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Newsbriefs, 11/19/09

November 18, 2009

Ohio State vs. Michigan Web exhibit highlights football rivalry
Spend some time before the big game immersed in trivia and traditions surrounding one of college football’s greatest rivalries. The University Archives’ redesigned OSU vs. UM site includes the latest stats, as well as photographs and historical information about the teams at library.osu.edu/sites/archives/OSUvsMichigan/osuvsmichigan.htm. This Web exhibit, which was created in 2004, makes use of the collections of the Ohio State University Archives and the Bentley Historical Library at the University of Michigan. The staff in both archives worked to combine resources to create an exhibit that recognizes the excellence of both the football teams and the materials in the archives.

Veterinary Hospital establishes behavior medicine services for pets
The holidays are coming, and it’s possible your pet feels the tension that comes along with the merriment. Does your pet show signs of distress, such as eliminating or destroying things in the house while you are out holiday shopping? Does your dog cower under the bed or misbehave when a crowd comes to dinner? Whether related to the holidays or not, the Behavioral Medicine Clinic at the Ohio State Veterinary Hospital can help with a pet’s problem behaviors.

The clinic, headed by Meghan Herron, offers services to owners of dogs and cats with behavioral issues including, but not limited to, separation anxiety, inappropriate elimination, fears, phobias, compulsive behaviors, human-directed aggression, inter-pet aggression and cognitive dysfunction. The goal of the behavior appointment is to help owners understand their pet’s behavior and help their families live together with the pet more comfortably and safely.

Appointments can be made by calling 292-3551. Afternoon, evening and Saturday appointment hours are available to accommodate most schedules. More information about the services offered can be found at vet.osu.edu/3354.htm or via e-mail at Behavior.Medicine@cvm.osu.edu.

Tiberi, Brass receive inaugural James Hope Awards
Congressman Pat Tiberi (R-Ohio), a member of the US House Ways and Means Committee, and Alan Brass, chairman of the OSU Board of Trustee’s Medical Affairs Committee, were the inaugural recipients of the James Hope Award presented by the OSU Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute during a Nov. 16 ceremony at The James. The award will be presented annually to individuals or organizations committed to the advancement of the highest quality of cancer care, education and research and/or improving healthcare access for cancer patients in Ohio and beyond.

Ohio State joins national volunteer recruitment registry
Ohio State’s Center for Clinical and Translational Science is one of 51 participants in the first national, disease-neutral, volunteer recruitment registry, ResearchMatch.org. Central Ohioans wishing to participate in research studies can now connect via the not-for-profit Web site with researchers from across the country. ResearchMatch is the product of the Clinical and Translational Science Awards Consortium, which is led by the National Center for Research Resources, a part of the National Institutes of Health.

Rose Bowl packages now available
The Ohio State football team is headed back to the Rose Bowl for the first time in more than a decade to face the PAC-10 champion. Faculty, staff, students and parents can purchase a limited number of four-night bowl packages online, by phone (247-2695) or in person (cash sales only, Uniglobe Travel Designers, 3471 E. Broad St., 43213). For complete bowl package information, visit ohiounion.osu.edu/bowltour/main.asp.

Library’s lead construction company lauded
Accolades for the renovation of the Thompson Memorial Library continue to pile up. On Nov. 13, Turner Construction Co. received a 2009 Build Ohio award in the Construction Management Category for its lead role in overseeing the library project. The award is sponsored by the Association of General Contractors of Ohio. The criteria used by the panel of retired construction professionals in determining the winners included excellence in project management and client service, innovation in construction techniques and materials and meeting the challenge of a difficult job.

Trundle advises National Geographic on science education
An associate professor of science education in the College of Education and Human Ecology is one of only four national experts advising National Geographic on innovative teaching methods for K-12 students. The publisher asked Kathy Cabe Trundle and the other advisors to develop its first core science program. The team’s plan included more than 200 books for kindergarten through second grade that can be used in “inquiry investigations,” which involve active research into science questions instead of memorizing facts. Literary skills are emphasized, and students will have access to National Geographic’s vivid nature photographs. Trundle was selected because of her research on teaching young learners science, particularly about earth and space science concepts.

