Trustees: Appointments, Development, Misc. - 02/29/96

ACTIONS OF THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY BOARD OF TRUSTEES

     COLUMBUS -- The Ohio State University Board of Trustees on 
Thursday (2/29) appointed a director of state relations and a 
chair for the Department of Women's Studies.  The board also 
accepted 12 named endowed funds, heard updates on athletic 
certification, and conducted other business.

O'Brien named director of state relations

     The board appointed Colleen O'Brien of COLUMBUS (43214), 
deputy director of the state Office of Budget and Management, as 
director of state relations effective March 11.  She replaces 
Herb Asher, who retired July 1 and is now professor emeritus of 
political science and volunteer counselor to the president.

     As director of state relations, O'Brien will advise Gee on 
matters of state government and will be the University's liaison 
to the Ohio General Assembly and the executive branch.

     From 1988 to 1990, she served the Ohio Senate, first as 
majority caucus research assistant and then as research director. 
She also worked with Sen. Charles F. Horn, R-Dayton, on major 
economic development initiatives.  O'Brien served as chief of 
staff for then-Lt. Gov. Mike DeWine from 1991 until 1993.  She 
then joined Budget and Management where she presides over 
meetings of the State Controlling Board.

     O'Brien is vice chair of the Creative Play Center Board of 
Trustees.  As a student at Ohio State, she was president of 
Undergraduate Student Government and her sorority, Kappa Delta. 
She also was a member of the Athletic Council and Student-Alumni 
Council. She received the Outstanding Senior Award and Conaway-
Chase Award, given to five outstanding senior sorority members.

Board appoints Kitch chair of Women's Studies

     Trustees appointed Sally L. Kitch of COLUMBUS (43206), a 
professor of English and comparative studies in the humanities, 
as chair of the Department of Women's Studies, retroactive to 
Jan. 1 and continuing through September.

     Kitch specializes in feminist theory, epistemology, 
literature and contemporary issues, with an emphasis on 
historical images of women in American culture and gender issues 
in contemporary society.  She received her undergraduate degree 
from Cornell University and her graduate degree from the 
University of Chicago.  She earned her doctoral degree from Emory 
University and has taught at Ohio State since 1992.

     The Center for Women's Studies was made into a department in 
October, raising the program's visibility both on campus and 
nationwide, said Kitch, who was the center's director.  She said 
the program has been scrutinized during internal reviews and 
found to be competitive in the Big Ten Conference and nationally.

Board establishes Hendrix scholarships in three colleges

     Trustees accepted $1.7 million in gifts from Elizabeth L. 
Hendrix and the estate of George W. Hendrix to establish four 
scholarship funds for students in humanities, medicine, and 
mechanical and electrical engineering.  Each fund of $423,023 is 
in memory of the parents of George and Elizabeth Hendrix, namely 
Clifford and Lou Etta Hendrix and Herman D. and Zilah K. Lowe, 
respectively.  George Hendrix earned a Bachelor of Science degree 
in business administration from Ohio State in 1929 and was an 
official with The Ohio Company.  He died in 1992.

     The board accepted eight other new named endowed funds with 
gifts totaling $697,779:

     -- The William R. Bennett - Vision Service Plan Chair Fund 
in Business Practice Management in the College of Optometry, 
$250,000.

     -- The Barton C. Kagey Scholarship Fund, $174,000, in the 
College of Law.

     -- The Glen H. And Beverly A. Schmidt Support for Study 
Abroad in Agriculture and Natural Resources, $60,000.

     -- The Alice and Carolyn Bierce Thomas Critical Difference 
for Women Re-Entry Scholarship Fund, $66,156.

     -- The Thelma Ross Scholarship Fund, $49,599,
for merit scholarships, to be administered by the University 
Honors Center.

     -- The Patricia A. Robinson Athletic Scholarship Fund,
$47,805.

     -- The Allen W. Hall Endowed Sports Dentistry Award Fund, 
$25,215.

     -- The Ed Johnson Scholarship Fund, $25,000, for beginning 
freshmen who are members of 4-H or FFA.

Resolutions in memoriam

     The board adopted resolutions in memoriam for:

     -- Thomas J. Burns, professor emeritus in the Department of 
Accounting and Management Information Systems, who died Jan. 10.

     -- Beulah Converse, assistant professor emeritus in the Ohio 
State University Extension, who died Jan. 30.

     -- William B. Shook, professor emeritus in the Department of 
Materials Science and Engineering, who died Dec. 1.

     -- Lowell Wilson, associate professor emeritus in the Ohio 
State University Extension, who died Dec. 3.

Board hears report on athletic certification 

     The board heard a report by members of the Athletic 
Certification Steering Committee on the status of Ohio State's 
National Collegiate Athletic Association certification process. 
As a Division I institution, Ohio State is subject to athletic 
certification on a five-year cycle, said Deborah Katz, graduate 
administrative assistant in the Office of Student Affairs.  The 
process involves an external review and a self-study.

