TRUSTEES APPROVE NEW MFA DEGREE, ACCEPT ENDOWED FUNDS, CONDUCT PERSONNEL BUSINESS LIMA -- The Ohio State University Board of Trustees, meeting at the university's Lima campus on Friday (4/3), approved establishment of a new degree and changes to an existing degree program, accepted named endowed funds and conducted personnel business. New degree, change to degree program Trustees approved the establishment of a Master of Fine Arts in Industrial, Interior and Visual Communication Design to replace the majority of enrollment of the current Master of Arts degree. The new degree responds to changes within the design disciplines, which now identify the MFA as the terminal degree, and reflects that employment opportunities for design graduates now most often require completion of an MFA. No similar degree program is offered in Ohio. The program, which also must be approved by the Ohio Board of Regents, will offer two specialization tracks: one in design practice and one in design research. The board also approved revisions to the Master of Public Health degree program in the School of Public Health to offer a weekday track for "traditional" students in addition to the current weekend track for "nontraditional" students. The traditional track will require general background and offer the potential for specialization in one of five different core areas of public health knowledge, and the nontraditional track will continue to offer a generalist degree. The revisions will accommodate both a growing demand from students and changing program expectations created by shifts in accreditation. Trustees accept named endowed funds Trustees heard a report from Jerry May, vice president for development, on fund-raising efforts, including the permanent establishment of The Edward Orton, Jr., Chair in Ceramic Engineering. Gifts of more than $1.5 million were received from The Edward Orton, Jr., Ceramic Foundation, the Transportation Research Center Inc., alumnus John M. Shepherd, and many other graduates, faculty and friends. The chair was established as a designated chair program in 1990. Annual income will be used by the Orton Chair to support research and teaching. The person selected for the chair will have a strong international, academic and industrial reputation in ceramic engineering. The fund is a tribute to Orton, the son of Ohio State's first president. The founder of ceramic engineering education in America, Orton led the effort to make Ohio State a leader in ceramic research and education beginning in 1894. He died in 1932, leaving his company to continue as the Edward Orton, Jr., Ceramic Foundation to benefit the ceramic arts and industries. May also reported the establishment of six new named endowed funds and one professorship with gifts totaling more than $2.3 million: -- The Marshall Cox Fund for the Center for Socio-Legal Studies, $50,431, to provide support for annual operating expenses at the College of Law center. -- The Richard C. Hannon Ceramic Engineering Memorial Fund, $16,500, for enhancement of ceramic engineering programs. -- The Vorman-Anderson Professorship of Nordic Languages and Literatures, $750,000, in the Department of Germanic Languages and Literatures in the College of Humanities. -- The Margaret Miller Holloway and Harry Harrison Holloway, Jr., Scholarship Fund, $1.4 million, to provide merit-based scholarships for Ohio resident undergraduate students. -- The Harold Brenner Pepinsky Research and Lectureship Fund, $51,688, to provide a lectureship and research award in the College of Medicine and Public Health. -- The Jameson Crane MBA Fellowship, $50,000, for fellowships for MBA students in the Fisher College of Business. -- The Hauck Family Scholarship Fund, $25,000, to provide scholarships to student-athletes on the baseball team. Appointments Trustees appointed Marilyn J. Blackwell, associate professor of Germanic languages and literatures, to the Vorman-Anderson Professorship of Nordic Languages and Literatures, effective July 1. Blackwell is director of Swedish/Scandinavian studies with specializations in 19th- and 20-century drama and prose, feminist criticism and film. The professorship, established today (4/3) with gifts from the estate of alumna Helen Vorman-Anderson, supports a professor in the department who has primary responsibility for teaching Nordic languages, with a special emphasis on Swedish language and literature. The board also appointed Sheldon R. Simon of COLUMBUS (43209), professor of surgery, to the Frank J. Kloenne Chair in Orthopedic Surgery, effective April 1. Simon, chief of the Division of Orthopedic Surgery, has served on the faculty since 1986. He specializes in foot and ankle and pediatric orthopedics. The chair, established in February 1997 with gifts from Jacqueline Kloenne Klein in memory of her late husband, supports the advancement of medical knowledge in the field of orthopedic surgery and is to be held by a nationally eminent faculty member. Raymond C. Wasielewski, assistant professor of surgery since 1992, was appointed to the Judson D. Wilson Professorship in Orthopedic Surgery, effective April 1. Wasielewski's specialty is joint replacement surgery. The professorship, established in 1977 with gifts from Wolfe Associates Inc., Preston W. Wolfe, John W. Wolfe, and friends and associates of Judson D. Wilson, provides salary and program support for the work of a distinguished orthopedic surgeon. Trustees appointed Kori M. Pittman of HEATH as a student trustee to The Ohio State University-Newark Campus Board. Her term began Jan. 1 and runs through June 30 to fill the unexpired student term of Katheryn Lloyd, who is studying abroad. Pittman is a writing lab tutor at the Newark campus and participated in the AmeriCorps national service program from 1995-97, tutoring and counseling children with learning disabilities and behavioral problems. Change in title Trustees changed the title for David Williams II of GAHANNA to vice president for student and urban/community affairs, effective April 1. His previous title was vice president for student affairs. Emeritus titles granted Trustees granted emeritus titles to: -- Jacqueline Herkowitz of WORTHINGTON, professor emeritus of physical activity and educational services, retroactive to Jan. 1. -- Linda J. Boyne of WORTHINGTON, assistant professor emeritus of allied medical professions, effective April 1. Resolutions in memoriam The board adopted resolutions in memoriam for: -- Robert Cole, professor emeritus in the Ohio State University Extension, who died Feb. 25. -- James R. C. Leitzel, professor emeritus of mathematics, who died Feb. 25. -- William J. Taylor, professor emeritus of chemistry, who died Feb. 15. # Contact: Emily Caldwell, University Communications, (614) 292-8309