Newsbriefs, 11/05/09

November 4, 2009

New Web site offers course continuity options during an H1N1 outbreak
In preparation for a severe flu season, the Office of the CIO has developed a concise online resource about using Carmen for course continuity. This Web site, designed for people unfamiliar with Carmen, offers best practices for moving portions of courses online, including posting content and lecture material, collecting assignments and communicating with students about course changes. Find details at elearning.osu.edu/carmen-help/h1n1 and flu.osu.edu.

Fisher College of Business receives top ranking for social, environmental curriculum
Ohio State’s Fisher College of Business is ranked 24th in the Beyond Grey Pinstripes Global 100 ranking for 2009. More than 149 schools from 24 countries participated, according to the Aspen Institute, which conducts the survey. The ranking survey spotlights innovative full-time MBA programs leading the way in the integration of issues concerning social and environmental stewardship in the curriculum. The Aspen Institute will hold its MBA Awards recognition Nov. 5-6 in New York City. Read more at fisher.osu.edu.

Complete PHA by Nov. 30 to save $240
Employees are encouraged to remember to complete their Personal Health Assessment by Nov. 30 to maximize their 2010 medical plan savings. On Jan. 1, the medical plan premium reduction for completing a PHA will increase to $240. This amount is pro-rated monthly so it is important to complete the PHA by Nov. 30 to get the full $240. Schedule a biometric health screening to obtain your health numbers for the PHA at YourPlanforHealth.com.

Expanded checks in effect for financial conflict of interest disclosures
Faculty and research staff are reminded of expanded checks for financial conflict of interest disclosures. The Office of Sponsored Programs and the Office of Responsible Research Practices staff began verifying Nov. 1 that all individuals listed on research awards or protocols have FY 2009/2010 financial COI disclosures on file before institutional approval is given. The online COI disclosure is currently available at rf.osu.edu/secure/e-coi. For technical support questions, e-mail rfhelpdesk@osu.edu. For all other inquiries, e-mail Lisa.menefee@orc.osu.edu.

Changes coming for 2010 football parking
There will be a number of changes for football gameday parking at Ohio State for the 2010 season. They include:

• The opening of the Lane Avenue Parking Garage, which provides 1,400 new parking spaces. The addition of this garage will allow OSU to offer additional day-of-game parking in close proximity to Ohio Stadium.

• The Fawcett Center paved lot, which has offered day-of-game parking, will require season parking permits next year.

• Additional day-of-game parking in the grass areas east of the Fawcett Center will continue to be available on a game-by-game basis, depending on weather.

• The grass field at Ackerman and Olentangy will not be available for football parking since it will be the site of construction of a new field hockey facility.

Details regarding opportunities for purchase season permits for the Fawcett Center lots will be available March 1 at ohiostatebuckeyes.com.

University officials are informing fans that park at the Fawcett Center lot about the changes with fliers during the last two home games.

Medicine, engineering faculty secure stimulus money
A team of Ohio State researchers recently received a $1.2 million, two-year RC2/Grand Opportunities award from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act stimulus package of the National Institute of Aging at NIH.

The team, coordinated by Nicanor Moldovan from the Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Cardiology and the Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute and by Stuart Cooper, professor and chair of the William G. Lowrie Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, has the goal to develop a new assay for stem/progenitor cells and to test it in patients as correlated to their heart health status.

This translational project was a joint application of investigators from the College of Engineering, Ohio State Medical Center and Nationwide Children’s Hospital. It encompasses fields from protein chemistry, materials science and magnetic particles to cell biology and vascular medicine.

Ohio State’s Ross Heart Hospital continues growth
Five years after opening with three floors and 90 patient beds, The Ohio State University Medical Center’s Richard M. Ross Heart Hospital continues to experience significant facility and clinical growth, all while achieving best-in-class patient satisfaction.

