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Opening doors across the globe

August 24, 2009

India trip helps affirm strong partnership potential for OSU

By Jeff McCallister

A substantial part of President Gordon Gee’s plan to move Ohio State from excellence to eminence is an increased focus on the university’s global activities.

That focus has been affirmed by the Board of Trustees, and the President’s and Provost’s Council on Strategic Internationalization has developed a set of specific strategies to enhance Ohio State’s already-substantial presence around the world.

And Gee has wasted little time getting to work to implement the council’s strategies, which it presented to him in June.

He recently returned from a 12-day trip to India, one of the countries in which the council advised an increased focus.

“We are taking an overall look at broadening our engagement in certain specific areas of the world,” Gee said. “Clearly, opportunities abound in several regions and countries, and the purpose of this trip was to see if the focus on India made sense.”

He said he was not disappointed.

“Indeed, from my point of view, a focus that includes India makes tremendous sense,” he said. “It is a vast country with incredible intellectual resources and is becoming increasingly welcoming to Americans in higher education and business and industry.”

Ohio State already has significant numbers of students coming from India - more than 700 last year - as well as a fairly large number of Indian-born faculty. Further, the university has several existing relationships that provide the basis for expanded collaborations.

Ohio State faculty, for example, began working with two agricultural universities in northwest India more than 50 years ago, assisting in the development of greatly increased crop yields. Other recent partnerships include a newly established graduate school of business that several faculty members from the Fisher College of Business have helped to found.

“We already have a longstanding set of relationships in India, so we decided to try to make a determination whether this is an area where we would want to commit considerable time and energy, and the determination is absolutely to move forward aggressively in building upon these relationships.”

Some highlights of the visit:

* Introducing Professor Rattan Lal as Lal was awarded the prestigious M.S. Swaminathan Award for his contributions to agriculture. “It was very moving to see that Prof. Lal has near hero status in India,” Gee said. “He is one of the foremost soil scientists in the world and his work in many ways has had as much impact as any of our faculty in its ability to improve people’s lives.”

* Meeting with Indian President Pratibha Patil and ministers Kapil Sibal (education) and Prithviraj Chavan (science and technology) as well as US Ambassador Timothy Roemer. Gee also signed a memorandum of agreement that encourages cooperation between Ohio State and the Indian government.

* Presenting The Ohio State University Ambassador Medal to Indian businessman Ratan Tata, head of Tata Sons, one of the most expansive and successful companies in the world. Tata also is a former member of the Ohio State University Foundation Board of Directors.

“He holds a great affection for The Ohio State University and has demonstrated his willingness to be a great ambassador for the university in that part of the world,” Gee said. “I was very impressed with him - very thoughtful, very unassuming, and someone who has used his own success as a powerful tool for good.”

* Holding a series of “family dinners” with groups of current students and their parents, alumni and friends in Mumbai, Hyderabad and New Delhi. “We have a very strong group of alumni, wherever they find themselves around the world,” Gee said. “They came and visited with each other as well as with us. They asked a lot of questions. All three evenings were very much appreciated by them and by us.”

* Delivering a lecture to India’s National Academy of Agricultural Sciences in which he highlighted the unique role of agriculture research and higher education and explained Ohio State’s mission as a land-grant university. He also called for accelerated partnerships to solve shared global problems.

* Hosting a lunch with counselors, faculty, and leaders in private secondary schools, as requested by the Ohio Department of Development.

Gee termed the trip an overwhelming success, in part because of the stature of the university and the reputation of individual faculty members such as Rattan Lal.

“There are not many who could go to India and meet with the president and some of the senior ministers of the government and heads of business,” Gee said. “It shows we obviously have a remarkable institution that opens up a lot of doors.”

Joining him for part of the trip were William Brustein, Ohio State’s new vice provost for global strategies and international affairs, as well as vice presidents Peter Weiler (development) and Bobby Moser (agricultural administration).

And Gee said the trip was good not only for the university, but for the entire state.

“This trip was about Ohio State as an instrument for opportunity for the entire state of Ohio. In fact, Ohio is one of the world’s largest economies, so we have great interest as a state in developing business, technology and agricultural interests in India. Battelle just recently opened a center in Pune, and other Ohio companies are seeking strategic ties as well.”

