Honoring a Legend

Photos by Emily Caldwell Ohio State dedicated the Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium on May 5, during the 17th-annual Jesse Owens Track Classic. The stadium is named in honor of Jesse Owens, the Ohio State and U.S. track legend. In the opening ceremonies of the meet, below, President Brit Kirwan, Athletics Director Andy Geiger and Marlene Rankin, Owens' daughter, cut the ceremonial red ribbon to dedicate the stadium. See a complete story online at http://ohiostatebuckeyes.fansonly.com/sports/c-track/recaps/050502aaa.html.

Students in Social Work outreach program are college bound

Kathy Irvin has spent the last few summers working and studying on Ohio State's campus while many other students in Columbus are taking the summer off. Not bad, considering she is a freshman this year at Columbus' Centennial High School.

Irvin has come to campus each summer as a part of Ohio State's College Bound Summer Institute program, an outreach component of the College of Social Work. She said her experiences have left a lasting impression and have given her a glimpse of University life.

"It was neat to see the students because I felt like I was a part of the University even though I wasn't yet," Irvin said.

Marcus Ross is the director of community relations for Ohio State's College Bound program, now in its seventh year. He said the program gives 6- to 12-year-old students the chance to learn firsthand the importance of a college education. In this academic program, parents specifically request which areas of study they want their children to learn. The College Bound students also are introduced to Ohio State scholars, athletes and University facilities to show them various aspects of college life.

The program, which runs from June 10 to Aug. 16, includes about 100 student participants instructed by 30 support staff. Parents can sign up their children for a one-week, eight-week or 10-week term.

For years, Irvin has taken part in Ohio State's College Bound program, first as a student and then as a counselor. "One thing I liked about the College Bound program was that it focused a lot on academics but included athletic activities," she said. "It also really got the parents involved."

Irvin, who plans to become an elementary school teacher, said the experience as a counselor has reaffirmed her decision to work with young children.

"Last year helped me because I got to work with different children and to figure out what age group I like working with best," Irvin said.

Kemba Nzinga, who has worked as a program coordinator for College Bound since its inception, said the idea behind the program is to give parents ownership over their children's educational experiences. "We found that the parents knew what they wanted to have their children focus on academically for the summer," Nzinga said. "The parents also seem to like that the students are exposed to the environment of a college atmosphere at such a young age."

During the course of the program, students work in the morning with support staff on their academic subjects in a classroom and computer lab. Weekly progress reports are given to the parents, and student and parental feedback is expected each week. In the afternoon, the students take part in recreational activities, including golf, music and basketball. College Bound includes trips to various academic departments so the students are introduced to many professional career paths. It also includes field trips to Columbus attractions, such as COSI, the Columbus Zoo and Wyandot Lake.

"Along with their experiences with the environment, students are learning about their options for the future," Nzinga said. "I think there is a tie between what young people see and what they pursue later."

The College Bound staff has tried to shape the program based on parental feedback, Nzinga said. "This program is designed to satisfy both the parents and the students," she said.

Jill Irvin, Kathy Irvin's mother and an assistant director of campus dining services, said her younger daughter, Lisa, is signed up to attend for the second year in a row.

Jill Irvin said she likes that the program blends academic stimulation with recreational opportunities. "I think there is enough focus on academics and athletics so they can enjoy their experience," she said. "Any time you can make children comfortable, then I think there is a greater likelihood that they will go to college in the future."

As a parent, she said she is impressed with the College Bound program. "I decided to send my daughters to the program because it gave them the opportunity to be active for the summer," she said. "In some ways, they are learning this University better than I know it. Just knowing that your children are engaged for the summer in a safe setting is a great feeling."

To learn more about the College Bound program or to receive an application, call 688-5661 or visit www.csw.ohio-state.edu/collegeb.

Ross is a champion for children

A former assistant prosecutor for the city attorney's office in Columbus has left the courtroom behind to focus on improving the quality of education for young children.

Marcus Ross, who was raised in Columbus, now serves as the director of community relations for the College Bound Summer Institute program at Ohio State. He believes the program is a key for creating the desire in young students to pursue a college education.

