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WELCOME TO OSUToday, the latest news and information for faculty and staff of The Ohio State University for Tuesday, Oct. 14. The deadline for submissions is noon the prior business day.

Headline news

Common childhood eye diagnosis more effectively treated

Scientists have found a more effective treatment for a common childhood eye muscle coordination problem called convergence insufficiency. For words on a page to appear in focus a child’s eyes must turn inward, or converge. In CI, the eyes do not converge easily, and as a result, additional muscular effort must be used to make the eyes turn in. The OSU College of Optometry served as one of the nine clinical centers for the CITT and the Optometry Coordinating Center at Ohio State's College of Optometry served as the Data Coordinating Center for the national CITT study. Read more >

Today: Politics, Society, and Law Scholars present 2008 Mock Presidential Debate

The PSL Scholars will present back-to-back vp and presidential debates at 7:30 p.m. today (10/14) in the Wexner Center Film/Video Theater as part of the ES&UE Colloquium on Globalization and Ethics. The event is open to the public and will be followed by a reception sponsored by the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences Alumni Society. Moderated by Colleen Marshall of NBC4 news, the debates will feature four current PSL students portraying senators McCain, Obama, and Biden, and Governor Palin. RSVPs are not necessary to attend this debate. Contact: Kevin Freeman, freeman.259

Ohio State kicks off Year of Science Oct. 17

Luis Chiappe, curator and director of the Dinosaur Institute of the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, will speak on “Downsized Dinosaurs: The Evolutionary Transition to Modern Birds” at 3:30 p.m. Friday (10/17) at the Wexner Film/Video Theater. A reception will follow. The year 2009 marks the 200th anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin and the 150th anniversary of the publication of On the Origin of Species by Natural Selection. The lecture is the first of a series of “Darwin: Growth of an Idea” lectures taking place throughout the year. It is free and open to the public. RSVP. Read more >

On Research blog looks at CERN physics laboratory's "gifts from space"

In her second offering on the blog "On Research" from Gridfest at Switzerland's CERN physics laboratory, Research Communications staffer Pam Frost Gorder explains how the machines designed to disassemble the tiniest bits of matter are also gathering presents from space. And instead of muddying up the physicists' experiments, these unexpected gifts are helping calibrate the project's massive machinery. Read more >

Herbarium lecture on botanical exploration and research Oct. 15

Kobinah Abdul-Salim, assistant professor in the Department of Evolution, Ecology, & Organismal Biology will deliver “Amongst the Trees, Friends Old and New: Botanical Explorations and Insights from Madagascar,” at 7:30 pm Wednesday (10/15) in the OSU Museum of Biological Diversity auditorium, 1315 Kinnear Road. Parking is free. Explore the “island-continent” of Madagascar, one of the world’s most biodiverse regions, yet also one of the most endangered. Contact: dassler.1@osu.edu or 292-3296

Entrepreneurial Faculty: Advancing Innovation in a University Setting Oct. 16

Lesa Mitchell, vice president with the Kauffman Foundation, will present "Entrepreneurial Faculty: Advancing Innovation in a University Setting" at 3 p.m. Thursday (10/16) at the Blackwell. A reception will follow the one-hour presentation. Mitchell has been responsible for the foundation's frontier work in understanding the policy levers that influence the advancement of innovation from universities into the commercial market. Read more >

October 16: Literacy Studies at OSU autumn lecture

What can Walter Benjamin’s Work of Art in the Age of Technical Reproducibility teach us about literacy as a labyrinthine and protean concept? Jerry Zaslove, founding director of the Institute for the Humanities at Simon Fraser University and co-editor of West Coast Line, will view Benjamin’s work through his metaphor of the labyrinth - an emerging literacy of performance where the loss of the object through mechanical reproduction creates a different road to understanding how language is a sphere of “human agreement that is non-violent” and “wholly inaccessible to violence." The lecture will take place at 4 p.m. Thursday (10/16) at the George Wells Knight House, 104 E. 15th Ave. Contact: Susan Hanson, literacystudies@osu.edu

Heath to present The Veil: Visible & Invisible Spaces Oct. 16

Jennifer Heath, editor of The Veil: Women Writers on Its History, Lore, and Politics (UCPress, 2008) will present “The Veil: Visible & Invisible Spaces” at 4 p.m. Thursday (10/16) at the Mershon Center, 1501 Neil Ave. Heath's multi-media presentation, including a 24-minute film, Hollywood Harems by Tania Kamal-Eldin, will explore and examine the history and politics of veiling worldwide. Contact: womensplace@osu.edu

Kitzmiller v. Dover "Intelligent Design" Judge Jones Oct. 20 & 21

Federal Judge John Jones will deliver "Our Constitution's Intelligent Design" at 7 p.m. Monday (10/20) in Independence Hall. Jones ruled in Kitzmiller et al. v. Dover Area School Board that the district's "intelligent design" science textbooks promoted creationism and were in violation of the Constitutional separation of church and state. In addition, Jones will be available for an informal discussion, "A Conversation with Judge John Jones" from 9:30-11 a.m. Tuesday (10/21) at the Davis Heart Lung Auditorium. The events are sponsored by the Department of Entomology. Contact: projectgro@osu.edu. Read more >

Author Humes to discuss America's Love-Hate Relationship with Science Oct. 21

Pulitzer Prize winning author Edward Humes will deliver "Talk Radio Evolution: America's Love-Hate Relationship with Science" at 7 p.m. Tuesday (10/21) in 001 Jennings Hall Auditorium. Humes is the author of Monkey Girl: Evolution, Education, Religion and the Battle for the American Soul. The event is sponsored by the Department of Entomology. Contact: projectgro@osu.edu
Read more >

Faculty collegiality seminar for deans, department chairs Oct. 23

“Faculty Collegiality - An Online Seminar,” a workshop for department chairs, school directors, deans, associate deans, and assistant deans, will be held from 11 a.m.-noon on Thursday (10/23) in 430 Gateway. Registration is required. Contact: 292-2800. Register online.

onCampus seeks input from election day poll workers

onCampus is looking to talk with a few faculty and staff who plan to work a polling station during the Nov. 4 general election. People who have volunteered during previous elections are welcome to share their experiences as well. This article will not focus on personal politics but on the decision to participate in the electoral process. If you are interested in sharing your story, contact Julia Harris at harris.587@osu.edu or 292-4971.

Free flu shots offered at several campus locations

Faculty and staff can receive a free flu shot at several campus locations through Wednesday (12/10), courtesy of the Faculty and Staff Wellness Program. Choose a date and location (click on Flu Shot Sign-Up). Your employee ID number (on your Buck ID, hospital ID or pay stub), is necessary to register. (ID number and photo ID required at your appointment.) The campus flu campaign includes two dates - Friday (10/31) and Thursday (11/6) - for adult dependents (18 years of age and older) of employees who are enrolled in a university medical plan. Dependents must present their health insurance card and a photo ID.