(Photo by Shanna Mustard, editor of The SSU Chronicle)

          Susan Haack, Ph.D. a law professor at the University of Miami in Miami, Florida spoke at Shawnee State University on April 26 on the topic, “Is scientific evidence more reliable in a court of law?”

(Article by Monica J. Bradbury, communications specialist)

                
                            Saving Jane

                                                                   Josh Gracin

            The Shawnee State University Student Programming Board is excited to introduce three great acts to its campus during Springfest on May 31, beginning 7 p.m. in the James A. Rhodes Athletic Center.
            “Springfest consists of a week leading up to a big show,” said Jessica Crosby, president of the student programming board at SSU. “Springfest is a fun time to let loose and have some fun while listening to music of great artists.”
            This year, the SPB sent out a campus-wide e-mail, requesting feedback on proposed acts. Based on the responses, SPB scheduled Saving Jane, Wylde Bunch and Josh Gracin, to appear at Springfest.
            “We chose these bands because they offer a variety of music for the campus,” Crosby said. “We really wanted to utilize all types of music, such as a festival, to try to please everyone.”
            The up-and-coming band Saving Jane, based in Columbus, Ohio, is an alternative pop/rock group with hits like “Girl Next Door,” “Don’t Stop” and “Come Down to Me” and albums, "Something to Hold Onto" and "Girl Next Door." Lead singer Marti Dodson has local ties having grown up in Franklin Furnace. When Dodson and friends started the band, they had a tough time finding a name. According to their Web site, www.savingjaneonline.com, Dodson was doodling, illustrating a comic strip featuring three of the band members as superheroes. The title of the comic strip was “Saving Jane” and so it became the band’s name.
            The alternative hip-hop group Wylde Bunch returns to Shawnee State by popular demand. The group includes family members and long-time friends from South Central Los Angeles. According to the band’s Web site, www.wyldebunch.com, the group “pioneered a sound infusing elements of funk, soul, rock and world music into an incredible hip-hop sound.” Their story was big enough to land a spot on “The Oprah Winfrey Show.” With hits like “Yeah Yeah (Stomp the Bleachers),” “Last Day of School” and “Clash,” Wylde Bunch keeps their audiences moving.
            Country singer Josh Gracin, born and raised in Westland, Michigan, 30 minutes west of Detroit, was the only boy among four sisters. Gracin started out as a young Marine in Fox network’s “American Idol 2.” Later, he signed with Lyric Street Records and recorded his debut album, “I Want to Live.” According to his Web site, www.joshgracin.com, after Gracin sang Rascal Flatts’ “I’m Moving On” during the American Idol contest, Rascal Flatts’ bass player Jay DeMarcus hooked up Gracin with Marty Williams, co-producer of the band’s breakthrough album. This contact led to a record deal and to the world of country music.
            “We hosted the MTVU tour last year which included Motion City Soundtrack, Hellogoodbye, and Straylight Run,” Crosby said. “It went very well and the band members were really nice and welcoming. We had a great turnout and a well-received audience — I was very pleased with the turn out of last year's Springfest.”
           Tickets are on sale in the McKinley Box Office, located in the Vern Riffe Center for the Arts. Shawnee State students and employee tickets cost $10 each, while tickets for the general public are $15 each. Tickets will cost $15 for all persons purchasing them the day of the show.
            The SPB is currently organizing other events for Springfest, like SSU Idol, where members of the Shawnee community “audition” and participate in an American Idol television show-like series of performances.
            “We try to involve the campus and the surrounding communities, such as other local universities and the local high schools,” Crosby said. “It should be a lot of fun and people should have a great time with it.”
           Springfest is sponsored by the Shawnee State University Student Programming Board and Pepsi. For more information, contact Student Activities at (740) 351-3217.

