21
February
2013
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18:00 PM
America/New_York

Story Ideas for Media 2/22/13

Breakfast of Science Champions welcome middle schools students – Feb. 27. More than 300 students from Columbus City Schools gifted and talented middle school classrooms will explore Ohio State University laboratories on Wed., Feb. 27 during Breakfast of Science Champions, a special program which offers hands-on science, math and engineering activities designed especially for them.

Students spend the morning on campus and enjoy breakfast with faculty and graduate students from sciences, mathematics, and engineering to learn about career opportunities and attending college. Students then tour labs and participate in a variety of activities. The labs include the Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Brain Imaging, Neuroscience, University Airport, Biological Sciences Greenhouse, Center for Applied Plant Sciences, Arachnid Lab, the College of Optometry, Women in Engineering Program, Insect Molecular Genetics, and Center for Emergent Materials.

Researchers in these labs long-time advocates of outreach, and offer engaging opportunities to the middle school students headed their way. CONTACT: Miryam Chandler, chandler.201@osu.edu. SEE: http://stemoutreach.osu.edu/breakfast-science-champions.

Terrorism expert Jessica Stern to speak on war criminals in Yugoslavia – Feb. 28. Jessica Stern, fellow at the François-Xavier Bagnoud Center for Human Rights at Harvard University, will speak about “Perpetrators of Atrocity: A Work in Progress” at 3 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 28, at the Mershon Center for International Security Studies, 1501 Neil Ave. She is author of “Denial: A Memoir of Terror, Terror in the Name of God: Why Religious Militants Kill, and The Ultimate Terrorists.” She will speak on her latest project, which involves detailed interviews with people indicted or convicted of war crimes by the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia. SEE: http://mershoncenter.osu.edu/events/12-13events/Feb13/sternfeb28.htm

Student loans help women more than men in reaching graduation. Student loans provide more help to women than they do for men in encouraging graduation from college, a new nationwide study reveals.

Findings showed that, on average, taking out loans actually makes graduation more likely for all students. But at a certain point - which is about $2,000 lower for men than for women - debt has diminishing returns and becomes less effective at boosting chances of graduation.

One reason loans help women more may be tied to job prospects for college dropouts - which are much better for men than for women.

"At least early in their careers, women suffer more than men if they don't have a college degree," said Rachel Dwyer, co-author of the study and associate professor of sociology at Ohio State University.

"Women will go deeper in debt to finance college because they need the degree more than men if they want to earn a good living. Men will drop out at lower levels of debt." CONTACT: Jeff Grabmeier, (614) 292-8457; Grabmeier.1@osu.edu. SEE: http://researchnews.osu.edu/archive/genderloan.htm

College of Optometry opens Kids Contact Lens Clinic. The Ohio State University College of Optometry announces the opening of the Kids Contact Lens Clinic, under the direction of Jeffrey J. Walline, professor of optometry and a world-renowned expert on pediatric contact lens wear. His investigations span the knowledge of pediatric contact lens wear from the effects of contact lenses on self-esteem to slowing of the progression of nearsightedness with contact lenses. The purpose of the child-specific contact lens clinic is to provide an atmosphere comfortable for parents and children as they consider contact lens wear.

The Kids Contact Lens Clinic will be open Tuesday afternoons at The Ohio State University College of Optometry. CONTACT: John McCauley, (614) 292-0818, mccauley.4@osu.edu. SEE: http://greatvision.osu.edu/services/kidsContactLensClinic/.

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 or Amy Murray, (614) 292-8385 or murray-goedde.1@osu.edu