Story Ideas for Media 5/22/12

News

The Mobile Campus: Ohio State announces plan to transform teaching, learning, and research. The Ohio State University has announced a plan to build an innovative, forward-looking learning environment that will enhance teaching and student learning. The plan, called Digital First, will expand classroom technology, foster a 21st century mobile learning environment with technology including iPads, and enhance digital learning content through tools such as iTunes U and iBooks Author. The effort was born, in part, from the transformational spirit that began two years ago when faculty started redesigning the curriculum as part of the university’s transition from quarters to semesters.
An increasing number of students, faculty, and staff are expecting the integration of technology and learning in today’s world. As part of Digital First, Ohio State will create and provide faculty, staff, and students with online and classroom education to develop engaging digital learning. In addition, the university will expand classroom wireless capacity in key academic buildings and develop easy access to a shared set of recommended educational applications and resources. CONTACT: Jim Lynch, (614) 247-4110. SEE: http://www.osu.edu/news/newsitem3417

Research

Statistical analysis projects future temperatures in North America. For the first time, researchers have been able to combine different climate models using spatial statistics - to project future seasonal temperature changes in regions across North America.
They performed advanced statistical analysis on two different North American regional climate models and were able to estimate projections of temperature changes for the years 2041 to 2070, as well as the certainty of those projections.
The analysis, developed by statisticians at Ohio State University, examines groups of regional climate models, finds the commonalities between them, and determines how much weight each individual climate projection should get in a consensus climate estimate.
Through maps on the statisticians’ website, people can see how their own region’s temperature will likely change by 2070 - overall, and for individual seasons of the year.
Given the complexity and variety of climate models produced by different research groups around the world, there is a need for a tool that can analyze groups of them together, explained Noel Cressie, professor of statistics and director of Ohio State’s Program in Spatial Statistics and Environmental Statistics.
According to the researchers’ statistical analysis, the Midwest and Great Lakes regions will experience a rise in temperature of about 2.8 degrees Celsius (5 degrees Fahrenheit), regardless of season. The Rocky Mountains region shows greater projected increases in the summer (about 3.5 degrees Celsius, or 6.3 degrees Fahrenheit) than in the winter (about 2.3 degrees Celsius, or 4.1 degrees Fahrenheit). CONTACT: Pam Frost Gorder, (614) 292-9475; Gorder.1@osu.edu. SEE: http://researchnews.osu.edu/archive/modelcombo.htm

Events

Wexner Center hosts Carrie Fisher – May 23. Hollywood icon and bestselling author Carrie Fisher visits Mershon Auditorium on Wednesday (5/23) at 7:30 p.m. for a benefit for the Wexner Center for the Arts and STAR Program of Ohio State's Wexner Medical Center. Best known for her role as Princess Leia in Star Wars, Fisher will discuss her experiences with addiction and bipolar disorder — as well as her famous Hollywood family — with characteristic bluntness and humor. CBS reporter and Ohio State alumna Erin Moriarty moderates the conversation. CONTACT: Karen Simonian, ksimonian@wexarts.org or (614) 292-9923. SEE: http://www.wexarts.org/ed/?eventid=6233

Student engineers show their inventions, others race robots – May 24. An automous tractor, a rainwater harvesting system and a wheelchair handcycle attachment are three of the design projects by Ohio State senior engineering students on display at the Engineering Capstone Design Showcase. The event is open to the public from noon to 3 p.m. on Thursday (5/24) in the Archie Griffin Ballroom at the Ohio Union, 1739 N. High St.
Across campus, media are also welcome to cover the First-Year Engineering Honors Robot Competition from 4 to 6 p.m. at St. John Arena, 410 Woody Hayes Dr. The competition involves teams of first-year engineering students who have designed and built autonomous robots that must complete tasks involving day-to-day maintenance and service work a city this year. CONTACT: Candi Clevenger, (614) 292-1806, clevenger.87@osu.edu. SEE: http://engineering.osu.edu/news/2012/05/freshman-and-senior-engineering-students-showcase-technology-inventions-thursday

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