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In the 2009 edition of U.S. News & World Report's "America's Best Colleges," Otterbein earned the ninth highest peer assessment (academic reputation) score in the Universities-Master's (Midwest) category and earned the 15th highest overall score among its 140 peers. This was Otterbein's second year in the Universities-Master's (Midwest) category. Otterbein consistently ranked in the top 10 of its previous category, Comprehensive Colleges (Midwest). Otterbein competed with 140 colleges from Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa and Missouri for this honor. Some peers in the category include Butler, Drake and Xavier Universities.
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From nursing home to residence hall, the renovated building at 25 W. Home St., Westerville, became home to 200 students as they movde back to campus Sept. 13-14, 2008. The three-story, 56,000 square feet building located next to Hanby Hall was purchased by the College in spring 2007 and includes office space designated as the new home for the Office of Business Affairs. During the $4.5 million, 6-month renovation, waste from the original building was recycled, including metals from throughout the building and stainless steel kitchen fixtures. In addition, easily-replaceable ceiling and carpet tiles made from recycled materials were installed. The residence hall was furnished with wood furniture built in Ohio by a family-owned business. In addition, by renovating an existing building, Otterbein expanded the campus in a way that is courteous to its neighbors.
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Otterbein inducted its inaugural class into its Athletic Hall of Fame during Homecoming on Oct. 18, 2008. The Athletic Department established the Hall of Fame to honor individuals who have made significant contributions to the success of the Otterbein athletic program, either as athletes or in supporting roles. Among the inaugural honorees are Bill Freeman '57, Joanne "Dean" Van Sant '70, Elmer "Bud" Yoest '53, Don Carlos '80, Jeff Gibbs '02, Elaine Gonya '92, Edwin "Dubbs" Roush '47, the 1933 men's basketball team, and the 1946 football team. Posthumously honored are Vida Clements 1901, Dorothy and Maurice "Mac" McVay, Marilyn Day '53, Dick Fishbaugh '83, Robert "Moe" Agler '48 and Dwight "Smokey" Ballenger '39.
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Sir Anthony Leggett, widely recognized world leader in the theory of low-temperature physics, discussed foundational questions of quantum mechanics in his lecture at Otterbein on Oct. 23. The Science Lecture Series was created in 1987. Through annual seminars, national leaders in science and technology share their insights about the future of scientific endeavor. Past lectures have included nanotechnology (2004), green chemistry (2003) and the origins of life (1990).The series is sponsored by the White Science Seminar Fund and coordinated by a committee, chaired by the Office of Academic Affairs, comprised of the Science Outreach Coordinator and representatives from the Science Division.
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Otterbein College senior Chelsea Merriman was awarded the 2008 Spirit of LASSIE Award, given by Learn and Serve America in Washington, D.C, in October 2008 Merriman, who received the award for her service program with the United Methodist Children's Home, was the first youth participant to receive this national honor. The Spirit of LASSIE award is presented each year at Learn and Serve's national meeting to honor a participant's long term commitment to the field of service-learning and special contributions to national service that go above and beyond Learn and Serve's expectations. When presenting the award, Learn and Serve America Director Amy Cohen said, "Merriman is a force at Otterbein for service and service-learning. She is also a voice for students in this arena."
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Otterbein College sophomore nursing major Danielle Fabian was awarded a Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Foundation Academic Service Entrepreneur Grant through Ohio Campus Compact in November 2008. The grant was used to implement her innovative community service program, Granola Girls, a health and wellness program that is designed to educate members of the Girl Scouts' Bonds Beyond Bars participating in Otterbein's Troop 1847 program on health issues facing teenage girls, and to unite them as a group of healthy girls who will educate their communities. The Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Partnership Foundation grant program recognizes the best academic service work of students, faculty and staff at universities and colleges as they partner with community groups and community agencies. The Carter Academic Service Entrepreneur grant is generously sponsored by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and invests in young "service entrepreneurs" based on their proposed contribution to the work of a community organization. For more information, visit www.jrcpf.org.
