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With money scarce, USAC focuses on what it can accomplish without it

January 18, 2012

By Adam King

It’s the new reality: Money from the state isn’t as plentiful as it used to be and a struggling economy is doing a number on budgets. Groups at Ohio State, as they are everywhere else, are learning to do more with less.

University Staff Advisory Committee Chair Heather Link understands this, and it is affecting how USAC advocates for staff. It doesn’t mean staff priorities that require money are going to be forgotten, but the issues that can be affected without finding more funding are going to be moved to the forefront.

“Historically USAC has always asked and pushed for more,” Link said. “Some of those requests have gotten staff great things, such as the tuition benefit that allows a 75 percent discount if a student has two parents working at OSU. We were able to take survey data, define needs and ask for more, but that was back then.

“Moving forward in the current economic climate, we are not going to be able to get things that require a large capital investment anymore. This requires USAC to think differently.”

USAC revamped its structure last year, which reduced the number of committees and created a chair-elect position, allowing its members to engage at a higher level. As such, Link said USAC has been brainstorming potential partnerships that could enhance staff experience and leverage existing resources.

With the potential privatization of the university’s parking facilities, Link said it might be the ideal time to build upon the relationship Ohio State has with the Central Ohio Transit Authority. USAC wants to see if there is anything that can be changed to increase ridership and decrease the number of cars that are parked on campus.

“When you review the data, there is a scarce amount of carpooling to campus,” Link said. “The question we must then ask is how can we leverage our existing relationship with COTA to make it more affordable? Right now a monthly pass with COTA costs an individual $62 whereas an ‘A’ pass costs $60 per month. If COTA was a more attractive option, a lot of people that live fairly close to the university where the COTA routes are very reliable would utilize this resource. They would likely save time getting to work and decrease the numbers of cars on campus. But the relationship hasn’t flourished like it should.”

USAC also has discussed creative ways to increase staff use of the Recreation and Physical Activity Center to promote a culture of wellness and increase the USAC fund, which is used to fund Staff Career Development Grants.

It’s all just table-talk discussion at the moment, but Link said she hopes even more ideas come out when USAC for the first time hosts a series of focus groups — an online one for the regionals, three on the Columbus campus and three in the Med Center starting in mid-February and finishing in mid-March. Staff will be randomly selected to participate, and out of that, Link said, USAC will build a strategy to tackle issues most important to staff and present the findings to President Gordon Gee and senior leadership in May.

The focus groups will replace the staff compensation and benefits survey USAC has e-mailed out in recent years and will cover job satisfaction, tuition benefits and professional development/satisfaction with a supervisor.

“Surveys are very quantitative and give you a wealth of data to look at. But you have to think of context: Do you use the data or do you not use it?” Link said. “So the point of the focus groups is to complement the numbers, the qualitative side. This is an effort to understand the why and how did we get to the data that we have. We want to fill in  that back story and use the qualitative information to support our recommendations to President Gee.”

USAC also is working to engage regional and local Staff Advisory Committees throughout the university and is looking to create what Link calls a “USAC road show” on the Columbus campus in an effort to reach all college and VP units. Last year USAC visited all of the OSU regional campuses.

Hidden Benefits Fair coming in April

A career for the record book

January 18, 2012

Carolin Parks enjoyed 55 years at OSU Extension in Muskingum County

By Adam King

If you don’t know what a mimeograph is, you wouldn’t be alone. But for Carolin Parks, it was the only way to make copies in 1956 when she began working as an office associate for OSU Extension in Muskingum County.

Set the typewritten stencil, turn the crank and the paper would roll across the printing drum to make copies.

The office equipment wasn’t electric — Parks had a manual typewriter — mail delivery was twice a day and person-to-person contact was about the only way to be social.

They are fond memories from a 55-year career at Ohio State, giving Parks the distinction of being the longest-tenured employee in OSU Extension, and perhaps all of Ohio State. Her recent retirement was honored at the Faculty and Staff Service Recognition luncheon at The Blackwell and a retirement recognition dinner at the Faculty Club, both in December.

“When I was in high school, all I could think about was getting a job and doing office work,” said Parks, who graduated high school in May and took the Extension job three months later. “My biological mother was the secretary in the Noble County Extension office, but she died at age 24, when I was 18 months old. This job just happened to be the one I fell into, and I’ve stayed with it.”

More importantly, Parks said she has loved every minute of it — mostly the people; the 4-H members and advisors, co-workers, folks on the Muskingum County Fair Board and the friends and acquaintances she’s piled up along the way.

Most people get one chance to celebrate a career-long endeavor. Parks has had three.

The Muskingum County Fair and Extension office honored her after 40 years of service along with a Fair Board employee who had 60 years at the time. She got a ride in a convertible during the Junior Fair Parade and a bouquet of roses.

At the 50-year mark, her OSU Extension family thought it was time to celebrate by throwing a party.

“I had said to my sister that I didn’t know whether anyone would come,” Parks said. “But they came; more than 100 it seemed like. I had certainly never given a thought about any gifts or anything, and I ended up writing more than 90 thank-you notes. Just the fact people came is what impressed me.”

When she reached her 55-year anniversary, Parks decided it was time to do what she wanted to do, such as attend her great-nieces’ and nephews’ sporting events and activities.

“It didn’t feel like 55 years,” said Parks, whose retirement day was honored as Carolin Parks Day by the Muskingum County commissioners. “But people would give me that look when I told them how long I had been working there.

“All in all, retirement has been a good experience so far. It is very different, but I don’t miss the 6 a.m. wakeup call.”

Faculty and staff who completed 25, 30, 35, 40, 45 and 50 or more years of service were honored at the Service Recognition Brunch in December. The honorees were:

50 Years

W. James Harper, Food, Agriculture and Biological Engineering; Herbert Ockerman, Animal Sciences; Juan Sotos, Pediatrics.

45 Years

Deanne Esken, Pathology; Judith Holbein, OSU Medical Center; Colleen Howells, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation; Jan Sally, Veterinary Biosciences.

40 Years

James Bartholomew, History; Diane Baugher, Education, Policy and Leadership; Theresa Bowers, Athletics; Leandro Cordero, Pediatrics; Christine Dailey, Emergency Medicine; Connie Dantuono, Arts and Sciences; Karen Dimmick, Industrial, Interior and Visual Communication Design; Frank Felske, University Hospital; Salvador Garcia, Spanish and Portuguese; John Heimaster, Physics; Kathleen Heinz, University Hospital; Mary Leazier, University Hospital; Patricia Magee, Teaching and Learning; Robert Norton, Education and Human Ecology; Abdul Rahaman, Veterinary Biosciences; Sandra Rutkowski, Arts and Sciences; Shiv Seth, University Hospital; Joann Skinner, Medicine; Robert Vessels, Dentistry Primary Care; Marlene Wagonrod, James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute.

