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Belly dancing is a fun part of fitness blogger’s plan for health

April 22, 2010

Pam Frost Gorder, third from left, stands in triumph after her performance at a “hafla,” or monthly dance party, at Habeeba’s in Grandview.

Editor’s note: Pam Frost Gorder is assistant director of Research Communications. She writes a blog, My Plan for Health, that chronicles her fitness efforts — mostly, but not exclusively — through offerings at Ohio State. The following entries from that blog describe her foray into belly dancing. If you’re interested in reading more about her journey, visit researchnews.osu.edu/pamfrostgorder.

This blog has given me a lot to be thankful for. I’ve learned that I can make changes in my life at age 39 that make me feel better and help me enjoy life more. I’ve discovered that there are many resources at Ohio State to help me accomplish my goals.  I’ve had the chance to write about health and fitness for the first time in years. And I’ve enjoyed the support of so many people across campus — including those who notice when I don’t post updates for a while. For that I am thankful indeed!

But this year, the thing that I am most thankful for is dancing.

I’ve been studying belly dance at Habeeba’s in Grandview and yoga dance at Ohio State through Lunch & Learn. The classes are very different — Habeeba’s technique is very controlled, while yoga dance is about moving however your spirit takes you.

Yoga dance teacher Shelly Dembe tells us to “move like no one is watching.” There is just something about Shelly. She can get a roomful of self-conscious people to open up and dance as if we’ve been doing so all our lives. Her class is the most fun I’ve had since kindergarten.

“Think about how you felt when you got here,” she said to me after class, “and how you feel now. That’s what it’s all about.” She’s right — I always arrive tense from the office and leave relaxed and buoyant.

Belly dancing has been a different experience. The class has been difficult, and I must have quit and unquit dozens of times early on. Now I love it and can’t imagine not doing it.

I worked backstage at a Habeeba’s performance at the Upper Arlington Labor Day Arts Festival, and one of my teachers even pulled me onto the stage afterwards.

More recently, after we’d just finished learning a new move in class, teacher Sharon Buhrts got me to think about how far I’ve come.

“When you got here, you were afraid to move your arms,” she said, “and now look at you!”

I turned to Susan Van Pelt Petry, professor and chair of the Department of Dance at Ohio State, for some advice for people who are pursuing dance for fitness, such as myself.

“Find a teacher who has some dance credentials — either a degree in dance, professional experience, membership in a professional dance organization, etc.,” she said. “Notice if the teacher communicates instruction about movement with clarity and anatomical awareness. They should be able to address things such as how to protect knee joints, how to develop core strength so the back is not at risk of injury and how to pace a class for appropriate levels of muscle fatigue, stamina building, warmth and flexibility.

“A dance class should have an aesthetic component,” she continued.

“It is an art form and one of the reasons it can be an attractive way to exercise is that it has that very quality of the mind that makes moving a pleasurable, engaging activity and not just something to check off your list.

“Seek an experience where you feel the quality of your body and moving changes, where there are sensations of lightness, resistance, speed, etc., and not just the making of exterior ‘shape.’”

Personally, I find dancing to be uplifting, psychologically. For instance, I’m more confident and I don’t mind wearing more revealing clothing (especially while I’m belly dancing — it helps me see my moves in the mirror, right?).

The yoga dance is uplifting because it’s just wild and crazy and fun.

Van Pelt Petry said that’s not at all a surprising evaluation.

“(Dancing is) very uplifting. Dancers even joke they get addicted to it… And there are studies that show there is real brain chemistry that changes as exercise, music and expression conjoin for a powerful rise of seratonin levels,” she said.

My first performance: Tripping the light fandango

On March 20, I participated in the gala and spectacle that is Habeeba’s monthly dance party, or “hafla.” It was amazingly fun!

A hafla is a party where the belly dancers dance for each other and for their family and friends. This, I figured, was a gentle environment in which to make my debut.

My classmates and I joined with some teachers to present a brand-new routine that Habeeba had written especially for beginners.

To mark our rite of passage, we all got henna tattoos from Habeeba’s dancer Cheri Mullins, who designed a Celtic star for my right hand (I wanted to honor my Irish ancestry). Lovely!

The dye lasts for a week or so, which prompted some of my cohorts to worry about how they were going to conceal their tattoos at their conservative workplaces.

I, on the other hand, couldn’t wait to come in to Research Communications and show off my tattoos to anyone who would look. There are advantages to working at a university, I thought. To my dismay, people were remarkably uninterested. Harumph.

When people did ask, I practiced nonchalance: “The tattoos? Oh, I’m a belly dancer. I have a performance tomorrow.” My longtime friend and hairdresser Kathy of the Hairitage Salon in Grandview strategized with me on “show hair,” and my classmate LeAnne fitted me with glittery fake eyelashes.

Moments before the performance, I was fighting panic. Habeeba’s was packed with dear friends and family, and I was literally running with scissors through the crowd, for a last-minute costume adjustment in the dressing room. Then I found myself out in the crowd again, unable to hold productive conversations. I thanked the same people over and over again for coming.

Before I knew it, I was lined up under the stage lights, and the now-familiar first strains of Move Your Body by Def Jef filled the room. And then… I completely forgot what to do. Then I sorta remembered. Then I forgot again. Then we started dancing.

Of my performance, I will say that I think I did a pretty good job. My main critique is that my face was frozen in a scowl of concentration most of the time. Belly dancers are supposed to gift the audience with a natural smile, as if to say, “Oh! I didn’t see you there. Are you watching me dance? I’m having fun!”

After we left the stage, I stood back in admiration of the rest of the evening’s performers, who sashayed with such confidence and perfection. Someday, I hope to be one of them.

Third Frontier grants yielding impressive results for Ohio

April 21, 2010

Voters have the chance to renew investment program May 4 with State Issue 1

It has been seven years since the first grants were awarded under Ohio’s Third Frontier program. It is not too early to ask if Ohio bond dollars have paid for innovation and economic progress, as is evident in the growth of Ohio’s biomedical imaging industry.

Two of those early grants totaling $17.1 million went to Ohio State’s Wright Center of Innovation in Biomedical Imaging (WCI-BMI), and today, the project has paid off the investment many times over. Continue reading ‘Third Frontier grants yielding impressive results for Ohio’

Getting by with a little help from their friends

April 21, 2010

Project REACH helps women faculty make transition from lab to world of business

The numbers can be a bit discouraging: Women comprise a mere 30 percent of the information technology workforce, hold fewer than 7 percent of all IT patents and underperform in just about every measure of entrepreneurial activity in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines. Continue reading ‘Getting by with a little help from their friends’

Reports lay out strategy to increase, improve eLearning

April 21, 2010

By Jeff McCallister

Ohio State is behind its peers in offering eLearning opportunities to its students, according to a combined report of two academic committees charged to study the issue, and that inhibits the university’s ability to transform from excellence to eminence. Continue reading ‘Reports lay out strategy to increase, improve eLearning’

Core drilled from Antarctic may contain glacial stage ice

April 21, 2010

By Earle Holland, Research Communications

Researchers are hopeful that the new core they drilled through an ice field on the Antarctic Peninsula will contain ice dating back into the last ice age. If so, that record should give new insight into past global climate changes. Continue reading ‘Core drilled from Antarctic may contain glacial stage ice’

Newsbriefs, 4/22/10

April 21, 2010

Celebrate 20 years of equality, inclusion and social justice
OSU President E. Gordon Gee, Columbus State Community College President M. Valeriana Moeller, Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray and the city of Columbus will reaffirm their commitment to equality, inclusion and social justice by commemorating the 20th anniversary of the Americans With Disabilities Act on April 27 in the new Ohio Union. At 2:30 p.m. the Columbus Advisory Committee on Disability Issues and ADA-OHIO will host a signing ceremony preceding the Ken Campbell Memorial Lecture on Disability Policy.

