Ohio State News Tips 8/16/13

Presidential Search Committee Meeting Scheduled – Aug. 16. The Presidential Search Committee of The Ohio State University Board of Trustees will meet from 3 – 5 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 16 in Longaberger Alumni House, Mount Leadership Room, 2200 Olentangy River Road. SEE: http://www.osu.edu/news/newsitem3761. CONTACT: Gayle Saunders, 614-292-5962 or saunders.372@osu.edu.

Ohio State First-Year Students to receive an official Columbus welcome at Nationwide Arena – Aug. 19. Some 7,000 first-year Ohio State students will travel to Nationwide Arena on Monday for the First-Year Student Columbus Welcome, where they will learn about their new hometown during a high-energy presentation.

A press conference highlighting the planning and strategy for the Columbus Welcome Event will be held at 12:30 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 19 at Nationwide Arena, 200 W. Nationwide Blvd., Columbus Blue Jackets Press Conference Room, Room 14, on the arena floor. Speakers will include Ohio State University Interim President Joseph Alutto, Columbus Mayor Michael Coleman, Columbus Partnership President and CEO Alex Fisher and Experience Columbus President and CEO Brian Ross. CONTACT: Gayle Saunders, 614-292-5962 or saunders.372@osu.edu.

Ohio State begins a new school year. The population on Ohio State's Columbus campus has grown as the campus welcomes new and returning students. During Welcome Week, students are greeted with fairs, ice cream socials, cookouts and hog roasts. In addition to the First Year Student Columbus Welcome, here are some top events for media to cover:
*Tuesday, Aug. 20: Buck-I-Frenzy Students can sample the latest music, food, products and services from local and national companies from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. in and around the RPAC. http://welcomeweek.osu.edu/events?event_id=2172

*Wednesday, Aug. 21: Autumn quarter classes begin Campus Locator service -- An army of Campus Locators will be at five key locations in brightly colored tents to help students find their way on the first two days of classes.
http://welcomeweek.osu.edu/events?event_id=1994

Buckeye Kick-Off - Saturday, Aug. 24 -- 5:30 p.m. at Ohio Stadium Students are encouraged to wear red as they learn the traditions of cheering for their Buckeyes. Buckeye Kick-Off includes a fan fest and tailgate outside the Ohio Stadium South Stands at 5:30 p.m. Gates to the stadium open at 6 p.m. and the program, which begins at 6:30 p.m., features multimedia, The Ohio State University Marching Band, campus celebrities, a Block O card stunt. http://welcomeweek.osu.edu/events?event_id=2291
A complete list of events is at http://welcomeweek.osu.edu/

Unbelievable, But True: Another Corpse Flower Is on its Way. For the third time this year, Ohio State’s Biological Sciences Greenhouse has bragging rights to blooming a Titan Arum, aka, Corpse Flower.

This is the fifth Titan to bloom at Ohio State since 2011—all raised from seeds planted by greenhouse manager Joan Leonard—all named for Buckeye legends: Woody, Jesse, Woody 2 and Maudine.

Members of the public are also invited to help name the plant. SEE: https://bioscigreenhouse.osu.edu/titan-arum. CONTACT: Sandi Rutkowski, Ohio State University College of Arts and Sciences Communications Director, 614-292-4759, Rutkowski.1@osu.edu.

Online teaching is not just plug and play. Like teachers at any level, graduate teaching assistants discover that educational technology is far more complex than they anticipated.

They can find themselves over their heads when they are assigned an online class. A new boot camp for Teaching Assistants (TAs) at Ohio State will give them the skills needed to build an outstanding online learning environment.

David Stein and Connie Wanstreet, who certify online courses for quality, will show TAs how to provide better guidance and help learners take ownership of their online course. CONTACT: David Stein, associate professor of workforce development and education, stein.1@osu.edu or 614-292-0988.

Metro Early College High School welcomes first ever class of middle school students – Aug. 22. Metro Early College High School will welcome its historic first class of middle school students – some as young as 11 years old – at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, August 22nd at the school, 1929 Kenny Road.
Speakers include Ohio State University Interim President Joseph Alutto, Battelle President and CEO Jeffrey Wadsworth and Metro Chief Academic Officer Aimee Kennedy. CONTACT: Rob Evans, 614-895-6433 or evansrob@battelle.org.

The person listed as the CONTACT will have the most current information about the story. Call on our media relations staff for help with any Ohio State story: Jane Carroll, 614-292-5220 or carroll.296@osu.edu; Liz Cook, 614-292-7276 or cook.17@osu.edu; Gary Lewis, 614-292-2048 or lewis.330@osu.edu; or Amy Murray, 614-292-8385 or murray-goedde.1@osu.edu.