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WELCOME TO OSUToday, the latest news and information for faculty and staff of The Ohio State University for Thursday, Nov. 15. OSUToday is published daily Monday-Friday. The deadline for submissions is noon the prior business day.

Headline news

OHIO STATE RANKED A TOP UNIVERSITY FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

Ohio State ranks as one of the nation's top public universities for the number of students studying abroad and for its international student enrollment, according to a national report released this week. Ohio State is ranked 10th among the nation's research institutions with 1,858 students studying abroad and 12th among all U.S. universities in hosting international students, with a total of 4,345 students representing 113 nations. These findings were issued as part of the Open Doors 2007 report, an annual survey published by the Institute of International Education. It is the first time that Ohio's State's Study Abroad program has made the top 10 list. Read more >

OHIO STATE HIRES TOP AIDE TO GEN. PETRAEUS

The Mershon Center for International Security Studies and the Department of History have selected Col. Peter R. Mansoor as the next Raymond E. Mason Jr. Chair of Military History. Mansoor, currently executive officer to Gen. David Petraeus in Iraq, will begin his duties at Ohio State in September 2008. He was one of the major authors of the report on the situation in Iraq, delivered by Petraeus to Congress on Sept. 10-11. He also served on the Council of Colonels that assisted the Joint Chiefs of Staff in reassessing Iraq War strategy and devising the surge strategy currently being employed. Mansoor is also the founding director of the U.S. Army/Marine Corps Counterinsurgency Center at Fort Leavenworth, Kan. Read more >

LATEST ISSUE OF ONCAMPUS NOW AVAILABLE

The Nov. 15 issue of onCampus is now available, so please check your Ohio State mailbox. Here’s a preview from the online version of onCampus:
- Department of Homeland Security’s latest requirement - a catalog on chemicals used on campus - presents challenges. Read more >
- Ohio State’s International Programs Task Force leads charge toward global university. Read more >

ISRAELI VISITS PROMOTE COLLABORATION BETWEEN OSU, MIDDLE EAST NATION

Two Israeli agricultural experts are visiting OSU this week as part of the Ohio-Israel Agricultural Initiative, which supports research collaboration and information exchange between The Negev Foundation and OSU Extension and OARDC. David Dror, with 30 years of experience in genetics and breeding, will present a seminar at 2 p.m. today (11/15) in the Fundeburg Room in Sisson Hall, and again at 10 a.m. Friday (11/16) in the Gerlaugh Hall conference room at OARDC. Friday’s seminar will be video linked to the Department of Animal Sciences in Columbus. Contact kinder.15@osu.edu for details. On Friday (11/16), water management expert Shimon Tal will present a seminar, “Sustaining Advanced Societies in Water Stressed Environments” at 2 p.m. in 105 Agricultural Administration Building. Contact: sarah@negev.org or (216) 691-9997. Read more >

INVENTOR OF MRI TO VISIT OHIO STATE LAB TODAY

Raymond Damadian, one of the inventors of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), will be at Ohio State today (11/15) to meet with William Marras, professor of industrial, welding and systems engineering. Damadian and Marras will discuss how Marras is making use of Damadian’s latest invention, the Upright MRI, which allows a person to be scanned while standing up instead of in a horizontal position like traditional MRI machines. The Biodynamics Laboratory has established a partnership with Dynamic Medical Imaging, which has an Upright MRI near campus. Using this technology, Marras and his colleagues are able to replicate a patient's exact spine into their modeling process of spine biomechanics, allowing for a more comprehensive understanding of the factors which affect back and spine health. Read more >

FAITH AND SCIENCE: A DISCUSSION OF THE FRANCIS COLLINS LECTURE

A luncheon and discussion of the Francis Collins lecture and the Faith and Science panel discussion held Wednesday (11/14) will take place from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. today (11/15) in the Faculty Club junior colleagues room. The presenters are Susan Fisher, Department of Entomology and Masao Ogaki, Department of Economics. The luncheon is intended for those who attended the lecture or panel but all are welcome. It is hosted by Faculty Christian Fellowship and paid for by the Veritas Forum at OSU. RSVP to needham.1@osu.edu. Contact: geistfeld.1@osu.edu

SCREENING/DISCUSSION TO EXPLORE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FAITH AND SEXUALITY

The award-winning documentary “For the Bible Tells Me So,” about the examination of how people of faith struggle to reconcile sexual orientation with the word of God, will have its local premiere at the Wexner Center at 7:30 p.m. today (11/15) in the Wexner Center’s Mershon Auditorium. Following the screening, a panel discussion will feature Archbishop Philip Zimmerman of the Reformed Catholic Church, Pastor John Keeny of King Avenue United Methodist, Rabbi Javier Cattapan, and Randi and Phil Reitan, parents of a gay son who are featured in the film. Read more >

NOV. 15 OCRP MEETING CANCELLED

The OSU Clinical Research Professionals meeting, originally scheduled for noon-1 p.m. today (11/15) has been canceled. The research rate Web application demonstration that was scheduled for this meeting will be presented at a later date. Contact: jennifer.lanter@osumc.edu

CABS THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY SERVICE ANNOUNCED

In observance of the Thanksgiving holiday, there will be no CABS service from Thursday (11/22)-Saturday (11/24). On Sunday (11/25), CABS service will resume with the Weekend Courtesy Shuttle, Library/Buckeye Village, and Handivan service. Please note that during the holiday (11/22-11/25), WA, WB, WC, CX and CXC permits are valid in C spaces on Central Campus. For details, visit the Transportation and Parking Services Web site.