35 Years

Thomas Archer, OSU Extension; William Bardall, OARDC; Steven Basford, Human Resources; Nancy Betz, Psychology; Gloria Beverly, University Hospital; Deborah Bracy, University Hospital; Irene Brundage, Student Health Services; Rebecca Butterfield, University Hospital; Deborah Cameron, University Libraries; Mary Carroll-Barrientos, OCIO; Ricky Casey, University Residences and Dining Services; Rhonda Clayton, University Hospital; Alexis Collier, Academic Affairs; Carl Cooper, Food, Agriculture and Biological Engineering; Cynthia Crawford, OSU Extension County Operations; Erma Crowder, Facilities Operations and Development; Mary Cull, Nursing; Richard Davis, Ross Heart Hospital; David Denlinger, Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology; Karen Durano, James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute; Denise Fickle, University Foundation; Patricia Finerty, University Hospital; James Ford, Facilities Operations and Development; Jere Forsythe, Music; Lois Grinston, Student Health Services; Richard Gunther, Political Science; Kenneth Hale, Pharmacy; Richard Hatton, University Hospital; Karen Herron, University Hospital; Mary Hill, Earth Sciences; Vickie Himmelman, Harding Hospital; Thomas Hindes, Purchasing; Rebecca Hooper, OSU Extension County Operations; Thomas Hurley, Student Financial Aid; Michael Jennings, University Hospital; Richard Jones, Administration and Planning; Shirley Justice, OSU Newark; Phyllis Kaldor, James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute; Nancy Kaler, Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences; Charles Klopp, French and Italian; Catherine Kohn, Veterinary Clinical Sciences; Katherine Kramer, Continuing Education; Teresa Landholt, Nursing; Douglas Leary, Financial Services; Carl Leier, Internal Medicine; Richard Lembach, Ophthalmology; Joel Lucas, University Hospital East; Mary McIlroy, Pediatrics; Nicolette McNeely, OSU Extension; Robert McNulty, James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute; Kathlene Merendo, International Studies; Richard Mitsak, Counseling and Consultation Services; James Moore, Athletics; Lora Moore, Comprehensive Cancer Center; Kyle Morgan, OSU Newark; Judith Neidig, Responsible Research Practices; John Olsen, Radiology; Rick Pitchford, Facilities Operations and Development; Linda Poe, Law Library; Aljean Powell, OSU Marion; Barbara Powell, University Hospital; Cynthia Preston, University Libraries; Franklin Proano, OSU Marion; Michele Rallis, Physics; Alfred Reader, Endodontics; Nancy Rogers, Law; Lawrence Romanoff, Athletics; Douglas Rund, Emergency Medicine; Goldie Shabad, Political Science; Thomas Sherman, Surgery; Richard Shiels, OSU Newark; Diane Sliemers, University Libraries; Barbara Sohayda, Veterinary Teaching Hospital; Patricia Stewart, James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute; Stephen Strauch, Veterinary Biosciences; Patricia Sword, OARDC; Gopi Tejwani, Pharmacology; James Thompson, University Residences and Dining Services; Lonnie Thompson, Earth Sciences; Ellen Turner, University Hospital; William Weaver, Arts and Sciences Advising; Thomas Wells, Music; Pheoris West, Art; Larry Williams, OCIO; Cathy Young, Student Financial Aid.

30 Years

Jacqueline Abbruzzese, Athletics; Sharon Adams, Specialty Care Network; David Allen, University Hospital; Patricia Anderson, University Hospital; Arlene Ayres, Agricultural Technical Institute; Barbara Bagent, University Hospital; Paula Baker, Center for Human Resource Research; Michelle Barden, OSU Medical Center; James Battista, University Hospital; Steven Beck, Psychology; Ronald Becker, OSU Extension County Operations; Susan Bell, Specialty Care Network; Sylvia Bellinger, Ross Heart Hospital; W.C. Benton, Business; L. Craig Berlin, OCIO; Sue Berry, Plant Pathology; Shelley Betts, University Hospital; Daniel Birmingham, Internal Medicine; Donald Bissett, Transportation and Parking Services; Cynthia Black, James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute; Deborah Black, Internal Medicine; Alan Blackman, OSU Medical Center; Karen Blue, University Hospital;

Michael Blumenfeld, OSU Medical Center; David Bradford, Student Life Facilities Operations; Michael Brady, Pediatrics; Judith Brandt, University Hospital; Shirley Brauen, James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute; Constance Britton, OARDC; Mervin Brown, Student Life Facilities Operations; Kent Burgert, Athletics; Mary Caldwell, University Residences and Dining Services; Darlene Calloway, University Hospital; Randi Carnahan, University Hospital; Julia Carpenter-Hubin, Academic Affairs; Christine Casavant, University Hospital; R. Michael Casto, Physical Activity and Educational Services; Susan Cinadr, John Glenn School of Public Affairs; Roberta Cobb, James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute; Marilee Crofts, University Hospital;

Anita Cullen, University Hospital; Judith Cusin, Counseling and Consultation Services; David Davidson, University Hospital East; James Dayton, OSU Extension; Kathryn DeGray, University Libraries; Beth Deley, Neurological Surgery; Jeffery Dellinger, OSU Medical Center; Judy deRoche, Human Resources; Stephen Dibartola, Veterinary Medicine; Diane Dolland, University Hospital; Rebecca Dorain, OSU Medical Center; Georgia Dragon, University Hospital; Carol Drobik, University Hospital; Douglas Edmondson, Facilities Operations and Development; Patricia Egger, Business and Finance; Patrick Elder, James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute; Timothy Elder, Stores, Receiving and Mail Services; Lynn Everett, Byrd Polar Research Center; Valerie Fairchild, University Hospital; Zbigniew Fiedorowicz, Mathematics; Melissa Filippone, Obstetrics and Gynecology; Susan Fisher, Entomology; Philip Fletcher-Waterworth, James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute; Karen Fontanini, Education, Policy and Leadership; Judith Ford, University Hospital; Jeffrey Fox, OARDC; Teresa Franklin, Pathology;

Debra Gallagher, Animal Sciences; Judith Gallucci, Chemistry; Deborah Georg, Architecture; Karen Ginyard, Surgery; Charles Glenn, University Hospital; Linnette Goard, OSU Extension County Operations; Gregory Good, Optometry; Dennis Gordon, University Libraries; Deborah Gray, University Hospital; Bhagwandas Gupta, Specialty Care Network; Terri Gustafson, OSU Extension; Nancy Hackney, University Hospital; Barbara Haeger, History of Art; Sarah Haltom, Optometry; Billie Harris, University Hospital; Mary Harworth, University Hospital; Linda Havenar, Obstetrics and Gynecology;

Joseph Heimlich, OSU Extension; Ruth Helber, Internal Medicine; James Henry, OSU Extension; Richard Herrmann, Political Science; Karol Heyman, Graduate and Professional Admissions; Yvette Hicks, Arts and Sciences Advising; Ginny Highfill, Internal Medicine; George Hinkle, Pharmacy; Michael Hoffmann, Engineering; David Hoover, University Communications; Gary Horn, OCIO; Katherine Howard, Harding Hospital; Marsha Hronek, Molecular Genetics; Deborah Hurley, James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute; Michael Husch, James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute; Ronda Huston, Otolaryngology;

