Now, after giving $7.5 million to The Ohio State University College of Human Ecology in July for children’s literacy, the professor emerita has again shown her commitment to paying it forward.

Pat Brundige received the Everett D. Reese Medal, the university’s highest honor in recognition of exceptional service in private philanthropy. Libby and Rick Germain received the John B. Gerlach Sr. Development Volunteer Award, which rewards those who show the utmost dedication and personal investment in university fundraising efforts.

“Pat Brundige and Rick and Libby Germain have made an immeasurable impact on Ohio State and the communities we serve,” said President Kristina M. Johnson. “Ms. Brundige’s support for Ohio State University Extension and 4-H is helping advance our founding land-grant mission and uplifting people across our state. Mr. and Mrs. Germain are advancing cancer research to change and save lives, giving hope to survivors like me. They embody the Buckeye spirit.”

Brundige is the biggest individual benefactor in the history of the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES) at Ohio State. Her “see a need, fill a need” philosophy has led her to make many statewide 4-H donations, including to the Ohio 4-H Center, the state 4-H research endowment fund and camp scholarships for Ohio Military Kids.

In 2019, the Kunz-Brundige Franklin County Extension Building opened, made possible through an $11 million gift from Brundige. Anchoring the Waterman Agricultural and Natural Resources Laboratory on the Columbus campus of CFAES, it is a hub for teaching, research and community engagement around food, health, agricultural production and sustainability, serving the Franklin County community through educational programs and events for youth and adults.

“Being able to dedicate the Franklin County Extension building at Waterman in memory of my parents, Fredrick and Kathryn Kunz, was a great honor,” said Brundige. “My hope is that by investing in the building and the 4-H program, I will help make the best better and enhance outreach statewide.”

The Germains are longtime supporters of Ohio State and the central Ohio community. Libby is an alumna as are two of the couple’s children. She is also a member of the Foundation Board and has served as co-chair for Up on the Roof and Harvest of Hope, both fundraisers benefiting The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute.

Since 2012, the Germains have both served on the James Ambassadors Society, and Libby has served on The James Foundation Board since 2015, representing the hospital in the community. Their philanthropic priority is attracting top physicians, including a gift that helped recruit Dr. Raphael Pollock, who now directs the Comprehensive Cancer Center.

The Germains have devoted time and resources to the Office of Student Life, and to shaping an extraordinary student experience. They support activities such as BuckeyeThon, Ohio State’s largest student-run philanthropy, by mentoring students and helping them fundraise and plan related events to support Nationwide Children’s Hospital patients.

Also fans of Ohio State Athletics, the Germains have made leadership gifts to scholarships, the football program and Olympic sports, and have assisted in providing first-class athletics facilities. They are also champions for students participating in the Brutus Buckeye mascot program.

When presented with words of congratulations and gratitude during a virtual presentation of the Gerlach Award, Libby and Rick were overwhelmed.

“We were able to hear reflections from different friends who are dear to us,” Libby Germain said. “They represent programs that we believe in and it is an honor to be able to work for good at Ohio State. That makes receiving this award so very special and memorable.”

“Pat, Libby and Rick represent the best of our Ohio State community, and show that, Together As Buckeyes, anything is possible,” said Michael C. Eicher, senior vice president for Advancement and president of The Ohio State University Foundation. “Their contributions of time, talent, treasure and tenacity for our students, patients, athletes, faculty, researchers and friends are inspiring. We are uplifted by their generosity and service.”

The central Ohio mother of four and her family are celebrating their 14th BuckeyeThon Dance Marathon this weekend. Hall has been a fan and supporter of the student-run philanthropy since her daughter, Avalon, was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia when she was only 17 months old.

Hall learned about BuckeyeThon while Avalon was receiving treatment and became one of the first families to physically represent what the organization was trying to fight.

“We fell madly in love with these kids because [BuckeyeThon] doesn’t just raise money for cancer kids. It teaches the students that they’re part of something bigger than themselves,” Hall said.

From a humble beginning in 1999, the philanthropic effort has grown into a massive campus-wide event. BuckeyeThon’s first dance marathon was held in 2002 with 108 dancers and 206 volunteers. Students danced for 26 hours and raised more than $32,000.

Fast forward to this weekend: The two-day event set a new fundraising record as students involved with BuckeyeThon raised $1,704,184.19. Since its founding, BuckeyeThon has raised over $9.8 million and boosted awareness for the Hematology/Oncology/Bone Marrow Transplant Unit at Nationwide Children’s Hospital.

“Having been involved this long, we are getting to see some of the ripples in the pond,” Hall said.

She said she knows students who have organized BuckeyeThon who are now in medical school or business leaders and continue to give back.

“It’s fun to see how much the campus is involved and that it’s something that everybody knows. Now you say BuckeyeThon and everybody at Ohio State knows what it is and they know what they’re fighting for – they know they're fighting for cancer kids,” she said.

Hall and her family are part of that fight. They continue to enjoy the dance marathon every year and help fundraise. Her children Ambrosia, Avalon and Anam are part of the yellow dance team for the weekend festivities.

Ambrosia is a senior in high school but takes pre-college classes at Ohio State. She’s co-captain of a team that raised $5,000 this year.

Avalon, a ninth-grader, said that as a cancer survivor, it’s vital to give back as well.

“That’s why we help out so much with BuckeyeThon. Because I’m trying to give back what they gave to me in that really hard time,” she said.

The desire to give back is what motivates the student organizers of BuckeyeThon. Students work year-round to support the families and kids going through treatment. As a program of the Office of Student Life at Ohio State, BuckeyeThon engages thousands of students annually.

“We have the ability to do all we can to help families in any way possible through art therapy or music therapy or lifesaving research,” said Bill Tucker, vice president of outreach and engagement for BuckeyeThon. “So I think it’s our duty as civil servants and members of the community to do the best we can to make their lives as easy as possible and possibly save lives of those in the future that are unfortunately affected by pediatric cancer.”

Tucker, a third-year human resources major, has helped with BuckeyeThon since he was a first-year student. He said his favorite moment comes at the end of the dance marathon when the fundraising total is revealed. That’s the payoff for long weeks and hours to put it all together.

Hall said that commitment means the most to her.

“This is a full-time job in addition to being a student and these students are not always going into a career that this is going to help. They’re just doing this out of the goodness of their heart, and that’s one of the most amazing things.”

Robinson was a keynote speaker for The Ohio State University 2019 Community Engagement Conference held this week in the Ohio Union. Hundreds of faculty, students, staff and community partners filled ballrooms and exhibit space to discuss research, partnerships and resources to help build sustainable and resilient communities.

Robinson said her perspective was formed at a conference she attended with her friend Desmond Tutu, a South African human rights activist. Tutu’s message to the crowd was filled with love and hope. It was a message that caused consternation for some: A journalist challenged Tutu on why he was such an optimist in a time of such great conflict.

“He looked at her and shook his head and said, ‘No, dearie, I’m not an optimist, I’m a prisoner of hope,’” Robinson said. “I was very struck at the time by that expression. But I’ve thought about it off and on since and we all need to be prisoners of hope. Because if you’re a prisoner of hope, the glass may not be half full but what you do is work with what’s in the glass.”

She realized after she left office that climate change and climate justice were issues she wanted to confront and work to solve.

“I decided this is the human rights issue I’m going to focus on for the rest of my life,” she said.

In addition to Robinson, environmental policy expert Ibrahim Abdul-Matin, the sustainability policy adviser to former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, spoke to those attending the two-day conference. Abdul-Matin emphasized the need to build partnerships between institutions, like Ohio State, and the surrounding community.

