1179 University Drive

Newark, Ohio 43055

www.newark.osu.edu

NEWARK

2006 Progress Report

THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY AT NEWARK

T R A N S I T I O N I N G T O W A R D T H E F U T UR

E

2006 Progress Report

NEWARK

Letter from the Dean / Director 2

The John L. & Christine Warner 3Library & Student Center

OSU Graduate Accepted to Yale, 4Makes A Tough Decision

Distinguished Professors 5

Leaving A Legacy: Professor Retires 6Leaves Good Stock Behind

Award Winning Honors’ Student 7Drawn to Small College

Newark Earthworks Center 8Receives Approval

History in the Heartland 9Awarded 1 Million Dollar Grant

All A-Buzz At Baker House 10

Matherscize: Exercising 11Young Minds

Professor Receives 12National Geographic Grant

Student Research Forum 13

Salute to Undergraduate Achievement 13

Data and Stats 14

Distinguished Professors

Leaving A Legacy

Award WinningHonors Student

Matherscize

Baker House

The mission of The Ohio State University is toadvance the well-being of the people of Ohioand the global community through the creationand dissemination of knowledge. In helping theuniversity fulfill its mission, the Newark campusserves as a point of access to the university forstudents who are place-bound or who desire apersonal environment. We provide such accessby extending courses that allow students toprepare for future coursework at the Columbuscampus or to complete university programs thatalign with community, regional, or state needs.

The inaugural issue of Transitioning Towardthe Future heralds a new vision for The OhioState University at Newark. About a year ago,retreats involving members of the faculty, seniorstaff, and the Newark Board of Trustees led tothe development of a new strategic plan for thecampus, a plan that is nearly ready for adoption.Our new vision, which ties us more closely tothe university’s Academic Plan as well as to Ohio’seconomic and educational goals, is to improveOhio’s future by genuinely extending the OhioState experience beyond the Columbus campusto the greatest number of Ohioans as possible.Thus, we are looking not only toward the futureof our students and our campus but also towardthe future of Ohio.

To fulfill our vision, we are taking bold steps todevelop our campus to its full potential, tobroaden the learning opportunities we offer ourstudents, to support research that contributes tothe world-class reputation of Ohio State, and toreach out to the communities of Ohio. Thecontent of this publication shows what we’veaccomplished over the past year, and reflects ourcore values:

• The highest standards of teaching, scholarshipand service

• Commitment to learning and open inquiryThe generosity of local benefactors who havemade the development of the campus and theeducation of local citizens a high communitypriority

• The collaborative relationship we have built with Central Ohio Technical College and otherexternal constituencies

• The cultural richness of a diverse campus community

I hope that in illustrating our progress over thepast year, we have revealed our promise. I inviteyou to visit us, to affirm your membership in thecampus community, and to join us as we looktoward the future.

Sincerely,

William L. MacDonaldDean and Director

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The John L. andChristine WarnerLibrary and StudentCenterThe footprint of The John L. and ChristineWarner Library and Student Center will soonbe recognizable as ground work on the siteis under way. Clearing earth for the buildingpad began in October along with theconstruction of the underground utilities.Work on the structure of the building isscheduled to begin in November with ananticipated completion date in spring 2008.

When the doors to the new building open,it is anticipated that not only will the face ofthe campus change but so will its feel.Structurally and symbolically this 81,000square foot building will be the union ofinformation access and the informationgeneration. The facility will feature 25,000square feet of library space housing an ever-changing array of print and digital resourcesfor teaching, learning and research, makingit the intellectual crossroads of the campus.

“The new library will embrace the dramaticadvancements in information technologythat are transforming traditional librariesinto twenty-first century facilities,”

The construction of the 81,000 square foot

Warner Library and Student Center is

scheduled to begin in November with an

estimated completion date of spring 2008.

commented Dr. William MacDonald. TheOSU library system is ranked among the top20 national universities libraries. The existingNewark campus library is extremely smalland is the only one of the four Ohio Stateregional campus libraries that has not beenrecently upgraded.

The new student center will feature a modernfood court, student affairs offices, studentorganizational space, a learning commons,various lounge and activity areas and a newbookstore. Through volunteerism andstudent employment, the center will offerfirst-hand experiences in citizenship andeducate students in leadership development,social responsibility, multiculturalism andvalues. John Berry, Director of Student Affairsat Ohio State Newark, stated, “It is our hopethat the center will foster a sense ofcommunity that will cultivate enduringloyalty to the university.”