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Senior economics major Katie Johnson was the 2008 Wall Street Journal Student Achievement Award recipient for Otterbein College. The award is presented annually to recognize students who excel in academic achievement, leadership experience and entrepreneurial spirit, as selected by participating colleges or universities. She researched with Dr. Allen Prindle on behalf of the National Goldwater Association and participated in Otterbein's study abroad program to Maastricht University in The Netherlands during autumn 2007. The Wall Street Journal Student Achievement Award was established in 1948 by the Educational Service Bureau of Dow Jones. Each school that participates nominates one student every year for the award. Each recipient receives an engraved paperweight and a one-year subscription to The Wall Street Journal.
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Otterbein announced in December 2008 that Dr. Kathy A. Krendl, formerly the executive vice president and provost of Ohio University, would become the College's 20th president. Dr. Krendl is the first woman to lead Otterbein, a school with a rich history of inclusiveness. Otterbein was one of the first schools to admit women on an equal basis with men, and has admitted women to its full-time academic programs since its founding in 1847.
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The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching in Stanford, CA, classified Otterbein College as a "community-engaged university" in recognition of its "curricular engagement and outreach and partnerships” in December 2009. Only 51 private institutions in the United States were selected for the classification. The classification, used by the Carnegie Foundation to recognize quality colleges and universities, "represents a significant affirmation of the importance of community engagement in the agenda of higher education," Alexander McCormick, director of Carnegie's classification work, said in a statement.
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Otterbein College was recognized in the 2008-2009 Guide to Service-Learning Colleges & Universities. The Guide to Service-Learning Colleges and Universities is a resource for college-bound students wanting to make a difference in their communities through service while earning college credit. The guide offers insight to students on what service-learning is, how they can get involved and which colleges excel at service-learning. Otterbein was chosen for the guide because it demonstrates and maintains a robust service-learning program.
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The Otterbein College Signature Series welcomed the return of alumnus and Broadway choreographer Dan Knechtges to campus in February and March 2009. Dan visited classes, taught a masters class for students of local dance studios, gave a public convocation and oversaw rehearsals for his choreographed portion of Otterbein College Theatre's Dance Concert 2009: To Each His Own. He discussed his time at Otterbein and his most recent professional endeavors including choreographing Tony Award Winning 25th Annual Putnam Spelling Bee and Xanadu, now on national tour at a public convocation on Feb. 26.
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In spring 2009, the Otterbein Senate and Board of Trustees approved the reorganization of the College's academic department, creating three new schools and five new deans working under the Provost. The three schools are the School of Arts and Sciences, the School of Professional Studies and The Graduate School. Two additional deans oversee Academic Services, as well as University Programs.
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James Gurney, author and illustrator of the Dinotopia series will be visiting Otterbein for a talk titled "Dinotopia: Behind the Scenes" on April 5, 2009. Gurney is the best-selling author and illustrator of the Dinotopia book series and creator of more than seventy illustrated book covers. He has worked on assignment as a National Geographic artist and has illustrated 17 United States postage stamps. An accomplished, award-winning artist, Gurney is the recipient of many prestigious honors, including seven Chesley Awards from the Association of Fantasy Artists, two Hugo Awards from the World Science Fiction Convention, and Best of Show from the Art Director's Club. Gurney's art currently appears in museum exhibitions around the world.
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Dr. Richard Alley, a geologist at Pennsylvania State University, presented a lecture, Get Rich and Save the World-Or Else: Global Warming, Peak (Whale) Oil, and Our Future, at Otterbein on May 27 as the 2009 Vernon L. Pack Distinguished Lecturer. Alley also met with classes to discuss various topics including the role of energy, global warming science and climate change. A leading expert on the subject of climate change, Alley has served both nationally and internationally on advisory panels and steering committees, including chairing the National Research Council's Panel on Abrupt Climate Change and participating in the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. He has advised numerous governmental officials on environmental issues and has published more than 175 papers. His book, The Two-Mile Time Machine, won the Phi Beta Kappa Science Book Award in 2001. The Vernon L. Pack Scholar-in-Residence and Distinguished Lecture Series was established through a $1 million gift from alumnus Vernon L. Pack, a 1950 graduate of the College and resident of Westerville, Ohio.
