Sean Kay

What should be the future of NATO?

In anticipation of the upcoming North Atlantic Treaty Organization summit, Foreign Policy Magazine and the Atlantic Council asked experts for their insights into NATO.

According to the magazine: “Heads of state, ministers of defense and foreign affairs, intelligence officers, and current and former members of U.S. Congress were among the respondents.”

Among those experts was Ohio Wesleyan University professor Sean Kay, Ph.D., author of “Global Security in the Twenty-First Century: The Quest for Power and the Search for Peace.”

Survey results showed that “none of them thought NATO should cease to exist or that the United States would be better off leaving the alliance, [but] they were less certain about whether NATO can adapt to a changing geopolitical and military landscape – and just who will foot the bill for future operations.”

The NATO summit will be held May 20-21 in Chicago. Read the full Foreign Policy article here.

Ohio Wesleyan University is one of the nation’s premier small, private universities, with more than 90 undergraduate majors, sequences, and courses of study, and 23 NCAA Division III varsity sports. Located in Delaware, Ohio, just minutes north of Ohio’s capital and largest city, Columbus, the university combines a globally focused curriculum with off-campus learning and leadership opportunities that translate classroom theory into real-world practice. OWU’s close-knit community of 1,850 students represents 47 states and 57 countries. Ohio Wesleyan was named to the 2012 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll with distinction, is featured in the book “Colleges That Change Lives,” and is included on the “best colleges” lists of U.S. News & World Report and The Princeton Review. Learn more at www.owu.edu.

Junius F. Allen

DELAWARE, OHIO – Ohio Wesleyan University has received a $1 million estate gift from 1931 alumnus Junius F. Allen and his wife, Zella I. Allen, of Sarasota, Fla. Their gift will be used to support the university endowment.

Junius Allen was an economics major at Ohio Wesleyan and a former director and executive vice president for international operations for Pittsburgh-based H.J. Heinz Co. He died in 2005. Zella Allen died in October 2011.

During their lifetime, the couple contributed more than $440,000 to Ohio Wesleyan, including the creation of an endowed scholarship fund to benefit minority students who demonstrate a strong potential for leadership and have financial need.

Junius Allen’s sister, Mary Margaret Allen, also graduated from Ohio Wesleyan and also created a scholarship fund to assist students attending her alma mater. She was a 1930 OWU graduate and a sociology/anthropology major. Her endowed scholarship benefits students with strong academic records and financial need.

Junius and Zella Allen also were members of Ohio Wesleyan’s Tower Society, which recognizes people who make estate gifts to the university. The couple was married on Valentine’s Day in 1935 and had one son, James M. Allen, who died in 2005.

“Junius and Zella Allen were committed to helping future students secure Ohio Wesleyan educations,” said Rock Jones, Ph.D., university president. “They were lifelong supporters of Ohio Wesleyan, having seen the meaningful impact of the OWU experience for both Junius and his sister. To have a couple create both an endowed scholarship and leave such a generous estate gift is an honor. It affirms the work we do here every day to educate the next generation of global leaders.”

Learn more about making an estate gift or other contribution to Ohio Wesleyan.

Ohio Wesleyan University is one of the nation’s premier small, private universities, with more than 90 undergraduate majors, sequences, and courses of study, and 23 NCAA Division III varsity sports. Located in Delaware, Ohio, just minutes north of Ohio’s capital and largest city, Columbus, the university combines a globally focused curriculum with off-campus learning and leadership opportunities that translate classroom theory into real-world practice. OWU’s close-knit community of 1,850 students represents 47 states and 57 countries. Ohio Wesleyan was named to the 2012 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll with distinction, is featured in the book “Colleges That Change Lives,” and is included on the “best colleges” lists of U.S. News & World Report and The Princeton Review. Learn more at www.owu.edu.

Barbara S. Andereck

DELAWARE, OHIO – Barbara S. Andereck, Ph.D., the Jacob S. Zook Professor of Physics and Astronomy, has been appointed as Ohio Wesleyan University’s interim dean of academic affairs for the 2012-2013 academic year.

Andereck, a member of the Ohio Wesleyan faculty since 1985, will fill in for Charles L. Stinemetz, Ph.D., who has been appointed interim provost while the university conducts a national search to replace Provost David O. Robbins, Ph.D.

Robbins, the Homer C. Lucas University Professor of Psychology, joined the Ohio Wesleyan faculty in 1973 and has served as provost since 2005. He announced earlier this year his wishes to step down as provost to conclude his career as an active member of the teaching faculty.

Stinemetz, who appointed Andereck as interim dean, said she is exceptionally qualified for the role.

“For more than 25 years, Barbara has been in integral part of the Ohio Wesleyan community,” Stinemetz said. “She is an inspiring role model for OWU students and colleagues alike. She is an innovative teacher, committed to providing a thorough and meaningful educational experience for every student fortunate enough to enter her classroom.”

During her tenure at Ohio Wesleyan, Andereck has served on several standing faculty committees: University Governance, Academic Policy, and Teaching and Learning. She was chair of the Department of Physics and Astronomy from 1995 to 2001, served on the planning committee of the Schimmel/Conrades Science Center, and held various offices of the Ohio Section of the American Physical Society for a decade.

In 2006, Andereck was named associate dean of academic affairs for assessment and accreditation. In the same year, she was selected as a member of the Peer Review Corps of the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association. She guided Ohio Wesleyan through the self-study process for the institution’s 2009 re-accreditation. She currently serves on the Institutional Action Council of the Higher Learning Commission, reviewing and approving requests and related reports for commission action. She earned her doctorate from Rutgers University.

Stinemetz was appointed acting provost on a temporary basis in fall 2011 and will serve as interim provost for the full 2012-2013 academic year. He has served as dean of academic affairs since he joined Ohio Wesleyan in 2006. His accomplishments include serving as co-chair of the group that developed the academic component of the university’s institutional strategic plan and chair of the OWU Connection curricular plan committee.

An Ohio Wesleyan alumnus, he also has helped to reorganize or restructure the university’s Sagan Academic Resource Center, Office of the Registrar, and Office of International and Off-Campus Programs. Stinemetz earned his doctorate from The Ohio State University.

Ohio Wesleyan President Rock Jones, Ph.D., said the university is fortunate to have both Stinemetz and Andereck to continue to advance the university’s curriculum and to support students and faculty.

“We’re excited to have an educational administrator of Chuck’s caliber serving as interim provost,” Jones said, “and his appointing Barbara as interim dean of academic affairs ensures that Ohio Wesleyan will continue to benefit from excellent leadership in its academic program. Both Chuck and Barbara are committed to supporting the work of the faculty and to offering an innovative liberal arts curriculum that prepares students for global leadership.”

Learn more about the Ohio Wesleyan curriculum at http://choose.owu.edu/theExperience.

Ohio Wesleyan University is one of the nation’s premier small, private universities, with more than 90 undergraduate majors, sequences, and courses of study, and 23 NCAA Division III varsity sports. Located in Delaware, Ohio, just minutes north of Ohio’s capital and largest city, Columbus, the university combines a globally focused curriculum with off-campus learning and leadership opportunities that translate classroom theory into real-world practice. OWU’s close-knit community of 1,850 students represents 47 states and 57 countries. Ohio Wesleyan was named to the 2012 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll with distinction, is featured in the book “Colleges That Change Lives,” and is included on the “best colleges” lists of U.S. News & World Report and The Princeton Review. Learn more at www.owu.edu.

Gregory Moore '76

Ohio Wesleyan University alumnus Gregory Moore, editor of The Denver Post, and Thomas L. Friedman, bestselling author and foreign affairs columnist for The New York Times, have been elected co-chairs of the Pulitzer Prize Board, Columbia University announced today.

According to the official announcement, Moore has been editor of The Post since 2002. He joined the newspaper after 16 years at The Boston Globe, including eight years as managing editor.

Moore graduated from Ohio Wesleyan in 1976 with a degree in journalism and political science, and he is a former member of the OWU Board of Trustees.

Under Moore’s editorship, The Post won Pulitzer Prizes for Feature Photography in 2010 and 2012 and for Editorial Cartooning in 2011.

Congratulations, Greg, on your latest honor and lifetime of success!

Mae C. Jemison, M.D.

DELAWARE, OHIO – Doctor, engineer, scientist, academic, entrepreneur, and public intellectual. While all of these words could be used to describe the dreams of Ohio Wesleyan University’s Class of 2012, they also describe the achievements of keynote commencement speaker and former astronaut, Mae C. Jemison, M.D.

Jemison will speak at Ohio Wesleyan’s 168^th commencement ceremony, which begins at 1 p.m. May 13 in Phillips Glen outside of Phillips Hall, 50 S. Henry St., Delaware. Her remarkable career includes six years with NASA as a space shuttle astronaut and making history in 1987 as the first woman of color in space.

In the event of thunderstorms, the commencement ceremony will move indoors to Gordon Field House, 105 S. Sandusky St. Overflow seating will be available in the Benes Rooms at Hamilton-Williams Campus Center, 40 Rowland Ave. The final commencement location will be posted Sunday morning on the Ohio Wesleyan website.