The building was made possible through theforesight and generosity of its namesakes –John L. and Christine Warner, who arecredited with the unique concept ofcombining the library and student centerinto one facility. The Warners’ generousdonation consists of a $4.5 million lead gift,followed by the establishment of threecharitable remainder trusts of varyingamounts and years.

It is through the vision of Mr. Warner andthe Warner family’s magnanimous gift thatthe educational experience of students foryears to come will be enhanced by The JohnL. and Christine Warner Library andStudent Center.

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Graduate FollowsHis Own PathAfter getting his start at Newark, David Cosmargraduated from The Ohio State University at Newarkwith a bachelor’s degree, magna cum laude withdistinction, in psychology.

The former research assistant at The Ohio StateUniversity College of Medicine finds excitement insurprising research results, and in working withgreat people. His decision to attend The StateUniversity of New York (SUNY) in Binghamtonmight surprise some, but he has no regrets. “Thelure of the Ivy League was strong, but at the end ofthe day it mattered more to take the path that wouldlead me to where I wanted to be,” Cosmar stated.

David applied to graduate programs which offeredvarious options; his research interests includeHIV/AIDS, Cancer, and Substance Abuse. “It was alast minute decision, and honestly, I think mostpeople who apply (to Yale) do so as a long shot,” hesaid. SUNY Binghamton has one of the topbehavioral therapy programs in the country, greatinternships and an emphasis on a scientific approachto psychology, according to David.

“My final decision was to attend the ClinicalPsychology Ph.D. program at SUNY Binghamton,where I will focus on substance abuse issues,” hesaid, adding, “I received a five-year scholarship anda nice stipend. I had great relationships withprofessors there before applying and the gradstudents were cooperative and lively.”

David took advantage of everything Ohio StateNewark has to offer. “There are great people therewho want you to succeed and will help if you applyyourself,” he stated. “The psychology lab was myhome (sometimes literally) and it was a major reasonfor my acceptance into grad schools.” He also foundthe writing lab very useful. “For my budding career,there was probably nothing better than learningresearch in the psych lab and developing writingskills that gave me the power to communicate clearlyand effectively. It’s amazing what you can accomplishwith well-written and carefully chosen words."  In his recent position at the OSU College ofMedicine, David has worked in collaboration withBrown University on a skin cancer triage study ona National Cancer Institute grant. “At SUNY, mytentative plan is to obtain my Ph.D. in ClinicalPsychology and to then, a position in academia,while exercising options for clinical practice andresearch at varying times in my career,” Cosmar said.He may also consider supervision, consultationand/or pursuing another degree in public health. Cosmar has had many interesting challenges duringhis research studies, including working closely withdifferent personalities. “In any case, it's a greatexperience because that’s part of the reality ofdealing with people in general–you have to learnto adjust and compromise or you won't make it inresearch or in the world, for that matter,” statedCosmar, adding, “Newark was part and parcel tomy discovery that life is a problem-solving exercise.” 

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DistinguishedProfessors Makethe Difference“When a student walks into my office

and doesn’t understand something, Iexplain it to them…You can see it intheir eyes when they get it. Then, onthe test, they answer the questions perfectly and you know you made a difference.” – Bruce Mainland, Professor of Physics at Ohio State Newark

Dr. Bruce Mainland is one of manyexemplary teachers at Ohio StateNewark, and to whom research is veryimportant. He said that the thoughtof doing something that hasn’t beendone has helped him to persevere andto become a better professor.“Students need to know how exciting(research) can be and I hope tomotivate them to become interestedin research and problem-solving,” Dr.Mainland stated.

In March of 2005, Bruce was one oftwo professors at Ohio State Newarkto be honored with the 2005 AlumniAward for Distinguished Teaching, byThe Ohio State University. He joinedhis colleague, Dr. Mitchell Lerner,Associate Professor of History, inreceiving that honor.

