The Chicago Firehouse Chili chefs, Ken Carlson, Ph.D. and the Department of Teacher Education, show off their trophy for winning the Chili Cook Off sponsored by the Special Events Committee on Tuesday, Jan. 31 at Shawnee State University (SSU).

The Chili Cook Off judges enjoy their job while students and staff share their creations with the hungry lunch crowd in the University Center. The Shawnee State University (SSU) Special Events Committee sponsored the event.

(Article by Stephanie Smith, Communications Specialist) 

EPIDEMIOLOGY AND PREVENTION OF VACCINE-PREVENTABLE DISEASES

2006 BROADCASTS TO BE HELD AT SSU

            The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will sponsor “Epidemiology and Prevention of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases,” at Shawnee State University (SSU). This live interactive four session program will be held Feb. 9, 16, 23, and March 2 from noon to 3:30 p.m. in the Clark Memorial Library, room 110
            “This is my sixth year coordinating the broadcasts,” said Tracy Conn, SSU University Outreach Services representative.  “Since the field of immunization constantly changes, this is a great program offered annually for the last ten years to keep interested individuals up-to-date.”
            The program will provide the most current, comprehensive information available in the field of immunization in four satellite broadcasts. 
            Session one will cover principles of vaccination, general recommendations on immunization, and vaccine handling, administration, and storage.  The second session will cover pertussis, pneumococcal disease in children, polio and Hib.  Session three will cover measles, rubella, varicella, and meningococcal disease, and Session Four will cover hepatitis A, hepatitis B, influenza, and pneumococcal disease in adults, and the fourth session will also include a question-and-answer session where nationwide participants can interact with the course instructors via toll-free telephone lines.
            CDC faculty members participating in these broadcasts include: Donna Weaver, RN, MN, Judy Schmidt, RN, EdD, Andrew Kroger MD, MPH, and William Atkinson, MD, MPH, the National Immunization Program (NIP), CDC, and CDC guest experts.
            “The goal of these sessions is to improve immunization practices in the United States,” said Conn.  “The course is designed both for those who are new to the field of immunization and those who are in need of a refresher course.  Physicians, nurses, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, DoD paraprofessionals, pharmacists, and their colleagues who give immunizations would benefit from the program.  The course is also appropriate for such private and public healthcare providers, including pediatricians, family practice specialists, medical assistants, residents, and medical and nursing students.”
            Participants are strongly encouraged to obtain the primary course text, “Epidemiology and Prevention of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases,” available online on the NIP website at http://www.cdc.gov/nip/publications/pink/default.htm and in hard copy from the Public Health Foundation by calling (877) 252-1200 or visiting http://bookstore.phf.org/prod463.htm.
            The satellite broadcasts will each have a live webcast as well, available through the Internet at http://www.phppo.cdc.gov/PHTN/webcast/epv06/ one month following the broadcast.
            The broadcasts will be edited and made available for self-study on DVD and web-on-demand formats by April 2006. 
            There is no cost for the broadcast series and participants are eligible to apply for Continuing Education (CE) credit.  Visit http://www.dcd.gov/htnonline to register to participate in a broadcast at a site near you and/or register for CE credit.  Site registration is not needed to participate in the webcast. 
            For more information on this event, please contact Tracy Conn at (740) 351-3490 or email tconn@shawnee.edu.

Area senior citizens sign up for the Shawnee State University (SSU) Golden Bears program Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2006 in the natatorium of the James A. Rhodes Athletic Center. Golden Bears serve as ushers at Vern Riffe Center for the Arts events, attend SSU basketball games, meet each week to swim at SSU, and enjoy various other activities throughout the year. For more information on the Golden Bears program contact Barbara Clare at (740) 351-3095.

(Article by Stephanie Smith, Communications Specialist) 

                                 MILLIKEN TO PRESENT “HAIR AND THE FEMININE IMAGE” 

