Retirementmatters
booktalk
- Alexandra Salerno, Department of English
- Mary-Katherine Ramsey, College of Arts and Sciences
Mary-Katherine Ramsey, College of Arts and Sciences
- Alexandra Salerno, Department of English
asktheexpert
- Michael Stamatikos, Center for Cosmology and AstroParticle Physics
Michael Stamatikos, Center for Cosmology and AstroParticle Physics - Karen Calhoun, allergist in Department of Otolaryngology
Karen Calhoun, allergist, Department of Otolaryngology
- Michael Stamatikos, Center for Cosmology and AstroParticle Physics
Right now on the Board:
Raimund Goerler, University Libraries
May 19, 2010
Raimund Goerler is assistant director of OSU Libraries, with responsibility for special collections and archives and also university archivist. Goerler has been writing a one-volume history of OSU, which OSU Press has accepted for publication later in the year.
What are your five favorite books and why? My reading tends to be somewhat eclectic but largely historical in nature.
Alone by Richard E. Byrd
A gripping and true account of Byrd’s wintering alone in the interior of Antarctica during his 1933-35 expedition. The drama is that the stove, which is keeping him alive in the perilous temperature, is also believed to be killing him by leaking toxic fumes.
Building Sullivant’s Pyramid by William Kinnison
Anyone interested in the history of OSU should read this account of the early years of the university as the outcome of intellectual ideas and people who had differing views and personalities.
Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin
I enjoyed and highly recommend this book, which portrays Lincoln, his cabinet and the context of Civil War so well.
Founding Brothers by Joseph Ellis
Not to be missed; a wonderfully lively account of our Revolutionary War leaders.
I, Claudius and Claudius the God by Robert Graves
Old favorites of mine, both of which became a PBS series, but the books offer more vivid depictions of personalities and murders in the struggle for power in classical Rome.
What is the last book you’ve bought?
I have a Kindle that I like to use for leisure reading and downloaded, but have not read yet, Robert Harris’ Imperium, a novel of ancient Rome.
What’s your “guilty pleasure” – a book you love but don’t often talk about because it’s not “serious” literature?
Dan Brown’s Angels and Demons is a favorite because of the story and the setting.
What genre of literature do you prefer to read (history, fiction, biography, etc.) and why?
Biography and historical fiction appeal to me most, probably because of my degrees in history. Although even as a child I liked to read historical fiction, which made the people seem more dramatic and real than some of the textbooks.
What magazines do you subscribe to and why?
Mostly, I read Newsweek for news and Chronicle of Higher Education to keep up with trends in higher education.
What books have helped you most in your career?
Of the many books on leadership and personal development, my favorites are Steven Covey’s The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People and Jim Tressel’s The Winners Manual.
Booktalk highlights the literary opinions of faculty and staff at Ohio State. To nominate someone for a future column, e-mail Julia Harris at harris.587@osu.edu.
Findley tells how religion, secularism affect Turkish history
May 19, 2010
By Jeff Grabmeier, Research Communications
The history of the late Ottoman Empire and modern Turkey is not the simple, linear story that many historians have argued it to be, according to Carter Findley, Humanities Distinguished Professor in History.
Scholars used to paint a linear timeline, in which the Islamic Ottoman empire transforms into the secular republic of Turkey. Continue reading ‘Findley tells how religion, secularism affect Turkish history’
Kids’ College at OSU Lima is both fun and educational
May 19, 2010
By Julia Harris
Ah, summer.
It’s so close we can almost smell it, hovering in the air like the faintest whiff of sunscreen and chlorine.
At the same time, it’s so close we can almost feel the mounting anxiety of working parents whose first summer thought is: What am I going to do with the kids when school lets out? Continue reading ‘Kids’ College at OSU Lima is both fun and educational’
Declines in social security keep older men working
May 19, 2010
By Jeff Grabmeier, Research Communications
The decline in the generosity of Social Security benefits for workers who recently reached their 60s has been the leading cause of the trend toward delayed retirement of older men, a new national study suggests.