“I am thrilled that Bruce and Mitchhave received this Alumni Award.They are both exceptional facultymembers who are, by all indications,superb teachers,” stated OSUNDean/Director Bill MacDonald.“Bruce’s uniform spread of significantaccomplishments across all areas ofhis job is simply amazing. He hasexcelled as a teacher, a scholar, andacitizen of the University,” Dr.MacDonald added. “Mitch Lernerwas the Mary Ball Washington Chairin American History in 2005. Hisstrong teaching performance was afactor in his selection for this honor,”stated Dr. MacDonald.

“I want my students become out-standing problem-solvers...Theseskills help students in life to haverewarding and challenging jobs,”stated Dr. Mainland.

The Alumni Award honors Ohio StateUniversity faculty members forsuperior teaching. The recipients arenominated by present and formerstudents and colleagues, and they areinducted into the university’sAcademy of Teaching, which providesleadership for the improvement atOhio State.

Dioni Viscarri, Associate Professor ofSpanish and Coordinator of theSpanish and Portuguese Program,joined this distinctive group in spring

of 2006, when he was honored withthe 2006 Alumni Award forDistinguished Teaching. “ProfessorViscarri was chosen from more thana thousand nominations, as one ofonly ten Ohio State faculty who willreceive this honor this year,” statedDr. Michael Sherman, Vice Provostfor Academic Administration forThe Ohio State University, who ledthe surprise announcement.

One of Dr. Viscarri’s formerstudents stated this in hernomination: “Although it was muchmore difficult to obtain a high gradein his class, I learned more than inall previous language courses puttogether.”

In addition to the above-namedprofessors, all of whom are currentlyteaching at Ohio State Newark, therehave been two previous professorsawarded this distinction in the past:Wilma K. Meckstroth, departmentof chemistry, received the award in1978-79; and John J. Skowronski,psychology department, in 1997-98.Faculty who receive this distinctionare also inducted into theuniversity’s Academy of Teaching,which provides leadership for theimprovement of teaching at TheOhio State University. Ohio StateNewark is proud to attractprofessors of their caliber.

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Drs. Dionisio Viscarri, Mitchell Lerner, and Bruce Mainland

Prior to his gift, Howard noted, the Newark

campus did not boast any such trees.“The

vision I have is that of my grandchildren

out here picking up my buckeyes off the

ground, for years to come.”

Leaving a Legacy:Professor Retires,Leaves Good StockBehindHoward Federspiel, Ph.D., Professor ofPolitical Science, started out 28 years agoat The Ohio State University at Newarkin administration: in what was thenconsidered an Associate Dean position.He plans to retire at the end of the schoolyear, 2006-2007.

“In preparing for my retirement, I knewthat I wanted to give a gift that wouldsomehow enhance the campus,” Dr.Federspiel stated. “I wanted to leavesomething with a sense of permanency…anice, fitting remembrance…I used JimBradley’s retirement gift to the campus asan example.”

In November of 2005, Howard followedthrough, by planting five buckeye trees onthe campus of Ohio State Newark, nearthe bike trail and just a short walk fromthe Child Development Center. The“buckeye grove” as it is fondly referred to,consists of five young trees from excellentstock. The trees should be much largerand healthier by spring of 2007, Howardsaid.

“I remembered what a good time I hadas a boy, gathering chestnuts, and thoughtthis gift of buckeye trees would be a long-standing legacy that would be meaningfulto many people.” Prior to his gift, Howardnoted, the Newark campus did not boastany such trees. “The vision I have is thatof my grandchildren out here picking upmy buckeyes off the ground, for years tocome,” the professor stated. HowardFederspiel has three grandchildren,ranging in age from two to 15.

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Honors Student Drawnto Small College SettingOriginally from Apple Valley, Ohio, Kate Bowmanbroke from family tradition when she chose TheOhio State University at Newark. Her father andtwo brothers attended Mount Vernon NazareneUniversity (MVNU), but Kate went further south.

Her choice to attend Ohio State Newark may havebeen obvious, since Kate received 75 percent of hertuition through two academic scholarships. But herlength of stay was not so obvious. “Although I hadplanned to go on to Columbus, I just never left(Newark),” stated Kate. “Ohio State Newark is abeautiful campus with small classes that helpedme transition from high school to college. My highschool graduating class was 305,” she added. Thestudent to faculty ratio at Ohio State Newark is 27:1.

