Story Ideas for Media: 10-17-2005

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Ohio State's news, experts and events give you more on the news

Story Ideas for Media 10-17-05

News

Ohio State graduation rate continues to climb -- The university's six-year graduation rate has risen to 68 percent; up from 55 percent just five years ago and 51 percent 10 years ago. The figure is based on the graduation rates of students who entered the university in Fall 1999. Ohio State University President Karen A. Holbrook says more students are staying, thriving and graduating as the university rises in rankings. "With the recent National Science Foundation ranking of Ohio State among the nation's Top 10 public research universities, this statistic is dramatic evidence that our strategies to improve performance and recognition in academics and research are working. They both say a lot about the quality of our students, our faculty and this institution," Holbrook said. The average six-year graduation rate for all comparable public institutions was 62.5 percent for the classes that entered in 1996-97, the most recent data available. While the six-year graduation rate is a federal reporting standard, Holbrook noted that most Ohio State students actually graduate in five years or less.
CONTACT: Shelly Hoffman, (614) 247-4748.

Experts

Bird Flu in Humans: Ohio State in national effort to understand, prevent and control Bird flu now is a threat to both poultry and people. Outbreaks already cost U.S. poultry producers millions of dollars a year. In Ohio, a $3.3 billion industry is at stake. Now one particular strain, a highly virulent one called H5N1, has spread from chickens to humans in Asia. The virus was recently found in Turkey, and birds in two Romania are being tested to find out if the virus has spread there.
Finding the mechanism that enables influenza viruses to jump from one species to another is Mo Saif's goal. Saif, an international expert on poultry diseases and chair of the Food Animal Health Research Program at Ohio State's Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (OARDC) is conducting a three-year study of swine and turkey influenza transmission. Backed by OARDC's animal-disease research facilities, Saif's study is part of a $5 million project funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to prevent and control bird flu.
Other Ohio State faculty involved in the project are Richard Slemons, associate professor of veterinary preventive medicine and animal sciences and an international expert on flu among wild birds who isolated the first bird flu virus in wild ducks 30 years ago, and Nathan Watermeier, technology program director and geospatial specialist with OSU Extension. They received a $488,000 grant to determine the dynamics and evolution of influenza.
CONTACT: Mo Saif, (330) 263-3743, saif.1@osu.edu; ; Richard Slemons, (614) 292-8561, slemons.1@osu.edu; or Nathan Watermeier, (614) 688-3442, watermeier.2@osu.edu

Research
Supercomputers to enable safer, more efficient oil drilling. Oil companies could soon harness the power of distant supercomputers to tackle problems such as where to place equipment and how to clean up oil spills. For decades, the industry has used computers to maximize profit and minimize environmental impact, according to Tahsin Kurc, assistant professor of biomedical informatics at Ohio State University.
Typically, companies take seismic measurements of an oil reservoir and simulate drilling scenarios on a local computer. Now Kurc and his colleagues are developing a software system and related techniques to let supercomputers at different locations share the workload. The system runs simulations faster and in much greater detail – and enables analysis of very large amounts of data.
CONTACT:Tahsin Kurc, (614) 292-6568; Kurc.1@osu.edu;
SEE: http://researchnews.osu.edu/archive/oilsoft.htm

Events
Ohio State extends partnership with local middle school – Oct. 18. Eighth grade students in Columbus' Johnson Park Middle School (JPMS) will spend their school day immersed in engineering and literacy activities at The Ohio State University in a day geared at extending the partnership between the two schools. Through the P-12 Project, the university is inviting JPMS students to campus from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Tuesday (10/18). The P-12 Project connects the educational needs of many local schools with the educational resources of Ohio State.
As a literacy activity, JPMS students will meet with a class of Ohio State students enrolled in English 109, (intensive writing and reading) to begin a year-long mentoring partnership to work with JPMS students to publish an online school magazine. As an engineering activity, students will explore the new Recreational and Physical Activity Center to learn about the structural engineering of recreational facilities. They'll also work with Ohio State's Society of Women Engineers to build devices that keep eggs from breaking when dropped from a height of 6 feet.
CONTACT: Amy Murray, (614) 292-8385.