            Roberta Milliken, Ph.D., associate professor of English and Humanities at Shawnee State University (SSU), will give a presentation, “Hair and Feminine Image,” sponsored by the SSU Women’s Forum to celebrate Women’s History Month.   This event will be held on March 1^st from noon to 1 p.m. at the Southern Ohio Museum and Cultural Center (SOMCC).
            Milliken’s presentation will be a depiction of women in art and literature of the Middle Ages. 
            “This is part of a research project that has been occupying my attention for about ten years,” said Milliken, who became interested in the subject during her years at Newfoundland University as she completed her doctorate.
            “I took a course taught by Nicholas Watson, a well-respected scholar in medieval studies, on writings by and about women in the Middle Ages,” said Milliken.  “During this project, I researched stories about Mary Magdalene.  I was most interested in the account that has her living as a hermit after Jesus’ death.  She did not eat food as humans would, but was fed ‘spiritual food’ every hour by angels.   She wore no clothes because they rotted off of her, and she is only clothed in her own hair.  At the end of the story Mary dies and is wrapped in her own hair and carried to heaven by the angels.  I found that to be such a wonderfully intriguing image.  After that I started noticing the imagery of hair.”
            Milliken started gathering interesting images of hair and pinning them to a bulletin board.  After a while, she had quite a collection and noticed a pattern in the depiction of hair and women.
            “I see hair as a graphic marker of women. Its depiction sends out a message to the audience as to how these women should be perceived,” said Milliken.  “It all has to do with the way their hair is manipulated.”
            Milliken said her presentation will focus mainly on the depiction of specific “bad” women, such as Eve, sirens, mermaids, and possibly witches.
            Milliken is working on a manuscript about the iconography of hair in the depiction of women in the art and literature of the Middle Ages which she hopes to have published.
            After Milliken’s lecture, visitors are invited to view the exhibit “Breaking With Tradition: Ohio Women Painters:  1870-1950.”  The exhibit demonstrates the significance of 15 female artists who influenced the art realm in the years following the American Civil War through the era immediately after World War II.  The exhibit explores 80 years of challenge and neglect endured by Ohio's women artists. 
            Contact SOMCC at (740) 354-5629 to reserve boxed lunches and for more details about the exhibit.
            For more information on Women’s History Month events, visit
                                            http://www.shawnee.edu/com/wf/evntcal.html.                                                                             # # #

Teachers from area Scioto County Schools tour USEC’s nuclear energy facility as part of a professional development class sponsored by USEC, Shawnee State University Outreach Services, Ohio State University, and the Ohio Energy Project.
Front row (from left): Elisabeth Claxon (Clay High), Becky Stiles (Portsmouth West Middle), Debbie Goodenow (Ohio State University), Tami Marion (Minford Middle), Carl Willis (Ohio State University)
Back row (from left):  Twila Stump (Portsmouth West Middle), Gary Stump (South Central Ohio Educational Service Center), Cindy McCreery (Minford Middle), Nick Havens (Minford High), Jason Hollern (Ohio State University), Barry Rose (Portsmouth West Middle), Linda Olinger (Ohio Energy Project), Steve Brickner (Harrison High School), and Deborah Yerkes (Ohio Energy Project).

                   USEC HOLDS NUCLEAR ENERGY PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CLASS 

            On Feb. 10, local educators from various schools in Scioto County participated in an informational workshop on energy sponsored by the Ohio Energy Project (OEP) in collaboration with United States Enrichment Corporation (USEC), a global energy company and the world’s leading supplier of enriched uranium fuel for commercial nuclear power plants. Also sponsoring the workshop were The Ohio State University and Shawnee State University (SSU) Outreach Services.
            “Nuclear energy is sometimes difficult to understand,” said Debby Yerkes, director for education with the OEP, who has been helping teachers learn about energy for 11 years.  “This workshop is designed so teachers will understand what they have learned and be able to teach it in their classrooms.”
            The energy workshop included a morning session held at SSU conducted by graduate students who are members of The Ohio State University’s (OSU) student chapter of the American Nuclear Society.
            “I had the opportunity to work with the OSU students when they presented a program to the Columbus public school teachers in January,” said Yerkes.  “It was such an exceptional day that I talked to Angela Diduit from USEC public affairs and suggested we consider this workshop to be an opportunity for the teachers in Southern Ohio.”
            During the afternoon session, participants toured USEC’s nuclear energy facility in Pike County and were able to see some of the gaseous diffusion equipment used at the site to enrich uranium from 1954 until 2001.
            “I think the day was well spent,” said Lori Rolfe, talented and gifted instructor at Minford Middle School, who was instrumental in helping set up the energy fair local fifth graders attended at SSU this past December.  “I plan on taking the information I gained to do a school wide energy fair on April 7 for our entire 5^th grade class and having a section about nuclear energy.  The speakers at the workshop did a very good job of explaining nuclear energy and having us do the different hands-on activities.”
             “I loved the class,” said Cindy McCreary, a 5^th grade teacher at Minford.  “It was extremely beneficial.  There were many practical hands-on activities that may be adapted to my grade level.  Also, USEC and OSU gave us many books and materials to use in our classrooms. The OSU students did an excellent job with their presentations and the tour of USEC was a great way to end the day.  I would recommend this to anyone, educator or not.”
            Workshop participants included educators from Clay High School, Minford Middle School, Valley Middle School, and Portsmouth West Middle School. 
            For more information on nuclear energy, visit http://www.ohioenergy.org or visit USEC’s website, http://www.usec.com.
 

