University names new executive dean for the Colleges of the Arts and Sciences

Michael Hogan was appointed executive dean of the newly announced federation of the Colleges of Arts and Sciences by Ohio State's Board of Trustees at its May 30 meeting. Hogan's appointment will be effective July 1 through June 30, 2008.

The university recently announced a major administrative restructuring of the Colleges of the Arts and Sciences intended to form a consistent, collaborative and financially sound core of programs. The new federation will consist of five colleges, 41 departments and some 1,000 faculty.

Michael Hogan

"The ultimate goal of this new structure is to strengthen the Colleges of the Arts and Sciences and to enhance collaboration among the colleges to progress toward meeting the goals of the Academic Plan," said President Karen Holbrook. "Both Provost Ray and I believe that Dean Hogan is the right person to undertake this extended role, and we are extremely pleased that he is willing to focus his talent, expertise and proven leadership abilities to implement this exciting new concept."

"I strongly endorse and support Mike to lead the new federation," said Edward Ray, executive vice president and provost. "We've worked together for a number of years, and I am confident he will do an excellent job in utilizing the strengths of the existing colleges to chart a new direction for the university."

Hogan, who earned his Ph.D. from the University of Iowa, is currently the dean of the College of Humanities and has been with the university for 17 years, serving first as a professor and then chair in the Department of History. He has been dean since 1999, and also has represented the collective deans of the Colleges of the Arts and Sciences since 2001.

In addition to his teaching and administrative responsibilities, Hogan has authored or edited nine books, including The Marshall Plan: America, Britain, and the Reconstruction of Western Europe, which was recognized with the Quincy Wright Book Prize, the Stuart Bernath Book Prize, the George Louis Beer Book Prize, and the Ohio Academy Book Prize. As a teacher, he was the recipient of many honors and awards, including Ohio State's Distinguished Scholar Award. His professional service includes participating on several editorial boards, as well as service as a historical consultant for PBS and BBC-TV.

Hogan, who notes that eight of the 13 academic programs that have received special Selective Investment funding from the university are within the arts and sciences, is excited about the future. "Building the new federation represents the kind of challenge anyone would welcome," he said. "The arts and sciences constitute the academic core of this great university, and I'm very excited about working with my colleagues to move this part of the institution to the top rank."

Harlow named head of Honors and Scholars

McKay selected to lead the Collegium program

By SUSAN WITTSTOCK, onCAMPUS staff

Linda Harlow has been appointed associate provost for Honors and Scholars by Edward Ray, executive vice president and provost, and Martha Garland, vice provost and dean of undergraduate studies, subject to approval by the university's Board of Trustees at its July 11 meeting. Harlow has served as the interim associate provost since Oct. 1.

In a related appointment, Dennis McKay, professor of pharmacology, has been named as the first director of Collegium, a new program within Honors and Scholars designed to provide support to the program's highest achieving students as they prepare for post-graduate opportunities.

Linda Harlow

"Linda Harlow brings to the position a passionate dedication to undergraduate learning and a wealth of experience in the area of honors scholarship. As she has demonstrated this past year by her accomplishments in the interim role, she is well suited to the task of making Ohio State's honors and scholars program one of the best in the nation," Garland said.

Ohio State's Honors Program was created in 1985. It expanded to Honors and Scholars in 1998 to provide programming for students who fall just below the academic requirements of the original Honors Program, and now accepts nearly 2,000 incoming freshmen each year. The Collegium will begin its second year in Autumn 2003.

Under Harlow's leadership, Honors and Scholars contributed to unprecedented success for the Denman Undergraduate Research Forum. The May 14 event was the largest ever, with more than 240 undergraduates participating, and, for the first time, included a corporate luncheon held simultaneously with the forum.

"Recruitment of high-ability students is also one of the central responsibilities of the Honors and Scholars Center, and throughout this year Linda was very much involved in a collaborative effort with Undergraduate Admissions in reaching out to well-prepared students all over Ohio and nationally," Garland said. "All indications are that next year's incoming honors class will be both the biggest and the strongest in the university's history."

