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Newsbriefs, 2/18/10

February 17, 2010

Ohio State arts and sciences scholars selected as Huber Faculty Fellows
Zhenchao Qian, professor of sociology and a leading social demographer, Vladimir Sloutsky, professor of psychology and director of Ohio State’s Center for Cognitive Science, and Craig Volden, professor of political science and field coordinator for the American politics faculty, have been selected as Joan N. Huber Faculty Fellows for 2010 in recognition of their first-rate scholarship. The award is in honor of emeritus professor Joan Huber, who served as dean of the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences from 1984 to 1992 and as Ohio State’s senior vice president for academic affairs and provost until her retirement in 1993. Fellows are nominated by department chairs and receive an annual cash award of $5,000 a year for three years to further their research programs. For the full release, visit artsandsciences.osu.edu/news.

Wetland professor receives 2010 Einstein Professorship in China
Professor William Mitsch, director of the Olentangy River Wetland Research Park and Distinguished Professor in the School of Environment and Natural Resources, has been awarded a 2010 Einstein Professorship from the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Einstein Professorships are awarded annually by the CAS to up to 20 distinguished international scientists actively working at the frontiers of science and technology from around the world and every scientific discipline. Mitsch will visit CAS institutes in Beijing and elsewhere in China this summer and will tour several major Chinese watersheds, including the Yangtze River Basin.

New chief financial officer joins OSU
Ohio State has appointed Geoffrey Chatas as its new chief financial officer. Chatas, a seasoned corporate financial executive, will manage and oversee the university’s $4.5 billion budget. His appointment as senior vice president and chief financial officer began Feb. 15.

Chatas succeeds William Shkurti, who will retire this spring after 20 years of service to Ohio State. Shkurti has agreed to serve beyond his retirement as part-time counselor to the president on state fiscal policy. Shkurti will continue to formally carry out the chief financial officer functions until his retirement date of March 31, while Chatas begins his transition.

Chatas joins the university with a strong background in finance and banking, most recently as managing director of the Infrastructure Investments Fund at JP Morgan Asset Management. For the past three years, he has co-taught finance classes to MBA students at the Fisher College of Business in an adjunct capacity. Chatas also has served as chief financial officer for Progress Energy Inc. and senior vice president for finance and treasurer for AEP Inc.

Ohio State to bring Royal Shakespeare Company to NYC’s Lincoln Center in 2011
Ohio State is joining with Lincoln Center Festival and Park Avenue Armory to bring England’s Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) to the New York-based Festival, for an unprecedented six-week residency in July and August 2011.

The announcement was made at New York’s Lincoln Center with Karen Bell, associate vice president and head of The Arts Initiative at Ohio State, and David Frantz, secretary of Ohio State’s Board of Trustees, representing the university. Both were instrumental in creating the university’s partnership with the RSC.

The sponsorship opportunity for the university was created when the Wexner family made a generous gift to the Royal Shakespeare Company America, to support RSC’s 2011 visit to the US. The family requested any credit or visibility resulting from their charitable contribution be assigned to the university.

Although the Lincoln Center Festival in New York is the only venue where the full company will perform major productions, it is expected that members of the ensemble will visit Ohio State while in the US. There are tentative plans for company members to perform their Young People’s Shakespeare productions of “Hamlet” and “The Comedy of Errors” in Columbus. Additional collaborative activities are still being explored.

Ohio State receives $2 million gift from foundation
Ohio State has received a $2 million gift from the Harry T. Mangurian Jr. Foundation to support medical research and fund an endowed professorship in business. The OSU Medical Center will receive $1 million to create two Harry T. Mangurian Jr. Foundation funds for leukemia research and Lewy bodies’ dementia research. The Fisher College of Business will receive $1 million to create the Harry T. Mangurian Jr. Foundation Professorship in Business.

Battelle, Ohio State collaborate on innovative ideas
Battelle and Ohio State’s shared mission of improving the world has resulted in a two-year agreement for the Technology Entrepreneurship and Commercialization Center of OSU’s Fisher College of Business to assess the commercial and economic viability of innovative technology developed at Battelle.

Battelle’s National Security Global Business provides intellectual property (new innovations and inventions) to TEC to evaluate for commercialization potential.

The technology evaluations provided by the TEC Center provide Battelle with expert insight into the relative market potential of its proprietary technologies.

Should faculty be concerned about STRS’ proposed benefit corrections?

February 17, 2010

The answer to the question above is faculty shouldn’t be overly concerned yet — with one caveat: We don’t know what the final corrections will be.