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Otterbein College junior Justin Young, a double major in physics and mathematics, was awarded a Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship in April 2009. Goldwater Scholars are selected on the basis of academic merit from a field of mathematics, science and engineering students who were nominated by the faculties of colleges and universities nationwide. At Otterbein, Young conducted research with Dr. Brian Sell on the emergent properties of different sodium cobalt oxides.
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Otterbein dedicated the residence hall known as The Suites as C. Brent DeVore Hall in May 2009 for the 25-year president’s retirement in June 2009. The residence hall officially opened in fall of 2006 and is located in the heart of the campus, north of the Campus Center and east of Memorial Stadium. The $9.7 million, three-story, suite-style building houses 174 students. President DeVore served as president from 1984-2009.
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Otterbein earned the number 14 spot among Universities-Master's (Midwest) in the 2010 edition of America's Best Colleges by U.S. News Media Group. Otterbein competed with 146 colleges from Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa and Missouri for this honor. Peer institutions include Butler, Drake and Xavier Universities.
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Terry Hermsen, professor of poetry, composition and literature in the Department of English at Otterbein, was been named co-Poet of the Year in August 2009 for his book The River’s Daughter. Hermsen has participated in the Ohio Arts Council’s Artists in the Schools program, teaching in art galleries in Oberlin, Toledo and Cleveland, as well as teaching at the Columbus Museum of Art. He is the author of several collections of poetry, including Thirty Six Spokes: The Bicycle Poems, and with David Garrison edited the food-poem anthology Taste and See. He wrote the academic books Teaching Writing from a Writer's Point of View and Poetry of Place: Helping Students Write Their Worlds. Hermsen is completing a poetry residence in Chile. He resides in Delaware, Ohio.
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Otterbein officially dedicated its new Science Center, which underwent a $20 million renovation and addition, on Oct. 9, 2009. Over 200 donors made the facility possible. The 135-room complex includes a renovation of the existing facility and a 30,000 square foot addition on the south side of the building. The project began in June 2007 and was completed in February 2009. The facility also features a new greenhouse and an atrium. Accepting the keys to the Center were Otterbein students Anna Haller ’10, Troy Burton ’11 and Justin Young ’10.
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For Charles Darwin’s 200th birthday and the 150th anniversary of the publication of his On the Origin of Species, Otterbein invited Dr. Sean B. Carroll, widely recognized as the leading public voice of evolutionary science in the U.S. today, to discuss foundational questions of evolutionary biology in his lecture, Remarkable Creatures: Epic Adventures in the Search for the Origins of Species on Oct. 27, 2009. A fellow of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, Dr. Carroll is a professor of molecular biology and genetics and an investigator with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute at the University of Wisconsin. His research has centered on the genes that control animal body patterns and play major roles in the evolution of animal diversity. Major discoveries from his laboratory have been featured in TIME, US News & World Report, The New York Times, Discover and Natural History.
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Otterbein inaugurated its 20th president, Dr. Kathy A. Krendl, during a two-day celebration on Oct. 23 and 24, 2009. Dr. Krendl, the college’s first female president since its foundation in 1847, accepted the position on Dec. 5, 2008, and began her duties as president on July 1, 2009.
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Otterbein College senior Breanna Watzka was named Franklin County Volunteer of the Year in Income Development for her work with Colleges Against Cancer and Relay For Life. She received a Franklin County Recognition Award on Nov. 5, 2009. Watzka founded a chapter of Colleges Against Cancer at Otterbein in fall 2008 and chaired Otterbein’s first Relay For Life, which took place in May 2009. The event included 17 teams, 290 participants and raised a total of $14,542. In addition to working with ACS, Watzka served as president of the CardinalCorps Leaders, a group of scholarship students serving at Otterbein’s Center for Community Engagement. She also coordinated an afterschool program at Whittier Elementary School in Westerville. She graduated in June 2010 with a double major in public relations and journalism.