“As universities and communities work to solve complex societal problems, these meaningful partnerships are crucial because no one person or organization will solve these problems alone,” said Stephen Myers, associate vice provost for the Office of Outreach and Engagement, as he opened the event.

The conference coincided with recent intense hurricanes and historically bad wildfires that have put focus on the issues of sustainability and the need to build resilient communities. It was a message repeated often during the two-day event.

Discussions and presentations reflected the all-hands-on-deck approach. The university’s Department of Design led a conversation on urban design. A few rooms away, members of the Franklin County Board of Commissioners presented recommendations to help build a sustainable energy future in the state.

One panel included members from local government and the business community discussing ways to solve problems on a more local level. Cincinnati City Councilman P.G. Sittenfeld said his city has developed a roadmap to achieve an 80 percent reduction in the city’s carbon emissions by 2050.

“I think internalizing the idea that we’re not going to wait on Washington is very empowering,” he said.

He also summed up the goal of a conference designed to help communities solve big problems by working together. Sittenfeld said that as a politician, he has to discuss solutions in a way that explains how people will be impacted by change.

“You have to meet your audience where they are,” he said.

Ohio State launches Sustainability Institute

President Michael V. Drake helped open the Community Engagement Conference by announcing the creation of the Sustainability Institute.

The new institute merges the Office of Energy and Environment and the Sustainable and Resilient Economy Discovery Theme. The goal of the new institute is to support and integrate sustainability and resilience scholarship and activities across the university mission.

“The work of sustainability often feels overwhelming given the magnitude of the problems we are facing,” Sustainability Institute Faculty Director Elana Irwin said. “The only way we can make progress on this is to work together. The Sustainability Institute intends to be a platform to enable that work.”

The institute is part of the university’s commitment to enhancing social, economic and environmental conditions. Institute leadership will pursue a more coordinated and inclusive approach to sustainability that includes interdisciplinary collaboration, campus stewardship and applied solutions.

“So I think it’s like the Spiderman thing: You guys have a lot of power and you have a lot of responsibility,” he said.

Abdul-Matin, who served as the sustainability policy adviser to former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, will get to expand on that idea on campus later this month. He’s a keynote speaker at the Ohio State 2019 Community Engagement Conference, set for Jan. 23 and 24 in the Ohio Union.

The theme this academic year is Partnering for a Resilient and Sustainable Future. The conference will bring together faculty, students, staff and community partners to explore the importance and impact of meaningful community-university partnerships with the goal of advancing sustainable communities.

Abdul-Matin said Ohio State is well suited to help lead that conversation as a land-grant university in a capital city in the Midwest.

“The Ohio State University owns property, has relationships with the community and is present in the community,” he said. “And the better they are at building partnerships and making people feel part of their success, the better things will be.”

Abdul-Matin’s resume on environmental policy includes experience in the public, private and civic sectors. In addition to advising Bloomberg, he was the director of community affairs at the New York City Department of Environmental Protection.

He also worked as an Outward Bound instructor, helped found the Brooklyn Academy for Science and the Environment, and blended youth organizing and technology while at the Movement Strategy Center. His book, “Green Deen: What Islam Teaches About Protecting the Planet,” explores the intersection of faith and environmentalism.

“If our goals are to build a resilient society, to have our communities be resilient, to have our infrastructure, our communities to be resilient communities then we need to be engaged with the people … at a deeper level than we’ve ever done before,” he said. “So even if you’ve done amazing stuff in the past there’s more you can do.”

Conference planners agreed that building connections through engagement is critical to solving big problems.

“If we think about our land-grant legacy at Ohio State, it’s very important for us to be connected with our state,” said conference co-director Linda Weavers, a professor in the Department of Civil, Environmental and Geodetic Engineering. “And how we can provide value to [municipalities] so that they can figure out how to solve some of the problems that are happening in their communities.”

“This is a tremendous opportunity for people at Ohio State to come together with people in the community, many of whom have been working together for many years, and really showcase the kind of work they’re doing and to learn from each other,” said conference co-director Elena Irwin, faculty director for the Sustainable and Resilient Economy program.

In addition to Abdul-Matin, Mary Robinson, the former president of Ireland and head of the Mary Robinson Foundation – Climate Justice, will also be a keynote speaker on the second day of the conference.

Planning for the conference includes an emphasis on sustainability as well. A mobile app containing agendas and information will cut down on nearly 20,000 pages from conference program booklets alone.

The planning committee and University Catering at the Ohio Union have worked together to reduce waste at meals by using all washable or reusable materials as well as reducing plastic use by not providing bottled beverages. Catering will also use sustainable or local providers when appropriate.

The 2019 Community Engagement Conference is made possible by ENGIE-Axium and Ohio State’s Office of Outreach and Engagement, OSU Extension, Wexner Medical Center, Sustainability Institute, Alumni Association, Corporate Engagement Office, Discovery Themes Initiative, Graduate School, Office of Government Affairs, Office of International Affairs, Office of Research, Office of Student Life, Office of Undergraduate Education, and the Ohio Water Resources Center.

This year’s tour began at the Ohio State University Airport and included stops at Glen-Gery Brick Yard in Iberia, Buurma Farms in Willard, Flying Horse Farms in Mt. Gilead, Gorman-Rupp Pumps in Mansfield, and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Museum.

“We have a mix of faculty and students on the road here in Ohio,” said Executive Vice President and Provost Bruce A. McPheron. “We like to get folks out to actually see the impact that Ohio State has on the state of Ohio.”

The tour highlights Ohio State’s work with businesses and nonprofit organizations in communities large and small.

“Every stop on the tour has an education component,” said Janis Browning, the Office of Outreach and Engagement’s program coordinator for the trip.

Doctors from the Wexner Medical Center volunteer at Flying Horse Farms, a summer camp for children with serious illness. The camp also offers internship opportunities for Ohio State students studying nursing, human nutrition and other subjects.

Glen-Gery Brick Yard quarried and manufactured all the brick for the Ohio Union and North Residential District on the Columbus campus, and the new Science & Engineering Building on the Marion campus. The company donated $20,000 of the brick used in Marion.

In Willard, Ohio State has operated an agricultural research station near Buurma Farms since 1948. The Muck Crops Agricultural Research Station studies disease management, insect and weed control, food safety and more.

The tour is also about giving back. The buses stopped at the Greater Cleveland Foodbank, and students, faculty and staff spent a morning sorting donations and packing summer lunches for schoolchildren.

All three third-year students went to the same high school in Columbus, all three are part of the university’s Morrill Scholarship Program and all three are now in the same biomedical science program.

Familiarity has not caused contempt.

“We do try to push each other to excel but we definitely help each other more than we try to outdo each other,” Max said. “We’ve never really had much competition or really much reason to fight over anything. We’ve done a lot of the same things. So we all like and enjoy many of the same things as well.”

Their interest in medicine comes from their parents. Their father, Alex, was born in Cuba but fled the country when Fidel Castro came to power. He went to medical school in Spain to become a physician before moving to Columbus. Their mother, Katheryn, is an Ohio State graduate and was an assistant professor in the department of nursing at Capital University.

“I think that just being exposed to [medicine] from an early age you are asking a lot of questions,” Simon said. “It inspired some curiosity. We’ve always been very involved in the sciences so it just kind of led to a very natural extension of looking at medicine.”

Growing up as Buckeyes, it made sense to consider Ohio State when they graduated from high school.

“It’s kind of hard living in Ohio State’s backyard and just ignore it completely. The academics are strong and there is a lot of opportunity if you know where to look,” Max said.

The scholarships helped close the deal for all three brothers. The Morrill Scholarship Program rewards academically talented students who are also engaged in activities that support diversity in leadership, service and social justice.

