Story Ideas for Media 11-27-06

News

Ohio State again among top universities having AAAS fellows. This year, more research faculty from Ohio State University received one of the highest recognitions in their academic fields than did all other American universities except one.
Seventeen OSU researchers were among the 2006 class of “fellows” named by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Ohio State has led the country in new fellows for the past three years and only the University of California, Riverside, surpassed OSU’s total this year with 20 of its faculty being named as fellows.
With the new honorees, Ohio State has 127 faculty who have earned this honor, making it one of the largest contingents in the country. CONTACT: Earle Holland, (614) 292-8384. SEE: http://www.osu.edu/news/newsitem1531

Research

Big bias in who gets screened for breast cancer. Certain women may miss out on routine tests that screen for early signs of breast cancer. Elderly women, women with publicly funded health insurance and women who don't go to an obstetrician and gynecologist for routine exams are all less likely than others to get a clinical breast exam and a recommendation for a mammogram.
“A physician's recommendation is why many women undergo screening in the first place,” said Rajesh Balkrishnan, the Merrell Dow professors of pharmacy at Ohio State University. “Foregoing these exams can increase a woman's risk of developing an advanced stage of breast cancer. There are several reasons why a physician may not give a patient a clinical breast exam or recommend a mammogram.” CONTACT: Rajesh Balkrishnan, (614) 292-6415; Balkrishnan.1@osu.edu SEE: http://researchnews.osu.edu/archive/canscreen.htm

Events

Survey to address perception of terrorism in Central Ohio – Nov. 29-Dec. 10. Do Central Ohio residents believe they are at risk of a terrorist attack? Do they think Homeland Security’s color-coded advisory system is effective? Have they used government-sponsored websites such as www.ready.gov?
These and other questions are the subject of an online survey being conducted by Ohio State University researchers from Nov. 29 to Dec. 10. To take the survey, Central Ohio residents can simply visit the Columbus Terrorism Survey website at columbusterrorismsurvey.org.
The Columbus Terrorism Survey is part of a broader research project being conducted by Jason VanHorn and Mei-Po Kwan of the Ohio State Department of Geography. Researchers will compare the survey results with a spatial model that provides a vulnerability index of the Columbus area.
The object is to analyze whether residents’ perception of where terrorists might strike matches the model’s predictions of which spaces are truly vulnerable. Results are expected in spring 2007.
The project is sponsored by the Mershon Center for International Security Studies and Department of Geography at The Ohio State University. CONTACT: Cathy Becker, Mershon Center, (614) 292-7529.

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