Between 2006 and 2009, the Ross Heart Hospital realized a 39 percent growth in admissions, a 67 percent increase in available beds, an 86 percent increase in outpatient visits, 17 percent increases in angioplasties and electrophysiology procedures, a 31 percent increase in surgical procedures, a 97 percent increase in vascular procedures and a 179 percent increase in ventricular assist device transplants.
Recent Press Ganey patient satisfaction surveys placed the Ross Heart Hospital in the 98th percentile in performance, with some nursing units regularly achieving the 99th percentile.

Newsbriefs, 10/08/09

October 7, 2009

John Glenn School of Public Affairs to extend project in Ukraine
The Parliamentary Development Project, operated by the John Glenn School of Public Affairs, has received an additional $200,000 contract to extend its democracy-development activities to a strategically important autonomous region in Ukraine. Beginning this month, PDP will open an office in the Autonomous Region of Crimea to its existing operations in Ukraine. Personnel at the Glenn School will help implement programming designed to improve policy, processes and communication at the Crimean Verkhovna Rada, the regional parliament. For more information, visit glennschool.osu.edu/news/pdp/crimea.html.

Law professor Merritt argues before US Supreme Court
Moritz College of Law Professor Deborah Jones Merritt was handpicked by the US Supreme Court to argue a case before it on Oct. 7. The court, in Reed Elsevier v. Muchnick, is expected to determine whether a provision in the Copyright Act prevents federal jurisdiction for claims of unregistered copyrights. Merritt, who was arguing before the court for the first time, was there to defend the lower court ruling.

Merritt, the John Deaver Drinko-Baker & Hostetler Chair in Law at Moritz, graduated from Harvard College summa cum laude in 1977 and from Columbia Law School in 1980. While at Columbia, she was managing editor of the Columbia Law Review and won the Robert Noxon Toppan Prize.

To read the brief filed by Merritt, visit abanet.org/publiced/preview/briefs/pdfs/07-08/08-103_JudgmentCourtAppointedAmCu.pdf.

Tassé named director of Nisonger Center
Marc Tassé was named the new director for the Nisonger Center, an interdisciplinary program that provides assistance to people with disabilities, families, service providers and organizations to promote inclusion of people with disabilities in education, health, employment and community settings.

Tassé comes from the University of South Florida where he was associate professor of child and family studies and associate director at the university’s center for inclusive communities. Tassé also served on the psychology faculty of the Université du Québec à Montréal for four years and on the psychiatry faculty at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for seven years. He trained as a postdoctoral fellow at the Nisonger Center earlier in his career.

Tassé has provided clinical services to individuals with intellectual disabilities for more than 20 years. He has led training workshops throughout the world and is widely published. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Concordia University and his doctorate in clinical psychology from Université du Québec à Montréal.

OSU Extension offers assistance to first-time home buyers
OSU Extension, in collaboration with the Economic and Community Development Institute, is currently offering homeownership assistance in the form of grants (up to $2,000) and educational workshops to prospective low-to-moderate income homebuyers interested in purchasing in a thriving neighborhood near the Ohio State campus. If you’re employed at OSU or OSU Medical Center, your family may be eligible for up to an additional $3,000 as well. Prospective buyers also are encouraged to take advantage of the federal government’s $8,000 first-time home buyer tax credit. For more information, contact 299-2915 or colbert.22@osu.edu.

President Gee launching Libraries lecture series
Ohio State President E. Gordon Gee, author of two books on the role of academic libraries in higher education, will deliver the inaugural lecture for the OSU Libraries’ 2009-10 series “Sharing Knowledge: The Global Information Society” at 2 p.m. Oct. 9 at the Thompson Library. Gee’s lecture will discuss the impact of academic libraries on the universities and communities they serve.

Gee’s presentation will be in the 11th floor Campus Reading Room, with a brief reception to follow. The series will continue into the spring.

Personalized medicine ‘killer apps’ will transform care model
The next major personalized medicine advances will create therapies that are so effective, consumers will demand systemwide change in the health care industry to gain access, the inventor of the DNA gene sequencer said on Oct. 2 at the OSU Medical Center’s Personalized Health Care National Conference. Leroy Hood, president of the Institute for Systems Biology, said personalized medicine’s first “killer apps” — therapies that will be nearly 100 percent effective based on patient genes and other individual factors — will drive the transformation of health care from trial-and-error effectiveness.

