Look who's walking

Left to right, Penn State's Adam Taliaferro and his father, Andre, share a lighter moment with Ohio State neurosurgeon Gary Rea during an April 11 reception at the Medical Center. Paralyzed on Sept. 23 while making a tackle against the Buckeyes in Ohio Stadium, Taliaferro made a joyful return to Columbus earlier this month with his family to thank the Medical Center and University for their care and support during his recovery and rehabilitation. Rea repaired Taliaferro's broken vertebra and, after several months of rehabilitation, the cornerback can walk under his own power with only a slight limp.

Taliaferro talks with Jacqueline Smith, a nurse in the OSU Medical Center's surgical intensive care unit, where he was a patient before being transferred to Philadelphia to complete his rehabilitation.

Ohio State hosts Racial Legacies & Learning conference

NAACP National President Kweisi Mfume delivers keynote address

Ohio State is hosting the seventh annual Big Ten & Statewide Conference, "Racial Legacies and Learning," from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 1 at the Ohio Union. Keynote speaker Kweisi Mfume, NAACP national president and chief executive officer and former Maryland congressman, will speak on "Rationalization or Legitimacy: An Inclusionary Code of Conduct for the 21st Century" from 1:15 to 2:10 p.m. at the conference luncheon.

The purpose of the conference is to examine diversity through the overriding theme of "Racial Legacies and Learning," and to brainstorm methods of improving racial and cultural equity in all levels of society.

President Brit Kirwan will give remarks at the beginning of the conference. Since his arrival in 1998 at Ohio State, Kirwan has consistently sought to increase the University's commitment to improving diversity on campus.

"We are serious about enhancing our learning environment through racial and ethnic diversity," Kirwan said. "Students who attend a university that supports and celebrates diversity will be better prepared to live in today's multicultural society and work in the global marketplace. The Big Ten & Statewide Conference will help the University and the community examine issues surrounding diversity in an attempt to use the information to strategically improve relations."

At the beginning of the conference, Frank W. Hale Jr., vice provost emeritus for minority affairs and distinguished University representative and consultant, will moderate a panel discussion, asking participants to discuss issues of diversity applicable to their work experiences. The panel's participants are: Samuel Cook, president emeritus of Dillard University; John Fleming, director and chief operating officer of the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center; Donna James, executive vice president and chief administrative officer of Nationwide Insurance; Maria Julia, professor in Ohio State's College of Social Work; Rita Chung, professor at George Mason University; and Alex Shumate, managing partner of Columbus' office of Squire, Sanders & Dempsey and former OSU trustee.

According to Mac Stewart, Ohio State vice provost for minority affairs and master of ceremonies for the conference, this event is intended to enhance dialogue on racial diversity.

"We have attracted a group of very fine presenters," Stewart said. "It should be an enlightening and enriching experience for those in attendance."

Following the panel discussion, participants will choose among 20 breakout sessions. A sampling of session topics includes:

• Status of Minorities in America: Making Ôthe dream' Real in the Bush Administration;

• Attracting & Retaining Minority Employees;

• How to Create an Inclusive & Supportive Climate for Minorities & Women: Developing a Collaborative Programmatic Model;

• Court Cases (Michigan, Florida, etc.): Implications on Affirmative Action;

• Minority Student Retention: Becoming More Effective;

• Taking the Cue: Higher Education & Corporate America's Marriage in Response to Diversity Initiatives;

• Obtaining & Maintaining Faculty Support for Diversity Initiatives;

• Multicultural vs. African American: Cultural Centers in Crisis; and

• Communicating Diversity: Sharing Best Practices.

For more information, visit www.oma.admin.ohio-state.edu/spprogs/big10/conference.htm.

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