HIGHLIGHTS: Ole, Ohio State, April 22-30.

OLE, OHIO STATE! April 22-30. Ohio State will celebrate Hispanic Awareness Week 2000 with a full slate of events that highlight the rich heritage of the Hispanic community. Events include a meeting of the Ohio Commission on Hispanic/Latino Affairs on Tuesday (4/25), 9 a.m.-noon; Who Are Our Political Role Models on Wednesday (4/26), noon-1:30 p.m.; and Racial Profiling/Justice Issues for Latinos on Thursday (4/27), 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.CONTACT: Karissa Shivley, University Relations, 292-8295.

NEW WAYS TO BEAT HIGH GASOLINE PRICES--April 24. As gasoline prices climb and concern about clean air mounts, researchers at Ohio State's Center for Automotive Research (CAR) are investigating new ways to make cars more energy efficient and less dependent on gasoline. Developers will meet here on Monday (4/24) to demonstrate advances in alternative fuel vehicles. Reporters can view the vehicles and interview developers at noon at CAR, 930 Kinnear Road. These alternative fuel researchers and developers make up the Central Ohio Clean Fuels Coalition and are part of the Clean Cities Program, a program to expand the use of alternatives to gasoline and diesel fuel. The Central Ohio Clean Fuels Coalition includes Ohio State, AEP, the Ohio Department of Development, COTA, Honda of America, the city of Columbus, the Ohio Soybean Council, Ohio Corn Marketing Program, and others. CONTACT: Giorgio Rizzoni, CAR, 688-3856; or Gina Langen, College of Engineering, 688-4423.

NEWLY RENOVATED HALE CENTER IS DEDICATED--April 26. With more space, programming and equipment, the Frank W. Hale Jr. Black Cultural Center is poised to meet future needs of minority students at Ohio State. The newly renovated Hale Center, 153 W. 12th Ave., will celebrate its grand opening on Wednesday (4/26) from 11 a.m.-10 p.m. The event features a keynote speech by the Rev. Leon Sullivan. In 1977, he initiated the Sullivan Principles, a code of conduct that heloped end discrimination against blacks in the workplace in apartheid South Africa. Sullivan received an honorary degree for his work from Ohio State in 1996. He will speak from 7 to 8 p.m., Independence Hall Auditorium, 1923 Neil Ave. Afterward, students, faculty, staff and community members can join Frank W. Hale Jr., now distinguished university representative and consultant, for student recruitment, fund raising and alumni relations, in a march from Independence Hall to the Hale Center for the ribbon cutting ceremony at 8:30 p.m. CONTACT: Karissa Shivley, University Relations, 292-8295.

FISHER COLLEGE, AT&T TEAM UP FOR BROADCAST--April 26. As part of the new AT&T Education Alliance, the Fisher College of Business is hosting one of five down-link sites for the first of the new "AT&T Leaders in Networking" series. It will be broadcast on Wednesday (4/26) from 4-5 p.m. Rick Roscitt, president of AT&T Business Services, will speak on "Networking in the New e-conomy" and lead a question and answer session. Students can view the live broadcast in Pfahl Hall, 280 W. Woodruff Ave. CONTACT: Anna Rzewnicki, College of Business, 292-8927.

TAKE A DAUGHTER TO WORK DAY--April 27. Ohio State University employees are invited to Take a Daughter to Work on Thursday, and introduce daughters and sons to a range of exciting careers. Participants may try their hand at creating their own Web home page, lifting fingerprints off objects, being a reporter or helping a chimpanzee learn to count. Learn what it takes to become a veterinarian, social worker, lawyer, photographer, farmer or computer whiz. Several hundred children ages 9-17 are expected to attend any of the free campus workshops, taught by faculty and staff volunteers. Among the activities:

· 8:30 a.m.,Rosa Smith, superintendent of Columbus Public Schools, will discuss "Worlds to Explore."

· 9:45-11:15 a.m. and 1-2:30 p.m.,Over 50 workshops around campus for daughters to explore careers.

· 2:45-3:45 p.m., Funky Dance. Children can shake it with mamas and papas at Larkins Hall.

TORNADOES, FLOODS AND HURRICANES! OH MY! April 28. Forecasting severe weather-all kinds of storms-are topics of the Fourth Annual Ohio Severe Weather Symposium, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. on Friday (4/28) in the Ohio Union Conference Theatre, 1739 N. High St. "Weather Issues at the Millennium: Where We Are, Where We're Going" features lectures on severe weather research, forecasting and presentation. Highlights include: Severe Weather Operations at The Weather Channel with Weather Channel with meteorologist Melissa Barrington; The Ohio Floods of 26-28 June 1998: An Amber Perspective with Bob Davis, meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Pittsburgh; What Was Learned from the May 3rd Tornado Outbreak and What's New at the Storm Prediction Center with Dan McCarthy of the Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Okla.; and Hurricanes in the Millennium: Getting Ready for the Big One with Hugh Willoughby, director of Hurricane Research at NOAA/AOML in Miami, Fla. CONTACT: Greg Elsaesser, Ohio State Meteorology Club, 291-1508.

DREAM TEAM OF CANCER EXPERTS GATHERS--April 28. A "dream team" of cancer experts gathers on Friday (4/28) for a series of events aimed at cancer control in minority populations and to launch the Asian American Network for cancer Awareness Research and Training (AANCART). Led by Ohio State University researchers, AANCART is the first national cancer control research initiative targeted specifically to Asian Americans. Cancer specialists will be available for interviews from 1:30-2:30 p.m. at the Westin Great Southern Hotel, 310 S. High St. The media availability follows an 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. lecture by Dileep Bal, president-elect of the American Cancer Society titled Tobacco Industry Lies and Lessons Learned from California's Tobacco Control Program. In addition to Bal, others who will be available include:

· Susan Shinagawa, an Asian-American breast cancer survivor who founded the Asian-American Cancer Survivors Network and chairs the Intercultural Cancer Council;

· Frederick Li, M.D., co-discoverer of a genetic disorder that leads to cancers in children and young adults. Li is this year's John Peter Minton, M.D., Ph.D. Foundation lecturer.

· Moon Chen, professor of public health and researcher at the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center and principal investigator for AANCART,

· Reginald Ho, M.D., past president of the American Cancer Society.

CONTACT: Darrell Ward, University Relations, 292-8456.

CONCRETE CANOE SET TO SAIL--April 29. Engineering students in Carolyn Merry's "concrete canoe" class are preparing to set sail for next week's Concrete Canoe Competition, to be held April 29 at Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green, Ky. The canoe team is placing the finishing touches on this year's canoe and practicing rowing skills, before heading south for the competition. Student teams must design and build a working canoe entirely from concrete, then race the canoe against other universities in regional and national competitions. The final product is a culmination of student ideas, workmanship and applied consultation with working professionals in all areas of engineering. CONTACT: Carolyn Merry, 292-6889, or Gina Langen, Engineering Communications, 688-4423.

The person listed as the contact for each item will have the best information about the story. Call our media relations staff for help with these or other Ohio State news stories--Elizabeth Conlisk, 292-3040; Amy Murray, 292-8385; Lesley Deaderick, 292-0569; Melinda Sadar, 292-8298; and Karissa Shivley, 292-8295.

Compiled by Amy Murray, University Relations, (Murray-Goedde.1@osu.edu)