The Medical Center plans to collaborate with the Institute for Systems Biology to form the P4 Medical Institute, which will accelerate movement toward predictive, personalized, preventive and participatory health care through public-private partnership, said Clay Marsh, executive director of Ohio State’s Center for Personalized Health Care.

Ohio State Lima sees record enrollment
The Ohio State University at Lima welcomed a record number of students to its first day of autumn classes. More than 1,500 students were scheduled to begin classes, breaking the previous high of 1,475 students in autumn quarter 1991. Last year, enrollment was 1,409.

Official numbers will be available following the 15th day of classes.

Newsbriefs, 9/24/09

September 23, 2009

National Science Board convenes at OSU
The federal panel charged with advising the president and Congress on national policy issues relating to science and engineering research and education has been meeting at Ohio State this week.

The National Science Board meets five times annually with four of those meetings in Washington, D.C., and a fifth at a host institution each year. The NSB responded to an invitation from Ohio State President E. Gordon Gee.

While many of the NSB’s sessions are closed, a public meeting will be held from 8-9:30 a.m. today at the Nationwide and Ohio Farm Bureau 4H Center, 2201 Fred Taylor Drive, to discuss NSB priorities for the next fiscal year.

Whitacre inducted into NMSS’ Volunteer Hall of Fame
Caroline Whitacre, Ohio State’s vice president for research, was recently inducted into the National Multiple Sclerosis Society’s 2009 Volunteer Hall of Fame for Researchers. She was one of three researchers selected for this national honor in recognition of her outstanding volunteer support, for making a difference in the community and for advancing awareness of the society’s mission to create a world free of multiple sclerosis.

Whitacre also is a professor of molecular virology, immunology and medical genetics in the College of Medicine. For more than 30 years she has been on the forefront of multiple sclerosis research. Whitacre’s research projects have focused on the area of immunology, including new developments in oral tolerance as a treatment strategy. Other research projects have included an in-depth look at multiple sclerosis as it relates to gender differences and pregnancy.

New mobile site helps users navigate Ohio State
A new iteration of the Ohio State Web site home page has been created for mobile device users. Because of smart phones’ location technology, the m.osu.edu site can recommend amenities nearest to the users, such as dining, Wi-Fi spots, Buck ID shops, bus stops and more. Each recommendation comes with one-click walking, car and bus directions as well as parking options.

“We provide much of this same information on the main osu.edu site, but knowing where the user is allows us to refine recommendations — hopefully saving the user time and effort getting to a destination,” said James Burgoon, the head developer of the m.osu.edu site, which is tailored for the iPhone but useable with other smart phones at osu.edu/mobile.
Burgoon said the site will continually evolve because the campus never stops changing. “Also, smart phone technology advances quickly, so to leverage device sophistication, the site will have to evolve,” Burgoon said.

Some of the unique features include a real-time Campus Area Bus Service tracker so riders know exactly when a bus is due at a particular stop and an enhanced search function that allows one-click calling or e-mailing from anyone’s “Find People” profile.

M.osu.edu was developed with the help of numerous departments, including CABS, the Architect’s Office, Student Life, the Office of Information Technology and University Communications.

College of Social Work announces new interim dean
The College of Social Work named Tom Gregoire as its new interim dean, effective Sept. 1. Gregoire previously served for six years as the college’s associate dean and is beginning his 14th year at Ohio State. He earned his PhD in social work from the University of Kansas in 1994.

An associate professor, Gregoire’s research interests include access to substance abuse treatment and treatment among vulnerable populations. He currently serves as principal investigator for a study of an evidence-based community intervention for adolescent substance abusers. His teaching interests include substance abuse and human service administration.

Call for nominations for university wide awards
Academic Affairs is seeking nominations for the university wide faculty and staff awards. Awards include Alumni Award for Distinguished Teaching; Distinguished Diversity Enhancement Award; Distinguished Scholar Award; Distinguished Staff Award; Distinguished University Professor; Faculty Award for Distinguished University Service; University Distinguished Lecture; Distinguished Service Award; and Battelle Endowment grants. An overview of the awards, brief descriptions of each and deadlines and links to application forms are available at oaa.osu.edu/plans.php.