Eddie Jackson, University Hospital; Thomas Jackson, James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute; Kathy Jelley, OSU Extension County Operations; Terrill Jenkins, University Libraries; Monica Johnson, Stores, Receiving and Mail Services; Norman Johnson, Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology; Deborah Jones, University Hospital; Yvonne Jones, University Hospital East; Harris Kagan, Physics; Patricia Kearns, Internal Medicine; Claudia Keck, University Hospital; Dorothy Kemper, University Hospital; Ali Keyhani, Electrical and Computer Engineering; David Kibby, OSU Medical Center; Mary Kilbarger, University Hospital; Elizabeth Kinney, Horticultural and Crop Sciences

Linda Koch, OSU Medical Center; Kimberly Kochert, Student Financial Aid; Pamela Kurfiss, OSU Extension County Operations; Victoria Lawson, Financial Services; Joseph Lee, OCIO; Michael Lee, University Hospital; Thomas Lemberger, Physics; Jeannie Lilly, Harding Hospital; Lisa Lilly, University Hospital; Steven Loerch, Animal Sciences; Darla Long, Stores, Receiving and Mail Services; Rebecca Louden, University Hospital; James Love, Facilities Operations and Development; Roberta Lucas, University Hospital; Janet Luce, OSU Extension County Operations; Gretchen Luidens, Psychiatry; Stephen Mancini, Facilities Operations and Development; Barbara Martin, University Hospital; Lisa Masten, James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute; Stacey Mathews, University Residences and Dining Services;

Timothy Mazik, Internal Medicine; William McCarl, Security and Protective Services; Kimberly McClenathan, James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute; Bernice McCord, Environmental Health and Safety; Ann McCullough, Graduate and Professional Admissions; William McDaniel, African American and African Studies; Barbara McGovern, OSU Mansfield; Carole Mench, OSU Medical Center; James Menke, Pediatrics; Mary Messer, OSU Medical Center; Linda Milbourne, Slavic and East European Languages and Literature; Thomas Milem, OSU Medical Center; Denise Monigold, OSU Medical Center; Penny Morris, University Hospital; Diana Morrison, University Hospital; Henri Moscovici, Mathematics; Susan Moseley, Health Sciences; Dana Mosley, Ross Heart Hospital; Latina Moss, University Libraries; Walter Mysiw, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation; Jack Nasar, Architecture;

Sarah Near, University Hospital; Richard Nelson, Emergency Medicine; Sheryl Nickles, OSU Extension County Operations; Morton O’Kelly, Geography; Howard Oren, Nursing; Hayrani Oz, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering; Fusun Ozguner, Electrical and Computer Engineering; Umit Ozguner, Electrical and Computer Engineering; Michael Para, Internal Medicine; Dean Parham, Medicine; Melinda Parker, Plant Biotechnology; Jeffrey Payne, University Residences and Dining Services; William Pease, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation; Mary Peirano, Law; Joseph Pennington, Dentistry; Lynda Petty, University Hospital; Heidi Pflug, University Hospital; Dorothy Pounds, University Hospital East; Susan Purdy, University Hospital; Marilyn Radcliff, Mathematics; Judy Reuter, University Communications; Mark Ringer, OSU Medical Center; Billy Roberts, University Hospital; Alvin Rodack, Financial Services; Jayne Roth, OSU Extension County Operations; Brian Rowley, Student Life Facilities Management;

Celia Ruckel, Veterinary Teaching Hospital; Patricia Rusch, University Foundation; Jill Salerno, Ophthalmology; Stephanie Sanders, UAFYE; Catharine Sansbury, University Hospital; Stephen Schick, Student Life Facilities Management; Joyce Schlatter, James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute; Jeffery Schluep, OCIO; Marcia Scholl, James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute; Thomas Schwartz, Communication; Vicki Schwartz, OSU Extension; Randy Sefchick, Athletics; Rebecca Shires, International Studies; Amy Shuman, English; Gregory Siek, OSU Extension County Operations; Debra Slusher, University Hospital; John Spaulding, Physics; George Spence, Public Safety; Robert Stanton, Mathematics; Victoria Starbuck, OCIO;

Donald Steele, Facilities Operations and Development; Timothy Steele, Wexner Center for the Arts; Carl Story, OSU Medical Center; Erin Stout, James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute; Larry Stout, Student Life Facilities Operations; Sharon Strouse, OSU Extension County Operations; Daniel Struve, Horticultural and Crop Sciences; Mark Studer, Physics; Rae Szakmeister, University Hospital East; James Thornwell, University Hospital East; Cameron Thraen, Agricultural, Environmental and Development Economics; Patricia Tirabasso, Animal Sciences; David Todd, Recreational Sports; Nancy Treece, James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute; Marilyn Trefz, Human and Community Resource Development; Laurie Urlaub, University Hospital; Stephanie Vaupel-Juart, University Hospital; Lori Vogelmeier, OSU Newark;

Joan Wakefield, University Hospital; Sandra Walden, Ross Heart Hospital; Eddie Warren, Fawcett Event Center; Timothy Watson, Graduate School; Constance Way, Pathology; Gretchen Weber, University Libraries; Gary Weekley, Facilities Operations and Development; Howard Werman, Emergency Medicine; Judith Westman, Internal Medicine; Andrew Whicker, Veterinary Teaching Hospital; Caroline Whitacre, Research; Carolyn Wilkins, English; Charles Wilson, Law; Jonnie Wilson, University Controller; Leslie Wilson, Plant Pathology; Penny Winkle, Counseling and Consultation Services; William Woods, University Hospital; James Woolard, OSU Newark; Dawn Wray, Pharmacy; Mary Yaus, OSU Newark; Genevieve Young, Facilities Operations and Development.

25 Years

Franie Ahmad, University Hospital; Taylan Altan, Integrated Systems Engineering; Carole Anderson, Dentistry; Michelle Applegate, Internal Medicine; Janette Ashcraft, OCIO; Lynn Ault, OARDC

