ASCENT2010 Issue 2

Message from the Dean

Welcome to Camp Buckeye

SPEAC Up: Intensive SummerTraining for Teachers of Chinese,Japanese

Ashley Nordin’s Installation SeriesBreaks the Spell of Things ThatBind

Jumping Into the Synthetic GenePool: How Safe Are the Waters?

Lea Madry: Determined to MakeA Difference

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Keith D. Monda: Giving Back,Paying Forward

Study Abroad: Your ScholarshipDollars Hard at Work

College of Arts and SciencesPASS Program: A Celebration of Success

Student Stars: Arts and SciencesStudents Shine

CliCk the title to go direCtly to the story

Arts and Sciences | 186 University Hall | 230 N. Oval Mall | Columbus, Ohio 43210 artsandsciences.osu.edu

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NEWS FROM THE COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

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MESSAGE FROM THE DEAN

This campus never sleeps. Summer means camp time for middle and high school students eager to explore science, art, music, and more on the nation’s largest campus.

From a smorgasbord of Arts and Sciences’ camps, we focus on four: Experimental Economics; Forensics in the Classroom; Jazz Camp; and GRASP—Girls Reaching to Achieve in Sports and Physics.

Experimental Economics: A Little Game Theory

Attracting high school students to a workshop on the laws of supply and demand, market equilibration, and the roles of trust and reciprocity takes ingenuity.

But economist Paul J. (PJ) Healy had an idea: Host a one-day camp consisting of a series of gaming experiments, add in a little competition and cash rewards … and lunch. “If you think about experimental economics as a study in strategies and behavior, it’s really not much different than playing a game,” said Healy. “It’s challenging, maybe frustrating, but definitely fun.”

Healy’s National Science Foundation grant to do a five-year study on behavioral mechanism design helps support these camps. He is hoping that the two one-day camps will engage high school students from a wide range

of socioeconomic backgrounds to study experimental economics.

This is a win-win for students, who earn money for hands-on learning experiments that have take-away applications for a variety of economic concepts—mentoring is also part of the package.

During lunch, they are teamed up with economics doctoral candidates who share their perspectives on both economics and the college experience.

“I want to reach these students,” said Healy. “We may be looking at the next generation of economists.”

Forensics in the Classroom: The Dead Do Tell Tales

Middle school students from around the country get an introduction to CSI-style crime scene processing by investigating different mock crime scenes. They learn the importance of blood-spatter trajectory, how to collect and interpret fingerprints, do excavation and forensic exploration, and conduct DNA and fingerprint analysis.

Welcome to

Camp Buckeye

I am delighted to announce that the University Board of Trustees has approved merging all arts and sciences academic programs into one unified structure: the College of Arts and Sciences.

I can assure you this is not just another reshuffling of offices and personnel without

substantive change. This concentration of noted scholars, high-achieving students, talented staff, and diverse and remarkable alumni maximizes our potential to become the nation’s pre-eminent college of arts and sciences.

Bringing all of our departments together allows us to harness and leverage their incredible collective strength to drive real change and meaningful growth.

Endless possibilities exist to create unparalleled educational experiences, provide more personalized service for our students, attract funding for leading-edge research programs, revitalize existing programs and develop ambitious new initiatives, and increase opportunities for alumni involvement and engagement.

Additionally, by consolidating our resources we can streamline administrative functions, funding and fiscal models, and personnel and space allocations. This keeps us focused, relevant, nimble, and accountable in serving students and faculty.

Our alumni can be even prouder of a degree from the Ohio State University College of Arts and Sciences, as time and change will show as its value continues to soar.

Please let us hear from you and share your thoughts.

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Forensics in the Classroom (FITC) was developed by the anthropology department in partnership with the PAST Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing archaeology into schools.

Lara McCormick, anthropology doctoral candidate, directs the FITC summer camp and developed its curriculum.

“FITC is a great way to introduce young students to science,” said McCormick. “They get their hands dirty digging up bones, sifting through evidence, and working alongside crime scene experts, including cadaver dogs!”

Every day for a week, campers work with anthropologists, fingerprint technicians, blood-spatter analysts, and forensic photographers. Just like real crime scene investigators, on the final day of camp, students present their evidence in a mock trial.

