Untitled Document

-more-

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

News

Electricity can pump medicine in implanted medical devices – Engineers at The Ohio State University have developed a computer model to help tiny medical implants dispense drugs on demand – electrically. This research may lead to more effective – and more convenient – forms of chemotherapy. Though nanotechnology shows a great deal of promise for delivering drugs inside the body, researchers have had difficulty pumping fluid through the tiny passages that would have to be constructed inside such devices, explained Terry Conlisk, professor of mechanical engineering at Ohio State. Conlisk worked on this research with Derek Hansford, assistant professor of materials science and engineering and biomedical engineering. In the journal Analytical Chemistry, Conlisk and his colleagues report that a very small amount of electrical current may solve that problem. ”Pushing fluid through a very small channel requires a lot of pressure,” Conlisk said. ”Of course, you can’t use pressures like that inside the body. So if we can drive fluid safely and effectively with electricity instead of pressure, that’s a real advantage.” Ideally, this research will lead to a device that can target sites of disease in the body, such as tumors, and dispense medication. For some kinds of chemotherapy, the device could make for better treatments and improve a cancer patient's quality of life, Hansford said. Contact: Terry Conlisk, (614) 292-0808; Conlisk.1@osu.edu; Derek Hansford, (614) 292-1285; Hansford.4@osu.edu; see:http://www.osu.edu/researchnews/archive/nanochrg.htm.

Experts

Challenges with Homeland Security - Recent audits by federal inspectors suggest that U.S. agencies are moving too slowly to confront the risks of terrorist attacks. ”Too little has changed since 9/11,” says Representative Jane Harman of California, the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Subcommittee on Terrorism and Homeland Security. ”Federal departments and agencies are not nearly as prepared as they need to be to prevent a second wave of terrorist attacks,” Harman is quoted as saying in Sunday's New York Times. Recently retired Air Force Major General Todd Stewart, the director of Ohio State's new Program for International and Homeland Security, says the government has a huge task in seeking to prevent future terrorist attacks because, in many respects, it means a re-engineering of how they run their offices. Ohio State's Program for International and Homeland Security is a new multi-disciplinary research program designed to assist federal and state officials in better understanding the causes of international terrorism and finding appropriate solutions. Contact: Todd Stewart, (614) 688-3420.

Events

Heritage Festival events begin at Ohio State - through May 19. From a town hall meeting on issues affecting African Americans to a guided tour of Underground Railroad landmarks, the African American Heritage Festival returns to The Ohio State University this week, bringing new events to campus along with some traditional activities. The 24th annual Heritage Festival, themed ”It Takes An Entire Village: Fahari (Pride),” runs from May 13 to 19. Events will be held all week. A complete list is available by visiting http://www.osuheritagefestival.com. Contact: Liz Cook, (614) 292-7276.

Drum major tryouts set for Woody Hayes Center – May 14. Tryouts for drum major for The Ohio State University Marching Band are set for 4 p.m. Tuesday, (5/14) at the Woody Hayes Center. If the weather permits, the tryouts will be held outside. Contact: Anne Radway, (614) 292-2598.

Ohio State hosts national flight safety conference – May 14-18. Future pilots from around the nation will test their skills in Columbus as the Ohio State University Airport hosts a national college flight safety conference. The 2002 National Intercollegiate Flying Association Safety and Flight Evaluation Conference (SAFECON) features competitions in landing, navigation and flight simulation among top student aviators from 30 schools. The 53rd SAFECON will be held from May 14-18. To compete in SAFECON, teams are invited based on their performance in one of 10 regional contests. Among the competing teams are the returning national champions from the University of North Dakota, The Air Force Academy, The United States Naval Academy, Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, Western Michigan University, University of Illinois, Ohio University and The Ohio State University. The competitions take place from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily beginning Tuesday (5/14) at the Ohio State University Airport, 2160 W. Case Road. Because of FAA regulations, media must be briefed by airport officials before going on or near the runway to cover flight events. Media MUST ContactGrant Hundley at 614-746-2150 (cell phone) to arrange a greeting and briefing.