            In celebration of National Nurses’ Week, Shawnee State University will host a special event, recognizing the contributions of nurses and the nursing profession. Sponsored by University Outreach Services, the SSU Nursing Professional Development Committee, the SSU Student Nurses Association, and the Ohio Nurses Association, Southern Ohio district, the activities will be held in the Vern Riffe Center, on May 7 from 11 to 2 p.m.
            According to Barbara Conn, M.S.N., associate professor, nursing, director for the center for semester transition, posters and presentations will be provided by AD and RN-BSN students at SSU. Displays and nursing opportunities will be offered by recruiters and representatives from SOMC, KDMC and the Ohio Nurses Association.
            Continuing education credit will be awarded to registered nurses who present or participate in the event.
            According to Bureau of Labor Statistics projections, nursing careers top the list of occupations with the largest projected job growth from 2002-2012. At this moment, there is a serious nursing shortage in the U.S. Despite the hard work involved in the profession, students are excited about the career.
            “It’s just something I have always wanted to do,” said Erin Mulholland, a second year nursing student at SSU. “I like to help people. There’s job security and the salary is good. Your opportunities are endless. You are not stuck in one spot.”
            The theme for 2007 is “Nursing: A Profession and a Passion.”
            National Nurses’ Week is celebrated annually from May 6, National Nurses’ Day, through May 12, the birthday of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing.
            The American Nurses Association, founded in 1896, supports and promotes the profession of nursing and the 2.9 million registered nurses in the United States.
            For more information, contact Conn at (740) 351-3109 or at bconn@shawnee.edu.

 (Photo by Chris Dunham)

            The regional Ohio Academic Competition was held on the campus of Shawnee State University on Saturday, April 28th. Twelve teams from around the state competed. Upper Arlington High school came in first with Fisher Catholic High School from Lancaster, Ohio coming in second. The Upper Arlington team consisted of Zach Kloos, Alex Masheter, David Saalfeld, Xin Yu, Stacey Maheras and Kelly Epstein.

(Article by Rebecca Cox, communications specialist)

            Are you extremely busy, but don’t feel things are getting done? Is your desk and office piled and cluttered? For the second year, the Shawnee State University Office of Business & Industry Training will hold a seminar, “Getting Things Done: Setting Goals and Priorities,” a personal organization and productivity seminar on Friday, May 11 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Advanced Technology Center, room 132.
            Seminar instructor Dave Beam has been helping businesses overcome challenges for 18 years. He is the owner and operator of ACTION International business coaching franchise.
            Brenda Covert, manager, Business & Industry Training, went to the seminar last year.
            “It was very helpful. I was able to actually come back to my office and organize the piles of information on my desk,” said Covert. “He teaches you how to delegate and how to defer the items that you can’t get to right as they come in the door.”
            The seminar is based on proven personal effectiveness and productivity principles espoused by Steven Covey, author of Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, and David Allen, author of Getting Things Done.
            Cost is $149 per person. Lunch will be served.
            For more information, download a complete brochure at:   http://www.shawnee.edu.off/uos/bie/shedule.html.
 

(Photo by Monica J. Bradbury, communications specialist)

            AmeriCorps/AppalCORPS members gathered to distribute more than 2000 books purchased or collected during their annual book drive. Nearly $2,100 was also raised to purchase books. AmeriCorps members provide reading tutoring services in seven local schools and distribute books to young children to encourage reading in the home by giving books to students.
            The AmeriCorps members include (left to right) Amy Bianco (Notre Dame), Charity Nagel (Northwest Elementary), Roshell Caudill (Portsmouth Elementary), Jessica Thompson (Northwest Elementary), Nora Carver (Portsmouth East Elementary), Claire Miller (Wheelersburg Elementary), Priscilla Wright (Rosemount Elementary), Kendra Wasch (Stanton Elementary), Tracy Campbell (Portsmouth Elementary), Brenda Thompson (Portsmouth West Elementary), and Meagan Rhea (Portsmouth West Elementary).

(Article by Monica J. Bradbury, communications specialist)

