February 2007

What's going on at Ohio State?

Ohio State students build homes for Hurricane Katrina victims. Business students work with low-income taxpayers. Ohio State offers advice on saving money. A engineering professor teaches about ethics on the job. An Ohio State study shows that lost dogs are more likely to be found than lost cats. Lance Armstrong teams up with the Med Center to help fellow cancer survivors. Professors embrace high-tech learning. The Ross Heart Hospital offers advice on heart-healthy eating. And the Alumni Association seeks nominations for its annual alumni awards.

Dedicated break

In the past two years, Ohio State student Chris Smith has been to Slidell, Louisiana, six times.

He's not alone: Many Ohio State students are repeat Habitat for Humanity volunteers to the area. On weeks off from school, they build homes for Southerners whose lives were upended when Hurricane Katrina hit a year and a half ago.

"Ohio State students have donated over 7,000 hours of labor. By the end of the academic year it will be well over 9,000 hours," Smith says. "We've really pulled together and just done a tremendous amount of work down there."

See Smith's work in Slidell and find out more about Ohio State's Alternative Break service trips.

Tax time help

Imagine getting a tax refund that amounted to one-third of your annual income.

A lucky taxpayer got that good news last year, thanks to an Ohio State student who prepared his taxes for free.

For four years, Fisher College of Business students have staffed a Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) center. The goal: Help taxpayers get their Earned Income Credit, a break for people who make less than $40,000 per year.

Find about more about the clinic.

How to build a nest egg

Coming up with a household savings plan can be so overwhelming, families are tempted to throw in the towel.

But experts say savings plans are extremely important: People with a financial course of action accumulate twice as much money as those without set goals.

Whether you need to save money for a new car, a dream vacation, college tuition, or retirement, Ohio State has some advice to help you get there.

Get tips on how to come up with a savings plan that works for you.

Ethical engineers

Professor Kevin Passino's class is different than most engineering classes: Instead of talking about structure, function, or thermodynamics, they talk about the ethics of their work.

Passino wants his students to have "moral autonomy: how to make them think on their own about moral problems in engineering"--for instance, how to weigh safety versus risk and when to blow the whistle.

He started teaching the class 16 years ago, when the topic was virtually unheard of. Now, engineering college accreditors look at it as a model program among universities.

Find out more about the ethics of engineering.

Pet finder

Losing a pet--dog or cat--ranks up there with life's stressful events.

Researchers at Ohio State have found that dog owners are more likely to get relief.

Find out more about the study and get information on web sites that help locate lost pets.

Med Center lives strong

Chances are you know a cancer survivor or two.

Nearly 10 million cancer survivors live in the United States these days, up more than three times from 30 years ago. The reason behind that all-time high: better cancer detection and treatment than ever before.

Lance Armstrong, the cycling superstar and testicular cancer survivor, recently gave Ohio State's James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute $1.25 million to develop a center for fellow survivors.

High-tech learning

Years ago, all a classroom needed was a chalkboard, several rows of desks, and maybe a podium for lectures.

But times have changed, and Ohio State is keeping up. Now professors are likely to assign students to watch videos on YouTube (recently, to watch the Ohio State marching band perform a series of chemical reactions and see Coach Jim Tressel and the Buckeyes act out photosynthesis).

Find out how technology is changing education at Ohio State and read about new forms of communication.

Eating smart

It's healthy heart month at Ross Heart Hospital. And now that the Valentine's Day chocolates and conversation hearts are gone, it's time for some healthy eating.

The hospital has come through with recipes that will tantalize your taste buds while helping protecting your body from heart disease.

Browse the recipes--everything from barbecue to dessert.