Jazz Camp: The Beat Goes On

For more than thirty years, summer has meant Summer Jazz Camp for talented high school musicians nominated by their high-school band directors.

Although learning takes place in a fun-filled environment, it’s an intense four-day immersion in jazz—classes in history and styles, improvisation, and theory. And rehearse, rehearse, rehearse for a closing concert on the last night. Even free time is jazz focused, including trips to a Short North jazz club and the Summer Jazz Series at Easton Town Center.

“We also offer a career exploration session, where each member of the jazz faculty talks about their background, training, experiences, and how they got to where they are,” said Ted McDaniel, area head of jazz studies. “Students always talk about the light turning on for them. They leave with a much greater level of seriousness and commitment to what the jazz music tradition is all about.”

This year, two big bands and four combos were created to accommodate more than 50 participants. Most are from Ohio, but the camp is open to out-of-state students, who come from as far away as Massachusetts, South Carolina, Georgia, and California.

Some students come for more than one summer to the longest-running summer program offered by the School of Music.

Jazz Studies Associate Professor Shawn Wallace, who has worked with the camp since 2005, is in his first year as director, “I enjoy motivating the kids to be more disciplined. It’s all about the quality of your practice time.”

Within Her GRASP: Girls Reaching to Achieve in Sports and Physics

So what does physics have to do with sports? Quite a lot actually, and middle-school girls at the five-day GRASP Camp get to experience it up close and very personal. Hosted by the Society of Women in Physics and fully supported by faculty, staff, and students, GRASP is in its third successful year.

“GRASP is a great idea whose time had come,” said Undergraduate Program Coordinator Robin Wyatt, who, with Student Services Assistant Director Lindsey Perry, is its co-director. “There still aren’t a lot of women in science; this seemed like a good way to engage them while they’re young.”

GRASP combines interactive physics demonstrations with matching physical activities—building gliders and launching them; a catapult demo and playing football…with three Ohio State Buckeyes!

The last day starts with a climbing wall and ends with a bang—literally. But first, girls have the “opportunity” to lie on a bed of nails; then onward to “Things You Should Never Put in a Microwave,” and other physics fun like battery-tasting, freezing things in liquid nitrogen and smashing them, toilet-papering the classroom with a mega blast of air, and last, but not least—blowing things up in the physics courtyard.*

To attend even one session is to see how everyone involved wants to show these girls how much fun physics can be—and it’s working. The happy campers can barely restrain themselves during the demos. The faculty volunteer not only has their rapt attention, the squeals of excitement, flurry of questions and eagerness to participate, clearly show he has become a rock star. *All demos were totally safe.

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From June 21-August 20, when many departments are getting a break from a busy academic year, the Department of East Asian Languages and Literatures (DEALL) is in full swing with Summer Programs East Asian Concentration (SPEAC). SPEAC, an internationally recognized intensive language program and teacher training

for both Chinese and Japanese, is in its 17th summer.

“SPEAC is the only long-term teacher training program in the U.S. Many teacher training programs exist as workshops or seminars that last anywhere from two hours to 2 days,” said Thomas Mason, Executive Director for The Alliance for Language Learning and Educational Exchange. “This is the only teacher training program of its kind. SPEAC is producing phenomenal teachers.”

SPEAC’s Training Programs for Teachers of Japanese and Chinese attract current and aspiring language instructors. Applicants are required to have a high level of competency in either language, as well as English.

“This summer a number of participants have come from universities in Florida, Boston, Taiwan, China, Japan, and we have a few Ohio State DEALL students as well,” said Mari Noda, DEALL department chair. During the program, participants will speak only Chinese or Japanese in the classroom.

SPEAC’s Training Programs for Teachers use the performed-culture approach; a method of teaching that incorporates language and culture simultaneously. When it comes to teaching a language, grammar often comes first and culture is taught last. Because of this approach, culture becomes an afterthought and students begin applying their own culture to a foreign language.

“Native Japanese or Chinese speakers won’t understand phrases like ‘no way’ or ‘get out of town.’ The performed-culture approach helps students to see how language is

used within the Chinese or Japanese culture,” said Noda. “We help them to understand the subtle nuances that are significant when communicating with native speakers. We want to teach students how to speak Chinese or Japanese as if they were a native speakers.”