College Bound is an outreach component of the College of Social Work. "The College Bound program helps to make the University's resources accessible to the community at large," Ross said. "It turns the lights on for children and gives the parents greater control over the learning process. In addition to giving young people this experience, the College Bound program allows children to facilitate critical thinking in a classroom setting."

Ross, who served in the prosecutor's office for more than three years, got involved with College Bound about a year ago. His interest in the program stems from his years of involvement with the Columbus community.

"Columbus is my home and I intend to make a difference here," Ross said. "I believe that the growth of this city is contingent on people trying to make a difference in the community."

Diversity Lecture Series
	Leonard Dinnerstein, professor of history at the University of Arizona, delivers "Primary Issues Facing Jewish Americans" May 15 in the final installment of this year's President and Provost's Diversity Lecture Series.   By Nathan Robinson

Notables

Bush appoints Growick to U.S. ADA board

Bruce Growick, associate professor of physical activity and educational services in the College of Education, has been appointed by President Bush to the U.S. Access Board for a four-year term expiring in December 2005. The Access Board oversees the national implementation of the Americans with Disabilities Act, passed in 1990.

Growick will work with the U.S. Department of Justice and other federal agencies to make sure that the architectural and transportation requirements of ADA are being met. This appointment represents the highest level of recognition in the field of rehabilitation.

French government honors Curtis

Jerry Curtis, associate professor of French and Italian at Ohio State Newark, was recently awarded the Palmes acadŽmiques (Academic Palms), one of the oldest distinctions given by the French Government, for his scholarly dedication to the life and works of Burgundian novelist, playwright and poet Lucette Desvignes.

Conferred by Monsieur Roland Celette, cultural attachŽ of the French Embassy in Washington, D.C., Curtis was presented with a diploma issued by the minister of national education of the French Republic as decreed by the prime minister and named to the Order of the Academic Palms Ñ a coveted fraternity of knights, officers and commanders recognized as "The Purple Legion."

Curtis has written and edited several books about Desvignes. He serves as the director of the Center for Studies on Lucette Desvignes, archivist of the Lucette Desvignes Reading Room, as well as editor and publisher of the scholarly journal Studies on Lucette Desvignes and the Twentieth Century. Curtis spent a sabbatical in 1999 in France, working with Desvignes to complete research that will be published in a forthcoming biography.

Pastore receives sport management award

Donna Pastore, associate professor of sport and exercise science, has been named the recipient of the 2002 Dr. Earle F. Zeigler Lecture Award by the North American Society for Sport Management (NASSM). Pastore will deliver a scholarly lecture at the 2002 NASSM Conference June 1 in Canmore, Alberta, Canada. Subsequently, the lecture will be printed in the Journal of Sport Management.

Pastore's primary areas of expertise are gender issues and human resources. A former president of the National Association of Women In Sport, Pastore has served NASSM in multiple roles.

Schaal receives physician award

Stephan F. Schaal, a cardiologist at the Medical Center, was recognized recently as the sixth annual recipient of the Earl N. Metz Distinguished Physician Award. The award was presented by Metz, the first recipient of the Distinguished Physician Award.

Recipients of the Metz Award are chosen by the faculty of the Department of Internal Medicine. Each year, they honor a physician who best represents the words of Francis Weld Peabody, who, in 1923, delivered a lecture stating "the secret of the care of the patient is in caring for the patient."

Schaal has served as professor of medicine since 1981 in the College of Medicine and Public Health.

First novel attracts German accolades

Gregor Hens, associate professor of Germanic languages and literatures, has written a novel that is receiving positive press reaction in Germany. Himmelssturz, which translates to Falling from the Sky, is Hens' first novel. The novel is narrated by a German-American professor whose perfect marriage is called into question when he and his spouse employ an architect to build them a unique house.

Press reports have called Hens a "distinct voice of his generation" and describe his writing as "clear, hard, concise and highly poetic." Hens was born in Cologne, Germany, in 1965 and moved to the United States in 1989.