            When one door closes, another one always opens. Steve Midkiff, Ph.D., has been Shawnee State’s registrar for more than 20 years.
            For several months, Midkiff has been both the registrar and part-time institutional research director. As of May 7, he will retire as registrar and assume full-time the position of director of institutional research.
            Midkiff is currently both the registrar and part-time director of institutional research at SSU — but as of Monday, May 7, he will focus on his role as director of institutional research.
            “One of the fastest growing responsibilities in higher education has been reporting assessment — the accountability of the institutions, particularly at the federal level, but also at the state level,” said Midkiff. “It’s expanded beyond what I can do in my part-time position.”
            Midkiff is still learning about his newly-created position and about the responsibilities that are still being outlined.
            “Some of my duties will be assessment, which is evaluating programs, looking at potential programs, helping with such projects as the president’s initiative, the “’Shawnee 20/20’,” Midkiff said. “A major portion of the job is reporting to state, federal and other agencies, as well as doing internal reporting of a variety of statistics. As an institution, we have to submit the enrollment information, graduation rates and use of financial aid.”
            Midkiff will work closely with Dave Todt, associate provost and director of institutional planning.
            “Shawnee State is very fortunate to have an individual of Dr. Steve Midkiff's caliber to be the first full-time director of institutional research,” Todt said. “Shawnee State is committed to using information and data to make improvements as part of the Academic Quality Improvement Program. Dr. Midkiff knows higher education data and the requirements at both the state and federal level to report data. His leadership will be important in elevating Shawnee State’s use of information to make good decisions that will benefit student learning at the institution.”
            Midkiff said other offices on campus will provide the office of institutional research with information needed for the reports, but he will coordinate the efforts to make sure the reporting is completed.
            In 1975, Midkiff began his career at Shawnee State as an adjunct faculty member teaching psychology. He became a full-time employee in 1984, working as the director of records, which later became the registrar.
            Midkiff holds a Bachelor of Arts in education from the University of Kentucky, a degree of Master of Education from Harvard University and a doctorate from Ohio University.
            After establishing the new position, creating the office and framework with which the position will run, Midkiff plans to retire next summer.
            “I hope to get the office created, the staff set up, procedures and policies in place — there’s a lot of that stuff that doesn’t exist yet,” he said. “We’re working with a consulting firm that is providing us with information about the best practices. They’re preparing a report for us now that we hope will guide us in the design of the office, what type of staffing is needed, what type of funding should support it — a lot of details we hope to get in place.”
            Midkiff and wife, Tess Midkiff, director of SSU’s Clark Memorial Library, have a daughter, Lindsay, who is a librarian at Miami University in Ohio, and a son, James, who graduates from the University of Kentucky on May 6 – the last day of Midkiff’s tenure as registrar.
 

(Photos and Cutline by Monica J. Bradbury, communications specialist)

Photo 1: Rich Hawk, SSU UIS employee and father of Sam Hawk, encourages children in the sack race while Madeline’s father, Jeff Queen, and Hayden’s father, Jeremy Wasch coach from the sidelines.

Photo 2: Cortney Collier runs the bases while Gabe’s dad, Coach Tyler Conley, looks on.


            Nearly 25 dads and 12 moms participated in “Dad’s Day at the Field” with students from the Dr. Miller and Genevieve Toombs’ Children’s Learning Center at Shawnee State University.
            The May 2 event was a modification of the former spring track and field meet the Toombs CLC has hosted in previous years.
            The children participated in sack races, t-ball, broad jumping, bean bag toss, football toss, soccer and a ladder run.
            “We extended this as a family involvement activity to connect our children to the dads in their lives,” said Cindy Ferguson, director of the Toombs CLC. “Children being raised by a single mom often have very few male role models and the majority of early childhood educators are women. We created an opportunity for everyone to work with dads for a day.”
            In addition to having fun, Toombs CLC educators were also able to assess the children’s developmental skills. According to Ferguson, nearly 50 of the children will be entering kindergarten this fall and the developmental assessments will be part of their entrance requirements.
            “This was our first ‘Dad’s Day at the Field,’ but it won’t be our last,” Ferguson said. “We had a wonderful turnout of fathers and mothers, making it a rich day indeed. At the conclusion of the events, there was a medaling circle where every child received a gold medal. When their names were individually called and they entered the medaling circle, if a child had a dad ‘coach’ or mom ‘cheerleader’ with them, the child placed a gold medal on their parent.”
            For more information, contact Ferguson at (740) 351-3188.