Kate was the 2006 recipient of the Robert A. BarnesAcademic Excellence Award, which is centered onacademics and campus leadership. This award wasestablished in an effort to parallel The John MountAward, a longtime method of honoring anoutstanding student who started at a regionalcampus and completed their education at OhioState Columbus. The Barnes Award recognizes themost outstanding Ohio State Newark student.These and other awards are announced annually atthe Salute to Undergraduates reception in May.

The spring, 2006 graduate (with distinction) nowholds a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science.Kate served as President of the Ohio State NewarkHonors’ Society for two years, was consistently onthe Dean’s List and active on campus.

Her taste of political leadership may explain thetopic Kate chose for her recent thesis: the VotingBehavior of Legislators on Controversial Issues.“I’m interested in political representation and inour society’s codes and services. I’ve often wonderedhow legislators stay in office and how well theyrepresent their districts,” stated the graduate. “Partof my research involved studying CaliforniaCongress’ voting trends on stem cell research.” Herresearch was accepted into the Midwest PoliticalScience Association’s annual conference in Chicagolast spring. “I was one of only a few undergraduatespresenting at this conference, the second-largest ofits kind for political science in the U.S.,” she said.

Originally, Kate planned to major in Social Studiesand teach high school. During her sophomore year,Dr. David Paul, Assistant Professor of PoliticalScience, and Dr. Mitch Lerner, Associate Professorof History, both encouraged her to begin researchinggraduate school options. “By that year’s end, I hadchanged my major to political science.”

She is pursuing a graduate degree at Florida StateUniversity in Tallahassee. “Florida’s program is veryappealing: they have a young, upbeat departmentwhich I find attractive,” stated Bowman. Theyrecruited her heavily and offered considerablefunding for her fellowship.

Kate’s advice for undergraduates: “Don’t limityourself…stay open to possibilities!”p a g e 7

A Celebrationof HistoricProportion:Newark EarthworksCenter ReceivesApproval

“ Circles and squares, octagonsand causeways –the earthworks built by the Hopewell people of eastern North America bewilder theeye, especially when seen from the air.”

~ The Earthworks of Newark, Ohio,Ch. 29, Temples & Shrines, TheSeventy Wonders of the AncientWorld, pp. 132-133. Published byThames & Hudson.

In the above publication, The NewarkEarthworks was named one of the 70wonders of the ancient world. Thisfascinating historic site has also beenfeatured in numerous other state andnational publications, and at the ArtInstitute of Chicago a few years ago,according to Richard Shiels, Ph.D.,Interim Director of the Newark

Earthworks Center (NEC) andAssociate Professor of History at TheOhio State University at Newark..The Newark Earthworks Initiativereceived official approval from TheOhio State University’s Council onAcademic Affairs, to be named a TheNewark Earthworks Center.* It wasa lengthy undertaking, as there arevery few official Centers among theregional campuses. Dr. Shiels, MartiChaatsmith, NEC Coordinator andLucy Murphy, Ph.D., Oral HistoryProject Director and AssociateProfessor of History, took the lead inestablishing the NEC.

According to Dr. Murphy, “Ourprojects are designed to improveresearch about native people.” Inaddition, “We aim to improve interestin developing collaborative researchmethods that partner with nativepeople in the process of designingprojects, collecting and interpretinginformation, and creating ways toshare that information with thegeneral public, with K-12 teachers,with the native communities, andwith our students, staff and facultyat Ohio State Newark.”

Annually, the NEC hosts “NewarkEarthworks Day” which was held on

October 22, 2005 and this year onOctober 14. This public event wascreated to invite everyone to witnessa natural, historic event, the OctagonMoonrise, which occurs only onceevery generation (18.6 years). Lastoccurring in October, 2005, theOctagon Moonrise is a rare occasionwhen the moon rises as far north asit ever does, over the central axisof these geometric mounds(Earthworks) before movingsouthward again. Newark Earth-works Day features Native people,fourth graders, archaeologists andothers and is held on the Ohio StateNewark campus. Additionally, theNEC plans to continue hostingevents, courses, lectures and teachertraining while adding new researchprojects and developing educationalmaterials.

Headquarters for the Ohio StateNewark Earthworks Center are inBaker House, 950 Sharon ValleyRoad. For more information, pleaseemail: earthworks@osu.edu or visitwww.octagonmoonrise.org .

* The Center is still pending approval from the Ohio State Faculty Senate and the Ohio State Board of Trustees.