Nan Meng, who currently teaches in the program where she was once a student, feels a deep connection to SPEAC.

“This is truly something special. We work together as a team; we support and help one other. With everyone learning together and learning from one another, we actually build a learning community,” said Meng.

Shinji Shimoura, a native of Japan and current graduate student at Florida State, is enrolled in the teacher training program. “One of the hardest things about teaching is getting the students involved and keeping them engaged. I chose SPEAC’s teacher training program because this program can show me how to improve the classroom experience. I care about my students and I want to be a great teacher for them,” Shimoura said.

In addition to the teacher training program, SPEAC also offers an intensive language program that combines classes during the regular academic year with two consecutive summers in SPEAC—students complete four years of language study in fifteen months.

“I look forward to SPEAC every summer,” said Noda. “I love seeing the participants grow during the course of both programs. We create a special learning environment and they’ll leave SPEAC more confident in their speaking and teaching abilities than when they arrived. ”

For more information about SPEAC, visit:deall.osu.edu/programs/summerPrgm/default.cfm

SPEAC UpIntensive Summer Training for Teachers of Chinese, Japanese

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The Dialogue of Exhibition…

In a dark corner of the gallery, a tall bookshelf looms, its seemingly random contents lunge and list at precarious angles. Closer inspection shows books firmly encased in cement with titles like “Killer Angels,” suggesting maybe not-so-random selection.

Viewing Ashley’s Nordin’s undergraduate research project, Wall to Wall: the Vault of a Domestic Environment, is an invitation and a challenge to begin a dialogue about the place and power of objects in your own life.

Nordin’s pieces, vaguely reminiscent of an archeological dig, show an intriguing mix of household objects that have been disassembled, cast, embedded, and vaulted in cement.

Ending speculation about their genesis, Nordin said, “My personal experience was the driving force behind my project, but I hope the universality of these objects creates a response in the viewer.

“When my marriage fell apart, I began to think about using domestic items, from home-building materials: insulation, drywall, aluminum siding; to the more personal: chairs, books, plumbing, and shoes; to make artworks that would both defuse the power of those objects and serve as a metaphor for larger issues of abandonment and loss.”

Part of her process was to focus on the objects’ use,care and maintenance. Their physical state, she believes, tells its own story. “These things are symbols of stability…they also describe living conditions; clean/dirty, organized/chaotic, old/new, functional/broken.”

Research Begins At Home

“When Ashley was in my advanced sculpture class, she expressed interest in developing artworks based on this relationship,” Sculptor and Professor Todd Slaughter said. “I suggested she apply for undergraduate research funding and carry out this project as an Independent-Study Honors course. She did receive funding and while developing the work, applied for the Denman Undergraduate Research Forum. I was very pleased, not only with her artwork, but with the resolve and confidence that had grown, from the making of the artwork.”

Ashley Nordin’s Installation Series

BREAKS THE SPELLOF THINGS THAT BIND

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It might be said that the best art comes from the artist’s willingness to tap into personal events and relate them to the commonality of experience—to make the personal universal.

Ashley has certainly done that, and she won an award in the Denman competition.

Defusing the Power of Objects

Whether carefully chosen, gifts, impulse buys, or family heirlooms, the objects that surround us have power to evoke feelings and memories that bind us to the past.

Nordin describes a silver percolator used by her grandmother, “It attended every family function, and is now affectionately tied to my memory of her—something I keep and maintain to preserve a memory and a relationship.”

But what happens when we don’t want the memories; can’t carry the baggage, are weighted down by their very existence?

Nordin testedthe possibility of disabling an object’s psychic nature by taking it apart and removing it from its customary place to strip it of its power. The proof is in her work. The null quality of her installation objects makes itself felt, more as absence than presence.

As she began deconstructing her domestic environment to both make art and rid herself of the past, she had to make conscious choices about how to accomplish this. One brilliant decision was to use concrete as a medium. “Its permanence and its dead weight make the objects that are forced into it forever unusable and permanently encapsulated,” Said Nordin.

Burial

Her first piece, an arrangement of broken, decaying furniture assembled in a towering pile, was a gallery installation, then removed and buried. A photograph and a video document its existence, removal and burial.