They spent time volunteering both locally and abroad. In Columbus they volunteered in the Isabelle Ridgway Care Center and in Mexico they worked for the Cemanahuac Educational Community, a Spanish language immersion school.

“Isabelle Ridgway was very interesting because it served a diverse population,” Andrew said. “I’ve met a couple of guys there that were professional boxers. We met the wife of one of the Tuskegee Airmen. It’s just been a really great opportunity to meet people from a really varied background and to be able to interact and to hear their stories. And I think that really helped us to appreciate diversity.”

Max said the trips to Mexico were aided by their mother.

“During middle school and high school we went to Mexico several times for study-abroad trips. Our mother is a professor and she ran some study-abroad trips for nursing students. Usually we were fortunate enough to be able to go along and it was super interesting experience,” he said.

Although the brothers have followed a similar path to this point, that will change when they graduate. Andrew and Simon plan to attend medical school when they graduate next year. Max intends to practice medicine of a different kind: He plans to go to veterinary school when he graduates from Ohio State.

That will change the way these brothers continue their education.

“I’ve always compared it to going to college with your best friend,” Andrew said. “I’ve always had someone to talk to, someone to get notes with. You can go out and get a snack or go and get dinner. I’ve always been and will be with my best friends and that was always really meaningful and very helpful for me.”

Researchers found that people found new enjoyment in popcorn, videos – even water – when they consumed them in unconventional ways.

Findings suggested that using unconventional consumption methods helped people focus on what they enjoyed about the product in the first place, said Robert Smith, co-author of the study and assistant professor of marketing at The Ohio State University’s Fisher College of Business.

“When you eat popcorn with chopsticks, you pay more attention and you are more immersed in the experience,” Smith said.

“It’s like eating popcorn for the first time.”

This phenomenon may explain such things as the popularity of “pitch black” restaurants that serve diners in the dark.

“It may not be anything special about darkness that makes us enjoy food more. It may be the mere fact that dining in the dark is unusual,” Smith said.

Smith conducted the study with Ed O’Brien of the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business. The results appear online in Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin.

The researchers conducted four experiments.

In one study, 68 people came to a laboratory supposedly for an experiment about “helping people eat more slowly.” Half the people ate 10 kernels of popcorn using their hands, one at a time. The other half ate the kernels one at a time with chopsticks.

Afterward, participants rated the experience on a variety of measures, including how much they enjoyed the popcorn, how flavorful it was and how much fun it was to eat it.

Results showed that people who ate the popcorn using chopsticks reported enjoying it more than those who used their hands, Smith said.

Another finding suggested why that might be.

Those who used chopsticks – compared to those who ate with their hands – reported that they felt more immersed in the experience, that it helped intensify the taste and helped them focus on the food.

But the researchers then had the participants repeat the experiment. In this second trial, everyone enjoyed the popcorn equally and felt equally immersed, regardless of how they ate it.

“This suggests chopsticks boost enjoyment because they provide an unusual first-time experience, not because they are a better way to eat popcorn,” Smith said.

A second study of 300 participants recruited online found that even drinking water was rated as more enjoyable when it was done in novel ways. In this study, participants came up with their own “fresh, new and fun” ways to drink water – everything from drinking out of a martini glass to drinking out of a shipping envelope to lapping at the water with their tongue like a cat.

Those who drank water in these novel ways enjoyed it more than those who drank it normally.

In the final two studies – one conducted in a lab and one done online – participants watched a one-minute video three times in a row. The video showed an exciting motorcycle ride filmed with a GoPro camera from the driver’s perspective.

All participants watched it twice normally, rating how much they enjoyed it after each viewing.

But the third viewing was different for some participants.

One-third were asked to watch the videos using “hand-goggles” – forming circles with their thumbs and index fingers around their eyes, and using them to track the ride by bobbing their head back and forth to follow the cyclist.

For another third of the participants, the video was flipped upside down. The final third watched the video in the conventional way.

As expected, those who watched the video in the conventional way showed less enjoyment by the third viewing. Those who watched the video upside down didn’t enjoy it very much because, even though the viewing was unconventional, it was also disruptive.

However, those who watched the video for the third time with hand-goggles enjoyed it more than the other groups.

But did participants really enjoy the video more – or did they just like the strange experience of using hand-goggles? Results suggest the unconventional way of watching really did make the video itself more enjoyable.

After the study, the researchers offered to let all participants download the video to keep – and three times more people who watched with hand-goggles asked to download the video than those in the other conditions.

“They actually thought the video was better because the hand-goggles got them to pay more attention to what they were watching than they would have otherwise,” he said. “They were more immersed in the video.”

Smith said these findings apply in a variety of ways to everyday life.

For example, when you’re eating pizza, after eating one slice normally, you could try eating one slice with a knife and fork and then folding the next slice.

And if you’re sick of your sofa, try putting it in another room rather than getting rid of it.

“It may be easier to make it feel new than you might think. It is also a lot less wasteful to find new ways to enjoy the things we have rather than buying new things,” he said.

A study by the Inter-University Council of Ohio finds Ohio public universities added $42 billion in income to the Ohio economy. That’s about equal to 6.7 percent of the state’s total economy.

The Ohio State University President Michael V. Drake joined university presidents from across the state at the Ohio Statehouse Tuesday at a press conference to highlight the report.

“We know higher education is a great investment for individuals,” Drake said.

The report captured economic data from the 2016-2017 academic year and asserts that higher education supported 558,841 jobs – or one out of every 12 jobs – in Ohio. Labor market analysis firm Emsi, developed the report for the council. The firm serves clients in higher education from around the world.

Some of the other economic findings in the report included: For every $1 students invest in public universities, they receive a cumulative return of $4.60 in higher future earnings. For every $1 of public money invested in public universities, taxpayers receive a cumulative return of $4.10 in benefits.

“By the year 2026, most of the in-demand jobs will require baccalaureate degrees,” Ohio State Sen. Randy Gardner said. “Higher education is of real value in the state of Ohio.”

The report is part of a statewide campaign designed to raise awareness of the value of public higher education and spur efforts to close the state’s increasing higher education attainment gap. The effort, called Forward Ohio, seeks to mobilize public support for greater investment in public higher education.

“Today we have an economic impact statement that demonstrates the way to move Ohio forward is through an investment in higher education and our students,” said Bruce Johnson, president of the Inter-University Council of Ohio.

Economics are not the only consideration. Drake said research into the benefits of higher education suggests that college graduates lead healthier and happier lives and live longer.

“From the founding of our first universities to the life-changing ideas emerging daily on today’s campuses, higher education has helped to make America the strongest country in the world,” he said.

As The Ohio State University prepares to launch the Digital Flagship initiative at the start of the new academic year, faculty from across the university are learning how to get the most out of some new tools. New first-year students at the Columbus and regional campuses will receive an iPad Pro, case, Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard at orientation.

“When they first announced the Digital Flagship initiative, it was kind of overwhelming to think that all of our students are going to be getting this technology – and it was exciting, too,” said Melissa Beers, program director for Introduction to Psychology. “The goal of the program is to level the playing field with technology, so that every student has access to good technology coming into college. That’s really remarkable.”

The first group of Digital Flagship Educators have completed two sessions over four days, and the learning process will continue before the start of autumn semester. About 78 instructors went through the initial Digital Flagship Educators program. Instructors in the cohort will have one course section designated as “iPad required” by the registrar.

Beers worked with a team of psychology faculty that included two graduate students, an honors instructor and two faculty members from the regional campuses through the training.Bradley Okdie, associate professor of psychology at the Newark campus, said the training was well thought out and helpful. He said it also prepared instructors as they plan their classes for the fall.