Before they don their caps and gowns, members of Ohio Wesleyan’s Class of 2012 also will celebrate their time at the university with a baccalaureate service at 8 p.m. Saturday, May 12, in Gray Chapel in University Hall, 61 S. Sandusky St. The theme of the evening will be “Deep Roots, Reaching Branches,” reflecting the intellectual, personal, and spiritual growth of the students during their OWU journey.

Ohio Wesleyan University is one of the nation’s premier small, private universities, with more than 90 undergraduate majors, sequences, and courses of study, and 23 NCAA Division III varsity sports. Located in Delaware, Ohio, just minutes north of Ohio’s capital and largest city, Columbus, the university combines a globally focused curriculum with off-campus learning and leadership opportunities that translate classroom theory into real-world practice. OWU’s close-knit community of 1,850 students represents 47 states and 57 countries. Ohio Wesleyan was named to the 2012 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll with distinction, is featured in the book “Colleges That Change Lives,” and is included on the “best colleges” lists of U.S. News & World Report and The Princeton Review. Learn more at www.owu.edu.

Sean Kay

Ohio Wesleyan University professor Sean Kay, Ph.D., states in The Huffington Post that ballistic missile defense “was never a very good idea.”

Kay, author of “Global Security in the Twenty-First Century: The Quest for Power and the Search for Peace,” says “the science and technology are either non-existent or easily overwhelmed by decoys and other tactics aligned with incoming missiles while trying to ‘shoot a bullet with a bullet.’ ”

He also notes that ballistic missile defense “provides incentives for adversaries to build more missiles, does not address cruise missiles, and is useless against terrorist methods employing weapons of mass destruction.”

Kay supports President Obama’s  shift from ballistic missile defense in Poland and the Czech Republic, replacing it with “a limited, but more effective, system that focuses on actual emerging threats and existing technology.”

Read Kay’s complete commentary, “Obama is Getting Missile Defense Right in Europe.”

Ohio Wesleyan University is one of the nation’s premier small, private universities, with more than 90 undergraduate majors, sequences, and courses of study, and 23 NCAA Division III varsity sports. Located in Delaware, Ohio, just minutes north of Ohio’s capital and largest city, Columbus, the university combines a globally focused curriculum with off-campus learning and leadership opportunities that translate classroom theory into real-world practice. OWU’s close-knit community of 1,850 students represents 47 states and 57 countries. Ohio Wesleyan was named to the 2012 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll with distinction, is featured in the book “Colleges That Change Lives,” and is included on the “best colleges” lists of U.S. News & World Report and The Princeton Review. Learn more at www.owu.edu.

Eric Mumper

DELAWARE, OHIO – Ohio Wesleyan University student Eric Mumper wants to know why a Delaware-area shale rock formation contains large cannonball-like structures and whether these “carbonate concretions” are tied to the shale’s potential as a source of natural gas. 

The senior geology major and biology minor from Delaware, Ohio, believes understanding the microbiological processes at work in the creation of the black Devonian shale could “shed light on how to exploit modern microbial systems to develop sustainable sources for carbon fuels in the future.”

Mumper has been studying the issue with Ohio Wesleyan geology professor Karen Fryer, Ph.D., and he shared the results of their work in a poster presentation at the 46^th annual meeting of the Geological Society of America North-Central Section. The meeting was held April 23-24 in Dayton.

“My research was to document the sizes, shapes, and composition of these iron concretions and to develop a model for their formation,” said Mumper, who plans to pursue a doctorate in geomicrobiology at Ohio State University this fall. “I was able to document four stages of development and built a model for this growth. The growth of these iron concretions reveals some interesting information about what conditions were like during the Late Devonian here in Ohio.”

Mumper’s research included using reflected light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy to examine the shale and the concretions.

He said making the poster presentation helped to validate his work and ensure he was on the right path in the research.

“The presentation was an opportunity to put all of my work and interpretations to the test,” Mumper said. “I knew that there would be a number of geologists at the meeting who had much more experience than I do. If my model held up to their scrutiny, I would know that I did a good job. And it did! So much confidence was gained in presenting.”

Read more about Mumper’s research. Learn more about Ohio Wesleyan’s Department of Geology and Geography.

The Geological Society of America, established in 1888, unites thousands of earth scientists worldwide to study the mysteries of the planet and share their findings. The society also supports the professional growth of earth scientists from all sectors: academic, government, business, and industry. Learn more at www.geosociety.org.

Ohio Wesleyan University is one of the nation’s premier small, private universities, with more than 90 undergraduate majors, sequences, and courses of study, and 23 NCAA Division III varsity sports. Located in Delaware, Ohio, just minutes north of Ohio’s capital and largest city, Columbus, the university combines a globally focused curriculum with off-campus learning and leadership opportunities that translate classroom theory into real-world practice. OWU’s close-knit community of 1,850 students represents 47 states and 57 countries. Ohio Wesleyan was named to the 2012 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll with distinction, is featured in the book “Colleges That Change Lives,” and is included on the “best colleges” lists of U.S. News & World Report and The Princeton Review. Learn more at www.owu.edu.

Lining up for the traditional Parade of Classes during Alumni Weekend 2011. (Photo by Doug Martin)

As the final preparations for this year’s Alumni Weekend are being tended to, several hundred Ohio Wesleyan alumni and their families are getting ready to travel to campus for a fun-packed weekend of class reunions and engaging programs and activities on May 18-20. Alumni who graduated in years ending in “2” and “7” will be especially welcomed and recognized as the variety of events unfold.

“Alumni Weekend offers an ideal setting for people to re-engage with Ohio Wesleyan and connect with classmates,” says Emily Roudebush, assistant director of alumni relations and coordinator of the weekend festivities. ”We are so excited to welcome our alumni back to campus.”

Special highlights this year include a series of alumni colleges. OWU professor Jed Burtt will talk about “The Art and Science of Alexander Wilson: Father of Ornithology;” Dr. James Charlesworth ’62 will discuss “Secrets of the Dead Sea Scrolls;” an alumni panel of 1962 graduates including Jim Traxler, Jan Logan, Bob Wright, and Bob Coffman will focus on “Passages: How Our Lives Have Evolved Since Graduation;” and Eric Gnezda ’79 will present “Incivility in Our Public Square.” This year’s Distinguished Achievement Citation award winners being recognized are Byron Pitts ’82 and Edwin Conklin, Class of 1885, posthumously. Receiving alumni awards are Ellen Simpson ’77, Richard Gordon ’62, and Jack McKinnie ’54.  Other weekend highlights not to be missed are the Friday night Blues and Barbecue dinner on the JAYwalk and HWCC Benes rooms, featuring Jaycee Schnaars ’72 and the Honky Tonk Angels; the Friday afternoon Golden Key diploma ceremony in Gray Chapel; Saturday’s annual Parade of Classes and All-Alumni Luncheon; Saturday afternoon’s dedication of the new fountain on the JAYwalk, a gift from the Class of 1962, and the Stuyvesant Hall bell tower, a project spearheaded by the Class of 1957; and the Sunday morning Convocation program in Gray Chapel, with speaker Dr. Myron McCoy ’77 and organist Dr. Robert Griffith ’62. In addition, Ohio’s new major league lacrosse team, The Ohio Machine, will open its home schedule at Ohio Wesleyan’s Selby Stadium on Saturday during Alumni Weekend, at 8 p.m. against the Rochester Rattlers. Tickets are $12 each (discounted price) for alumni and can be purchased during registration for Alumni Weekend.

Please note: The OWU Bookstore will be open during Commencement Weekend on Saturday, May 12 from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. and Sunday, May 13 from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. During Alumni Weekend, the OWU Bookstore will be open on Saturday, May 19 from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Kamila Goldin ’13 works with children in McLeod Ganj, India, during a recent Theory-to-Practice grant-funded trip. Ohio Wesleyan has been awarding the grants since 2009 and announced 21 new grants this week. (Photo courtesy of Kamila Goldin ’13)

It’s a sure bet that the 21 newly awarded Ohio Wesleyan University Theory-to-Practice grants will help students and employees have a winning educational experience that connects academic theory with real-world practice.

Begun in 2009, OWU’s Theory-to-Practice grants allow members of the campus community to seek University funding to support academic and community service issues of special interest. Here are the latest grant recipients:

“Graeco-Canadian Summer Field School,” submitted by student Danielle Bernert of New Albany, Ohio. In June and July, Bernert will travel to Asprovalta to participate in an archaeological field dig on Greece’s north Aegean coast. The six-week program, sponsored by the University of Montreal, will include visits to other sites and museums as well as opportunities to catalog and organize artifacts.

“Child Development in Romanian Institutions,” submitted by psychology assistant professor Sarah Bunnell with students Nicole Kaeser of Weston, Conn., and Riane Ramsey of Delaware, Ohio, and psychology assistant professor Andrew Brandt. The group will travel to Romania, where they will connect classroom knowledge of atypical development with current advances in behavioral science and first-hand experience with developmentally impaired children. They also will attend an international research conference to learn about advances in assessing and treating children with developmental disabilities.