Between the periods of 1988-92 and 2001-05, there was a 4.7 percentage point increase in the number of men aged 55 to 69 in the workforce. Continue reading ‘Declines in social security keep older men working’
Bill Mitsch, Environment and Natural Resources
May 19, 2010
What devastation has already been caused by the recent oil spill? Since the oil rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico on April 20, an estimated 150,000 barrels of oil has spread out into the Gulf of Mexico, covering 2,000 square miles (about 1/20 the size of the state of Ohio) and the spill continues to spew up to 4,000-5,000 barrels of oil daily (210,000 gallons per day) from a mile below sea level. The total spill remains less than the 250,000-barrel Exxon Valdez spill in Alaska in 1989, but this spill is occurring in a much more productive aquatic ecosystem and could surpass that Alaska size if not controlled.
What kind of devastation is expected? There really is no way to determine the overall effect and there may never be. As summarized by my friend and marine biologist Len Bahr in Louisiana last week, “I don’t think there will be a major effort to quantify impacts until the flow is stopped. Seems pointless.” The spill already has been described by the Sierra Club as “America’s Chernobyl.”
As long as the spill stays at sea, the impact will be less than if it hits a shoreline, as it is now threatening in Louisiana. Coastal wetlands and their birds and wildlife are most vulnerable, yet even they can rebound if the source of oil is stopped.
Even if the spill itself does not hit the shore, for years “tar balls” or oil blobs may suddenly appear to unsuspecting sun bathers along the Gulf Coast beaches. I will never forget seeing those tar balls on the Black Sea in then-Soviet Georgia. (They were explained away as “natural features” by our hosts.)
As strange as it seems, the geopolitical changes will last much longer and may be the biggest effect. Every 20 years, oil spills have galvanized this country and made us realize how vulnerable nature is and how crudely (pun intended) we treat Mother Nature. Oil spills such as the Exxon Valdez or even the Cuyahoga River in Cleveland burning in 1969 — partially from oil — while disasters, led to an environmental “reawakening.” So this effect (is there a silver lining?) of shocking the nation to realize our poor housekeeping and fanatical oil appetite will last for decades.
How long will it take to clean up the spill? BP and Louisiana and federal government officials are at a loss how to control the spill. About 20 percent of the flow is now being captured and oil officials think that within a week or two, perhaps even by the time readers see this publication, the source will be at least be partially controlled. Government officials are skeptical that it can be controlled at all. In the end, that is the only solution to this spill — to cut off the source.
Controlling oil spills after the oil is released is a futile task and ultimately microbial communities will consume the oil as it continues to disperse. Burning has obvious issues of air pollution and toxic smoke. An estimated 90,000 barrels of oil/water mixture have already been collected in the Gulf but that is quite diluted. Once the oil is collected in booms or dispersed by chemicals, there is still the problem of what to do with the collected mass. We speculated during a 17,000-barrel Ohio River oil spill that occurred in Pittsburgh right after I came to Ohio State that the oil booms may actually have caused more harm than good by concentrating the oil on the river bottom.
Nobody can accurately predict how long the oil residuals will remain in the Gulf or on the coastline. There are still oil residuals left in the shorelines from the Exxon Valdez. The one advantage of a warmer climate such as the Gulf of Mexico is that warmer temperatures and rich nutrients coming down the Mississippi River may cause the oil to degrade more rapidly there.
100 days and counting
May 19, 2010
Carol Pitts Diedrichs reflects on her first months at the helm of University Libraries
When Carol Pitts Diedrichs returned to Ohio State in January, the university got more than just a new libraries director. It got an old and dear friend with a unique perspective on the libraries and their place in the university’s life. Continue reading ’100 days and counting’
Top 3 on 2, 5/20/10
May 19, 2010
Why did you choose to work at Ohio State? Born and raised in Columbus, I am a Buckeye. This university is celebrated as an institution of higher learning. Prior to coming to the university, I worked for a hotel management company as an executive assistant. The university was hiring so the opportunity to apply and be hired was there. More importantly, the benefits package was appealing, so it provided me an opportunity to continue my education.
What do you like about your job? My job is quite diverse and interesting. As an administrative manager, my typical day consists of managing the business functions and office operations in FOD. It’s always fun to handle the unusual customer requests that come in, such as, “The Canada geese get upset and won’t let me walk up the sidewalk into the building. What do I do?”
What advice would you give a new employee? Welcome to the great Ohio State family! It may seem overwhelming at first, but soon everything will fall into place. It’s a wonderful feeling driving onto this campus each day. The youthfulness and energy on this campus is exhilarating.
