October 5, 2001

OSU trustees accept new funds, approve personnel matters

COLUMBUS – A new named endowed chair was approved by The Ohio State University Board of Trustees at its meeting Friday (10/5).  In addition, trustees accepted nine new named endowed funds for a total of more than $2 million in gifts to the university.  

The Frederick P. Zuspan, M.D., Chair, funded at $1.3 million, will provide support for the faculty chair in the fields of obstetrics and gynecology at the Ohio State University College of Medicine and Public Health.  The chair was established with gifts from Zuspan and his colleagues and friends, and the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology.  

The endowed chair recognizes Zuspan, professor and chairman emeritus in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Ohio State’s College of Medicine.  Zuspan earned his B.A. from Ohio State and later his M.D. from the university’s College of Medicine.  For more than 15 years, Zuspan served the university as a professor and scholar until his retirement in 1991.  He was the chairman of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and the obstetrician-gynecologist-in-chief from 1975 to 1987 at Ohio State’s University Hospitals and Clinics.  Zuspan is the author of more than 230 articles and in 1995 became the first person from Ohio to be elected as president of the American Gynecological and Obstetrical Society.  During his career, Zuspan was internationally recognized as an authority in the management of high-risk pregnancies, especially pregnancies complicated by hypertension.  

Trustees also accepted 246 research grants and contracts totaling more than $23 million awarded to the Ohio State University Research Foundation, and also approved several personnel appointments, among other business.

Endowed Funds

Other named endowed funds established by the board include the following:

•          The George E. Large Memorial Fund, $149,063, established by a gift from Maynard B. Walker to provide for capital improvements in the civil engineering department and provide scholarship for deserving student(s) within civil and environmental engineering.
•         The Friends of The Ohio State University Endowed Merit Scholarship Fund, $100,000, established with a gift from the Friends of The Ohio State University to provide scholarships for Presidential, Distinguished, Medalist and University Scholars through the Merit Scholar Initiative.
•          Ohio Nursery Landscape Horticulture Program Endowment Fund, $100,000, established with funds accumulated through the educational programming of the annual Ohio State Nursery Short Course, conducted in cooperation with the Ohio Nursery and Landscape Association, to further the purpose and function of the Ohio State Nursery Short Course and the Landscape Horticulture Program.
•          The Alan G. and Marie Loofbourrow Memorial Fund in the College of Engineering, $99,387, established by a gift from the Alan G. Loofbourrow Trust in memory of Marie and Alan G. Loofbourrow to provide scholarships in the College of Engineering .
•          The Thomas and Ann Nordholt Hunnicutt Scholarship Fund, $61,439, established with a gift from Ann Hunnicutt to provide scholarships to students majoring in construction engineering in the College of Engineering.
•          The Robert Stewart LEAD Endowment Fund, $40,000, established with gifts from Nationwide Foundation in honor of Robert Stewart to support programs to enhance and improve the leadership skills and abilities of young professionals in the industry of agriculture throughout Ohio.
•          The Chrisha L. Siebert Fund in Theatre Technology and Design (Chrisha’s Fund), $30,000, established with a gift from her parents, Larry and Helen Siebert in Chrisha’s memory, to support production expenses in the Department of Theatre.
•          The Kraig A. Tallman Memorial Scholarship Fund in Cheerleading, $29,045, established by gifts from his friends and family in memory of the late Kraig A. Tallman to supplement the student-athlete grant-in-aid scholarship costs of a student athlete who is a member of the varsity cheerleading squad.
•          The Mark J. Cohen and Rose Marie McDaniel Endowment Fund, $25,866, established by a gift from Mark J. Cohen and Rose Marie McDaniel to support a distinguished speaker program at the Ohio State University Cartoon Research Library.

Change in name and/or description of named endowed funds

·         The Geography Faculty and Alumni Fund is now the John N. Rayner Alumni, Faculty, and Friends of Geography Fund.

