New committee to develop plan for outreach efforts

The latest developments in Ohio State's efforts to promote outreach and engagement include the formation of a steering committee designed to develop a focused plan for outreach and engagement on a University-wide basis.

The Board of Trustees also is looking at outreach and engagement as an area to address this coming academic year.

"People are really getting serious about outreach and engagement. We need to do this for the future of the University," said Bobby D. Moser, vice president and dean for the College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and chair of the President's Council for Outreach and Engagement and the Outreach and Engagement Steering Committee. "We are seeing the enthusiasm pick up across campus."

Bobby Moser

Moser said efforts to bring attention to outreach and engagement are in keeping with the four priorities President Kirwan has set for Ohio State, which include expanding the University's engagement activities.

"There have been a lot of outreach and engagement activities around campus, but no one had put it together to work collaboratively until the President's Council on Outreach and Engagement was convened," Moser said.

"The council's task is to raise awareness of outreach and engagement and to help the University community gain an understanding of its ongoing outreach and engagement activities."

Edward J. Ray, executive vice president and provost, formed the steering committee in March as a guiding body for the council. The committee includes David Williams II, vice president for student and urban/community affairs; Keith L. Smith, associate vice president for agricultural administration; Herb Asher, interim director of the John Glenn Institute; Randy Smith, vice provost for curriculum and instruction; Alayne Parson, senior vice provost for academic administration; Judith Koroscik, dean of the College of the Arts; and Daryl Siedentop, interim dean, College of Education.

"The committee is working to define the agenda for the University in outreach and engagement, and to identify issues for a long-range agenda," Moser said. "One goal is to specify program areas for this year. We are looking at identifying broad-based areas in which all those involved with outreach and engagement at Ohio State can focus our efforts, with specific initiatives targeted."

Moser said efforts within each focus area could include "teaching that goes beyond the campus walls, research that makes what we discover useful beyond the academic community, and service that directly impacts the community and lives that are served by Ohio State."

Funding could come from several sources, Moser said, including University appropriations, grants, contracts, development dollars, cost-sharing, partnering or third-party funding from outside sources.

The committee plans to release a final draft of its recommendations later this month.

National competition aimed at improving fuel economy

Ohio State is among 13 schools selected to participate in a national competition to modify sport-utility vehicle (SUV) designs in an effort to improve fuel economy and emissions for the popular passenger vehicles.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) invited the universities to join the "FutureTruck 2000" contest following a formal proposal competition.

OSU's proposal is based on a four-wheel drive, hybrid-electric drive-train employing a common-rail, direct-injection diesel engine coupled to two electric motor/generators and a variable transmission.

The student-designed hybrid SUV is expected to:

• Permit electric launch (the ability to start and accelerate the vehicle using only electric power, with significant exhaust emissions benefits).

• Double the fuel economy in comparison to the equivalent current-production model.

• Employ adaptive power-train control and electronic trip information equipment to help improve energy economy under real-world conditions.

The proposal was the result of a final project assignment in a new Ohio State course developed as part of the DOE-funded Graduate Automotive Technology Education Center of Excellence.

The project will be completed using the College of Engineering student projects facilities and with the support of the Center for Automotive Research.