With 38 departments and 20+ world-class research centers, the College of Arts and Sciences is the academic heart of the university. The college has 1.5+ million assignable square feet in 56 buildings across campus.
In this issue: Archive
Archive
Autumn 2020
Autumn 2019
Autumn 2018
Spring 2017
Spring 2016
Back To School 2016
Back To School 2015
Spring 2015
Autumn 2014
Spring 2014
Autumn 2013
Back to School 2013
Highlights from 2012
Spring 2013
Autumn 2012
Back to School 2012
Spring 2012
Autumn 2011
Back to School 2011
Issue 2, 2011
Issue 1, 2011
Issue 1, 2010
Issue 2, 2010
Issue 3, 2010
Autumn 2017
Each new academic year brings energy and renewal — students flooding the Oval, the fresh line-up of events and, don't forget, the excitement of football season — homecoming is right around the corner!
It is an exciting time on campus, but it is also a time for reflection. Looking back over the past year, we are amazed by what has been achieved — take a look in our newest annual report, featuring a sampling of our high points and stand-out faculty, students and staff and their accomplishments from the past year.
And once you've taken a look back, scroll down and take a look at some of the outstanding things our alumni, students and faculty are doing now.
Have a fantastic fall ... and Go Bucks!
Working with #TeamFiona
Working with #TeamFiona
A couple of years ago, Angela Hatke (communication, '07) landed her dream job at the Cincinnati Zoo. When Fiona, the premature baby hippo — and internet sensation — was born in January 2017, Angela was with her every step of the way, sharing her journey with the world on the zoo's Baby Hippo blog and social media.
Innovation & Discovery
- Advancing High-Impact Energy Research
- Discovering the Hottest Planet Known
- Improving Math Skills Through Psychology
- Documenting the Sounds of Religions
Advancing High-Impact Energy Research
Two STEM researchers each received a five-year, 2017 DOE Early Career Award, to advance their high-impact energy research. Hannah Shafaat, assistant professor, chemistry and biochemistry; and Kelly Wrighton, assistant professor, microbiology; were chosen from a nationwide pool of more than 700 applicants. Wrighton’s $797,000 award “targets knowledge gaps” in microbial methane processes in soil to improve carbon-cycling transport models across terrestrial-aquatic environments. Shafaat aims to “bring inorganic carbon to life.” Her $750,000 grant will support the development and characterization of model nickel enzymes that can efficiently convert carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide into liquid fuels.
Discovering the Hottest Planet Known
Astronomer Scott Gaudi, Thomas Jefferson Professor for Discovery and Space Exploration, co-led an international team that has discovered the hottest planet on record. The team has been tracking the distinctly odd planet, named KELT-9b, since mid-2014. The star that the planet orbits is called KELT-9. It is found about 650 light years away from Earth in the Cygnus constellation.
According to Gaudi, it is so hot that it stretches the definition of the word ‘planet.’ It’s a planet by any of the typical definitions based on mass, but its atmosphere is almost certainly unlike any other known. Its day-side temperature, more than 7,800 degrees, is hotter than most stars, and only 2,000 degrees or so cooler than our Sun.
“Whenever we find systems like KELT-9, systems that stretch the boundaries of what we consider extreme, typically we always learn something new about planets, the relationship to their host stars, and the atmospheres of giant planets,” Gaudi said.
Improving Math Skills Through Psychology
Just in time for the new academic year, Ellen Peters, professor of psychology and director of Ohio State’s Decision Sciences Collaborative, has developed a psychological intervention — values affirmation — to help students improve their math literacy, or numeracy. Turns out that confidence and core values have a lot to do with learning numbers.
“You want to get students to step back in a sense, to think more about what’s important to them in life so that ultimately you shore up their sense of self so they’re more resilient to threats that come in the classroom and the classroom materials.”
