LOCAL NEWS

Shaping Ohio's future

In an op-ed piece, University of Dayton President Daniel J. Curran argues that Ohio's candidates for governor are missing an important piece of the Ohio higher education equation if they discount the role the state's private universities play in educating Ohio's future workforce.

Op-Ed
By Daniel J. Curran
President, University of Dayton

(This op-ed appeared in the Dayton Daily News on Sept. 25, 2006.)

I applaud the effort of the Dayton Daily News and papers across the state to address key issues in the gubernatorial race. Ohio higher education is important to the state's future, but in a recent package of op-ed pieces missed an important piece of the equation — the role of private universities and colleges. Ohio's private schools annually award about 35 percent of all bachelor's degrees in the state.

As employers and lawmakers talk about the urgent need to recruit more students into science, engineering and math fields, Ohio's private institutions in 2004 conferred 54 percent of all bachelor's degrees in physics, nearly half in math and chemistry (49 percent, 48 percent respectively), 43 percent in computer science and 42 percent in biology. Cognizant of the need for Ohio students to be equipped to succeed in a global workplace, Ohio private universities granted 40 percent of all foreign language degrees in 2004.

On all campuses in the state, educators are talking about the need to enroll academically qualified, economically disadvantaged students. Ohio's private institutions enroll nearly equal percentages of these students when compared to public universities in the state. Ohio's private universities took the early lead in developing the new Ohio College Opportunity Grant that will help the state meet its goal of educating more Ohioans. Starting this fall, the new program offers two key benefits to needy Ohioans: a fairer analysis of student need which uses the same methodology as federal Pell Grants, as well as larger awards of financial aid.

Conversation needs to be refocused on harnessing all of the state's higher education resources - public and private - to increase the number of graduates and improve the state's economy. While Case Western Reserve University and Wilberforce University received nominal mentions in Sunday's editorial pieces, officials at these two prestigious private institutions would probably be the first to state that they represent only a fraction of the impact of Ohio's more than 50 private universities and colleges.

This is not an invitation or a call for a more regulatory role for all higher education in Ohio. Rather, it is a call to think beyond the state-run system when addressing higher education strategies and funding. To its credit, the state of Ohio, through the Third Frontier Program, has been doing just that by leveraging the research strengths of all Ohio's universities. The University of Dayton, nationally known for its research prowess, is a lead or partner on a number of these initiatives, many in partnership with public universities such as The Ohio State University, the University of Akron and Wright State University.

When Thomas Suddes, the Plain Dealer's former legislative reporter, writes about Ohio's three research institutions, he comes up a little short. Once Ohio's medical research is factored out, National Science Foundation publications confirm only Ohio State performs more scientific and engineering research than the University of Dayton. The University performs more than $70 million in sponsored research annually. In addition, the University of Dayton and Case Western have played a key role in the the redesign of the state's Innovation Incentive program, which is charged with enhancing economic growth through knowledge creation, especially sponsored research.

When Suddes recommends consolidating offerings - specifically merging Central State University and Wilberforce University - he misses the importance of the mission and the rich history of these two historically black institutions.

Ohio's universities collaborate in numerous ways. Most notably, the Dayton Area Graduate Studies Institute (DAGSI) leverages the faculty, equipment and curricular strengths of private and public schools along with the Air Force Institute of Technology to make Ohio a leader in graduate engineering education. Founded in 1994, DAGSI also helped keep military facilities and talent in Ohio during the recent Base Realignment and Closure hearings.

Unfortunately, too many higher education conversations focus solely on reducing the cost of higher education at Ohio's public universities. The conversation is consumed with how to increase state funding, gain academic and administrative efficiencies and reduce Ohio's average tuition. The affordability and accessibility of a college education are major concerns for families. However, we should not downplay the kinds of new strategies that will create a better competitive environment for attracting and retaining students, ensure that state funding follows student demand and develop an economic base to carry Ohio through the 21st century.

The newspaper articles focused on state schools where two-thirds of Ohio's college students study. Let's not be short-sighted by ignoring the role both public and private schools play in preparing students for Ohio's workplace.

Fusion

Poetry and piano, jazz and funk, Latin and African rhythms — even theatre and politics. Check out the 2006-2007 Art Series line-up.

Fusion is the focus of the University of Dayton's 2006-07 Arts Series, which will feature performances that explore new territory and create new sounds.

Tickets for individual performances are $14 for the public, $8 for UD faculty, staff and alumni, and $5 for students. For tickets, call the UD box office at 937-229-2545.