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Otterbein College creative writing professor Abhijat Joshi broke records as the screenwriter of the highest-grossing Bollywood film, which collected $52 million worldwide in its first 10 days in theaters in December 2009. The film, 3 Idiots, was released on Christmas day in India and internationally to rave reviews and overwhelming audience response. It tells the story of three students at a prestigious and highly competitive Indian engineering college, who struggle to find themselves in a dehumanizing environment. Joshi’s previous film, Munnabhai Meets Mahatma Gandhi, earned him the awards for Best Dialogue at the Global Indian Film Awards, Best Dialog at the Filmfare Awards and Best Screenplay at the National Film Awards in India. The film was credited with inspiring an entire generation of Indian youth to learn more about Gandhi and his values. Following the movie’s release, bookstores in India sold out of Gandhi’s works due to a 400 percent increase in the sale of literature about Gandhi. The film also inspired legislators of India’s ruling Congress party to bring Gandhi’s ideas to their policy-making considerations, recommending that all its workers should see this film. It was screened at the United Nations in New York City on Nov. 10, 2006, making it the first full-length Indian film ever to be screened at the UN.
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Former White House Press Secretary Dee Dee Myers spoke at Otterbein about Why Women Should Rule the World on Feb. 24 as the 2010 Pack Distinguished Lecturer. Myers served as White House press secretary under President Clinton from 1993-1994 and is a political analyst and commentator, contributing editor to Vanity Fair and author of Why Women Should Rule the World. Myers is an expert on the issues facing women in Washington and in leadership positions of all kinds and one of the top commentators on national elections, the players and the issues. Dee Dee Myers is the first woman and one of the youngest people ever to serve as White House press secretary. The Vernon L. Pack Scholar-in-Residence and Distinguished Lecture Series was established through a $1 million gift from alumnus Vernon L. Pack, a 1950 graduate of the College and resident of Westerville, Ohio.
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The Corporation for National and Community Service honored Otterbein College in February 2010 with a place on the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll with Distinction for outstanding service efforts. This is the fourth year Otterbein College has been recognized, and Otterbein was one of the first institutions to receive the additional honor the President’s Award for General Community Service through the 2007 Honor Roll program. Established in 2006, the Honor Roll’s Award with Distinction is one of the highest awards a school can achieve for its commitment to service-learning and civic engagement. Honorees for the award were selected based upon numerous factors including scope and innovativeness of service projects, percentage of student participation in service activities, incentives for service, and the extent to which the school offers academic service-learning courses.
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The Otterbein Writers Series hosted two events featuring poet Mark Doty, winner of the National Book Award and T.S. Eliot Prize: Inside the Writer’s Studio: A Conversation with Mark Doty on April 19, 2010, and A Thoughtful, Deepening Grace: A Reading by Mark Doty on April 20. Mark Doty, winner of the National Book Award in 2008 for Fire to Fire: New and Selected Poems, has over the last 20 years become one of the most beloved and respected writers of poetry and creative non-fiction in the United States. He is one of those rare poets who can receive standing ovations from hundreds at the Dodge Poetry Festival yet also garner the attention of scholars. He won the T.S. Eliot Prize in 1995—the first U.S. poet to do so.
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Otterbein College’s name is not the only thing that went back to its roots in 2010; Otterbein also celebrated its first Founders Day in over three decades in April. A variety of activities on April 24 and 25 will lead up to the institution’s official Founders Day on April 26. Activities included the Founders Day Spring Plunge, the Founders Day Donut Run and Scrap Day and the Founders Day Convocation.
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Otterbein College gave middle and high school students a reason to unplug their iPods and break away from texting in summer 2010. For the first time, Otterbein offered summer camps for students to learn how to build their own computer game, develop technical stage lighting and sound skills, create their own digital video story or expand their equine education! The four Otterbein Summer Camps were directed by Otterbein’s expert and dedicated faculty. Campers were exposed to innovative technology, creativity and fun. More importantly, they developed skills and interests vital to success in college.