Personnel appointments

•          Charis Eng, associate professor in internal medicine, has been named to The William C. and Joan E. Davis Cancer Research Professorship, effective Oct. 1, 2001, through June 30, 2005.  Eng received his B.A., Ph.D. and M.D. degrees from the University of Chicago and did post-doctoral study in cancer genetics at the University of Cambridge (U.K.).  He joined the Ohio State faculty in 1999.
•          Christine B. Morris of NEWARK has been named interim director of the Multicultural Center, effective Sept. 15, 2001, through June 30, 2003.  Morris is currently associate professor of art education at Ohio State’s Newark campus, chair of the Newark Campus Cultural Diversity Committee and director of the Newark Campus Gallery.
•          Susan Metros has been named deputy chief information officer (CIO) and executive director for educational technology and distributed education and professor in the Office of Information Technology, Department of Industrial, interior and Visual Communication Design, effective Nov. 1, 2001.  She is currently professor and assistant vice president for educational technology at the University of Tennessee System in Knoxville, Tenn.
•          Glen Hoffsis of POWELL has received a concurrent appointment as executive dean of health sciences, effective Sept. 1, 2001, through June 30, 2004.  Hoffis also serves as dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine.

Emeritus Titles

• Lawrence E. Eubanks, assistant professor emeritus, Ohio State University Extension, effective Oct. 1, 2001.

Resolutions in memoriam

•          John H. Muschick, associate professor emeritus in the School of Music, who died Jan. 26, 2000.

Life Sciences Research Building named

•          Trustees approved the naming of Ohio State’s Life Sciences Research Building, which will be located at 318 W. 12^th Ave., as The Stanley J. Aronoff Laboratory in honor of Aronoff, who earned a reputation as a committed champion of higher education during his career in the General Assembly.  Aronoff served in the Ohio General Assembly for 36 years, including three terms in the House of Representatives and eight terms in the Ohio Senate.  Aronoff was the president of the Ohio Senate from 1989 to 1996.

Lease agreements proposed

•         The University Board of Trustees heard a report on the planned lease of and option to purchase the J. Leonard Camera Center, located on the east side of Kenny Road just south of Blankenship Hall. The center is currently owned by the Bureau of Workers Compensation, and is surrounded by several Ohio State facilities. The University has been leasing approximately 52,000 square feet in the Camera Center for six years to provide space for medical clinics and other uses, including the ARMS project. It now has an opportunity to lease the entire facility to support University Medical Center services for five years with two five-year renewals. A purchase option could be exercised during the first five-year lease term for approximately $20 million; however, no purchase action is being sought at this time.
• The Medical Center is planning $3 million to $8 million in improvements to the facilities, with all costs to be covered by the Medical Center through lease payments. The Medical Center will use the facilities primarily for Hospitals-based entities that may include Orthopaedics, the Center for Wellness, Sports Medicine, University Reference Labs, the Pain Clinic, Plastic Surgery, Urology, General Surgery, Neurology-Parkinsons and MS, Sleep Diagnostics, Dermatology, Ophthalmology and other clinic services.Relocation of these programs will provide additional revenues and operating efficiencies for the Medical Center and improved access to services for patients.
• Trustees also heard a report about a lease of and option to purchase property at 2404-2432 Kenny Road and 2410 Wood Ave. Annual rent will be $97,000, with a suggested purchase price of $700,000. It is within the University’s West Campus District Plan acquisition area and is considered important to the University for long-term development of the area east of Kenny and north of Lane Avenue.

Property accepted

• The board also accepted a gift of .96 acres of property in Grove City from M/I Schottenstein. The unimproved property is appraised at $50,000, and neighbors 38 acres of University land currently being used for AM antennas for the WOSU Stations.

Other business

•          David Atrubin, a graduate student in the Master of Public Health program who specializes in epidemiology, was presented the student recognition award.  Atrubin has maintained a 3.98 GPA, placing him first in his program, and has been involved in research in the area of agricultural injury and health hazards. Atrubin also served as a student member on the board of the Preventive Medicine/School of Public Health Alumni Society.  
•          The board also approved amendments to the Medical Staff Bylaws of the Ohio State University Hospitals and the Medical Staff Bylaws and Rules and Regulations of the Ohio State University Hospitals East.

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