Harlow is currently supervising an integrated program review that includes examination of the honors program by both internal and external groups. She also spearheaded improvements to the Maximus Essay Writing Competition, an event that draws nearly 1,200 prospective high-ability students to campus to compete for merit scholarships. Under Harlow's direction, use of the Kuhn Honors and Scholars House increased this year for hosting honors courses, special events, recruitment visits, fireside chats with faculty, and meetings of honors-related organizations.

Harlow holds a Ph.D. in foreign language pedagogy and administration and an M.A. in teaching French from Purdue University, and a B.A. in French/Spanish education from Ball State University. She first came to Ohio State in 1985. An associate professor of French and Italian, she served as the director of the Undergraduate French Language Program, associate dean of Curriculum and Instruction in the College of Humanities, and the faculty supervisor of the Arts and Sciences Curriculum Office. Her research interests include foreign language pedagogy, TA training and sociopragmatics.

As director of the Collegium, McKay will be responsible for shepherding a new program designed to help gear Ohio State's best students for graduate fellowships, such as the Rhodes, Marshall or Truman scholarships.

McKay held post-doc positions at the University of Cambridge and at the Sloan-Kettering Institute for Cancer Research, and holds a Ph.D. in pharmacology and toxicology from the Medical College of Georgia and a bachelor's in biology with honors from the University of Texas, Austin. He has taught in Ohio State's College of Pharmacy since 1984.

In February, McKay was selected by members of the Mortar Board and Sphinx honors societies to receive the annual John T. and Ruth Weimer Mount Award. The award is given to individuals with a commitment to leadership, scholarship and service as well as dedication to students.

Ray expressed appreciation to the selection committee, chaired by John Demel, professor of civil and environmental engineering. "Honors is a very important part of our undergraduate program, and I am grateful that the committee members worked hard to identify strong leadership for the effort," he said.

Other committee members were: Bob Scherrer, professor and vice chair of physics; Anna Grotans, associate professor of German; Rich Jagasinski, professor of psychology and of industrial and systems engineering; Ron Kochendoerfer, director of residence education in student affairs; and Becky Tippett, a third-year honors student.

"I was pleased to find two leaders who connect so well with students," Demel said. "I've been impressed over the past year with the improvements Linda has brought to Honors and Scholars, and I'm happy to think that there will be continuity in the program. Her background in the humanities and Dennis' in the sciences should make them a wonderfully combined resource for our undergraduates."

Dan Kaser, a senior majoring in microbiology and comparative studies, began conducting research with McKay as a freshman. Kaser, who will be starting medical school at Dartmouth College in the fall, recently completed his senior thesis under McKay's direction.

"His enthusiasm for research is contagious and he really encourages students to get involved," Kaser said.

Courtesy of Horticulture and Crop Science John Street, assistant professor of horticulture and crop science, explains the Prescription Athletic Turf system in Ohio Stadium to a group of high school students and parents on campus for State Science Day 2003.

Turfgrass Science cultivates world-class image

By RANDY GAMMAGE, onCAMPUS staff

Through a combination of research, teaching and outreach, Ohio State is playing a prominent role in a turfgrass industry that generates more than $1.1 billion each year in Ohio alone.

Horticulture and crop sciences' nationally recognized Turfgrass Science Program -- a study of the use of grasses to enhance the environment -- is led by an interdepartmental team of 16 faculty and staff, and currently has 102 undergraduate majors.

Research

Stephen Myers, professor and chair of the Department of Horticulture and Crop Science, said Ohio State research benefits the turfgrass industry in many ways.

"We're working to develop plants of the future that are genetically enhanced so they are more efficient and more environmentally friendly, which means less mowing, fewer chemicals needed, and safer athletic fields," Myers said. Research also is improving plant health and the ability to withstand diseases and insects, he said.

Turfgrass research has been conducted at Ohio State since the 1930s. In the early 1960s, the undergraduate turfgrass program was developed under the guidance of Robert Miller. Soon thereafter, a comprehensive program in turfgrass research, teaching and extension at Ohio State's Columbus and Wooster campuses was developed to meet the needs of the Ohio turf industry, Myers said.

The department is planning for future growth through additional scholarships, fellowships, facility additions and program funds. After receiving a $100,000 gift to start a fund for the program's first graduate fellowship from James B. Beard, a 1957 graduate of Ohio State and president and chief scientist of the International Sports Turf Institute, the turfgrass faculty and staff and a group of volunteers from the turfgrass industry challenged themselves to raise an additional $300,000 to complete a fellowship fund, said Lynda Heyl, director of development for food, agricultural, and environmental programs.