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Otterbein College once again became Otterbein University on July 1, 2010. The Otterbein College Board of Trustees unanimously voted at its Feb. 6, 2010, meeting to change the name of Otterbein College to Otterbein University. The name reflects the increasing array of graduate and undergraduate programs offered at Otterbein and its future direction for growth through its strategic planning initiatives. Otterbein, founded in 1847 as Otterbein University of Ohio by the United Brethren Church, transitioned from university to college in 1917 as its leaders wanted "to call the school by its right name." At the time its programs were focused exclusively on undergraduate liberal arts. The cornerstone of Otterbein University still remains embedded in the front of Towers Hall built in 1872 on Grove Street.
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Otterbein University premiered at number seven on U.S. News & World Report’s “Up-and-Comers” list, which recognizes institutions that have recently made the most promising and innovative changes in the areas of academics, faculty, student life, campus or facilities, as determined by their peer institutions. The list is part of the annual guide to America’s Best Colleges, which was published in August 2010. Overall, Otterbein earned the number 16 spot among 146 schools in the Regional Universities (Midwest) category in the 2011 edition of America’s Best Colleges by U.S. News Media Group. Otterbein ranked fourth out of the 15 Ohio schools in its category, competing with schools from Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa and Missouri for this honor. Peer institutions include Butler, Drake and Xavier Universities.
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The Otterbein University Concert Choir, under the direction of Gayle Walker, toured China on its annual holiday tour, which took 56 students to the cities of Bejing, Tianjin and Xi’an in China, from Nov. 29-Dec. 10, 2010. To portray the American tradition of music to the Chinese audience, the program included American folk songs, African American spirituals and traditional holiday songs, which are a staple of the annual tour. The Choir performed at Tianjin University, the Children’s Palace in Beijing (a fine arts school), the Xi’an Music Conservatory, and on the Great Wall of China. Among the performances were two performance exchanges, in which Concert Choir will perform for Chinese choirs that in turn performed for their American counterpart. The tour itinerary included sightseeing visits to major historical sites including the Forbidden City in Beijing, the Terra Cotta Warriors of Xi’an, and the Temple of Heaven in Tianjin. Additionally, the Choir will attend a performance of the Beijing opera, be given introductory instruction in tai chi, tour a silk factory, take a rickshaw tour in Beijing, and visit a farming community outside of Xi’an. The Concert Choir tours every fall, and has been invited to perform at a number of prestigious locations on tour, including Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, St. Stephens Cathedral in Vienna, and St. Nicholas Church in Prague. Other tour locations have included Switzerland and Japan; as well as domestic locations including New York City, Boston, and Chicago.
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The Otterbein English Department hosted two events featuring Dr. Stephen Asma, author of Why I Am A Buddhist, On Monsters and The Gods Drink Whiskey, on Jan. 18 and 19, 2011. Dr. Asma is professor of philosophy at Columbia College in Chicago, where he holds the title of Distinguished Scholar. He frequently writes on topics involving both the humanities and sciences. His work has appeared in the Chicago Tribune, In These Times, the Skeptical Inquirer, and the Chronicle Review. He speaks regularly on Chicago Public Radio, and has been featured on BBC’s World News, Chicago Tonight, Oprah.com, and MTV. He was Visiting Professor at the Buddhist Institute in Phnom Penh, Kingdom of Cambodia in 2003. He has traveled and studied in Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Hong Kong, and Mainland China, and he lived in Shanghai China in 2005. In 2009, Asma became a Fellow of the LAS Research Group in Mind, Science and Culture at Columbia College. He is currently researching the connections between affective neuroscience and philosophy of mind.
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Classes began in spring 2011 for the first cohort class of Otterbein’s Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree. The Otterbein University DNP Program provides the opportunity for advanced practice nurses to become the most highly educated and qualified practitioners in their field. DNP graduates will be able to take nursing to new levels as clinical experts and innovative leaders capable of transforming nursing practice in the clinical setting, administration or academia on a local, national and even international level.