The annual lecture, initiated by CADI, is free and open to the public. It also serves as the plenary session for the Multiple Perspectives on Access Inclusion and Disability conference (ada.osu.edu/conferences/2010Conf/main10.html) hosted annually by OSU’s ADA Coordinator’s Office. For more information visit 2010anniversary.org or contact Scott Lissner at ADA-OSU@osu.edu; 292-6207 or 688-8605 (tty).

Upper Arlington’s trial side street parking changes in effect for spring football game
The city of Upper Arlington wishes to notify residents that it will be conducting a reduced parking trial for various streets in the proximity of the Ohio State campus abutting North Star Road on the afternoon of April 24, timed to coincide with the OSU spring football game. Signs stating “No parking, 4/24, 11:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m.” will be posted on the fire-hydrant side of the following streets:

• Essex, Guilford and Grenoble roads, between Northwest Boulevard and North Star Road;

• Cardiff and Doone roads, between Brandon Road and North Star; and

• Beaumont Road between Grenoble Road and Lane Avenue.

This trial is in response to concerns raised by residents in the neighborhood relative to traffic, parking and safety issues occurring in the fall each time there is an OSU home football game. For more information, contact the Traffic Safety Coordinating Committee at tscc@uaoh.net or call 583-5350.

Online Media Library service available to instructors
Do you use movies in your teaching? Learning Technology Media Services within the Office of the Chief Information Officer now offers an online viewing option for copyrighted media, including access to a library of commonly requested titles. Instructors can use this system to view videos in class or to grant online viewing access to students within their courses. For more information, visit lt.osu.edu/media-library.

OSU grad programs climb in rankings
Eleven Ohio State graduate programs have been named among the top 10 in their respective areas in US News & World Report’s 2011 edition of America’s Best Graduate Schools.

These programs include the part-time MBA program (business), supply chain/logistics (business), dispute resolution (law), legal writing (law), paleontology, administration/supervision (education), counseling/personnel services (education), curriculum/instruction (education), elementary education, secondary education and vocational/technical education.

The Fisher College of Business demonstrated the most marked improvement in university graduate programs ranked this year, rising to No. 21 (and 6th among public universities) from 26th place last year and 30th previously. In a new ranking of part-time MBA programs, Fisher was ranked 10th among 314 schools offering the program. Fisher’s program in logistics continues to rate among the nation’s top 10.

Ohio’s K-12 schools benefit from the resources offered by the College of Education and Human Ecology, whose ranking improved to 14th nationally (and seventh among public universities). The specialty program of vocational education is again rated first in the nation.

The publication’s rankings for the Moritz College of Law also improved to No. 34 overall (and 15th among publics), up from 35th last year. The program in dispute resolution, which has consistently been among the best in the nation, maintained a fifth-place ranking, and the legal writing program joined the top 10 list for the first time.

Ohio State’s College of Medicine maintained the improved rankings among the nation’s top medical schools at 27th among all institutions (and 11th among publics). Its program in primary care ranked 39th overall.

The College of Engineering increased to 25th in the nation (14th among publics), up from 27th last year.

The rankings are available at grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools.

Campus Partners earns national planning award
Campus Partners has received the National Planning Excellence Award for Implementation from the American Planning Association for the revitalization of the University District. The award ceremony took place at the American Planning Association’s National Conference in New Orleans. Accepting the award on behalf of the organization were Doug Aschenbach, the current president of Campus Partners, and Terry Foegler, President of Campus Partners from 1996-2008.

The award cited Campus Partners’ renovation and development of roughly 1,000 affordable housing units, the redevelopment of south campus with South Campus Gateway, a new police station, new public elementary school and OSU’s new early-childhood learning center.

Campus Campaign volunteer recognition nominations sought
More than 600 faculty and staff are working on Campus Campaign throughout the university this year, and the Campus Campaign Council and the Office of University Development invite nominations in six different award categories to recognize and to thank these volunteers for their time and commitment to the campaign. Nominations are due April 30. For more information, contact Tina Thome at ccampaign@osu.edu or thome.3@osu.edu or visit giveto.osu.edu/downloads/CC_10_Award_Nomination_Form.pdf.

Faculty and Staff, 4/22/10

April 21, 2010

Books

Virginia Cope, English, Property, Education and Identity in Late Eighteenth-Century Fiction: The Heroine of Disinterest (Hampshire, UK: Palgrave-MacMilllan, 2009).

Heather Webb, Italian, The Medieval Heart (New Haven, Conn., Yale University Press, 2010).

Grants

Stephen Gavazzi, Center for Family Research, received $35,733 from the Ohio Department of Mental Health for “Racial Disparities in Mental Health Treatment and Outcomes,” August 2008.

Stuart Hobbs, History, was awarded a grant from the Ohio Humanities Council to run a summer institute for Ohio high school teachers on The Great War in Global Context.

Kathryn Jakes, Consumer Sciences, received $25,000 from the National Center for Preservation Technology and Training, National Park Service, for “Creation of a Web-Accessible Database of the Comparative Plant Fiber Collection.”

Chuck Lynd and Dennis Sykes, Center for Special Needs Populations, received $50,000 from the Ohio Department of Education for the Early Childhood Quality Network’s “Preschool Special Education Institute: Early Childhood Outcomes,” August 2008.

Helen Malone, Physical Activity and Educational Services, received $47,973 from the Franklin County Board of MRDD for “Buckeye Behavioral Services,” October 2009.

Judith Mayne and Dana Renga, French and Italian, received a grant for Research and Creative Activity in the Arts and Humanities to help fund the symposium “New Directions in French and Italian Holocaust Cinema,” scheduled to take place in early November.

Barbara Polivka, Nursing, received a $30,000 grant from the OSU Center for Clinical and Translational Science Community Engagement Program Pilot Grants for Community Engagement for “Building Environmental Public Health Literacy.”

Presentations

Anish Arora, Computer Science and Engineering, presented “Primitives for Physical Trust,” at the 10th International Symposium on Stabilization, Safety and Security in Distributed Systems, Detroit, Mich., Nov. 21-23, 2008.