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A child attends a ceremony on June 7th at the Newark Earthworks when Governor Bob Taft signed a bill into law,designating the Earthworks as the prehistoric monument in Ohio. Nearly 400 youngsters from local elementaryschools attended the event along with hundreds of community members.

History in theHeartland AwardedSecond USDEGrant:$1 MillionLicking County American historyteachers will benefit from a nearly $1million grant to History in theHeartland II: Explore History, apartnership that includes The OhioState University's Department ofHistory, the Ohio Historical Society,and Mid-Ohio Educational ServicesCenter.

The grant from the U.S. Departmentof Education (USDE) will offerprofessional development to K-12history and social studies teachers inthe 13 counties surrounding OhioState’s regional campuses in Lima,Mansfield, Marion, and Newark. TheExplore History initiative is one of124 Teaching American History grantsawarded to fund proposals in 38states, part of a national effort toimprove and enrich the teaching ofAmerican history in public schools.

"This is the second USDE grant ofjust under $1 million each that wehave won in three years," commentedDr. Richard Shiels, Coordinator ofthe Ohio State University at Newarkhistory program. “Each proposal was

submitted by a team that includedone historian from each Ohio Stateregional campus and representativesfrom the Ohio Historical Society andthe Mid-Ohio Education ServicesCenter.”

These grants enable Ohio StateNewark to offer an American historyseminar to 10 Licking County K-12teachers each year. The teachers willreceive graduate credit, books, awealth of resources and direct contactwith Ohio State faculty; in turn, theschools will benefit from theprofessional development of theirteachers and will receive money tosupport substitutes.

The first grant subsidized a programcalled History in the Heartland, whichhas just completed its second yearand will continue for one more. Thesecond grant supports ExploreHistory, a program which begins thisfall and will continue for three years.While History in the Heartland istargeted to junior high and highschool history teachers, ExploreHistory is open to teachers in all K-12 grades.

“The grants make the Newarkcampus a premiere place for localteachers to pursue their professionaldevelopment,” said Shiels.

Stuart Hobbs, director of Ohio State’sHistory Teaching Institute and project

director said, “Explore Historyemphasizes the role of local historicsites as resources for teachers.”

“By giving teachers more knowledgeof their subject and more resourcesto teach that subject in creativeways, student learning willimprove,” said Hobbs. “Ohio willbenefit from students who not onlyknow more about American history,but also have improved skills inreading, in analyzing texts and visualsources, and in interpretingarguments.”

The 13 counties that will benefitfrom the grants are Licking, Allen,Auglaize, Hardin, Seneca, Wyandot,Marion, Union, Delaware, Knox,Richland, Morrow, Richland, andCrawford.

Each year, approximately 36 areateachers (108 over the three years)will participate in five monthlyseminars linked to the OhioAcademic Content Standards. TheNewark Earthworks will be one ofthe four seminar sites. Other sitesare Armstrong Air and SpaceMuseum, Warren G. Harding Home,Malabar Farm, and the OhioHistorical Center in Columbus. Inaddition, teachers will attend anintensive, four-day summer institute.The whole process will begin againin fall 2007 and repeat in 2008.

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All A-Buzz at Baker HouseThere is an interesting-looking structure justnorthwest of the main building at Baker House,950 Sharon Valley Road, Newark, which wasoriginally established through the Evans Foundation.That structure is a screen house, and it has becomethe research lab of Dr. Karen Goodell, AssistantProfessor of Ecology, Department of Evolution,Ecology & Organism Biology (EEOB) at Ohio StateNewark. Karen’s research involves the study ofnative bees as pollinators, figuring out how thenative bee contributes to native, exotic, and invasivespecies of crop plants, such as bush honeysuckle.

Dr. Goodell seeks the answers to questions such as:how does a particular invasive plant species competewith native plants, supporting the bees’ growth?Are bees helping to facilitate the invasion of thisexotic species, and how? Karen’s research involvesmanipulating bees to learn more about their rolein agriculture and farming. “Crop farmers use bees,especially honeybees, to pollinate their crops,” shestated. “They place hives in strategic locations. Myobservations have shown that native bees(Peponapis) actually pollinate squash and pumpkins,making it unnecessary for farmers to introducehoneybees for this function,” Goodell stated.