Kirwan Institute call for proposals: Transforming Race Conference
The Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity has announced a Call for Proposals for its second biannual conference, Transforming Race: Crisis and Opportunity in the Age of Obama, to be held March 11-13, 2010, in Columbus. Proposals are due Oct. 15 and should address any of three thematic tracks: Racial Dynamics and Systems Thinking; Race Talk; and Race, Recession and Recovery. Conference planners invite practitioners, community organizers, scholars, researchers and others to submit proposals for papers, entire panels, workshops, performances and more. For more information about the proposals, visit transforming-race.org/transformingrace_cfp.pdf, or about the conference, visit transforming-race.org.

Journal of Undergrad Research seeking submissions, reviewers
JUROS, the Journal of Undergraduate Research at OSU, is looking for undergraduate research papers as well as undergraduate student reviewers. There is no submission fee, authors retain all rights to their works and faculty/grad students are allowed to be co-authors on undergrad papers. Two undergraduate reviewers edit papers and, once all edits are made, the paper is published both online and in a hard-copy edition, Oculus. Students from all disciplines are welcome to apply. For more information contact borodulin.2@osu.edu or visit JUROSonline.com.

Newsbriefs, 8-13-09

August 12, 2009

President’s Council on Sustainability interested in learning about like-minded research

The President’s Council on Sustainability is interested in learning about the research faculty or staff are doing on any topic in the area of sustainability, from bioremediation and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles to sustainable agriculture and organic food. The area of study or specialty doesn’t matter - any sustainable topic is of interest to the council. Contact
sustainability@osu.edu and include a brief description of your work along with name and contact information. The council will then compile this information and share it with the campus community. Continue reading ‘Newsbriefs, 8-13-09′

Newsbriefs, 7/16/09

July 15, 2009

OSU is still ‘Great College to Work For’
Ohio State has been recognized for the second year in a row as one of the Chronicle of Higher Education’s “Great Colleges to Work For” (chronicle.com/free/2009/07/21438n.htm). The university ranked among the top 10 large four-year universities (over 10,000 enrollment) in three categories: Overall Satisfaction with Benefits, Health Insurance and Disability Insurance.
The results are based on responses from the more than 40,000 administrators, faculty and staff at the 247 institutions nationwide that completed the Chronicle survey. Continue reading ‘Newsbriefs, 7/16/09′

Newsbriefs, 6-4-09

June 3, 2009

Search is on for new chief financial officer

President Gee has formally launched a screening committee to secure a new chief financial officer who will succeed Vice President Bill Shkurti when he retires in March 2010.

In announcing the committee, the president reiterated he fully intends to recruit a top-tier financial leader “who will carry on Bill’s legacy and help to lead this remarkable institution in achieving academic eminence, conducting leading-edge research and forging a strong economic foundation for Ohio.”

Chairing the committee is Chief Investment Officer Jonathan Hook, and he will be supported by executive recruiter Gary Hudepohl of Hudepohl and Associates. Additional members include: Javaune Adams-Gaston, Herb Asher, Ralph Boerner, Richard Dietrich, Brad Harris, Ben Jay, Jay Kasey, John Roberts and Caroline Whitacre. An additional committee member with private-sector experience will be asked to join as well. The search is expected to conclude by late 2009. Continue reading ‘Newsbriefs, 6-4-09′

Newsbriefs, 5/21/09

May 21, 2009

Doctoral program review: A one-year progress report

In April 2008, the Graduate School released the Doctoral Program Assessment and Plan, the most comprehensive review of doctoral programs ever undertaken by a university the size and stature of Ohio State. This year the universitywide doctoral program review posted its first results, including steps that have been taken to increase visibility and national recognition of doctoral education at Ohio State. The spring issue of keyNotes, an Academic Affairs publication, contains an overview of year-one progress on the report’s recommendations. Read more at oaa.osu.edu/keynotes/sp09.php#review.

