Story Ideas for Media 9/13/13

Ohio State University Presidential Search Advisory Subcommittee holds Public Forums in Lima and Marion – Sept. 16. The presidential search advisory subcommittee of The Ohio State University Board of Trustees will provide an update on the public forums, group meetings and the ongoing search process in Lima and Marion on Monday, Sept. 16.

Forums take place at The Ohio State University at Marion from noon to 1 p.m. in Maynard Hall, Room 220, 1461 Mount Vernon Ave.; and The Ohio State University at Lima from 3 to 4 p.m. in the Life & Physical Sciences Building, Room 165, 4240 Campus Drive.

The advisory subcommittee encourages the public to attend and share thoughts, comments and questions about the next Ohio State University president. CONTACT: Gary Lewis, 614-688-2048 or lewis.330@osu.edu.

Ohio State’s elite electron microscopy facility to host grand opening – Sept. 18. The Ohio State University Center for Electron Microscopy and Analysis (CEMAS) – the new center for materials characterization in business and academia - will host a ribbon cutting ceremony at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 18 at the facility, 1305 Kinnear Road.

World-renowned microscopy scholars, dignitaries, industry leaders and Ohio State faculty will be in attendance to introduce the interdisciplinary research center that houses $28 million of cutting-edge microscopy equipment.

The facility will be open to reporters and photographers, with CEMAS guides, from 3 to 4 p.m. CEMAS Director David McComb will be available for interviews from 3 to 3:30 p.m. A full event schedule can be viewed on the Materials Science and Engineering website. CONTACT: Matt Schutte, College of Engineering, 614-247-6445, schutte.9@osu.edu.

Students learn the “Art of Recycling” – Sept. 18. Ohio State students will use recycled materials in new ways during “The Art of Recycling” fair and art competition from noon to 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 18 at the Recreation and Physical Activity Center, 337 W. 17th Ave. Watch Ohio State students compete as they create wearable art using recycled materials. There is also a sculpture competition with recyclables. Teams will begin creating at noon, with judging and a fashion show at 4 p.m. CONTACT: Dave Isaacs, 614-292-8424, Isaacs.84@osu.edu. SEE: http://recsports.osu.edu/articles/the-art-of-recycling/

Researchers Find What's Missing in Teen Health Programs; Study Suggests Focus on Mental Health Key to Improving Physical Health. Adding a mental health component to school-based lifestyle programs for teens could be key to lowering obesity, improving grades, alleviating severe depression and reducing substance use, a new study suggests. High-school students who participated in an intervention called COPE had lower average BMI, better social skills and drank less alcohol than teenagers in a standard health class. Thirty-two percent of youths in the United States are overweight or obese, and suicide is the third leading cause of death among young people age 14 to 24. Yet most school-based interventions don’t take on both public health problems simultaneously in the way the COPE program does, said Bernadette Melnyk, creator of the COPE program, dean of The Ohio State University College of Nursing and lead author of the study. CONTACT: Emily Caldwell, 614-292-8310; Caldwell.151@osu.edu. SEE: http://researchnews.osu.edu/archive/copeteens.htm.

Department of Geography and Center for Urban and Regional Analysis Team up with U-Haul for Sustainability Study in Hilltop Area. Ohio State’s Department of Geography and Center for Urban and Regional Analysis (CURA) will undertake a study of sustainable community redevelopment in Columbus’ Greater Hilltop Area in partnership with U-Haul, which will provide support and funding of the study.

“This project is an excellent example of a university-industry partnership helping local communities to achieve the goals of urban sustainable development,” said Daniel Sui, Ohio State geography chair and professor.

Sui and Maria Manta Conroy, associate director of CURA and professor of city and regional planning, will focus on the potential role that different development strategies can have in contributing to the economic, social and environmental sustainability of the Greater Hilltop community.

U-Haul Company's interest in the project stems from its plans to redevelop the former Meijer grocery store which has stood vacant since 2008. U-Haul, which plans to turn the former grocery store into a self-storage facility through adaptive reuse, will explore ways in which corporate economic development can contribute to community sustainability. CONTACT: Elizabeth Tarpy Alcalde, alcalde.1@osu.edu.

Students Use Egg Donation to Earn Fast Cash. College students are often looking for creative ways to earn money. For female students, the solution may seem simple through egg donation. Female students who donate eggs can earn up to $5,000, according to ads in Ohio State’s student newspaper. But can it really be that easy and are there any side effects? College of Social Work professor Sharvari Karandikar-Chheda is studying the motivation behind egg donation and the low level of awareness about the procedure’s side effects among students. CONTACT: Frankie Jones-Harris, Communications Director, 614-292-3540 or 614-330-2206, jones-harris.1@osu.edu.

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: Jane Carroll, 614-292-5220 or carroll.296@osu.edu; Liz Cook, 614-292-7276 or cook.17@osu.edu; Gary Lewis, 614-292-2048 or lewis.330@osu.edu; or Amy Murray, 614-292-8385 or murray-goedde.1@osu.edu.