Chemical Engineering celebrates 100 years at Ohio State

By Gina Langen, Engineering Communications

Faculty and staff of the Department of Chemical Engineering are gearing up to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the discipline of chemical engineering at Ohio State. To commemorate the milestone, faculty, students, alumni and special guests will meet at The Blackwell for the Chemical Engineering Centennial Symposium beginning at 9 a.m. April 24-25.

On April 24, invited speakers will present relevant research findings in a series of presentations focusing on unsolved problems in chemical engineering, while on April 25, special guests and alumni will offer presentations focusing on the history of the department. A banquet the evening of April 25 will close out the event.

The first chemical engineering program in the country began at MIT in 1888. Ohio State followed by establishing a Department of Chemistry in 1902, and in 1906 the first bachelor's degree in chemical engineering was awarded.

In 1924, chemical engineering became its own department and moved into newly constructed McPherson Laboratory. ChemE graduates made a significant impact in the World War II war effort as graduates of the program directed the synthetic rubber program.

Colorful faculty member Joe Koffolt was appointed chair of the department in 1948, and he oversaw the growth of the department for two decades. By the mid-1950s, space was sorely needed and plans began for a new building dedicated to chemical engineering. In 1960, Koffolt Laboratory was dedicated and later named for the department's long-time leader. Subsequent chairs of the department were Professor Al Syverson and Professor Jack Zakin, who continued to build the department into a leader in ChemE education and research.

Today, the Department of Chemical Engineering is chaired by National Academy of Engineering Fellow and noted researcher L.S. Fan. The department, with its 14 faculty members, 450 students and 3,000 alumni, continues to strive for excellence. The level of research funding per faculty has placed the department at the top among chemical engineering departments in state universities in the U.S. The department has proposed to change its name to Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, in recognition of the transformation of the chemical engineering profession to include biology as one of its science foundations. In the next 10 years, the department plans to add a new wing and fully renovate Koffolt Lab. With strong institution and alumni support, the department is poised for continued excellence for the next century.

Thandeka to deliver diversity lecture

Thandeka, theologian, minister and author of several books on development and racial identity, will deliver "Learning to be White" at 9 a.m. May 12 in the Ohio Union Conference Theater. The event is part of the President and Provost's Diversity Lecture Series.

Thandeka is an associate professor of theology and culture at Meadville/Lombard Theological School. She has taught in the philosophy department at San Francisco State University and the religion department at Williams College.

For details, contact Frank Hale Jr. at 688-4255, or visit the Web at www.osu.edu/diversity/buffer2.html.

Construction projects to impact parking

Beginning this week, work on the new recreation center that will replace Larkins Hall will impact the parking south of Cunz Hall. The construction of a new storm line to serve the building will result in a loss of 138 "A" spaces in the western half of the existing parking lot next to Cunz Hall and west of Campbell Hall. Access to the lot also will change, so drivers who normally park south of Campbell Hall should enter the lot off of 12th Avenue, and those who normally park north of Campbell should enter via Neil Avenue.

Within two weeks, the Neil Avenue garage project will begin in this same area, resulting in additional parking spaces temporarily lost (exact numbers are yet to be defined).

• In other related news, the next phase of work on the ramp project connecting state Route 315 with the OSU Medical Center will begin on April 29. As a result, about 270 "B" parking spaces will be removed permanently from the north portion of the polo lot on Cannon Drive. In addition, the entrance/exit drive into this lot at 12th Avenue will be unavailable. A new entrance/exit at 10th Avenue is planned, however, an estimated completion date has not been set.   

PMBB presents Potrykus lecture May 1

Ingo Potrykus of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH), Zurich, Switzerland, will deliver "GoldenRice -- a Humanitarian Project Meets All the Obstacles of Product Development" from 3- 4:30 p.m. May 1 in 170 Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute. Potrykus is the discoverer of GoldenRice, the grain that could save a million kids a year. His research was the subject of a TIME magazine cover story July 31, 2000.

The lecture is free and open to the public and is designed with a lay audience in mind. The Potrykus lecture is part of the Plant Molecular Biology and Biotechnology Program (PMBB) Distinguished Seminar Speaker Series, and is sponsored by the College of Biological Sciences, the Department of Plant Biology and PMBB.

For details, contact Sandi Rutkowski at 292-4759 or e-mail rutkowski.1@osu.edu.

OSU Hospitals East hosts Community Day

A Community Day will be held from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. April 26 at University Hospitals East, 1492 E. Broad St. Activities will include free health and safety information from a variety of Columbus organizations, and free health screenings, including cholesterol, blood sugar, height/weight, hearing, dental, HIV/AIDS and health counseling.