“Examining AIDS Policy in South Africa and Tanzania,” submitted by student Kimberly Eckart of Chelsea, Mich. Eckart will travel to Africa in May and June to explore the role of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in HIV/AIDS policymaking and policy advocacy. She will compare policies in the two countries to policies in the United States, using the information for future post-graduate research.

“Rephotography for Assessing the Effects of Mass Transit on Urban Development,” submitted by student Christopher Henchey of Melrose, Mass. Henchey will spend a year examining the use of rephotography to assess urban development. The technique involves studying historical photographs and then taking new photographs at the same site. Henchey will visit Boston, Columbus, Seattle, and Portland to assess the limitations and potential of rephotography as a research method.

“Climate Change and Community Building – The Japanese Quest for Sustainable Development,” submitted by students Lydia Hoefel of Akron, Ohio; Sriharsha Masabathula of New Delhi, India; and Anuk Yingrotetarakul of Samutprakarn, Thailand. The students will travel to Japan in May and June to study it in an academic, cultural, and global context to better understand Japan’s perspective on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). While there, the group will volunteer to aid those impacted by the March 2011 earthquake.

“Elevate Dance Intensive,” submitted by Lauren Holler of Valley View, Ohio. She will travel to Detroit in July to study the competition dance world versus the modern dance artistry. Following the experience, Holler plans to conduct master dance classes for the entire OWU campus in the fall.

“Tim Miller Residency at OWU,” submitted by theatre & dance faculty member Edward Kahn. Miller, an internationally acclaimed performance artist, will be in residence from February through May, conducting workshops with Ohio Wesleyan students that culminate in public performances of their resulting works as well as a public performance by Miller himself.

“Effects of Genetics and Exercise on the Incidence and Progression of Colorectal Cancers,” submitted by faculty members Scott Kelly and David Markwardt. For three years, they will lead a collaborative effort investigating the ability of voluntary exercise to prevent or delay the onset and severity of colorectal cancers. The program will provide opportunities for students to engage in applied biomedical research related not only to classroom concepts, but also to a global research effort.

“Appalachia: The Intersection of Faith, Service, and Health Care,” submitted by student Amber Kimberling of Galloway, Ohio. In May and June, Kimberling, a microbiology major and religion minor, will serve with in the Christian Appalachian Project’s children’s unit and then in the Remote Medical Kentucky free clinic. She will seek to better understand the intersection of faith and service as well as learn to work effectively with the region’s residents.

“HaitiOWU,” submitted by staff member Sean Kinghorn, OWU’s energy conservation and sustainability coordinator. In August, Kinghorn and six students will travel to Haiti to serve Pwoje Espwa, an orphanage in Les Cayes. A HaitiOWU team visited the orphanage in May 2011, helping to renovate on-site facilities, teach English, and build the foundation for a long-term relationship.

“Differentiated and Multi-Age Instruction in an Indian Orphanage,” submitted by Sophia Lewis of Worthington, Ohio. In June and July, Lewis will travel to the Pumpkin House orphanage in Ahmednagar, India. An early education major, Lewis anticipates teaching English at the orphanage while assessing the effectiveness of the school’s multi-age classroom. She will present the results of her research to classmates and donate it to the University’s education library.

“Dubai: Globalization and Geography,” submitted by Addison Miller of Ashville, Ohio; Iftekhar Showpnil of Dhaka, Bangladesh; and John Bieniek of Martinsburg, W.Va. In December, the students will travel to India, where they will use Dubai as a case study of globalization—examining how economic, political, and cultural globalization has impacted the development of the city.

“Exploring the Nuance of African Globalization through the Study of Afro-Brazilian Culture in Salvador da Bahia,” submitted by Samuel Monebi of Sabo Yaba Lagos, Nigeria. In July and August, Monebi will travel to Brazil, where he will study African globalization by analyzing Yoruba-influenced cultural practices in Salvador Bahia. His research will include an analysis of religion, music, dance, food, garments, art, and architecture.

“Virginia Quarterly Review: Internship,” submitted by Megan Pinto of Raleigh, N.C. , In May and June, two OWU creative writing students will intern at the Virginia Quarterly Review literary journal to gain professional and artistic experience.

“Learning and Leading through Diversity and History,” submitted by student Felicia Rose of Windsor, Conn., and staff member Terree Stevenson, director of the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs. During fall semester, 62 students will engage in a live re-enactment as a runaway slave traveling through Ohio on the Underground Railroad. This will coincide with the history department’s celebration of the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation. During spring semester, participants will experience being a Native American sent along the Trail of Tears traveling through Southern Ohio.

“The Scientific Process from Start to Finish: Characterization of the Poeciliopsis Placental Gene A2M,” submitted by student Kristen Schwacha of East Windsor, N.J., and zoology faculty member Tami Panhuis. From June 2012 through May 2013, Schwacha will work to characterize the fish placental gene A2M and relate this to the maternal fetal conflict model of evolution. She will seek to co-author a scientific publication of the collected results to present at Ohio Wesleyan and scientific conferences.

“Investigation of Interaction Between Fluoxetine and Environmental Enrichment on Hippocampal Neuroplasticity and Functional Memory,” submitted by student Victoria Sellers of Aurora, Mo. Between August 2012 and February 2013, Sellers will assess the effects of antidepressant drugs and enriched activity on memory function and neuron growth in healthy mice. The project will reflect core neurobiology principles and be assessed by an examining board for departmental honors in neuroscience.

“Zimbabwe,” submitted by students Gene Sludge of Montgomery, Ala., and Magdalena Jacobo of Juarez Chihuahua, Mexico, with residential life coordinator Tracey Walterbusch and University Chaplain Jon Powers. In July, the group will travel to Zimbabwe to explore British colonialism and the impact of post-colonialism on Zimbabweans, including links to the A.M.E. Church, adult literacy and poverty, and sexually transmitted diseases. They also will examine the ties between Africa University in Old Mutare, Zimbabwe, and Ohio Wesleyan.

“Dentists All Around the World,” submitted by Eri Takeuchi of Osaka, Japan. In June and July, Takeuchi will travel to Asia to compare and contrast differences in dental care among Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Vanuatu, and Vietnam. She will interact with local dentists, patients, and researchers to gain further insight on the different dental care systems and patient needs.

“Presentation of Culture in Oahu: Influences of Americanization and Tourism on Hawaiian Culture, and the Challenges Faced by Local Professionals when Representing its History,” submitted by Rachel Vinciguerra of Reading, Mass. In July, Vinciguerra—who anticipates a career in cultural and historical studies—will travel to Hawaii to research Hawaiian culture as presented by professionals responsible for representing the region’s history faithfully. She will place special emphasis on the Americanization of Hawaii and the impact of tourism on Hawaiian and Polynesian traditions.

“Cultural and Volunteer Experience in Tel Aviv, Israel,” submitted by Tamara Winkler of Cincinnati. In May and June, Winkler will travel to Israel for a cultural immersion and volunteer experience in Tel Aviv. She will participate in a program called Oranim that intertwines the values of leadership and service and volunteer at Save a Child’s Heart, an international humanitarian project that works to improve the quality of cardiac care for children from developing countries.

Learn more about Ohio Wesleyan’s theory-to-practice grants and other curricular initiatives at choose.owu.edu/theExperience/#theoryToPractice.

Congressman Leonard Lance thanks Michael McLean ’13 of Summit, New Jersey for completing an internship in his congressional office in Washington, D.C. (Photo courtesy of Leonard Lance)

Ohio Wesleyan student Michael McLean ’13 completes Washington internship with U.S. representative.

Click here to read the full SummitPatch article.

Click here to see more OWU in the News coverage.

Jen Schmitt ’12 (Photo by Patricio Plazolles)

DELAWARE, OHIO – Ohio Wesleyan University student Jen Schmitt has spent more than two years conducting fossil research with paleontology professor Keith Mann, Ph.D., in their quest to learn more about an ancient saltwater sea that once covered the state.

Schmitt presented the findings of that research in a poster presentation at the 46^th annual meeting of the Geological Society of America North-Central Section. The regional meeting was held April 23-24 in Dayton.

“The poster presentation was the culmination of 2.5 years of independent research with Dr. Mann,” said Schmitt, a senior from Spring, Texas. “It was an exciting experience to be able to present my research, but I think the best part of the entire journey was the research itself. I learned a new methodology for processing a particular type of microfossil and became much more aware of Midwestern geologic trends from a micro perspective.”

Schmitt will graduate May 13 with majors in geology and accounting, and with minors in both women’s and gender studies and economics management. The fossil research was supported by an Ohio Wesleyan Theory-to-Practice grant, which enables students and faculty to seek university funds to support areas of special academic interest.

“The Theory-to-Practice grant gave me the opportunity to pursue research I had not thought was possible [through] the rest of my curriculum,” Schmitt said. “I am grateful for all that Ohio Wesleyan and Dr. Mann have contributed to the quality of my OWU journey.”