John Avis, OCIO; Timothy Bailey, John Glenn School of Public Affairs; Peggy Barylak, Facilities Operations and Development; Rhoda Becher, OSU Marion; Kimberly Bednarek, University Hospital; Richard Bednarski, Veterinary Clinical Sciences; John Bee, OSU Medical Center; Mark Bennett, Horticultural and Crop Sciences; William Bennett, Radiology; Cindy Bernlohr, Mathematics; Robert Beverly, OSU Medical Center; Garry Bielanski, James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute; Janice Blackburn, University Foundation; Debra Blickensderfer, Philosophy; Richard Blondeaux, OARDC; Judy Blue, University Hospital; Paula Bodley, James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute; Margaret Bogenschutz, Business; Carol Bottoms, OSU Extension; Marie Bouic, OSU Extension County Operations; Charles Bowers, Transportation and Parking Services; Myrna Bowler, University Hospital; Mary Jo Alice. Bowman, Pediatrics; Mary Boyd-Brown, Veterinary Teaching Hospital; Caroline Breitenberger, Introductory Biology; Dennis Bresson, OARDC; Cynthia Brigle, University Hospital; Marcia Brueck, OSU Extension County Operations; Marilyn Brune, Education and Human Ecology; John Bruno, Psychology; Thomas Bugno, Athletics; Thomas Burgett, Veterinary Teaching Hospital; Michael Burgin, Specialty Care Network; Patricia Burkett, University Hospital; Holly Burkhard, Arts and Sciences; Carol Byrd, James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute; Benny Calcara, Facilities Operations and Development; Molly Ranz Calhoun, Student Life Facilities Management; Lynne Canale, University Hospital; Cathy Carson, University Foundation; Gwendolyn Cartledge, Physical Activity and Educational Services; Nicki Cartt, Center for Human Resource Research; David Carwile, WOSU Public Media; Holly Cattrell, James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute; Donald Chakeres, Radiology; Carol Chandler, OSU Extension County Operations; Susan Chess, Dance; Angela Chesser, Harding Hospital; Cheryl Christie, Facilities Design and Construction; Sheila Chucta, University Hospital East; Bonnie Clucus, OSU Medical Center; M. Cathleen Cole, Ohio Learning Network; Susan Collins, University Libraries; Ilene Comeras, Comprehensive Cancer Center; Harry Condry, Child Care Program; Mark Conroy, English; Stratos Constantinidis, Theatre; Thomas Cook, Music; Robert Corbin, OCIO; James Cornwell, Public Safety; Nena Couch, University Libraries; Laurel Courtney, James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute; Karen Cox, Pathology; James Coyle, Pharmacy; David Crawford, OSU Medical Center; Deborah Crist, Plant Cell and Molecular Biology; Michael Crosby, University Libraries; Mary Daily, University Controller; Jeannie Danker, University Hospital; Anita Dawson, James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute; Irene DeAndero, University Hospital; C. Sue Dechow, Teaching and Learning; Brenda Dervin, Communication; Marvin Dickerson, University Residences and Dining Services; Teresa DiMeo, Specialty Care Network; Melanye Dixon, Dance; Diane Dortmund, Continuing Education; Mark Dumond, Ross Heart Hospital; L. Stanley Durkin, Physics; Ronald Dye, Student Life Facilities Operations; Maurice Eastridge, Animal Sciences; Mark Ellis, OSU Mansfield; Judy Embree, Ross Heart Hospital; Beverley Ervine, WOSU Public Media; Erin Essak Kopp, OSU Alumni Association; Carolyn Evans, Behavioral Medicine Research Institute

Joan Evans, Business; Linda Ferguson, OSU Extension County Operations; Barbara Fersch, Microbiology and Immunology; John Finer, Horticultural and Crop Sciences; Andrew Fisk, OARDC; Lynn Flanagan, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering; Cheryl Forney, University Hospital; Richard Freemal, OCIO; Mary Fristad, Psychiatry; Judith Froling, Allied Medical Professions; Clara Garrison-Latham, Transportation and Parking Services; James Garwood, University Hospital; Michael Gaskill, University Hospital; Karen Gebhardt, University Hospital; Jill Gerken, OSU Extension County Operations; Donald Germany, Student Life Facilities Operations; Arthur Ghiloni, OSU Newark; Alice Ghoah, Student Financial Aid; Donald Gibb, Electrical and Computer Engineering; Debra Graham, James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute; Terrence Graham, Plant Pathology; David Green, OSU Medical Center; Wesley Greene, Agricultural Technical Institute; John Grimes, OSU Extension County Operations; William Grunkemeyer, OSU Extension County Operations; Yann Guezennec, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering; Prabhat Gupta, Materials Science Engineering; Ruth Hackworth, James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute; Charles Haegele, Student Life Facilities Operations; Charles Hancock, Teaching and Learning; Sherman Hanna, Consumer Sciences; Monica Hanson, University Hospital; Judith Harper, Veterinary Teaching Hospital; Janice Harris, Child Care Program; Judith Harris, Medicine; Steven Harrison, Horticultural and Crop Sciences; Glenn Hartz, OSU Mansfield; Jacqueline Hartzell, Earth Sciences; Linda Hay-Williams, University Hospital; Julie Haywood, Engineering Experiment Station; Karen Hazlett, James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute; Sally Hefler, University Hospital; Mark Herbster, Facilities Operations and Development; Julia Hering, Horticultural and Crop Sciences; Kathleen Herrick, OSU Medical Center; Michael Hershiser, University Hospital; Margaret Hickle-Grimm, University Hospital; Douglas Hill, University Airport; Jerry Hoff, Chemistry; Joseph Hogan, Animal Sciences; Michael Hogan, OSU Extension County Operations; Eugene Holland, Comparative Studies in Humanities; Barbara Holt, Engineering; Ellen Hoover, University Communications; Dana Horan, Law Library; Kimberly Howie, James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute; Sheryl Huegel, Purchasing; Donna Huelf, Ross Heart Hospital; Robert Hupp, University Controller; Pamela Hussen, Integrated Systems Engineering; Dennis Jackson, Drake Performance and Event Center; Yvonne Jackson, OSU Family Practice Services; Daral Jackwood, OARDC; Vanessa Jamison, University Hospital; Theresa Jeffers, University Hospital; J. Craig Jenkins, Sociology; Lori Jennings, James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute; Linda Johnson, University Foundation; Sharonetta Jones, Specialty Care Network; Kelly Jurcich, OSU Alumni Association; Joyce Karl, OSU Family Practice Services; William Karl, Enrollment Services and Undergraduate Education; Timothy Keegstra, University Residences and Dining Services; Alissa Keel, University Laboratory Animal Resources; Roy Kelley, Facilities Operations and Development; Michael Klein, Physical Activity and Educational Services; Ellen Koch, Research; Joseph Koldys, Transportation and Parking Services; Susan Koletar, Internal Medicine; Linda Kotur, James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute; Ashok Krishnamurthy, Ohio Supercomputer Center; David Krugh, James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute; Joseph Krzycki, Microbiology; Charlene Kuehnle, University Hospital; Joseph Lafferre, University Hospital East; William Lafuse, Microbiology and Immunology; Teresa Lanker, Horticultural and Crop Sciences; Laurel Leedy, Plant Pathology; Barbara Lehman, OSU Mansfield; Shelda Lehner, OSU Extension County Operations; Te-Yi Lei, University Hospital; Gary Leimbach, Financial Services; Joan Leonard, Molecular Genetics; Charles Lepold, Agricultural Technical Institute; David Lesher, Stores, Receiving and Mail Services; Terrence Lewis, OARnet; Steven Lichtensteiger, OSU Extension; Young Lin, Veterinary Biosciences; Margaret Lind, Internal Medicine; Linda Lobao, Environment and Natural Resources; Linda Locke, OSU Medical Center; Sandra Long, Transportation and Parking Services; William Lotozo, OCIO; Michael Lyles, Facilities Operations and Development; Shirley Lyles, University Hospital; Susan Mallery, Oral Pathology; Karen Mancl, Food, Agriculture and  Biological Engineering; William Marsh, Pathology; E. Damian Mastnick, Transportation and Parking Services; Mark Mathews, OSU Medical Center; Fred Mathias, Facilities Operations and Development; Susan Matthews, OSU Medical Center; Michael May, Facilities Operations and Development; Jean McCabe, OSU Medical Center; James McCreary, University Hospital East; Runell McDougald, University Hospital; Melodie McGrothers, Spanish and Portuguese; Jeanne McGuire, Environmental Health and Safety; James McMeans, OCIO; Anne McPherson, Specialty Care Network; Timothy Meager, Law; David Meckler, OSU Extension; Yuri Medvedkov, Geography; Sam Meier, Near Eastern Languages and Culture; Norman Michalak, University Registrar; Carole Miller, Specialty Care Network; Elizabeth Miller, OSU Extension County Operations; Lynne Miller, Internal Medicine; Cathy Mitchell, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering; Ruthmarie Mitsch, African American and African Studies; William Mitsch, Environment and Natural Resources; Debra Moddelmog, English; Kathryn Mohler, OSU Extension County Operations; Raymond Montemayor, Psychology; Richard Morman, Public Safety; Robyn Morrison, Ross Heart Hospital; Susan Morton, Administration and Planning; John Mulholand, Engineering; Melinda Nelson, Academic Affairs; Randy Nemitz, OSU Extension; Joan Obert, French and Italian; Elaine Oelker, University Hospital; Susan Olesik, Chemistry; Robert Oyer, OARDC; Debra Pack, Dental Radiology; Bishun Pandey, OSU Marion; Deborah Parrill, University Hospital; Karen Patterson, University Communications; Patrick Payne, University Hospital East; Paul Phelan, Entomology; Arleen Pineda, Center for Lake Erie Area Research; Wallace Pitts, Facilities Operations and Development; Marc Posner, Integrated Systems Engineering; Paul Primmer, The Blackwell Inn; Jessica Prinz, English; Joanne Pritchett, Facilities Operations and Development; Steven Prochaska, OSU Extension County Operations; Anita Puckett, University Hospital; Andrew Pultz, James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute; John Puterbaugh, University Hospital; Barbara Pyle, Optometry; James Pyne, Music