The screen house is useful in Dr. Goodell’s researchin various ways. “This year, we used the screenhouse to exclude bees, while we study the pollinationprocess on particular squash and pumpkin plants.This will help us to determine the number of nativebees required to pollinate those crops,” statedGoodell. However, the main idea of a screen house,she said, is to include native bees in conductingresearch on crop pollination. Along with threeundergraduate students, Karen plans to continueher research studies next year, when they will usethe screen house to include native bees.

Karen has used “mini screen houses” in the past,which helped her to research and publish a paperabout the affects of parasites on native bees andother factors that limit bee populations. “I canstudy the outcomes of certain parasites on nativebee populations by placing bees in the screen housewith and without parasites.” The screen house wasfunded through a generous contribution from Leeand Mary St. John. Lee St. John, Faculty Emeritus,retired from Ohio State Newark in July, 2002, andhas returned to teach at various times since then.

In addition, Karen uses a dark room in the BakerHouse labs to raise bees. This “bee rearing room”which Karen designed makes it easier to handle thebees, because they cannot see in red light. Fundingfor the creation of research labs and office spacefor the faculty and students in the EEOB departmenthas been supported through the OSU Newarkoperating budget. “The appealing features at BakerHouse made it the logical location, including anoutdoor area for the screen house,” stated BillMacDonald, Dean and Director. “It all added upto about $180,000 to create research labs at Bakerand we plan to put $80,000 towards a new roofand additional funds for parking lotimprovements.”

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Professor Plays Key Role“The grant project, titled Technical Assistance to Support ElementaryMathematics Coaches, is a state-supported model that is expandingwith the intention of becoming statewide,” said Diana Erchick,Ph.D., Education Program Coordinator and Associate Professorat Ohio State Newark. The Mathematics Coaching Program(MCP), as it has come to be known, is funded for three yearsthrough the Ohio Department of Education (ODE). Groups ofparticipating schools have been identified as in need based onvarious criteria including math achievement testing scores.

Diana Erchick, a former middle-school math teacher, has a leadrole in the project along with her colleagues, to ensure that, “matheducation in Ohio is providing more professional developmentopportunities for K-6 teachers, similar to the literacy coachesthat were established a few years ago.”

Currently, there are 34 schools identified as the first cohort,located in the central and north central regions of Ohio, all ofwhich are now in their second year of grant funding. Theseschools are located in Madison, Fairfield, Knox, Licking, Richland,Morrow, Franklin, Huron, Marion and Union counties. Dr.Erchick is one of three project co-directors; the other two are Dr.Patti Brosnan, Associate Professor, The Ohio State UniversityColumbus and Dr. Terri Bucci, Associate Professor, Ohio StateMansfield.

“What distinguishes this grant program is that we have hiredfacilitators – small-group teachers - to provide support andcoordinate a number of schools and the schools’ respective mathcoaches, at the elementary and intermediate grade levels,”explained Dr. Erchick. Each school receives $80,000 per year forthree years, to fund the salaries of math coaches, Erchick said.

These math coaches receive a total of four full days of intensivetraining per month as part of their ongoing professionaldevelopment through the grant: two days with the project directorsand two days with their facilitator.

“The second cohort will include schools in southeast and westernOhio, for a total of 30 schools starting in the program in the2006-2007 school year,” stated Dr. Erchick.

With the training aspect funded by the state, Erchick has beenworking with a team in an effort to secure a federal grant whichwould cover the evaluative piece of the project.

ExercisingYoung MindsWhether it’s a lack of confidencein our own abilities or an aversionto numbers, many people fearmathematics or avoid it altogether.Statistics show that this seems to be alarger issue with females than males;young girls often find math to be verychallenging.

Diana Erchick’s Matherscize Campoffers an opportunity to turn thataround by developing young problemsolvers. Matherscize, an annual, week-long day camp focused on math skills,is held in late July at The Ohio StateUniversity at Newark. The math campinspires young girls in grades fivethrough eight to reach their potential,not just in mathematics but in life.

Due to its structure, Matherscize is oneof just a few programs of its kind acrossthe country and is unique in Ohio. Theday camp is coordinated by Diana B.Erchick, Ph.D., Education ProgramCoordinator at Ohio State Newark anda former middle school math teacher.“One of the goals for the camp is toimprove the girls’ disposition towards

math, before and during middle schoolwhich can be a turning point in theireducation,” stated Dr. Erchick.Additional goals include: providingstudents with a range of math uses;enhancing problem-solving skills;improving collaborative reasoning skills;recognizing the NCTM standards; andintegrating mathematics into the arts,language, science and technology.