The next step, according to Gee, will be for Brustein to take the ball and run with it.

“He will now take the responsibility for developing a specific strategy along with faculty members who have interests in India and then we will pursue that strategy,” Gee said. “I believe without a doubt we are committed to a long-term relationship with India that goes much deeper than just a once-in-a-lifetime trip.”

Faculty-Staff, 8-13-09

August 13, 2009

Continue reading ‘Faculty-Staff, 8-13-09′

Top 3on2, 8-13-09

August 13, 2009

An endless palette of color

Gary Wenneker, who works in the Food Industries Center Pilot Plants, is a 15-year OSU employee

Why did you choose to work at Ohio State?

A friend named Joe T., working here at OSU, recommended me for the job of director of the Food Industries Center. I also needed a job that offered benefits, plus the job description looked interesting and unique. In the dairy pilot plant we can separate and pasteurize fluid milk and juice products and make cheese, yogurt and ice cream products. In the food processing pilot plant we can make cheese puffs, cheese curls, cereals and snack foods and process sauces, salsa and fruit products.

What do you like about your job?

Working and interacting with students and student groups. Interacting and working with clients within the food industry. Working with great staff members within the department and college everyday. I also help host several process-oriented short courses and training sessions throughout the year.

What would you improve at Ohio State?

More parking garages and spaces. Staff/faculty relations.

If you weren’t working at Ohio State, what would you be doing?

I think I would like to be a teacher or own a restaurant.

What is your favorite activity outside of work?

I like to cook, spend time with family and friends and participate in church activities.

What advice would you give a new employee?

I would recommend diversification in investment and retirement planning.

Of what honor or recognition are you most proud?

Being nominated to be TopSpot in onCampus! I also have received a few “thank you” notes and a couple of “good job” comments over the past few years. I do have some honors and recognitions that hang on my office walls.

Who is your hero?

I do not have a hero. I work with a lot of hard-working staff members within the College of Food, Agriculture and Environmental Sciences that have helped me do my job when I have asked for help. There are many who have gone out of their way and stopped what they were doing to assist me when needed.

What are you going to do when you retire?

Spend quality time with family and friends, do more volunteer work within the community and start that “honey do” list.

If you were the university president for a day, what would you do?

There would be too much to do in only one day. I would like to meet as many staff as possible to see what all they do to make the university work.

To nominate a staff member for an upcoming issue, e-mail oncampus@osu.edu.

Dentistry receives largest donation in its history

The College of Dentistry has received a gift of approximately $3 million to support scholarships for dentistry students. The largest single gift in the college’s history, the donation comes from the estate of the late Richard Veler and his wife, Betty Veler, both of whom were lifelong supporters of the university.

Veler, a 1946 College of Dentistry graduate whose practice was in Toledo, began his philanthropy to Ohio State with a gift of $10 in 1948. He and his wife later donated the funds that created the Richard C. Veler, DDS, and Betty G. Veler Scholarship endowment that provides financial support for dentistry students who demonstrate “merit, need and outstanding moral and ethical character.” The Velers’ recent estate gift of approximately $3 million will support and expand their existing scholarship endowment.

“Throughout their lives, the Velers were remarkably generous with the university,” said Ohio State President E. Gordon Gee.  “This latest gift from their estate provides additional resources that will enable future generations of talented young people to pursue their dreams and to earn their degrees at Ohio State. I can think of no more selfless action, and I am deeply grateful.”

Show us whatcha got

August 12, 2009

After a long period of renovation, the library is back in business

by Adam King

The west side has a story: It tells a tale of gleaming, modern updates; of titanium cufflinks on a distinguished old gentleman. The east side also speaks, reiterating how tradition can be a comforting presence in a constantly changing world.

The new and the renewed now reside in the same building in the center of campus, and if first reactions mean anything, the William Oxley Thompson Memorial Library has its swagger back. Continue reading ‘Show us whatcha got’

Ohio State soil scientist receives international award

August 12, 2009

NEW DELHI, India - Ohio State professor Rattan Lal received the prestigious international M.S. Swaminathan Award from the Trust for the Advancement of Agricultural Sciences on Aug. 11 in New Delhi, India.

