BEN JONES AWARD RENAMED FOR HUMANITIES FACULTY MEMBER

   COLUMBUS -- The Ohio State University College of Humanities has announced that the Ben M. Jones III Award for Distinguished Undergraduate Teaching has been renamed. Established three years ago by former Columbus businessman Ben M. Jones III, the Jones Award provides a $5,000 award for distinguished undergraduate teaching among the college's faculty.

   The award has been renamed the Rodica C. Botoman Award for Distinguished Undergraduate Teaching and Mentoring. Jones, a longtime friend of the college now living in HENDERSONVILLE, N.C., decided to rename the award to honor Professor of Romanian Rodica Botoman, the original award's first recipient. The announcement was made during the college's fifth annual baccalaureate in June.

   To be eligible for the prize, college faculty must have a sustained record of both excellent teaching across a range of undergraduate courses and outstanding out-of-class service to students. Nominations are solicited from students, colleagues, alumni and parents, and the winner is selected by a committee composed of the dean of the college, two department chairs, a member of the university's Academy of Teaching and two undergraduate students.

   Botoman, of COLUMBUS (43220), the committee's unanimous choice in 1996, is credited with developing Ohio State's Romanian program -- the largest such program outside Romania. Since joining the faculty in 1977, Botoman has won two Outstanding Teaching Awards given by the Student Council of the Colleges of the Arts and Sciences (in 1979 and 1986) and a 1981 Ohio State University Alumni Award for Distinguished Teaching. She teaches in the Department of Slavic and East European Languages and Literatures.

   The recipient of the first Rodica C. Botoman Award is Alan Beyerchen of WORTHINGTON, professor of history. Since coming to Ohio State in 1978, Beyerchen has taught the entire sequence of western civilization survey courses, including 20th century European history survey. He also is responsible for the upper- division German history sequence, which is his special area of interest.

   One student recommending him for the award wrote that Beyerchen "was one of the most influential forces in insuring the success of my college experience. He taught me how to approach my assignments and construct reasonable arguments. Perhaps most importantly, he illustrated the difference between instruction and teaching, the latter of which lends itself much more constructively to personal academic growth." Another offered, "Professor Beyerchen relates the content of the class to issues of human nature." And one student said, "Dr. Beyerchen's dynamism, versatility, and enthusiasm for teaching are second to none. His class is a place where ideas start."

   Mark Grimsley, professor of American history, and Lindsay Jones, professor of comparative studies, are the second and third recipients of the Jones Award. The college and the university are grateful to Ben Jones for promoting the visibility of its teaching mission, and to Professors Botoman, Grimsley, Jones and Beyerchen, who exemplify the best within that mission.

Contact: Shari Lorbach, College of Humanities, (614) 292-1882