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News

Researcher recommends farmland preservation technique Efforts to save Ohio’s farmland would be most effective if they focused on areas between 20 miles and 40 miles from major metropolitan areas, say Ohio State University researchers. Jason Reece, a Geographical Information Systems analyst, said he hopes newly gathered data will help communities plan for future growth. Reese says, “Just as a matter of the state's physical geography, most of Ohio's agricultural land is situated within 50 miles of its major metropolitan areas. That's also where a lot of our population is growing -- it's not just at the edge of urban areas.” Reece worked with Elena Irwin, assistant professor in the Department of Agricultural, Environmental and Development Economics, to study land use in Ohio for a report, “Land Cover in Ohio's Townships: An Analysis of Township Land Cover and Population Change.” The full land-use report, as well as other data collected in “The Exurban Change Project,” is available on the Web athttp://aede.osu.edu/programs/exurbs. Contact: Jason Reece, (614) 247–6479.

Ohio State welding engineering students take a ride on NASA’s zero-gravity jet A team of Ohio State welding engineering students enjoyed a unique spring break experience as they conducted welding experiments on NASA’s Boeing KC-135A jet, where reduced gravity conditions are simulated. The team of seven students traveled to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston during their spring break, March 19-25, to conduct the experiments. Four of the students rode on the KC-135 to conduct the experiments, which may lead to the possibility of performing welding in space. The students submitted their welding experiments to NASA through the Reduced Gravity Student Flight Opportunities Program. The Ohio State team competed with nearly 50 other universities for the chance to conduct the zero-gravity experiments. The Ohio State flyers were Jarrod Bichon, Stacey Maag, Bill Dawson, and Mike Lantz. Ground crew members include Kerry Boone, Peter Kinney, and Brian Thomas.Contact: Gina Langen, College of Engineering, 614-688-4423.

Experts

Battles rage in Middle East -- As Israelis expand military operations on the West Bank; Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has told his nation that it is at war against terrorism and that Palestinian leader Yassar Arafat is the enemy. Ohio State faculty offer expertise on the latest crisis. As listed in the online version of Ohio State University Faculty Experts http://www.osu.edu/news_db/experts/international.php, Arab-Israeli Relations are key areas for Richard Herrmann, a political scientist at the Mershon Center (614-292-9843, herrmann.1@osu.edu; John Quigley, a professor of law and political science, (614-292-1764),