If you weren’t working at Ohio State, what would you be doing? I would probably be doing something within the criminal justice system.
What would you improve at Ohio State? The budget. Our department prides itself on providing the best facility services to the faculty, staff and students. State budget cuts affect our operation immensely, making it difficult to provide the same quality service with less.
Of what honor or recognition are you most proud? I am most proud of my service awards. It’s always a great feeling to be recognized for doing a good job. It’s an extension of “Thank you!”
What is your favorite activity outside of work? Spending time with family and friends. Specifically, my 1-1/2-year-old grandson, who always brings a smile to my face. When I have “me” time, I like to kick back with a good book and listen to some music.
What are you going to do when you retire? Travel, travel and more travel. I love to travel! I’ve been fortunate enough to visit many places, but there are still a lot of places I’d like to see. Retirement will allow me to plan some great trips.
Who is your hero? My father, James Michael Cannon, a Vietnam veteran who made sacrifices at a very young age in order to serve our country.
If you were the university president for a day, what would you do? I wouldn’t begin to try to fill those shoes. I’ll leave that up to President Gee, who is doing an excellent job!
To nominate a staff member for an upcoming issue, e-mail oncampus@osu.edu.
Thomas Gregoire has been named dean of Ohio State’s College of Social Work. His appointment is retroactively effective to May 1.
Gregoire has served as interim dean of the college since Sept. 1, 2009. He joined Ohio State’s faculty in 1996 and, prior to serving as interim dean, served as associate dean and director of the Master’s of Social Work Program for six years. He has taught all levels of undergraduate and graduate courses, and the College of Social Work has honored him three times with the Outstanding Graduate Teacher Award.
An expert on substance abuse, Gregoire is the principal investigator for a study of evidence-based community intervention for adolescent substance abusers. His work is widely published in peer-reviewed journals, book reviews and technical and research reports. He also contributes editorial service to several prestigious journals.
Departments around Ohio State have been uber-creative the past month in finding ways to raise money for Operation Feed, the university’s campaign to support the Mid-Ohio Foodbank that ends May 21. The Graduate School put up photos of employees’ pets and asked people to vote for their favorite using cash, raising $314. Rosemarie Thornton’s feline Squeaky (No. 16) won the distinction.
For tent cities of Haiti, school is now in session
May 5, 2010
In the aftermath of Haiti’s devastating earthquake, Ohio State Mansfield professor Terri Teal Bucci is helping get communities back on their feet — and back in the classroom
The earthquake that devastated Port-au-Prince on Jan. 12 killed an estimated 230,000 people and destroyed 250,000 residences, leaving 1 million inhabitants homeless.
While the upheaval and chaos of the first weeks after the disaster have mostly subsided, the ripples of the displacement continue to be felt. Roughly eight miles to the northeast of the capital, in the village of Croix-des-Bouquets, thousands of refugees have taken up residence in sprawling tent cities. Continue reading ‘For tent cities of Haiti, school is now in session’
Tuned in: WOSU’s Capital City Radio taps into local music scene
May 5, 2010
By Adam King
“Groundswell Columbus” host Eric French is selective when it comes to which Columbus bands’ music he puts on his weekly show on WOSU’s Capital City Radio. But he’s impressed by the music that does make the cut, and he thinks the city has some stars in the making.
The Columbus music scene rarely comes to the fore when people mention the best of the best. New York, Nashville, Memphis, Austin and Los Angeles get the usual nods.
But Eric French, who hosts “Groundswell Columbus” on WOSU Public Media’s Capital City Radio, says maybe it’s time that changes. Continue reading ‘Tuned in: WOSU’s Capital City Radio taps into local music scene’
His name in lights
May 5, 2010
Med Center staffer moonlights as award-winning filmmaker
By Julia Harris
Matt Meindl, a filmmaker whose work will screen at the Wexner Center on May 8, calls himself “kind of a Luddite” because he still shoots his movies on super 8 and 16 mm film.
Matt Meindl is on an impressive streak. For the past four years, he has submitted work to the Wexner Center’s annual short film and video showcase, and he’s had work selected each time.
Not bad for someone who said he considers filmmaking to be “sort of a glorified hobby at the moment.” Continue reading ‘His name in lights’
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