Farewell concert honors Balinese musician-dancer, May 15. The School of Music and the College of the Arts Present: Balinese Music and Dance at OSU. A farewell concert featuring the Wrhatnala Gamelan with Ohio State University students led by I Gusti Agung Ngurah Supartha on May 15, at 8 p.m. in the Sullivant Hall Theatre, 1813 North High Street. A free reception will follow. The concert concludes a month-long residency at the Ohio State University by the internationally acclaimed Balinese musician, dancer and choreographer I Gusti Agung Ngurah Supartha. Over the past month, students enrolled in Music 692, a workshop in Balinese music and dance, had a unique opportunity of studying with Mr. Supartha in preparation for this performance. Contact: Dianna Taylor, (614) 292-0789

Can We Talk? airs on WOSU-TV – May 15. At 8 p.m. on Wednesday (5/15), WOSU-TV will present Can We Talk?, a public forum taped at Ohio State in February 2001 in conjunction with Ohio State's College of the Arts. The program focuses upon the topic of diversity—at Ohio State, the city of Columbus, and America. Can We Talk? is hosted by President Kirwan, who is joined by university and community leaders, among them Michael Coleman, Mayor of Columbus; Janet Jackson, City Attorney; and Farai Chideya, author of The Color of Our Future: Our Multiracial Future. Also featured are actors and producers from Lifetime Network’s Any Day Now. Clips from the show serve as a catalyst for the discussion about diversity. The participants discussed the challenges of tackling the issue of race in America: from the use of the ”n-word” to socioeconomic issues and interracial dating-all important topics to the university community.

Department of Physics to break ground for new physics research building – May 17. The Department of Physics will break ground on a state-of-the art Physics Research Building. The ceremony will take place from 3:30-5:30 with presentations beginning at 3:45, at the site of the new building, located on Woodruff Avenue between Hitchcock Hall and Johnston Laboratory. Speakers will include William E. Kirwan, president of The Ohio State University, Zuheir Sofia, Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Robert Gold, Dean of the College of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, William Saam, Chair of the Department of Physics, and senior physics major Karoline Gilbert. Displays will feature blueprints of the new space, as well as archival photos from the construction of Smith Laboratory, the current home of the Department of Physics. The 233,739 square foot building will house the department’s administrative offices, conference space, and faculty offices, as well as 210 laboratory modules. The design features an atrium and adjoining patio space. A highlight of the atrium floor is the Robert Smith Seminar Room, made possible through a gift from Robert and Winifred Smith. Robert is an alumnus of the department and the son of Alpheus Smith, for whom Smith Laboratory is named. View an interactive tour around the building atwww.physics.ohio-state.edu/newbuilding. Contact: Melissa Weber, (614) 292-2254.

Event will celebrate life of Michael Moritz – May 17. ”Looking to the Future: A celebration of the legacy of Michael E. Moritz” will be held at 4:30 p.m., Friday, May 17, in the Auditorium of John Deaver Drinko Hall. Mr. Moritz donated $30 million to The Ohio State University College of Law. His gift stands as the largest single gift ever presented to Ohio State. Mr. Moritz died in early March from injuries received in an auto accident. Contact: Liz Gates, (614) 292-0283,gates.68@osu.edu

Making our schools safer – May 20. The Educational Council's Safe School Audit will present ”Understanding School Climate” from 9-11 a.m. May 20 in the Educational Council front conference room, 1929 Kenny Road (at the corner of Kenny and Kinnear roads). The Safe School Audit is a tool involving student, staff, parent and community members in assessing a school's safety climate. This stakeholder approach allows schools to gather the information needed to make informed decisions about safety planning. Susan Sears of the school counselor education program in the College of Education and former OSU faculty member Emmalou Norland helped develop the audit instrument. Contact: Safe School Audit Director Julie Pierce, 247-5875 or pierce@edcouncil.org.

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; Randy Dunham, (614) 292-8295; Amy Murray, (614) 292-8385, and Shannon Wingard, (614) 247-6821.