College of Veterinary Medicine to provide care for Hurricane Katrina animal victims – Oct. 18, 20 and 25. When Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast, countless animals were left homeless and in need of medical care. This week, a total of 24 dogs and 12 cats rescued by the group "Paws in Need" will visit The Ohio State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital for medical exams, heartworm tests, vaccinations, and spay/neutering. Led by Dr. Elizabeth O'Toole and Dr. Mary McLoughlin, three spay /neuter days will take place on Oct.18, 20 and 25. Veterinary students will participate in the process as part of their third-year curriculum. While in Columbus, the animals will be placed in foster care until their treatments are finished and permanent homes can be found for them.
CONTACT:Kristine McComis, (614) 688-3517, mccomis.2@osu.edu; or Melissa Lamb-Peale, (614) 292-3752, lamb-peale.1@osu.edu.

Law Summit Looks at Contemporary Latino Issues – Oct. 20. "Awareness, Agenda, and Action" is the theme of first Latino Law Summit to be held at The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law on Thursday (10/20). Gerald Torres, professor of law at the University of Texas will be the keynote speaker.
The symposium, sponsored by the Moritz Law Hispanic Law Students Association (HLSA), will cultivate an intellectual discussion on contemporary Latino issues including guest-worker programs and immigration policy, the Latino role in the political process, and education and economic attainment.
Christopher Fairman, associate professor of law and faculty sponsor of HLSA says "this is the first gathering of this type at the Moritz College of Law. Summit 2005 brings together leading scholars to focus on Latino legal issues. We hope to increase the awareness in the college and university communities of a different perspective – one that is often ignored in the Midwest."
CONTACT:Brad Billinger, billinger.1@osu.edu, or Christopher Fairman, (614) 292-2422.

Ray to deliver annual Lena Bailey Lecture – Oct. 20. Ed Ray, president of Oregon State University and former executive vice president and provost of Ohio State, will deliver the Ninth Annual Lena C. Bailey Lecture on Leadership at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday (10/20) in 200 Campbell Hall. Ray, who was a member of the economics faculty at Ohio State for more than 30 years, will deliver "If You Need to Lead, Don't." The lecture is presented by the College of Human Ecology in honor of Bailey, who served as the college's first dean.
CONTACT: Janet Ciccone, College of Human Ecology, (614) 292-5228.

Ohio State students to take part in Make a Difference Day – Oct. 22. Ohio State University students will continue the tradition of "rivals on the field, partners in the community," as they travel to Bloomington, Indiana late this week to partner with students from Indiana University (IU) as part of National Make a Difference Day on Saturday (10/22).
Approximately 100 Ohio State students will work with 85 of their IU counterparts to create, stuff and distribute Emergency Preparedness packets to the local community. The service, which is needed to help the community prepare for natural disasters, was coordinated by Ohio State's Project Community and Indiana University's Volunteer Students Bureau.
As a leading public land grant university, Ohio State encourages student participation in community service projects. Project Community, which is the Ohio Union's community service program, offers service opportunities and provides large-scale service projects for the Ohio State community.
CONTACT:Amy Murray, (614) 292-8385.

College of Nursing honors nurses for excellence in patient care – Oct. 22.Twenty-four area nurses will be honored for nursing excellence at the Second Annual Cameos of Caring Awards Gala on Saturday (10/22) at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in downtown Columbus. The gala, a black-tie event, begins at 6 p.m. with an opening reception. Dinner and the awards ceremony will follow at 7 p.m. A post party celebration will begin at 9:30 p.m. Media are invited to cover the event and interview the award-winning nurses as well as members of their hospital's administration. Administrators from many central Ohio health care agencies and hospitals will be present. The event will be hosted by The Ohio State University College of Nursing and the premier sponsor, The Ohio State University Medical Center. Columbus Children's Hospital will host the opening reception and MedFlight of Ohio will host the post party celebration. Andrea Cambern, anchorwoman and medical reporter for WBNS-TV, will emcee the event.
CONTACT: Heather Carrick, College of Nursing, (614) 247-7476.

The person listed as the CONTACT will have the most current information about the story.Call on our media relations staff for help with any Ohio State story: Liz Cook, (614)292-7276, or cook.17@osu.edu, Shelly Hoffman, (614)247-4748 or hoffman.511@osu.edu, or Amy Murray,(614) 292-8385, murray-goedde.1@osu.edu