“There is the one thing I think it did really well, that was telling us where we need to go if things were not going the way that we planned either in terms of in the classroom or in terms of the device management itself,” Okdie said. “But I think, more than anything, the training provided us a foundation for understanding what the iPad can be in the classroom and how it fits in with the pedagogy that we may already be teaching.”

Okdie said one of the apps preloaded on the iPad offers some interesting possibilities for his classes. He said students often struggle with the biology section in the psychology course work. He uses a slideshow to teach brain function and how neurons communicate, but he plans to change that approach.

“I can use an app called Explain Everything, which is essentially a digital whiteboard. So students can use the iPad pencil to draw and to produce audio and it’s all recorded,” he said. “So what I would ask them to do is to simply sketch a neuron along with its core components that they would have to learn for the class.”

That creative investment will likely lead to better learning on the part of his students.

“I think No. 1, they will find that entertaining. They’ll be motivated to engage in that activity. But No. 2, because it’s something that they are creating, because they’re going to spend some time on it, essentially they’ll learn more,” Okdie said.

Andre Plate, a graduate student in clinical psychology, has been an instructor for the introduction to psychology class for three years. He said the Digital Flagship sessions helped him think about how he’ll bring technology into the lecture hall that better resembles how students are using technology in the real world.

“Let’s try to teach this class where students can utilize this technology as a resource and in a way that is applicable and actually reflective of how they learn things outside their classroom as well,” Plate said.

Beers said it’s important to remember teaching comes first.

“We have to think about what do we want students to learn and accomplish and then how can technology help us to do that? That always has to be, with teaching and learning, the No. 1 priority,” she said. “This isn’t about teaching with iPads. It’s about teaching, and then there’s my iPad.”

Beers said the learning process for faculty will also lead to scholarly research. She is already planning a comparative study of the iPad-enhanced classes.

“I want to be clear. I want to be thoughtful about it. And I want to be careful about it, too,” she said. “That’s why early on in these discussions we said let’s think about designing a study, getting [Institutional Review Board] approval. And while we’re engaged in this work, we are also learning something that we can share with the broader community of scholars so that we can really share and report back and can learn from our example.”

One theme that emerged among the psychology team in the first round of training: This is just the beginning.

“I think we are on the cusp of something great here,” Okdie said. “Maybe that’s me being optimistic but I think, to the extent that we can get faculty and students to engage with this technology in the way that they should, to increase learning, I think this is a big deal. But’s going to require that both faculty and students work together to make this happen.”

“Ohio State should be the trusted source of salary information for internal users, job applicants, the media and researchers who are interested in payroll data,” said Susan Basso, senior vice president for talent, culture and human resources.

“The university is an attractive workplace, and the demand for jobs is high,” Basso said. “As a major Ohio employer and one of the nation’s largest universities, it makes good sense for Ohio State to give the public easy access to some of its most sought-after data.”

In calendar year 2017, 42,670 faculty and staff received $2.5 billion in total earnings – representing a one-year employee headcount increase of 1,855 (4.5 percent) and a 6.4 percent increase over the 2016 $2.35 billion payroll budget. The 2017 median annual base salary stood at $48,173, compared to $47,661 in 2016 – a 1.1 percent increase.

Two types of data are available on the Human Resources website: Users may enter a name, department, title or salary range to search for base salary information in the web-based application. A second option is available to download Excel spreadsheets of total employee earnings for calendar year 2017, which includes bonuses, overtime, deferred compensation, and vacation and sick leave payouts in addition to base salary. The data will be updated throughout the calendar year.

“This agitation that is going on, what you are hearing and what you are feeling, is natural and normal in a democratic process,” said Goldwater, a former Republican representative from California.

Goldwater and Altmire are part of Congress to Campus, a program created by the United States Association of Former Members of Congress, to increase civic literacy and participation. The university’s Institute for Democratic Engagement and Accountability hosted the program, and journalists from The Lantern moderated the panel.

Associate Professor of Political Science Michael Neblo, who serves as the director of the institute, said the program aligns with the core mission of Ohio State.

“The biggest reason taps into our motto, Education for Citizenship. I take that really seriously,” he said. “So getting students exposed to people who have served in public life can be attractive to motivating them to consider careers in public life.”

Altmire and Goldwater answered questions from Lantern editor-in-chief Kevin Stankiewicz and campus editor Summer Cartwright.

Stankiewicz asked the congressmen about increasing geographic sorting and its impact on politics. He pointed out that large urban areas are voting for Democrats in increasing numbers while Republican votes are more concentrated in rural areas.

Goldwater, who served in Congress from the late 60s to the early 80s, said California was evenly split between Democrats and Republicans when he was in office. He said that has changed over the years and he was at a loss to explain why his former home state had become much more liberal.

“People move. You’re not going to stop people from moving,” Goldwater said.

Altmire said a consequence of this concentration of votes is a lack of cooperation. He heard it from his constituents when he represented Pennsylvania from 2007 to 2013.

“When you have a town hall meeting in an area like that, all you hear is, ‘Right on, don’t you compromise,’’’ he said.

“Since this rise of social media, since Twitter became a thing, since Fox News and MSNBC became so popular, do these affect the way lawmakers go about their business?” Cartwright asked.

“You can’t help but be influenced by the news,” Goldwater said. “Liberals listen to MSNBC and conservatives listen to Fox and we get reconfirmed in our thinking.”

Altmire said research has found a great divide in where Republicans and Democrats get their news, with little overlap in sources.

“Social media has made it exponentially worse. It’s just become so toxic,” Altmire said.

Both Goldwater and Altmire recommended that voters broaden their news sources to be better informed and to understand both sides of controversial issues.

With their names off the ballot, the two were free to criticize party leadership and the media institutions that often support extreme viewpoints. Former lawmakers can speak openly about their experiences and true feelings, Neblo said.

“They were being candid and saying things you might not hear from some who were worried about a bad sound bite getting back to them,” he said.

Neblo said he sees the experience of these former congressmen and involving students in moderating the panel as critical parts of the teaching and learning role of the university.

“The primary purpose of the series is about the students. Those two are going to be professional journalists, not student journalists, next year,” Neblo said. “So giving them an opportunity to get in there and set the stage for the conversation strikes me as showing off what fantastic student we have here at Ohio State and getting them experience in what they will be doing in their careers.”

The Ohio State Meteorology Club hosted the 22nd Annual Severe Weather Symposium last week at the Ohio Union. The symposium brings together meteorologists from all across the country and from many different aspects of meteorology to deliver presentations and interact with students interested in the field.

“I think [the symposium] is really important, just the fact that we get the professionals in here with the students. It is a really tight-knit group of professionals,” said Meteorology Club President Justin Solze, a fourth-year atmospheric sciences major.

Guest speakers included Cory Mottice, forecaster for the National Weather Service office in Cleveland; Jeff Logsdon, science and operations officer for NWS Northern Indiana; and WTVG Chief Meteorologist Jay Berschback.

Experts discussed severe weather issues ranging from an unusual outbreak of tornados in Ohio in 2017 to the impact of hurricanes Harvey and Irma.

Logsdon focused his discussion on two issues: a powerful tornado that crossed 39 miles of Indiana and Ohio, and historic flooding that ravaged Indiana last summer. He hoped his presentation encouraged students to consider meteorology and to spend time in the field when they are doing their job.

“Hopefully [my presentation] gives them a taste for what it’s like to be in a severe weather operation at the National Weather Service,” he said. “I think the other benefit is the value of doing these storm damage surveys and the chance to get out there and see what this damage is and get a feel for the meteorology and tying it to structural damage.”