Documenting the Sounds of Religions
Isaac Weiner, associate professor of comparative studies, is co-director of the American Religious Sounds Project, a collaborative project of Ohio State and Michigan State University, documenting religious sounds in the U.S. Researchers have amassed nearly 400 recorded clips of religious expression ranging from a Spanish Catholic procession for Our Lady of Guadalupe in Columbus to an Asatru (German Norse) midsummer ritual in rural Ohio. Housed in the Center for the Study of Religion, the project will create a digital archive of religious sounds and an interactive website, which will be a resource for scholars, educators and the public.
Incoming Student Profiles
Gabriella Reyes
Gabriella Reyes chose to come to Ohio State because of a scholarship she received through the Morrill Scholars Program. Reyes is majoring in international studies. She is fluent in Spanish and hopes to become more proficient in French and Arabic. “I love learning about different people and their cultures because I feel like I can get an understanding of who they are and where they come from.”
Gabe Carlucci
Gabe Carlucci transferred from Columbus State Community College after completing his GE requirements. He is pursuing a degree in geography because of its versatility and relevance. “Geography covers topics such as demographics, history, environmental science, politics and culture. Every location on Earth has a story to tell, and that is why geography interests me.”
Briana Brooks
Morrill Scholar Briana Brooks was hooked on biochemistry when a pharmaceutical expert walked into her high school AP chemistry class. “I was intrigued by the way chemicals in beauty products and cosmetics affect the human epidermis.” Last year, she worked in a Kent State University biochemistry lab, where her research with RNA and proteins confirmed her need to expand her knowledge.
Joan Reardon
Incoming freshman and Guthrie Scholarship recipient Joan Reardon will be majoring in history — an area that she feels will be a foundation upon which to build her career. She plans to attend law school and pursue a career in politics. “Some of the greatest statesmen have been history majors, including John F. Kennedy, Winston Churchill and Woodrow Wilson. Hopefully, I'll be able to follow in their footsteps!”
Autumn Borovich
Autumn Borovich is from St. Clairsville, Ohio. She is a first generation student, majoring in biology, with a dream of going on to medical school. “My reason for doing so is because of a close family member who has always dealt with heart problems. I want to learn more about it and help in any way I can.”
Kamille Colbert
Kamille Colbert transferred from the University of Nebraska at Omaha to Ohio State to pursue her love of flying. Colbert chose to major in air transportation with the end goal to become an airline pilot. “I am incredibly excited to begin my flight training at Ohio State. I just received my Private Pilot Certificate and can't wait to continue my training this fall."
Anna Dorey
Incoming freshman Anna Dorey, who hails from Tampa, Florida, says she was drawn to Ohio State “because there is so much opportunity here. I really want to participate in research and Ohio State is the perfect place for that! I would like to pursue a double major with biology and horn performance,” she said, “and I also hope to participate in the marching band.”
Jazmyn Agudelo-Mustafa
Jazmyn Agudelo-Mustafa is a first generation student and a Mount Leadership Scholar with an interest in psychology. “I gravitate towards research-based inquiry about the human mind. I am curious about the way we think and how our thoughts impact our decisions in business.” Agudelo-Mustafa believes that she’s chosen the right place to spend the next four years. “Columbus is a city where I see a future for myself.”
Rachel Thurman
Rachel Thurman will begin her studies in political science with the help of a Morrill Scholarship. “I researched Ohio State’s political science program and found it was one of the best in the country.” She is looking forward to learning about what how the world works and what she can do to make a difference. She hopes to attend law school and work hard to make changes in the world.
#ASCInTheField
This summer, Arts and Sciences students travelled the world — interning, studying and volunteering. They were dancing through Denmark, underwater studying coral reefs, designing in Milan and everywhere in between. Along the way, they were creating and innovating, challenging themselves, and extending their ASC experience beyond the classroom.
New Year Highlights
- Record Breaking Fundraising
- New Leadership in the College
- Welcome New Faculty Members
- Distinguished Professorships
Record Breaking Fundraising
The College of Arts and Sciences has set a new record by raising more than $37 million in FY17.
We are the academic heart of the university and thanks to the generosity of our more than 200,000 arts and sciences alumni and friends, as well as our own faculty and staff, the Arts and Sciences continues to set a national standard for excellence in teaching, research and service.