First up this season is Burnt Sugar: The Arkestra Chamber at 8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 30, in Kennedy Union Boll Theatre. The East Coast improvisational ensemble fuses jazz, R&B, funk and African rhythms and was founded in 1999 by former Dayton residents Greg Tate and Jared Nickerson. Burnt Sugar will also conduct a series of workshops with students from the University of Dayton and Stivers School for the Arts.

* MUSE, a 60-member women's choir from Cincinnati, will perform at 8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 19, in the Immaculate Conception Chapel. The group started in 1984 and performs gospel, folk, jazz, and blues. MUSE has produced three recordings, most recently Growing Into Our Roots in 2005.

* The Azmari Quartet, inspired by the Aramaic verb meaning “to sing,” will perform at 8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 4, in Boll Theatre. The string quartet of graduates of the Cleveland Institute of Music will explore the classical and contemporary sounds of the 20th century.

* Arm of the Sea Theatre, a mask and puppet theater group, takes the stage at 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 3, in Boll Theatre with “La Consecha” (The Harvest). The group includes themes such as immigrant workers, Native American practices, Greek tragedies and Jewish traditions. Performances are conducted in both English and Spanish and include live music.

* Oni Buchanan performs “Poetry in Piano” at 8 p.m. Friday, March 23, in Boll Theatre, celebrating the lyric works of such composers as Ravel, Scriabin and Liszt.

The University will also host the World Rhythms Series, presented in conjunction with Cityfolk. General admission tickets are $18; seniors, UD faculty, staff and alumni $16; students $9. Performances will be held in Boll Theatre and include:

* Aurelio Martinez
8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 16
Hailing from Honduras, Martinez blends the African and Latin acoustic roots of the Caribbean.

* Jean Paul Samputu and Ingeli
8 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 1
A master percussionist, Rwanda's Samputu sings in six different languages while serving up a rhythmic fusion of Rwandan dance music, soukous and Afro-beat.

* Kiran Ahluwalia
8 p.m. Wednesday, March 21
India's ancient art is reinvented by Ahluwalia, who specializes in both folk songs from the Punjab and ghazals, a form of sung poetry of Persian origin.

The series also includes a special event, the Hungarian State Folk Ensemble, at 8 p.m. Friday, March 2, at the Dayton Masonic Center. Based in Budapest, this ensemble dances in colorful, authentic costumes with an effect The New York Times calls “unreservedly brilliant.” For special event pricing and tickets, call Cityfolk at 937-496-3863.

Foot fetish

The tip of a gecko's toe holds the key to stronger adhesives. The National Science Foundation has awarded $1 million to the University of Dayton to investigate.

The tiny hairs on gecko feet that allow the lizards to walk across a ceiling like it’s a floor may be the answer to better, stronger adhesives used to hold together electronics, houses, and even planes.

Adhesives are a multibillion-dollar industry. The idea that what’s good for the gecko may be good for the industry has led to a rush of research aimed at mimicking the gecko’s glue. And the University of Dayton is set to be a leader in that research.

The National Science Foundation awarded UD $1 million over four years as lead institution for the Nanoscale Interdisciplinary Research Team, which will investigate the manipulation of carbon nanotubes to intensify the gecko’s adhesive properties.

Liming Dai, UD’s Wright Brothers Institute Endowed Chair in Nanomaterials and an authority on functional polymers and carbon nanotechnology, will lead the team, which includes researchers from the University of Akron, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and the Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.

“On gecko feet, there are hundreds of aligned sticky hairs used for gripping vertical surfaces,” Dai said. “If you look at carbon nanotubes under the electron microscope, they look similar to gecko feet.”

Carbon nanotubes are tiny, hollow tubes made of carbon atoms. They’re a millionth of a millimeter in diameter and exhibit unusual strength and unique electrical properties. With the NSF grant, the team hopes to discover nanotubes' sticky properties and modify the surface to change these properties depending on the application. For example, nanotube adhesives could seal packaging, bond airplane parts or adhere surveillance equipment to walls.

For more information, contact Linda Robertson at 937-229-3257.

September 26, 2006 in Miscellaneous | Permalink

September 20, 2006

Courage to change

Environmental movement's 'Norma Rae' opens a University of Dayton series on environmental issues.

A grassroots environmental activist who battled Gulf Coast corporate chemical polluters -- and won -- launches this year's Humanities Symposium and Philosophy Colloquium at the University of Dayton Oct. 11-14.

Keynote speakers on environmental philosophy and public policy, including one of the world's leading experts on regulatory policy, will examine environmental issues from a variety of perspectives.

