman who asked me to ID a rock over the phone. I asked, ‘What does it look like?’ ‘”Like a rock,’ she said. ‘What color is it?’ Well, it’s kind of rock-colored,’ she said.”

“This is a fun place for kids and hobbyists, but good science is done here. We take care of all of these collections for the scientists who come after us,” Gnidovec said. “It is first and foremost an invaluable and unparalleled research resource that is in constant use, available not only to our own faculty and students but to scientists around Ohio and across the globe,” Ausich said.

But more than that, we are literally preserving pieces of the earth and have an archive for the future. We cannot anticipate questions scientists will be asking in the next century— we don’t even know yet what could be important. “And we can’t even dream of what future techniques could be used for extracting information from fossils and rocks,” Gnidovec said. “But if we don’t have the collections, they can’t be studied.”

This is the third, and concluding, feature on the museums of the College of Arts and Sciences. Visit asc.osu.edu/museums, to read the other two stories Behind Closed Doors and Revealing the Past. A gift to the Orton Museum Support Fund #308759 can help preserve this resource for future generations.

Learn more about the Orton Geological museum by visiting ortongeologicalmuseum.osu.edu.

Conversation on Immigration The Center for Ethics and Human Values has developed a biennial series of yearlong conversations called Conversations on Morality, Politics, and Society (COMPAS). The purpose of this series is to establish a new, more expansive model for a university ethics center, to enrich the research of scholars and the education of students at Ohio State, and to demonstrate the value of the university as a model of civil, informed discourse. For a comprehensive list of news and events and to sign up for the Conversation on Immigration newsletter, visit immigration.osu.edu. With Congress debating immigrant rights and people occupying the streets, it’s easy to get lost in sound bytes. Immigration’s importance to the political and economic landscape of this country cannot be overstated; and yet, public discourse on the topic rarely reflects the complexities and contradictions surrounding the noise and controversy. Ohio State’s Center for Ethics and Human Values is hoping to change the tone of the debate by launching Conversation on Immigration, a year-long series of meaningful and productive discussions on migration and immigration with people across the university and those in the wider community. Don Hubin, professor and chair of philosophy, is the leader of the group behind the initiative. “Immigration’s importance as a social issue is rivaled only by its complexity,” said Hubin. “However, too often we get only simplistic slogans rooted in poor information and shallow reasoning, expressed with incivility. This yearlong conversation presents a rare opportunity for people to come together for civil discussions on an issue of vital social importance that impacts all of us.” President Gee called on Ohio State to be a leader in civil discourse in his semiannual speech to faculty in May 2010. “As educated women and men, it is incumbent upon us to foster a common conversation,

Democracy by sound byte will not move us forward as a nation. to counter ignorance with simplicity and reason,” said President Gee.

Hubin believes the initiative will allow Ohio State to emerge as a leader in national and international dialogues on issues of vital social importance. “The great thing about having this conversation at Ohio State is the breadth of knowledge and creativity found here. This is a subject that can be examined from almost any angle you could think of.” Conversation on Immigration will reach across all academic disciplines and will include an autumn and spring conference, six colloquia, and two related undergraduate courses. Firstyear students got involved through their summer book assignment, Outcasts United.

top right: Florence Gouvrit-Montano, alumna, Art and Technology in her studio. bottom: Dia de los Muertos by Juan Javier and Gabrielle Pescadora from IMPACT, an exhibition at the College of Arts and Sciences’ Swing Space Gallery held in conjunction with the Immigration COMPAS. The new Swing Space Gallery, formally Hopkins Hall Art Gallery, has been relocated to the South Campus Gateway,1556 N. High St., and features works by students, faculty, guests, and professional artists. A new website, swingspace.osu.edu is currently in process; check in soon to see a schedule of exhibitions.

HOME IS WHERE THE ART IS Florence Gouvrit-Montano and Monika Laskowska have quite a bit in common. They are both extraordinarily gifted artists who were born outside the United States. They have spent much of their lives in multiple locations and now they live in Columbus—but only temporarily. For Gouvrit-Montano and Laskowska, home is not a geographical reference point. “We are perpetual immigrants,” said Laskowska, a second-year MFA student studying ceramics, whose work, along with GouvritMontano’s, was featured in IMPACT, an exhibition in the College of Arts and Sciences’ Swing Space Gallery held in conjunction with the Immigration COMPAS. IMPACT featured the works of artists and writers who are immigrants or the children of immigrants. Living in a new country, whether as a citizen, refugee, permanent resident, student, or worker, documented or undocumented, impacts each person differently. Laskowska was born in Poland, where she received her BA in English, and moved to Galway, Ireland for work and to earn a BFA in ceramics. Her practice revolves around various aspects of identity and stems from her experiences living in foreign places and cultures. “In my pieces, I try to recreate my own experiences of making a home and then having to leave it,” said Laskowska. “You move from place to place and you lose your center of gravity.” For Gouvrit-Montano, a recent Ohio State alumna (MFA, art and technology, 2011), presence and absence permeate her work. A new media artist, Gouvrit-Montano was born in Paris and raised in Mexico City, where she received her BFA from the National School for Painting, Sculpture and Engraving and a master in Philosophy of Science/Technology from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). Like Laskowska, she is multi-lingual and multi-cultural and perpetually on the move.

