Andersen, Royster named University Distinguished Lecturers

By MOLLY DAVIS, Academic Affairs

President Karen Holbrook and Executive Vice President and Provost Ed Ray recently announced next year's University Distinguished Lecturers: Barbara Andersen, professor of psychology and of obstetrics and gynecology; and Jacqueline Jones Royster, professor of English and senior associate dean for research and faculty affairs in the College of Humanities. Both faculty members will present their lectures during the 2003-04 academic year.

The University Distinguished Lecture Series was inaugurated in 1996 as one of the University's highest honors for a senior faculty member. The lectureship is awarded in recognition of outstanding academic achievement, particularly, but not exclusively, in research, scholarship or creative activity. A subcommittee of the President's and Provost's Advisory Committee, comprised of Distinguished University Professors and Ohio Eminent Scholars, reviews universitywide nominations and makes recommendations to the president and provost. The Office of Academic Affairs presents an award of $5,000 to each lecturer to designate for a purpose that promotes the academic goals of the individual's college and/or of the university.

Barbara Andersen

"Barbara Andersen is an individual who is recognized internationally for her outstanding and pioneering contributions to the field of psychosocial cancer research," wrote Francis J. Keefe, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Duke University Medical Center. "In the early 1980s, Barbara was one of the first psychologists to study how women adjust to gynecologic cancer .... Overall, her programmatic research is outstanding and serves as the gold standard against which others can be compared," Keefe wrote.

Barbara Andersen

Susan Folkman, professor of medicine and director of the Osher Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of California at San Francisco, wrote:"Medical educators are just beginning to respond to the public demand for more humane medical care. Work such as Professor Andersen's is invaluable in these efforts. Just yesterday the chief of neurosurgery at UCSF called me to talk about some conversations he and I had each had with the widower of a cancer patient. This man kept a detailed log of his wife's experience during treatment. In reading this log, the neurosurgeon said that he was shocked at the huge impact his actions -- which he often deemed trivial -- had on this woman's psychological well-being. He wants to draw on research in this area to initiate an intervention with physicians to increase their sensitivity to the psychological impact of their practices. Medicine is waking up to the fact that psychological well-being is not a trivial outcome of cancer treatments. Professor Andersen's work will help lead the way to interventions of this sort for diverse cancer populations."

The Department of Psychology's nominators, Timothy Brock, professor and chair of the awards committee; and Professor and Department Chair Gifford Weary commended the importance and excellence of Andersen's research, and her outstanding record of graduate education and service during her tenure at Ohio State. Andersen received her bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees in clinical psychology from the University of Illinois and joined Ohio State's faculty in 1989. Her publications include three books and more than 125 empirical and scholarly articles. In 2000, she received Ohio State's Distinguished Scholar Award.

"This is a wonderful and very unique honor," Andersen said. "It is also a tribute to the patients, graduate students, staff and my oncology and psychology colleagues who have breathed life into our cancer research. The story of living with cancer is an important one."

Jacqueline Jones Royster

Jacqueline Jones Royster is "nationally known for her ability to give knock-out, engaging speeches," wrote nominator Valerie Lee, chair of the Department of English. Royster has served as the director of the Conference on College Composition and Communication, the country's largest consortium for composition and rhetoric.

Jacqueline Jones Royster

She is the author, editor or consultant for five books, about 50 articles and reviews and has delivered more than 60 invited keynote addresses and lectures. Her book Traces of a Stream: Literacy and Social Change among African American Women won the prestigious MLA Mina P. Shaughnessy Prize for Best Book in the Teaching of English. And, her article, "History in the Spaces Left: African American Presence and Narratives of Composition Studies," won the Braddock Award for best article in College Composition and Communication in 2001.

Andrea A. Lunsford, former Ohio State professor of English who is professor of English and director of the Program in Writing and Rhetoric at Stanford University, wrote: "It is no exaggeration to say that Jacqueline Jones Royster is one of the most deeply respected scholars in rhetoric and writing studies today ... Jackie is at once very demanding and very encouraging, and her students fairly flower before this dual gift.