 (Article by Mistie Cook Spicer, communications coordinator)

            While most people were preparing for the holiday season last November, SSU history professor, John Lorentz, Ph.D. was unveiling his new book, the “Historical Dictionary of Iran,” at a major national conference in Boston on the Middle East.
            “It’s a comprehensive, nearly 500 page book which covers the entire spread of Iranian history, which is very deep and rich and goes back nearly 3,000 years,” Lorentz said. “The primary focus of the book is on the 19th and 20th centuries. There is a lot of contemporary history.”
            The book was published by Rowman and Littlefield under one of their imprints called Scarecrow Press.
            “It’s organized like a dictionary. Entries are in alphabetical order and run about a page. Each entry is complete within itself,” Lorentz explained.
            Entries include, “The Film Industry in Iran,” and another entry on “Women in Iran,” among others .Lorentz organized the book in this manner so if people had a quick question about Iran they would be able to easily find the answer.
            “This was a very difficult book to write mainly because Iranian history is incredibly rich and deep,” Lorentz said. “I had a limited number of pages. To distill it down and organize it in this fashion I had to make all sorts of choices.”
            One of those decisions was to make sure that Lorentz had a book that was accessible to the general public but also useful to someone who wanted to go deeper into a particular subject.
            “To balance those two demands between writing a book that was academically sound and yet make it accessible to the general audience who know nothing about Iran was a very difficult task, but I’m very pleased with the outcome,” he said.
            Lorentz is an expert on the Middle East, especially Iran where he spent a total of four years between 1962 and 1976. Lorentz worked in the Peace Corps in Iran and also did some part-time teaching at the University of Tehran.
            The “Historical Dictionary of Iran” is available at the SSU bookstore and Amazon.com. The list price for the book is $99. It is available on Amazon for $67.
            Book-signings are currently being planned for Lorentz’s book at the SSU book store as well as other locations.

(Article by Rebecca Cox, communications specialist)

            Are you extremely busy, but don’t feel things are getting done? Is your desk and office piled and cluttered? For the second year, the Shawnee State University Office of Business & Industry Training will hold a seminar, “Getting Things Done: Setting Goals and Priorities,” a personal organization and productivity seminar on Friday, May 11 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Advanced Technology Center, room 132.
            Seminar instructor Dave Beam has been helping businesses overcome challenges for 18 years. He is the owner and operator of ACTION International business coaching franchise.
            Brenda Covert, manager, Business & Industry Training, went to the seminar last year.
            “It was very helpful. I was able to actually come back to my office and organize the piles of information on my desk,” said Covert. “He teaches you how to delegate and how to defer the items that you can’t get to right as they come in the door.”
            The seminar is based on proven personal effectiveness and productivity principles espoused by Steven Covey, author of Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, and David Allen, author of Getting Things Done.
            Cost is $149 per person. Lunch will be served.
            For more information, download a complete brochure at: http://www.shawnee.edu.off/uos/bie/shedule.html or please call 740.351.3171 or toll free at 866.672.8778.

(Article by Monica J. Bradbury, communications specialist)

            Eric Goodman, Shawnee State University alum, may be on his way to becoming a published novelist.
            Goodman’s novel-in-series, “TRACKS” is one of the semi-finalists in a contest sponsored by Simon and Schuster and Gaither.com, which is becoming known as an “American Idol” for writers. Simon and Schuster is one of the top three publishing companies in the world.
            “TRACKS” is a novel in stories, set in Baltimore, the same city in which Goodman resides. The stories take place on an Amtrak train that travels from Baltimore to Chicago. Each story is told from the point of view of a passenger on the Amtrak train. Each story of “TRACKS” stands alone but they connect to form a complete novel. A secondary character in one story becomes the central character in the next.
            “I like to set my stories and novels in familiar places,” Goodman said. “I’ve lived in Baltimore for seven years and expect to stay here a long time. I’ve put some characters in downtown Baltimore, the harbor area, Federal Hill, Fells Point, East Baltimore, Towson, Owings Mills, all over the place. There’s a bit of Chicago in ‘TRACKS,’ too. But most of these characters are from Baltimore.”
            Goodman is a full-time writer in the Baltimore-DC area and writes mostly government and corporate media material for a living. He writes fiction in his free time.
             Readers from around the world read, rated and commented on the second chapters of the final 20 entries. By advancing to round two, Goodman’s “TRACKS” was among a group of 20 individuals out of a total of 2,676 manuscripts received.
            Though he was not one of the 10 semi-finalists who advanced to the final round, he is excited about the attention he received.
            “Making it to round two was a way of rising above America's slush pile to be in the top half percent of fiction submitted,” Goodman said. “Now, I expect finding an agent or publisher will be easier due to this success.”
            While a student at SSU in the mid-ninetieis, Goodman was a presidential honors scholar who traveled to Nizhniy Novgorod, Russia as an ambassador for the university.
            Goodman was also an assistant editor for the student newspaper, The Chronicle. He majored in social science with a focus on sociology and a minor in English.
            “I have fond memories of my years at Shawnee State,” Goodman said. “I remember the literature courses of Dr. Holt, and the history courses of Dr. Mirabello — many fond memories, but better left to fictionalized accounts!”
            Goodman published a story in The Baltimore Review and took third place in the Maryland Writers’ Associations’ short fiction contest. Last year he read from his work at the Baltimore Book Festival at the historic Patterson Theater. He has also published short fiction and non-fiction in The Washington Post, The Federal Voice, On Stage Magazine, Coliquio, and a number of other publications.
            Goodman has been writing fiction since grade school and always wanted to be a writer. He majored in social sciences because he thought it would help him understand character motivation and develop story ideas. He has also worked as a reporter for a Navy base newspaper and was editor of four newspapers, two in high school and two at two different colleges.
            Goodman lives with his wife of 13 years and their 9-year-old daughter and 2-year-old son.
            Goodman may not have advanced in the competition but he already shares a distinction with famous writers — he was invited to read from “TRACKS” on NPR on May 4.