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The Otterbein University Signature Series hosted a performance by the Grammy Award-winning a cappella ensemble, Sweet Honey in the Rock, on March 11, 2011. Founded in 1973 at the D.C. Black Repertory Theater Company, Sweet Honey in the Rock is an ensemble of six African American women internationally known for their a cappella sounds of blues, spirituals, traditional gospel hymns, rap, reggae, African chants, hip hop, ancient lullabies, and jazz improvisation. Called “a national treasure” by First Lady Michelle Obama, Sweet Honey has performed at the White House and prestigious venues across the country. Sweet Honey won a Grammy Award for Best Traditional Folk Recording in 1989 for their version of Leadbelly’s Grey Goose and have been nominated for several other Grammy Awards, including one in 2008 for their latest release, Experience…101. They have been featured on NPR, PBS, and the Ken Burns epic documentary, The Civil War. The Otterbein University Signature Series was created to bring national and international artists and lecturers to Otterbein to share their experiences with Otterbein students, faculty and staff and the general public. The presenters also teach classes and interact with students and faculty during their visits. The Signature Series has previously featured renowned photographer Joel Meyerowitz and his exhibition of art from Ground Zero, a performance of the musical piece On the Transmigration of Souls by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer John Adams, independent filmmaker Gus Van Sant, and a performance by Grammy Award-winning musician Branford Marsalis featuring guest soloist Ellis Marsalis.
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Otterbein University’s 2011 Science Lecture Series featured University of California – Los Angeles (UCLA) astronomer, black hole expert and professor, Dr. Andrea M. Ghez, for a lecture titled The Galactic Center - Uncovering the Pulse of our Galaxy on April 16, 2011. The 2011 Science Lecture Series was presented in conjunction with the 120th annual meeting of the Ohio Academy of Science (OAS), which Otterbein hosted from April 15-16. Ghez is a professor of physics and astronomy at UCLA and is one of the world’s leading experts in observational astrophysics. She studies the birth and death of stars, and is currently collecting evidence of the existence and significance of a supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way. Ghez is the recipient of numerous honors and awards, including election to the National Academy of Sciences and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. She was named by Discover magazine as one of the top 20 scientists in the country under 40, who “have demonstrated once-in-a-generation insight” and “will likely change our fundamental understanding of the world and our place in it.” Her work also was selected by the journal Science as one of the top 10 science results for 2002. The Science Lecture Series was created in 1987 to bring national experts on topics at the forefront of scientific research to campus to educate and enrich science majors and non-majors alike. Past lectures have included Epic Adventures in the Search for the Origins of Species with Dr. Sean B. Carroll; Does the Everyday World Really Obey Quantum Mechanics? with Sir Anthony Leggett; and At the Crossroads of Science, Philosophy and the Arts with Dr. Alan Lightman. Speakers are chosen by a committee comprised of representatives from the departments of Chemistry, Equine Science, Psychology, Nursing, Physics and Astronomy, Life and Earth Sciences, and Mathematical and Computer Sciences. The Science Lecture Series is funded by the George W. and Mildred K. White Science Seminar Fund.
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Otterbein University hosted a lecture by 2011 Pack Distinguished Scholar-in-Residence and world-renowned artist Harrell Fletcher titled Re-evaluating the Role of an Artist in Society on April 14, 2011. Fletcher is a renowned visual and conceptual artist and recipient of the 2005 Alpert Award in Visual Arts. Fletcher has produced a variety of socially engaged collaborative and interdisciplinary projects since the early 1990s. His work has been shown all over the world, including exhibits in Paris, London, New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. In 2002 Fletcher started Learning To Love You More, an ongoing participatory web site with Miranda July. A hallmark of his work is to devise strategies for transforming the everyday experiences and objects of community residents into curated exhibitions.