"One of Jackie's greatest strengths is her ability to engage others. Let me offer one concrete example: a few years ago, Jackie was invited to give one of two keynote addresses at the Rhetoric Society of America conference, which draws a large and diverse group of scholars from English, classics, communications and philosophy. The first keynote speaker, arguably the most distinguished scholar of classical rhetoric in the country, delivered a fine talk, met with appreciation, loud applause and a lively question and answer session. 'Hard act to follow,' I thought to myself, glad that I was not the second speaker. Jackie took the microphone late in the second day of the conference; participants were noticeably tired. Then she started speaking slowly and artfully about ‘Sarah,' the young African woman aboard the Amistad, and she went on to carry out the stunning rhetorical analysis of the role literacy played in this woman's life. I was sitting near the back of the large room, and I could feel the energy rise; it felt at times as if an electric current were running from row to row. At the conclusion of this speech, Jackie received the only standing ovation I have ever witnessed in 25 years of attending these meetings, and I dare say every person in the audience remembers this talk as vividly as I do today."

Royster received her bachelor's degree from Spelman College and her master's degree and doctorate in English Language from the University of Michigan. She joined Ohio State's faculty in 1992 as an associate professor and director of the University Writing Center.

Royster will present her lecture during spring quarter 2004. "I am deeply honored by the award and pleased to have been selected," she said.

University Staff Advisory Committee prepares for new year

Doug Lance will start July 1 as the 2003-04 USAC chair

By SUSAN WITTSTOCK, onCAMPUS staff

As outgoing chair of the University Staff Advisory Committee (USAC), Robert Meier had a few words of advice for current and incoming members at a recognition breakfast held June 12 at the Blackwell.

"Serve the university by serving staff, but remember that the university serves the students," he said.

'I envision that we'll gather impetus and force in evaluating and working with the Office of Human Resources in the area of performance management. It's very difficult to have a merit-based raise if people have not been evaluated.' -- Doug Lance

Meier, director of the University Faculty and Staff Assistance Program, also encouraged USAC members to learn about the university from top to bottom and use that knowledge to pay back the university. "Help OSU leadership understand how important this effort is to the university," he said.

President Karen Holbrook expressed her appreciation to USAC members for their advice during her first year as president. "I value the productive partnership between USAC and the administration," she said.

Holbrook mentioned a few of USAC's accomplishments for 2002-03, noting that the group had an excellent Staff Compensation and Benefits Committee report, regularly interacted with University Senate and senate committees, held a number of outreach events and led staff in a letter-writing campaign to state legislators regarding the university's budget.

"You did all this while performing other duties on campus at the same time," Holbrook said. "Next year is going to be another challenging year, but I think we all remain committed to this institution."

When Meier's successor, Doug Lance, takes office on July 1, he will be USAC's first chair employed at a regional campus. Lance has been program coordinator for hospitality management in the Department of Consumer and Textiles Science at Ohio State Lima since 1999.

Prior to Ohio State, Lance had worked for 17 years in the hotel industry. In 1990, he came to the university as an adjunct lecturer in the Department of Human Nutrition and Food Management, and was appointed as the internship coordinator for his department in 1994. Lance's wife, Anne Smith, is an associate professor and director of the Didactic Program in Dietetics in the Department of Human Nutrition.

One of USAC's top priorities for next year will be performance management, Lance said. "I envision that we'll gather impetus and force in evaluating and working with the Office of Human Resources in the area of performance management," he said. "It's very difficult to have a merit-based raise if people have not been evaluated."

Lance also hopes to help USAC improve communication with staff by using technology, such as a more dynamic Web site (http://usac.osu.edu), to get the word out on USAC projects and help generate feedback from staff. USAC has traditionally solicited input through surveys handed out at its fall pep rally, winter Hidden Benefits Fair, listen sessions and town meetings, as well as through comments collected through the USAC action line (688-USAC) and an e-mail list-serve (usac@osu.edu).

USAC members will continue to serve on universitywide and senate committees. Currently, USAC members or USAC appointees serve on a number of University Senate committees, including the Council on Enrollment and Student Progress, Government Relations Committee, Athletic Council, Council on Student Affairs, Diversity Committee, Fiscal Committee and Steering Committee, as well as universitywide committees, such as the Benefits Appeal Committee, Campus Transit Advisory Team, Human Resources Council, Outreach and Engagement Committee and Recreational Sports Committee.