Charles Quinn, East Asian Languages and Literature; Edward Quinn, OCIO; M.J. Radin, Veterinary Biosciences; Shahrokh Rahnema, Arts, Science and Business Technology; Gary Rea, Specialty Care Network; Charles Reader, OCIO; Marianne Rehkop, University Hospital; Gerald Reid, OARDC; Carson Reider, Health Sciences; Janet Rhoades, Psychiatry; Steve Ridenbaugh, OARDC; Mary Ries, University Libraries; Yasuko Rikihisa, Veterinary Biosciences; Gary Rine, Resource Management Systems; James Robbins, Chemistry; Roberto Rojas-Teran, Electrical and Computer Engineering; Nathan Rosenstein, History; Carole Rosing, Athletics; Thomas Rosol, Veterinary Biosciences; Danner Rugg, Recreational Sports; Lorraine Ryan, University Hospital; Melinda Rybski, Allied Medical Pressions; Jacquelynne Salmon, University Hospital; Ashok Saraswat, University Hospital; Kelly Scheiderer, Emergency Medicine; Douglas Schroeder, Business; James Scott, University Hospital; Daniel Sedmak, Pathology; Joe Seever, Undergraduate Admissions and First Year Experiences; Mark Seidl, University Hospital East; James Seivert, Facilities Operations and Development; Pamela Severance, Business; Richard Shafer, Medicine; Mark Shanda, Arts and Sciences; Mack Shannon, Facilities Operations and Development; Linda Sheckler, Chemistry; Kathryn Sheets, Ross Heart Hospital; Stacie Shirko, University Controller; Dianne Shoemaker, OSU Extension County Operations; William Shulaw, Veterinary Preventive Medicine; Jack Sidle, Animal Sciences; Laura Sladoje, Ophthalmology; Richard Slemons, Veterinary Preventive Medicine; Cindy Slone, OSU Medical Center; Debra Smith, University Hospital; James Smith, Facilities Operations and Development; Lisa Smith, Ross Heart Hospital; Mary Elaine Smith, ACCAD; Andrea Sondrini, Teaching and Learning; Anna Soter, Teaching and Learning; Annette Staub, James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute; Kathy Stedke, The Ohio State University at Lima; George Steele, Ohio Learning Network; Margaret Steele, Computer Science and Engineering; Gary Steigman, Astronomy; Morris Stephenson, Transportation and Parking Services; Deborah Stinner, OARDC; Tina Strain, University Hospital; Megan Strother, OARDC; Nancy Taylor, Plant Pathology; David Terman, Mathematics; Jody Termeer, OSU Extension; Deborah Terry, Financial Services; Rebecca Terry, James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute; Constance Thomas, OSU Extension County Operations; Darrell Thomas, Facilities Operations and Development; Nancy Thompson, James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute; Kevin Tracey, Facilities Operations and Development; Joseph Travers, Oral Biology; Susan Travers, Oral Biology; M. Renee Troyer, Surgery; Cathy Turnbull, Facilities Operations and Development; Marlene Turrill, UAFYE; Howard Ulman, English; Marna Utz, OSU Mansfield; George Valco, Electrical and Computer Engineering; Beth VanGundy, Arts and Sciences; Maxine Vargas, Surgery; Holly Vaughan, University Controller; James Vent, Horticultural and Crop Sciences; Eileen Vermillion, University Hospital; John Victor, OSU Extension; Tim Vojt, Veterinary Medicine; Robert Wagner, Astronomy; Austin Wallace, James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute; Jeri Wallace, Pediatrics; Maryann Walther-Keisel, International Studies; Andrew Ward, Food, Agriculture and  Biological Engineering; Leigh Weldy, James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute; Trina Wemlinger, Health Sciences; Patty Werner, James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute; Mark Wewers, Internal Medicine; Shelley Whitworth, OARDC; Peter Wieliczko, OCIO; M. Guillaume Wientjes, Pharmacy; Diane Williams, University Foundation; Angela Wilson-VanMeter, OSU Medical Center; Darline Wine, Academic Affairs; Laura Woitovich, University Hospital; William Young, University Libraries; Pamela Zabell, University Hospital; Daniel Zeigler, Biochemistry; Susan Zies, OSU Extension County Operations; Sydney Zimmerman, OCIO; Kathleen Zwanziger, Business.

Pamela Zabell, University Hospital; Daniel Zeigler, Biochemistry; Susan Zies, OSU Extension County Operations; Sydney Zimmerman, OCIO; Kathleen Zwanziger, Business.