Solze said the interaction between students and professionals can pay dividends.

“It’s really good for students to network and get in on those internships early. I worked with the weather service over the summer and I probably wouldn’t have been able to do that if it wasn’t for this event. So I think it’s just really helpful for the students to get that connection.”

The connection is mutually beneficial. Logsdon said speaking to students also helps him professionally.

“It’s always interesting to talk to students that are interested in this type of thing,” he said. “And that sort of keeps my juices flowing and energized to keep doing this.” 

Ohio State helped kick off the national 2018 Give Kids A Smile program. The student-led initiative is part of the national Give Kids A Smile program sponsored by the American Dental Association Foundation.

“We really try to increase the access to care in the underserved communities of Central Ohio. We try to provide a dental home for those kids and then we also try to increase the awareness of the underserved communities,” said Haella Holmes, a third-year dental student and current president of the College of Dentistry student organization for Give Kids A Smile. 

Holmes said the program is an emotional experience.

“Learning about it in classes is one thing but really seeing it happen is incredible,” she said.

Nina Lane, a Columbus mother, brought her 3-year-old son Kevin for treatment. She found the experience comfortable and efficient.

“I thought it was great. I wasn’t sure how long it was going to take given that it’s such a popular event but we got in and out pretty quickly. Everyone was very friendly. It was a good day,” Lane said.

The Give Kids A Smile program also offers a teaching opportunity throughout the College of Dentistry.

“This day in particular gives all of our students … a really deep exposure to the needs of children,” said Patrick Lloyd, dean of the College of Dentistry. “So it’s a great opportunity for us to not only provide care but to create an educational moment where our faculty can work more closely with large numbers of students dedicated to a day exclusively for kids.”

Although the program has been around only since 2003, the impact has been remarkable. More than 5.5 million children around the country have received free oral health services since the program’s inception. In Ohio, dental volunteers have provided more than $13.5 million in dental care to more than 250,000 underserved children.

Supporters of Give Kids A Smile hope it removes any fear over dental care and helps start a lifetime of good habits.

“Dental disease is a preventable disease but you have to be able to take care of yourself to do that,” Joseph Crowley, president of the American Dental Association and an alum of Ohio State, said. “So programs like this that are reaching children and educating them … is just amazing.”

Lloyd said providing care to people in need is one of the core missions of Ohio State.

“This is a place they can call their dental home. This is the place where we can take care of the most incidental and minor dental concerns to the most complicated ones you can imagine. We like to think of ourselves as a true resource,” he said. “I always say when it comes to dentistry, what is good for Ohio State is good for the state of Ohio.”

The next generation of dentists or hygienists may have been served this day.

“Our hope is that some of these small children might consider a dentistry career years from now after they’ve had this wonderful first experience.”

The Student Life Multicultural Center hosted the kick-off at the Ohio Union Wednesday night. It is the start of a series of programs and events through the month of February tied to the theme “Black Movements: Stories of Our Resistance.”

“It’s important to reaffirm who we are and acknowledge where we came from and where we want to go,” said Senior Vice President for Student Life Javaune Adams-Gaston.

Adams reminded students attending the event that movements that led to the abolition of slavery, civil rights and equality started with a small group of dedicated activists.

“Often in the stories of resistance, resistance starts in small numbers. A small number of people who are willing to make a stand,” she said.

The history and connections of the current Black Lives Matter movement was the focus of the evening.

Frank Leon Roberts, lecturer and faculty member at New York University’s Gallatin School, was the keynote speaker. Roberts is best known for his course “Black Lives Matter: Race, Resistance, and Popular Protest” - one of the first courses on the Black Lives Matter movement in the nation.

“First and foremost, Black Lives Matter is a human rights movement, seeking to rehumanize a dehumanized people,” Roberts said.

He said that goal is a distinction from civil rights organizations seeking desegregation or the right to vote.

Roberts noted the Black Lives Matter movement supports women’s rights and LGBTQ rights. He said understanding that is key to understanding the depth of the coalition.

“BLM is so much more than a movement against police violence,” he said. “Black Lives Matter is not simply black history; Black Lives Matter is also women’s history, it’s also LGBTQ history.”

Roberts called on Ohio State students to find ways to stand up for justice in their own communities. He said solutions would often be complicated and hard work would be required.

Graduate student Caroline Bennett sang to open the evening’s ceremony and spoken-word artists Speak Williams and Tyiesha Radford Shorts performed.

A schedule of events for United Black World Month is posted on the Multicultural Center website. 

The inaugural Community Engagement Conference was held at the Ohio Union Wednesday and Thursday. While the focus of the conference was advancing a culture of wellness and health, the goal was to help identify and develop meaningful partnerships far beyond the university.

Ohio State’s Alumni Association, Discovery Themes Initiative, Office of International Affairs, Office of Outreach and Engagement, Office of Research, Office of Student Life, OSU Extension, University Libraries and Wexner Medical Center sponsored the conference.

Dozens of presentations focused on issues like food insecurity, medication safety, child care and addiction. President Michael V. Drake spoke to attendees on the first day of the conference and noted the gathering was at the core of the university’s land grant mission.

“We’re here to be able to educate people -- to be able to go into our communities and to uplift the quality of life for our neighbors, for our families, for our fellow citizens, people all throughout our region, all throughout our state and all across the country and the world,” Drake said.

Roger Rennekamp, director of OSU Extension and Associate Vice Provost for Outreach and Engagement Stephen Myers co-hosted the conference. They expect the conference will help improve lives because of the knowledge that was shared.

“For many of the faculty and staff who work in the 88 county Extension offices across Ohio the conference provided a venue for them to build relationships with faculty and staff from on-campus departments who shares similar interests,” Rennekamp said. “These new relationships will ultimately shorten the time it takes for new discoveries to make positive impacts on the lives of Ohioans.”

Myers agreed.

“It’s our mission to serve the public at the local, national and global level. So it really serves as a model of how we're going to be a land grant university in the 21st century and we believe that's by solving problems through meaningful partnerships with the community. As a result, the solutions will be more relevant, impactful and innovative. And this conference gives us a chance to network and learn about how to be more effective in developing those meaningful partnerships.”

One of the most pressing health issues in Ohio is an ongoing opiate abuse crisis. It was a topic addressed by speakers at the conference and during several break-out sessions. Keynote speaker Donna Shalala, the former secretary of Health and Human Services, said a holistic approach like the one presented at Ohio State is key to solving the problem.

“The opiate crisis going on right now cannot be solved by the doctors and the nurses. It requires a community partnership that embraces those that are afflicted and their families,” she said. “It gives them an opportunity for treatment as well as a life after that.”

One of the programs that recognizes the team approach to problem solving and the value of meaningful partnerships is Generation Rx. The partnership between The Ohio State University College of Pharmacy and the Cardinal Health Foundation works to prevent the misuse of prescription medication.

Before presenting at the conference, Nicole Kwiek, co-director of Generation Rx, explained why partnerships matter.

“It’s not a one-sided affair, where we think the audience wants this, we think that schools are going to need this resource, we’re going to create it and hope they pick it up,” Kwiek said. “It’s actually using the expertise of our partners to know there is a need and how to address that need.”

The Community Engagement Conference served as an opportunity for networking and building connections outside of the university. But it wasn’t just for professionals -- students presented, participated and learned from the conference.

John Begala, former director for the Center for Community Solutions, presented “Big City Problems in Ohio’s Small Towns.” He said the state’s new graduates are critical to Ohio’s success.

“There are a number of young people here. Your energy and your commitment might find an outlet in places where you might not otherwise look,” he said. “For those of you from small towns, pursue and help create opportunities in these places.”