JamesCare at University Hospitals East is providing free prostate cancer screenings and clinical breast exams. Mammography screenings will be available for a modest charge and appointments are required by calling 257-2222.

In conjunction with the event, a neighborhood clean up will begin at 10 a.m. To volunteer, call 293-3737.

For details about the Community Day at University Hospitals East, call 293-5123.

Dick Davis is CWP Reading Series guest

The OSU Creative Writing Program Reading Series presents Dick Davis, coordinator of the Persian Program at Ohio State, at 7 p.m. April 24 in 311 Denney Hall. Admission is free.

Davis has a B.A. and M.A. from Cambridge University and Ph.D. from the University of Manchester in the United Kingdom. He is the author of several volumes of original poetry, including Seeing the World (Anvil Press, London, 1980, recipient of the Royal Society of Literature's 1981 Heinemann Award for a work of outstanding literary merit) and Touchwood: Poems 1991-1994 (Anvil Press, London, 1996). His many awards include the Ingram Merrill Prize for excellence in poetry and recognition from The Arts Council of Great Britain.

For details, call 292-2242.

Submissions sought for bicentennial project

Jerry Curtis, professor of French, Ohio State Newark, is seeking submissions for a book about Ohio ancestors. The publication, due out in June, will celebrate the Ohio Bicentennial through stories reflecting the state's past and the people who have made Ohio what it is today.

Curtis suggests that the stories should be about Ohioans -- not only the movers and the shakers but also those whose voices may have been neglected or forgotten.

For details, contact Curtis at curtis.53@osu.edu.

Giacconi to deliver physics lecture

Riccardo Giacconi, 2002 Nobel Prize Winner in Physics, will deliver "X-Ray Visions of the Universe" at 8 p.m. May 8 in 131 Hitchcock Hall. The 41st Annual Alpheus Smith Lecture is sponsored by the Department of Physics and the Graduate School.

Giacconi is president of Associated Universities, headquartered in Washington, D.C., that operates the National Radio Astronomy Observatory, and is a research professor at Johns Hopkins University. He won the Pulitzer for pioneering contributions to astrophysics, which led to the discovery of cosmic X-ray sources.

For details, visit the Web at www.physics.ohio-state.edu.

SCAP to present consumer affairs experts

The Society of Consumer Affairs Professionals student chapter of the College of Human Ecology will host the 2nd annual "Speaking of Success: Consumer Relations in a Changing World" lecture at 7:30 p.m. April 28 at The Blackwell.

Karen L. Eisenbach, senior vice president of marketing and education, Nationwide Retirement Solutions, will speak about changing trends in retirement needs. Anne H. Chasser, formerly with Ohio State and now commissioner for trademarks with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, will discuss how to identify and change consumer trends and relationships with a company. The free event is open to the public.

For details, contact 292-4571, or visit www.service.ohio state.edu/students/socap/calendar.html.

Service learning seed grants now available

Ohio State's Service-Learning Initiative has awarded nine new course development seed grants to faculty and community partners to integrate service learning into Ohio State courses. A limited number of additional seed grants of up to $5,000 will be awarded this summer.

Faculty interested in pursuing these grants should contact the Service-Learning Initiative at 299-5991, or visit www.service-learning.ohio-state.edu. Request for proposal and application forms are available online. The application deadline is May 15.

The new grant awards were made possible through a grant from the Corporation for National and Community Service -- Learn and Service America -- Higher Education. These awards bring the number of courses incorporating service learning to 33.

Lucey to discuss Biodefense in 2003

Daniel R. Lucey, director of the Center for Biologic Counterterrorism and Emerging Disease at Washington Hospital Center, Washington, D.C., will deliver "From Smallpox to SARS: Biodefense in 2003" April 24 in the Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute. Refreshments will be served at 4 p.m.; the presentation is from 4:30-5:30 p.m.

The lecture is part of the Ohio State Medical Center Leadership Council Speaker Series.

For details, contact Erika Reichert at 293-7151.

OSU Relay for Life takes place May 10-11

Students have planned several OSU Relay for Life activities on campus to help support the American Cancer Society, starting with a relay event from 4 p.m. May 10 to 4 p.m. May 11 at the Fred Beekman Park track. Volunteers, team members, donors and sponsors are needed. During the event team members take turns walking around the track to honor the courageous spirit of those battling cancer.

Lighted luminaria, decorated with the names of cancer survivors and those lost to cancer, will be placed around the track during an evening ceremony at 9:30 p.m.

For details, contact Kris Balasubramanian at 718-4440 or kbala@cancer.org.