We are continually amazed by the generosity of our community of faculty, staff, alumni and friends. Your support makes a tangible difference in the lives of our students and faculty. Here are just a few examples of the ways in which an investment in the College of Arts and Sciences reshapes and transforms our disciplines and the lives our students and faculty.
New Leadership in the College
We are fortunate in the Arts and Sciences. Our departments, centers and institutes enjoy outstanding reputations, due, in large part, to the dedication and commitment of our deans, chairs and directors to our mission to be a leader in teaching, learning, research and creative activity, and outreach and engagement. The following are new appointments and reinstatements.
Chairs and Directors
Chair Kristen Gremillion, Anthropology (Effective June 1, 2017). Gremillion is an archaeologist and paleoethnobotanist who studies the evolution of human diet and subsistence practices in ecological context. She joined the faculty in the Department of Anthropology in 1991. Prior to coming to Ohio State, Gremillion served as a postdoctoral fellow at the Smithsonian Institution. She earned her PhD in anthropology at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill in 1989.
Chair Anthony Kaldellis, Classics (Effective July 1, 2017) Kaldellis is one of the leading historians of the Byzantine Empire. He has published a number of books on its culture, literature, and political history. Also, an expert on Medieval Greek, Kaldellis has translated a number of Byzantine sources, mostly historical texts, dating from the sixth to the 15th centuries. He earned his PhD in history at the University of Michigan in 2001 and joined the faculty of Ohio State’s Department of Greek and Latin (now Classics) that same year.
Director Michael Slater, School Of Communication (Effective July 1, 2017) Slater is a leader in the area of public health and communication. His research has focused on media effects on beliefs and behavior and persuasion processes, primarily but not exclusively in the domain of public health (e.g., substance abuse and cancer prevention) and support for health-related public policies. Slater received his PhD in communication from Stanford University in 1988 and, that same year, he joined Ohio State as an assistant professor in communication.
Chair Matthew Saltzman, School Of Earth Sciences (Effective July 1, 2017). Saltzman studies the role of the carbon cycle in climate change and biotic events during the past half billion years of Earth history. He received his PhD at the University of California - Los Angeles in 1996. He joined Ohio State’s School of Earth Sciences autumn 2000, after two-years as a visiting professor at the University of Iowa.
Chair John Freudenstein, Evolution, Ecology And Organismal Biology (Eeob)(July 1, 2017). Freudenstein conducts research in the area of plant systematics, the discovery and analysis of biological diversity and its history. In addition to research and teaching, he has played an active role in the dynamic, ongoing educational outreach programs of both the Herbarium and the Museum of Biological Diversity’s massive, highly popular annual Open House. He earned his PhD in plant systematics at Cornell University in 1992. He joined Ohio State’s faculty in 1999 as director of the Herbarium.
Chair Dana Renga, French And Italian (Frit)(Effective July 1, 2017) Renga, associate professor of Italian, works primarily on later 20th century and 21st century cinema and culture that includes representations of gender, the Mafia, the holocaust, fascism, terrorism and medical narratives. She has published articles and book chapters on Italian cinema, French and Italian cinema, Italian popular culture, and modern and contemporary Italian poetry and literature.
Director William Ballenger, School Of Music(Effective July 1, 2017). Ballenger previously served as director of the School of Music at Texas Tech University since fall 2004. Prior to his appointment there, he served for 12 years as department head of music at Oklahoma State University. He has composed more than 75 original compositions and arranged more than 600 works for various ensembles.
Interim Chair Morgan Liu, Near Eastern Languages And Cultures (Effective July 1, 2017). Liu, associate professor in Near Eastern Languages and Cultures, is a cultural anthropologist studying Muslims in former communist countries, the impact of oil extraction on Central Asian societies, urban space and Islamic ideas of social justice. Before coming to Ohio State, Liu was a postdoc at the Society of Fellows at Harvard University. He earned his PhD from the University of Michigan in anthropology.