Moving around feels natural for me,” said Gouvrit-Montano. “The word immigrant does not define me; my home is where my relationships are. Gouvrit-Montano’s work for the IMPACT exhibition was a live video feed of a Mexican market in Columbus and the interaction and exchange that happens between Mexicans and their own space and between non-Mexicans and the space. Visit asc.osu.edu/artsandculture to learn more about events throughout the arts and sciences.

Art works creative capital investments

Renovations included:

Amid the dust and demolition, cranes and construction, renovations and reconfigurations, many of the arts facilities at Ohio State are getting a major overhaul—and going green—with a series of building projects around the Oval. Hughes, Hopkins, Hayes, and Sullivant Halls are seeing significant investments and extensive improvements.

• Asbestos abatement. Lurking mainly in the flooring tiles, asbestos was removed and new floors were installed.

College of Arts and Sciences Executive Dean Joseph Steinmetz says it’s high time. “The last major building project in the arts was more than 30 years ago when Weigel Hall was constructed in 1979,” he said. “Today, we look at the arts as a major front door to the university, not only for our students but for the community as well. The facilities are simply not adequate for an institution of this caliber, so we are putting a lot of effort into making improvements. Our

arts programs, faculty, and students at Ohio State are outstanding—to maintain and improve we need outstanding arts facilities as well. Hughes Hall {Music}

Acoustical improvements in the music practice rooms mean better bassoon practices for Emily Patronik.

Built in 1948, Hughes Hall underwent some much needed renovation over the summer. “Thanks to Executive Dean Joseph Steinmetz, the university and the College of Arts and Sciences have taken a big step by pushing forward this investment. It’s really a breath of fresh air,” said Richard Blatti, director of the School of Music. “People will notice the acoustical treatments right away.”

The renovation, started when spring quarter wrapped up in June, was completed within a tight timeframe to be ready for faculty and students returning in September. “It was a really intense project but I’m very pleased with how it’s turned out,” said Peter Tender,

music technology administrator and project coordinator.

• Painting and upgrading. Rooms, hallways, lockers and the recital rooms all were spruced up with a fresh coat of paint to boost aesthetics. And some rooms, including the large and most-used classrooms, are now air conditioned, Blatti said. • Sound buffering. The building was noisy, with sounds bleeding between studios and practice rooms, and into the auditorium. “A voice student might be ‘accompanied’ by a trombone practicing in the next studio, and you could always hear trucks rumbling out back,” Tender said. “Plus the air ducts in the building were straight-lining the sounds up and down the hallways and between floors.”

In Hopkins Hall, a curtain wal

To solve these problems, new air ducts were installed and soffits were built around them, creating turns and corners that prevent sound from being conducted so easily. Floors were layered and raised to buffer sounds from below, and new walls were constructed over existing walls to help block noise. This improvement is a “biggie” for the students, said Tender. “When students are practicing in adjacent rooms now, they won’t be able to hear each other’s music.” Emily Patronik can vouch for that. The third-year doctor of musical arts (DMA) bassoon student said the practice rooms previously “were horrible—loud and boomy and just not very good to practice in. You could hear everything, like a trumpet blaring in the next room. I couldn’t believe the difference when I came back. Now I don’t really hear anyone else when I practice and that makes it easier to concentrate on my own music.”

“The project strived to improve the acoustic nature of the building,” added Nikolina Sevis, senior project manager with Ohio State’s Facilities Operations and Development. “We’re very glad it could be completed over the summer, and provide some significant artsandsciences.osu.edu

“The biggest change is bringing nearly all of the art programs together in one building,” said Sergio Soave, chair of the Department of Art. “Photography, printmaking and art and technology have moved into Hopkins, joining painting and drawing, and ceramics. The programs are together and we’ve created new computer labs, new photography labs and a new print shop, along with 25 studios.

we’re turning the building into a studio-based building. We have studio spaces and production spaces so that art making is the true focus. The change was precipitated because Haskett Hall, formerly home to some of the art programs, is being demolished to make room for a new chemical and biomolecular engineering and chemistry building. Glass and sculpture remain in their west campus studios, Soave said.

Perhaps the most visible current project is a complete renovation of Hopkins Hall, now halfway through its two-year, twophase plan. On the outside, the dated brick exterior of the 52-year-old building has been replaced with gleaming walls of glass.

The most noticeable interior improvement is the abundance of natural light, thanks to self-supporting glass “curtain walls” that encase two entire facades of the building, facing north and south. “We’ve more than doubled the amount of natural light coming into the studio spaces,” Soave explained. “That’s great for students making art. We’ve also opened up large spaces where students can work together.”

On the inside, the entire structure has been reconfigured to create brightly lit and more effective use of space for the artists, all with a nod to sustainability and energy efficiency.