Though the State Teachers Retirement System of Ohio developed a plan to maintain its long-term viability by proposing benefit changes back in October, what the final changes will look like depends heavily on what the Legislature decides is right for STRS as well as the four other state pension systems, including the Ohio Public Employees Retirement System (OPERS). Continue reading ‘Should faculty be concerned about STRS’ proposed benefit corrections?’

Claire Kamp Dush, Department of Human Development and Family Science

February 17, 2010

What is the state of marriage in the US?
Many people are worried about marriage in the US. Actually, marriage in the US is still very healthy. The divorce rate has decreased slightly recently, and the overwhelming majority of high school seniors want to get married. Young people are waiting longer to marry, troubling some, but because those married at younger ages are at a greater risk of having unhappy marriages and divorcing, this is a positive change. Indeed, married spouses in the US tend to have better health, more happiness and less drug and alcohol abuse.

What are the two most important issues facing marriage in the US today?
The first issue is that marriage in the US is not universally accessible. Fewer than half of people with incomes near or below the poverty line are married while more than 80 percent of those with annual incomes of more than $75,000 are married. Research has shown that poor couples are unmarried not because they value marriage any less, but rather because they value marriage too highly. Couples think that before marrying, they need to be economically stable, have a house and pay for a big wedding with a fancy reception. So, because some of the poor may never attain the economic resources needed to do these things, couples simply live together unmarried.

Another group that does not have universal access to marriage is gay and lesbian couples. The fact that the use of the term “marriage” for gay and lesbian couples’ committed relationships has stirred such a contentious fight in the US, and that gay and lesbian couples continue to denounce other terms like “civil union” and seek the actual term “marriage” for their legal unions, are further evidence of the importance of marriage.

The second issue that is of concern is that couples have unrealistic expectations about marriage. Marital scholars have been arguing for the past 10 years that marriage in the US has become too individualistic. Husbands and wives go into marriage with, and hold their spouses to, standards that are almost impossible to meet. Our spouse is supposed to be our best friend and closest confidant, a completely satisfying sexual partner and is expected to satisfy virtually all of our intimate needs. That is a lot of pressure to put on one relationship! It is basically impossible for a single person to satisfy our every emotional need. Yet in many marriages, if one spouse perceives they are not having their needs met, they will become unsatisfied and may begin to look outside the marriage for someone to meet their needs — whether emotional or sexual.

What do you suggest for couples who are having problems?
I would suggest that couples together see a therapist or someone in their community who has experience helping couples, such as a pastor. It is better to do this sooner rather than later. We have the Couple and Family Therapy Clinic right on campus. This clinic sees not only married couples but will work with unmarried couples and entire families. In my marriage, I try to remember what I heard a marital expert say: “Your marriage is like a 2×4. You can put nails in the board, but even when you pull them out, the holes are still there.” Try to avoid holes in your marriage or relationships. Have realistic expectations for your spouse or partner, and make sure you have other close family relationships and friendships that can also meet your emotional needs. Always strive to treat your partner or spouse with love and respect and to love them the way they want to be loved.

Study suggests practices that lower childhood obesity

February 17, 2010

By Emily Caldwell, Research Communications

A new national study suggests that preschool-aged children are likely to have a lower risk for obesity if they regularly engage in one or more of three specific household routines: Eating dinner as a family, getting adequate sleep and limiting their weekday television viewing time.

In a large sample of the US population, the study showed that 4-year-olds living in homes with all three routines had an almost 40 percent lower prevalence of obesity than did children living in homes that practiced none of these routines. Continue reading ‘Study suggests practices that lower childhood obesity’

Top 3 on 2, 2/18/10

February 17, 2010

Why did you choose to work at Ohio State?
I was a designer at a small newspaper and three of my friends, journalists from the same paper, all landed jobs here and loved it. I was impressed with the design work from OSU and wanted to be a part of it.

What do you like about your job?
Working here has offered me opportunities I never could have imagined. Working with remarkable people, world renowned scientists, shakers and movers has given me an insight I could not have purchased. Plus, I get to deliver their message with design.

What would you improve at Ohio State?
I would improve the way teams work between academics, staff and professionals. We are in this together. Together we make a difference.

If you weren’t working at Ohio State, what would you be doing?
If I wasn’t working here, I would be still be doing design work and art-related work, just someplace else. If I could make a living painting outdoors, while kayaking or fishing, I’d do that.