Through pledges to the university's Campus Campaign, department faculty and staff showed their support for the turfgrass program with 100 percent participation. Alumni and industry friends responded to their requests for assistance to an extent that the fund -- the James B. and Harriet Beard Graduate Fellowship Fund in Turfgrass Physiology and Biochemistry -- currently has $408,500 in pledges, Heyl said.

Beard Fellows will conduct research to determine how turfgrass plants respond to stress factors so that more efficient cultural management systems for turfgrass can be developed, Heyl said.

Outreach

To ensure that benefits from the research-based knowledge being discovered at Ohio State reach beyond the university, the turfgrass science team is devising ways to disseminate that information at many levels, Myers said.

For example, a custom-designed Buckeye Sports Turf Program has been developed to help schools, parks and recreation departments, municipalities, colleges, universities and professional facilities manage their athletic fields. The goal of the program is to improve safety and performance for adults and youth who use recreational fields, many of whom are associated with K-12 grade schools.

OSU extension agents in Ohio will help communicate educational resources developed by the OSU turfgrass faculty, including a 10-point plan for managing soil athletic fields, newsletters, calendars, diagnostic procedures and workshops. The information is available on the Web at http://hcs.osu.edu/sportsturf/bst/index.htm.

Additionally, the turfgrass program hosts a number of annual conferences and short courses. The Athletic Field/Sports Turf Short Course 2003 attracted national experts and speakers to Ohio Stadium March 4-5, and athletic field managers from Ohio, Maryland and Tennessee assembled in Ohio Stadium earlier this year to participate in the annual Sports Turf Short Course. On Aug. 13, the OSU Turfgrass Research Field Day will be held at the Ohio Turfgrass Foundation Research and Education Center, 2710 North Star Road. Hundreds of turfgrass professionals from Ohio and surrounding states attend the annual event to learn about the ongoing research being conducted at Ohio State.

Superintendents' Korner, a Web site developed by Karl Danneberger, professor of turfgrass science, to keep Ohio golf course superintendents abreast of current topics important in the daily management of golf course turf, is reportedly receiving 40,000 visits per month. Danneberger explores a variety of topics throughout the growing season and provides information such as advice on potential pest problems for the upcoming growing season.

Teaching

Students are prepared for work in the turfgrass industry with a broad educational experience at Ohio State that includes specific course work focused in a major area of study such as biology, chemistry, microbiology, soil science, weed ecology, entomology, plant pathology or plant physiology, all of which contribute to turfgrass science, Myers said. Additionally, the college's international programs staff work extensively with the industry to place interns internationally.

From stadium groundskeepers to researchers, Ohio State horticulture and crop science graduates are having a major impact on the world of turfgrass management, Myers said.

On the research side, 2001 graduate Marc Mayer is a turf fertility researcher with TruGreen/Chemlawn in Delaware. He credits the course work and the extensive background in international golf course and professional sport field management he received while attending Ohio State -- including an internship at the Royal Mid-Surrey Golf Club in England -- for paving the way.

On the sports turf side, 1977 horticulture graduate Joe Motz is owner/president of the Motz Group, a Cincinnati-based company and international leader in stadium turfgrass design, construction and management. Their trademarked turf is evident as near as Ohio Stadium and as far away as Bruce Stadium, a soccer field in Canberra, Australia. Recognized as an international leader in the sports turf installation industry, Motz was recently awarded the National Friend of Extension Award, sponsored by Epsilon Sigma Phi, an international professional organization for extension educators.

The Turfgrass Science Program is recognized all over the world for the quality of its graduates and its pioneering research involving pesticides, development of fertilizers, management of diseases and pests, and turfgrass identification, Myers said.

"The bottom line is that plants enhance the economy, the environment and the quality of life, and grass is one of those plants," Myers said. "The Turfgrass Science Program at Ohio State is training future leaders who will work with turfgrass, discovering scientific methods to solve turfgrass problems and disseminating science-based programs to solve problems."

For details on the Department of Horticulture and Crop Science or the Turfgrass Science Program, visit the Web at hcs.osu.edu.