More than 800 people attended the two-day conference. It is expected to become an annual event at Ohio State.

In addition to its place as a pop masterpiece, the iconic disco theme is set to the perfect beat for performing CPR. And Councilman Michael Stinziano is performing CPR on a medical mannequin at a pace that would make Barry Gibb proud.

“I think it’s always invaluable to have the opportunity to learn not just from power points or spreadsheets but actually, physically interact with the elements a medical student goes through,” Stinziano said.

Stinziano, Councilwoman Elizabeth Brown and County Commissioner Marilyn Brown joined local government health leaders at Ohio State’s Clinical Skills Education and Assessment Center Friday morning to get an inside look at the path to becoming a doctor. The half-day experience was part of Ohio State’s participation in Project Medical Education.

Developed by the Association of American Medical Colleges, Project Medical Education is designed to offer policymakers a hands-on experience to better understand medical education, patient care and medical research.

Dean of the College of Medicine Dr. K. Craig Kent spoke to the class about what it takes to get admitted to the university’s medical school. Kent noted that applicants’ medical exam scores must be in the 90^th percentile.

“That’s just the price to get interviewed,” Kent said.

Kent noted the university’s critical role in the state’s health care. He said Ohio State teaches many of the doctors that end up serving in the neighborhoods and communities the commission and council represent.

“We want to take care of the community. We take care of a group of patients that aren’t cared for by others in the community. We’re very serious about that care,” he said.

Participants in Project Medical Education were walked through the life of a medical student. One discussion focused on the debt medical students incur before they begin their careers. For Ohio State students the average is about $167,000 per student – below the national average of $172,000 per student.

The city and county leaders participated in a traditional white coat ceremony and recited the medical oath. And after a crash course, they practiced laparoscopic surgeries and colonoscopies on simulators.

A trip to a detailed replica of a hospital room led to the life-saving effort on the medical mannequin.

“I learned quite a bit today about the whole process,” Marilyn Brown said. “Especially as it relates to technology and how [Ohio State] trains new doctors.”

Brown said she wants to investigate new opportunities for the county’s health services to interact with Ohio State medical efforts. Stinziano said the city and university already have an excellent partnership, but there are always ways to better serve the city’s more than 300 neighborhoods.

“I thought it was a wonderful experience,” Stinziano said.

“The Power of One: We Are Walking In It!” was part of the 13th Annual Statewide Tribute to Rosa Parks at The Ohio State University. The discussion was hosted by WBNS-10TV news anchor Jerry Revish and featured Congresswoman Joyce Beatty; attorney Brenda Drake, wife of Ohio State President Michael V. Drake; and Jeanne Theoharis, author of The Rebellious Life of Rosa Parks.

“Rosa Parks was more than just that day on Dec. 1, 1955,” Beatty said. “She went on to become a great advocate for decades with the NAACP, she fought for housing and she fought for civil rights.”

Ohio is recognized as the first state to enact legislation identifying Dec. 1 as Rosa Parks Day. It honors the day when Parks refused to leave a whites-only section of a public bus in Montgomery, Alabama. Beatty sponsored the legislation as a lawmaker in the Ohio Statehouse.

The discussion, sponsored by the university’s Office of Outreach and Engagement and the Central Ohio Transit Authority, focused on the challenges Parks faced, the current state of the civil rights movement and the work that needs to continue for a more equal society.

Drake said part of the task begins in preparing the next generation to serve as leaders. She said it was critical for young people to build a good foundation of skills before they can lead.

“All of us want to make a difference in young people’s lives and one of the ways to do that is to support young people’s education,” Drake said.

One question directed at the panel asked them to consider the issues that would be important to Parks, were she still alive today.

“Rosa Parks love the militancy of young people, she love the spirit of young people,” Theoharis said.

Parks would have been inspired by and supportive of the Black Lives Matter movement, she said.

The conversation also turned to the role of women leaders at a time when widespread sexual harassment scandals are coming to light.

Drake said the women leaders have a responsibility when they get into positions of power to create a better environment for those around them.

“I think it’s very important for those of us who get into a position to effect change to take advantage of those opportunities,” Drake said. “The other thing we need to do is speak up, if we are in a position to speak up. Even if the more comfortable thing to do is sit back, we need to speak up.”

Beatty said it was important to remember the work Parks did in the years after the bus protest. She noted the effort to build a better, fairer world would take generations.

“We’re walking in her legacy but we have a long way to go,” Beatty said.

An estimated 1,600 students, faculty and staff, along with their families, enjoyed the traditional turkey dinner. The celebration is for those who are unable to travel home for the holiday.

President Michael V. Drake joined dozens of volunteers throughout the university community to assist in serving the meals.

The traditional Thanksgiving Dinner included 650 pounds of turkey, 30 gallons of gravy, 432 pounds each of green beans and corn, 320 pounds of corn bread and 2,000 slices of pie.

Ohio State's Thanksgiving Dinner began 26 years ago as a gathering of 25 graduate students in the Hale Black Cultural Center. The event has grown to include broad participation from out-of-state and international students.

Thanksgiving Dinner at Ohio State is supported by the Office of Diversity and Inclusion and the Office of International Affairs. 

Growing up in Bradner, Ohio – a town of a little over 900 people – the prospect of a college education seemed like a distant dream for Ricky Taulker. Taulker wasn’t born wealthy, no one in his immediate family attended college and only half of his senior class opted for higher education.

“We are a very small sort of community. Our high school was in the middle of cornfields and a lot of the people around us come from really small towns,” Taulker said.

Taulker said his parents came from a working-class background. High school was the highest level of their education. What they may have lacked in college experience they made up for in encouragement.

“I think they saw an opportunity that they didn't get to have when they were children and they wanted me to take full advantage of it,” he said. “I can remember in sixth grade them talking about college and saying, ‘hey, you’re going to go.’”

His experiences in math and physics classes only fueled that desire.

“I remember in my physics classes and calculus classes, I always found crazy enjoyment out of doing the problems,” he said. “I remember a lot of my peers, they would get real frustrated at problems and I just kind of like sat there and I wouldn’t really get frustrated. I just want to figure it out. I wanted to understand. I wanted to make sure that I knew it completely, to the point where I could go teach it to people.”

Taulker is now a third-year student majoring in engineering at The Ohio State University. But the challenge Taulker and other first-generation college students face doesn’t end with acceptance to a university like Ohio State. Paying for the degree can present hurdles as well.

“[My parents] were in a position where I knew that they wouldn’t be able to help me in terms of paying for it,” Taulker said. “I think they were still able to instill some sort of optimism in myself so I knew -- I'm going to get scholarships, I'm going to work as hard as I possibly can to get scholarships to go to school.”

And work he did. Taulker said he applied for every scholarship he could find. He filled out applications, wrote essays and pitched himself in interviews.

“I found out more about myself in that time period than I think I did for a large part of my life,” he said. “The college scholarship application questions really dug deep into who I was, where I wanted to go and how I’ve gotten to where I am. And I think that was that was transformative in itself.”

Taulker remembered excitedly calling his family when he learned he had received a $6,000 scholarship. But he was concerned it wouldn’t be enough.

“And then I remember one day, I’d gotten home from school and I was always really adamant to check in the mail. I went and checked the mail and I’d gotten a letter,” he said. “It wasn’t the timeframe where we were expecting letters to tell us if we got into college or not. I opened it up and it said I was offered the  Land Grant Opportunity Scholarship for full tuition.”

Taulker said the news was remarkable.

“I just remember this overwhelming sense of happiness. Oh my God. You know this is life-changing,” he said.

Taulker’s interests at Ohio State are focused on robotics and automation. He said he hopes to go into the automotive industry with the goal of not just building a better car, but changing lives.

