CINCINNATI -- Meeting Friday (4/7) at the University of Cincinnati, The Ohio State University Board of Trustees focused much of its attention on the ways Ohio's two major public research universities collaborate. Ohio State President William E. Kirwan and University of Cincinnati President Joseph Steger spoke of the need for higher education to be a leading force in the future economy of the state, and of the special role their universities fill as major research institutions, both individually and as current and future partners.

David Ashley, dean of Ohio State's College of Engineering, introduced several faculty members from both universities who outlined collaborations in research, equipment use and teaching. "These projects demonstrate leveraging of talent, opportunities for students and problem-solving for Ohio," he said.

Professor Hamish Fraser of Ohio State, the Ohio Eminent Scholar in Materials Science, spoke about how work that he and his Ohio State colleagues are conducting with Cincinnati engineering faculty benefits Ohio's automotive and aerospace industries. Fraser also discussed the future possibility of the two universities collaborating on a distance-education program that would couple UC's renowned co-op engineering program with OSU's Engineering Practitioners degree program.

Professors Randall Allemang and Soon-Jai Khang of Cincinnati explained the joint projects that they are working on with Ohio State faculty in mechanical and chemical engineering, respectively. Allemang outlined a number of examples, including joint doctoral committees, research projects, proposals for funding and journal article authorship.

Khang spoke about studies by engineers from Cincinnati, Ohio State, Ohio University and Case Western Reserve University on air pollution resulting from the use of coal in power plants. In addition to quarterly meetings, the group exchanges data and samples and shares equipment. Together they have awarded master's and Ph.D. degrees to more than 40 students who are now conducting research in this important field. Future collaborative research projects are aimed at coal desulphurization, mercury removal and carbon dioxide sequestration (a factor in controlling global warming).

Daniel Sedmak, interim dean of the College of Medicine and Public Health at Ohio State, told trustees that his college has a long, strong and growing relationship with the medical college at Cincinnati. In particular, he noted that, working together, medical schools around the state have secured a recommendation from Ohio's Tobacco Task Force for 20 percent of the state's tobacco settlement money for biomedical research. The research funds amount to about $495 million a year, he said, giving Ohio researchers many chances to work together in the future.

"These funds will be allocated through a peer review process," Sedmak explained. "In some instances, our medical researchers may compete against one another. At other times, I would expect to see substantial collaboration. The point is that it took us working as partners to convince the state to make a commitment of funds in this important area of research."

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