Ohio State's College of Law is now named for Michael E. Moritz, who donated $30 million to the college last summer.   file photo

Moritz leaves legacy of generosity

Michael E. Moritz, for whom the Ohio State College of Law was named last summer, died March 5 of complications following a car accident Feb. 23 in Naples, Fla. He was 68.

The Columbus attorney was a partner in the Columbus law firm of Baker & Hostetler and a former director of Cardinal Health Inc. He was a dual Ohio State graduate, earning a B.S. in business administration in 1958 and a law degree in 1961, graduating at the top of his class. He also was a 1951 graduate of Columbus North High School.

Moritz made the single largest gift to the University last June, a $30 million contribution to the College of Law, according to Jerry May, vice president for development. Moritz also had supported the Fisher College of Business, the Wexner Center for the Arts, the Department of Athletics and the WOSU Stations.

President Brit Kirwan expressed his "profound sadness" at Moritz's passing. "We have lost a truly exceptional friend, an exceedingly generous and caring person who made the gift of his time and talents to serve others and his extraordinary philanthropy an important priority in his life. He is a man who always stood for integrity, quality and excellence. I will always remember him for his great intellect, the principled manner by which he lived his life, and the warmth and humility that characterized his daily interactions with people. He truly was an inspiration to all who were privileged to be his friend. The legacy of his gift to Ohio State will touch the lives of people for as long as this University exists," Kirwan said.

The law school's dean, Nancy H. Rogers, said Moritz "lived the values that we seek to instill in our students.

"He cared deeply for his family. As a lawyer, he had high standards of excellence and unshakable integrity. He sought to mentor and support those who followed him in legal careers. He was an unassuming man who found joy in contributing to the lives of others. His example and his legacy will inspire future lawyers for decades to come."

Moritz's law school gift created a program that provides full tuition and a stipend for 30 students; finances leadership awards to three students each year; and establishes four endowed faculty chairs. The gift also established the Gregory H. Williams Dean's Fund for Excellence, named for the college's former dean.

Moritz is survived by his wife, Lou Ann; four children: Cathy (Dave) Presper of Columbus; Jeff (Pam) Moritz of Lakewood, Ohio; Molly (Doug) Tyger of Mason, Ohio; and Ann (Philip) Airey of Winnetka, Ill; and 11 grandchildren.

Notables

OSU couple to receive top international prize

Two of Ohio State's most decorated faculty are the recipients of a top international award. At a ceremony next month, Ohio State professors Lonnie Thompson and Ellen Mosley-Thompson will receive the 2002 Common Wealth Award of Distinguished Service for science and invention. For the past quarter-century, the researchers have produced a detailed archive of Earth's ancient climate records and have offered compelling evidence of global warming.

The two will share a $250,000 prize with actress Julie Andrews, honored for dramatic arts; author Carlos Fuentes, for literature; former U.S. Senate majority leader and peace mediator George Mitchell; and host of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood Fred Rogers. The Common Wealth Awards of Distinguished Service have been presented annually since 1979 to individuals of international renown who have enriched and advanced humanity through their exceptional lifetime achievements.

Ohio State project wins national award

An Ohio State project to help Head Start teachers apply technology in their classrooms has received a 2001 National Telecommunications Partnership Award from the SBC Foundation and Partners in Education.

The Technology Helping Educators (THE) Consortium project is based at the College of Education's Center for Special Needs Populations in Columbus. It seeks to improve the quality of early childhood teacher education programs by enhancing Head Start teachers' academic opportunities through increased exposure to and use of technology in authentic and culturally relevant contexts.

At the heart of the THE Consortium project are 12 Head Start agencies in three states. Ohio State has seven partners.

THE Consortium project is one of 18 partnerships honored for their innovative collaborative efforts to provide technology access and education to underserved communities.

The SBC Foundation is the philanthropic arm of SBC Communications Inc.

Sociology faculty make mark in top journal

Three faculty members in the Department of Sociology will have articles published in the American Sociological Review -- the top journal in the discipline -- in the February or April issues. This significant accomplishment highlights the superior work and productivity of the department's faculty, said Toby Parcel, chair and professor of sociology.

The success has been shared by the department's graduate students, who are heavily involved in research with the faculty: Two of the three articles have current or former doctoral students as co-authors.

Parcel said the recent success in the ASR underscores the results of a study of faculty productivity conducted last year by a University of Iowa professor. The study found that Ohio State ranked first in the nation in the number of articles published in the three leading sociology journals -- the ASR, the American Journal of Sociology and Social Forces.

