Photos by Jo McCulty Psychology graduate Christopher Michael Elmerick of North Canton shares his jubilation during winter commencement March 16 at St. John Arena.

Physicist Clark tells winter graduates to let passion determine their path

Each year, one of Ohio State's finest and most respected faculty is honored with the chance to speak to the University's winter graduating class. Last quarter was no exception.

Bunny C. Clark, nuclear physicist and professor, took the podium before more than 1,400 graduates, their families and guests at St. John Arena on March 16.

Clark, somewhat jokingly, apologized to graduates for not being Bill Cosby, one of the country's most beloved comic icons and the scheduled speaker for spring commencement.

"I know how disappointed you must have been when you learned that Ohio State's speaker for spring commencement will be Bill Cosby, and you get stuck with some physicist," she said. "And it's not even a famous physicist, like Stephen Hawking or Leonard Nimoy.

"I sympathize with you completely. I'd rather be sitting out there with you and listening to Bill Cosby, too," she said, sparking laughter from several of the graduates.

But many who know Clark, either personally or by reputation alone, would say she has nothing to apologize for. Highly regarded in the scientific community, she is considered a pioneer in the field of physics, especially in the relativistic treatment of nuclear reactions. Clark's honors go on to include being named recipient of the Faculty Award for Distinguished University Service and the University Distinguished Research Award.

Bunny C. Clark, nuclear physicist and professor, took the podium before more than 1,400 graduates, their families and guests at St. John Arena on March 16.

Clark's path to the podium began more than 60 years ago, when, as a little girl, she gazed out in wonder at the stars in the Texas sky, and was filled with the dreams of tomorrow.

"It was that vast and wonderful night sky that led me to become a scientist," she said. "I was just 4 years old. My mom refers to that moment as 'the night I caught the star bug.'

"Fortunately, instead of trying to cure me, my parents encouraged me," she continued. "While other parents were reading 'The Three Bears,' mine picked up the encyclopedia and read to me about stars and planets. I was hooked. At a tender age, I knew I had to be a scientist. I fell in love with science, and it became my greatest passion."

Clark recounted some of the obstacles she encountered on her way to realizing her dreams.

"Those obstacles started right away," she said. "I ignored I don't know how many comments, like: 'Bunny, why don't you go into library science?' 'Bunny, you should learn how to type.' Physics was not supposed to be women's work. However, I figured out that intelligence was not linked to the Y chromosome."

Clark earned a bachelor of science degree with honors in physics and mathematics in 1958 and a master's degree in physics in 1963 from Kansas State University, and, in 1973, she received a doctorate in theoretical physics from Wayne State University.

Over the years, Clark said, she has realized her second passion: teaching. "Working with students is a genuine joy. I've acquired a new world of knowledge from you, and I will always be indebted. So on this day when we all say 'Congratulations' to you, I also want to add, 'Thank you.'"

With that, Clark offered graduates one very important piece of advice.

"When you're looking for your future, it's always best to follow your passions," she said. "No matter what path you take, no matter what challenges you face, no matter what goals you achieve, I hope that you will always pursue your passion. This life is yours alone to live. Cherish it.

"Buckeye graduates, I wish you great joy," Clark said. "Live long and prosper."

Kirwan: New approach needed for education funding

As Ohio moves into the Information Age economy, it is increasingly important to adequately fund both the state's kindergarten through 12th grade and higher education systems -- at the same time and as one cohesive system, President Brit Kirwan asserted during a March 14 speech to the Columbus Metropolitan Club.

Kirwan detailed why lawmakers would best serve the state by treating education as a preschool-through-graduate-school system, and proposed specific ways he believes the General Assembly should bolster education funding in coming years.

"I am going to challenge a premise that many policymakers and other observers seem to believe. It's that Ohio can prosper in the Information Age economy by adequately funding elementary and secondary education, often referred to as K-12, but not Ohio's public colleges and universities. Higher education, this thinking seems to imply, must bide its time and hope for consideration at some later date," Kirwan said.

"I propose that we think about these issues in an entirely different way -- that we forge a new paradigm. In fact, we should not even be thinking about K-12 and higher education as separate entities. Rather, we should think of them as parts of one seamless system that begins with preschool and continues through graduate school."