College of Law’s Smith named Outstanding Staff Member

The Moritz College of Law’s 2009 graduating class voted Assistant Dean of Academic Affairs Monte Smith the Oustanding Staff Member.

“I’m honored,” Smith said. “I feel like I should be giving them an award, not the other way around.”

Smith graduated from the Moritz College of Law in 1990, and he also received his bachelor’s degree in English from Ohio State. He was a judicial clerk for 16 years but returned to OSU three years ago to be closer to family.

Smith oversees or participates in several initiatives, including registrar’s office operations, Mentoring and More @ Moritz, academic advising, the judicial externship program and clerkship advising. He also teaches an annual Legal Writing and Analysis course and this summer will instruct a Civil Procedure II course.

Ohio State team creates new company based on university invention

OSU researchers have developed an MRI-compatible treadmill, which allows physicians to obtain MRI images of the heart immediately after exercise. The technology will soon be available to hospitals and patients everywhere through a new start-up company, EXCMR, Ltd.

Members of the inventor team, who also comprise the initial ownership and management group for EXCMR, are Orlando Simonetti, associate professor of internal medicine and radiology at the Richard M. Ross Heart Hospital; cardiologist Subha Raman; John Arnold, professor of engineering; and Eric Foster, who at the time was an OSU graduate student in mechanical engineering. For more information, visit osu.edu/news/newsitem2425.

Fisher College’s QUIC program receives NACE Innovation Excellence Award

The National Association of Colleges and Employers awarded Fisher College of Business’ Qualified Undergraduate Interview Candidate program its 2009 Innovation Excellence Award. The Office of Career Management program prepares students for a professional job and internship search.

The program includes a series of online modules with quizzes and a mandatory mock interview. The students are evaluated and scored as they progress through each level of the program. To successfully complete the program, students must pass the QUIC interview with a score of 86 or higher out of 100 points. Once students complete the program, they become eligible to participate in recruiter interviews in the Office of Career Management.

The program was developed as a direct response to employer feedback about the quality of interviews, resumés and professionalism of the undergraduate students they were interviewing, according to Marge Bogenschutz, senior director, Undergraduate Career Management and Recruitment.

Have a conference or workshop space? List it in onCampus

onCampus is putting out its annual Conferences and Workshops Guide in the June 4 issue. If you have a space to rent to internal audiences and want to be part of this year’s expanded listings, send an e-mail with the name of your venue, the address, a contact person or persons, a phone number and/or e-mail address, your Web site address (if available) and a 50- to 75-word description of your venue to Associate Editor Adam King at king.1088@osu.edu. The deadline is May 28.

Ohio State hosts Maurice Hall’s football, cheer camp

Mo Hall’s 4th Annual All-Star Football & Cheerleading Camp will be held July 11-12 at Ohio Stadium. Kids ages 8-14 can sign-up online at mofootball.net. Ohio State football coach Jim Tressel and special guest speaker Myron Rolle, a Florida State University all-star and Rhodes Scholar, will address participants. Hall’s two-day camp, coached by former Ohio State Buckeyes and current NFL players and for the first time will take place on the Ohio Stadium field, has a fee of $65 per child. Each participant receives a T-shirt, camp photo, snacks and meal after the camp. Group rates are available. For more information contact info@mofootball.net.

Honor a veteran with a spot on the Honor Brick walkway

Remembrance Park was established in 2006 to honor all veterans and especially those OSU alumni who died while in the service of their country. Once completed, an Honor Brick walkway will have more than 2,000 bricks displaying the names of those who have served our country. Road construction at Tuttle Park Place is temporary and will not disrupt the overall appearance of the park. Bricks should be ordered now so they will be in place to honor veterans by this fall.

For more information, contact Assistant Registrar Jerry Vance at vance.5@osu.edu or 292-7894, or visit buckeyealumni.com.

Newsbriefs, 3/5/09

March 4, 2009

Ohio Supercomputer Center announces $4 million addition to flagship system
The Ohio Supercomputer Center is expanding its flagship supercomputing system with a $4 million addition, which will more than double the center’s current computing power and memory, significantly increase computational capacity dedicated to Ohio’s bioscience and research efforts and further increase the state’s competitive advantage. Located on West Campus, OSC provides Ohio industries and universities, including Ohio State, with a reliable high-performance computing and networking infrastructure.