Chair Laura Podalsky, Spanish And Portuguese (Effective August 1, 2017). Laura Podalsky, professor in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese, specializes in Latin American film and cultural studies. Her research involves the relationship between Latin American culture, politics and socio-historical formations, urban culture and youth cultures. She is the author of Specular City: Transforming Culture, Consumption, and Space in Buenos Aires, 1955-1973 (Temple University Press, 2004) and The Politics of Affect and Emotion in Contemporary Latin American Cinema: Argentina, Brazil, Cuba, and Mexico (Palgrave Macmillan, 2011), and she is working on a monographic study of youth, modernity and film, comparing Argentina and Mexico in the 1950s-1960s and in the 1990s-present.
Interim Chair Michael Mercil, Art (Effective Sept. 1, 2017). Mercil’s art and teaching explore realms of “the near, the low, the common” in works close to — if not always within — the categories of sculpture, drawing, painting, landscape architecture, film, performance and agriculture. His artwork has received numerous regional and national awards, and has been exhibited in solo and group shows organized by museums and art centers throughout the United States.
Interim Director Christine Ballengee Morris, Barnett Center for Integrated Arts and Enterprise — now part of the Department of Arts Administration, Education and Policy (Effective Sept. 1, 2017). Ballengee Morris is looking forward to continuing programming that is student-focused and creating an environment at the Barnett Center where ideas, research and scholarship converge. She was the founding director of The Multicultural Center at Ohio State, a unit that changed how diversity was defined and represented at the university.
Interim Chair David Staley, Humanities Institute (Effective Aug. 15, 2017). Staley’s research interests include digital history, the philosophy of history, historical methodology and the history and future of higher education. In addition to his written work, he has designed and curated both online and physical exhibitions and has published numerous visual compositions in digital media. From 2003 to 2008, Staley was the executive director of the American Association for History and Computing (AAHC).Welcome New Faculty Members
Arts and Sciences faculty performs at the highest levels in teaching, research and service – the three tenets of the great land-grant institutions. We work hard to identify, recruit and retain the most gifted scholars, artists and researchers from around the country and across the world. Together they form a formidable faculty who drive the success of our programs and educate our students for leadership.
Distinguished Professorships
The College of Arts and Sciences has an amazing depth of talented, dedicated and respected faculty. They are leaders in Ohio State’s research and scholarly enterprises — in discovery, in global collaboration, and in teaching and training the next generation of scientists, scholars and artists. They have won every major honor and award in their field and have been selected for membership in the country’s top learned societies.
The Arts and Sciences Distinguished Professorship honors a select few of these faculty members — full professor colleagues — who have excelled in teaching, service and research/creative activity, and whose work has demonstrated significant impact on their fields, students, college and university, and/or the public. This honorific title is reserved for the most distinguished faculty; no more than ten percent of the total number of full professors in the College of Arts and Sciences may hold this title at any one time.