“I’m really into creating an experience for people that can change their lives, that can affect their lives,” he said.

The Land Grant Scholarships are part of a core mission at Ohio State to open up access to college for students across the income spectrum.

“It’s really important for Ohio State’s mission as a land-grant university to do what we can to be there for the citizens of Ohio regardless of the zip code or income band they come from,” said President Michael V. Drake.

Ohio State continues to expand opportunities to make college more affordable. The university announced last month that all in-state students who qualify for  Pell Grants would receive financial aid that covers the full cost of tuition and fees.

The university also created the Ohio State Tuition Guarantee, which freezes tuition and fees for each incoming class of first-year students for four years. And the Land Grant Opportunity Scholarship program has been expanded to cover the full cost of attendance and apply to twice as many students.

At the national level, Ohio State is a founding member of the  American Talent Initiative, a first-of-its-kind partnership with Bloomberg Philanthropies, Ithaka S+R and the Aspen Institute to enroll an additional 50,000 low- and moderate-income students at top-performing colleges and universities over the next decade.

“We are a very competitive, internationally powerful university and we have an opportunity to do even more to particularly focus on and encourage middle- and lower-income students to seek and achieve an education at The Ohio State University, and the American Talent Initiative helps us to do that and again makes us true to our founding mission,” Drake said.

For Ricky Taulker, he supports the mission wholeheartedly.

“We need to provide these opportunities for kids who wouldn’t otherwise have the opportunity to go to school,” he said. “I just think the world would be an insanely better place if everyone had the opportunity for school and the opportunity to apply themselves.”

The conference is a new initiative for the university. Donna Shalala, former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, will be the keynote speaker for the first day of the two-day event at the Ohio Union on Jan. 24 and 25.

“We hope that maybe by bringing our off campus and on campus folks together we can have a more concentrated and well-coordinated effort in helping solve some of the problems that are facing our state today,” said Roger Rennekamp, director of OSU Extension.

The focus is on health and wellness because it’s an area where the university can make an impact Rennekamp said. He noted life expectancy in the country is no longer among the best in the world.

“Well we believe that health and wellness of a community is just essential for how families can thrive,” said Associate Vice Provost for Outreach and Engagement Stephen Myers. “And so we have a big effort at Ohio State University across many colleges that relate to health and wellness and we chose that to be our first theme for this conference.”

Myers said the conference is designed to provide faculty, staff, students and community partners with opportunities for professional development and networking. Conference organizers are currently seeking presenters focused on building and sustaining health-centered community engagement projects.

Myers said the conference fits Ohio State’s mission as a modern, land-grant university.

“If you look at the strategic plan, there's a strong emphasis on community engagement and I think that's because one of the big goals of this strategic plan is that in the 21st century, Ohio State is going to focus on solving the very complex societal issues that we face,” Myers said.

Rennekamp agreed.

“I truly believe that Ohio State is committed to solving the problems of the state of Ohio, the nation and the world,” he said. “And I think this really brings the three mission areas of the university together on campus: our teaching, our research and our commitment to community engagement in ways that make the world a better place to live.”

If you are interested in learning more about the conference or submitting a proposal, you can learn more at the conference website.

Students at The Ohio State University are used to celebrating victories on the field over Michigan, Purdue and other universities in the Big Ten. Now they have a chance to do it at the ballot box.

Ohio State is competing in the Big Ten Voting Challenge and kicked off the campaign Tuesday on National Voter Registration Day. The goal of the non-partisan challenge is to mobilize registration and turnout efforts at all 14 Big Ten universities.

OSU Votes is one of the organizations leading the challenge to register students and get them to vote. Its members hosted events at the Oval and the Ohio Union this week.

“I thought it would be a good time to register and it would be more convenient to do it now,” said Mallory Ohlin, a first-year student from Warren, who registered to vote this week.

“I think that Ohio State students have a reputation for being intellectual. I think that we need to show that we’re involved and that we’re paying attention to what’s going on with the government,” Ohlin said.

The challenge runs through Nov. 6, 2018, and there’s a chance for bragging rights. Trophies are awarded to the university with the highest eligible voter turnout rate, and to the school with the most improved voter turnout when compared with 2014 voting data.

“I think the challenge is unique because all 14 presidents have made a concerted effort to engage their campus with the challenge,” said Alyssa Johnson, coordinator for service and outreach for student activities in the Office of Student Life. “It’s a unique way to use the competition the Big Ten has in general to foster more civic engagement for college campuses.”

Ohio allows online voter registration, and the OSU Votes website allows students to check their registration, sign up if they are not registered and get updates on upcoming elections.

Nathan Moses, a first-year student from Coshocton, learned of the voting drive through campus e-mail. He registered Tuesday and encouraged his peers to do the same.

“I believe in every person’s right to vote and no matter who they are, their voice should be heard,” he said.

Moses hopes Ohio State can finish ahead of the team up north in the voting challenge.

“I saw there was a competitive side to it. That wasn’t my first intention but I would like it if my school can get a win,” he said.

The Roads Scholars Tour is a two-day trip for faculty, staff and community partners to learn more about Ohio history and the university’s deep connections throughout the state. Associate Vice Provost for Outreach and Engagement Stephen Myers is the tour guide and ringleader for the Roads Scholars.

“It’s a little snapshot of some of the really incredible and interesting things going on in this great state,” Myers said.

The tour has been an annual event since 1997. This year southwest Ohio was the focus of attention, with stops at university offices, Ohio historical sites and organizations doing groundbreaking research.

“You’ll find that a lot of the stops are not things that may relate to your discipline, but I think through the visits you’ll see perspectives and learn things that give you a different look into the way you do your work,” Myers said.

A history of flight and a night in Cincinnati

Beginning at  The Ohio State University Airport , Director Doug Hammon spoke to the group of about 45 Roads Scholars, explaining that yes, Ohio State owns an airport.

The airport has been in business since 1942 and is the fourth-busiest airport in the state. Each semester, about 300 students work and learn at the home of Don Scott Field.

“Our mission is to support the university’s teaching, research and engagement,” Hammon said.

He said the airport is also known as a stop for VIPs visiting Columbus. Pro golfers like Tiger Woods and actors such as Harrison Ford have made stops at the airport. Hammon said that actor Hugh Jackman once landed at the airport with Jack Hanna, a penguin and a chimpanzee in tow.

A motor coach filled with the traveling group and a second one filled with students left the airport for the second stop on the tour: Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park.

The park commemorates the lives of aviators Orville and Wilbur Wright as well as poet and author Paul Laurence Dunbar. Students and tour members learned about the birth of modern aviation and Dunbar’s efforts to build a newspaper for Dayton’s African American community.

“The Wright Brothers are not just a part of Ohio history. It’s part of our nation’s history. It’s part of world history. It’s amazing to experience with this group,” said tour member Russell Marzette, assistant professor in the College of Engineering.

A trip to the Cincinnati-based  Emery Oleochemicals was the next tour stop. Company managers explained how the 177-year-old company is working to make more natural and sustainable chemicals for everyday uses.

The final stop in Cincinnati for the day was a visit to  Plum Street Temple , one of the oldest synagogues in the United States. The historic house of worship was built for the congregation of Rabbi Isaac Mayer Wise during the Civil War.

The synagogue’s current leader, Rabbi Lewis Kamrass, said the sanctuary serves as a testimony to the openness of the United States. He said it is not a museum but continues to serve as home for Sabbath services, bar mitzvahs and weddings.

“For our members this is not a place of history so much as it’s a place for their personal history,” he said.