(Photo and Cutline by Monica J. Bradbury, communications specialist)

            To celebrate National Nurses Week, nearly 35 nursing students at Shawnee State University presented posters on May 7 in the Vern Riffe Center for the Arts.

Pictured are: Sarah Myers, a first year student from Wheelersburg, Ohio; Britanni Yerardi, a first year student from McDermott, Ohio; and Erin Mulholland, a second year student originally from Columbus, Ohio. These students are in the associate’s program.

To news directors, editors, producers, and reporters:

            Shawnee State University officials and a delegation from South China Normal University will participate in a ceremony during which they will sign an historic faculty and student exchange agreement. The signing will take place at 11 a.m. in the Shawnee State University board room in the Clark Library.
            The agreement, the first of its kind in Ohio, will provide Shawnee State education students with the opportunity to complete their student teaching requirement at a school in China.

(Article by Monica J. Bradbury, communications specialist)

            Not only interested in shaping the future of academic education, Shawnee State University is also concerned about the environmental education children are receiving. On May 18 Shawnee State is hosting Environmental Education Day for local sixth grade students.
            The event takes place from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on the green between the parking lots across from the SSU University Center.
            This will be the third year this event has been held.
            Jon Bedick, Ph.D., assistant professor of biology and advisor for the Environmental Club at SSU, believes Environmental Education Day is a very important tool to shape the future.
            “Many of the most pressing problems of our time are environmental, including global warming, species extinctions, oil spills, recycling, energy and deforestation, among others,” he said. “An informed public is imperative so people can make a reasoned decision.”
            The environmental fair is geared toward area sixth-grade students, including Scioto and Pike County in Ohio and Greenup County, Ky. Presenters include community organization representatives, SSU students and faculty, as well as faculty and staff from nearby universities. This year, SSU will welcome The Ohio State University, the Scioto Soil and Water Conservation District, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and Marshall University, among other businesses and organizations.
            Logan Minter, SSU senior and president of the Environmental Club, is presenting students with information about invertebrate defenses or invasive exotic species, such as gypsy moths and emerald ash borers. An emerald ash borer is an exotic beetle discovered in southeastern Michigan near Detroit. The beetle is also indigenous to Ohio. The gypsy moth is a serious threat to some of North America's deciduous trees including maples, oaks and elms.
            “Really, the only way the environment can change is if the future changes,” Minter explained. “The best way to get the future to change is to get involved in kids, teach them about what’s happening and give them ways to make the world a better place.”
            According to Minter, 500 to 700 students have attended in the past with 100 presenters and volunteers. Typically, there are nearly 25 exhibits for students to enjoy. Some exhibits include logging — good and bad types of logging, plant adaptations, evasive insects, disturbance in plant communities and acid rain.
            Minter hopes the event inspires and motivates students.
            “We like to think so, we hope so,” he said. “When the students get to be about 18, 19, at the college age and voting age — that’s about the time they’re predicting a lot of these environmental problems to be really at the forefront. We hope the kids can recognize at an early age they can identify these problems and help, basically as far as what they want to do in the legal realm (voting), what they want to do in their personal realm (recycling) and things like that.”
            For any more information or to provide assistance for this event, contact Logan Minter at ssu_eclub@yahoo.com or Jon Bedick at (740) 351-3469.