Lal, a world-renowned soil scientist, is traveling in India with Ohio State President Gordon Gee and Bobby Moser, vice president for Agricultural Administration and Dean of the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences. They are seeking global partners for the university. Continue reading ‘Ohio State soil scientist receives international award’

Master plan will set stage for true One University

August 12, 2009

by Jeff McCallister

Ohio State looks much different today than it did 50 years ago, and will look much different 50 years from now than it does today.

After all, change is one of the constants of a university’s existence.

It’s with that in mind, then, that leaders here have begun a comprehensive master plan they’re calling One Ohio State Framework - a reference to President Gordon Gee’s call for “One University.”

“What this plan will allow us to do is to establish a long-range physical vision for the campus and provide a context for smarter decisions about how we spend, how we build and how we grow - both now and in the future,” said Jeff Kaplan, senior vice president for administration and planning and special assistant to the president.

Gee and the Board of Trustees have enlisted the interdisciplinary planning and design firm Sasaki Associates to help facilitate planning among every unit of the university and to coordinate the creation of the plan.

Representatives from colleges and departments across the university have been engaged to develop and review a number of options that could affect long-term planning decisions (anywhere from 20-50 years down the road).

Among the initial concepts being explored are the overall quality of existing academic space, stewardship and sustainability and opportunities along the Olentangy River corridor.

“We’re examining, for example, how better stewardship of our existing facilities might significantly eliminate the need for new space, except perhaps to replace certain buildings or in very unique situations,” Kaplan said.

Also included in the plan are areas such as athletics and recreation, residence life, the arts, the medical district and transportation.

“The emphasis of the entire process is all these pieces should be integrated in the spirit of One Ohio State,” Kaplan said. “We can’t look at changes in the medical district, for example, without looking at how changes there affect - and are affected by - everything else, from how traffic flows through campus to the quality of life for students in the residence halls and graduate housing.”

Kaplan also stressed that the planning work hasn’t been done in an OSU-centric vacuum.

University leaders and representatives from Sasaki, he said, have been meeting with city and other local leaders to gain a better understanding of the impact that OSU’s planning decisions could have on its neighbors as well.

“We hope that we can foster some collaborative initiatives that will build a stronger community,” Kaplan said. That collaboration, he said, also will help identify opportunities to work together on mutually beneficial projects such as infrastructure improvements.

In fact, the campus and surrounding communities will become more formally engaged in this planning process through a series of meetings and forums scheduled to begin in the fall. Faculty, students and staff as well as area neighborhood commissions will be invited to provide feedback.

And the sky’s the limit as far as ideas to be examined. Initial discussions have included discussion about changes to State Route 315 and Olentangy River Road, forming a cohesive student residential district including discussions on the fate of Lincoln and Morrill towers, and even changes to the campus that could come if and when the Fifth Avenue dam is removed from the Olentangy River.

Kaplan said the One Framework plan is unique in that it involves the entire campus and the surrounding community rather than individual parts such as athletics or the Medical Center or Student Life. “This kind of overall planning has never been attempted anywhere in the country, let alone at a place the size of Ohio State,” he said. “We feel like this will set the stage for our continued movement from excellence to eminence.”

The plan is expected to be complete and ready for approval by the board by late winter or early spring 2010.

Warning: Contents under pressure

August 12, 2009

McCracken Power Plant keeps the home fires burning

By Julia Harris

McCracken Power Plant is the rumbly, hissing heart of Ohio State, sending steam and chilled water through campus arteries 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Its two big chimneys exhale clouds of heat into the air year round, though the spectacle is most notable on wintry days. Continue reading ‘Warning: Contents under pressure’

Job titles disappear at Staff Arts and Crafts Exhibit

August 12, 2009

by Adam King

When Andy Hudson gets lost in his work, he’s not talking about his role as an associate director of medical education in the College of Medicine. Instead it’s his time spent near a 2,000-degree furnace as he turns a ball of molten glass into a distinctive visual interpretation of his happiest emotions. Continue reading ‘Job titles disappear at Staff Arts and Crafts Exhibit’

Get thee to a classroom

August 12, 2009

International partnership between OSU and Royal Shakespeare Company kicks off

by Julia Harris

For one eventful week in July, a group of 20 public school teachers from central Ohio descended upon England’s Stratford-upon-Avon, the hometown of William Shakespeare, for a five-day immersion experience with the renowned Royal Shakespeare Company. They were there to learn about the RSC’s educational program, “Stand Up for Shakespeare,” and about how they could take it back to their Ohio classrooms.