Laura Lisbon, professor of art, thinks the changes are a huge step forward. “This is my 20th year

ll of windows lets in an abundance of natural light.

building improvements. “It’s definitely part of Ohio State’s overriding One Framework Plan to improve our existing facilities and space. That’s the key—making improvements to space that we already have.” Hopkins Hall {Art}

teaching here, and to see this kind of commitment to the arts is wonderful. It’s a bit disruptive now, while construction crews are still working, but it’s all worth it,” she said. “The open spaces help students communicate with each other and work together. And the huge windows make the artists and their work more visible to the campus community. People can see into the building and see the students at work. It’s a great, contemporary step.” Photography graduate student Kristen Spickard added, “The building functions a lot better now, and it’s nice to have everyone together. The natural light is nice, too, especially in winter. It can be kind of gray here.” As part of the building transformation, the former Hopkins Hall Gallery has moved to a location at South Campus Gateway, known as the Swing Space Gallery, for about two years. Eventually, the gallery will be located in a renovated Sullivant Hall.

Undergrad John McCaughey’s studio is spacious and bright, photo courtesy of Shellee Fisher Davis

efficient,” said Soave, “with new energysaving lighting fixtures throughout. We’re also using recycled materials and refurbished equipment wherever we can to make the building as sustainable as possible.” Jennifer Son, project manager with Braun & Steidl Architects in Columbus, detailed the sustainable characteristics: • Plumbing: Low-flow fixtures and automatic controls on faucets have been installed, resulting in a 30 percent reduction in water usage.

top: Hayes Hall, the new home for the Department of Design; above from left to right: Rick Blatti, director, School of Music; Sergio Soave, chair, Department of Art; Paul Nini, chair, Department of Design; Susan Petry, chair, Department of Dance

The Department of Art Education now has a temporary residence in Ohio Stadium and will also move to Sullivant Hall once renovations are completed there. Additionally, Hopkins Hall is going green. The building will seek a Silver LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Certification—a rating system devised by the U.S. Green Building Council to evaluate the environmental performance of a building. “The entire building will be much more

• Lighting: Classroom lights automatically adjust to the amount of natural light streaming in, dimming when it’s brighter outside. Occupancy sensors turn the lights off when no one is in the room.

• HVAC: The next phase of the renovation upgrades the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems. The new automated system will result in a 15-percent energy savings.

• Building envelope: Encasing the exterior in high-efficiency glass makes it more sustainable—and also makes people happier. “People can view in from outside and view out from inside,” Son said. “That connection with the outdoors is important; it improves our attention, increases our productivity, and makes us feel better in our buildings.”

• VOCs: During construction, use of VOCs (volatile organic compounds) has been carefully monitored, with crews using paints and finishes that leak fewer contaminants into the air. Hopkins Hall is bustling with activity now; studios, labs and classrooms are in use by students and faculty. However, construction will continue for another year on the HVAC system. “We’ll upgrade 5,000-square-foot chunks of space at a time throughout the year, moving people out temporarily so we can work,” said Bill Holtz, OSU construction manager. “We’ll be replacing all duct work and installing three new air handlers and a new chiller. It will be tricky to move people in and out—but we’ve got a plan.” Once the work is done, the courtyard on the south side of the building will be re-landscaped to create a more active gathering space for students. Hayes Hall {Design} The Department of Design moved from Hopkins to a renovated Hayes Hall next door. Said Paul Nini, chair of the department, “Design previously was split between Hopkins and the basement of Hayes. Now, all three programs (interior, industrial and visual communication design) are together on the first and second floors in Hayes.” The building was renovated last year, with spaces on the second floor revamped to make way for open studios.

The students are absolutely enjoying the new spaces; they are well organized and everyone’s together, making room for lots of student interaction and collaboration.

Sullivant Hall {Dance} From 2011 to 2013, Sullivant Hall, home of the Department of Dance and the Music/Dance Library, is also undergoing a major transformation. According to Susan Petry, chair of the Department of Dance, the changes will create more visibility and better spaces for students.

The crown jewel of the building will be a state-of-the-art, flexible performance space in the center of the building on the third floor, said Petry. “The roof is being raised to provide natural light during the day, and a dynamic black box performance space at night. Four newly designed studios on the west end of the building will be added above three current studios on the second floor. Walls of windows will let in natural light, opening the space to allow more visibility to the campus and community. Sullivant Hall’s former auditorium will revert to being a lecture hall, and department offices will move to the third floor. Other changes artsandsciences.osu.edu

Architectural rendering of Sullivant Hall, courtesy of George Acock, Acock Associates

will include a new wellness studio, costume shop, student lounge, and open workstations. While demolition and construction is taking place, the Department of Dance has moved to Lincoln Tower, Pomerene Hall, and Drake Performance and Event Center. It will move back in 2013. Meanwhile the Music/Dance Library, a leading collection of 170,000 books and scores and 35,000 CDs and videos, has moved permanently to a new home in the Science and Engineering Library. The massive renovation of Sullivant Hall is being undertaken, in part, to accommodate the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library and Museum, the world’s largest academic facility dedicated to cartoon art, which will move there from its former home in a lower level of the Wexner Center. Once construction is completed, the university’s art gallery and the Department of Art Education will also take up residence in Sullivant. Are all of these changes part of a bigger plan? According to Executive Dean Steinmetz, the university’s recent One Framework plan calls for the creation of an Arts District at 15th Avenue and High Street. “These changes are all very compatible with that view,” he said, “and create a wonderful front door to the university.”

better living through chemistry

Students Get a dose of Real-World Research

a personal level. For me, that person was John Harder, a zoology professor.” (Dahlem and his wife, Laura made a gift to name a laboratory in Jennings Hall in Harder’s honor in 2008.) Then Dahlem came up with the idea to give Ohio State students the opportunity to see how pharmaceutical research is done.