Schmitt and Mann used the grant funds to purchase laboratory equipment and to travel to northwest Ohio to obtain limestone samples needed for their research. Samples in hand, they utilized an approach known as High-Resolution Conodont Biostratigraphy to examine fossils preserved in the sedimentary rock. Their work is helping to build a foundation on which to determine when and how quickly sea-level changes occurred in the region.

Read more about their research. Read more about Ohio Wesleyan’s Department of Geology and Geography.

The Geological Society of America, established in 1888, unites thousands of earth scientists worldwide to study the mysteries of the planet and share their findings. The society also supports the professional growth of earth scientists from all sectors: academic, government, business, and industry.

Ohio Wesleyan University is one of the nation’s premier small, private universities, with more than 90 undergraduate majors, sequences, and courses of study, and 23 NCAA Division III varsity sports. Located in Delaware, Ohio, just minutes north of Ohio’s capital and largest city, Columbus, the university combines a globally focused curriculum with off-campus learning and leadership opportunities that translate classroom theory into real-world practice. OWU’s close-knit community of 1,850 students represents 47 states and 57 countries. Ohio Wesleyan was named to the 2012 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll with distinction, is featured in the book “Colleges That Change Lives,” and is included on the “best colleges” lists of U.S. News & World Report and The Princeton Review. Learn more at www.owu.edu.

Jenna Ortega

DELAWARE, OHIO – Ohio Wesleyan University field hockey and women’s lacrosse player Jenna Ortega has been appointed to a three-year term on the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.

Ortega, a sophomore from Glen Ellyn, Ill., begins her Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) appointment May 1, 2012, and serves through May 1, 2015. The committee’s mission is to “enhance the total student-athlete experience by promoting opportunity, protecting student-athlete welfare and fostering a positive student-athlete image.” The SAAC also offers input on any rules, regulations, and policies that impact NCAA student-athletes.

“As a member of the NCAA’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, I am able to represent the North Coast Athletic Conference [NCAC], Ohio Wesleyan, and myself as a Division III athlete,” said Ortega, a defender on the Battling Bishop field hockey team. “I am able to be involved in the beginning stages of any issues that are later brought up through the conference and school’s SAACs. I will be able to see how the SAAC works at the national level and how the NCAC and OWU differ from other Division III schools.”

Ortega has served as a member of Ohio Wesleyan’s student-athlete advisory committee since her freshman year and is the 2012 vice president. She also has served as a member of the NCAC’s student-athlete advisory committee.

“Being a member of the two SAACs has given me the ability to voice my opinion for OWU athletics and myself as an athlete,” said Ortega, named by the National Field Hockey Coaches Association as a second-team All-Great Lakes Region choice for 2011-2012. “Once I discovered that I could be involved in the issues and decisions for Division III athletics, I quickly jumped to the opportunity to apply for the position.”

At Ohio Wesleyan, Ortega is pursuing a double major in Spanish and health and human kinetics with a sports science concentration. After graduation, she plans to seek an advanced degree and a subsequent career in either athletic training or physical therapy.

Rock Jones, Ph.D., president of Ohio Wesleyan, praised Ortega for her athletic and academic success, as well as her commitment to the university, NCAC, and NCAA advisory committees.

“Not only is Jenna a leader on the playing field, but she is committed to her studies and to serving others,” Jones said. “She was one of the driving forces behind this year’s Bishop Champion Games, an Ohio Wesleyan Athletic Council event for special needs athletes. We are very proud of Jenna and look forward to watching her contribute and flourish as a member of the NCAA Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.”

Learn more about Battling Bishop athletics at http://www.battlingbishops.com. Learn more NCAA Division III athletics at http://www.ncaa.org.

Ohio Wesleyan University is one of the nation’s premier small, private universities, with more than 90 undergraduate majors, sequences, and courses of study, and 23 NCAA Division III varsity sports. Located in Delaware, Ohio, just minutes north of Ohio’s capital and largest city, Columbus, the university combines a globally focused curriculum with off-campus learning and leadership opportunities that translate classroom theory into real-world practice. OWU’s close-knit community of 1,850 students represents 47 states and 57 countries. Ohio Wesleyan was named to the 2012 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll with distinction, is featured in the book “Colleges That Change Lives,” and is included on the “best colleges” lists of U.S. News & World Report and The Princeton Review. Learn more at www.owu.edu.

(Photo by Pam Roth, courtesy of stock.xchng)

DELAWARE, OHIO – Six documentary films created by Ohio Wesleyan University students studying economic geography will be screened and discussed at 7 p.m. May 7 in Ohio Wesleyan’s Phillips Hall Auditorium, 50 S. Henry St., Delaware. The event is free and open to the public.

Films scheduled to be screened at the Geography 345 event are as follows. Each documentary is 20-25 minutes long.

• Downtown Delaware: Changing socio-spatial patterns of production and consumption. Is the downtown experiencing gentrification? The owners and investors of downtown Delaware businesses employ particular cultural signs to attract desired clientele. What are the socio-spatial impacts of this form of investment, economic production, and consumption? This documentary is produced by Alexandra Bishop of Grand Rapids, Ohio; Aisha Brinkwart of Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y.; Chris Ng of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Ethan Perry of Cincinnati; and Chad Williams of Sunbury, Ohio.

• The Latinoficación of Delaware: Is Atzlan moving north? There is a burgeoning Latino migrant population in Delaware. What are the socio-spatial impacts of Latino-owned sites of economic activity in Delaware – and in Columbus and Central Ohio? Student-producers are Sena Ababio of Accra, Ghana; Jordan Alexander of Warrensburg, Mo., Seth Frentos of Delaware, Ohio; and Lizzie Rubenstein of Pittsburgh.

• There goes the downtown: How many Wal-Marts can Delaware support? The impact of big-box stores on retail businesses is significant. What is the socio-spatial impact of such stores in Delaware? Student-producers are Megan Bachelder of Edison, Ohio; Christopher Demecs of Waterville, Ohio; Kyle Karczynski of Caledonia, Canada; Meredith Merklin of Marysville, Ohio; and Cole Oberli of Wadsworth, Ohio.

• The economies of transportation geography: The Kroger Distribution Center – there a lot of cookies and snacks in Delaware. Why is there a Kroger distribution center in Delaware? What incentives did the state, county, and city offer the grocery-retail company? What are the impacts on the employment structures, roadways, and environment? How did zoning impact the company’s decision to locate in Delaware? Student-producers are Karli Amstadt of Cleveland; Christopher Badenhop of West Liberty, Ohio; Gabriella Heffron of Santa Monica, Calif.; Aleksandar Ilic of Delaware, Ohio; and Paul Kline of Essex Junction, Vt.

• Light manufacturing on the west side: From mass production to just-in-time manufacturing. The west side of Delaware is the city’s center of manufacturing. Because of global shifts in economic trade and regulation, Delaware’s manufacturing sector has experienced many changes in the last 30 years. What is the impact of the changes? Student-producers are Hannah Benzing of Findlay, Ohio; Sophie Gage of Boston; Michelle Lee of Kuala Lumpur; Nick Striler of St. Louis; and Sarah Wodenshek of Ridgewood, N.J.

• The Mall-ing of central Ohio: The production of consumption and financial-management spaces in southern Delaware County. Just 17 years ago, the lands where Polaris Fashion Mall and the McCoy Building (which houses the JP Morgan Chase National Headquarters) stand today were dedicated to corn and soy production. The transformation of southern Delaware County from agricultural production to retail and finance has been swift. What are the impacts of the changes? Student-producers are Paul Gruber of Cincinnati; Carolyn Hallal of Brecksville, Ohio; Jonathan Rux of North Oaks, Minn.; Katherine Stone of Round Hill, Va.; and Caitlin Zeller of Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio.
  

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Ohio Wesleyan University is one of the nation’s premier small, private universities, with more than 90 undergraduate majors, sequences, and courses of study, and 23 NCAA Division III varsity sports. Located in Delaware, Ohio, just minutes north of Ohio’s capital and largest city, Columbus, the university combines a globally focused curriculum with off-campus learning and leadership opportunities that translate classroom theory into real-world practice. OWU’s close-knit community of 1,850 students represents 47 states and 57 countries. Ohio Wesleyan was named to the 2012 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll with distinction, is featured in the book “Colleges That Change Lives,” and is included on the “best colleges” lists of U.S. News & World Report and The Princeton Review. Learn more at www.owu.edu.

During those three decades, Ohio Wesleyan graduates can expect a net ROI of $354,800, after deducting the cost of earning their diplomas and adjusting for graduation rates, the study states.

The findings are part of PayScale’s new 2012 College Return on Investment (ROI) Report, which examines the investment value of bachelor’s degrees earned at 853 colleges and universities nationwide.

To determine ROI, PayScale analyzed its database of 35 million career profiles. Only bachelor’s degree data from full-time employees was used for the report. At Ohio Wesleyan, more than 50 percent of graduates pursue advanced degrees – such as master’s, doctoral, or law degrees – within five years of their OWU commencement.