There is a vital need to fund elementary, secondary and higher education, despite the fiscal environment that confronts the state, Kirwan said.

"We should do this because of the decline in our economy, the importance of education and our longtime unwillingness to fund education at proper levels," he said. "And in so doing, we should abandon the false dichotomy that encourages us to think of our education system as being composed of unrelated components."

Noting Ohio's below-the-national-average personal income, mediocre status nationally in high-growth companies and high-tech jobs, and the earning power that accompanies increased education, Kirwan said a more unified approach to education would lead to greater collaboration and communication across the entire system and, ultimately, develop an expectation that more students progress through that system and reap the benefits of their education. Those benefits would be huge, he contends: They include a stronger economy, more and better jobs, and greater opportunities for all the people of Ohio.

"And consider this: What good will it do to strengthen one part of our education system at the expense of another? If we follow such a path, we will lose our best-prepared high school graduates to universities in other states for their education and, likely, their careers," Kirwan added.

Kirwan strongly suggested moving on both fronts at once. In the next biennium, he said, he agrees that the emphasis should be on resolving the K-12 funding issue raised in the DeRolph Supreme Court case. However, while addressing this important need, the Legislature also should build a foundation on which to fund higher education appropriately in the biennium that begins in July 2003, he said.

Kirwan proposes that The Ohio Plan, which supports higher education's efforts in biotechnology, nanotechnology and information technology, be funded with at least $40 million during the upcoming biennium, with full funding of $150 million for each of two years in the following biennium.

He also proposes:

• That at least $25 million -- and, if possible, as much as $50 million -- be added to the state share of instruction each year in the coming biennium to fund a new program called InfoLIFT, a proposed public/private effort to improve the competitiveness and abilities of Ohio's graduates. By increasing the number of faculty in high-demand areas of technology, InfoLIFT would assure that graduates of Ohio's public colleges and universities meet national standards for information literacy and demonstrate competency in information technology appropriate to their majors.

• A $270 million, or 50 percent, supplement to next year's higher education portion of the state's capital budget. These funds would be used to build needed research space and to upgrade the technology-rich learning environments.

• That the state fund the full proposal advocated by the Board of Regents last fall in fiscal years 2004 and 2005, after the school funding issue is settled. The Regents proposal included a call for a more than 5 percent increase each year of the biennium in the state's share of instruction costs.

In testimony before the Higher Education Subcommittee of the House Finance Committee on March 14, speaking on behalf of the Inter-University Council, Kirwan reiterated his message to lawmakers that adequate state funding is a critical component to positioning universities as engines for economic growth. He also described the state share of instruction dollars as the "lifeblood of our institutions, as they are used to support increased enrollments system-wide and to help each university defray rising costs in education delivery, in libraries, in maintenance, in fuel and utilities, and in the other staples of our enterprise."

At the Metropolitan Club, Kirwan emphasized that higher education benefits the state's economy in many ways, including providing well-prepared students who comprise a competitive work force, and innovative ideas and research discoveries that drive technology and generate products and service.

"Without exception, regions with the fastest-growing economies depend upon the presence of a research university. But not just any research university; a top-tier teaching and research university. It's the one indispensable component of success in a knowledge economy," Kirwan said.

By creating a strategic plan designed to transform the University from good to great, Kirwan said, Ohio State seeks to become a major force in building Ohio's knowledge economy. While the plan is winning wide support on campus and throughout the state, it also requires resources -- a total of some $800 million over the next five years. The University plans to generate those funds from multiple sources. Kirwan said the University's request for relief from the 6 percent tuition cap, which would generate funds specifically targeted toward improvements in undergraduate education, has received wide attention and support from many on campus as well as from Gov. Bob Taft, the Regents, Ohio's four-year institutions and most of the state's major newspapers.

Ohio State has made tough choices in outlining a strategic course for its future. The state of Ohio, finding itself at a crossroads, must do the same, Kirwan said.

"We must decide whether we are comfortable on our current path or whether we need to change our direction," he said.

"Clearly, education -- K-16 education -- is a solution, and I think the solution -- to Ohio's sliding economy. So let's approach the state budget with that reality in mind. Let's invest in our future, and let's start this year."

-- By Karissa Shivley and Emily Caldwell