It’s an opportunity for us as well,” Dahlem said. “We never know where the next set of great ideas might be coming from. Bright minds see outcomes that don’t yet exist. This summer, 15 students, selected by faculty advisors and accompanied by Center for Life Sciences Education Director Caroline Breitenberger, made the trip to Indianapolis where Lilly scientists opened some normally locked doors—and some eyes.

Undergraduate students with CLSE Director Caroline Breitenberger in front of Eli Lilly headquarters in Indianapolis

“Ohio State was a special experience for me,“ alumnus Andrew Dahlem said. “The diversity of people and amazing opportunities were formative for committing to a career in science.”

Undergraduate Research Forum. Dahlem has served as a judge multiple times, something he really enjoys. “These are amazing students; their work is at the graduate student level.”

Dahlem, who received his BS in biology in 1982, and is now Vice President and Chief Operations Officer of Eli Lilly Research Laboratories, has been looking for ways to show his gratitude ever since.

Although Dahlem received a PhD in toxicology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign’s Veterinary College, his ties to Ohio State run deep. Several family members are alumni, including his wife, and his father and brother. But his loyalty also stems from a teacher who inspired him.

Dahlem serves on the Corporate Advancement Council for Ohio State’s College of Pharmacy and the School of Veterinary Medicine. Both he and Lilly support Ohio State’s Denman

“A professor can make an impact that lasts a very long time,” Dahlem said. “It’s a wonderful thing having somebody care on

Students saw first hand the process of drug discovery and development in leading edge labs, met and interacted with Lilly scientists, and got a real sense of what Dahlem, a research scientist himself, has described as “a combination of luck, inspiration, and long, hard work in the lab.” The day ended with a “Buckeye Reception” in the students’ honor, attended by some of the more than 175 Ohio State alums who work at Lilly. Michael Hoover, chemistry, said, “I gained exposure to the technical aspects of industrial chemistry and connected with alumni of our university doing what I hope to be doing one day—working on a project that is both interesting and meaningful.”

to Cure What Ails Us Andrew (Andy) Dahlem, Vice President and Chief Operations Officer, Lilly Research Laboratories and Lilly Research Laboratories in Europe A childhood illness that left him weak and unable to play with other children and the medicine that made him well again planted the idea for the career he pursues passionately as an adult.

In Lilly research labs, the hunt for effective, new drugs never ends.

Year of

Shakespeare the arts initiative | shakespeare.osu.edu

At Lilly Labs, Dahlem leads a team of researchers who work tirelessly to find safe, effective new drugs and implements procedures to put them into the hands of patients who need them in a timely, cost-effective way. Beyond the laboratory, Dahlem takes a leadership role in teaching, education, outreach and engagement, and service to the pharmaceutical industry. Dahlem is an adjunct professor at the University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign, Purdue University, and Ohio State; a member of several professional organizations; has published numerous research papers; and gives lectures and presentations before a variety of audiences all over the world.

OSU Libraries

School of Music

Year of Shakespeare: The Exhibit

Verdi’s Falstaff

January 11 – April 29, 2012 Thompson Library Gallery

May 4 and 6, 2012 Mershon Auditorium Young People’s

Macbeth

Stand Up for Shakespeare Festival

March 4, 2012 at 1pm and 4pm Lincoln Theatre

May 11 – 12, 2012 Thurber Theatre

Department of Theatre

Celebrating the OSU/Royal Shakespeare Company partnership, which is generously supported by Abigail and Leslie Wexner.

He is the recipient of a number of honors and awards, among them the first Lilly Research Laboratories President’s Award for Diversity. He serves as executive sponsor of the Women in Lilly Discovery Group dedicated to development, advancement, and retention of outstanding Lilly scientists.

“Fortunately, I knew enough to listen to my elders. So, I applied and came for a visit. I spent two hours talking to (astronomy professor) Andy Gould. By the time it was over, I knew what graduate school should be. No one else had ever been so interested in my education.” Here, Gaudi found there was no such thing as passive learning. He was actively engaged as an apprentice in the practice of astronomy and was exhilarated by the opportunity to figure things out for himself.