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Otterbein University is the winner of the Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio (SWACO) EMERALDS Award in the environmental education category. Otterbein was announced as the winner of the award on May 17, 2011. Otterbein was recognized due to the importance of sustainability to the University. With sustainability as a core value of the university, Otterbein University has committed itself to practices that promote waste reduction, recycling and reuse. Evidence of the University’s commitment includes; metal recycling from ongoing construction on the campus, the composting of 18 tons of animal waste and bedding per week, installation of individual building electric meters to monitor usage, the weatherization of 23 campus buildings, and a Thrift Store designed to promote the reuse of unwanted items on the part of the University and Westerville communities. In addition, Otterbein networks and partners with several local green organizations and businesses to further sustainability efforts in the community. Otterbein’s efforts are led by Sustainability Coordinator Paul Baldridge.
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Otterbein University signed articulation agreements with six community colleges on May 19, 2011. Ohio Board of Regents Chancellor Jim Petro and AICUO President C. Todd Jones were in attendance. Now partnering with Otterbein are: Central Ohio Technical College, Clark State Community College, Marion Technical College, North Central State College, Southern State Community College and Zane State College. The agreement with Central Ohio Technical College encompasses its four campuses in Newark, Coshocton, Knox and Pataskala. The articulation agreements facilitate the smooth transition of students from these two-year community colleges to Otterbein's four-year degree programs. Over 120 current Otterbein students have taken advantage of the existing articulation agreement with Columbus State Community College.
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The results of a May 2011 baseline study on leadership in central Ohio uncovered an immediate opportunity to change the local economic landscape and make the area more business-friendly by increasing the numbers of women in key leadership positions. According to The Central Ohio Leadership Census (COL-Census) conducted by The Leadership Collaborative (The Institute on Women, Otterbein University, and WELD-Women for Economic and Leadership Development), the most striking gap in gender parity is in public companies, although the opportunity to improve financial results exists across the cross-section of public and private companies, governmental entities, academic institutions and non-profit organizations listed in the study. The COL-Census features data collected within the Columbus Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) from a variety of publicly available sources and lists local companies, organizations and institutions according to progress of women CEOs, women on boards and women executive officers. To see the full study, visit:
instituteonwomen.org.
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Otterbein University was named a finalist for the President’s Award for General Community Service in May 2011 as part of the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll through the Corporation for National and Community Service. Otterbein is the only school in Ohio to be honored as a finalist. This is the fifth year Otterbein has been recognized on the Honor Roll with Distinction. Otterbein was one of the first institutions to receive the additional honor of winning the President’s Award for General Community Service through the 2007 Honor Roll program.
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Otterbein University announces the appointment of Dr. Victoria McGillin as provost and vice president for academic affairs. She assumed her post on Aug, 1, 2011. McGillin served as the vice president for academic affairs and dean of the faculty at Linfield College in Oregon from 2008-2010. As the chief academic officer, she was responsible for all academic personnel and academic programs across two campuses and the Division of Continuing Education, including four academic divisions, the School of Nursing, over 45 on-campus majors and eight on-line majors. She previously held positions as associate provost at Texas Woman’s University; dean of studies, dean for academic advising and assistant provost at Wheaton College; and associate dean of the college and director of academic advising at Clark University. She has also taught psychology for over 30 years.
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Otterbein University hosted the Martin W. Essex School for the Gifted and Talented, a camp for 22 juniors and seniors from 10 area high schools, from June 19-25, 2011. The Essex School offers rising high school juniors and seniors opportunities for career exploration through a unique program comprised of classes, seminars and workshops on the arts, sciences and humanities. Taking place in multiple venues throughout Otterbein’s campus, the program encouraged social interaction and peer discussion so that students can be challenged intellectually and develop a better understanding of the role of their abilities and talents in their lives and in society. Participating students had the opportunity to earn college credit and a $1,000 scholarship to attend Otterbein.
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Otterbein University hired Ryan Brechbill as director of its Center for Career Planning. He started his new position on July 18, 2011. Brechbill previously worked in the Career Services Department at Denison University. There, he served as interim director from 2010 to the present and as associate director starting in 2002. Before Denison, Brechbill worked at Vanderbilt University and Bowling Green State University. He also served as the conference co-chair for the Midwest Associations of Colleges and Employers from 2004 to 2006.