FIVE RECEIVE SPECIAL COMMENCEMENT HONORS AT OHIO STATE

   COLUMBUS -- What do a respected Columbus community leader, a physicist, the founder of the Longaberger Co., an attorney and an astronaut have in common? All will receive special honors during The Ohio State University's spring quarter commencement Friday (6/11) on the Oval.

   Honorary doctorates will be presented to physicist Elias Burstein; scientist, optometrist and astronaut Lawrence J. DeLucas; and posthumously to businessman David W. Longaberger.

   The Distinguished Service Award will be presented to businesswoman Loann Crane and attorney Alex Shumate.

   One of the world's leading solid state physicists, Elias Burstein has been a pioneer in the field of semiconductors. He retired in 1988 from the University of Pennsylvania and is now Mary Amanda Wood Professor Emeritus.

   Over a distinguished career that spanned more than half a century, Burstein has investigated the optical properties of metals, semiconductors and insulators, making seminal contributions to the field of condensed matter physics.

   A native of Brooklyn, N.Y., Burstein received a bachelor's in chemistry and physics from Brooklyn College and a master's degree in chemistry from the University of Kansas.

   From 1945 to 1958, he worked at the Naval Research Laboratory where, among other research projects, he discovered and explained an optical phenomenon, now known as the "Burstein Shift." He served as head of the physics section's crystal and semiconductor branches before joining the University of Pennsylvania as professor of physics. He was named Mary Amanda Wood Professor of Physics in 1982.

   Burstein is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and has served as chair of the Solid State Committee of the academy's National Research Council. He is founder and editor-in-chief of Solid State Communications, a leading international physics journal, and co-editor of Comments on Condensed Matter Physics.

   As a scientist, optometrist and astronaut, Lawrence J. DeLucas has made notable contributions to the fields of vision science, space science, crystallography and medicine.

   A professor of optometry at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), DeLucas has the distinction of being the first optometrist in space, having participated in the 1992 NASA Space Shuttle Microgravity Laboratory Mission as a payload specialist. He also is director of the UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center X-Ray Care facility and the UAB Center for Crystallography.

   During the 1980s, DeLucas and his research team at UAB pioneered the development of protein crystallography under weightless conditions, and he was selected by NASA to develop a new technique for growing protein crystals in space. He has directed experiments on more than 40 space shuttle missions, including one on John Glenn's recent flight. NASA has recognized him with its Research Award, Space Flight Medal and Public Service Medal.

   DeLucas is co-inventor on three patents for protein crystal growth and is principal investigator for numerous research projects totaling more than $62 million in grants. He recently demonstrated a low-power, high-intensity X-ray source, designed and constructed in part by Ohio State researchers, that will be used in the X-ray Crystallography Facility on the International Space Station.

   DeLucas holds five degrees from the University of Alabama at Birmingham: bachelor's and master's in chemistry; bachelor's in vision science; Doctor of Optometry; and Ph.D. in biochemistry.

   Dave Longaberger, founder and chair of the Longaberger Co., passed away in March after a battle with cancer. The company he founded in Dresden, Ohio, is today the largest manufacturer of handmade baskets in the United States. The privately held, family-owned $700 million direct-selling company has been recognized by Forbes magazine as one of the nation's 500 largest privately held companies.

   In 1973, Longaberger launched his basketmaking company with five weavers. As the company grew, it was moved into a renovated woolen mill. In 1990, the company opened a modern manufacturing facility outside of Dresden; it recently opened its home office, a seven-story replica of a woven basket, in nearby Newark. The company employs more than 7,000 people and is represented by 47,000 independent sales associates throughout the nation.

   A strong believer in the need for companies to invest in their communities, Longaberger and his daughters, Tami and Rachel, established the Longaberger Foundation to provide funding for projects and programs designed to strengthen communities, families and individuals. The foundation's philanthropic efforts at Ohio State include the Dave Longaberger Endowed Chair in Urology, the Longaberger Alumni House, the Longaberger Medical Research Fund, the Longaberger Scholarship Fund and support for facility improvements at the Frank W. Hale Jr. Black Cultural Center.

   Longaberger received a number of honors for corporate social responsibility, including the 1991 Take Pride in America Award, sponsored by the U.S. Department of the Interior; Inc. magazine's first-ever Socially Responsible Entrepreneur Award in 1992; a national award for "helping families and children succeed" from the U.S. Senate and Childhelp U.S.A.; and the 1997 Ellis Island Medal of Honor Award.

   Alex Shumate is managing partner of the Columbus office of Squire, Sanders & Dempsey, an international law firm. He also is partner-in-charge of the firm's legislative counseling and administrative law practice group.

   Shumate received his bachelor's degree in political science from Ohio Wesleyan University and his J.D. from the University of Akron. He joined Squire, Sanders & Dempsey in 1988 as a member of the firm's public law practice. Prior to that, he served as chief counsel and deputy chief of staff to the governor of Ohio from 1985 to 1988 and as assistant attorney general of Ohio from 1975 to 1983.

   A member of the Ohio State Board of Trustees from 1989 to 1998, Shumate served as board chairman during the 1997-98 fiscal year. During his board tenure, he served on the two presidential search committees that recruited E. Gordon Gee and William E. Kirwan to Ohio State. As committee chair, he played a pivotal role in Kirwan's decision to accept the presidency, and, as board chair, he guided the university through a period of transition.

   Shumate's service to Ohio State has included directorships on the university's Foundation board and the Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute board, and membership on the College of Law's National Council.

   He currently serves on a number of corporate, civic and professional boards. He is first vice chair of the Greater Columbus Chamber of Commerce, vice chair of The Columbus Foundation and chair of the Capital Club.

   Among his many honors are the 1994 Outstanding Law School Alumni Award from the University of Akron, the 1995 Robert S. Crane Trusteeship Award from Leadership Columbus, and the Jewish National Fund's Tree of Life Award in 1998.

   One of Columbus' most respected community leaders, Loann Crane is a director of Crane Plastics Co., partner in the Winning Images arts consulting firm and president of Fairwood Investment Co.

   Crane, a native of Martins Ferry, Ohio, received her bachelor's degree in Spanish from Ohio State in 1947. She is involved in a wide range of university-related projects, including programs in the humanities, the arts, athletics and business. A member of The Ohio State University Foundation Board since 1990, she currently serves as co-chair of the Columbus area National Major Gift Committee for the University's "Affirm Thy Friendship" campaign.

   As a member of the College of Humanities Development Council since 1990, Crane has established the Crane Fund for Hispanic Studies to support study-abroad programs. She has taken a leadership role in establishing the college's new World Media and Cultural Center, which will provide state-of-the-art language training.

   Crane is committed to encouraging other women to become philanthropists and was instrumental in organizing "Experience Ohio State Day," an opportunity for alumnae to interact with faculty and students and to become better acquainted with the research and teaching on campus. In 1996, she received one of the university's first John B. Gerlach Outstanding Volunteer awards, and the Alumni Association honored her with a 1998 Alumni Citizenship Award.

   Her community involvement is extensive. She serves as a trustee of the Columbus Museum of Art, the Upper Arlington Public Library Foundation and Arts Midwest. She is a director of Dialogue magazine, Pro Musica and United Way Planned Giving, and president of the Columbus Arts Endowment. She also is a past chair of the board of trustees of the Greater Columbus Arts Council and Columbus College of Art and Design.

Contact: Karissa Shivley, University Communications, (614) 292-8295