Morris Beja, English, presented “For the ‘Common Reader:’ Editing Virginia Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway,” at Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan, Dec. 16.

Jane Briggs and Christopher Zirkle, Physical Activity and Educational Services, presented “Teacher Mentoring and Teacher Retention,” at the Association for Career and Technical Education Research Conference, Nashville, Tenn., Nov. 19-21.

Ray Cashman, English, presented “Dislocation and Supernatural Encounters on the Irish Border,” at the annual conference of the American Folklore Society, Boise, Idaho, Oct. 23.

Ying-Hsueh, Yu-Hsiu Liu and Charles Turner Saunders Jr., Physical Activity and Educational Services, presented “Chinese International Students’ Anxieties and Attitudes Concerning Language Barriers to Learning in American Classrooms,” at the 2010 American Association for Applied Linguistics Conference, Atlanta, Ga., March 6.

K. Gandhi, D. Herms, K. Knight, R. Long, J. Rebbeck, A. Smith and D. Yaussy, Entomology, presented “How Fast Will the Trees Die? Modeling Ash (Fraxinus spp.) Decline in Forest Stands Infested by Emerald Ash Borer (Agrilus planipennis),” at the Ecological Society of America Annual Meeting, Milwaukee, Wis., Aug. 3-8.

Donna Guy, History, presented “Write to Me Argentina: Children and La Patria,” at the Rocky Mountain Council on Latin American Studies, Santa Fe, N.M.,
March 4-6.

L. Scott Lissner, Academic Affairs, and Kimberly Shumate, Legal Affairs, presented “Disability Claims Under the ADA As Amended: Update and Mock Mediation,” at the Chester Institute on Professionalism, Columbus, Feb. 19.

William Meezan, Social Work, and Bowen McBeath, presented “Interorganizational Variation in Foster Care Permanency Outcomes in a Performance-Based Contracting Environment,” at the Society for Social Work Research 13th annual conference, San Francisco, Calif., Jan. 14-17.

Dorothy Noyes, English, presented “Zombie Hillbillies, Heritage Riots and Legacy Warlords, Or, How to Bury the Undead Past,” at the American Folklore Society annual meeting, Boise, Idaho, Oct. 22; “Culture Concepts Between Theory, Policy and History,” at the Graduate Student Colloquium, Dec. 10; and “The Province as Mouth and Voice: Béziers’ Feast of Charity in the Reign of Louis XIII,” at the Shelby Cullom Davis Center for Historical Studies, Princeton University, Princeton, N.J., Dec. 18.

Emily Patterson, Health Information Management and Systems, participated in the discussion panel “Medical Informatics: What Contributions can Human Factors Make?” with A.L. Russ, R.L. Wears, A. Miller, L. Militello, S. Anders and B.T. Karsh, at the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society 53rd annual meeting, San Antonio, Texas, Oct. 19-23.

Keith Warren, Nathan Doogan and Danielle Hiance, Social Work, presented “Agent-Based Models as a Tool for Social Work Research,” at the 2010 Society for Social Work Research 13th annual conference, San Francisco, Calif., Jan. 14-17.

Publications

Bharat Bhushan, Mechanical Engineering, “Dry and Wet Contact Modeling of Multilayered Rough Solid Surfaces,” Applied Mechanics Reviews, Vol. 61,
No. 5, pp. 34, with S. Cai; and “Study of Durability of Lateral Tape Motion of Magnetic Tape Data Storage Media Under High-Speed Operating Conditions Using Magnetic and Edge Probe Methods,” Microsystem Technologies, Vol. 14, No. 6, pp. 841-53, with D. Petrek.

Jennifer Calvin, David Stein and Constance Wanstreet, Physical Activity and Educational Services, “How a Novice Online Learner Experiences Transactional Distance,” The Quarterly Review of Distance Education, Vol. 10, No. 3, pp. 51-7.

Sue Ferguson and William Marras, Integrated Systems Engineering, Ehud Mendel, Neurological Surgery, and Stephen Woods, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, “Quantification of a Meaningful Change in Low Back Functional Impairment,” Spine, Vol. 34, No. 19, pp. 2060-65, with D.L. Burr and P. Gupta.

David Herman, English, “New Developments in the Study of Narrative: An Interview,” Foreign Literature, Vol. 5 (2009), pp. 97-105, with Shang Biwu.

Mo Yee Lee and Gilbert Greene, Social Work, “Utilizing Family Strengths and Resilience: Integrative Family and Systems Treatment (I-FAST) with Children and Adolescents with Severe Emotional and Behavioral Problems,” Family Process, September 2009, Vol. 48, No. 3, pp. 395-416, with K.S. Hsu, A. Solovey,
D. Grove, J.S. Fraser, P. Washburn and B. Teater.

Doug Sutton-Ramspeck, English, “Dirty Angels” and “Ladder Without Rungs,” Sentence: A Journal of Prose Poetics, Vol. 7 (2010), pp. 59-60.

James Sanders III, Art Education, ”Krystie Merrow: Representing LGBT Youth Narratives,” Journal of LGBT Youth, Vol. 6, No. 4, pp. 329-39; and “Come Out, Come Out: Frameline Films Holiday Havoc,” Journal of LGBT Youth, Vol. 6, No. 4, pp. 452-55.

David Woods, Integrated Systems Engineering, “Beyond Asimov: The Three Laws of Responsible Robotics,” IEEE Intelligent Systems, (July/August 2009), pp. 1-8, with R.R. Murphy.

Recognition

Hojjat Adeli, Civil and Environmental Engineering and Geodetic Science, is highlighted as an “Engineering Legend” in the April 2010 edition of Leadership and Management in Engineering, a journal of the American Society of Civil Engineers.

Somnath Ghosh, Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science and Engineering, has been elected a 2010 Fellow in the American Academy of Mechanics for his pioneering contributions to the field of multi-scale computational modeling of mechanical behavior and failure of heterogeneous materials like composites and polycrystalline materials.

Debra Moddelmog, English, was awarded a Distinguished Diversity Enhancement Award, given by the University Senate Diversity Committee on May 20.

Voila Newton, African American and African Studies, was awarded the Community Cultural Icon Award in recognition of her dedication, commitment and outstanding service to the community by the Frank W. Hale, Jr. Black Cultural Center, at the 24th annual Pre-Kwanzaa Celebration, Columbus, Dec. 4.

Philip Smith, Integrated Systems Engineering, received the 2009 David Hurley Memorial Award for Aviation Traffic Management from the Air Traffic Control Association for his “superb contributions to air traffic management, through development of innovative solutions reducing traffic congestion and weather delays.”

Service

Somnath Ghosh, Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science and Engineering, was elected as a General Council member of the International Association of Computational Mechanics, September 2009.

Hannibal Hamlin, English, served on the Committee for the International Spenser Society’s 2009 Isabel MacCaffrey Prize for the best book on Spenser in 2008-09, at the annual Spenser Society Luncheon at the MLA, Philadelphia, Pa., Dec. 29.