BACK IN ORBIT A Planet hunter Comes Home

“In my first two years, I wrote and published five papers, and another 10 before I graduated. I could not have been as successful anywhere else. The participatory process of learning and discovery spoke to my soul. There are no barriers between students and faculty; everyone is immersed in the process of astronomy research.” But it wasn’t until he left and had more context that he fully realized “how special this place is and how different. There are very few programs like Ohio State’s anywhere in the country.”

left: Scott Gaudi has both feet on the Oval but his eyes are always scanning the universe’s outer limits for signs of life; above: An artist’s conception of the discovery of a super-earth orbiting a red dwarf star 9,000 light years away detected by a search for microlensing events. Image courtesy of David A. Aguilar (CfA)

After receiving his PhD in astronomy from Ohio State in 2000, Scott Gaudi left to accept two of his field’s most sought-after postdoctoral fellowships. First, Gaudi was a Hubble Fellow and member of the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, NJ. Then, Gaudi was a Menzel postdoctoral fellow in the Theoretical Astrophysics Division of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Their completion made him prime recruiting material for virtually any astronomy department in the country.

But Gaudi’s sights, and heart, were set on coming back to Ohio State.

I always knew I wanted to be an astronomer, even when I was little, but it was Ohio State’s graduate program that made me an astronomer, Gaudi said. Ironically, Ohio State wasn’t even on Gaudi’s radar for graduate work, but his undergraduate advisor at Michigan State University urged him to apply.

Gaudi returned in 2006 and is fully engaged in the process of making discoveries and making astronomers. In 2009, he won his profession’s top prize for young astronomers; and in September 2011, NSF’s CAREER Award, given to the nation’s most promising early-career scientists. An associate professor and director of astronomy’s graduate studies program, Gaudi continues a tradition that makes graduate education the primary priority of the faculty. “We pay attention. I can tell you what every graduate student is doing and what their strengths and weaknesses are.” “I feel amazingly lucky to have been able to come back here and be in this environment where the goal is success for everyone.”

I realize not every college student gets to release their own album, and I’m very grateful for this opportunity. It’s fulfilling to get these tunes recorded, and it documents an exciting time in my life. So said Dan White, a fifth-year jazz studies and music education major, about releasing his first CD, Between the Lines, over the summer. Ohio State played a central role in the concept development and production of the CD, thanks to the School of Music’s new recording studio. The recording/production studio is part of the Music, Media and Enterprise (MME) program, and opened last spring in a suite in Mershon Auditorium. Designed by Mark Rubinstein, a Grammy-winning sound engineer who joined Ohio State as audio recording coordinator, the facility includes two modular sound isolation rooms, a mixing surface, ProTools audio production software, and a full complement of microphones and signal-processing gear.

all that jazz ohio state’s new music recording studio gives Undergrad dan white a unique opportunity

The modular studio system can be used for recording and mixing everything from instrumental and vocal music, electronic sounds, and electric and acoustic instruments. “The studio connects the dots for our MME program. It adds tools for students in music, but also opens the door for students from a variety of disciplines,” explained David Bruenger, director of the MME endeavor, which recently finalized curriculum for a minor that attracts students not only in music, but also in communications, marketing, and business. In White’s case, his sextet was a bit too big to record in the studio, but he used the facility for all of his mixing and overdubbing

photo courtesy of Shane Peterson

needs. “Ohio State was instrumental in the whole project,” he said. “I wouldn’t have been able to finish the CD without the studio here. I really can’t say enough about it—it’s essential today for a School of Music to have a recording studio.” White explains that being able to use a studio adds “another level of musical possibilities beyond performance. It lets you be able to layer, add to, and polish your music. It lets you flex other creative muscles.” He also said that having recordings of your music is necessary in today’s music market. “You need to have tangible examples of your work.” Bruenger added that the studio allows students the opportunity to work on music in its recorded form, in versions that will be important to them as they develop their careers. “It’s helping students develop a basic literacy in the recording and technical areas of music. For music majors, it’s offering a new platform for communicating their work.” For White, sales are already brisk for his new CD, which consists of his original compositions, combined with his versions of some pieces by Sting, Nick Drake, Kurt Cobain, and even Irving Berlin. “I took their melodies but wrote the songs in my own grooves, and got into some really interesting improvisations with my band. It’s not just jazz, it’s not just swing—it’s a different combination of new music that we relate to, and classic music that we’ve learned from,” said White. “Because the music is pushing boundaries, there is more curiosity and spontaneity. This makes each show different and exciting for the whole band and for the listener.” The studio was funded from the Targeted Investment in Excellence grant awarded to the School of Music in 2006 and a 2007 gift from Women in Philanthropy.

from india to ohio state a great experience is what makes a buckeye

Kinschuk Mitra (pictured) is interested in everything—astrophysics, biology, reading, biking, sailing, traveling. Exceptional by any standards, Mitra began his second year at Ohio State this fall. As a first-year student, Mitra successfully competed for a 10-week summer undergraduate physics research fellowship, working with Terry Walker in the Center for Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics. Just now 18, the India native and graduate of Eton, had his pick of schools. Mitra picked Ohio State. “I wanted to attend a school that not only had a very good reputation, but offered a wide range of solid undergraduate programs to sample from. I think I changed my major four times last year,” Mitra said. “Also, it was important to me to be able to do independent research with a faculty advisor as soon as possible. I made a phone call to a professor here. I asked him, ‘Are you serious about your work?’ He said, ‘We’re serious about everything we do here.’ It was a defining moment.”