“This process is literal and refers to the idea that we perform burial rituals to permanently remove something or someone from our lives,” said Nordin.

After leaving the gallery, the challenge remains: to consider what we carry with us, what we let go of, and how we feel when we do.

Ashley Nordin’s piece, “Bookshelf: Vault series” has been purchased by the university and will reside in the ohio Union second-floor Art lounge.

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SYNTHETIC GENE POOL

Synthetic Biology, Synbio, or Synthetic Genomics—however it’s referred to, building life from scratch is getting easier and easier to do.

This is not your run-of-the-mill genetic engineering—mapping genomes and manipulating genes; this is the design and construction of new organisms and biological systems that do not exist in nature.

Although scientists have pushed the genomic envelope for years, and the amazing advances of Synbio have been promoted to students as providing both jobs and cures for the world’s ills, it had not been on the public’s radar screen—until May.

Extreme Genetic Engineer J. Craig Venter got the world’s attention (along with that of the President and Congress) when he announced he’d created the first microorganism with a synthetic genome. And big plans are underway to re-design algae, bacteria, and other microbes to perform a wide array of useful functions.

Following Venter’s newsflash, President Obama directed the Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues to evaluate Synthetic Biology. Their first step is to meet with a group of the nation’s stellar scientists for advice—among them Ohio State ecologist Allison Snow, for advice.

Snow is a world-authority on transgenic safety issues in plant communities with a substantial body of research looking at outcomes when genetically engineered plants are released into the environment.

In 2002, Snow was recognized by Scientific American as one of the Top 50 Researchers in Science and Technology in the country.

“Synthetic biology will be used to investigate basic biology and, on the practical side, it can produce drugs

jumping into the

How Safe Are the Waters?

like artemisinin, the poster child for treating malaria,” Snow said.

“But I’m concerned that environmental consequences of synthetic organisms that are released into the outside world are not being considered. Premier scientific organizations like the

National Academy of Sciences have yet to focus on these issues.

“We need to think about environmental risk; sooner, rather than later. It’s always dangerous when we don’t think about the end products made by new technologies and what unintended consequences they might have.”

Meanwhile, pharmaceutical companies and the oil industry see huge profits to be made, and today’s idealistic students envision themselves genome-hacking pioneers saving the world; but Big Pharm and Big Oil aren’t the only ones paying close attention to the promise of synthetic biology.

“Homeland Security is petrified by the idea that anyone could order materials for ‘do-it-yourself’ synthetic pathogens online,” Snow said.

The Commission has six months to “study the implications of this scientific milestone…and consider potential medical, environmental, security and other benefits of this field of research, as well as any potential health, security or other risks.”

Its first meeting was July 8. Stay tuned.

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Lea Madry graduated in June, magna cum laude, in sociology. She will be attending the University of Chicago Law School in the fall, on scholarship, and leaves behind quite a legacy.

Lea grew up in Dublin, Ohio and earned a full-ride Morrill Scholarship to Ohio State. A first-generation student, she was determined to hit the ground running and immerse herself in academics and community service.

“My mother was my role model,” said Lea. “She taught me to value education, make the most out of life, and give your time serving others.”

Lea began her freshman year determined to find a path to law school. By the end of her first year, Lea found her academic niche—sociology. “Sociology allowed me to do what I love most … solve problems,” said Lea.

Outside the classroom, Lea sought out opportunities to get involved in student organizations committed to improving the community, empowering young women, and building leadership.

Early on, Lea was chosen to participate in the College of Arts and Sciences’ Program for Advising in Scholarship & Service (PASS), a selective first-year community for students with a shared interest in the academic, cultural, career, and community benefits of diversity. She took advantage of every leadership training opportunity provided in the program and sought out the advice of both academic and career advisors.

”PASS introduced me to so many new and interesting people of all backgrounds,” said Lea. “I grew so much

because I had to challenge myself to think in ways I have never thought before.”

After completing her first year in the PASS program, Lea decided that she wanted to become a mentor to others. Over the course of her sophomore year, she helped incoming freshmen connect with other students, meet faculty, and discover new learning experiences.

“Meeting new people from multiple backgrounds is such an enriching experience. I wanted others like me to have that same chance,” said Lea.