All keynote lectures will be held in Sears Recital Hall in the Jesse Philips Humanities Center on campus and are free and open to the public. The schedule includes:

• Diane Wilson, 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 11
''The Courage to Change''

Wilson, author of An Unreasonable Woman: A True Story of Shrimpers, Politicos, Polluters and the Fight For Seadrift, Texas, opens the 2006 Humanities Symposium. A shrimp-boat captain and mother of five, Wilson fought Formosa Plastics' proposed expansion of its PVC manufacturing plant in her hometown in Calhoun County, Texas, which led the nation in toxic emissions. Her determination and the help of a pro bono lawyer and a Greenpeace activist led to a ''zero tolerance'' agreement for Formosa Plastics and Dow/Union Carbide. Her story is the subject of a 2001 short documentary, ''Diane Wilson, A Warrior's Tale,'' broadcast on s Lifetime Television special called ''Our Heroes, Ourselves."

UD's 32nd Richard R. Baker Colloquium in Philosophy will follow Oct. 12-14 and examine the theme ''Environmental Philosophy and the Duties of Citizenship." Keynote speakers are:

• Diane Wilson, 2:30 to 4 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 12

"A Conversation with Diane Wilson" will take place in room 470/472 in the Jesse Philips Humanities Center.

• Roger S. Gottlieb, 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 12
''The Spirit of Environmental Democracy''

Gottlieb is a professor of philosophy at Worcester Polytechnic Institute and author of the forthcoming A Greener Faith: Religious Environmentalism and our Planet's Future. He concentrates on the political, ethical and religious dimensions of the environmental crisis and the connections between religion and politics. His numerous works include This Sacred Earth: Religion, Nature, Environment and A Spirituality of Resistance: Finding a Peaceful Heart and Protecting the Earth.

• Carl F. Cranor, 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 13
"The Science Veil over Personal Injury Law''

One of the world's leading experts on regulatory policy and philosophical issues in science and law, Cranor is the author of Regulating Toxic Substances: A Philosophy of Science and the Law and Toxic Torts. Cranor, a professor of philosophy at the University of California, Riverside, with funding from the National Science Foundation, has published groundbreaking research on the use of scientific evidence in toxic tort law.

• Andrew Light, 9 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 14
''What Killed Environmentalism?"

Light, associate professor of philosophy and public affairs at the University of Washington, focuses on making environmental ethics more practical and applicable to environmental policy in order to solve environmental dilemmas. A prolific author and editor, he most recently published Environment and Values.

Additional presentations are scheduled throughout the colloquium on topics ranging from ecological citizenship to global warming and public policy. For the complete schedule, click here.

Both the Humanities Symposium and Philosophy Colloquium complement UD's new curricular experiments in community-based environmental research. Such experiments include a pilot course, undergraduate research on environmental sustainability, being team-taught this year by Humanities Fellows Dan Fouke, philosophy professor, and Sukh Sidhu, associate professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering and senior research engineer in UDRI's environmental engineering group.

Students will conduct research that responds to needs expressed by groups in the community. For example, the city of Dayton's environmental manager has asked some students to research how Dayton can reduce CO2 emissions, and a representative of BW Greenway has requested research on alternative farming practices.

Faculty have also received a grant from SENCER - Science Education for New Civic Engagements and Responsibilities - to implement a course for students in secondary education that focuses on understanding the Great Miami River's ecosystem and its social implications.

The philosophy colloquium is supported, in part, by a grant from the Ohio Humanities Council.

Contact Linda McKinley at 937-229-2933 or Linda McKinley or John Heitmann, alumni chair in humanities, at 937-229-2803.

September 20, 2006 in Speakers | Permalink

September 18, 2006

Taking Bill Gates' idea to market

Bill Neukom, the lawyer who guided Microsoft through many of its legal challenges, will be part of a School of Law event to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Wright brothers receiving a patent for their 'flying machine.'

M E D I A AD V I S O R Y

WHAT: A Century After the Airplane Patent: The Lawyer’s Role in Innovation
WHERE: Mathias H. Heck Courtroom, Keller Hall, UD School of Law
WHEN: 7-8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 5

Bill Neukom, the lawyer who guided Microsoft through many of its legal challenges, including the case against Apple Computer, will lead a panel discussion on the lawyer’s role in innovation. Neukom is the president-elect of the American Bar Association.

The event recognizes the 100th anniversary of Orville and Wilbur Wright receiving a patent for their “flying machine” and the lawyer’s role in assuring technological advances in society. The Wright brothers’ lawyer was Harry Toulmin of Springfield, Ohio.