Wendy Hesford, English, has been elected to serve on the executive committee of the MLA Division on History and Theory of Rhetoric and Composition.

Calendar, 4/22/10

April 21, 2010

Conference

April 26-27, Office of the Controller, Ohio Association of College and University Business Officers conference, Ohio Union, 1739 N. High St., contact wilcheck.4@osu.edu or privette.3@osu.edu for more information.

Events

April 22, University Libraries Read Aloud Program, Melanie Oberlin and Rick Livingston will read selections of prose and poetry related to Earth Day, 3-4 p.m., 202 Thompson Library, 1858 Neil Ave., library.osu.edu/blogs/readaloud.

April 22, Take a Child to Work Day, registration required, hr.osu.edu/childtowork.

April 28, Office of International Affairs, Fulbright Week at Ohio State, Fulbright Round Table Lunch: Fulbright US Student Program, noon, 201 Kuhn Honors and Scholars House, 220 W. 12th Ave., respond to collegium@osu.edu.

April 28, Office of International Affairs, Fulbright Week at Ohio State, Council for International Exchange of Scholars Webinar, “Fulbright Opportunities in American Studies, History and Literature,” 2-3 p.m., 0140 Jennings Hall, 1735 Neil Ave., cies.org/Webinar/index.html#Upcoming.

April 28, Biometric Health Screening, 8-11:40 a.m., OSU Newark, N64 Hopewell Hall, 1179 University Drive, registration and appointment required, yourplanforhealth.com.

April 29, Women and Philanthropy at OSU, “Women’s Leadership in American Philanthropy,” Claire Gaudiani, New York University, author of The Greater Good, Generosity Rules!, 3-3:45 p.m., book signing, 4-5 p.m., presentation and Q&A, US Bank Conference Theater, Ohio Union, 1739 N. High St., respond to 247-7994 or riley.280@osu.edu.

April 29, Biometric Health Screening, 8 a.m.-noon, Office of Human Resources, 425A Gateway Building C, 1590 N. High St., registration and appointment required, yourplanforhealth.com.

April 30, Creative Writing, Visiting Writer: Zach Savich will read from his work, 3 p.m., 311 Denney Hall, 164 W. 17th Ave., free and open to the public, 292-6065.

May 5, Biometric Health Screening, Super Screening Day, 8 a.m.-noon, College of Engineering, 410 Hitchcock Hall, 2070 Neil Ave., registration and appointment required, yourplanforhealth.com.

May 6, Biometric Health Screening, 8:40-11:40 a.m., OSU Mansfield, 129 Riedl Hall, 1760 University Drive, registration and appointment required, yourplanforhealth.com.

Exhibits

Through April 29, “Undergraduate Juried Exhibition 2010,” Hopkins Hall Gallery + Corridor, 128 N. Oval Mall, free, 292-5072.

Through April 30, “Explorations,” the paintings of Karin Dahl, Faculty Club, 181 S. Oval Drive, ohiostatefacultyclub.com or 292-2262.

Through April 30, “Seeman and Williams,” Rebecca Seeman and Paige Williams, Art Academy of Cincinnati, 11 a.m.-4 p.m., Mon.-Fri., Pearl Conard Gallery, Ohio State Mansfield, 1760 University Drive, (419) 755-4255.

Through May 20, “2010 Master of Fine Arts Exhibition,” OSU Urban Arts Space, 50 W. Town St., free, 292-8861.

Through May 28, The Byrd Polar Research Center 50th Anniversary (1960-2010), “Celebrating Scientific Discoveries, Achievements and Global Exploration,” Thompson Memorial Library Exhibition Gallery, 1858 Neil Ave. Mall, library.osu.edu.

Through June 12, “Flora in Fashion,” Historic Costume and Textiles Collection Galleries, 279 Campbell Hall, 1787 Neil Ave., free, costume.osu.edu or 292-3090.

Through June 12, “2010 Arts Scholars Juried Exhibition,” OSU Urban Arts Space, 50 W. Town St., free, 292-8861.

May 3-19, “Department of Art Foundation Exhibition,” opening reception, 5-7 p.m. May 3, Hopkins Hall Gallery + Corridor, 128 N. Oval Mall, free, 292-5072.

May 3-19, “Kurt Anderson + Munro Galloway: St. James CD-of-the-Month Club,” artists’ talk, 4 p.m. May 3, Wexner Center Film/Video Theater, opening reception follows, 5-7 p.m., Hopkins Hall Gallery + Corridor, 128 N. Oval Mall, free, 292-5072.

May 5-June 18, “Gardens of Earthly Delight,” Joanne Stichweh, Faculty Club, 181 S. Oval Drive, ohiostatefacultyclub.com or 292-2262.

Film

May 4, Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies, Spring 2010 Film Series: Merlin, “Merlin and the Sword” (Clive Donner, 1985), 7:30 p.m., 038 University Hall, 230 North Oval Mall, free and open to the public, 292-7495.

May 5, Spring Latin American Film Series: Cuban Cinema: Then and Now, “María Antonia” (Sergio Giral, 1990), 7:30 p.m., 180 Hagerty Hall, 1775 College Road, free and open to the public, clas.osu.edu.

Lectures

April 22, Melton Center for Jewish Studies, “Looking at the Haggadah for the 101st Time: An Art Historian’s Perspective,” Naomi Feuchtwanger-Sarig, University of Michigan, 6 p.m., Hillel Foundation, 46 E. 16th Ave., free, reservation required for dinner, contact 292-0967 or fireman.2@osu.edu by April 19.

April 22, Department of Statistics Spring Seminar 2010, Noel Cressie, Statistics, 3:30 p.m., 170 Eighteenth Avenue Building, 292-5194.

April 22, Humanities Institute, Public Sphere and Modern Social Imaginaries Working Group, “Geographic Theories of Landscape and Their Role in the Public Sphere and Modern Social Imaginaries,” Chris Lukinbeal, Arizona State University, 12:30 p.m., Knight House, 104 E. 15th Ave., fischer.5@osu.edu.

April 22, Mershon Center for International Security Studies Lecture Series, “Hard vs. Soft Paternalism,” Geoffrey Brennan, Australian National University, 3:30 p.m., 120 Mershon Center, 1501 Neil Ave., free, respond to mershoncenter.osu.edu.

April 23, Institute for Chinese Studies, China in Global Context Lecture Series, “Chinese Tea Culture,” Xiandong (Sherab) Chen, University Libraries, 2:30 p.m.,
062 Hagerty Hall, 1775 College Road, ics.osu.edu.

April 23, Department of History, “Early Modern South Asia and the Closing of the Nomandic Frontier,” André Wink, University of Wisconsin, 3:30 p.m., call 292-2674 for location.

April 23, Humanities Institute, Qualitative Inquiry Working Group, “The Political Economy of Publication,” Yvonne Lincoln, Texas A&M University, 2 p.m.,
4012 Smith Lab, 174 W. 18th Ave., stout.127@osu.edu.