The 2017 Arts and Sciences Distinguished Professors:
Juan Alfonzo, Arts and Sciences Distinguished Professor of Microbiology
Alfonzo is a founding member of Ohio State’s Center for RNA Biology and a newly elected fellow of the Evolution Think Tank (ETT) at the University of Münster Graduate School for Evolution. Alfonzo investigates the mechanism of tRNA editing in trypanosomes and also works on the largely understudied and essential process of tRNA import into mitochondria. Since joining Ohio State, Alfonzo has created several new courses including “The RNA World” as a way of engaging and welcoming students into the ever-growing RNA community.Barbara Andersen, Arts and Sciences Distinguished Professor of Psychology
Andersen studies biobehavioral aspects of cancer. This includes conducting basic research on stress and immunity and applied research including intervention trials to reduce cancer patients' stress, enhance coping and improve their disease outcomes. She has also disseminated delivery of the interventions to oncology mental health providers, enabling them to implement empirically supported psychological treatments to their patients. Andersen is a member of the Cancer Prevention and Control Program of Ohio State's Comprehensive Cancer Center and of the clinical psychology area in the Department of Psychology.John Beacom, Arts and Sciences Distinguished Professor of Physics and Astronomy
Beacom is director of Ohio State’s Center for Cosmology and AstroParticle Physics (CCAPP). His sustained contributions in research, teaching and service have made him an internationally recognized leader in physics and astronomy. Under his leadership, CCAPP has helped cement Ohio State’s role as one of the most significant centers for research in cosmology and particle astrophysics.David Hoffmann, Arts and Sciences Distinguished Professor of History
Hoffmann is a specialist in the field of Russian and Soviet history and an internationally recognized expert on the political, social and cultural work of Stalinism. His most recent monograph, Cultivating the Masses: Modern State Practices and Soviet Socialism, 1914-1939, will be published in Russian translation later this year. He is currently completing his fourth monograph, The Stalinist Era (Cambridge University Press, forthcoming) and has begun work on his fifth monograph, “The Motherland Calls: War, Gender, and Memory in the Soviet Union, 1941-1991.”Ellen Peters, Arts and Sciences Distinguished Professor of Psychology
Peters is director of Ohio State’s Decision Sciences Collaborative. She studies the basic building blocks of human judgment and decision making, with particular emphasis on how affect and emotion influence risk perceptions and decisions, how numbers in decisions are processed by individuals who differ in number ability (also called numeracy), how decision making changes across the adult life span, and how information can be communicated to facilitate better decisions in health, financial, and environmental contexts. She was the first American to receive the Jane Beattie Scientific Recognition Award, and has been awarded an NIH Merit Award.Allison Snow, Arts and Sciences Distinguished Professor of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology
Snow studies emerging issues in biotechnology and the ecological impacts of genetically engineered crops on natural and agricultural systems. Her current research combines molecular and ecological approaches to investigate hybridization between crops and their wild relatives, the extent to which genetically engineered traits could benefit weedy plants, and rapid evolution of herbicide resistance in weeds. In 2002, Snow was recognized by Scientific American as one of the Top 50 Researchers in Science and Technology.Hugh Urban, Arts and Sciences Distinguished Professor of Comparative Studies
Since 2015, Urban has directed Ohio State’s Center for the Study of Religion, which he helped found. His two main areas of teaching and research are religions of India, particularly Hindu traditions of Bengal and Assam, and new religious movements in the United States. He is the author of nine books, including: The Economics of Ecstasy: Tantra, Secrecy, and Power in Colonial Bengal, Tantra: Sex, Secrecy, Politics and Power in the Study of Religion, The Church of Scientology: A History of a New Religion and New Age, Neopagan and New Religious Movements: Alternative Spirituality in Contemporary America. He is currently working on two new projects: a book on Hindu Tantra in contemporary Assam and a large comparative book on the role of secrecy in religion.See the complete list of Arts and Sciences Distinguished Professors and their academic departments.
Featured Events
Field Guide to the Arts
From art galleries to opera productions, from Shakespeare to cinema and dance concerts — autumn semester is full of arts events you don't want to miss.
Science Sundays
Free and open to the public, this lecture series features experts from on campus and around the world provide a wide range of current and emerging topics in science that touch our everyday lives.
COMPAS 2017-18: Religion
COMPAS is a yearlong series of events on morality, politics and society. This year explores the contribution that religious beliefs and institutions can make, and the challenge they can pose.
New Programs
The 2017-2018 academic year brings a fresh batch of programs to the college. New master’s programs, minors and study abroad trips and highlight both the power and the relevance of an arts and sciences education, giving our students the opportunity to pursue any possibility.
Featured Courses
Featured Courses
At the College of Arts and Sciences, if you can think of it, chances are we have a course (or six) that covers it, uncovers it and dives deeper into every facet of it, so you can show the world what’s possible. Here is just a sampling of the amazing courses available this academic year.
courses you might take:
Give Back Change Lives.
Today's graduates will spend their careers in a global environment that demands the ability to be nimble and responsive.
Arts and Sciences is in the position, with your support, to provide the ideal education to take on such a future.
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