The event is free and open to the public. Continuing legal education credit is available. Please contact Lee Ann Ross at 937-229-3793 or Lee_Ann.Ross@notes.dayton.edu for CLE registration.

Other panelists, who will discuss hardships of the patent process, include:

John Doll, patent commissioner, U.S. Patent and Trademark Office: Doll is responsible for all aspects of the patent-granting process for the United States, more than 5,000 employees and an annual budget of more than $970 million. Doll will cover the regulatory point of view.

Larry McKinney, judge, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana: Ronald Reagan appointed him to the seat vacated by William Steckler in 1987. Before that, McKinney served as a deputy Indiana attorney general and circuit judge in Johnson County, Ind. McKinney will provide a judge's view of what happens when problems surrounding technology reach the courts and the role of judges in dispute resolution.

Jesse Jenner, partner, Ropes and Gray: Jenner has been lead counsel in more than 100 lawsuits, representing both plaintiffs and defendants. Clients include Ford, Georgia Pacific, Lucent and Pitney Bowes. Ropes and Gray is the successor law firm to Toulmin’s practice. Jenner will discuss private intellectual property counsel's view of lawyers and innovation.

John Duffy, professor, George Washington University School of Law: A one-time clerk for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, Duffy is an author of a patent law casebook.

Also, the National Aviation Heritage Area will unveil a statue of Toulmin at 4:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 5, in Springfield. A flyover by the Wright B flyer highlights the ceremony. For more information on that event, call Dave Lightle at 937-477-1703.

The UD and George Washington University schools of law, the Aviation Heritage Foundation, the American Bar Association’s intellectual property and air and space law sections, the Federal Circuit Bar Association, Ropes & Gray and the Turner Foundation are sponsoring the UD event.

The Turner Foundation, with support from the National Aviation Heritage Area, will host the Springfield event.

For more information, contact Lisa Kloppenberg at 937-229-3795 or Lee Ann Ross at 937-229-3793.

September 18, 2006 in Speakers | Permalink

September 15, 2006

A little bit of everything for campus

Politics, law, church and state, stopping hate, and jamming and running for a cause among the topics and events during the next month and a half on campus.

AN INSIDE LOOK AT A LARGE WASHINGTON, D.C., LAW FIRM - Teddy Roosevelt's grandson and University of Pennsylvania law professor, Kermit Roosevelt, will speak from 12:30 to 1:15 p.m. Monday, Sept. 18, at the University of Dayton School of Law's Keller Hall. It is free and open to the public. Roosevelt will discuss his book - In the Shadow of the Law: A Novel - which is about lawyers in a Washington, D.C., law firm handling two major cases. Roosevelt specializes in constitutional law, federal jurisdiction and the conflict of laws.

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY ABOUT CHURCH AND STATE? - The Rev. James L. Heft, S.M., president of the Institute for Advanced Catholic Studies and the former UD professor of faith and culture, will address “Politics and Religion: The Catholic Contribution” at 3 p.m. Friday, Sept. 22, in the Sears Recital Hall on UD's campus. Heft will discuss the following topics. Do biblical texts support the separation of church and state? Won't the poor always be with us? What about the 54 Catholic democrats in Congress who recently explained their faith and politics? What did the June meeting of the Catholic bishops say about pro-choice Catholic politicians?

LAW SCHOOL TO CELEBRATE RED MASS SEPT. 24 - The UD School of Law and Catholic judges of the Dayton area will celebrate a Red Mass at 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 24, at UD's Immaculate Conception Chapel. Daniel Pilarczyk, archbishop of Cincinnati, will celebrate the Mass, which is open to the public. It will be the first time UD has hosted the Mass that legal professionals and academics nationwide hold annually to request guidance from the Holy Spirit for all who seek justice. Red Masses usually coincide with the opening of the U.S. Supreme Court on the first Monday in October. Members of Congress, the U.S. Supreme Court and other government officials have a Red Mass annually in the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle in Washington, D.C.