They ended up learning a whole lot more.

From the moment they landed, the group was in a whirl of activity, from viewing productions of “The Winter’s Tale” and “Julius Caesar” to walking along scenic and historic byways and gathering for lively discussions in local restaurants and pubs. In collaborative workshops with RSC actors and directors, the teachers learned to implement a variety of techniques, including drama, movement and active listening to explore complex texts.

The week was only the first part of a three-year journey that will bring these techniques and strategies into Ohio’s classrooms as a way to engage students in grades 3-12 in interdisciplinary investigations of the diverse themes woven into Shakespeare’s many works.

After their week with the RSC, the teachers worked closely as a group for a week at Ohio State, led by Brian Edmiston, associate professor in the College of Education and Human Ecology. They also will work together throughout the year, with workshops and programs on campus and in their schools.

RSC education practitioners and actors will come to Ohio State in November to continue the ensemble-based program.

Included below are some initial comments provided by these educators during the July training.

Amy McKibbon, 5th and 6th grade literature, Hannah Ashton Middle School, Reynoldsburg City Schools

“It’s easy for me to see how this ensemble approach can apply to so many areas. I can see using it to explore other literature, like Treasure Island, or to debate historical events in a social studies class. Or even use it in a science class to explore big questions about the environment or space exploration or cloning.”

Robyn Lewis, 5th and 6th grade special education, Windsor STEM Academy

“The experience in England with the Royal Shakespeare Company was amazing. There are so many activities and strategies that I can take back to my classroom to really engage my students.”

Harry Gee, English, Trailblazer Alternative School, Reynoldsburg

“This week has energized me to go back to school; I’m excited to use the tools and ideas we’ve learned. I was a bit apprehensive at the start because I wasn’t sure my students (Trailblazer Alternative, where at-risk students get a chance to catch up and graduate) would be open to theatre activities. But now I think they’ll really be engaged. As a group, the teachers have really built a sense of community. It’s been fun. It’s a lot of work, but it’s fun work.”

Janet Benedict, music, Baldwin Road Junior High School, Reynoldsburg

“First of all, it’s so amazing just to be here in Stratford, walk the floors that Shakespeare walked and go to the performances. It brings life to the written word. As a group, we are really building a sense of community. The Reynoldsburg teachers, who are from different schools, are really getting to know each other. It’s exciting to be building a team with them and the educational potential that that holds. It’s interesting to see what a powerful group of teachers we have.”

Cory Neugebauer, history and government, Metro High School, Columbus

“I think this program is great — it pushes traditional boundaries. I know it’s pushing mine. I’m a logic-based individual, but the focus of education is the students and you have to be willing to push boundaries to facilitate learning for a wide range of learning styles. What’s comfortable for me may not be the best way for each student. You have to get beyond yourself and try new things and see how new approaches might work. I have absolutely no arts background so this experience is something I can really learn from and grow from. I can absolutely see using it in my history and government classes. For example, Julius Caesar can be used to study power structures and the dynamics of politics.”

Danielle Berring, intervention specialist, Linden-McKinley High School, Columbus City Schools

“I didn’t know quite what to expect on the first day and thought we might be exploring traditional interpretations of the text. But we are creating our own interpretations, and finding something new about “The Winter’s Tale.” It’s fantastic. I don’t have an arts background, and I’m happy to start making the connection between the artistic point of view and science and math. I wouldn’t have tried to cross that border otherwise.”

For more information about the partnership between Ohio State and the Royal Shakespeare Company, see the blog at osuandrsc.blogspot.com or the Arts Initiative Web site artsinitiative.osu.edu/rsc.

A digger’s dream … OSU geologist spends his summers hunting dinosaurs

August 12, 2009

by Adam King

Dale Gnidovec knows what it’s like not to have a shower for a week. His record, in fact, is two weeks without bathing. Continue reading ‘A digger’s dream … OSU geologist spends his summers hunting dinosaurs’

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