From drum major to department chair

By Jo McCulty Oliver McGee today, above left, and in his days as Ohio State's drum major.

McGee has returned to Ohio State 'to build and to grow'

A former drum major, who led the Ohio State Marching Band onto the football field numerous times 20 years ago, has now set his sights on leading one of the University's engineering departments to new academic heights.

Oliver G. McGee III, who earned his bachelor's degree in civil engineering from Ohio State, is in his first year as chair of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Geodetic Science (CEEGS).

McGee says he feels honored to have this chance to make a difference at Ohio State.

"One of my true contributions is to give back to the department and University that helped bring so many exciting opportunities into my life,"he said. "Returning home to build and to grow is where I belong right now."

Previously, McGee served as the U.S. deputy assistant secretary of transportation for technology policy in the U.S. Department of Transportation. He joined the transportation department after serving an 18-month appointment as a senior policy analyst in the White House. He also has held faculty positions at MIT, Georgia Tech, the University of Arizona and Ohio State.

Jim Williams, dean of the College of Engineering, previously served as an "informal mentor"for McGee. When the position at Ohio State became vacant, Williams said he selected McGee because he had confidence in his abilities to help the department achieve its goals.

"I would like to show the world that this department can provide a world-class engineering education while at the same time conduct world-class research,"Williams said. "Oliver has considerable professional experience that will be enormously helpful. Because of his character and background, I expect him to be a great role model for the students."

McGee said his goals as chair are threefold: to help the faculty, staff and students achieve their 10-year vision for the department's future; to ensure the department is financially sound and committed to Ohio State's Academic Plan and Diversity Action Plan; and to celebrate and create awareness of the department's rich history -- one that reaches back to the 1870s, the early days of Ohio State.

He is grateful for his chance to return to Ohio State.

"I want to thank Dean Williams for giving me this extraordinary opportunity to build deeper relationships with Ohio State and to be a part of the leadership team of the College of Engineering,"he said.

He decided the best way to show his appreciation for his undergraduate training at Ohio State was by steering the engineering department toward its 10-year goal of increased synergy between its five systems -- earth and infrastructure, transportation, environmental, geo-information and work-force development. His parents' advice also was part of the reason for his decision to return to Ohio State.

"My parents taught me to always give back to those who helped me along the way, and to respect our history,"said McGee, adding that they were especially proud of his Ohio State career, because he was the first family member to earn a bachelor's degree. Later, he went on to earn a Ph.D. in engineering mechanics from the University of Arizona.

His parents' lesson first hit home while he was a student at Cincinnati Woodward High School, then one of the first schools to train civil engineers. While he was there, McGee saw the civil engineering department begin to deteriorate, and felt compelled to help.

However, McGee never got the chance to fulfill his wish -- his former high school eliminated the civil engineering program. So when the opportunity at Ohio State presented itself, McGee accepted the position. He decided to use his professional experiences to raise the reputation of Ohio State's Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Geodetic Science to increased national levels.

During his career, McGee has written numerous articles for research journals, focusing on topics ranging from interdisciplinary design synthesis and vibration control of structural and mechanical systems, to aeromechanics and control of dynamic flow instabilities in air-breathing propulsion systems used for aircraft. Awarded the 2000 Distinguished Alumnus Award by Ohio State's College of Engineering, McGee is a member of the National Science Foundation Advisory Committee for Engineering, and a former member of Ohio State's Alumni Advisory Council.

McGee has used his industrial sector experience from engineering positions held at NASA's John H. Glenn Research Center and Boeing Helicopter Co. to make an impact in higher education. During the past decade, McGee has received numerous national and state teaching and engineering awards, including a National Science Foundation Presidential Young Investigator Award, a NASA Faculty Award for Research, the State of Georgia Professor of the Year Award from the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, and the Black Engineer of the Year Award from U.S. Black Engineer magazine. He also is a member of the engineering honoraries Tau Beta Pi and Chi Epsilon.

McGee said he is excited about the engineering department's future at Ohio State.

"Chairing our department is a great opportunity for me to honor our history, to promote our outstanding faculty, staff and students, and to lead us forward to higher rankings in the coming years,"he said. "One of the essential lessons I've learned is leadership is a story, and our department believes Ohio State's leadership worldwide is an inspiring story to tell."

Juhas is new senior assistant dean in engineering

Mary Juhas, previously associate director at Ohio State's Center for Accelerated Maturation of Materials (CAMM), was recently named the College of Engineering's senior assistant dean for outreach and special programs. Juhas will oversee the Women in Engineering, Minority Engineering, engineering communications and distance learning programs.

In her new position, Juhas plans to support the increased recruitment and retention of women faculty in the College of Engineering and to develop active relationships with other minority and women-only institutions. In addition, a main goal is to provide outreach at the K-12 level to stimulate interest in math and science.

"If our country does not maintain a high level of technical competence,"Juhas said, "we will suffer on many fronts, ranging from continued improvements in our quality of life to national defense."

She and Ohio Eminent Scholar Hamish Fraser built CAMM "from the ground up,"beginning in early 1998. The center is focused on the rapid development of structural materials using a combination of advanced computational and state-of-the-art experimental techniques. The materials under study are primarily aimed at the aerospace and automotive industries and their supplier chains.

Her previous positions include research scientist at Ohio State's Department of Materials Science and Engineering, senior research engineer and aerospace team leader at the Edison Welding Institute, and materials engineer for the Engineering Science Division at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). Juhas' work at LLNL involved the study of long-term phase stability and corrosion resistance of stainless steel canisters designed for underground storage of high level nuclear waste. In 1988 Juhas received the Association for Women in Science's Educational Award.

Juhas received her Ph.D. in materials science and engineering from Ohio State in 1989 and an M.S. in metallurgy and materials science from Carnegie Mellon University in 1980. Her undergraduate degree is in chemistry, which she received from Seton Hill College.

Center for youth reaches 46,000 in Ohio

Last academic year, Ohio State's Center for Learning Excellence (CLEX) played an important role in serving more than 46,000 at-risk Ohio youth, an impressive start for Ohio's $40 million Alternative Education Challenge Grant Program.

Created under the leadership of Gov. Bob Taft, the program was funded in July 2000 to help students who are disruptive in class, truant, suspended, expelled or court involved. According to CLEX data, the programs effectively reached the target population, with the majority of students served by intervention programs being placed for behavior that would normally lead to suspension or expulsion. Of those students, 90 percent got back on track, either returning to their regular classroom or achieving other positive results, such as graduating from high school or earning a GED.

"The program has gotten off to an excellent start during the first year,"said David W. Andrews, co-director of CLEX and dean of the College of Human Ecology. "All 127 school districts had their programs up and running and served an impressive number of at-risk students. Although we still have much to learn about how to help these kids succeed, we've taken a major step forward in having community service agencies help meet the mental health needs of troubled youth."

Andrews pointed out that in the long term, the program can help alter the way schools and communities interact on behalf of all pupils.

On Feb. 27-28, CLEX will assist the Ohio Alternative Education Advisory Council, chaired by Attorney General Betty Montgomery, in presenting the 2002 Alternative Education Summit at the Columbus Marriott North. This annual meeting offers workshops and networking for school staff from the programs, which represent more than 500 Ohio school districts. Community agencies also attend to strengthen their effectiveness in working with the schools.

CLEX co-directors Andrews and Donna Browder Evans, dean of the College of Education, will present the keynote and the closing remarks, respectively. Ray Burke of Girls and Boys Town will lead a workshop on classroom management and discipline. The agenda can be found on the Web at http://cle.osu.edu/summit.html.

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