The Roads Scholars Tour ended the first day with a reception for the participants and Cincinnati-area alumni. Southwest Ohio native Maggie Griffin spoke at the reception. Griffin is one of two graduating seniors to win the President’s Prize, a $100,000 award to develop a project to do good works in the community. Griffin started the Unity Fridge Program to help provide fresh, locally grown produce in underserved communities.

President Michael V. Drake said programs like the Unity Fridge and the teaching and research at Ohio State connect the university to the rest of the nation. The Roads Scholars Tour is a reflection of those connections.

“As we do things well, people are able to connect with us in a way that makes a difference. People watch what we’re doing, people see how we’re doing it, they watch the way we do it because we are representing an entity that means something to them and is connected to them,” Drake said.

A closer look at the weather and weeds

The second day of the tour began with a visit to the Niehoff Urban Studio and the University of Cincinnati Community Design Center, an off-campus classroom helping students and faculty work with the community to solve real-world problems.

After the studio tour, the bus rolled out of Cincinnati and over to Wilmington, the home of the southwest Ohio office of the  National Weather Service . Roads Scholars were shown the workings of the weather monitoring balloons, how the weather service broadcasts alerts and how it works with Ohio State to share information with meteorologists around the state.

“I would say of all of the universities we work with, Ohio State provides us the strongest partnership,” said Brandon Peloquin, meteorologist with the National Weather Service.

The final stop on the tour was the  Western Agricultural Research Station. Located on 428 acres in Clark County, the living agricultural lab was founded in 1958. The station aids the research of the state’s most important crops from corn to soybeans to pigs.

Scott Shearer, chair of the Department of Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering, showed how farmers are using drones to maximize their land management and cut down on their use of fertilizers. Department of Horticulture and Corp Science Professor Mark Loux answered questions about the dangerous weeds threatening farms in the country and spoke about how Ohio State is providing the research to stop them.

On an 80 degree summer day, the sights, sounds and smells of a working farm may not be what many from the Columbus campus were used to, but the experience left an imprint.

“I really loved the agricultural stops. I didn’t necessarily anticipate that,” said Ashley Pérez, assistant professor in the Department of Comparative Studies. “I think one of the great things about an interdisciplinary audience is that people are translating their research into broadly accessible language which is something my department does a lot.”

Leaning about others was a goal of the tour. Mei-Wei Chang, associate professor in the College of Nursing, said meeting other faculty and staff on the tour helped her make connections that she said will help her research into weight management for pregnant mothers.

“I thought it was an amazing tour. I met new people and I learned a lot about the community,” she said.

A trip that begins with the university-owned airport and ends with a visit to one of the university’s far-flung research centers highlights the breadth and depth of Ohio State’s connections with the state. But the interaction between the Roads Scholars and all of the groups that welcomed them as visitors shows the real bond between the university and the state.

Drake summed up the connection while speaking at the alumni event in Cincinnati.

"People know who we are and we matter to them.”

Despite the fact that the global farming community is producing enough food, thousands of Ohio families, 17.4 million U.S. households and nearly 1 billion people around the world don’t have enough to eat. Buckeye Summit is part of a new model for engagement connecting Ohio State researchers, alumni and passionate students to discuss real solutions to such global problems as food security.

Ohio State President Michael Drake told the group, “There are 530,000 Buckeyes around the world – an amazing number. If we can harness its focus and collective power, we can really make a difference.”

Recommendations on how leveraging the power of Buckeye Nation can address food security included:

• Build partnerships with institutions, industries and nonprofits that area already working on the problem – and add value to their process.
• Harness the power of the Athletic Department to create awareness (food drives could coincide with games/spirit events).
• Empower the 535,000 alumni by giving them opportunities, ideas and best practices to impact their communities.

During the event, delegates heard from a number of speakers, including Catherine Woteki, chief scientist and undersecretary for research, education and economics in the U.S. Department of Agriculture; Patricia Cunningham, director of social change in the Ohio State’s Office of Student Life; Diana Aviv, CEO of Feeding America; and Matt Habash, president and CEO of the Mid-Ohio Foodbank.

Discussions centered on some of the issues critical to enhancing food security, including improving access to healthful foods and grocery stores (one example of the shortage: there are no grocery stores in Vinton County), reducing food waste, addressing the high cost of healthful foods versus the low cost of fast food, acknowledging a lack of information/education, and revising food regulations and policies that are off the mark.

Delegates also considered the reasons why it’s important for Ohio State to make a significant effort to address food security. Ideas included:

• As a land-grant university and cornerstone of the community, we have the moral and civic obligation to act.
• Ohio State has the profile and partnerships to lead this effort. When the institution takes a stand on something, people pay attention.
• As a research hub, Ohio State has the unique capacity to create new knowledge and develop intervention strategies by engaging a broad variety of disciplines.
• For a university to be relevant, it needs to be engaged in important issues on a local, national and international level.

Ohio State University Alumni Association President Jim Smith convened a panel of Ohio State experts including Jill Clark, professor of public affairs; Bruce McPheron, interim executive vice president and provost; and Sheldon Retchin, CEO of the Wexner Medical Center and executive vice president of health sciences.

Retchin observed, “We have a public health paradox. Obesity is not a sign of wealth – it’s a sign of poverty. A teenage boy gets 10 percent of his calories from soda. That’s a culture we need to reverse and it’s a public health hazard. We must all take part in addressing this – it’s all hands on deck.”

McPheron said, “If you took Ohio children who are food insecure and brought them to our campus, you’d fill Ohio Stadium six times with a line still outside. Ohio State is in every community in Ohio. Not just 88 counties, every community. There’s no reason we can’t take all the knowledge and insight we have here into all of those communities to help effect change.”

Clark, who conducts research on agrifood system policy and practice, said, “We can be game-changers. This campus can be a land lab where we discover best practices and find better ways to feed our communities.”

Applicants must submit an idea for a project that has the potential to make a meaningful impact on society, and that furthers the university’s mission of addressing some of the world’s most important and pressing challenges.

Each President’s Prize scholar will receive a $50,000 living stipend and $50,000 in startup funding, access to the mentorship of accomplished experts and the opportunity to share their innovative idea with Ohio State’s global community of alumni, friends and partners.

The prestigious prize honors Ohio State’s founding purpose of offering an excellent education while elevating society through research — and is the latest step in re-committing the university to its motto of Education for Citizenship.

“Ohio State is focused on helping to solve the critical issues of our time,” said Ohio State President Michael V. Drake. “I look forward to seeing the incredible innovations of our newest alumni as they harness the power and knowledge of Buckeye Nation for change.”

There are no limits to the types of projects students can propose. Projects need not be within their field of study, and the problems they wish to solve may be local, national or global. Recipients are selected for the boldness of their ideas, their capacity to champion change and their commitment to the global community. The first two President’s Prize recipients will be selected in December 2016. Full-time graduating seniors who will receive their first undergraduate degree in Autumn 2016, or Spring or Summer 2017, are eligible to apply. Information sessions will be held April 18, 21 and 26.

The annual prize is funded solely through existing and new donor contributions.

Community engagement is a key part of Drake’s vision for the university. Additional Ohio State initiatives in this area include:

• Hiring new faculty through the Discovery Themes initiative to build on current expertise and address food security — bringing Ohio State’s commitment to this issue to nearly $125 million in the next decade.
• Establishing the Teacher Preparation Pipeline Scholarship program, which will allow 100 early childhood educators in Columbus to obtain a bachelor’s degree for free.
• Convening hundreds of alumni, volunteers, faculty, staff and students at Ohio State on April 14 for the first Buckeye Summit, focused on food security at home and throughout the world.

For more information on the prize, see https://presidentsprize.osu.edu/.