(Article by Monica J. Bradbury, communications specialist)

            Undergraduate college students are asked to submit projects in the classroom everyday, but only a few become the exceptional research projects worthy of presentation at Shawnee State University’s Celebration of Scholarship, the third annual undergraduate conference on May 17 at SSU.
            While other universities have participated in the past, this year the Celebration of Scholarship will be exclusively for Shawnee State students.
            “It’s an all-day celebration of Shawnee State students’ scholarship,” said Shannon Lawson, M.A.T., assistant professor of English at SSU and co-chair for the Celebration of Scholarship committee. “We have three breakout sessions and there are several presentations offered at these times. Students and participants can pick which ones they want to attend. We have seven to eight sessions going concurrently. You have to pick and choose what you want to see, what you want to hear about.”
            The event lasts from 9-3:30 p.m. Oral presentations will begin at 9 a.m., followed by welcoming remarks by SSU President Dr. Rita Rice Morris. At 10:15, the invited guest, Jennifer Pauley-Gose, Ph.D., will speak for an hour on “How do I get there from here? Graduate Writing Groups, Authority, and the Process of Creating Scholarship.” There will be a campus cookout from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in front of Massie Hall (weather permitting). At noon, the first poster and oral presentations session will begin, followed by another session at 1 p.m. The keynote speaker, Kendra McSweeney, Ph.D., will present “Last stands in the rainforest conservationists, native people, and the fate of biodiversity in Latin America” from 2 to 3 p.m. The event will end with the awarding of door prizes from 3:10 to 3:30 p.m.
            The Celebration of Scholarship committee chose Dr. Jennifer Pauley-Gost as the invited guest and Dr. Kendra McSweeney as their keynote speaker.
            “We wanted to try to bring someone who has done research in a science area and one in a humanities area,” Lawson said. “Pauley-Gost is a graduate of SSU and currently the interim director of the Writing Center at Ohio University. She’s going to talk about how one selects a field of study for a Ph.D. She’s also been involved in interesting writing groups.”
            When Pauley-Gost was working on her Ph.D., she grouped with other candidates to discuss the challenges they faced. Eventually this group became more formalized. When she finished her Ph.D., she became a facilitator for other candidates at Ohio University.
            McSweeney is more of a traditional scientist, Lawson said. McSweeney has completed field research in Latin America and she’s going to share that experience with the Shawnee State community.
            “I think she’ll appeal to students who are interested in the natural sciences or are interested in travel or interested in other cultures,” Lawson said. “I think she’s bringing slides, so we’ll get to see some pictures.”

            A sample of the oral presentations titles includes:

            · “Modern Slavery”;

            · “The Many Faces of Roman Portraiture”;

            · “Science Fiction or Science Face: The Evidence of Global Warming”;

            · “AIDS in Africa: A Case for Support”;

            · “Femininity and the Self-Portrait: Examining Ourselves”;

            · “Poetry in Middle School”;

            · “Various Elements of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice”; and

            · “Mate Selection.”

            “Each student had a faculty mentor who was willing to work with them to prepare the presentation,” Lawson said. “Students weren’t required to go out and do a whole new presentation. They could take something that they’ve done for a class and use that as the basis for their presentation.”
            Shawnee State’s Celebration of Scholarship is sponsored by USEC, Churchill and Mary Hodges, and the Deans of the College of Arts and Sciences and the College of Professional Studies and the Provost.
            For more information, contact Scott Douthat, co-chair for the Celebration of Scholarship committee at (740) 351-3620.

 Shawnee State University and South China Normal University sign faculty and student exchange agreement
(Ohio’s newest public university teams up with South China Normal University in one of the world’s oldest countries for a novel faculty and student exchange program.)

