Story Ideas for Media 2/4/09

News

Ohio State’s outreach efforts gain national recognition. The Ohio State University has won recognition by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching for both community outreach efforts and for community-engaged curricula. The university is one of 68 public and 51 private institutions selected for the Carnegie Foundation’s 2008 “Curricular Engagement and Outreach & Partnerships” classification.
The 15 Ohio State outreach initiatives in the foundation’s recognition include collaborations with community partners, businesses, other universities, and other nations. CONTACT: Amy Murray, (614) 292-8385.

Research

Slow down – those lines on the road are longer than you think. Take a guess – how long are the dashed lines that are painted down the middle of a road? If you’re like most people, you answered, “Two feet.”
The real answer is 10 feet. That’s the federal guideline for every street, highway, and rural road in the United States, where dashed lines separate traffic lanes or indicate where passing is allowed.
A new study has found that people grossly underestimate the length of these lines – a finding which implies that we’re all misjudging distances as we drive, and are driving too fast as a result.
Dennis Shaffer, assistant professor of psychology at Ohio State University’s Mansfield campus, led the study, which appeared in the journal Perception & Psychophysics. CONTACT: Pam Frost Gorder, (614) 292-9475; gorder.1@osu.edu SEE: http://researchnews.osu.edu/archive/seeline.htm

Events

Ohio State University Trustees to meet – Feb. 6. The Ohio State University Board of Trustees and its committees will meet Thursday (2/5) and Friday (2/6) on the university campus.
The schedule includes a reception for student trustee candidates at 5 p.m. on Thursday (2/5) at the Fawcett Center; preceded by executive sessions at 8:30 a.m. and 1 p.m.
On Friday (2/6), all meetings take place at the Faculty Club. The schedule includes meetings of the Audit and Compliance and Trusteeship committees from 8 to 9:30 a.m.; meetings of the Medical Affairs and Development and Investment Committees from 9:35 to 11:05 a.m.; and meetings of the Fiscal Affairs and Academic Affairs and Student Life committees from 11:10 am – 12:40 pm. The formal board meeting will convene at 1:30 p.m. CONTACT: Shelly Hoffman, (614) 247-4748.

C-SPAN Civics Bus visits Ohio State – Feb. 6. The C-SPAN Civics Bus is on the road on its “100 Days, 100 Schools” tour. The 45-foot mobile production studio and demonstration center will make a stop at Ohio State University on Friday (2/6) as the bus visits 100 schools during the first 100 days of the new presidential administration. The bus will be open for tours from 12:30 to 3 p.m. outside of Arps Hall, 1945 N. High St., on the 17th Street Plaza. CONTACT: Doug Hemmig, C-SPAN, 202-626-4881.

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; Shelly Hoffman, (614) 247-4748; Jim Lynch, (614) 247-4110; or Amy Murray, (614) 292-8385.