What advice would you give a new employee?
OSU has a lot to offer, don’t miss out. From sports to libraries to art, take advantage of it all. Build good relationships. Say please and thanks, it goes a long way.

What is your favorite activity outside of work?
Painting, drawing and playing music is how I spend most of my free time. I have a nice studio at home in the country with my wife, horses, dogs and cats and never lack for inspiration.

What are you going to do when you retire?
Paint more, kayak more, play more music and do promotion work for local southern Ohio artists and musicians. There may be some design involved in that.

Who is your hero?
This is a hard one. I have too many. Today it is Shirley Brooks-Jones, OSU alumna, for her amazing work with a scholarship fund for students from Lewisporte, Newfoundland. (See Brooks-Jones’ inspiring story).

Of what honor or recognition are you most proud?
I have won awards, competitions, but they only go so far. It seems the best recognition I have received is when a client says, “Thanks, it was more than I asked for, I would never have thought of that.”

If you were the university president for a day, what would you do?
I’d set up a task force to cut department red tape. I’d ask, how can we do the best work, and what is the quickest way to get it done? Then I’d recruit and reward great ideas by following up and acting on them.

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

Members of Ohio State’s Board of Trustees say the presence of a faculty member on the board’s Academic Affairs and Student Life Committee will bring an important perspective to the board’s deliberations.

David Graves Horn, a professor of comparative studies with an extensive record of university service, will begin a two-year term as a voting member of the committee beginning with its next meeting in mid-May.

“Adding a faculty member to the Academic Affairs and Student Life Committee is consonant with the board’s efforts to implement best practices and seek continuous improvement in our function,” said Alex Shumate, chairman of the board’s Committee on Trusteeship.

The board decided to add a faculty member to the committee last June. Shumate’s committee presented five candidates to Academic Affairs Committee Chairman John Ong, who made the final appointment to be confirmed at the May board meeting.

“I am honored to serve as the first faculty member of the Academic Affairs and Student Life committee of the Board of Trustees,” Horn said. “I want to acknowledge the work of the faculty leaders who helped make this position possible and the willingness of the Trustees to imagine a new and important role for faculty in the governance of the university.”

Horn earned his PhD from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1987 and came to Ohio State in 1990 after three years teaching at Stanford. He served two terms on University Senate, chaired the powerful Steering Committee and has served on numerous other committees.

“Professor Horn is widely respected for his research and classroom scholarship and for his service to the academic community,” Executive Vice President and Provost Joe Alutto said. “But what makes David’s appointment particularly noteworthy is the additional perspectives he will bring to his work on the committee.”

Trustees name first faculty representative to Academic Affairs Committee

February 17, 2010

By Jeff McCallister

Members of Ohio State’s Board of Trustees say the presence of a faculty member on the board’s Academic Affairs and Student Life Committee will bring an important perspective to the board’s deliberations.

David Graves Horn, a professor of comparative studies with an extensive record of university service, will begin a two-year term as a voting member of the committee beginning with its next meeting in mid-May.

“Adding a faculty member to the Academic Affairs and Student Life Committee is consonant with the board’s efforts to implement best practices and seek continuous improvement in our function as a board,” said Alex Shumate, chairman of the board’s Committee on Trusteeship.

The board decided to add a faculty member to the committee last June and devoted significant time to determining selection protocol and to screening of candidates. Shumate’s committee presented five candidates to Academic Affairs Committee Chairman John Ong, who made the final appointment to be confirmed at the May board meeting.

“I am honored to serve as the first faculty member of the Academic Affairs and Student Life committee of the Board of Trustees,” Horn said. “I look forward to working with the other members of the committee to pursue the university’s academic mission and to meet the needs of our students.

“I want to acknowledge the work of the faculty leaders who helped make this position possible, and the willingness of the trustees to imagine a new and important role for faculty in the governance of the University,” he said.

Horn earned his PhD from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1987 and came to Ohio State as an assistant professor in 1990 after three years teaching at Stanford. He was promoted to associate professor in 1996 and to professor in 2004. He served two terms on University Senate and served as chair of the powerful Steering Committee and served on numerous other committees.

“Professor Horn brings impeccable credentials to the Board of Trustees’ Academic Affairs and Student Life Committee,” Executive Vice President and Provost Joe Alutto said. “He is widely respected for his research and classroom scholarship, and for his service to the academic community.