In 2009, she founded the Ohio State chapter of Delta Xi Phi, a multicultural sorority dedicated to the advancement of women through higher education, increasing multicultural awareness, and community service. As president, she helped build a thriving membership base among women from multiple backgrounds and places around the globe.

“I wanted to bring Delta Xi to Ohio State so that other women like me would have a place to nurture and celebrate their differences,” said Lea.

With a little time on her hands before she heads to Chicago, Lea has put together a bucket list—an itemized list of things to do before leaving Columbus.

“I want to go to a Gallery Hop and the Chocolate Cafe,” said Lea. “I don’t imagine I’ll have time to come home and do things like that for a while.”

Lea Madry:Determined to Make a Difference

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It’s impossible to talk about Keith Monda’s generosity without invoking his father and grandfather—the two people who most influenced his life and shaped his character.

“I am blessed because I had people in my life who taught me humility and honesty,” said Monda, Ohio State alumnus (BS, economics, 1968; MA, economics, 1971) and retired president and chief operating officer of Coach, Inc.

Keith Monda grew up in Canton, Ohio, in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Youngstown, and under the influence and guidance of both his parents and grandparents. His grandfather emigrated from Romania to Canton in the early 1900s and worked as a machinist for Timken Steel. College was not an option for his grandparents. They were of a time when work defined life and sacrifices were made so that the next generation could envision a better way.

“Every day, either my grandfather or grandmother reminded me that education is everything,” Monda says in remembering his early years living with his grandparents. “They demanded that I pay attention.”

Monda’s father put himself through college, earning an engineering degree from Ohio University. He too worked at Timken Steel for nearly 40 years leaving the company only once to serve in World War II.

“I don’t believe my father missed a single day of work,” Monda said. “His work ethic, his very character was steeped in honesty and humility.”

Monda left Canton, Ohio in the early 1960’s to attend Ohio State. His early careers in the world of finance

included senior level financial positions at Pfizer Inc., J. Crew, Inc., and Timberland Company.

In 1998, Monda joined Coach, Inc. Over the next ten years, he spearheaded the transformation of Coach from a manufacturer to a marketing company, implementing a global sourcing strategy that enabled the company to

expand its product offering.

Monda retired from Coach in 2008; in his honor, and at his request, Coach directed a gift to Ohio State’s “Students First, Students Now” initiative to ensure access to education for Ohio State students. Earlier that same year, Monda endowed the Keith and Linda Monda Scholarship Fund to provide need and merit-based financial support for Ohio undergraduates to pursue their education and dreams.

“I am deeply indebted to those people who believed in me and guided me along the way,” said Monda. “Investing in a young person’s education is my effort to pay forward.”

Monda is a member of The Ohio State University’s Foundation Board, chair of the College of Arts and Sciences Advisory Committee and campaign chair of the College of Arts and Sciences Capital Campaign. In addition, Monda is a member of the Board of Trustees, New College of Florida; New York State Chapter, The Nature Conservancy; and Mianus River Gorge Preserve, Inc.

Giving Back, Paying ForwardKeith D. Monda:

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Thanks to the generosity of alumni who invest in study abroad scholarship funds, three undergraduates in the College of Arts and Sciences are realizing their dreams of living and learning abroad this summer.

Tim Haga is a third-year honors student from Portland, Michigan majoring in Arabic. He is spending six weeks in Tunisia immersed in the Arabic language while teaching English to university students.

“I’ve studied Arabic for so many years and now I have the chance to put my language skills to practice,” said Tim. “I like the challenge of learning on my feet.”

Tim doesn’t own a TV, runs four to five miles a day, listens to folk and heavy metal, and wants to pursue a career with the government. He carries a full load of courses, works part-time at a doctor’s office, and manages to play a little soccer now and then.

When Tim returns to the United States in late summer, he will have just enough time to pack for his trip to Lebanon for a fall semester Arabic language immersion program. He will graduate in June 2011.

“Without a study abroad scholarship, I wouldn’t have this chance to travel outside the U.S. and experience another culture, another way of life,” said Tim. “I am really grateful to have this opportunity.”