April 23, Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies, Mementos, Keepsakes and Tokens 2009-10 Lecture Series, “Unearthing the Franks, Burgundians and Visigoths in Late Nineteenth-Century France,” Bonnie Effros, University of Florida, 2:30 p.m., 090 Science and Engineering Library, 175 W. 18th Ave., cmrs.osu.edu or 292-7495.

April 26, Humanities Institute, Project Narrative, “Focalization and Character Narration in German Narrative,” Katra Byram, Germanic Languages and Literatures, Silke Horstkotte, University of Newfoundland, 4 p.m., Knight House, 104 E. 15th Ave., phelan.1@osu.edu.

April 26, Office of International Affairs, Fulbright Week at Ohio State, “Fulbright vs. Fulbright-Hays: What is the Difference?” Elliot Slotnick, Graduate School, Joanna Kukielka-Blaser, International Affairs, noon-1 p.m., 226 University Hall, 230 N. Oval Mall, registration required, ria4edu.com/clients/oiaevents/node/358.

April 26, Melton Center for Jewish Studies, “Discovering Ohio’s Jewish Communities,” Lee Shai Weissbach, University of Louisville, 7 p.m., Columbus JCC, 1125 College Ave., free and open to the public, fireman.2@osu.edu.

April 26, Department of Physics, Robert Ross Lecture, Eve Marder, Brandeis University, 1:30 p.m., 1080 Physics Research Building, 191 W. Woodruff Ave., 292-5713.

April 26, Mathematical Biosciences Institute, Colloquium Series, “Genetics of Human Phenotypic Variability: Searching for Disease Risk Factors Along Evolutionary Paths,” Wolfgang Sadee, 2:30-3:30 p.m., 355 Jennings Hall, 1735 Neil Ave., mbi.osu.edu/seminars/current_colloquia.html.

April 27, Office of International Affairs, Fulbright Week at Ohio State, “What’s New in 2011-12 for Faculty?” Andy Riess, Council for International Exchange of Scholars, 10-11:30 a.m., 0140 Jennings Hall, 1735 Neil Ave., registration required, ria4edu.com/clients/oiaevents/node/359.

April 27, Office of International Affairs, Fulbright Week at Ohio State, “Fulbright Scholar Program Panel Discussion: Ready to Apply for Fulbright?” 2-3:30 p.m., N0054 Scott Lab, 201 W. 19th Ave., registration required, ria4edu.com/clients/oiaevents/node/359.

April 27, Department of Physics, “Fundamental Constants in Physics and Their Time Dependence,” Harald Fritzsch, Physics, 4 p.m., 1080 Physics Research Building, 191 W. Woodruff Ave., 292-5713.

April 28, Colleges of the Arts and Humanities, 2009-10 Inaugural Lecture Series, Kirk Denton, East Asian Languages and Literatures, 4:30 p.m., Faculty Club Grand Lounge, 181 S. Oval Drive, 292-1882.

April 28, Knowlton School of Architecture Baumer Lecture Series, “Winter/Spring 2010: Economy,” Sarah Cowles, Ohio State, 5:30 p.m., Knowlton Hall Auditorium, 275 W. Woodruff Ave., knowlton.osu.edu or 292-1012.

April 29, Humanities Institute, History of the Book Reading and Study Group, “Books of Disquiet: The Challenge to the Onto-theological Concept of the Book in Portuguese and Brazilian Modernity and the Present Moment,” Pedro Pereira, Spanish and Portuguese, 3:30 p.m., Knight House, 104 E. 15th Ave., burjoyne.10@osu.edu.

April 29, Department of English, Sexuality Studies and Project Narrative, “Hair Lines: Filipino American Art and the Uses of Abstraction,” Sarita Echavez See, University of Michigan, 3:30 p.m., 311 Denney Hall, 164 W. 17th Ave., 292-6065.

April 29, Office of International Affairs, Fulbright Week at Ohio State, “Fulbright-Hays Faculty Research Abroad Program: Funding Opportunities for Faculty,” Philip Brown, History, Morgan Liu, Near Eastern Languages and Cultures, Joanna Kukielka-Blaser, International Affairs, 3-4:30 p.m., 102 Kuhn Honors and Scholars House, 220 W. 12th Ave., registration required, ria4edu.com/clients/oiaevents/node/359.

April 29, Department of Statistics Spring Seminar 2010, Chrystal Linkletter, Brown University, 3:30 p.m., 170 Eighteenth Avenue Building, 292-5194.

April 29, Department of Physics, “Linear and Nonlinear Dynamics of Magnetic Excitations in Magnetic Films, Multilayers and Finite-size Samples: Spin Waves, Solitions and Parametric Instabilities,” Andrei Slavin, Oakland University, 11:30 a.m., 1080 Physics Research Building, 191 W. Woodruff Ave., 292-5713.

April 29, President and Provost’s 2009-10 Diversity Lecture and Cultural Arts Series, Mahzarin Banaji, Harvard University, 4 p.m., Saxbe Auditorium, Drinko Hall, 55 W. 12th Ave., osu.edu/diversity.

April 29, Mershon Center for International Security Studies Lecture Series, “The Islamic Dimension of the Insurgencies in Afghanistan and Pakistan,” Marvin Weinbaum, University of Illinois-Urbana/Champaign, noon, 120 Mershon Center, 1501 Neil Ave., lecture is free, respond to mershoncenter.osu.edu.

April 29, Kirwan Institute, Telling Stories to Change the World, “The Popular Theater as a Tool for Social Change,” Hector Aristizabal, noon-2 p.m., 100 Hale Center, 153 W. 12th Ave., baird.111@osu.edu.

April 30, Office of International Affairs, Fulbright Week at Ohio State, “Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad Program: Funding Opportunities for Graduate Students,” Philip Brown, History, Mark Soderstrom, History, Joanna Kukielka-Blaser, International Affairs, 1-2:30 p.m., 122 Oxley Hall, 1712 Neil Ave., registration required, ria4edu.com/clients/oiaevents/node/358.

April 30, Department of History, “Transatlantic Migration and Kinship in the Spanish Empire: Did Family Networks Matter?” Hillel Eyal, CHR Fellow, 3:30 p.m., call 292-2674 for location.

April 30, Department of History, Mary Dudziak, University of Southern California, noon-1:15 p.m., Faculty Lounge, Moritz College of Law, 55 W. 12th Ave., stebenne.1@osu.edu or 292-5359.

April 30, Humanities Institute, Graduate Student Interdisciplinary Seminar in Literacy Studies, “Indigenous Literacies,” 11:30 a.m., Knight House, 104 E. 15th Ave., hanson.94@osu.edu.

April 30, Humanities Institute, Lusoglobe Working Group, “Collecting Experiences: The Very Idea,” Miguel Tamen, University of Chicago, 3:30 p.m., 255 Hagerty Hall, 1775 College Road, pereira.37@osu.edu.