One of the projects this year involveddesigning, planning and building a“scrap box” out of recyclables, such asStyrofoam and egg cartons. Matherscizeinstructors also incorporate forces andaerodynamics into math problems…and involve the girls in a quilting projectto show yet another math use.

With a goal of 20 each year, the camphas enrolled 40 participants for the pasttwo years, and generally has a waitinglist. Students are admitted on a firstcome, first served basis, but the programalways seeks diversity in age, race,background and type/size of school andcommunity. Diversity among thecampers helps provide a morecomprehensive learning environment.It takes a team to support a math camp.Dr. Cynthia Tyson, a literacy educator

at Ohio State Columbus campus,donates books each year to thecampers. According to Dr. Erchick,her faculty colleagues from variousprograms at Ohio State Newark alsogive their time, including theeducation, English, business and otherdepartments.

Operated on a shoestring budget,Erchick said the program does notcharge a fee to participants. “I obtaineda grant several years ago through theMathematics Association of Americaand have received research grants sincethen,” the professor stated. She alsogarners support form local businesses,who donate items for goody bags.

“Matherscize goes beyond teachinghow to build a mousetrap...weincorporate the six simple machines,the backbone of math, into fun,hands-on projects,” Erchick stated. While learning how math is part ofeveryday life, the students are alsofine-tuning their teamwork skills andpracticing respect and community-building simultaneously.

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Fossils, Dinosaurs,MammalsProfessor Receives Grant fromNational Geographic

John Hunter, Ph.D., AssistantProfessor of Biology, Department ofEvolution, Ecology, and OrganismalBiology at Ohio State Newark,conducts research on mammals fromthe late Cretaceous periods. Hesubmitted a grant proposal to theNational Geographic Society and wasawarded $15,000 to fund a field study.In his abstract, Dr. Hunter wrote:“This field project will produce resultsof interest to geologists, evolutionarybiologists, and geographers, and willbe run as a collaborative venturebetween academic and avocationalscientists, furthering scientificeducation in a rural area of the GreatPlains.” The project involved a fieldexperience for students to travel withthe professor and others into NorthDakota’s back country to collect fossilsand search for new fossil sites lastsummer. At one of the researchlocations out west, Hunter said, “thereis geological evidence of asteroiddamage/impact at the site.” Many ofhis travels have resulted in interesting

photos like the one above, which wastaken at a mesa (a prominent, flat-topped area) called Mud Buttes inNorth Dakota, where John hascollected fossils.

His project involves researchopportunities for students in relatedprograms, as well. “Right now, thereare two students working with me;one is a biology major and the otheris in geology. Both are looking for athesis topic and considering fossils,”Dr. Hunter stated.

One of the most unique andnoteworthy aspects of Dr. Hunter’sresearch and this grant project, is thecollaboration between colleagues inthe academic world and amateurscientists. “I have been fortunate tojoin colleagues Dean Pearson andothers from Bowman, North Dakota,in my research and even jointlypublished articles,” John stated.“Scientists want to know more aboutwhat’s going on in their backyard.Through this work, we’ve bothlearned quite a bit.”

John Hunter was a Fulbright Scholarfor one year at the University ofHelsinki, Finland, studying mammalian

teeth. He did his dissertation on thehistory of hooved mammals; thediets of colandalarths (omnivoreswho later became herbivores). Hehas presented on numerous topics,including the extinction ofdinosaurs and the study andevolution of certain types ofmammals.

“Some of this kind of research…such as studying the after-effects ofdinosaurs’ extinction…can helpto tell us more about how thespecies of today would recover fromextinction; how resilient our worldis today,” Dr. Hunter stated.

“Scientists want to know more

about what’s going on in their

backyard. Through this work,

we’ve both learned quite a bit.”

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Anderson Wins OAGE AwardThe Arnedia Smith Award is presented to the author ofthe best undergraduate research paper submitted to theannual OAGE conference (Ohio Association ofGerontology and Education). Tara Anderson, psychologymajor at Ohio State Newark, received that award in springof 2006 for her paper entitled, “Mature Women Volunteers”which focuses on the benefits of volunteering for olderwomen, such as better health, positive affect and cognitiveability.