“But what makes David’s appointment particularly noteworthy is the additional perspectives he will bring to his work on the committee, thanks to his eight years of service as chair of the Department of Comparative Studies. That administrative experience gave him the opportunity to work within and understand the university as a whole. The ability to look at issues university-wide is simply fundamental to everything the trustees do.  I can think of no one better qualified to serve as the committee’s first faculty appointee.”

Shumate said it was difficult for his committee to narrow down the list of qualified candidates. “The process of holding conversations with faculty members with respect to their service on this important committee reminded all of the Board members who were privileged to participate of the superb work being done in teaching, research, and service in this institution,” he said. “We are thrilled to have a faculty member of David Horn’s significant scholarly achievements, broad University perspective, and articulate expression as a colleague on this committee.”

From addiction to recovery

February 3, 2010

Addicts find help and hope right around the corner at Ohio State’s Talbot Hall

By Julia Harris

It’s the kind of story that sends chills through a parent’s heart: A young man, from a good home in a nice suburban enclave, develops a staggering addiction to heroin and ends up in a rehab facility, lucky to be alive.

The really scary part is how common the story is. Continue reading ‘From addiction to recovery’

What cancer can’t do: Stop someone from singing

February 3, 2010

By Adam King

Steve Scott won’t let just anybody sing in his choir. His criteria for admittance include strength of will and a passion for life.

The 24 men and women vocalists, who meet every Monday night in Weigel Hall, are all cancer survivors from central Ohio who are in treatment or remission, but they aren’t willing to give up the things they love. That’s why Scott, a graduate student in the School of Music and choir director at his church, dubbed the group the Victory Choir.

“This population has the occasion to feel down and we want to provide for them an opportunity regardless of ability, so our theme is whatever comes out of your mouth is already successful. You’re sharing your voice, getting in a group and that’s victorious,” Scott said. “We’ll fine tune singing issues. I’m teaching them vocal techniques and how to improve their singing muscles and breathing techniques. We’re doing all these things to better the mind and the heart. The real success comes from just being a part of it. It’s not the outcome; it’s the process that we love.”

Originally the Victory Choir was merely a group of cancer survivors that met at the Fawcett Center in a casual singalong group, a JamesCare for Life program that was the idea of project leader Anne Harding. She had grown up singing in a choir, and she loved how it gave her confidence, helped her develop an inner voice and gave her the feeling of being a part of something bigger — all aspects she knew would likely translate well for those coping with a life-threatening disease.

“Music in itself is relaxing,” Harding said. “It’s a positive distraction and it helps you get away from the rest of the world.”

The participants loved the group so much, they began asking about improving their music skills and saying how nice it might be to perform together. To do that, Harding knew she’d need the expertise of and collaboration with the School of Music, which led her to Scott. He grew up singing in a family barbershop quartet in St. George, Utah, and always knew he’d make singing his profession. Currently he’s studying for his master’s in vocal pedagogy and choral conducting with a specialty in singing health.

“Music can help you be a better human,” he said. “It has a way of touching divine heritage or potential within ourselves and it can speak to us in ways regular words can’t. It’s also associated with memories, like when you first heard a song or the first time you had a dance; you know exactly where you were and who you were with.”

Scott and Harding have been pleased with the choir’s progress even though it has only been meeting since Jan. 11.

The members range in age from 22 to 82, and there are no restrictions on talent. One member does have a bachelor’s degree in vocal performance, but the others range from those with varied music backgrounds to participants who are completely new to singing in a choral group and are using the chorus to regain their strength and momentum.

The 82-year-old member is a former cast member in an out-of-state production of Guys and Dolls, and Harding recalls a conversation with her after a recent surgery.

“She said to me, ‘I won’t be able to sing with my voice, but I can still sing with my heart,’” Harding said. “It’s something they carry with them through the week and what they look forward to. They leave practice energized and uplifted, which is the whole point.”

The energy also comes from Scott’s music choices. In taking the director’s role, Scott insisted on songs with “quality text,” meaningful songs that aren’t too sentimental or patronizing, he said. So the Victory Choir has been practicing such tunes as “Shall Not Live in Vain” by Emily Dickinson, “What a Wonderful World” by Louis Armstrong, “How Can I Keep from Singing” by Chris Tomlin and Harry Dixon Loes’ gospel number “This Little Light of Mine.”

“We’re trying to show a diverse repertoire,” Scott said. “I think they also take pride that we’re practicing at the School of Music. We have a classroom at Weigel Hall, and a pianist, Kristin Schoeff, who does a lot of volunteering for the MusicCare program through JamesCare for Life, where musicians go into a patient’s room to play upon request. She’s an integral part of our group, and she has a lot of experience with this population and cares that these individuals get this opportunity.”