Battelle’s CEO to deliver Patterson Lecture
April 30

Jeff Wadsworth, president and CEO of Battelle, will deliver this year’s James F. Patterson Land-Grant University Lecture at 11:30 a.m. at the Nationwide-Ohio Farm Bureau 4-H Center, 2201 Fred Taylor Drive. Wadsworth will address the importance of leveraging our knowledge generators as engines for the future, as well as the responsibilities that world-renowned research institutes and centers of knowledge have to collaborate on issues that can advance the well-being of society.

The recipients of the Outreach and Engagement grants will be honored at this free event as will the outstanding outreach and engagement programs that were nominated for the 2010 awards. Light lunch will be provided. Register online by April 23 at outreach.osu.edu/patterson_lecture.php.

April 30, Humanities Institute, Diversity Enhancement Program Research Working Group, 3:30 p.m., Knight House, 104 E. 15th Ave., allen.559@osu.edu.

April 30, Humanities Institute, Local Worlds Working Group, “Theorizing Flat Ontology,” John Paul Jones, University of Arizona, 4 p.m., Knight House, 104 E. 15th Ave., wainwright.11@osu.edu.

April 30, Institute for Chinese Studies, China in Global Context Lecture Series, “Diverging Visions of Serving the Great: Choson-Qing Negotiations of Tribute,
1879-90,” Joshua Van Lieu, University of Washington, 1:30 p.m., 045 Hagerty Hall, 1775 College Road, ics.osu.edu.

May 2, Humanities Institute, The Big Picture Lecture Series, “Secrets of Glass,” Charles Drummond, Materials Science Engineering, 2 p.m., Columbus Museum of Art, 480 E. Broad St., lantz.38@osu.edu.

May 3, Melton Center for Jewish Studies, “How Did Women Get a Jewish Education in the 18th Century?” Moshe Roseman, Bar Ilan University-Israel, 6 p.m., Hillel Foundation, 46 E. 16th Ave., free and open to the public, reservation required for dinner, contact 292-0967 or fireman.2@osu.edu by April 28.

May 3, Department of Physics, “Microscopic Route to Nematicity in Sr3Ru207 and Avoided Quantum Criticality,” Hae Young Kee, University of Toronto, 11:30 a.m., 1080 Physics Research Building, 191 W. Woodruff Ave., 292-5713.

May 3, Department of Physics, Volker Braun, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, 3:30 p.m., 4138 Physics Research Building, 191 W. Woodruff Ave., 292-5713.

May 3, Department of Physics, Andrew Boudreaux, Western Washington University, 1 p.m., 4138 Physics Research Building, 191 W. Woodruff Ave., 292-5713.

May 3, Mathematical Biosciences Institute, Colloquium Series, “Image-Based Biomedical Modeling, Simulation and Visualization,” Chris Johnson, 2:30-3:30 p.m., 355 Jennings Hall, 1735 Neil Ave., mbi.osu.edu/seminars/current_colloquia.html.

May 4, Ohio State Marion Science Café, “Weather Lore and Weather Oddities,” Greg Rose, Geography, 7 p.m., The Infinity Restaurant, Harding Hotel, 267 W. Center St., Marion, marion.ohio-state.edu/sciencecafe.

May 4, Department of Physics, “Applied String Theory for the Impatient,” Steven Gubser, Princeton University, 4 p.m., 1080 Physics Research Building, 191 W. Woodruff Ave., 292-5713.

May 4, Mershon Center for International Security Studies Lecture Series, “Extreme Vulnerability of Migrants: The Cases of the United States and Mexico,” Jorge Bustamante, University of Notre Dame, noon, 120 Mershon Center, 1501 Neil Ave., free, respond to mershoncenter.osu.edu.

May 5, Colleges of the Arts and Humanities, 2009-10 Inaugural Lecture Series, Ardine Nelson, Art, 4:30 p.m., Faculty Club Grand Lounge, 181 S. Oval Drive, 292-1882.

May 5, Mershon Center for International Security Studies Lecture Series, “Shaded by Fear: The New Deal and its Legacies,” Ira Katznelson, Columbia University, 3:30 p.m., 120 Mershon Center, 1501 Neil Ave., free, respond to mershoncenter.osu.edu.

May 5, University Libraries Science Café, “Myths and Mexican Migration,” Jeffrey Cohen, 6:30 p.m., South Campus Gateway Movie Theater, 1550 N. High St., tinyurl.com/osusciencecafe.

May 6, Department of Statistics Spring Seminar 2010, Wherry Lecture, Robert MacCallum, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, 3:30 p.m., 170 Eighteenth Avenue Building, 292-5194.

May 6, Department of Physics, Steven Gubser, Princeton University, 1:30 p.m., 4138 Physics Research Building, 191 W. Woodruff Ave., 292-5713.

May 6, Mershon Center for International Security Studies Lecture Series, “Running to Lose: The Muslim Brotherhood and Parliamentary Elections,” Nathan Brown, George Washington University, noon, 120 Mershon Center, 1501 Neil Ave., free, respond to mershoncenter.osu.edu.

Tracing lost race, culture in Ecuador
May 6

Diana Ruggiero, PhD candidate in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese, will present “Where Did the Africans Go? Más Allá del Fútbol: Music, Race and Cultural Change in Ecuador’s Chota-Mira Valley” from 4-5 p.m. in 165 Thompson Library. Based on ethnographic research involving the production of a documentary film (Más Allá del Fútbol), Ruggiero addresses the question of cultural change among the highland black communities of Ecuador’s Chota-Mira Valley through a discussion of La Bomba, a local song and dance genre of African origin.

For more information, contact Nancy Courtney at courtney.24@osu.edu.

May 6, Humanities Institute, LiteracyStudies@OSU Spring Lecture, “Language Pedagogy and Politics in Indigenous America: Miner’s Canary or Mariner’s Tern?” Teresa McCarty, Arizona State University, 4 p.m., Knight House, 104 E. 15th Ave., hanson.94@osu.edu.

May 6, “State of Chicana/Latina Arts and Artists Today,” Coco Fusco, Parsons/The New School for Design; Dulce Aldama, University of Colorado-Boulder; Guidela Latorre, Women’s Studies, 3:30-5:30 p.m., Faculty Club, 181 S. Oval Drive, reception follows lecture, 5:30-6:30 p.m., 2174 Smith Lab, 174 W. 18th Ave., 292-6101.

Meetings

April 27, Lunch and Learn, “Autism Spectrum Disorders: Facts, Myths and Recent OSU Findings,” noon-1 p.m., 115 Stillman Hall, 1947 College Road, registration required, osuhealthplan.com/wellness/program.asp or 292-1894.

May 4, Lunch and Learn, “Whole Grain Cooking Demo,” 4-5 p.m., OSU Health Plan, Suite 440, 700 Ackerman Road, registration required, osuhealthplan.com/wellness/program.asp or 292-1894.

May 6, University Senate, 3:30-5:30 p.m., 130 Drinko Hall, 55 W. 12th Ave., senate.osu.edu.

