NEWS & UPDATES

NEWS & RESEARCH

Arts and Sciences Scholars and Teachers Win Top University Awards 

Thirteen Arts and Sciences scholars and teachers won top university awards that recognize and honor outstanding performance and commitment to our land grant mission of scholarship, teaching and service: Distinguished Scholars: Heather C. Allen, chemistry and biochemistry; Thomas P. Kasulis, comparative studies; Amy E. Shuman, English. Alumni Award for Distinguished Teaching: Robin Judd, history; William Scott McGraw, anthropology; Scott Alan Jones, music; Christopher Frank Highley, English; Julie Marie Hupp, psychology, Newark; Karl Peter Whittington, history of art. Provost’s Award for Distinguished Teaching by a Lecturer: Jenny Patton, English; Kristie Sigler, communication. The President and Provost's Award for Distinguished Faculty Service: Michael Kelly Bruce, dance; Lawrence Krissek, Earth sciences.

Earth Scientists to Study High-Altitude Ice Cores

Paolo Gabrielli, research scientist and PI; and co-PI Lonnie Thompson, Distinguished University Professor, and professor, School of Earth Sciences, have been awarded $239,000 by the National Science Foundation’s Geography and Spatial Science program to study atmospheric warming and environmental changes from high-altitude ice cores. They will examine three ice cores retrieved from the ice field atop Mt. Ortles, the highest mountain in South Tyrol (Italy). These ice cores, which were extracted in 2011 from one of the most rapidly warming and environmentally impacted areas in the world, offer a unique opportunity to investigate the interactions of strong regional environmental variations and wider-ranging global climatic patterns. 

Geography Professor Presents on World Drug Problem at UN

Kendra McSweeney, associate professor, geography, presented to more than 100 delegates at a meeting, Identifying Common Ground on Development for UNGASS 2016 on the World Drug Problem, at United Nations Headquarters on May 6. Panelists addressed how global development and drug policy goals can be better aligned with the work of the UN system in the run-up to the United Nations General Assembly Special Session on the World Drug Problem in 2016.

Astrophysicist Appointed to Editorial Board of Physical Review Letters 

John Beacom, professor, physics and astronomy, has been appointed to the Editorial Board of Physical Review Letters, the world's leading physics letters journal, operated and published by the American Physical Society. He will serve as a divisional associate editor for astrophysics, 2015-18. Term-appointed editors assist with article review processes, represent the interests of their research communities and help shape the scientific policy of the journal. Two other Ohio State physicists, Ulrich Heinz (while at CERN) and David Stroud, have previously served as divisional associate editors for Physical Review Letters.

Audiology Students and Friends Hustle for Hearing

A group of Ohio State audiology students, staff, alumni and friends braved cold temperatures to Hustle for Hearing on Saturday night, April 25. The Hustle for Hearing 5k race and 1 mile walk is put on each year by the Ohio State University Chapter of the Student Academy of Audiology (SAA). This year, SAA chose to donate proceeds to campUS, a transition camp for teenagers with hearing loss and their families organized by Ohio State’s Speech-Hearing-Language Clinic.

AWARDS

March and April Above and Beyond Buckeye Award Winner

Matthew Moffitt, systems manager, sociology, is the winner of the March “Above and Beyond Buckeye” award. Margie Farrell, senior laboratory demonstrator, physics, is the winner of the April “Above and Beyond” award. Read their stories.

Rising Star Awards

Shivani Ambani, biology; Maya Gosztyla, neuroscience; Armand Wimberly, music education; and Alexander Pan, physics and pre-med, received the College of Arts and Sciences Rising Star Award. This scholarship serves undergraduate minority and under-represented student population. The awards are part of ASC’s recruitment, retention and recognition program for undergraduate students.

Sociologist Wins Best Dissertation Award

Hollie Nyseth Brehm, assistant professor, sociology, has been designated the winner of the University of Minnesota Graduate School's Best Dissertation Award in the Social and Behavioral Sciences for 2015 for her dissertation, “Conditions and Courses of Genocide.” Brehm’s research agenda is motivated by the fundamental questions of why and how atrocities occur and who commits them.