“This report is important in that it helps students and families to quantify the value of investing in an Ohio Wesleyan education,” said Rock Jones, Ph.D., university president. “It’s easy to understand the intellectual value of a liberal arts education that prepares students to think creatively, write effectively, and connect concepts from multiple disciplines. It’s easy to understand the value of creating lifelong learners who examine issues from hands-on and global perspectives. And now it’s even easier to see the long-term financial value of investing in an Ohio Wesleyan education.”

In 2011, PayScale also listed Ohio Wesleyan among the nation’s Top 20 liberal arts colleges for salary potential for mid-career graduates. That same report listed Ohio Wesleyan among the nation’s top colleges – public and private – for earning potential for graduates both five years and 15 years after receiving their bachelor’s degrees.

Read more about the 2012 College Return on Investment (ROI) Report, including the complete methodology, at www.payscale.com/college-education-value. Learn more about PayScale, creator of the largest database of individual compensation profiles in the world, at www.PayScale.com.

Ohio Wesleyan University is one of the nation’s premier small, private universities, with more than 90 undergraduate majors, sequences, and courses of study, and 23 NCAA Division III varsity sports. Located in Delaware, Ohio, just minutes north of Ohio’s capital and largest city, Columbus, the university combines a globally focused curriculum with off-campus learning and leadership opportunities that translate classroom theory into real-world practice. OWU’s close-knit community of 1,850 students represents 47 states and 57 countries. Ohio Wesleyan was named to the 2012 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll with distinction, is featured in the book “Colleges That Change Lives,” and is included on the “best colleges” lists of U.S. News & World Report and The Princeton Review. Learn more at www.owu.edu.

Chuck Stinemetz, Ph.D., OWU’s Dean of Academic Affairs, says this group of courses are some of the best to date and will provide significant experiences for all students who enroll in them.

“These courses exemplify Ohio Wesleyan’s commitment to providing a liberal arts experience that is second to none,” Stinemetz says. “They link academic theory with hands-on learning in meaningful ways that will change students’ lives. We are very excited to be able to provide 16 travel-learning courses next year – more than ever before.”

Scheduled 2012-2013 travel-learning courses are:

Botany-Microbiology – Global Change Biology
Taught by Laurie Anderson, Ph.D., students will spend two weeks in Brazil in May 2013. This upper-level science course will focus on how organisms influence, interact with, and are affected by global environmental changes such as increasing temperature and carbon dioxide levels. Tentative destinations include the Cristalino Jungle Lodge, an ecotourism center in the southern Amazon rainforest.

Education and Sociology/Anthropology – Teaching for Equity and Social Justice
Taught by Paula White, Ph.D., and John Durst, Ph.D., students will travel to Mississippi during spring break in March 2013. These two courses will work together provide an opportunity to examine education through an equity and social justice lens. In the education course, students will investigate ways in which racism, sexism, classism, heterosexism, ageism, and other forms of discrimination permeate educational policy and practice. In a sociology/anthropology seminar, senior majors in sociology and anthropology will undertake a project to apply sociology and anthropology to significant problems in the United States and abroad.

English – Native American Literature
Taught by Karen Poremski, Ph.D., students will travel to South Dakota, Minnesota, and Illinois for two weeks in May 2013. For this course, students will read Native American literary works that depict the reservation and the city in all of their complexities. Destinations will include the Sicangu Lakota Nation (also known as the Rosebud Reservation) to learn from elders and artists about reservation life, and Chicago and Minneapolis to learn about urban Indian Centers and native life in the city.

English – Shakespeare at the Globe
Taught by Zack Long, Ph.D., students will travel to England for one week in May 2013. Shakespeare’s plays were written for specific actors and particular venues. The most famous venue was the Globe Theatre, where works such as Henry V, Hamlet, and As You Like It were originally produced. This course explores the staging practices, acting styles, and performance conditions of Shakespeare’s Globe, with special focus on the research and findings of scholars and theatre professionals working at the reconstructed theatre. In England, students will see plays, attend lectures, and participate in workshops led by Globe Education scholars, actors, and theatre professionals.

Fine Arts – Contemporary Art
Taught by Janalee Emmer, Ph.D., students will spend two weeks in New York in May 2013. The course will focus on contemporary art from the 1940s to the present including a wide range of media from paintings, sculpture, and photography to performance, installation, and design. In New York, students will see many of the works studied in class including creations by Jackson Pollock, Judy Chicago, and Chuck Close.

Fine Arts – Landscape Painting in Italy
Taught by Frank Hobbs, M.F.A., students will visit Italy for two weeks in May 2013. This course will enable OWU students to expand their knowledge and practice of landscape painting by traveling and painting in many of the same spots where some of Italy’s most historically significant artists painted. The students also will study the history, critical theories, and practices of the art form that developed in Italy in the mid-19th century.

Health and Human Kinetics – Food Philosophies and Traditions
Taught by Chris Fink, Ph.D., students will spend two weeks in Italy in May 2013. The course will focus on developing qualitative, ethnographic research skills, and on a cross-cultural comparison of food systems in the United States and Italy. In Italy, OWU students will share their findings with students and professionals in the fields of food studies and health promotion. 

Humanities-Classics – Chasing the Dream: Alexander the Great
Taught by Lee Fratantuono, Ph.D., students will travel to Greece and Turkey for two weeks in May 2013. The course will follow in the footsteps of the early life and career of Alexander the Great, moving from Greece to Macedonia to Turkey. Students will explore sites connected to Alexander, as well as contemporary European debates about the identity of Greeks versus Macedonians, and the relationship between East and West at the Hellespont, where Europe meets Asia and Greece joins Turkey.

Journalism – Fallout on Fleet Street: Effects of Rupert Murdoch Scandal on British Press
Taught by Melinda Rhodes, Ph.D., students will travel to England for nine days in May 2013. This course will explore literary journalism and advanced-reporting techniques, helping students to improve research and interviewing skills, expand practical knowledge of media law and ethics, use public records, and hone creative-writing skills. In London, students will visit with professional journalists, story subjects, litigators, and lawmakers involved in the News Corp scandal and/or media reform. Prerequisite: Open to non-journalism majors/minors with an interest in creative nonfiction by permission of instructor.

Modern Foreign Languages – Introduction of Chinese Literature, Classical, Contemporary, and Modern
Taught by Ching-Hsuan Wu, Ph.D., students will travel to China for two weeks in May 2013. In this course, students will analyze Chinese classical, contemporary, and modern poetry and prose, developing their understanding of how Chinese literature styles, philosophy, history, values, people, and society have evolved over time. The class will be conducted in Chinese, and the reading materials will be in Chinese. In China, students will visit different poetic sites as well as a literature class at a university, where they will interact with local students.

Music – Choral Music of Italy
Taught by Jason Hiester, M.M., students will visit Italy in March 2013. OWU Chamber Singers will spend the semester studying the choral music of Renaissance and Baroque Italian master composers with the intention of visiting and singing at the churches and opera houses where the composers wrote and directed their music. Destinations will include St. Mark’s Basilica in Venice and the Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence.

Religion – Christianity and the Non-Western Challenge
Taught by Emmanuel Twesigye, Ph.D., students will travel to Uganda for two weeks in May and June 2013. The course will discuss Christianity and the serious political and cultural conflicts in Africa and Latin America. Because Christianity in its Catholic and Pentecostal expressions is growing fastest in Africa and Latin America, students will visit Uganda, the center of African Catholic Christianity. In June, students will be able to witness, document, and participate in the colorful and historically important annual Christian holy pilgrimage and celebration of the African Catholic Saints and Christian Martyrs of Uganda.

Sociology/Anthropology – The Andes: Environment, Poverty and People
Taught by Mary Howard, Ph.D., students will travel to Peru and Bolivia for two weeks in May 2013. This course will examine challenges to the South American Andean Region’s fragile ecosystem and the related impact on humans. Destinations will include the ancient Inca ruins of Machu Picchu; Lake Titicaca; Bolivia’s capital, La Paz; and Amboro National Park. This travel will bring to life issues including global warming, ecological degradation, migration, and urban poverty.

Sociology/Anthropology – Sociology of Knowledge
Taught by Alper Yalçinkaya, Ph.D., students will travel to England and Scotland for 10 days in May 2013. In this course, students will analyze social factors that shape the way they perceive and think about the world and their existence in it. They will discuss different approaches to concepts such as ideology, worldview, and hegemony, as well as study the characteristics of social institutions that produce knowledge. In England and Scotland, students will visit sites that are significant for the social history of science and that demonstrate how different social groups and practices no longer seen as “scientific” played a part in the transformation of science into the institution that it is today.

Zoology – Island Biology
Taught by Amy Downing, Ph.D., and Ramon Carreno, Ph.D., students will spend two weeks in Ecuador in May 2013. This course will examine why island organisms provide superior examples to study evolution, ecology, behavior, and conservation. Destinations include the Galapagos Islands, where students will explore the islands by boat for seven days. Prerequisite: Permission of instructor and one unit in botany-microbiology or zoology.