Mitra has never regretted his choice. “There could be no better place for me. There is so much to experience here beyond the academics. “To be honest, tuition costs were also a factor. Fortunately, for me, Ohio State is one of very few good public universities in the United States offering financial aid to undergraduate international students. And, because of that, I

am not only grateful, but feel a loyalty to Ohio State, which will always be with me. People talk about the ‘Buckeye Spirit’—I think that’s what it is: a deep sense of loyalty.

Although he is eager to learn everything, Mitra is most interested in biology and is set on eventually earning a PhD in biomedical engineering and making Columbus his home. “I’d like to develop products to take to market right here, because I think Columbus is an ideal place to do R&D.” Give the gift of an Ohio State education, go.osu.edu/asc-giveto.

treasure hunter

Alumna Maureen Stanton (pictured) offers an education in American and European history through a treasure hunt of rare items and collectibles in her celebrated nonfiction book, Killer Stuff and Tons of Money: Seeking History and Hidden Gems in Flea-Market America. It was released in June 2011, and since then has received national attention. “I think the emergence of retail stores has given us convenience and consistency but has disconnected us from that old world interaction of the marketplace. People are craving that connection more than ever and want to know the historical origins and relevance of various items that they are drawn to,” said Stanton.

woodrow wilson fellowship The Woodrow Wilson Ohio Teaching Fellowship program recruits and prepares talented students to teach in STEM disciplines: science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Ohio State is one of seven Ohio universities chosen to participate in the Fellowship program. The program was created to prepare more STEM teachers for some of Ohio’s most-challenged public schools. Fellowships are open to high-achievers with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics or science,

Stanton received her MFA from Ohio State in 2000. Intermittently, over a period of six years, she shadowed a mid-level antiques dealer for a behind-the-scenes look at America’s modern day peddlers and lay historians working in antiques and flea markets and noticed a sharp increase in the popularity among the public. More and more people are seeking out forgotten relics that were unintentionally banished into the dark corners of attics and basements.

Flea Markets and antique stores aren’t frequented by a specific type of person. The customers are diverse in every sense of the word, varying in race, ethnicity, gender, age, and nationality. However, their intense passion to seek out a particular item or historical object is what brings them together, said Stanton. She was invited on National Public Radio’s All Things Considered (Weekend Edition), with Laura Sullivan. She was the featured guest on National Public Radio’s nationally syndicated talk show, On Point with Tom Ashbrook, as well as several other radio/ television interviews and appearances.

who agree to work in a high-need Ohio school district for three years. They receive a $30,000 stipend to complete an intensive, master’s degree in education. The fellowship is made possible with federal Race to the Top funds and Choose Ohio First scholarship funds, the state’s model for recruiting and retaining talented Ohio residents in STEM and STEMeducation fields. It has additional support from six Ohio foundations, the participating universities, and the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation.

Learn more about the Woodrow Wilson Fellowship at go.osu.edu/wilson.

Remembering Robert ReuschÉ Robert F. Reusché, Ohio State alumnus (BS, business administration, 1949), died on November 15, 2011. He was 83 years old. “Bob was a tireless advocate for improving the quality of higher education here at Ohio State,” said Joseph Steinmetz, executive dean and vice provost, College of Arts and Sciences. “His extraordinary commitment to community and public service and the impact of his unfailing generosity will be lasting.” Reusché was deeply dedicated to the arts and sciences at Ohio State. He and his wife Mary (BS, business administration, 1950) endowed the Robert and Mary Reusché Chair in Geography, the Robert and Mary Reusché Humanities Scholar Endowed Scholarship Fund, and the Robert and Mary Reusché Scholarships for Study Abroad. Additionally, he served Ohio State in numerous leadership and fundraising capacities including the College of Arts and Sciences Advisory Board; founding member of the Humanities Dean’s Advisory Committee; and the University Foundation Board. After retiring as vice chairman of the Northern Trust Company, a 39-year career, including 18 years as head of the company’s trust division, Reusché and his wife Mary became full-time volunteers and supporters of a number of human service organizations providing housing, health care, and human services for the most vulnerable in our society.

INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE Keith Monda (BS, economics, 1968; MA, economics, 1971) and his wife Linda have established the Keith and Linda Monda International Experience Scholarships in the College of Arts and Sciences with a $5 million dollar gift. The creation of the Keith and Linda Monda International Experience Scholarships will have a significant impact on students in Ohio State’s College of Arts and Sciences. Each year, in perpetuity, the need-based scholarships will enable approximately 50 arts and sciences students, who normally would not have the opportunity to travel and study abroad, to have an international experience. “Keith and Linda have dedicated their lives to finding ways to make education and educational experiences accessible and affordable to all persons,” said Joseph Steinmetz, executive dean and vice provost, College of Arts and Sciences. “Their extraordinary generosity will ensure that a vital part of a student’s education, the experience of studying abroad, will become a reality for many of our students who do not have the means to experience education and life in another country.” Providing the opportunity to travel and experience first-hand the variety of viewpoints, cultures and languages outside of the artsandsciences.osu.edu

Darrilyn Macklin, a first-year student majoring in Chinese, is back from her first study abroad trip to China. She joined 12 other students on a month-long Global Gateway program, where they explored the rural and urban cultures in southwest China based at the Southwest University for Nationalities in Chengdu.

their world view and deepen their understanding of global issues,” said Keith Monda. Traveling

and studying abroad is a life-changing experience and we must find a way to make study abroad accessible and affordable for all.

