We often call the College of Arts and Sciences the academic heart of Ohio State. This is not simply because of our size, but rather it is because this is where arts, humanities, and natural, mathematical, social and behavioral sciences can converge in unique and unexpected ways.
The power and impact of the arts at Ohio State is undeniable. At the college, we are providing upgrades to our facilities, and as a university, we are heavily investing in our physical environment, especially in the arts. Moreover, several groups within the arts are celebrating key milestones this year, making 2018 more exciting than ever.
The arts and sciences are converging at the newly renovated Pomerene Hall on Neil Avenue, which now houses the Department of History of Art and the undergraduate data analytics major, as well as Ohio State’s Translational Data Analytics Institute.
Orton Geological Museum is home to many exhibits that celebrate the prehistoric. But with the recent addition of an entire dinosaur skeleton, molded from a fossil discovered by an Ohio State professor, enthusiasm and support for the museum is sure to increase exponentially.
While venom is most often associated with creepy, crawly creatures like scorpions, snakes and spiders, this naturally occurring biological weapon is used by an extremely diverse set of species across the animal kingdom. From caterpillars to cone snails to short-tailed shrews, venom serves as a quick, efficient way to subdue prey, as well as a potent defense tactic.
Ohio State’s Institute for Population Research is one of the premier population and health research centers in the world and one of only a handful with concentrated expertise in the demography of Africa. Researchers are at the forefront of research investigating a broad range of population and health issues that affect the well-being of families and communities in Africa.
In addition to spearheading SÕL-CON and HumCog, Arts and Humanities Distinguished Professor Frederick Luis Aldama also teaches courses on Latino and Latin American cultural phenomena, including literature, film, TV, music, sports, video games and comic books.
What could be more daunting than searching for an invisible particle — one so elusive that physicists had no evidence of its existence until 1956? This is just the kind of challenge that Ohio State astrophysicists Jim Beatty and Amy Connolly find irresistible.
Two political scientists at Ohio State are taking aim at conventional wisdom on war and peace. Bear Braumoeller conducts research in the area of international relations, and Skyler Cranmer focuses on political methodology and the application of quantitative methods to the study of international politics.
For nearly a decade, Sociology professor Hollie Nyseth Brehm has been chronicling the history of the Rwandan genocide, painstakingly analyzing data from nearly two million court trials and conducting countless interviews with both perpetrators and victims of the genocide.
When artists, scientists and scholars collaborate to tackle some of our most pressing challenges, the creative spark is undeniable. For the Collaboration for Humane Technologies, a cross-disciplinary network of some of the most innovative thinkers in their fields, it is that creative spark that makes new, inspiring ideas for a better future possible.
Ohio State’s Department of Mathematics is a powerhouse. For decades, Ohio State has led the way in implementing initiatives, establishing programs and devising creative ways of outreach — all with the aim to make the world of mathematics more accessible, more intuitive and more fun.
This past winter, more than 40 Ohio State faculty and staff members across all disciplines honed their singing skills to join the School of Music and the Advanced Computing Center for the Arts and Design (ACCAD) in a multimedia performance of Carmina Burana, the iconic cantata composed by Carl Orff in 1935-1936.
Be the Street, a Global Arts and Humanities Discovery Theme project, brings residents of one of Columbus’ most diverse neighborhoods together with faculty and students from theatre, dance, folklore studies and Spanish and Portuguese. By collaborating with immigrant communities in the Hilltop area, the Be the Street team creates performances that tell stories of connectedness and belonging.
The power and value of a liberal arts education transforms the world. Launching in autumn 2018, the new Center for Career and Professional Success's vision is to galvanize a community of engaged professional champions so every student is prepared to design their lifetime of opportunity.
Folklore isn’t all old wives tales and urban legends — it’s about documenting cultures and communities here and now. That’s why the Center for Folklore Studies (CFS) at Ohio State has been conducting an ongoing research project through its Ohio Field School, which focuses on Scioto and Perry Counties in Appalachian Ohio.
Students in Ohio State's UResearch Lab have been collecting and analyzing data on the Columbus Zoo’s population of bonobos, an endangered species of primate closely related to chimpanzees.
The 14 students in Darcy Hartman’s service-learning course traveled to Tijuana, Mexico, a border city about 20 miles south of San Diego, to spend spring break working with impoverished families in the community. The group partnered with Esperanza International, a nonprofit community development organization.
As Chris Newman reached the peak of Table Mountain and looked out over the town of Cape Town, South Africa, below, he had the startling realization of how much of a feat this was. Not only was this the first mountain he had ever climbed, but he also realized that he was having a deeply personal and unique experience unlike anything he could have ever imagined.
When Ohio State alumni give back, many want their contributions to reflect the values and skills they learned during their time on campus. The Liu siblings — Leo (BA, humanities, 1978), Ursula (BS, international studies, 1985) and Isabel (BA, economics, 1979) — wanted to honor their parents, the people who instilled in them high values for education.
Buckeyes give back — to the university, to their communities and across the world. Three Arts and Sciences alumni are doing just that by helping those suffering from hearing loss from the ongoing airstrikes in Syria, rebuilding New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina struck and providing medical services to those in need in Haiti.
Jack Emmert (MA, 1997) designs smash-hit video games like City of Heroes, City of Villains and Star Trek Online — and he says his background in classics and the humanities has greatly contributed to his career success.
Under the Wilde Hunt Corsetry label, Larissa Boiwka ’05 creates custom leather corsets, often using historical beading and embroidery techniques and incorporating inspiration from the ancient cultures she studied in school. Boiwka, who is an entirely self-taught designer, credits the education she received from Ohio State's Department of Anthropology with setting her up for success as an artist and small-business owner.
Ohio State alumna and Harvard psychology professor Mahzarin Banaji (MA, 1982; PhD, 1986) has, in a relatively short period of time, revolutionized the scientific study of attitudes and stereotypes.
A diverse group of creatures makes up the Museum of Biological Diversity’s prized tetrapod collection. Containing mammals, birds, amphibians and reptiles collected by Ohio State faculty and staff across decades, this collection is vital to the greater scientific community as a repository of research subjects for future study.
Each year, the College of Arts and Sciences Honoring Excellence Dinner and Ceremony recognizes a distinguished few of our more than 200,000 alumni. Their accomplishments are tangible evidence of the lasting value of an arts and sciences education. Their contributions to their fields, communities, country, college and university make a lasting difference — locally and globally.
Across the College of Arts and Sciences, scholars and researchers are making discoveries that advance their fields and influence the world. Their work doesn’t just live in labs and libraries — it is woven into students’ lives and folded into communities across the globe. With this collective scholarly inquiry and an ever-growing research profile, the college is building a powerhouse to nurture innovation and shape the future.