May 6, 13, 20, 27, Lunch and Learn, “Diabetes Conversation Map Series,” noon-1 p.m., 1039 Derby Hall, 154 N. Oval Mall, registration required, osuhealthplan.com/wellness/program.asp or 292-1894.

Music

April 22, University Libraries Read Aloud Program, “An Evening of Fado Music,” a special ReadAloud Program in Spanish, 6:30 p.m., 11th Floor, Thompson Library, 1858 Neil Ave., visit library.osu.edu/blogs/readaloud for more information.

April 23-24, 27th Annual OSU Flute Festival, 2-10 p.m. April 23, 9 a.m.-10 p.m. April 24, Weigel Auditorium, 1866 College Road, admission, 292-2870.

April 24, 27th Annual OSU Flute Festival: Guest Artist Robert Dick, 1:30 p.m., Weigel Auditorium, 1866 College Road, free, 292-2870.

April 28, Symphony Orchestra, 8 p.m., Weigel Auditorium, 1866 College Road, admission, 292-2870.

April 30, Wind Symphony, 8 p.m., Weigel Auditorium, 1866 College Road, admission, 292-2870.

May 6, Free Outdoor Jazz Series@Mirror Lake: Jazz Combos, 7:30 p.m., Browning Amphitheatre (rain site is Weigel Auditorium), free, 292-2870.

Schottenstein

April 24, “Rock & Worship Roadshow,” 6 p.m., Value City Arena, $10 admission at the door, schottensteincenter.com.

May 1, NBC4 Shred-It Day, 8 a.m.-2 p.m., Schottenstein Center’s Scarlet Parking Lot, schottensteincenter.com or nbc4i.com.

Seminar

May 1-2, Humanities Institute, “The Teaching of Modern Greek Literature,” contact jusdanis.1@osu.edu for time and location.

Theater

April 30, Kirwan Institute, Telling Stories to Change the World: Hector Aristizabal, “Nightwind,” play and workshop, 7-8:30 p.m., Wexner Center, 1871 N. High St., baird.111@osu.edu.

Training

April 21-22, Management Advancement for the Public Service, “Working with Colleagues and Superiors: The Art of Influencing Others” 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. both days, Fawcett Center, 2400 Olentangy River Road, admission for non-members, registration required, glennschool.osu.edu or 292-3242.

April 22-24, Digital Media Training, “KipCamp Digital Media Training,” 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. April 22 and 23, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. April 24, 110 Page Hall, 1810 College Road, registration required, kiplingerprogram.org/training/register.html.

April 26-27, Human Resources Training, “Manage Job Data,” 1-5 p.m. both days, 191 Mount Hall, 1050 Carmack Road, registration required, oit.osu.edu/hrfin/hrschedule/html.

April 28, College of Social Work Training, “Working with Clients Who Have Gender Dysphoria: Assessment, Treatment and Interventions,” 1-4:15 p.m., 115 Stillman Hall, 1947 College Road, earn 3 CEU/RCH clock hours, open to the public, for description and registration visit csw.osu.edu/trainingforprofessionals/trainingcalendar/100428.

April 29, College of Social Work Training, “Chronic Pain and Addiction: Staying on Meds and Getting to Recovery,” 1-4:15 p.m., 115 Stillman Hall, 1947 College Road, earn 3 CEU/RCH clock hours, open to the public, for description and registration visit csw.osu.edu/trainingforprofessionals/trainingcalendar/100429.

April 29, Organization and Human Resource Consulting, “Paper and Bytes: Managing OSU Records,” 1-3 p.m., Office of Human Resources, Suite 430, 1590 N. High St., registration required, hr.osu.edu/ohrc.

April 29, Financial Training and Documentation, “Managing Your Department’s Capitalized Equipment,” 12:30-4:30 p.m., 231 Mount Hall, 1050 Carmack Road, registration required, oit.ohio-state.edu/hrfin/trainingregistration.html.

May 4, Management Advancement for the Public Service, “Beyond Stress Management: Workplace Wellness,” 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m., Fawcett Center, 2400 Olentangy River Road, admission for non-members, registration required, glennschool.osu.edu or 292-3242.

May 4-5, Human Resources Training, “Manage Timekeeping,” 8:30 a.m.-noon both days, 191 Mount Hall, 1050 Carmack Road, registration required, oit.osu.edu/hrfin/hrschedule/html.

May 4-5, Financial Training and Documentation, “Accounting at OSU,” 12:30-4:30 p.m. both days, 231 Mount Hall, 1050 Carmack Road, registration required, oit.ohio-state.edu/hrfin/trainingregistration.html.

May 5, University Center for the Advancement of Teaching, College Teaching Series, “Making Research and Writing Meaningful,” 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., 165 Thompson Library, 1858 Neil Ave. Mall, registration required, ucat.osu.edu.

May 5-6, Management Advancement for the Public Service, “Interpersonal Communication and Counseling Skills,” 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. both days, Fawcett Center, 2400 Olentangy River Road, admission for non-members, registration required, glennschool.osu.edu or 292-3242.

Wexner

Through April 30, The Box: Melissa Dubbin and Aaron Davidson, “Sound Design for Future Films” (2006-), Mon.-Wed. 9 a.m.-6 p.m., Thu.-Fri. 9 a.m.-
8 p.m., Sat. 10 a.m.-8 p.m., Sun. 11 a.m.-6 p.m., The Box is located across from the Wexner Center Store, 1871 N. High St., free, 292-3535.

April 22, Special Events, “Avant Gardening,” 7 p.m., Film/Video Theater, 1871 N. High St., admission, 292-3535.

April 22, onStage, Donny McCaslin Group, 8 p.m., Performance Space, 1871 N. High St., admission, 292-3535.

April 23-24, Classics: Jacques Tati x 2, “Mr. Hulot’s Holiday” (1953) and “The Magnificent Tati” (Michael House, 2009), 7 p.m. , Film/Video Theater, 1871 N. High St., admission, 292-3535.

April 29, onStage, “Les Primitifs Du Futur,” 8 p.m., Performance Space, 1871 N. High St., admission, 292-3535.

April 29-30, Classics: Jacques Tati x 2, “Playtime” (1967), 7 p.m. , Film/Video Theater, 1871 N. High St., admission, 292-3535.

April 30-May 2, International Performing Arts for Families, “Farfalle (Butterflies),” Compagnia T.P.O. (Italy) Public Performances, 7 p.m. April 30, 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. May 1, 12:30 and 3:30 p.m. May 2, Black Box on Mershon Stage, 1871 N. High St., admission, 292-3535.

May 1-31, The Box, “Drive Thru” (Gretchen Skogerson, 2006), Mon.-Wed. 9 a.m.-6 p.m., Thu.-Fri. 9 a.m.-8 p.m., Sat. 10 a.m.-8 p.m., Sun. 11 a.m.-6 p.m., The Box is located across from the Wexner Center Store, 1871 N. High St., free, 292-3535.