Profiles in Research video series spotlights innovative work
Profiles in Research is a new video series that tells the stories behind some of the remarkable faculty at Ohio State and their groundbreaking work at an up-close and personal level. The storytellers in the videos are the researchers themselves.

The initial series contains the stories of more than 20 researchers, spotlighting distinguished faculty in a wide range of fields. Viewers will learn why they do what they do, how they do it, and in some cases, how they navigate the infrastructure of one of the largest universities in the country.

Current featured faculty include David Denlinger, Barbara Andersen, Mary Ellen Wewers and Ellen Mosley-Thompson.

Previews can be viewed on the Ohio State YouTube channel at youtube.com/osu (look for the “Research News” playlist). Complete interviews and background can be accessed at research.osu.edu/profiles.

Register for academic processional by March 13
Faculty planning to march in the academic processional at Winter Commencement on March 22 in St. John Arena should notify their college or regional campus dean’s office by March 13. On commencement day, faculty registered to participate in the processional should assemble by 12:30 p.m. in cap and gown in the northeast corner of French Field House. The ceremony begins at 1 p.m. For further details, call the Office of Commencement and Special Events at 292-9051.

The Office of Investments relocates to Gateway
The Office of Investments has moved from Riverwatch Tower, 364 W. Lane Ave., to office space in the South Campus Gateway, near the intersection of High Street and 11th Avenue. The new address is Gateway Building C, 1590 N. High Street, Suite 420, Columbus, 43201. The Office of Investments strives to earn the highest risk-adjusted investment returns possible for the university’s Long Term Investment Portfolio. For questions or more information, call 292-3219.

Standardized process for establishing international agreements now in place
The Office of International Affairs has finalized a set of protocols to assist the university community in establishing international agreements with institutions around the globe. These policies provide a series of steps that will enable the university to expand its international connections through Memoranda of Agreement (MOA) and Student Exchange Agreements (SEA), which will link Ohio State to international institutions for broad cooperation and specific collaboration.

The Office of International Affairs is responsible for monitoring the establishment of MOAs and SEAs, assisting in the goal-setting process of all international agreements, maintaining records and securing the required signatures.

Proposals for a new MOA with an international university should be discussed with Joanna Kukielka-Blaser, program manager, at the OIA from the outset to ensure productive negotiations in support of Ohio State’s goals. For the establishment of SEAs, contact should be made with Kukielka-Blaser as well as Grace Johnson, director of study abroad, and Gifty Ako-Adounvo, director of international students and scholars at the OIA.

A list of the procedures to establish an MOA or an SEA, as well as templates for the agreements, can be found at oia.osu.edu and clicking on “International Agreements” in the Quick Links section.

Connect by Hertz drives on to OSU campus
Connect by Hertz, The Hertz Corp.’s global car sharing club, has signed its first two university clients: Ohio State and Pepperdine University. Beginning in late January, Connect by Hertz cars, which include the Toyota Prius and Camry and Ford Escape, were strategically placed around campus providing students, faculty and staff an environmentally friendly, economical alternative to car ownership. The cars will be available to drivers 18 years and older with gas, maintenance, insurance and parking included in the hourly rate.

Cars are currently located at the south dorms, north dorms, south French Field House and the Medical Center, with more locations to come. Through June 30, membership signup is free by using promo code “1845255.” For more information, visit connectbyhertz.com or call Member Care Services at (877) 654-4400.

Sen. Brown announces legislation to expand access to cancer treatment options
US Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) announced legislation on Feb. 26 that would protect access to treatment options for patients diagnosed with cancer. Brown’s Cancer Clinical Trials Act prevents insurance companies from denying patients participating in clinical trials coverage for the services they would otherwise receive under their health care plans. Companion legislation has been introduced in the US House of Representatives by Congressman Steve Israel (D-NY).

According to OSU’s Comprehensive Cancer Center, an estimated 20 percent of patients who attempt to enroll in clinical trials are denied coverage by their insurance.