Story Ideas for Media 1-16-07

News

College of Engineering research center awarded $8 million in Third Frontier funding. The Ohio State University, in partnership with the University of Dayton, will receive $8 million in state funding to help develop durable and fire-resistant nanocomposite materials and processes.
The State of Ohio announced the grants recently as part of the Third Frontier Engineering and Physical Science Research and Commercialization Program, for the development of next-generation nanomaterials and nanocomposites.
The project is an extension of the Center for Multifunctional Polymer Nanomaterials and Devices (CMPND), a 2005 Wright Center of Innovation located at Ohio State. L. James Lee, director of CMPND and professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering at Ohio State, is the primary investigator for the research project. The newly developed processes will result in more durable and fire resistant materials and can be applied to jet engines, truck panels and other uses.
The project is expected to further advance innovations and apply them to new and expanded commercial ventures for Ohio companies. CONTACT: Gina Langen, (614) 688-4423.

Research

Lost Dogs Found More Often than Lost Cats, Study Suggests – A lost dog is more likely to be reunited with its owner than a lost cat, according to two new studies. In one city in southwestern Ohio, researchers found that 71 percent of lost dogs were found, compared to just 53 percent of lost cats. More than a third of the recovered dogs were found by a call or visit to an animal shelter. More than one in four dogs were found because the animal wore a dog license or identification tag at the time of its disappearance. "The animal control system is a key component in the recovery of lost dogs, but owners have to be vigilant about calling and visiting these agencies," said Linda Lord, the lead author of both studies and an assistant professor of veterinary preventive medicine. "Some form of visual identification is also critical to the recovery of a pet, and can result in a faster recovery."
Although Ohio law requires that dogs be licensed, just 41 percent of the lost dogs in the study wore a license at the time of their disappearance. CONTACT: Linda Lord, (614) 247-8145, Lord.19@osu.edu; SEE: http://researchnews.osu.edu/archive/findpet.htm

Events

Middle school students get a taste of college and careers – Jan. 18. Creating digital media projects such as an electronic magazine, reconstructing history from ancient shards of pottery, and learning how to prevent diabetes are some of the activities arranged for 80 middle school students from Johnson Park Middle School (JPMS) in the Columbus Public Schools in a visit to the Ohio State campus from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Thursday (1/18). Other stops on the trip include a behind-the-scenes look at a rehearsal of OSUDance Downtown, exploration of Spanish language and culture in the College of Humanities' World Media and Culture Center, and a tour of the new Museum of Classical Archaeology. The visit is part of an intensive partnership Ohio State has developed with Johnson Park to give students a taste of college and future careers and help them envision themselves as college students. Photo opportunities will be available. The P-12 Project coordinated this university-wide effort as part of Columbus Public Schools' College Prep 101, an initiative designed to prepare more students for higher education. CONTACT: Denise Fahey, P-12 Project, (614) 688-3621, fahey.13@osu.edu.

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: Liz Cook,(614) 292-7276 or cook.17@osu.edu; Shelly Hoffman,(614) 247-4748 or hoffman.511@osu.edu; Jim Lynch, (614) 247-4110 or lynch.270@osu.edu; or Amy Murray, (614) 292-8385 or murray-goedde.1@osu.edu