United States is an important goal for the College of Arts and Sciences, according to Steinmetz. To that end, the college will contribute $75,000 annually to the Mondas’ scholarships. The average international experience costs approximately $5,000-$7,000, depending upon the duration and location of the program and the fee structure. However, for many, the roadblock to accessing an international experience is finding the funds necessary to pay for travel, pay housing, program fees and other costs associated with living and studying in a foreign country. The Mondas hope that by endowing the International Experience Scholarships others will come forward with support so that arts and sciences students can access international opportunities. “Linda and I are deeply committed to fostering opportunities for students to broaden

The Mondas have a proud and distinguished record as supporters of the arts and sciences. The Mondas are solid believers in the value of a liberal arts education, which is why they created the Keith and Linda Monda Scholarship Fund, which provides a scholarship for students from Ohio studying economics. They have also made several gifts to the Arts and Sciences Students First, Students Now fund, which provides emergency funds to students who need immediate financial help. In 2008, when Keith Monda retired from Coach, Inc. as president and chief operating officer, in his honor and at his request, Coach directed a gift to the Students First Students Now initiative.

The Mondas’ passion for education is not limited to the classroom. Keith Monda is a member of The Ohio State University Foundation Board, chair of the College of Arts and Sciences Advisory Committee and campaign chair of the College of Arts and Sciences Capital Campaign. He also serves as a member of the board of trustees for the New College of Florida.

Spirit of Giving Be on the lookout for your opportunity to invest directly in the College of Arts and Sciences by designating your gift to the area of your choice in the college. Each year, thousands of Ohio State alumni and friends make annual contributions to the colleges, causes and campuses to which they feel a connection. Whether their support goes to student scholarships, faculty enrichment, operating costs, research, or special initiatives, the much-needed funds raised annually are essential for Ohio State to remain the vibrant, vital institution beloved by Buckeyes around the globe. Thank you in advance for your consideration!

science & scholarship In the College of Arts and Sciences, approximately 1,100 faculty members study just about every conceivable subject. Internationally recognized experts, they lead pioneering interdisciplinary collaborations with scholars and scientists worldwide to address local, national, and global problems.

AWARDS

Our faculty regularly receives prestigious honors and awards and successfully competes for research funding. In 2011, they brought in $79 million in federal and industry research awards.

Seven Arts and Sciences faculty members were elected Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), They are: Michael Chan, biochemistry, chemistry, and molecular and cellular biochemistry; Craig Forsyth, chemistry; Dehua Pei, chemistry; Bradley Peterson, astronomy; Marc Howard Pinsonneault, astronomy; Sheldon Shore, chemistry; and Samuel Stout, anthropology.

Here is a small sample of their noteworthy accomplishments and a look at some of the bold and innovative research taking place across all fields and disciplines in the college— NEW AREAS LAUNCHED The Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Brain Imaging (CCBBI), a state-of-theart interdisciplinary research facility, will accelerate our understanding of mindbehavior relationships. Housed in the Department of Psychology, CCBBI is one of only a handful of academic centers nationwide equipped with a Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) system that allows researchers to go beyond merely asking the questions to literally seeing the answers.

Ian Howat, assistant professor, earth sciences, received a Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE), the highest award given by the U.S. government to young science and engineering professionals.

Peter Culicover, linguistics and Ellen Mosley-Thompson, geography, were elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, joining accomplished leaders from academia, business, public affairs, the humanities, and the arts. Ken Fujita, assistant professor, psychology, received a SAGE Young Scholars Award

Roman Holowinsky, assistant professor, mathematics, received the 2011 Alfred Sloan Fellowship and the 2011 SASTRA Ramanujan Prize given annually to the world’s top young number theorist. Michelle Bourgeois, and Wayne Secord, speech and hearing science, received the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association’s highest honors. RESEARCH James Coe, professor of chemistry, isolated unique dust particles to assist in the fight against airborne-particle-caused respiratory diseases. Microbiology Professor Michael Ibba may have found a way to interfere with Salmonella’s ability to infect about 1.4 million Americans every year. New work by David Denlinger, distinguished university professor of evolution, ecology, and organismal biology, may assist in the development of natural and targeted controls against crop-eating insects responsible for an estimated $2-billion-a-year in crop loss and control costs. Mark Moritz, assistant professor, anthropology, leads an interdisciplinary study of ecological mechanisms governing relationships between human-induced environmental changes and the emergence and transmission of infectious diseases.