Scott — who Harding calls the perfect fit as director with his blend of humor and education — said he is leaving it up to the choir members whether or not they will decide to perform, and whether that performance will be public or just for family and friends.

“As they become more of a community and take on more autonomy, they will open up to the public more is my guess,” Scott said. “It’s the process of self discovery they enjoy most; finding themselves in the music. Connecting themselves to the text through the music is the other way. That’s something I know I enjoy. And if they can walk back into the rehearsal singing what they learned the week before, I know I’ve done a good job.”

If you are a cancer survivor interested in joining the Victory Choir, contact JamesCare for Life at 293-6428.

Continuing a life’s passion

by Adam King

Betty Aiken loves listening to one of her fellow singers in the Victory Choir, “a young, pretty girl with a gorgeous voice,” she says.

“If I can get my voice to sound anything like that, I’ll be so thrilled,” said Aiken, a 2004 survivor of breast cancer who at 82 is not slowing down one bit, which is why she loves the JamesCare for Life programming. She’s had not only the opportunity to sing, but to paint and sculpt clay.

“I know the most important thing from what I’ve read and seen on TV is it’s important to be positive when you have cancer,” Aiken said. “So I think these series of different programs for survivors in JamesCare are terrific. It helps you focus on positive things and what you can do to develop your talents or whatever you have to feel good about. If you’re positive, you heal more, and of course they also say stress causes people’s bodies to be more susceptible to diseases.”

It was a frightening day when Aiken found out that, like her mother before her, she had developed breast cancer.

“You don’t know what’s going to happen, and you think, ‘I hope I can do the right things and survive this,’” Aiken said.

Unlike her mother who died from the disease, Aiken caught it early enough. But she is aware it can come back at any time, and she checks herself before every shower.

The threat of cancer’s return, though, is never a worry for Aiken even though her caution is routine.

“I don’t think about it because I’m an artist, because I’m busy painting or doing calligraphy and I’m active in my church,” she said.

And singing — which really never was her forte, Aiken admits. She used to be one of those behind-the-scenes people at the community theater group in Benton Harbor and St. Joseph’s, Mich., doing makeup or painting scenery. One of her friends convinced her to try out for the group’s 1963 production of the musical Guys and Dolls.

“I told her I’m not really a singer, but she said you can act and you can play a dumb broad,” Aiken said with a laugh. But because Aiken couldn’t read music, she listened to the album over and over to learn to sing the songs correctly. She landed the part of Adelaide, but it was due more to her acting ability than singing, Aiken said.

Still, she fell in love with performing and had been doing it until she moved to Columbus in 1991. She did pick up a love for public poetry readings, but when singing became a JamesCare for Life program, she jumped at the chance to reinvigorate her passion.

“I did this to learn something, especially reading music, and hopefully my voice will get stronger,” Aiken said. “I’m learning so much. I didn’t know a lot about the breathing exercises to strengthen yourself. So I know I’m going to make myself stronger. When you sing you can feel it in your body and you feel good and you forget about many of your problems.”

Hit the road

February 3, 2010

Competition encouraged shared goals, healthy lifestyle

By Adam King

Every day between Sept. 25 and Nov. 23, Dianne Goodrich walked with a purpose.

Instead of e-mailing or phoning colleagues, she would walk to their office to ask a question. She took the stairs instead of the elevator. The 15-minute wait for the Park and Ride to a meeting at the Medical Center was just an obstruction to taking a 15-minute jaunt from her off-site outpatient clinic.

Every chance she got to put one foot in front of the other, Goodrich took it, averaging about 10,000 steps per day (about five miles). You would too if your teammates were counting on you. Continue reading ‘Hit the road’

Stewart’s work on diversity leaves lasting legacy at OSU

February 3, 2010

Mac Stewart has been a committed advocate for students — especially those who are socioeconomically deprived — since he came to Ohio State as a student more than 40 years ago.

Stewart has announced his retirement from his position as vice provost for Minority Affairs, effective March 31.

“Mac’s contributions to our university are extensive and significant,” Executive Vice President and Provost Joe Alutto said. “His legacy at Ohio State will include our vastly improved retention among African American students, the expansion of recruitment efforts designed to diversify our student body and the enhancement of scholarship opportunities for underrepresented groups.” Continue reading ‘Stewart’s work on diversity leaves lasting legacy at OSU’

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