Medical Center reaches transplant milestone

A milestone was reached recently at Ohio State's Medical Center when medical staff performed the program's 4,000th abdominal organ transplant. The transplant was a kidney donated by a woman to her ailing sister. Both are from the Springfield area. Ohio State's program consistently has been one of the busiest organ transplant centers in the country during the past several years, with annual volumes averaging close to 300 transplants per year.

Cancer scientist wins prestigious recognition

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society has awarded one of its coveted career development awards to Christoph 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 only 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 cancer. Methylation is a normal chemical process that helps cells regulate when certain genes are "turned off" or "on."

TeleCon award salutes OSU megaconferences

Robert Dixon, chief research engineer for the Office of the CIO and for OARNet, has announced that the telecommunications' industry-wide prestigious TeleCon Award has been presented to Internet2 Megaconferences for innovative uses of videoconferencing technology. Dixon, the organizer of the megaconferences, submitted an application for the award last September. Awards were made to the individuals and organizations that demonstrated the best products, applications and services for collaboration, conferencing and e-learning.

The megaconferences draw participants from around the world who describe and demonstrate how they make use of Internet2 videoconferencing technology; these demonstrations have ranged from a description of life under the ice in Antarctica, to hula dancers from Hawaii, to a distance learning classroom in Uganda.

James physician named top doctor for women

An internationally known expert in gynecologic malignancies at the Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute has been selected by the Ladies Home Journal as one of America's "Top Doctors for Women." Larry Copeland, chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, is one of 254 physicians selected among specialists in three women's health fields: obstetrics and gynecology, gynecologic oncology and breast cancer. The magazine listed the physicians by geographic region; Copeland was one of only 15 experts in gynecologic cancer in the 13-state northeast region and the only one from central Ohio. The Ladies Home Journal list is derived from a survey of thousands of board-certified physicians nationwide who reviewed the education and training of leaders in specialty areas.

Copeland holds the William Greenville Pace III and Joann Norris Collins-Pace Chair for Cancer Research.

Dean appointed to Everglades committee

F. Dominic Dottavio, dean and director of Ohio State Marion, has been tapped to play an integral role in monitoring the largest ecosystem restoration project ever attempted in the Florida Everglades. Dottavio has spent the last nine years at Ohio State Marion managing educational resources, but it is his "vast knowledge of environmental resources policy issues" that led to his appointment to a National Academy of Sciences' Everglades restoration review committee. Dottavio will serve on the 12-member Committee on Restoration of the Greater Everglades Ecosystem (CROGEE) to review the Critical Ecosystems' Science Initiative (CESI).

Dottavio has served since 1993 as dean and director of Ohio State Marion, where he also holds an appointment as professor of natural resources. Prior to his arrival at Ohio State, he was the chief scientist and assistant regional director of the National Park Service in Atlanta, where he was responsible for the scientific and natural resource management activities in 58 parks.

Scientist chairs NIH vaccine study section

Pravin Kaumaya, cancer researcher in the Ohio State Comprehensive Cancer Center's Immunology Program, has been chosen to lead the newly chartered Vaccine Study Section of the National Institutes of Health. The study section was installed in 1998 to meet the increasing demand for the development of new vaccines and meets several times a year to review hundreds of proposals aimed at preventing the spread of infectious diseases directed at viral, retroviral, bacterial and parasitic agents, including HIV and some cancers. Kaumaya has served as a regular member of this special emphasis panel since its institution.

Kaumaya is a professor of obstetrics and gynecology, microbiology, and molecular and cellular biochemistry.

Texas Instruments honors faculty

Texas Instruments, the leader in hand-held educational technology, recently announced the creation of the Demana-Waits Scholarship for Future Teachers. The award is named for Ohio State faculty emeriti of mathematics Frank Demana and Bert Waits. Demana and Waits led the early use of hand-held educational technology at Ohio State and co-founded T3: Teachers Teaching with Technology, one of the world's leading professional development organizations for teachers.

The annual scholarships of two $10,000 awards, which were announced at the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics 80th Annual Meeting, will be available for students who plan to pursue a career of teaching mathematics.