Annual USAC staff pep rally is Sept. 14

Staff will be treated to free food, music and prizes at a pep rally hosted by the University Staff Advisory Committee (USAC) from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sept. 14 at Ohio Stadium's southeast plaza, off of Larkins Circle. The first 1,000 fans to arrive will receive Block O lapel pins. The Ohio State Pep Band and Buckeye cheerleaders will be on hand to share in the team spirit, and Brutus Buckeye will be available for photographs with staff for a $2 donation.

For more information, call the USAC Action Line at 688-USAC or visit the Web at www.osu.edu/org/usac/.

Campaign to raise Heart Hospital funds

The University Medical Center and Head Football Coach Jim Tressel have jointly announced a partnership with The Kroger Co. to launch a public awareness and fund-raising campaign supporting the development of the Richard M. Ross Heart Hospital and raising awareness of heart disease.

The campaign, which kicks off on Sept. 2 and runs through November, will raise $100,000 for construction of the Ross Heart Hospital. Beginning Sept. 16, OSU employees and Kroger shoppers will be encouraged to"Wear your heart on your sleeve" by purchasing a 2001 Season Collector's pin and commemorative card for $1.99 to show support for the hospital. The pin and card, which include Tressel's signature, photo and the 2001 football schedule, will be sold in Kroger stores throughout central Ohio. All proceeds benefit the Heart Hospital.

Calvin and Hobbes comics on display

The artwork of Bill Watterson and other virtuoso cartoonists will be on display this fall for exhibits held in conjunction with Ohio State's 2001 Festival of Cartoon Art. Calvin and Hobbes: Sunday Pages 1985-1995 will be displayed Sept. 10 through Jan. 15, 2002, in the reading room gallery of the Cartoon Research Library, 27 W. 17th Ave. Mall. Historic Virtuoso Cartoonists will show Aug. 26-Sept. 30 at the Columbus Cultural Arts Center, 139 W. Main St.

The seventh triennial festival of cartoon art forum will be held Sept. 28-29 on the Columbus campus. For more information, call 292-0538 or e-mail cartoons@osu.edu.

Volunteers needed for Welcome Week

Faculty and staff volunteers are needed to fill a variety of roles for this year's Welcome Week activities, Sept. 16-23.

Volunteer opportunities are available in Community Commitment; Campus Locator Services (help people find their way around on the first two days of classes); Buckeye Book Baggers (at area bookstores on the first day of class); and Buckeye Pride Patrol (University and community volunteers promote off-campus safety and responsible celebrating).

The deadline to register is Aug. 31. For details or to volunteer, contact Emily Perlow at 292-8763 or welcomeweek@osu.edu, or visit the Web at www.osu.edu/welcome-week.

Distance learning grants available

Distance Learning Research grants ranging from up to $20,000 to $100,000 are being funded through the Ohio Board of Regents and the Ohio Learning Network, and coordinated by Kent State University's Research Center for Educational Technology (RCET). The grants are being developed to support research that will inform and guide distance learning practices in Ohio's higher education institutions. The request for proposals is available at www.rcet.org. The proposal deadline is Sept. 7, with notification of awards set for Sept. 19.

Reviewers also are being sought with knowledge of distance education to review the grant proposals.

For details, contact Elizabeth Pryor, interim director, Research Center for Educational Technology, Kent State University, at (330) 672-0611 or egpryor@kent.edu.

Faculty orientation to be held Sept. 10

New faculty members are invited to attend an orientation session from 8:15 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 10 at the Fawcett Center. Faculty who joined Ohio State during the past academic year and have not yet attended orientation are invited to attend.

Sessions will include presentations by University Libraries and the offices of Research, Human Resources, Information Technology and University Outreach.

Registration is requested by Aug. 30. For details, contact Molly Davis, Office of Academic Affairs, at 292-5881 or davis.436@osu.edu.

4-H fund-raiser to honor Mount, Kroger

John Mount, a longtime administrator at Ohio State with more than 60 years of involvement in 4-H programs, and the Kroger Co. will be honored at a Sept. 14 fund-raiser for the Ohio 4-H Foundation."Celebration of Youth -- An Evening of Food for Thought" will be held at 5:30 p.m. at the Makoy Center in Hilliard.

Mount played a key role in the development of the 4-H International and Junior Leadership programs, and established his own endowment fund to help encourage and reward college-level 4-H participants. Kroger has supported 4-H for more than 45 years.

Activities include a silent auction, dinner and entertainment, and proceeds will help support Ohio 4-H programs at the county, district and state levels.

For individual or group reservations, contact the 4-H Foundation at 292-6943.

Experts needed for new speakers bureau

The Office of Student Activities and Campus Programs is organizing a new Campus Speakers Bureau that will serve as a referral service for student organizations looking for faculty or staff speakers who have expertise in a particular topic. The information will be compiled and released at the beginning of fall quarter.

For details or to volunteer as a speaker, e-mail Jen Kapostasy at kapostasy.2@osu.edu.