Sociology Professor Receives NSF Award

Paul Bellair, professor, sociology, was awarded a two-year National Science Foundation award for his project, “Collaborative research: Availability of employment opportunities and recidivism outcomes.”

Graduate Student Among Top Winner in Psychology Video Challenge

Jake Teeny, graduate student, psychology, received top honors in the 2015 Noba Student Video Award. Teeny partnered with Columbus State Community College student Ben Oliveto to produce a three-minute video, “Persuasion,” which was selected for top honors from more than 30 colleges around the world. In addition to a $3,000 cash award, Teeny’s work will be included in Noba Psychology’s digital textbooks. The award was established as an opportunity for students to connect the science of psychology in a creative and meaningful way. 

Astronomy Researcher Receives Multiple Recognitions in Egypt

Sultana Nahar, research scientist, astronomy, recently received several honors for her ongoing work in Egypt. She was invited to participate in Cairo University’s graduation ceremony and presented with its Gold Dome Shield and certificate. She received the university’s Shield of the Faculty of Science and certificate for teaching a course on Atomic Spectroscopy and collisional excitations in plasmas. She also was recognized by the Topical Society of Laser Sciences and honored with the Medal of the National Research Institute of Astronomy and Geophysics. 

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Managing Records Workshop

Ohio State’s Office of Human Resources will host the workshop, Paper and Bytes: Policies, Best Practices and Resources for Managing Ohio State Records, May 18, 2-4 p.m., Gateway Suite 430, 1590 N. High St. Participants will learn about university policies, legal requirements and best practices concerning records retention, management and disposition. Registration required.

ASC Undergraduate Recruitment Update Event

There is still time to register for the annual ASC Undergraduate Recruitment Update Day, May 28, 8:30-11 a.m., 002 Psychology Building. Explore topics and best practices in undergraduate recruitment and a recap of undergraduate recruitment activities and yield results for the year. Executive Dean David Manderscheid, Associate Executive Dean Steve Fink and Chief Administrative Officer John Nisbet will discuss the role of enrollment revenue on the college's operating budget and the enrollment planning process for Arts and Sciences. Registration required.

DEALL: 100 Percent PhD Placement

Mark Bender, professor, Chinese, and chair, Department of East Asian Languages and Literatures, reports that 100 percent of DEALL’s PhD graduates this year already have found positions. They are: Man He, Chinese Literature, assistant professor, Williams College; Tim Thurston, Chinese Literature (Tibetan), post-doc, Smithsonian Institute; Seth Goss, Japanese Linguistics, assistant professor, Emory University; Ziying You, Chinese Literature, post-doc, Wooster College; Seth Wiener, Chinese Linguistics, assistant professor, Carnegie Mellon University; Ying Liu, Chinese Pedagogy, assistant professor, China (unspecified); Zhini Zeng (summer 2015), Chinese Pedagogy, assistant professor, Mississippi University. In addition, two other DEALL PhD students, who held one-year positions in 2014, have found tenure track positions: Mengjun Li, Chinese Literature, assistant professor, Puget Sound University; Yang Jia, Chinese Pedagogy, assistant professor, The University of Dayton.

GRANTS & RECOGNITION

Ann Hamilton Installation to Grace NYC Subway Station

Ann Hamilton, Distinguished University Professor, and professor, art, has been commissioned to design a $1 million art project for the Cortlandt Street subway station on the No. 1 line in Lower Manhattan, a station that was wiped off the map on Sept. 11, 2001.

Bebe Miller to Be Honored at Movement Research Gala

Movement Research, one of the world's leading laboratories for the investigation of dance and movement-based forms, will honor Bebe Miller, along with two others at its 2015 Movement Research Gala in June at Judson Memorial Church in New York City. Miller, Distinguished Professor of Arts and Humanities; and professor, dance, will be recognized at the event along with Moira Brennan and Tere O'Connor. Honorees are selected by the organization's board of directors.

If you have information or announcements for News & Updates, please send an e-mail to asccomm@osu.edu, or call (614) 292-8686. News & Updates is published every Wednesday; deadline for content is Monday at noon.