May 1, Visiting Filmmaker: Lewis Klahr, “Prolix Satori (2008-2010) + More,” 7 p.m., Film/Video Theater, 1871 N. High St., admission, Q&A follows films, 292-3535.

May 3, Artists’ Talk: Munro Galloway and Kurt Anderson, 4 p.m. , Film/Video Theater, 1871 N. High St., free, 292-3535.

May 3, A Conversation with Mark Bradford and Aminah Robinson, 7 p.m. , Mershon Auditorium, 1871 N. High St., free, respond to wexarts.org/rsvp to reserve seat, 292-3535.

May 4, Visiting Filmmaker: Lewis Klahr, Masterclass with Lewis Klahr, 4 p.m., Film/Video Theater, 1871 N. High St., 292-3535.

May 5, Lecture, “The Emergence of the Film/Video Loop,” Ron Green, 4 p.m., Film/Video Theater, 1871 N. High St., free, 292-3535.

May 5, Next @ Wex, Laura Marling with Smoke Fairies and Pete Roe, 8 p.m., Black Box on Mershon Stage, 1871 N. High St., $13 admission, standing-only show, 292-3535.

May 6, Visiting Filmmaker: Lewis Klahr, Lewis Klahr introduces “Engram Sepals (Melodramas 1994-2000)” and “The Shanghai Gesture” (Josef von Sternberg, 1941), 7 p.m., Film/Video Theater, 1871 N. High St., admission, 292-3535.

Workshops

May 1, Kirwan Institute, Telling Stories to Change the World: Hector Aristizabal, “Workshop on Techniques of Theatre of the Oppressed,” 9 a.m.-6 p.m., Wild Goose Creative, 2491 Summit St., $35 admission at the door, baird.111@osu.edu.

May 6, Center for Folklore Studies, Brownbag Workshop, Eerika Koskinen-Koivisto, noon, 308 Dulles Hall, 230 W. 17th Ave., send e-mail to garner.104@buckeyemail.osu.edu to participate in conversation, 292-1639.

Top 3 on 2, 4/22/10

April 21, 2010

Why did you choose to work at Ohio State? My mom, Karen Brown (an OSU employee), and my late grand(god)mother Elaine Dade, who retired from OSU in the 1990s, encouraged me to take advantage of the free education and other great benefits that OSU has to offer.

What do you like about your job?
It’s exhilarating to hear the excitement in an applicant’s voice when I call to invite them for an interview or offer them a position. You never know how great of an impact something so small could have on a person’s day.

If you weren’t working at Ohio State, what would you be doing? Like a bird, I’d fly south. I have family in Georgia, so I’d probably move there or somewhere closer to the water.

What advice would you give a new employee?
Take advantage of the many learning opportunities. Take classes, attend trainings and participate on different councils and committees. Then I’d encourage every employee, new or seasoned, to interact with people from different cultures. It’s a wonderful learning experience.

What would you improve at Ohio State? I think it would be “fantabulous” if more staff were actually able (schedule wise) to take part in the staff appreciation events that the university offers. I would strongly encourage colleges or departments whose operational schedules and/or demands don’t permit participation in the university events to prepare alternatives so that all staff members get the opportunity to enjoy the benefit and feel appreciated.

What is your favorite activity outside of work?
I really enjoy coaching little league cheerleading with the Mifflin Sharks. Teaching the girls discipline and showing them how to be respectful young ladies, while helping build their character and be successful in whatever it is they want to do in life. It’s a wonderful feeling knowing that I will have a positive impact on each of their lives, on and off the cheerleading field.

What are you going to do when you retire? I plan to do lots of traveling and volunteering in the community. I think it’s important that we continue to encourage and support the children of our future generations and help lead them in the right direction.

Who is your hero? God, for giving me favor, another year of life and my beautiful and bright daughter, Nevaeh. She is my strength and my courage. She motivates me to be better and strive further.

If you were the university president for a day, what would you do? I would create a shadowing-at-work program for those individuals who work in positions that don’t really offer room for progression, to earn the right to shadow someone in a higher position. Not only would the employee benefit from the learning experience and training, but hopefully they would gain the knowledge of what it involves to be in a higher position and prepare themselves for progression and/or possibly furthering their education.

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

Debra Jasper, Kiplinger Program

April 21, 2010

Debra Jasper directs the Kiplinger Program in Public Affairs Journalism in the John Glenn School, where she teaches digital media and public policy courses.

What are your five favorite books and why?

My list changes constantly, but here goes.

All the Kings Men by Robert Penn Warren
So beautifully written that when I first started it I called a friend in Oregon and read him passages out loud.

It’s All Over But the Shoutin’ by Rick Bragg
The man is a little arrogant, but he can flat turn a phrase.

Let us Now Praise Famous Men by James Agee and Walker Evans
Raw and powerful.

Discipline and Punish by Michel Foucault
Turned my mind inside out.

A Space on the Side of the Road: Cultural Poetics in an ‘Other’ America by Kathleen Stewart
A huge influence on my dissertation about Appalachian storytelling.

What’s your “guilty pleasure” — a book you love but don’t often talk about because it’s not “serious” literature?
Beach reads like Fast Women by Jennifer Crusie, an OSU grad who used to be a teacher near Dayton. It’s a seriously funny book about messy marriages, embezzlement and a Dachshund-napping in German Village.

What books have helped you most in your career?
All the President’s Men, hands down. I always knew I wanted to be a writer. But this book (and Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle) made me want to be an investigative reporter. All of the short stories in The New Journalism by Tom Wolfe. I especially loved Hunter S. Thompson’s Gonzo work (like The Kentucky Derby is Decadent and Depraved). I’d also say The Executioner’s Song by Norman Mailer; Boys on the Bus by Timothy Crouse (made me rethink political coverage); and of course, anything by Gay Talese (who penned one of the best magazine profiles I’ve ever read in Frank Sinatra Has a Cold).

Who is your favorite character (villain or hero) in literature?
My heroes are usually risk takers or survivor types. Folks like Chris Smithies and (my former PhD advisor) Patti Lather, who challenged academic conventions by including their own backstory in Troubling the Angels. Or Mary Karr, whose gritty childhood tales in The Liars’ Club convinced me to head back to Appalachia and start collecting my own family stories.

What important book have you not read and why have you not read it?
Either Winesburg, Ohio by Sherwood Anderson or Knockemstiff by Donald Ray Pollock. I know both will influence my writing. Maybe that’s why I haven’t picked them up yet — they will remind me that I’m not working on my own book nearly enough.

What book would you most want your kids to read?
I don’t have children but for my older nieces and nephews I’d recommend Back Talk from Appalachia: Confronting Stereotypes. The stories would help them better understand their Kentucky heritage.

What are some of your favorite Web sites?
During high political season I follow Politico or Huffington Post, and I check out Mashable and Techcrunch a lot. But I spend more of my time on social media sites like Twitter and Facebook.

Booktalk highlights the literary opinions of faculty and staff at Ohio State. To nominate a colleague for a future Book Talk, e-mail harris.587@osu.edu.

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