OSU TURKISH STUDENT ASSOCIATION HELPS EARTHQUAKE VICTIMS--The massive earthquake that hit the western part of Turkey earlier this week has had a huge impact on the more than 100 students from Turkey who are studying at Ohio State. Some students are still trying to locate family members in Turkey. The OSU Turkish Student Association (TSA) will address how the Turkish, Ohio State and Columbus communities can help victims and survivors of the earthquake at 6 p.m. Sunday (8/22) at the Buckeye Village Recreation Center, 2704 Defiance Drive. The TSA has already: Established a local bank account for people to donate money to the relief efforts, and planned a benefit dinner on Friday, Aug. 27, from 5-10 p.m. at Royer Activities Center, 85 Curl Drive. Details of these two actions will be distributed during the meeting on Sunday. The Office of International Education and the OSU Middle East Studies Center are aiding the TSA in its efforts.
CONTACT: Kim Diehl, Office of International Education, 292-6101 (w), 261-4689 (h), 250-4941 (pager).

AVIATION SAFETY CENTER IS RECOGNIZED--Aug. 23. Developing technologies to make flying safer is the goal of a new alliance led by Ohio State and Iowa State universities. The Airworthiness Assurance Center of Excellence (AACE), part of the College of Engineering, has been established by the Federal Aviation Administration to coordinate the research and development efforts of universities, government and industry to improve air safety. Ohio State will be recognized as a lead institution in the AACE at a plaque dedication ceremony in the Statehouse atrium at 10 a.m. Monday (8/23). A number of FAA safety officials will attend the event, along with university and State of Ohio officials, representatives from NASA, Wright-Patterson AFB, and the Ohio Aerospace Institute. The Airworthiness Assurance Center Of Excellence directs research on aircraft safety issues such as aircraft maintenance, inspection and repair, crashworthiness, propulsion and fuel system safety technologies, landing gear systems performance safety, advanced materials and other airworthiness issues. For example, as a direct response to the TWA 800 accident, research will be conducted this year to develop better understanding of fuel vapor dynamics and ignition characteristics as a function of flight conditions. As a lead institution, Ohio State brings significant aviation expertise to managing the 10-year, $100 million program. AACE research at Ohio State centers on Advanced Materials, Propulsion and Fuel Systems.
CONTACT: Carol Gregorek, Airworthiness Assurance Center of Excellence, 292-7415.

MARCHING BAND KICKS OFF FUND-RAISING CAMPAIGN--Aug. 25. As part of the three-year project to renovate Ohio Stadium, the Ohio State University Marching Band will soon move to a new location within the fabled walls of the giant horseshoe. The band will mark the kickoff of a campaign to raise $2 million to construct the new facility with a news availability at 9 a.m. Wednesday (8/25) in the Ohio Stadium bandroom, located in the west side of the stadium near Gate 3. Band Director Jon Woods and Athletics Director Andy Geiger will unveil design and conceptual drawings of the new complex and will be available for interviews. The current bandroom is housed in what was part of the Stadium Dormitories that was remodeled as a home for the band in 1960. Since then, the band has gone from 144 to 225 musicians and added women to the ranks. The new bandroom will cost between $4.7 million and $5 million, with the Department of Athletics providing approximately 60 percent of the cost. The campaign to raise the remaining approximately $2 million is a joint effort of the College of the Arts and the Department of Athletics, with assistance from the TBDBITL Alumni Club. Construction is scheduled to begin in December 1999.
CONTACT: Sharon Ferguson, College of the Arts, 292-5171; David Carwile, TBDBITL 292-9678; or Jon Woods, Marching Band, 292-2598.

STONE LAB HOLDS OPEN HOUSE--Aug. 28. The F.T. Stone Laboratory on Gibraltar Island will host an open house Aug. 28 from noon to 4 p.m. (raindate is Aug. 29). It's a rare opportunity to tour the lab and learn about Lake Erie and the many programs and research projects conducted at the facility. Established in 1895, Stone Lab is the oldest freshwater biological field station and research laboratory in the United States. There will be guided tours, hands-on learning displays, and representatives from Ohio Sea Grant to answer questions. In addition, there will self-guided bicycle tours of South Bass Island (bring your own bicycles). Tours of Gibraltar Island leave every half-hour from the Stone Laboratory Research Building/State Fish Hatchery on South Bass Island. For more information, call the Stone Lab office at (419) 285-2341 or in Columbus at (614) 292-8949. The event is part of Coastweeks '99, Aug. 28-Sept. 26, sponsored by the Ohio Lake Erie Office.
CONTACT: Karen Ricker, Ohio Sea Grant College Program, 292-8949.

STUDENTS OFFERED LEGAL ADVICE ON HOUSING ISSUES--Students can now get help with landlord-tenant disputes and other housing problems at the new Student Housing Legal Clinic. Operated by the College of Law at 1601 N. High St., the clinic opened its doors July 1 and has already advised more than 50 clients and negotiated several claims. The Legal Clinic provides advice and representation to students concerning landlord and tenant issues and also answers any questions that students might have about their legal obligations with lease and landlord agreements. The Student Housing Legal Clinic differs from other legal clinics because students are hired as law clerks and supervised, instead of earning academic credit. Director Katherine Wise says it's an effective way to better educate the student body about their rights as tenants while offering law students a chance to obtain practical experience while earning money for school.
CONTACT: Katherine Wise, Student Housing Legal Clinic, 421-3308.

WORLD BANK TAPS PROFESSOR AS VISITING SCHOLAR--Okey Onyejekwe, director of the Center for African Studies at Ohio State, has accepted an invitation to serve as a visiting scholar in the Africa Region of the World Bank. Onyejekwe will spend fall quarter in Washington, D.C., working on political risk assessments of the World Bank's country assistance strategies. He will help the World Bank prepare public communication strategies for Nigeria and Ghana and contribute to their anti- corruption programs. The appointment is the latest in a series of international missions for Onyejekwe, who has observed and supervised elections in South Africa and Bosnia as part of a team selected by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and the U.S. State Department. A native of Nigeria, Onyejekwe has studied and written extensively about African politics.
CONTACT: Okey Onyejekwe, 292-8169 (office) or 457-6258 (home).

The person listed as the contact for each item will have the best information about the story. Call on our news services staff for assistance with these or other Ohio State news stories--Amy Murray, 292-8385; Ruth Gerstner, 292-8424; Emily Caldwell, 292-8309; and Karissa Shivley, 292-8295.
*Compiled by Amy Murray, University Communications, (Murray- Goedde.1@osu.edu).