USAC was established in 1986 by President Edward Jennings, and has evolved from a committee of 17 to 30. Members serve three-year terms, with 10 new members rotating on each year. Classified civil service, unclassified administrative and professional, and senior administrative and professional staff members with a minimum of two years of university service are eligible. Members are appointed by the university president.

In 2003-04, Connie Goodman, Office of the University Registrar, will serve as vice chair and Roxanna Damron, Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute, will serve as recorder/treasurer. New members beginning July 1 are: Elizabeth Conzo, University Registrar; Jacqueline Hartzell, Slavic Languages and Literatures; Chuck Hunt, University Medical Center; William Karl, Undergraduate Admissions and First Year Experience; Tina Love, Student Affairs; Gemma McLuckie, Education; Justin Pestrue, Center for Human Resource Research; Melanie Senitko, Biomedical Engineering Center; Joanne Weston, Academic Affairs; and Henry Zheng, Graduate School.

News briefs

Budget bill goes to governor

A two-year state budget approved late last week by the Ohio General Assembly will keep funding for higher education at near-current levels. At Ohio State, for instance, state support will increase just 0.56 percent, from $309 million to $311 million next year. The budget includes a provision that will allow public colleges and universities to exceed the 6 percent -- and 9 percent for Ohio State -- tuition cap by an additional 3.9 percent for student scholarships and technology infrastructure. The university last month set its undergraduate tuition for next year. If any changes are needed for fall quarter, they will be brought forward to the university's Board of Trustees at its July 11 meeting. The bill now goes to Governor Bob Taft for his review and, if approved, will go into effect July 1.

Gallaudet appoints Brueggemann as a trustee

Brenda Jo Brueggemann, associate professor of English, has been appointed to the Gallaudet University Board of Trustees. Brueggemann is the author of Lend Me Your Ear: Rhetorical Constructions of Deafness. She has done extensive research on disability issues and has won numerous awards and honors for her work. She is director of the First-Year Writing Program, co-coordinator of the American Sign Language Program and co-coordinator of the disability studies minor. Brueggemann received her Ph.D. in 1992 from the University of Louisville in English/Rhetoric and Composition.

Mansfield recognizes outstanding teachers

Ohio State Mansfield named two faculty members outstanding teachers at the 2002-03 Honors Convocation held May 22 in Eisenhower Hall.

Jeane F. Copenhaver, assistant professor of education, was selected as this year's outstanding faculty member (tenure track) based on overall teaching ability and classroom performance. Copenhaver, who holds a Ph.D. in instruction and curriculum from the University of Florida, joined Ohio State Mansfield in 1998.

Michelle L. Persinger, lecturer in mathematics/statistics, was chosen as the outstanding auxiliary instructor. Persinger, who joined Ohio State Mansfield in 2002, received her master's degree in statistics from Ohio State in June 2002.

Zadnick honored for exceptional advising

Karla Zadnik, associate professor of optometry and vision science, was awarded the first annual James M. Siddens Award for Distinguished Faculty Advising by the Council of Graduate Students. This award is given for exceptional advising of graduate students at Ohio State.

Zadnik received her O.D. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of California, Berkeley School of Optometry. She was on the clinical faculty of the University of California, Davis School of Medicine for 14 years. In 1999, she became the Glenn A. Fry Professor in Optometry and Physiological Optics at Ohio State. She is a Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry, a Diplomate and Chair of its Section on Cornea and Contact Lenses, chair of the Academy's Membership Committee, and chair of the American Optometric Association's Council on Research.

WOSU wins a Bronze Quill award

The WOSU Stations received a Bronze Quill award from the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) at a luncheon hosted by America Online on June 17. The annual Bronze Quill competition recognizes excellence in the communication field, and awards are presented in a variety of categories including writing, publications, design, photography and planning. WOSU won in the design category for its "Go Digital" logo created by Kelley Communications Group.

Tressel receives new six-year contract

Ohio State football coach Jim Tressel, last year's national coach of the year after leading the Buckeyes to a perfect 14-0 season and the national championship, has been rewarded with a new six-year contract that runs through the 2008 season. The agreement, which may be extended for three years if agreed upon by March 1, 2006, replaces Tressel's existing contract, which would have expired following the 2005 season.

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