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Ohio State\'s news, experts and events give you more on the news

News

Ohio State celebrates Academic National Champions -- As the 2003-04 academic year comes to a close, Ohio State is celebrating an unprecedented year of significant recognition for faculty and student achievement by the nation\'s most prestigious academic associations and foundations. Among the faculty honors are a new member admitted to the National Academy of Sciences, three fellows of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and a record 15 faculty named fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, more than any other university this year. Other faculty awards include the Stockholm Water Prize, considered the equivalent of the Nobel Prize for water scientists; 12 prestigious Fullbright Scholarships, three Guggenheim fellowships, six National Science Foundation Early Career Development Awards and one Sloan fellowship. In celebration of the outstanding achievements, the university is placing a full-page ad in Thursday (6/3) editions of The Columbus Dispatch, The Lantern, and onCampus, Ohio State's faculty and staff newspaper. While not possible to list every one of the respected awards that have come to Ohio State this year, the 71 faculty and 36 students listed in the ad represent the most prominent organizations and foundations. Contact: Elizabeth Conlisk, University Relations, (614) 292-3040.

Projects on Ohio State’s campus will have an impact on traffic this week -- Motorists and pedestrians should plan for extra time or an alternate route around these locations:

- Cunz Hall parking lot. The lot behind Cunz Hall is closed.
- 9th Avenue garage entrance. West entrance now open, although traffic continues to be reduced to one lane in each direction.
- 12th/Neil Avenue. Work is completed on the east end of 12th Avenue, but traffic will remain one-way eastbound through duration of project.
- Magruder Road. Road is closed, and 18th Avenue is open to motorcycle parking and pedestrians only between Magruder and the control gate near College Road.
- Knowlton and Hitchcock Halls. Pedestrian traffic between the two buildings is affected while new trees and shrubs are planted.
- Lincoln and Morrill Towers east bridge/walkway project. Bridge and sidewalk replacement has begun on east side of the towers.
For more information, see: http://www.osu.edu/news/construction_update.php Contact: Amy Murray, University Relations, (614) 292-8385.

Experts

Expert says business people win when they apologize, admit mistakes -- In life, it is said that “love means never having to say you\'re sorry,” but not in the business world, according to a new study. A Fisher College of Business expert says people who are wronged in a business transaction may be more likely to say they would reconcile if the offender offers a sincere apology - particularly if the offender takes personal blame for the misdeed. While it seems common sense that apologies would help smooth a bruised business relationship, such messages of regret are not common enough, said Roy Lewicki, co-author of the study and professor of management and human resources. For more information, see http://researchnews.osu.edu/archive/bustrust.htm Contact: Roy Lewicki, Fisher College of Business, (614) 292-0258, or Jeff Grabmeier, University Relations, (614) 292-8457.

Experts can discuss global warming, movie depicting climate catastrophes -- The movie “The Day After Tomorrow” is entertaining audiences with images of tornadoes, floods, storms and other catastrophes that are purportedly the result of global warming. Two scientists with the Byrd Polar Research Center at The Ohio State University can discuss the causes and impacts of climate change. Lonnie Thompson and Ellen Mosley-Thompson, professors of geological sciences and geography, respectively, study climate change by retrieving and analyzing ice cores from glaciers around the world. Contact: Ellen Mosley-Thompson, Byrd Polar Research Center, (614) 292-6662, or Lonnie Thompson, Byrd Polar Research Center, (614) 292-6652.

Research

New theory suggests people are attracted to religion for 16 reasons -- People are not drawn to religion just because of a fear of death or any other single reason, according to a new comprehensive, psychological theory of religion. There are actually 16 basic human psychological needs that motivate people to seek meaning through religion, said Steven Reiss, author of the new theory and professor of psychology and psychiatry at Ohio State. These basic human needs - which include honor, idealism, curiosity and acceptance - can explain why certain people are attracted to religion, why God images express psychologically opposite qualities, and the relationship between personality and religious experiences. For more information, see http://researchnews.osu.edu/archive/religdes.htm Contact: Steven Reiss, Departments of Psychology and Psychiatry, (614) 292-2390; or Jeff Grabmeier, University Relations, (614) 292-8457.

Service

The James to offer free prostate cancer screenings - June 4. -- Ohio State\'s James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute will offer free prostate cancer screenings from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday (6/4) in its first floor clinic at 300 W. Tenth Ave. Registration is preferred; there will be only limited appointments for walk-ins. Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers in men, but it is also one of the most curable if detected early. The American Cancer Society recommends yearly exams for many men as one way of catching the disease early. Contact: James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute, (614) 293-5066.

Events

Ohio State to host statewide Hip-Hop Summit - June 3. -- The “OHIO Hip-Hop Summit - 2004,” a statewide youth voter registration effort, will take place from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday (6/3) at The Schottenstein Center, 555 Borror Drive. The event is free but a ticket is required for admission. Doors will open at 9 a.m. The Hip-Hop Summit Action Network (HSAN) will feature rap mogul Russell Simmons and some of the top hip-hop artists in the industry in a non-partisan voter registration and education summit. The goal of HSAN\'s Ohio summit is to register as many voters in the state between the ages of 18 and 40. To receive a ticket, one is not required to register to vote. Contact: Liz Cook, University Relations, (614) 292-7276.

Ohio State University Trustees, committees to meet - June 4. -- The Ohio State University Board of Trustees and its committees will meet Friday (6/4) at the Longaberger Alumni House, 2200 Olentangy River Road. The format for the monthly meetings has changed. The Board\'s two major committee meetings (Academic and Student Affairs and Fiscal Affairs) will be held concurrently at 10 a.m. Friday morning. A third committee meeting, the Investments Committee, will meet at 11:15 a.m. The full Board will meet at 1:30 p.m. The purpose of the new format is to facilitate the active participation of all Board members on the most significant matters under consideration, to assist interaction with President Holbrook and her staff on these topics, to ensure a more uniform reporting process for committee chairs and to use Board members\' time most efficiently and productively. For more information, see http://www.osu.edu/news/lvl2_news_story.php?id=834 Contact: Elizabeth Conlisk, University Relations, (614) 292-3040.

Habitat for Humanity house to be moved to permanent location - June 5. -- The Habitat for Humanity house built on the west lawn of the Ohio Union, 1739 N. High St., will be moved on Saturday (6/5). The house, which weighs approximately 35 tons, will be transferred by professional movers to a lot located between Fifth and Seventh avenues in the Weinland Park area. The move is expected to last from approximately 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Since March, 328 student volunteers have spent more than 3,800 hours working on \"Buckeye Build: Project CHAMPIONS,\" a project to build the two-story house that measures approximately 23 feet wide and 34 feet deep. For more information, see http://habitatforhumanity.osu.edu/ Contact: Shannon Wingard, University Relations, (614) 247-6821.

The person listed as Contact will have the best information about the story. Call on our media relations staff for help with any Ohio State story – Elizabeth Conlisk, (614) 292-3040; Liz Cook, (614) 292-7276; Amy Murray, (614) 292-8385, and Shannon Wingard, (614) 247-6821.