The Center for Applied Plant Sciences (CAPS), a partnership between arts and sciences and food, agricultural and environmental sciences, supports the connection between basic research and applications in areas such as photosynthesis and carbon fixation, biomass and bioproducts, crop production enhancement, and plant-microbe interactions. caps.osu.edu. Katja Machemer, a PhD student in Grotewold Lab, photo courtesy of Bettina Wittler

from the Foundation for Personality and Social Psychology.

dean steinmetz, president-elect of the aps Joseph Steinmetz, executive dean and vice provost, College of Arts and Sciences, and professor of psychology and neuroscience, has been elected president-elect of the Association for Psychological Science (APS). He will serve as president of the organization for one year beginning in May, 2012 and as a member of the APS board of directors until 2014. Christopher M. Hadad and Thomas J. Magliery

GRANTS Chemistry Professors Christopher M. Hadad and Thomas J. Magliery received a $7.5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health that will help them find ways to harness the body’s own defenses to counteract nerve agents that might be used in terrorist attacks. Sociology Professor Christopher Browning, Statistics Professor Catherine Calders, Sociology Professor Elizabeth Cooksey, and Geography Professor Mei-Po Kwan received a NIH/NIDA grant to study the impact of social contexts on the mental health and behavioral development during adolescence. Bruce Weinberg, associate professor of economics, received an NSF grant for research on the economics of innovation. Malcolm Cochran (Art) is project director for Columbus Public Art 2012; the City of Columbus received an Our Town grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) to present 10-15 public art projects throughout downtown during the city’s bicentennial. Statistics Professor Noel Cressie shares in a five-year NSF grant to improve interpretability and usability of the US Census Bureau’s American Community Survey data. History of Art Professors Susan and John Huntington, in collaboration with the OSU Libraries and the College of Arts and Sciences, received an NEH Preservation and Access Grant for Imaging the Buddha, a project to create a digital archive of the Huntington Collection of Buddhist and Asian Art. A grant from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development funds sociology associate professor Kristi Williams’ study documenting long-term negative health consequences for unwed mothers and societal implications Earth Sciences Professor and Ohio Research Scholar David Cole is leading a multidisciplinary, multinational team, funded by a Sloan Foundation grant, to research energy alternatives. artsandsciences.osu.edu

To Steinmetz, APS is the premier voice for psychological scientists and critical to the future success of the field. “APS has had a significant impact on many areas of interest to psychological scientists, including the worlds of research, teaching, and public policy.” While serving as APS President and board member, Steinmetz is “very interested in promoting the many important roles that psychological science plays as a foundational science involved in solving some of the world’s most complex problems.” Steinmetz’s research focuses on the neurobiology of learning and memory using various neuroscience techniques, such as electrophysiology and brain imaging, to study how the brain encodes, stores, and retrieves memories. The findings have important implications for a variety of clinical disorders, such as autism, schizophrenia, fetal alcohol syndrome, and anxiety disorders. Steinmetz is a Fellow of the Society of Experimental Psychologists, an APS and American Psychological Association fellow, and his work has been widely published in prestigious journals. Read more online: go.osu.edu/steinmetz-aps.

MATHEMATICIAN ELECTED PRESIDENT OF INTERNATIONAL PROFESSIONAL SOCIETY Barbara Keyfitz, the Charles Saltzer Professor of Mathematics, assumed leadership of the International Council on Industrial and Applied Mathematics (ICIAM) on October 1. She will be its first woman president. Keyfitz, who has been at Ohio State since 2009, was previously director of the Fields Institute for Research in Mathematical Sciences, in Toronto, Canada, and was a faculty member at the University of Houston for 25 years. Keyfitz, who has been involved as an ICIAM officer since 2003, said, I

am proud of my service to my profession. I have always been willing to do the job, understand the mission of the organization, and get behind it. That is what I plan to continue to do.

We want to hear from you After you have read our newsletter, please take a few moments to complete our reader survey online at artsandsciences.osu.edu/survey

COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES 186 University Hall THEN.OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY 230 Oval Mall Columbus, Ohio 43210

artsandsciences.osu.edu

We are committed to creating a dialogue with our readers. However, we currently have access to only 45% of our alumni emails. Please help us serve you better by sending your email address to asccomm@osu.edu. You may also reach us by mail at Communications Services 1010 Derby Hall 154 N. Oval Mall Columbus, Ohio 43210

PACHYDERMS ON PARADE A pair of whimsical elephants, each deftly crafted of bronze and weighing 175 pounds, now perch on top of the new wedding-cake-shaped fountain gracing the pond at Goodale Park near downtown Columbus. The handiwork of public artist Malcolm Cochran, professor in the Department of Art, the 18-foot-tall, year-round fountain will include water cascading over the granite base and shooting from the elephantsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; trunks, as well as an underwater lighting system. In winter, the fountain will turn to ice, while the outdoor setting will eventually turn the patina covering the elephants to a weathered shade of pewter. They are a nod back to the Sells Brothers Circus, which was based in Columbus many years ago, and their famous collection of elephants that paraded through town, said Cochran, who was commissioned to create the fountain by the Friends of Goodale Park.

photo courtesy of Malcolm Cochran

ASCENT is printed using soy-based inks

Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Columbus, OH Permit No. 711