Assistant Professor Dr. Shannon Lakanen receives Fulbright Award
Dr. Shannon Lakanen, Upper Arlington resident and assistant professor of English at Otterbein College, has been awarded a Fulbright Scholar grant to lecture at University of Montenegro in Fall 2009, according to the United States Department of State and the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board.
"It's a huge honor to be awarded the Fulbright. Montenegro is the world's newest fully-recognized independent nation, so it's extremely exciting to have the chance to work with students there," Lakanen said.
In the city of Podgorica, Lakanen will teach creative writing and American language and culture at the University of Montenegro from August through December of this year. Along with her son, Alex, she hopes to tour Eastern Europe on weekends.
Lakanen is one of approximately 1,100 U.S. faculty and professionals who will travel abroad through the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program.
The Fulbright Program, America's flagship international educational exchange program, is sponsored by the United States Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Since its establishment in 1946 under legislation introduced by the late Senator J. William Fulbright of Arkansas, the Fulbright Program has provided approximately 286,500 people - 108,160 Americans who have studied, taught, or researched abroad and 178,340 students, scholars and teachers from other countries who have engaged in similar activities in the United States - with the opportunity to observe each others' political, economic, educational and cultural institutions, to exchange ideas and to embark on joint ventures of importance to the general welfare of the world's inhabitants. The Program operates in over 155 countries worldwide.
Fulbright alumni have becomes heads of state, judges, ambassadors, cabinet ministers, CEOs, university presidents, journalists, artists, professors and teachers. They have been awarded 39 Nobel Prizes. Sine its inception more than 60 years ago, approximately 300,000 Fulbrighter scholars have participated in the program. For more information about the Fulbright Program or the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, visit http://fulbright.state.gov <http://fulbright.state.gov> .
Assistant Professor Janice Windborne works on award-winning documentary team
Janice Windborne, Columbus (43231) resident and assistant professor of communication at Otterbein College, was on the team that produced The Last Dance, a documentary that recently won Best of Show from the Broadcast Education Association and National Association of Broadcasters (BEA/NAB) in Las Vegas and Best Documentary at the Appalachian Film Festival in West Virginia.
The Last Dance is the story of world-renowned sculptor David Hostetler, an artist from Southeast Ohio who has been carving women for the last 60 years. In the documentary, he talks about his life and his relationship to women and to art and through his words, viewers gain both an understanding of what motivates the artist and of a period in American history. Hostetler's work is displayed in many of the world's most prestigious galleries and wealthiest homes, but the most prominent location is in front of Trump Tower in New York City.
"I did research, writing, arrangements for locations, promotion and some other tasks necessary to get the production going and to keep it in the appropriate public eye," said Windborne, who was the documentary's associate producer.
NAB is the largest professional organization of media professionals and pairs with media educators under the auspices of Broadcast Educators Association. The Last Dance achieved top honors over approximately 1,000 other submissions. One judge commented that the film "is worthy of a theatrical release and Oscar nomination. It tells a multi-leveled story and uses a beautifully-crafted visual aesthetic."
The Appalachian Film Festival is a yearly festival honoring works from individuals residing or attending school within the Appalachian region of the country, from New York to Georgia. Over 235 documentaries were judged on subject matter, appeal, direction and editing.
Dr. Joan Pryor-McCann
Dr. Joan Pryor-McCann, Columbus resident (43206) and professor of nursing at Otterbein College, recently was selected from a competitive pool to participate in the National Human Genome Research Institute's 2009 Summer Workshop in Genomics, sponsored by the National Institutes of Health and held at their health campus in Bethesda, Maryland, in August. As part of Dr. Pryor-McCann's selection, junior nursing major Lauren Shoemaker from Heath, OH, will accompany her for the weeklong workshop.
This intensive course is designed to update biology instructors, as well as other instructors and researchers in related disciplines, on genomic science. The course focuses on the continuing effort to find the genetic basis of various diseases and disorders, and current topics on the ethical, legal and social implications of genomics.
The Short Course faculty consists of leading NIH genomic researchers. The course features extended tours of working laboratories at the NIH, structured lectures, and highly interactive sessions.
The National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) led the National Institutes of Health's (NIH) contribution to the International Human Genome Project, which had as its primary goal the sequencing of the human genome. This project was successfully completed in April 2003. Now, the NHGRI's mission has expanded to encompass a broad range of studies aimed at understanding the structure and function of the human genome and its role in health and disease. To that end, NHGRI supports the training of investigators and the dissemination of genome information to the public and to health professionals.
Otterbein Student Chapter of Collegiate Middle Level Association selected for national leadership
The Otterbein College student chapter of the Collegiate Middle Level Association (CMLA) recently was named the National Officers of the national CMLA, overseeing all CMLA chapters throughout the country.
The current Otterbein and National CMLA leadership team include the following students: Chief Executive Officer Lauren Prossack of Hilliard, OH; Assistant Executive Officer Katie Ostendorf of West Chester, OH; Chief Communication Officer Katie Robinson of Circleville, OH; and Chief Business Officer David Mossbarger of Canton, OH.
OCMLA or Otterbein Collegiate Middle Level Association is an affiliate of the National Middle School Association (NMSA). The national Collegiate Middle Level Association was founded by John Swaim in 1989 and currently has 31 chapters. These 31 chapters represent a growing number of colleges and universities who are now preparing teachers to teach young adolescents in the middle grades (Ohio Middle Childhood Licensure includes grades 4-9).
OCMLA is a professional and social organization on campus for all middle childhood education majors. OCMLA hosts a variety of professional development opportunities as well as social events. Past events include a First Year Teacher Panel; a Children's Services speaker; a workshop at the William Sheridan Teacher store; and a team-building event at Vertical Adventures rock climbing. Upcoming events include a classroom management speaker and a resume workshop.
Otterbein College chapter of Public Relations Student Society of America wins award
The Otterbein College chapter of the Public Relations Students Society of America (PRSSA) was recently recognized by Donate Life Ohio through the Ohio Department of Health for its achievements in the Do It Now! College Challenge.
The goal of the statewide program is to register 240,000 new organ donors on the donor registry this year. With 17 public and private colleges across Ohio participating, the challenge reached this year's goal for the state.
Each participating institution set a goal to reach, and Otterbein was honored with an award of $500 for being "Closest to Goal" of the 17 institutions. The campaign leaders were students Erin Glaser of McMurray, PA, and Jeana Harrington of Sandusky, OH.