The Ohio State authors and their papers that will appear in ASR in the next two issues are: Douglas Downey, associate professor, and James Ainsworth-Darnell, former Ph.D. student, "The Search for Oppositional Culture Among Black Students"; David Jacobs, professor, and Jason Carmichael, doctoral student, "The Political Sociology of the Death Penalty: A Pooled Time-Series Analysis"; and Pamela Paxton, assistant professor, "Social Capital and Democracy: An Interdependent Relationship."

Sterrett recognized for Crime Stoppers program

Steve Sterrett, community relations director for Campus Partners, is the recent recipient of the Central Ohio Crime Stoppers Citizen of the Year Award for his work in creating a University Area Crime Stoppers program. The OSU Crime Stoppers is the first at a Big Ten university.

OSU Crime Stoppers grew out of concern generated by several robberies in the University District neighborhood during 2000. Sterrett worked throughout 2001 -- assisted by University Police Officer Dennis Hollern and Columbus Police Detective Tom Randall -- to get it organized, form a board, develop media partnerships and work out other administrative details. So far, the program has sought information and received tips about the disappearance and death of student Christopher Gerspacher, area arsons and a graffiti crime.

Rogers to receive dispute resolution award

Nancy Rogers, dean of the Moritz College of Law, has been chosen to receive the D'Alemberte/Raven Award from the American Bar Association Section of Dispute Resolution. The award was created to recognize outstanding service in dispute resolution and is named in honor of former ABA presidents Robert D. Raven and Talbot S. ("Sandy") D'Alemberte.

Rogers has been an active proponent of mediation. She recently served as conference reporter for the Uniform Mediation Act, and was the faculty coordinator for the research and drafting support of the ABA Section on Dispute Resolution when the section met jointly with the National Conference Drafting Committee.

For much of her 20-year teaching career, Rogers served as vice provost at Ohio State and associate dean of academic affairs at the Moritz College of Law.

Education dean leads group helping urban schools

Donna Browder Evans, dean of the College of Education, has been named chair of the Council of the Great City Colleges of Education, a group of deans from 75 universities nationwide collaborating with urban school leaders to improve public education in America's big-city schools.

The deans group is an affiliate of the Council of the Great City Schools (CGCS), a coalition representing the nation's largest urban public school systems. When it was formed 10 years ago, the Great City Colleges of Education became the country's first network of institutions representing elementary, secondary and higher education working solely to improve urban schools.

In addition to serving as a dean at Ohio State and other institutions, Evans has been a classroom teacher, guidance counselor and mathematics teacher in the Columbus Public Schools.

Ballam, Geldin recognized by YWCA

Deborah A. Ballam, professor of legal environment of business in the Fisher College of Business, and Sherri Geldin, director of the Wexner Center for the Arts, have been selected to receive a YWCA Women of Achievement Award. Seven women were selected for their impact on the lives of women and minorities in Columbus.

Recipients have demonstrated their commitment to the YWCA vision of empowering women and the elimination of racism, an ongoing effort to give back to the community, respect as a role model for expanding horizons for women in their work and community, an exceptional commitment to mentoring other women and helping them achieve goals, and a persistence in goals that benefit others.

Knoell awarded individual career research award

Daren Knoell, associate professor of pharmacy and director of the Dorothy M. Davis Heart & Lung Research Institute's Lung Cell Isolation Program, has been awarded an Individual Career Research Award from the Department of Health and Human Services.

Through Knoell's research at the lung cell bank, a team of collaborators at the HLRI are examining why asymptomatic HIV positive patients that smoke develop emphysema at an accelerated rate compared to the rest of the smoking population. Knoell will receive over $600,000 over the next five years to fund this research.

Cancer scientist wins prestigious designation

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society has awarded one of its coveted career development awards to Christopher Plass, an expert in cancer genetics at Ohio State's Comprehensive Cancer Center (OSUCCC). The award, designating Plass a Society Scholar, is designed to support young scientists who have attracted funding from national sources and who have already made a substantial contribution to the field of research in blood-related cancers.

The designation carries with it salary support of $100,000 per year for five years to encourage recipients to continue their efforts. The award was given to 10 researchers internationally this year.

Plass, a member of the OSUCCC's Molecular Biology and Cancer Genetics Program, is internationally known for his work identifying gene methylation patterns specific to certain kinds of cancers.

Scientist named General Motors cancer research scholar

A young research scientist who says she was a terrible chemistry student in high school has been named one of the 10 most promising young scholars in the country by the General Motors Cancer Research Foundation. Susan P. Whittman, a biochemist in Ohio State's Comprehensive Cancer Center, will receive $100,000 over the next two years to support her work in leukemia research.

Whitman works closely with Michael Caliguri, associate director for clinical research at the OSUCCC, in trying to understand the genetics and biology underlying acute myeloid leukemia (AML), a type of blood cell cancer.