Buckeye scientists at forefront of fight to save ash trees

January 18, 2012

OSU’s breadth and depth of research ability puts the university in a unique position to help

By Katy Ricchiuto

If you’ve ever driven along Ohio’s highways and interstates in the spring and summer, you may have noticed the stretches of barren, dead trees among otherwise healthy, green vegetation. These dead trees are more than likely North American ash, victims of the emerald ash borer, an invasive insect that is devastating the ash tree population of the country.

Members of the Ohio State community may have heard more on the emerald ash borer problem than most, thanks in large part to the groundbreaking research being done at the university.

Continue reading ‘Buckeye scientists at forefront of fight to save ash trees’

Kiplinger Fellows learn modern investigative journalism

January 18, 2012

Lauren Boyd, Office of Communications

As the Columbus Dispatch projects editor from 1998-2008, Haddix and two reporters uncovered botched DNA testing and new evidence that gave fresh starts to four men wrongly convicted as rapists and murderers.

To his new position as the director of the Kiplinger Fellowship of Public Affairs Journalism at OSU, Haddix brings that same combination of investigative skills, organization and passion for truth that brought the story into the public eye. At Ohio State,  he’ll teach journalists from all over the world data visualization, social media and watchdog reporting.

“These [prisoners] were people who had no voice or power,” Haddix said. “Unless these cases were investigated, they would have spent their whole lives in prison.”

Haddix said it was rewarding to work on this project, especially when he heard one of the inmates say he couldn’t wait to get out and spend time with his grandchildren. Other inmates’ stories of how their families cut them off in spite of decade-long pleas of innocence also touched a nerve.
If not for Doug Haddix’s passion for truth seeking, four innocent prisoners would still be behind bars.

Haddix and his team of reporters partnered with the Ohio Innocence Project to gather evidence from more than 200 cases in Ohio that seemed to show irregularities. After the Dispatch ran the stories as a four-day series, the Ohio legislature passed new laws to increase DNA testing and retain evidence from criminal cases.

It was that moment when Haddix realized the “power of the press” — a truly humbling experience, he said.

While the work certainly wasn’t glamorous, the results showed what a journalist can do given time and encouragement, and that’s what Haddix hopes to teach journalists who attend the Kiplinger Program.

W.M. Kiplinger was one of the first two students to graduate from the journalism program at OSU in 1921. In 1967, Kiplinger’s son, Austin, created the fellowship to honor his father’s contributions to journalism. The Kiplinger Foundation and OSU have funded the program as it has brought in more than 250 fellows over the past 30 years.

After graduating from Miami University in 1985 with a degree in journalism, Haddix earned a master’s degree in journalism at Indiana University. He worked at the Springfield News-Sun and United Press International as a reporter, at the Commercial-News in Danville, Ill., the Scranton Times in Pennsylvania and the Columbus Dispatch as an editor and at Investigative Reporters and Editors as a national training director. Haddix said he is excited to be on the cutting edge of journalism with the Kiplinger Program and to be in a position to teach new skills.

Jill Riepenhoff, a projects reporter at the Dispatch who worked for Haddix for four years, said that he has an amazing set of skills that will translate well to his position at Ohio State.

“Doug is a natural teacher,” Riepenhoff said. “It’s in his soul. He has patience and a magnetism. People can relate to him.”

Already well-versed in what his job will entail, Haddix’s true test will be figuring out the complexities of the university. Haddix calls OSU a “separate oasis” from the rest of Columbus. He’s lived in Columbus for more than 13 years, but he never made many visits to campus.

“I’m excited to be based on campus,” he said. “I’m amazed at how much is here. I’m excited to learn about the tremendous resources at OSU.”

Riepenhoff said the journalists coming into the Kiplinger Program don’t know it yet, but they’ll be glad Haddix is their instructor. Haddix challenged her every day and made her a better writer, reporter and person, she said. Even now, she misses working with him and for him.

“The Kiplinger Program is lucky to have him,” she said. “So many journalists across the country have benefited from him. He’s going to take the program and make it sing. Doug can take lemons and make lemonade. It’s not even lemonade. It’s lemon mousse.”

What is the Kiplinger Fellowship?

An online digital revolution is changing the way people communicate. For journalists, it’s an ever-evolving new world, filled with opportunities as well as obstacles.

The Kiplinger Program in Public Affairs Journalism offers short-term fellowships to help make better use of new online tools and channels.

Thanks to the generous support of the Kiplinger Foundation, the training is offered free of charge. In addition, the fellowship covers lodging, most meals and includes a travel stipend. The 2012 fellowship runs from April 15-20.

Fellows spend an intensive week at Ohio State, where they are immersed in training designed to pay off immediately in the newsroom. They explore creative reporting uses of Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and other social media sites.

The program showcases strategies for backgrounding individuals and companies as well as building an individual’s or organization’s online following. It focuses on the latest tactics for effective public affairs reporting: Public records, documents and data. It also explores creative uses for online tools such as Deep Web searches and free data visualizations.

Fellows then can return to their newsrooms equipped with new and sharpened reporting tools. They learn how to tell powerful online stories that break through the noise and grab attention — stories that help people understand why in-depth reporting matters more than ever, stories that make a difference.

The 25 fellows also will nominate a supervising editor/producer or other colleague to take part in a three-day condensed version of the training in May.

To apply, journalists must have five or more years of experience at a news organization.

Giving the neighborhood a lift

January 4, 2012

By Jeff McCallister

It may come as a surprise to some people that Debra Sampson built up a good part of her 100 hours of “sweat equity” in her new Habitat for Humanity house working on the bathrooms.

After all, the six-year employee in OSU’s Facilities Operations and Development spends almost all of her third-shift hours cleaning the bathrooms in Dreese Laboratories. Seems like she might have wanted to put a little more separation between her work and home lives.

But that’s just not her way of thinking.

Continue reading ‘Giving the neighborhood a lift’

Crying in science?

January 4, 2012

Sometimes the Statistical Consulting Service is too good at its job

“There’s no crying in science!”

Even though Steven Naber said the words, Chris Holloman knew better. Holloman had seen firsthand how statistical data had upended a graduate student’s theory, derailing the crux of the research. The perceived loss was devastating, and tears ensued.

Who knew hard numbers could elicit such an emotional response?

Naber, Holloman and statistician Jeni Squiric are the trio at Ohio State that operate the Statistical Consulting Service, which offers industry, faculty, staff and graduate students help in research planning, designing and administering surveys, crunching data into a coherent format and independent verification of methods and results. The latter service is where the crying usually ensues.

“Graduate school is not easy, and people spend six years planning a study, executing that study and aggregating the data so they can run the statistical test. But they end up with a P value of 0.3 and their theory is shot down,” said Holloman, director of the SCS.

“Graduate students are very wrapped up in the idea that it’s their job to find something, to be right. Frequently what happens is we don’t find something in the data to prove their theory and they’re upset about it, and I say to them, ‘This is part of the process. It doesn’t mean your experiment failed. This is valuable data.’