Julianna Poole is a second year honors student majoring in microbiology with minors in biological anthropology and Japanese; she is fascinated by the structure of bacteria and plant genetics. Julianna will be heading to Hong Kong in August to study immunobiology, Mandarin, and Chinese literature, history, and culture.

“This will be my first time outside the United States,” said Julianna. “I’m a bit nervous but more excited at the opportunity to learn a new language, meet new people and just experience new things.”

From Canal Winchester, Ohio, Julianna is a fan of mahjong and anime. When she returns to Columbus, she will begin building her portfolio for graduate school. She will also continue her volunteer work as a science tutor for students in the Columbus Public Schools.

Julianna will turn 21 years old while she is in Hong Kong. How will she celebrate her birthday?

“I’m going to Hong Kong Disneyland!”

Katie Schuler recently graduated cum laude with a degree in art education. From Cincinnati, Ohio, Katie came to Ohio State with the goal of immersing herself in art and education and learning as much as possible about far-away places and cultures. When she was a freshman, Katie earned a study abroad scholarship to travel to the Yucatan Peninsula for a program in Mayan art and culture.

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STUDY ABROAD:Your Scholarship Dollars Hard at Work

“Our students cannot confine their enquiries to the classroom and the laboratory. Understanding other cultures is the key to respecting and valuing differences, recognizing and building on commonalities, and forging a more civil and democratic future.” —President E. Gordon Gee

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There, she participated in an art exhibition showcasing the works of the group she traveled with as well as the Mayans she visited.

Having witnessed the devastation of rural poverty on the lives of many Mayans living in the peninsula, Katie was determined to find a way to make a difference.

“I wanted to combine my love of art with fair trade in hopes of supporting impoverished people through the sale of their products.” Katie explained.

In her last year as an undergraduate, Katie applied for a study abroad scholarship to travel to Nicaragua to learn about the economic policies of fair trade. She will be spending several weeks this summer learning about development and production of works of art native to the areas she visits.

Currently, 20 percent of Ohio State undergraduates study abroad before graduation. But that number is far too few. We need new forms of assistance so that more students realize their international dream. If you are interested in providing support for a student to study abroad, please contact Jim Geiger, senior director of development, at (614) 292-6980 or geiger.181@osu.edu.

Crystal Vera came to Ohio State three years ago from a small town in Texas. As a soon to be freshman, she was excited to start a new chapter in her life but nervous about living in a big city and attending the largest public university in the country.

“The summer before I moved to Columbus, I received an invitation to apply to the PASS program,” Crystal explained. “Once I was accepted, I found my community.” The Program for Advising in Scholarship & Service (PASS) is a selective first-year academic learning community for students in the Arts and Sciences with a shared interest in the academic, cultural, career, and community benefits of diversity.

“A student’s first year at Ohio State is so critical,”said Chinwe Okpalaoka, director, Diversity Services. “PASS offers the benefits of a small college experience, personalized guidance and support, along with opportunities available only at a large university.”

Over the course of a year, PASS participants attend academic, career, and personal development workshops, volunteer for multiple community service assignments, and work one-on-one with a student mentor. Friendships blossom, and by the close of their first year, students who were once on the receiving end of so much nurturing and support step up to become PASS Peer Leaders, mentors for next year’s incoming group.

“We do it for the ones coming after us,” said Seleena Moore, PASS Peer Leader.

ascdiversityservices.osu.edu/pass

A Celebration of success

College of Arts and Sciences

PASS Program:

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STUDENT ST RS Arts and Sciences Students Shine

8,652 students (a record number) received degrees at Ohio State’s spring commencement

2,956 were Arts and Sciences students receiving their baccalaureate degrees (34%)

934 of these ASC undergraduate students graduated with honors, as noted below:

470 Cum laude

518 Magna cum laude

184 Summa cum laude

470 with honors in Arts or Arts and Sciences

168 with distinction or with research distinction

Note: total is greater than 934 because many students received multiple honors.

Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship

Jake Connors Physics

Fulbright Grants

Robert Bonacci Microbiology & spanish

Sarah (Sally) Coons german

Dustin Koenig Political science & russian

Lauren Koepke international studies & development

studies

Hudson McFann geography

Kristin Silver Psychology

Katherine Watt international studies

ASC Students Win Scholarships and Grants

National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships

Samantha Gett linguistics & italian

James Treadway Chemistry

Beinecke Scholarship

Hudson McFann geography

Board of Trustees Undergraduate Student Recognition Award

Valerie Hendrickson Chinese & international studies

Beckman Scholars (Undergraduate Research)

Raj Chimanji Biology

Ranjit Ganguly Biology

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13Arts and Sciences | 186 University Hall | 230 N. Oval Mall | Columbus, Ohio 43210 artsandsciences.osu.edu

Hundreds of Arts and Sciences graduates are doing something great. Here’s a brief look at some students behind the degrees.

Robert Bonacci, microbiology and Spanish, wants to rid the world of disease. He worked in Ohio State’s tuberculosis research lab, and was a student researcher at Harvard’s School of Public Health, working on malaria. A Fulbright Fellowship will allow him to study the H1N1 viral pandemic and public health in Mexico next year, after which, he plans to enroll in the MD/Master’s Program in Public Health at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.

Patrick Burns, geological sciences, is on a mission to ensure the purity of water worldwide. Last summer, a Shell internship funded his independent research project on water contaminants in local streams; this was after returning from field work in Peru that examined effects of glacial runoff on water supplies. He has studied glacier and environmental change at Byrd Polar Research Center, and interned at ODNR’s Geological Survey Division. He will attend Oregon State University’s Water Resources Program.

Amy Eakins, anthropological sciences major, zoology and English minor, is passionate about saving endangered primates, their habitats, and forests. Her two-year documentation of primate behaviors, ultimate warning signs of health or decline of forests around the globe, could have a profound impact on international ecological and environmental policies. She received a graduate fellowship in the Interdepartmental Doctoral Program in Anthropological Sciences (IDPAS), a world-renowned primate behavior program at Stony Brook University in New York.

Ravi Gupta, molecular genetics and political science major, economics minor, founded Ohio State’s Global Health Initiative High School Workshops, providing educational resources on global health issues for high school students. Last summer, he conducted more than 100 interviews with health workers, government officials, and doctors in India to analyze the role of health education in improving the country’s public health system. As Ohio State’s delegate to the Naval Academy Foreign Affairs Conference, Gupta presented his paper on the role of non-governmental organizations in reducing global poverty. He will work with the MIT Poverty Action Lab in India for the next two years.

Lea Madry, sociology, magna cum laude, an Ohio native and first-generation student is devoted to public service. She founded Ohio State’s chapter of Delta Xi Phi, the Multicultural Sorority and was its first president. She was also president of the SERVICE Squad, a group of Ohio State student leaders who connect volunteers with community agencies; and served as site liaison for the League of Women Voters. Madry heads to Chicago in September to attend the University of Chicago Law School, on scholarship.

Hudson McFann, honors and research distinction in geography, is passionate about the environment. He led “Students for a Sustainable Campus” for three years and served on the President’s Council on Sustainability Advisory Group. McFann’s interest in the geographies of waste, landfills, and other waste facilities led him to focus on the socio-politics of landfills. A Fulbright scholarship will take him to Canada in the fall where he will study the impact of Toronto’s shipments of municipal solid waste on Michigan and Ontario land sites.

Justin McGee, biology and political science, plans to continue to work to increase health and wellness initiatives in the African American community. McGee was an HIV test counselor with the Columbus AIDS Task Force; a middle school mentor; and volunteered with Big Brothers Big Sisters, and Ohio State’s Bell Resource Center. He has received awards for outstanding service, including the Columbus AIDS Task Force Distinguished Service Award, Lawrence Williamson Jr. Service Award, and the Gene and Sheila Smith Excalibur Prize. McGee will attend Ohio State’s College of Medicine in the fall.

Janet Soto Rodriguez, political science, is putting her active social consciousness to work. An advocate volunteer in Ohio State’s Office of Economic Access, she helped found “Students for Equal Access” to increase access to higher education for all qualified students. The youngest of ten children and a first-generation student, Rodriguez came to Ohio with her family, seasonal migrant workers from Mexico. She worked in Undergraduate Admissions as a student facilitator and an interpreter for Spanish-speaking families. Rodriguez will teach high school social studies in Texas as part of the Teach for America AmeriCorps team.