     Katz said the self-study, designed to examine the 
fundamentals of institutional integrity, is focusing on 
governance and compliance, academic and fiscal integrity, and 
equity.

     Katz reported the self-study is under way and the external 
review will be conducted by a peer review team April 28-May 1.  
The team will be led by a Division I chief executive officer and 
will consist of four individuals from other Division I 
universities.

Mitchell presented student recognition award

     Trustees awarded a student recognition award to Brian 
Mitchell of CINCINNATI.  A junior majoring in mechanical 
engineering, Mitchell was honored for his efforts to resuscitate 
Shimshon Zimering, a professor of mathematics who suffered a 
heart attack while teaching a class during summer quarter.  
Mitchell, an Army ROTC cadet who learned lifesaving skills as a 
life guard, performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation on Zimering 
until paramedics arrived.  Zimering survived the heart attack, 
but died several months later.

Research Contracts approved

     Trustees approved 178 research contracts totaling 
$12,819,590.  Singled out for special mention were:

     -- A program to provide nutrition education to food stamp 
participants and eligible non-participants in 66 Ohio counties.  
The Ohio Department of Human Services is providing $1,422,023 to 
fund the project, which is being conducted by Joyce R. McDowell 
and Marilyn A. Spiegel of Ohio State University Extension.  The 
amount is less than 1.6 percent of the money spent on food stamps 
in Ohio in January 1995.  A focus group study showed that 
participants increased their knowledge in nutrition and improved 
their food purchasing, safety and budgeting practices.

     -- An expanded correctional education program centered on an 
Associate of Applied Science degree program in horticulture 
management.  The program integrates academic training in science, 
math, and communications, with life skills training and 
vocational preparation, leading to placement in jobs in the 
horticulture industry and follow-up to ensure independent living 
after release from prison.  Arnold L. Mokma is the project leader 
for the Agricultural Technical Institute, which is leading a 
consortium of northeast Ohio business, government and community 
organizations.

     -- Studies of the biologic and clinical importance of stress 
on lipid concentrations and metabolism.  To the extent that lipid 
metabolism and reactivity are relevant to the initiation and 
progression of coronary heart disease, the studies will advance 
understanding of how behavioral stress, reproductive hormones, 
and psychosocial characteristics affect lipid metabolism in 
altering risk for the disease.  Catherine M. Stoney of the 
Department of Psychology is heading the project, funded with 
$257,448 from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.

Board hears report on Reading Recovery

     Trustees heard a report in the Fiscal Affairs Committee 
regarding a proposal to establish non-profit corporations for 
Reading Recovery and the Reading Recovery Council of North 
America.  Reading Recovery is an early intervention for, 
typically, first-grade children at risk of falling behind in 
their reading process, said Nancy Zimpher, dean of the College of 
Education.

     Ohio State initiated the program in North America 10 years 
ago.  The research and development program now spans 48 states 
and seven Canadian provinces, and involves 12,000 teachers and an 
equal number of administrators.  Last year, more than 100,000 
children were served by the program through a national evaluation 
center located at Ohio State.

     As a non-profit corporation, Reading Recovery would develop 
programs, do program evaluation, training, and foster outreach 
and service among educators.  Reading Recovery Council of North 
America would preserve, improve, and expand the use of Reading 
Recovery programs across the United States; promote the programs 
among educators; and promote high quality literacy education.

     A resolution to incorporate will be presented to the board 
later.

Miscellaneous matters

     In other business, trustees:

     -- Heard reports in the Student Affairs Committee on the 
University Honors Center by David Hothersall, director, and Mabel 
Freeman, associate director; Greek Affairs by student Tracy 
Stuck, and the student trustee selection process by student Sean 
Ruffin.

     -- Amended the Rules of the University Faculty to define a 
duty of the Faculty Hearing Committee to hear appeals of faculty 
members against whom complaints have been lodged.

     -- Named Hugo Bekker of the Department of Germanic Languages 
and Literatures as professor emeritus, effective April 1.

     -- Made several appointments to the medical staff of 
University Hospitals.

     -- Heard Investments Committee reports from Treasurer James 
Nichols on the endowment portfolio, quarterly endowment 
portfolio, and endowment land planning.

     -- Ordered degrees and certificates be awarded on March 15 
to those persons who have completed the requirements for them.

     -- Approved 51 waivers, totaling $3.7 million, of 
competitive bidding requirements.  Forty-three purchases, 
totaling nearly $3.4 million, were from sole-source suppliers; 
two were for emergencies and six were for sufficient economic 
reason.

     -- Heard a report from Jerry May, vice president for 
development, that giving is up nearly $11 million this fiscal 
year, compared to the same time period last year.

                             #

Contact: Tom Spring, (614) 292-8309, or Tracy Turner, (614) 688-
3682.


[Submitted by: Von Reid-Vargas (ereid@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu)
               
Thu, 29 Feb 1996 16:43:18 -0500]
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