Zoology – Marine Biology
Taught by Amy Downing, Ph.D., students will spend five days in North Carolina in fall 2012. The course will emphasize human interactions with the marine environment including human impacts on coral reefs, fisheries, marine mammals, and coastal ecosystems. The class will travel to the Atlantic coastline over mid-semester break to the Duke Marine Lab in Beaufort, N.C.

Read more detailed descriptions of Ohio Wesleyan’s 2012-2013 travel-learning courses.

Read more about Ohio Wesleyan’s commitment to translating academic theory into real-world experience.

Ohio Wesleyan students and employees celebrated the 2011-2012 academic year with a special “Day on the JAY” party April 20 that included games, music, food, and fun.

The OWU tradition is just one example of the types of events that help to build such a close-knit campus community. “Day on the JAY” capped off a weeklong series of events that also included the Golden Bishop Awards, the Dale J. Bruce Scholar-Athlete Awards, and the OWU Libraries’ Celebration of Scholarship.

Photos from the Event

Photos by Chris Henchey ’14 and Matt Wasserman ’14

Ohio Wesleyan student Melissa Guziak makes thermal curtains for use at the 'Tree House' student residence. She will share other green-living tips at a special April 30 open house. (Photo by Alex Crump '13)

DELAWARE, OHIO – Delaware residents are invited to learn how to make older homes more comfortable and environmentally friendly without breaking the bank during an open house from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. April 30 at Ohio Wesleyan University’s “Tree House,” a former single-family-home-turned-student-residence at 104 Oak Hill Ave.

Built in 1895, the Tree House is one of several themed small-living units on the Ohio Wesleyan campus. Its residents are dedicated to sustainable living.

During spring semester, the home underwent several “green” renovations including the additions of water-efficient showerheads, faucets, and toilets; insulating film and thermal curtains to cover single-pane windows; grey-water irrigation systems that use sink water to flush toilets; low VOC (volatile organic compound) paint; blown-in cellulose insulation; and an indoor composting bin.

The renovations were completed using a $2,100 Ohio Wesleyan Theory-to-Practice grant, written by and awarded to student Melissa Guziak, a sophomore from Burlington, Vt., who is pursuing a double major in biology and environmental studies.

Guziak and other student-residents of the Tree House will host the April 30 “Greener Tree House Gala” to share what they learned about making small changes that provide big results in creating older homes that are both resident- and earth-friendly.

“[T]here are many ways of changing a building to be more environmentally friendly, but real impacts are made when people change their mindsets,” Guziak says in explanation of her commitment to holding community open houses to share knowledge. “Educating people, showing them the difference they can make, is essential to getting their support and making change.”

Guziak’s Theory-to-Practice grant also was inspired by her internship with Sean Kinghorn, Ohio Wesleyan’s energy conservation and sustainability coordinator. Kinghorn is working to reduce the university’s environmental footprint by overseeing initiatives such as replacing inefficient light bulbs, programming public printers to default to double-sided printing, and lowering thermostats in unused buildings during winter breaks.

“As time progresses, students [will] have a place to test their own ideas and find new ways to live sustainably,” Guziak says. “The Tree House [will] remain for future students and community members to learn from, an example of the university’s goal of educating students to see themselves as part of a greater community that they can impact.”

Ohio Wesleyan University is one of the nation’s premier small, private universities, with more than 90 undergraduate majors, sequences, and courses of study, and 23 NCAA Division III varsity sports. Located in Delaware, Ohio, just minutes north of Ohio’s capital and largest city, Columbus, the university combines a globally focused curriculum with off-campus learning and leadership opportunities that translate classroom theory into real-world practice. OWU’s close-knit community of 1,850 students represents 47 states and 57 countries. Ohio Wesleyan was named to the 2012 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll with distinction, is featured in the book “Colleges That Change Lives,” and is included on the “best colleges” lists of U.S. News & World Report and The Princeton Review. Learn more at www.owu.edu.

Circle app with Evan Reas '07

Ohio Wesleyan University graduates Evan Reas ’07 and Pratyush Agarwal ’11 are seeking to change the shape of alumni networking with “Circle,” a free smartphone app created by California-based Hawthorne Labs.

“Circle is allowing Bishops to find each other every day,” said Reas, an OWU economics management major and one of the founders of Hawthorne Labs. “We already have OWU alumni using Circle in New York, Chicago, Boston, San Francisco, and Columbus among other places. It’s amazing and very fulfilling to see OWU alumni finding each other all over the U.S.!”

The app works by detecting and notifying users when friends and acquaintances from desired networks are nearby, anywhere in the world. To make connections, the app uses information imported from Facebook, such as the user’s hometown, employment history, school affiliations, and special interests.

Circle is the future of alumni networking, said Agarwal, an economics management major and psychology minor at Ohio Wesleyan. He recently was hired by Hawthorne Labs to help create and promote the app, which is available in iPhone and Android versions.

“Think of it as wearing an OWU sweatshirt in your town, and imagine an alumnus spots you,” Agarwal said. “There’s a good chance a conversation will ensue, and new connections will be made. This helps create a more active alumni portal than LinkedIn or Facebook groups. In contrast, Circle gives you a chance to actually meet and network with people from your university. People love to bond over their alma mater, and this makes it happen in the real world consistently. This will be the new medium of alumni networking for savvy smartphone users.”

Since his graduation, Agarwal has found networking with OWU alumni to be life-changing. After moving to California, he met Reas, who co-founded Hawthorne Labs in 2010 after earning his M.B.A. from Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business. Reas currently serves as chief executive officer of the Silicon Valley startup company.

“Meeting alumni in [California] has personally helped me a lot, and the impact of it has been profound, even in terms of my giving back to the University,” said Agarwal, who is working to organize an alumni meeting in the golden state. “I have gotten a lot of enthusiastic response about people wanting to meet up as well. All this just goes to show how much Circle could help in reconnecting alumni and strengthening connections.”

The OWU Alumni Circle network is one of the first 100 networks created on the platform. Any OWU student or alumni is invited to join the network by clicking here.

Congratulations, Evan and Prat, on changing the shape of networking!

Speaking to student members of the OWU Marketing Club, Thomas Fink served as the Woltemade Center’s Executive-in-Residence during the week of April 9. (Photo by Alex Crump ’13)

Ohio Wesleyan students had the opportunity to hear from and interact with two prominent marketing and communications professionals in April. Former Kellogg and ING marketing executive Thomas Fink served as the Woltemade’s Center’s Executive-in-Residence during the week of April 9. Fink recently retired after a 40-plus year career that included stints as a senior marketing strategist with the Kellogg Company and ING Group. During his stay on campus, Fink lived in the Bigelow-Reed House, and spoke to classes and student groups each day, as well as members of the OWU marketing club. He also conducted individual sessions with students to help them with their career plans.

Tom Goodman ’76 offered students advice on internship possibilities and job opportunities. (Photo by Mark Schmitter ’12)

Later in the week, Ohio Wesleyan alumnus Tom Goodman ’76, returned to campus to share his knowledge and experience with OWU students. Goodman is president and CEO of Goodman Media International, a leading public relations agency in New York City. On April 13, he spoke with students about job-hunting and interview skills. On April 14, he met with students at the Bigelow-Reed House to discuss the changing world of public relations in the new era of social and digital media. Goodman also offered advice to students about possible internship and job opportunities.

“What an incredible opportunity it was for our students to interact with these two incredibly accomplished veterans in the fields of marketing and public relations,” said Alice Simon, co-director of the Woltemade Center for Economics, Business and Entrepreneurship, and James Heisler Professor of Economics. “The introduction of the Bigelow-Reed House this year has allowed us to bring internationally prominent business professionals into close contact with our students, who benefit from their vast experience and their willingness to help OWU students advance their career prospects.”

Catherine Cardwell, director of libraries, presents Celia Baker ’12 with the award for Best Student Research Paper. (Photo by John Holliger)

In what is one of the busiest months of a college year, Ohio Wesleyan Libraries hosted the Celebration of Scholarship on April 13.Students, professors, and staff members gathered in the Bayley Room of Beeghly Library to honor the intellectual scholarship of graduating seniors, academic publications of the faculty, and general work of the library staff.

There were three items on the agenda for this noon hour celebration: the awarding of a $500 check to the senior whose paper was considered to be the best entry, showing a high level of research and skill in an area of study; the unveiling of the new Read Posters that will hang above the circulation desk in the library for the next academic year; and the recognition of faculty members who have been academically published during the last academic year.

Graduating seniors were invited to submit their favorite papers written during the past four years, to be reviewed and entered into the competition for the $500 prize from the libraries. This year’s winner was Celia Baker ’12 for her paper on “Breaking the Ice: Ronald Reagan, Star Wars, and the End of the Cold War.”

Director of Libraries, Catherine Cardwell, called Baker’s paper “riveting,” mentioning one of the judges who said how proud she was that an OWU graduate produced that standard of work.