(Article by Mistie Cook Spicer, Communications Coordinator)

                                eBAY: SELLING BASICS CLASS TO BE HELD AT SSU AGAIN

         Due to the success of the first workshop “eBay Selling Basics” workshop in Jan. another workshop will be held on Thursday, Feb. 23 at Shawnee State University (SSU) from 5:30-9:30 p.m. in room 151 of Kricker.
          “We offered this identical eBay workshop last month. We had to cut off registrations at 24 due to the class room size,” said Brenda Covert, manager of Business and Industry Training at SSU. “The instructor for the course is a very successful eBay ‘Gold-level Power Seller’. The participants in the January workshop were so happy with the tips and knowledge she passed on, they recommended the workshop to their friends.”
          Covert said the class will be taught by Angella Boulay who has been selling on eBay for over five years and has been a “Gold-level Power Seller” for over two years.
          “Angella Boulay will teach the basics of successful selling, how to maximize sales and income and tips for selling on eBay,” Covert said.
          The cost for the workshop is $49 which includes the eBay workbook.
          “Participants will learn how to open an account, research and create listings, monitor listings and complete transactions,” Covert said. “This workshop is for anyone who has been thinking about selling an item
 on eBay. You will learn how to sell on eBay’s online auction.”
          To sign up for the workshop or for more information call (740) 351-3304.              

(Article by Stephanie Smith, Communications Specialist) 

COLL & BYRNE CREATE SCHOLARSHIP FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

            Long time Shawnee State University (SSU) faculty Julia Coll, Ph.D. and her husband Frank Byrne, Ph.D. have funded a new scholarship to bring more international students to campus.
            Coll, a professor of applied linguistics and education, and Byrne, professor of English and linguistics, have created the Julia Coll and Frank Byrne Scholarship for International Students as a way to aid and enhance recruitment of international students to SSU.
            “Some potential international students find it difficult to pay their own tuition to come to a college in America,” said Coll.  “We are currently working out the details to be able to offer this scholarship so students from overseas may have the opportunity to study here.”
            “We decided this would be one way to help the University successfully grow in both size and excellence,” said Byrne.  “There are certainly students who could not have gone to college without the financial help of a scholarship.  We have deducted money from each paycheck, and eventually that money will grow into sufficient funds for a scholarship, a lasting legacy to SSU.”
            “All scholarships are important to the University and our students,” said Susan Warsaw, Executive Director of Development at SSU, “but those created by faculty have special meaning.  After all, it is the relationship between faculty and students – the knowledge shared by one with the other - that makes education work.  The fact that Drs. Coll and Byrne take that relationship a step further by providing funds for education is special indeed.”
            This will be the third scholarship established by Coll and Byrne through SSU’s Development Foundation.  Applicants must be a non-U.S. citizen possessing a student visa, demonstrate academic excellence based upon course record or transcript, and be accepted as a student at SSU.  Applications will be accepted through the Center for International Programs Activities (CIPA) office on campus and the recipient will be selected by a committee appointed by the CIPA office.
            The recipient must remain a full-time student of SSU in good academic standing and receive the award in increments of one-third to cover three academic quarters.  The amount of the scholarship has not been determined.
            “Other countries have very bright students and I always thought it was a shame that we did not have any way of helping them come here to get an education,” said Coll.  “We are glad to offer this scholarship and finally be able to give them the opportunity to come to study at SSU.”

Hundreds of prospective Bears visited the Shawnee State University (SSU) campus on Monday, Feb. 20 for an Open House. High school students and their parents enjoyed tours of the campus and housing facilities along with academic presentations, a free lunch, and a chance to talk with current SSU students. 

(Article by Mistie Cook Spicer, Communications Coordinator) 

SSU STUDENT TAKES TOYS TO HURRICANE VICTIMS

          Shawnee State University (SSU) senior David Highfield played Santa Claus last month by delivering toys to the children in New Orleans who were affected by Hurricane Katrina.
          “We took down between $2,500 to $2,800 worth of toys collected at SSU, my hometown of Greenfield, Ohio, and from a toy drive conducted by my parents in Alabama,” Highfield said.
          Highfield said he and some friends went to New Orleans on Jan. 25 and ended up taking the toys to a church because they were unable to find the scheduled drop-off location because there were no street signs.
          “We went to the church and after the service the kids came and picked out whatever toys they liked.” Highfield said. “After we gave out as many toys as they wanted, we left the toys with the church members to continue giving them away the next day.”
          Highfield said the children who received the toys were very excited but the parents seemed to be the most touched by their effort.
          “Some of them even cried, out of happiness and that made us feel good,” Highfield said.
          He said he was surprised that the children were thoughtful of others.
          “They took one or two toys. We said they could have more but they preferred we leave some for the other children the next day,” Highfield said.
          The idea for the toy drive came about when Highfield was talking to his dad on Christmas morning about how fortunate they were compared to those in New Orleans.
          “We’re fortunate. We don’t know how fortunate until something like this happens,” he said.
          The toy drive held at SSU was sponsored by the SSU Office of Community Service.
 

(Article by Mistie Cook Spicer, Communications Coordinator) 

(Article by Mistie Cook Spicer, Communications Coordinator)