PHOTO CUT LINE: Professor Hu Zhongping, Dean, College of Educational Faculty, South China Normal University, looks on as Shawnee State University President Rita Rice Morris signs a faculty and student exchange agreement between the two universities.


            Officials from Shawnee State University and South China Normal University today signed an historic agreement that will provide for the exchange of faculty and students who will have the opportunity to immerse themselves in another culture while continuing their academic endeavors.
            “What makes this agreement so unique is the array of options provided to Shawnee State students and faculty members,” said Shawnee State University President Rita Rice Morris. “We wanted to provide as many individuals as possible with the chance to have an extended stay in China while being able to pursue their academic or professional activities.”
            Shawnee State students will have the opportunity to take courses at SCNU in English or Chinese, and, in a first for Ohio, education students will be able to fulfill their student teaching requirements in China under the guidance of a Chinese mentor. The students will teach subjects as they would in Ohio, for Chinese children who have enrolled in courses taught in English.
            Faculty members will be able to teach, present lectures or collaborate on research with Chinese colleagues.
            South China Normal University is located in Guangzhou. About 50,000 students attend the university, which has 16 colleges and 7 departments. Its education sciences department have a particularly strong international reputation.
            Attending the ceremony representing SCNU were:
            Prof. Hu Zhongping, Dean, College of Educational Faculty
            Prof. Huang Fuquan, Dean of Dept. of Curriculum and Instruction
            Prof. Qiang Haiyan, Dept. of Curriculum and Instruction
            Prof. Liu Zhaohui, Dept. of Curriculum and Instruction
            Michael Field, Shawnee State vice president for academic affairs and provost, Paul Madden, chair of the education department, and John Lorentz, director of Shawnee State’s Center for International Programs and Activities, all participated noted the special experiences the exchange will offer.
            “Traveling abroad is great, but having the opportunity actually to work in another country, be it studying or teaching, provides insights and perspective unavailable to a typical tourist,” said Field. “We want as many members of the Shawnee State community to go to China and come back with experiences that will benefit them professionally and as members of the global community.”
            Also in attendance at the signing ceremony were Matthew Colopy, Governor Strickland’s Advisor on Global Relations, and Eric Calvert, Assistant Director for International Education, Ohio Department of Education.
            While in Portsmouth, the SCNU delegation will tour the world-famous Portsmouth murals, and dine at the Shawnee State Park Lodge.
 

            Barbara D. Miller, President of the Ohio Children’s Foundation, will address the Shawnee State University class of 2007, and will discuss “Beyond the degree - giving back to your world.” Commencement will take place on Saturday, June 16, at 10 a.m., on the Alumni Green.
            “I am honored and excited about being asked to speak,” Miller said.
            The Ohio Children's Foundation is a grant-making charity that has awarded more than $7 million to hundreds of organizations working to enhance the lives of children and their families.
            Childhood issues have formed the basis for much of Miller’s work, both professionally and as a volunteer. She founded VOICES for Children and Families in 1997, a nonprofit organization addressing a wide variety of children’s issues.
            Miller said improving the lives of children through policy and philanthropy has been her greatest accomplishment.
            Beginning her career in New Jersey, she was the first executive director of the New Jersey Children’s Trust Fund.
            Securing sizeable contributions to education comprises a considerable amount of Miller’s work. She led a 60-member coalition of representatives from child-serving agencies and public schools that established Pre-K Partners, a school-readiness initiative which has impacted nearly 25,000 kindergartners and their families over the last four years.
            Miller has been an active member of numerous nonprofit boards, including the Caring Program for Children, Cities in Schools of Columbus, Columbus State Community College Development Foundation and the Central Ohio Breathing Association.
            Her volunteer work earned Miller the President’s Award from the Junior League of Columbus in 1995.
            Miller is also involved in projects for the betterment of her community. She raised more than $2 million in public and private funds for school-readiness programs in six school districts in Franklin County.
            516 students petitioned to graduate this year, said Becky Herpy, records technician, Office of the Registrar, with 252 receiving a bachelor’s degree and nine receiving an associate’s degree in Arts and Sciences. Another 139 will receive a bachelor’s degree and 115 will receive an associate’s degree in professional studies. One student, SSU’s first, will receive a master’s degree, in Occupational Therapy.