She also congratulated all 11 seniors for entering the competition, saying that “it takes courage to enter into the world of academic publications.”

The other seniors who entered papers for the Celebration of Scholarship were:

• Morgan Canup, Transatlantic Book Trade: The Extension of Knowledge
• Hao Do, Quantifying the Influence of Financial Risk Perception on the Measure of Financial Risk Tolerance
• Abigail Dockter, The “Natural” History of Southwest Fire
• Christina Fesz, Rust Life Cycles and Phylogeny with Emphasis on the Genus Tranzschelia and T. arthurii in Delaware County, Ohio
• Sharif Ismail Kronemer, The Death of Personhood and the Rise of the Expressed-Self: What Neuroscience Tells Us about Self and Death
• Kate Marchal, The Science and Experience behind Pyelonephritis
• DeLaine Mayer, Killing in the Name of Democracy: Post-Election Violence in Kenya in 2007 and 2008
• Marina Metzler, Amongst Globalization: Children of Tijuana
• Christina Trusty, Targeting Obesity through Manipulation of Natural Gut Flora
• Abigail Walsh, An Examination of Exercise Programming in Crohn’s Disease: A Salutogenic Approach

Dedicated faculty members and librarians spent their time reading these papers with care and then meeting to discuss their opinions and to find a common winner. The judging professors were: Nancy Gamso (music), Susan Gunasti (religion), David Markwardt (zoology), James Stull (Writing Resource Center), and Alper Yalcinkaya (sociology/anthropology). Librarians Joy Gao, Jillian Maruskin, Deborah Peoples, Peter Szabo, and Catherine Cardwell (ex officio) also were part of the team of judges.

There are three available spots for the coveted Read Posters above the circulation desk seen as one enters the library. Caldwell announced who next would be photographed for posters that will hang in those areas for the next academic year. Those professors recognized were Bart Martin (geology/geography), Joan McLean (politics and government), and Juan Rojas (modern foreign languages).

In all, 35 students and faculty members were recognized for their publications, providing good examples for students and setting the bar even higher for next year’s Celebration of Scholarship!

Commencement 2012 is set for Sunday, May 13 at 1 p.m. in Phillips Glen. (Photo by Doug Martin)

As members of Ohio Wesleyan’s Class of 2012 are preparing to fasten their mortarboards for Commencement on Sunday, May 13, months of planning by many members of the OWU community are leading up to what will be a memorable day for graduating seniors and their families and friends. Those attending Commencement—the University’s 168^th ceremony—will have the opportunity to hear remarks from this year’s speaker, Mae C. Jemison, M.D., known for her accomplishments as an engineer, doctor, scientist, scholar, entrepreneur—and as a space shuttle astronaut who made history in 1987 as the first woman of color in space.

“Dr. Jemison’s accomplishments in the Peace Corps in Sierra Leone and Liberia, her devotion to global affairs and philanthropic issues, and her commitment to educating people of all ages about science and technology mirror the University’s mission and the hopes and dreams of our graduates,” says OWU President Rock Jones. Working closely with Jones during the speaker selection process, Kyle Lemke ’12, president of the senior class calls Jemison “the perfect person to speak to Ohio Wesleyan’s graduates.

“She shares one of the many visions that the senior class has, which is to do things bigger than ourselves,” says Lemke, a health and human kinetics major from Loudonville, Ohio. “ Her global humanitarian efforts in Africa, Cambodia, Thailand, and other parts of the world embody the leadership and service that OWU tries to inspire. When President Jones and I heard that Dr. Jemison would be coming to OWU, we were very happy and we knew the senior class would be as well.”

Also part of the Commencement program is the recognition of two professors who will receive teaching awards to be announced that day—the Sherwood Dodge Shankland Award for the Encouragement of Teachers and the Bishop Herbert Welch Meritorious Teaching Award—and the presentation of several honorary degrees to Jemison (Doctor of Humanities), Helen Crider ’56 Smith and Gordon Smith ’54 (Doctor of Humanities), and Terrance McGuire (Doctor of Laws). In addition, four members of OWU’s faculty will be retiring from the University: Professors Harvey Freeman (psychology), Craig Ramsay (politics and government), Sandra Harper (modern foreign languages), and Margie Shade (health and human kinetics).

Although the Commencement ceremony will start at 1 p.m. that Sunday in Phillips Glen, OWU’s graduates also will be honored the evening before at Baccalaureate Services to be held at 8 p.m. in Gray Chapel. Planned by a committee of graduating seniors, Baccalaureate is coordinated through the Chaplain’s office, and is an interfaith celebration of the spiritual journeys of each graduate during the past four years at Ohio Wesleyan. This year’s theme is “Deep Roots, Reaching Branches.” Those interested in helping out with Baccalaureate should contact Sarah DuBois at sedubois@owu.edu by Friday or visit chaplain.owu.edu/applicationForParticipation.html

Dylan Brown ’09. (Photo by Sara Blake)

One Ohio Wesleyan alumnus and student-athlete has taken his love of the sport from the well-groomed turf of Selby Stadium and brought it to Philadelphia through a program called Cradle Lacrosse. Dylan Brown ’09 has helped the program evolve into to the great success that it is today.

Cradle Lacrosse and its parent company, NXTsports^TM, are dedicated to “developing new and exciting programs and concepts that will bring outlets of fun and learning to kids and teens of all ages.” NXTsports^TM provides novel lacrosse programs for boys and girls ages 4-16.

Cradle Lacrosse is run by Peter Lawrence, head lacrosse coach for the University of Hartford. Brown is now the Philadelphia Regional Director of Cradle Lacrosse.

A sociology/anthropology major at Ohio Wesleyan, Brown uses the skills he learned in the classroom, on the field. “Not only are you dealing with 4-10 year olds, but also their parents, your fellow staff members, new locations, and the managers involved with making those decisions.  You need to conduct yourself with patience and discipline to deal with a lot of different aspects [of the sport],” says Brown.

During a typical week, Brown compiles a lesson plan of skills that he and his staff will be teaching to the kids. Brown takes his vast knowledge of the sport and simplifies it for the age group that he is working with.

He is obviously doing things right. The enrollment for Cradle Lacrosse has grown to more than 500 athletes. This feat isn’t enough for Brown, who has high hopes and more visions for the program. “My hopes for Cradle involve expansion, to other areas, cities, and most importantly, to include various financial backgrounds,” says Brown.

Cradle Lacrosse has also expanded into the inner city area, called Cradle in the Community, offering free clinics for children who cannot afford to join the program at our other locations. Brown is also in the early works of forming a relationship between Cradle and Boys and Girls Clubs in the hopes of being able to offer free sessions to its members.

“Our growth and success would not be what it is without Dylan’s commitment and passionate coaching.  The kids and parents really love his coaching” says Lawrence. He admits to being a huge fan of Brown’s. “It takes a special person to get through to four- to eight-year-olds. Coaching older kids is far easier than the young guns.  Dylan has a ton of patience and energy. The key to success with this group is keeping them on task, yet having fun. Dylan is great at putting the fun into the fundamentals” says Lawrence.

Tamra Londot ’14: A three-sport athlete. (Photos by Sara Blake)

Tamra Londot ’14 is part of a rare group of OWU athletes who participates in three sports at the collegiate level. She plays volleyball, basketball, and softball, and is an integral part of each team.

“She’s one of our leaders for sure,” said Stacey Reed, head women’s basketball coach.

Head softball coach Cassie Cunningham added that Londot’s work ethic separates her from many other athletes, and cited her passion for competition as one of her great leadership qualities.

While playing three sports presents many challenges, Londot said that the support of her coaches helps her get through each season.

“All my coaches are behind me 100 percent,” said Londot. She also said that she is fortunate to be allowed the opportunity to play three sports. And her coaches believe that multi-sport athletes often can be better recruits.

“Not only do multi-sport recruits build additional skill sets, but it also keeps them very active in their offseason, which is good for building time management for college academics,” said head volleyball coach Taryn Haas.

Basketball coach Reed agreed with Haas, adding that multi-sport athletes also are usually better recruits because of the experiences they gain from being on other teams.

Of all the sports she plays, Londot said that softball is the hardest to pick up in the middle of the season because she is a pitcher. Softball coach Cunningham had a different view, saying the fact that Londot is a pitcher helps make the transition much easier than it would be for a hitter.

Reed commented that Londot makes good preparations while the team is transitioning, which makes it easier to become integrated into the rotation once her volleyball season ends.

Although she likes all three sports she plays, Londot believes there is one sport for which her skills are much higher than her other two sports. “Basketball, for sure,” she says, is her best sport. She led the team in points per game (9.6) and ranked second on the team in rebounds per game (6.6) last season.

Conventional wisdom says that playing many sports can take up time, decreasing academic performance. Londot insists that doing three sports has helped her time management skills tremendously, and her grades are usually better when she is busier.

Londot’s time management skills will be put to the test even more next year, as all three of her coaches expect her to become an even more influential leader, especially in volleyball.

After her playing career comes to an end, Londot said she is very interested in coaching either basketball or volleyball at the Division III college level.