Summit Street bridge temporarily closed

The Ohio Department of Transportation is closing the Summit Street bridge at Iuka Road until Oct. 13 to begin construction on a new bridge. Local traffic will be directed west on Lane Avenue, south on Indianola Avenue amd east on 18th Avenue back to Summit. Through traffic is directed to use Hudson Avenue to I-71 south to Fifth Avenue, and back to Summit Street. When the bridge reopens, it will be restricted to two lanes of traffic until the project is completed in November.

For details, call Michelle May at 644-8309 or Joel Hunt at 644-6584, or visit www.dot.state.oh.us.

Stone Lab hosts open house, cleanup

Ohio State's Stone Laboratory is helping to sponsor two of the many activities taking place during the Ohio Lake Erie Commission's Coastweeks, Aug. 25-Sept. 23. Activities are:

• Aug. 25, Great Island Tour and Open House 2001. Enjoy tours of Stone Laboratory and South Bass and Gibraltar Islands, and learn about Lake Erie ecosystems. For details, contact Bonita Cordi at 292-8949 or cordi.2@osu.edu.

• Sept. 17, 10th Annual Put-in-Bay Underwater Cleanup. Land volunteers and divers join to clean up Put-in-Bay. Free ferry service and refreshments will be provided. For details, contact Cherie Blair at (419) 373-3010 or cherie.blair@epa.state.oh.us.

Bicentennial grant applications sought

Project proposals that best serve to promote higher education during the Ohio Bicentennial may be eligible for grants of $5,000 to $10,000. The Bicentennial Commission is expected to select grant winners by Oct. 1.

To apply, review the grant guidelines posted on the Ohio Bicentennial Web site at www.ohio200.com, and submit a proposal by Sept. 18 to Janet Sanfilippo, director of University Outreach, 5064 Smith Laboratories.

For details, contact Sanfilippo at 688-4615 or sanfilippo.6@osu.edu, or Barbara Millisor at 688-3041 or millisor.1@osu.edu.

FTAD offers TA training sessions

The Office of Faculty and Teaching Associate Development is hosting several training opportunities for teaching associates.

An International Teaching Associate Workshop on Sept. 10 and 11 will focus on the specific concerns and needs of international TAs in the U.S. classroom; a Universitywide workshop for all new and returning TAs will be held on Sept. 11-13; and a reception and resource fair will be held from 3 to 5 p.m. Sept. 13 in the West Ballroom of the Ohio Union.

Registration is free. To register or for details, contact 292-3644 or ftad@osu.edu, or visit the Web at www.osu.edu/education/ftad.

TELR conference seeks proposals

Technology Enhanced Learning and Research (TELR) will host its third annual conference, Illuminating Learning with Technology, Nov. 1-3 on the Ohio State campus. Proposals are being accepted through Sept. 15 in the following tracks: Getting Started in Technology Enhanced Learning; Going Further in Technology Enhanced Learning; Supporting Technology Enhanced Learning; and Sharing Expertise (ÒAsk the Expert" poster sessions). Presentations should highlight principles, ideas and understanding of teaching practices and how they combine with technology.

For details, visit http://telr.ohio-state.edu/conferences/2001.

JamesCare for Life hosts two sessions

The JamesCare for Life Program is presenting a special summer session,"Strength for Living," from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Aug. 28 at the Worthington Senior Center-Griswold Center, 777 High Street. Patients and their family members are invited to learn more about symptom management and maximizing energy for normal summer and recreational activities during and after cancer. Advance registration is required.

• ÒManaging Menopausal Symptoms" will be held from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Sept. 12 at 518A James Auditorium. The guest speaker is Cynthia Beth Evans, professor of obstetrics and gynecology.

Both classes are free and open to the public. To register or for details, call 293-6428.

Date changed for staff exhibit reception

The date has changed for the opening reception for the Annual Staff Arts and Crafts Exhibit, which will be held from Sept. 10 to Oct. 26 in Bricker Hall. The reception will be from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sept. 10.

Faculty, Lowe's team up for workshops

Ohio State faculty members will lead workshops on Universal Design and Home Modification at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Sept. 15 at the Lowe's Home Improvement Warehouse in Hilliard, 3600 Park Mill Run Drive.

Christine Price, aging specialist with OSU Extension and assistant professor of human development and family science, and Becky Bell, OSU Extension in Franklin County, will lead the workshops. The workshops are part of a larger Universal Design and Adaptive Equipment project supported by a $10,000 grant from OSU CARES and a $5,000 Service Learning Initiative grant.

For details, contact Price at 292-4753 or price.121@osu.edu.

Staff nurse referral bonus offered

Staff, faculty or students at Ohio State can earn a $4,000 bonus by referring a candidate for a staff nurse position at OSU Medical Center between now and Oct. 31. The person applying must be hired into a regular (50 percent or higher) staff nurse position and agree to start working before Dec. 31. If the referral is hired, referring employees/students will receive half of the bonus 30 days after he/she begins, and the other half after 90 days. Referring employees/students must be identified on applications.

For details, call 293-3608.

OSU East to offer free cancer screenings

Regional Oncology Services at University Hospitals East is offering free prostate cancer screenings from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sept. 12 at the hospital, 1492 E. Broad St. The screenings are for men 40 years and older. No appointment is needed.

For details, call 257-2084.