“After they start realizing the bigger picture, they’re pretty happy with what they’ve accomplished.”

Statistics attempts to account for the human element in research, but it is impossible to remove it since people ask the questions, search for answers and are often affected by the results.

The SCS, for example, puts together a biennial survey for the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services to find the market rate paid for childcare. The state uses those results to set the rate reimbursed to childcare providers of low-income families. Those providers, Holloman said, can get a bit upset when the numbers come back and they’re lower than they expected them to be.

“In all our cases, we work with solid evidence and use solid practices,” Holloman said. “Every time somebody says, ‘This can’t be right; I reject these findings,’ we’re always open about how we got our conclusions, what methods we use. People really can’t get mad at you when you’re reporting the facts.”

Naber, the SCS’s senior consulting research statistician, had to stifle a laugh. “No, they can still get mad at you,” he said.

But the SCS doesn’t just produce glum negativity. Some faculty clients have shown adulation, thankful for the SCS’s help in advancing their research — sometimes into groundbreaking areas.

The SCS built a statistical model for Susan Nittrouer in the Department of Otolaryngology, who was studying how people treat deaf children age 12 months to 48 months and how that treatment affects the children’s language acquisition. She turned her findings from the model into one of the conclusion chapters in her book, which challenged current theories, including questioning the benefits of putting a cochlear implant in a child as early as 12 months.

Nittrouer was so pleased with the SCS’s work, she hired the group again for her next study, which continues the research for children age 48 months and beyond.

“Language is a complex human behavior and usually we measure just discreet aspects of it,” Nittrouer said. “Chris was able to take all our measures and combine them in appropriate ways to create one overarching measure of language acquisition, and that’s difficult to do appropriately. We were able to put it into one mammoth construct, and it lets us know what we need to do overall in helping deaf children learn language, so it has immense clinical significance.”

Up until this year, the SCS (scs.osu.edu) merely used word of mouth to market itself to university and external clients. But this year it produced a marketing brochure as well as a video of what the team does and testimonials from faculty and graduate students.

Holloman said he wants even more people to be aware of what the SCS can do for them. Students in every course of study and faculty in every college can be helped.

The cross collaboration is a One University tenet, but there’s another reason the SCS exists: At the root of every statistician, Holloman said, is a scientist whose aim is to conduct ethical research.

“We’re interested in finding out what’s true and what isn’t and add to the body of knowledge that we have,” he said.

Sometimes that knowledge is proprietary, especially under the recurring contract the SCS has with Ohio-based The Scotts Miracle-Gro Co., a lawn and garden products manufacturer.

Sometimes, it’s simply whether a cookie will crumble or not. Naber is helping Breanna Wingate discover if the Food Science and Technology graduate student can use prune juice as a natural preservative in lieu of artificial ones. How do different levels of prune juice and other factors affect various physical characteristics of the cookies over time?

Her question to Naber was: Does she have enough data to make her conclusions or does she need more data? Wingate’s advisor had her replicate the experiment again to correct some methodology errors — also known as bake more cookies — even though Naber determined that she had sufficiently good data to address most of her research questions.

“Unfortunately her experiment involves destructive testing, so she wasn’t able to bring me any samples,” Naber said.

Hitting the “Highlights”

January 4, 2012

A trove of treasure from the iconic children’s magazine adds wonder to Libraries’ special collections

By Julia Harris

After three years of sorting through more than a thousand filing boxes full of papers, letters, drawings and magazines, it’s probably safe to say that José Diaz is an expert on all things having to do with Highlights magazine.

It’s also safe to say that the work is only just begun when it comes to organizing the enormous collection of materials, which came to the Ohio State University Libraries on more than 30 pallets and included 10 copies of every issue of the Highlights for Children magazine.

“Highlights is an important piece of the fabric of our community,” said Carol Pitts Diedrichs, director of the OSU Libraries. “This gift enables us to make the collection available to researchers who will benefit from Highlights’ rich history, insights and philosophy.”

The publication has been delighting generations of children — and their parents — since the first issue rolled off the presses in 1946, teaching the values of positive self-worth, creativity, curiosity and problem-solving. Regular features in the magazine, such as the “Hidden Pictures” page and the morally instructive cartoon panels starring Goofus and Gallant, have helped entertain, educate and challenge thousands of youngsters across the country — many of whom discover the magazine while sitting in doctors’ or dentists’ offices.

Diaz, an associate professor of history and the curator of the new Highlights collection, says he was mostly unfamiliar with the publication before being presented with the daunting task of culling the materials down to a manageable size.

“I know nothing about children’s literature. I have two kids and that’s the extent of it,” he said with a laugh. “I mean, I go to the dentist and there’s the magazine, so I’ve read through it. But when I got this collection, I remember just staring up at it in awe the way you do when you visit cathedrals in Europe: It’s just so massive.”

Fortunately for Diaz, he had a group of students to help him make the initial pass through the boxes of materials and begin making sense of the collection, which includes the personal papers and writings of magazine founder Garry Myers. Perhaps the most valuable component of the collection, however, is the wealth of children’s contributions over the years, which range from jokes and cartoons to achingly personal letters to the editor that seek advice on a host of troubles both large and small.

“Editors respond to every letter, even when it doesn’t make it into the magazine,” Diaz said.

Considering that they get more than 50,000 letters each year — a number that’s been changing as e-mail has made communication even easier — the volume of correspondence is nothing short of overwhelming. And the collection will continue to grow as more issues of the magazine are published and the accompanying correspondence from young readers swells the ranks.

To cope with the avalanche of paper, Diaz and his team first decided to keep only two copies of each issue of the magazine, sending the surplus back to Highlights for their own safekeeping. For the collection of children’s letters, drawings and other contributions, they employed the archivist technique called “sampling” — in which every 10th item they touched was set aside for inclusion in the final collection. Letters that did not get selected were bundled and sent to the University of Southern Mississippi, which has a strong collection of children’s literature. All other materials were recycled.

“It was an agonizing decision, because we knew we might be discarding individual items that could be significant, like (potentially) a drawing of a horse by a young Barack Obama or a joke by a young George Carlin,” Diaz said. “But our choices were quite limited by the size of the collection. Nobody could have kept it all. We’re down to 276 boxes now and that’s still not a small collection.”

Diaz anticipates that the Highlights collection will appeal to a wide range of scholars in fields spanning child psychology and children’s literature to business, history and education. “I’ve got people asking me things like, what did the magazine say when Kennedy was shot? Or when the towers came down?”

He leaned back in his chair. “The impact of this magazine on children in America hasn’t been measured, at least to my knowledge. It’s interesting to see how the world has changed from the 1940s to the present.”

Gathering of Men

January 4, 2012

Program gives African American males ‘social capital’ on a sometimes challenging campus

By Adam King

They come together once a year to reinforce a community — giving young African American men inspiration and an opportunity to connect with each other and their more accomplished peers.

It’s called The Gathering of Men, and while the target audience is gender-specific, anyone can attend.