(Image courtesy of Algonquin Books)

Tuesday evening, April 3, Professor of English and Director of OWU’s Creative Writing Program Robert Olmstead unveiled his latest book, The Coldest Night, which was released that day by Algonquin Books and already is garnering critical acclaim. A packed, friendly house at Beehive Books in downtown Delaware listened as Olmstead read a few opening pages and then took questions.

The Coldest Night is the third book of Olmstead’s trilogy—which also includes Coal Black Horse and Far Bright Star—about the Childs family’s service in the American military. “Korea,” he says, “is America’s forgotten war, and it’s the one place I’ve written about that I haven’t stood.” He researched extensively, however, and spoke to veterans of the battle at the Chosin Reservoir, where much of the action of the book occurs.

“Growing up in New England, my war was the American Revolution, but back in the ’90s, when I was living north of Gettysburg, I got interested in the Civil War and how the pursuit of war is passed down through families,” Olmstead said in answer to a question. “In the early wars, soldiers were paid in land grants, so our very sense of the ownership of land is caught up in war.”

The main characters in The Coldest Night are Henry Childs and Mercy, the love of his young life, who are heartlessly separated by her father. Childs responds by leaving town and eventually finds himself in Korea, a 17-year-old Marine about to enter one of the most horrifying battles of the war. The book also deals with Henry’s return from the war to a country that has no concept of what he has endured.

Olmstead refers to himself as an “undisciplined” writer in that “I don’t sit down with a cup of tea at 6 a.m., write for four hours, and then go play golf with John Updike or something,” he says with a smile. “But I’m a 24/7 writer. I might be talking, but I’m also thinking ‘comma, closed quote.’”

He also doesn’t concern himself much with issues such as theme or allegory or other literary conventions and devices. “My work has more to do with the atomic connection between sentences,” he says. “I have to get a paragraph right before I can go on—and all that [other] stuff gets in there eventually.”

Olmstead laughs that “my characters are probably my longest sustained relationships. That’s kind of pathetic.” But like most novelists, he finds that the characters often act in ways he perhaps didn’t anticipate. “While I was writing Coal Black Horse about Robey Childs, I was responding to the battle as a mature man, while he was responding as an apprentice in what was going to be his life’s work,” he says. “I wanted him to respond with horror, but he reacted in a much more practical way. That’s where we diverged and when he became real.”

The Coldest Night was chosen as one of Amazon.com’s Top Ten Selections for April; reviewers are calling it “brutal, tender, and magnificent,” “powerful, desolate, and well-crafted,” and “grave and graceful.” Clearly, the Childs family trilogy has come to a strong conclusion.

Ohio Wesleyan students got a tasty lesson in healthy eating during an April 6 hands-on cooking workshop. The lesson was led by chef Del Sroufe and included OWU faculty members sharing their culinary skills. Afterward, participants and observers savored the results of their hard work. Videography by Mark Schmitter ’12.

Lynette Carpenter. (Photo courtesy of OWU’s Department of English)

English professor Lynette Carpenter discusses the future of 3-D Hollywood movies in The (Columbus) Dispatch.

“3-D can be quite wonderful when it’s used by someone who knows how to play with it,” Carpenter, who teaches film studies, tells writer Michael Grossberg.

Click here to read the full Dispatch article.

Click here to see more OWU in the News coverage.

Sean Kay

NATO’s secretary-general has said next month’s summit in Chicago will result in new initiatives to improve inter-operability among alliance military forces.

But NATO expert and Ohio Wesleyan University professor Sean Kay tells Voice of America reporter Al Pessin that more is needed.

“If NATO just comes to Chicago, pats itself on the back and says ‘We are on plan and we are just doing great,’ they have not made the kind of deep seated changes that need to be made,” said Kay, Ph.D., author of the recently published second edition of “Global Security in the Twenty-First Century: The Quest for Power and the Search for Peace.”

Read the full April 18 Voice of America article here.

Kay, who also authored 2011′s “Celtic Revival? The Rise, Fall, and Renewal of Global Ireland” is visiting Ireland this week to take part in the Third Annual Economic Ideas Forum. He will participate in an April 20 panel discussion on “The EU and US—shared economic challenges.”

Ohio Wesleyan University is one of the nation’s premier small, private universities, with more than 90 undergraduate majors, sequences, and courses of study, and 23 NCAA Division III varsity sports. Located in Delaware, Ohio, just minutes north of Ohio’s capital and largest city, Columbus, the university combines a globally focused curriculum with off-campus learning and leadership opportunities that translate classroom theory into real-world practice. OWU’s close-knit community of 1,850 students represents 47 states and 57 countries. Ohio Wesleyan was named to the 2012 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll with distinction, is featured in the book “Colleges That Change Lives,” and is included on the “best colleges” lists of U.S. News & World Report and The Princeton Review. Learn more at www.owu.edu.

Ken Blanchard, Ph.D., collaborated with OWU alumnus the Rev. Dr. Norman Vincent Peale on the book, The Power of Ethical Management. Blanchard shared memories of Peale and his wife at a recent campus event to celebrate the Peale legacy. (Photo by Mark Schmitter ’12)

As a young student at Ohio Wesleyan University, Norman Vincent Peale was self-conscious and shy. He was such an introvert that a professor asked him to stay after class one day to discuss it.

Peale’s daughter, Margaret Peale Everett, shared the story during an April 12 Ohio Wesleyan event to celebrate the legacy of the Rev. Dr. Peale, a 1920 OWU alumnus who went on to impact millions of lives with his uplifting sermons and his 43 inspiring books including The Power of Positive Thinking.

Everett, herself a 1955 OWU graduate, told the packed audience in Beeghly Library that her father was asked to stay after class by Ben Arneson, a fixture in the Department of Politics and Government from 1917 to 1953. Arneson told the shy young student from Bowersville, Ohio, that his feelings of inferiority “stick out all over” and “in the name of heaven, be a man.”

“I don’t remember Dr. Arneson,” Everett added with a smile, “but I’m glad I didn’t have a run-in with him.”

After Peale’s uncomfortable meeting, he considered dropping out of school, Everett said. But instead, Peale turned to prayer, asking for help in overcoming his shyness and fear of public speaking. With that prayer, Peale found peace and the strength he needed to begin changing his life.

And with the power to change his own life, Peale—in partnership with his wife, Ruth Stafford Peale—ultimately found the power to change countless lives worldwide with his positive messages and stirring sermons.

Seventy-two years after his graduation, Peale returned to Ohio Wesleyan at age 94 for the final time. He delivered the commencement address to the Class of 1992, reminding the new graduates to always “shoot for the moon.”

It was advice that shaped his life, Everett said, because he knew that “even if you don’t make it, you will land among the stars.”

Ohio Wesleyan’s Peale celebration was conceived by OWU alumnus Ron Glosser, a 1955 classmate of Everett’s, who became friends with the Peale family and learned much from the respected clergyman and his business-minded wife.

“I am just overflowing with joy tonight,” said Glosser, author of The Genealogy of Friendship. Glosser told the crowd, which included Peale’s daughter Elizabeth Peale Allen, that he was happy to play a role in ensuring that future generations understand the tremendous impact of Peale and his ministry.

Glosser also introduced keynote speaker, Ken Blanchard, Ph.D., best known for his One Minute Manager books. Blanchard and Peale collaborated to write 1988’s The Power of Ethical Management, a primer designed to show business managers how to restore integrity to the workplace with practical, ethical strategies that support long-term success.

“He loved this place,” Blanchard told the crowd of Peale’s affinity for his alma mater. “He loved his [Phi Gamma Delta] fraternity. He loved life.”

Blanchard recalled that before he and Peale began collaborating, Peale read several related self-help books but found most to be too esoteric. He wanted easily accessible messages that would resonate with large numbers of people. After their book was drafted, Blanchard organized a community breakfast to allow diners to give feedback on the text prior to its publication—a practice he followed with all of his books.

When people realized that Peale would be attending, they crowded the event—creating a breakfast bill for 300 hungry eaters and readers. Peale assessed the surprising situation with his usual good humor.

Blanchard recalls Peale stating: “I’ve never been to a free-for-all like this. When I finish a book, Ruth and I pray. Ken doesn’t trust that process.”

A key component of The Power of Ethical Management is its three-step ethics check—a list that Blanchard believes remains relevant more than two decades later. The list asks:

1. Is it legal?
2. If I do what I’m thinking of doing (and nothing else), is it fair?
3. If I do (or don’t do) what I’m thinking, how will I feel about myself? (How would I feel if my conduct were published in the local newspaper?)

Blanchard said he believes too many people ask only whether an activity is legal, failing to consider whether it is fair and how they will feel about their actions.

Ohio Wesleyan President Rock Jones, Ph.D., concluded the evening, noting that the University intends to hold additional events to honor Peale and celebrate his enduring legacy as “one of the most articulate spokesmen of the 20^th century.”

Learn more about the Peale legacy.

More Photos from the Event

(Photos by Mark Schmitter ’12)