“To me, this award represents what I have been able tolearn and accomplish as an undergraduate at The OhioState University at Newark,” stated Tara, who has beeninvolved in research since her freshman year. “Theopportunity to do research at this point in my academiccareer is remarkable and unique,” she added. “I owe myresearch experience to OSU-N, and more directly to Dr.Sara Staats,” Tara said. “When I first began I could notimagine being able to do a literature search, run statisticsor write a credible paper let alone present at a conference!”

Tara expects to graduate with a Bachelor of Arts degreein psychology at the end of autumn quarter. Since she ishighly interested in gerontology and related psychologyliterature, the OAGE conference has been an ideal learningground and she has attended three times. In addition toher award-winning research paper, Tara also presented aposter during the conference, which she said offers theopportunity to speak individually with other attendeesand hear their feedback.

According to their mission statement, OAGE is an“organization [that] promotes gerontological education,supports Ohio's aging network as a resource for researchand practice, and provides professional development forstudents, faculty and professionals.”

“I believe that I have received an excellent education andmany opportunities at Ohio State Newark that are notafforded to students at larger universities,” Tara stated.“Dr. Staats has taught me how to conduct research andhelped to motivate me...She is truly a patient, kind andencouraging educator; my mentor,” Tara added.

Tara plans to apply to OSU’s Master’s in Social Workprogram with the hopes of attending on the Columbuscampus and receiving her MSW in spring, 2009. “I willthen work toward gaining licensure (LISW) and wouldlike to be a therapist,” she added.

Besides the Arnedia Smith Award, other honors and awardsreceived by Tara Andersen include:

• Student Research Grant, 2006

• Psi Chi National Honors Society, 2005-present(currently serving as Vice President of the Ohio State Newark chapter)

• The President’s Award, for superior academicachievement, 2003

• Ruth Scott-Sara Staats Outstanding UndergraduateStudent Award, 2002

Student Research ForumEach year in March, students are provided a forumto showcase their research at The Ohio StateUniversity at Newark. In 2006, the Student ResearchForum was held in the Reese Center and featuredthe work of fourteen students. Andrew Roberts,Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Biology, and Julie Hupp,Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Psychology, coordinatedthe research forum.

Students presented a poster session showcasingcurrent research projects, and provided informationabout future proposals. Topics ranged from Pumpkinand Squash Pollen Deposition by native and non-native Bee Species, the second place winner in theResearch Category, to Cognitive Advantages ofBilinguals: The Possibility of a Language SpecificFactor, the first place entry in the Proposal Category.

Preparing students for the Denman UndergraduateResearch Forum held in May at the Columbuscampus is one purpose of this forum. Additionally,the Student Research Forum also serves to increasestudent-faculty research endeavors and to encouragemore students to undertake honors theses.

Research is a critical element in most of the 170degree programs offered by The Ohio StateUniversity. According to Dr. Paul Sanders, AssociateDean and Honors Director, Ohio State Newark,“Working one-on-one with faculty advisors allowsstudents to explore topics of personal interest andcontributes to the body of research on those topics.When students actively participate in research, theirknowledge-base, communication skills, andcreativity grow in ways that go far beyond thetraditional classroom.”

“Working one-on-one with

faculty advisors allows students

to explore topics of personal

interest and contributes to the

body of research on those topics.

Whe n s t ude nt s a c t ive ly

participate in research, their

knowledge-base, communication

skills, and creativity grow in ways

that go far beyond the traditional

classroom.”

Salute to Undergraduates: Research and Recognition

TOTAL ENROLLMENT

FULL-TIME EQUIVALENT

FIRST TIME IN COLLEGE

STUDENT POPULATION UNDER 21

RACIAL / ETHNIC STUDENT POPULATION

OUT OF THE AREA:Students come from

71 of Ohio’s 88 Counties

INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS:Student represented

from 26 countries

*The figure for percentage of first-time college students in 1996 is an estimate.

1996 2001 2006

1791 22021353

2079 23101611

30% 39%28%*

56% 64%51%

OHIO STATE NEWARK ENROLLMENT STATS

p a g e 14

6.45% 11.65%4.66%