Continue reading ‘Gathering of Men’

Living the Schweitzer legacy

January 4, 2012

With the former Nobel laureate as a role model, this group of Columbus Fellows is out to change the world

By Jeff McCallister

Michelle Caster walked into the room full of Somali immigrants that first time without knowing exactly how much they needed what she was bringing them.

“When I first moved to Columbus, I didn’t realize how big the Somali refugee population here is,” said Caster, a medical student in Ohio State’s College of Medicine. “I’m passionate about global health, and I was intrigued by the thought of this population here and figured there must be some barriers they faced when it came to medical care and to life in general.”

When Caster first decided she might be in a good position to help, she was connected to the Focus Learning Academy, a charter school in north Columbus, and realized that this group — not only the students there, but also the parents — mostly recent Somali refugees or first-generation immigrants, had never been educated about good nutrition or the necessity of exercise and physical activity.

“The principal there told me he’d love to have a nutrition project, that was something that was lacking for a lot of reasons,” she said.

It was about that time, when she was collecting advice from OSU faculty and trying to get her project off the ground, she heard about the Albert Schweitzer Fellowship program.

ASF supports students who wish to follow in the footsteps of the pioneering humanitarian. Translating their passion and idealism into action, Schweitzer Fellows (primarily graduate or professional students) partner with community-based organizations to develop and implement yearlong, mentored service projects that meet the health needs of underserved populations.

The Schweitzer Fellowship, according to Terry Bahn, Columbus Schweitzer Fellows program director and director of Outreach and Engagement in the OSU College of Medicine, is the fact that it is not a “plug-in” volunteer opportunity, nor is it one that is undertaken while academic life is on hold.

“Instead of simply volunteering to fill a pre-set role, ‘‘ Bahn said, ‘‘fellows must partner with community-based organizations to identify an unmet health need, design a sustainable service project with an enduring impact and bring the project from idea to implementation. By doing so over the course of a year and on top of their regular academic responsibilities, Schweitzer Fellows learn to integrate service to vulnerable people into their everyday lives.’’

Upon completion of their initial year, they join an international alumni network of more than 2,000 Schweitzer Fellows for Life — individuals skilled in, and committed to, meeting the health needs of underserved people throughout their careers as professionals.

So at the time Caster was figuring out a way to serve the large and growing Somali population, Columbus had just been designated as the 12th ASF chapter in the US and was recruiting its inaugural class of fellows. She applied and was one of 15 chosen for the fellowship — including 12 from Ohio State.

“I suppose I could run my project without the fellowship, but it’s so much easier and smoother because it gives me so many more resources,” Caster said. “The Schweitzer Fellows are all such incredible people and I’m so lucky to have them to talk through issues with or bounce things off of if I need to.

“It also provides a good bit of accountability and makes me reflect on my progress.” She also works with a Schweitzer mentor, in this case Elizabeth Barker, associate professor of Clinical Nursing, who provided Caster her initial inroad into the community she now serves and helped devise and refine the parameters of the project. Barker also helps recruit undergraduate nursing students to volunteer on the project.

The fellowship requires 200 hours of direct service to the underserved community, and Caster is spending hers presiding over monthly dinnertime meetings about nutrition, exercise and other general health topics for 30 parents of students in the elementary grades at the school. She plans to begin a similar program for middle school ages soon.

“Albert Schweitzer really has been a role model of mine, so it’s really rewarding to be a part of this program, and I’m already looking forward to being a Fellow for Life, working both here and abroad to try and improve people’s lives.”

Albert Schweitzer and the Columbus fellows from OSU

Pioneering physician and humanitarian Albert Schweitzer founded his iconic hospital in Gabon, Africa in 1913. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1952, and his philosophy of “Reverence for Life” inspired everything from environmentalism to the animal welfare movement. Today, Schweitzer Fellows are his living legacy.

In partnership with Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, OhioHealthnine colleges at Ohio State and OSU’s Ofice of Outreach and Engagement, Ohio University’s Heritage College of Medicine, and Trinity Lutheran Seminary, the Columbus Schweitzer Fellows Program chose an initial class of 15 fellows, including Michelle Caster (see story, left), Bernard Cason from Trinity, Heather Datsko, and Kimberly Hermann from OU and the following 11 others from Ohio State:

Samantha Boch, OSU College of Nursing, is addressing the lack of comprehensive sex education in Columbus by creating and administering an age-appropriate, sustainable sexual health curriculum for middle- and high school-aged girls.

Elizabeth Coppelman, College of Veterinary Medicine, is expanding opportunities for children and adults with mental and physical disabilities to reap the benefits of animal therapy — partnering with Serendipity Stables. She also is coordinating a group of veterinary students from OSU to provide veterinary care to the horses used in the program.

Tamara Durr, College of Social Work, is addressing obesity-related issues among low-income families in Greater Linden through a culturally competent, threefold program that includes healthy eating, physical fitness and primary care components.

Allison Gibson, College of Social Work, is partnering with the Alzheimer’s Association to develop an education and support program for individuals and their families in the early stages of dementia. She also is working to expand Columbus-area support programs for individuals with Young Onset Alzheimer’s disease who have been diagnosed before the age of 65.

John Heffernan and Brittany Lipinsky, College of Dentistry, are addressing the oral health needs of children from low-income families in Columbus, working with local dentists and Head Start staff to establish a dental home for Head Start children, and to provide education that imparts the benefits of oral health to both children and parents.

Anne Marie Kessler, College of Medicine, is addressing maternal health and infant mortality in the Weinland Park neighborhood by facilitating a weekly peer support group for new mothers.

Kacie Kreifels, College of Optometry, is addressing culture and language barriers between optometrists and non-English speaking patients in Columbus.

Joan Randle, College of Nursing, is addressing the impact of low breastfeeding rates on maternal and infant health in Weinland Park. Partnering with the International Poverty Solutions Collaborative, she is establishing a mother-to-mother breastfeeding support group and a comprehensive lactation clinic to serve low-income and minority women.

Diana Tsai, College of Pharmacy, is addressing cultural and communication barriers to improved health literacy in Columbus by creating a program that teaches adults and children how to effectively communicate with health care providers.

Tessa Yoder, School of Allied Medical Professions, is addressing the health of adults with developmental disabilities by creating a student-run health and wellness program that focuses on personal health maintenance, prevention and participation in wellness activities.

This could be the start of a beautiful (and healthy!) relationship

January 4, 2012

Ohio State initiative pairs Columbus teachers with community service

By Julia Harris

On a gray December morning a few days before Christmas, Shawna Streeter’s little army of preschoolers made a loud and colorful entrance into the communal dining area of St. Stephens Community House, a sprawling center of social services devoted to the residents of Columbus’ Greater Linden Area.

Arrayed around big round tables was an assortment of 15 to 20 older adults who smiled as they watched the children parade in and settle into a corner, cross-legged, barely able to remain still as Streeter issued last-minute directions.

Continue reading ‘This could be the start of a beautiful (and healthy!) relationship’

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