STOP HATE WEEK AT UD SEPT. 25-29 - In its second year, STOP HATE Week is designed to create awareness of bias and hate. The week also provides information about the availability of UD's Web site as a safe place to report incidents of bias and hate. Events during the week include movies with themes surrounding gender, race, sexual orientation and ethnicity - “North Country,” “A Day Without a Mexican,” “Hotel Rwanda,” “Transamerica” and “Crash” - and panel discussions and talks. A dialogue with students - “Who Do You Think I Am?” - will be at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 27, in ArtStreet Gallery Studio D. Journalist Helen Zia, who has covered Asian American communities, sexuality and social and political movement, will discuss “From 'Minority' to 'Majority,' Invisible to Envisioning: Diversity Challenges and Other Evils” at 8:30 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 28, in the Kennedy Union ballroom. Zia also wrote Asian American Dreams: The Emergence of an American People. Chris Duncan, chair of UD's political science department, will discuss “Pushing Bricks, Building Cathedrals and Stopping Hate: What's Love Got to Do with It?” at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 28, in the Kennedy Union ballroom.The week concludes with a Unity Mass at noon Friday, Sept. 29, at UD's Immaculate Conception Chapel. For more information, call Jessica Gonzalez at 937-229-3968.

10TH ANNUAL CONCERT AT UD WILL BENEFIT BREAST CANCER RESEARCH - Zeta Tau Alpha sorority will hold its FREEFAHL - Forever Reminding and Educating Every Female About Healthy Living - concert from 4:30-11 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 1, in the University of Dayton's Humanities Plaza. Tickets are $6 in advance and $7 the day of the event. The event is open to the public. “Chill and Grill” is this year's theme. Featured artists include Hayward Williams, Damn The Torpedoes, Matt Saggio, James Wade, Julie Roth, From Midnight On and Red Wanting Blue. All proceeds go to breast cancer education and awareness. For more information or to purchase tickets, e-mail ztafreefahl@yahoo.com, or call Erin Rickert at 262-442-3803 or Caitlin Boyle at 440-227-7074.

UD 5K RACE TO BENEFIT THE OTHER PLACE - The Frericks 5K starts at 10 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 28, which is during UD's Parents Weekend, in front of UD's Frericks Center. The race, which is run though UD's campus, costs $15 when registering before Oct. 20 and $20 if registering after Oct. 20. Early registrants will receive a race T-shirt. Runners can apply at http://www.keysports.net. It is open to the public. Everyone is encouraged to donate a pair sneakers for The Other Place, a local homeless shelter. Awards will be presented to the top male and female finishers in the following divisions: 10 and younger, 11-14, 15-19, 20-24, 25-29, 30-34, 35-39, 40-44, 45-49, 50-54, 55-59, 60-64, 65-69, 70-74 and 75 and older. Food and drinks will be provided after the race. For more information, contact Andrew Zeller at 513-379-6737.

September 15, 2006 in Music events, Speakers | Permalink

Entrepreneurship program ranked #5 in nation

The University of Dayton’s undergraduate and graduate entrepreneurial programs rank fifth and 16th respectively out of all programs in the nation, according to Entrepreneur magazine.

The magazine just released its list of the best colleges for students seeking an entrepreneurial program in its October issue, which hits newsstands on Sept. 26. The list, compiled in partnership with The Princeton Review, is an exclusive ranking of the 25 most exceptional undergraduate and graduate entrepreneur business programs in the country.

“More than 2,000 colleges and universities offer some form of entrepreneurial education each year,” said Patricia Meyers, dean of UD’s School of Business Administration. “Being in the top 25 for both our undergraduate and graduate programs is a great honor and strong testimony to our faculty's goal of fostering practical wisdom in UD students.”

A number of criteria were factored into the evaluations, including the entrepreneurial emphasis of the curriculum, mentoring, experiential learning, faculty credentials, and the success of graduating students and alumni. High-ranking schools, such as UD, also demonstrated a commitment to practical, hands-on experiential learning to provide the skills that translate into real-world business, according to Entrepreneur magazine and The Princeton Review.

UD’s entrepreneurship program started in 1999 with 10 students and enrolled a record 140 undergraduate entrepreneurship majors this fall. Flyer Enterprises, comprised of seven student-run businesses on campus, is now the fourth largest student-run college corporation in the nation, with more than $1.2 million in annual sales. UD offers an entrepreneurship concentration in its MBA program.

Robert Chelle, director of the Crotty Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership and Fifth Third Bank entrepreneur-in-residence at UD, started the program with more than 25 years of experience as an entrepreneur and believes strongly that entrepreneurship can be taught.

“Our challenging curriculum gives students the opportunity to examine, understand and implement most elements of entrepreneurial success,” Chelle said. “In fact, each of our undergraduate entrepreneurship majors have actually planned, started and harvested a for-profit company. Our graduates have the irreplaceable combination of judgment, enthusiasm, and skills necessary to create a new venture, whether it be in the boundaries of a large corporation or the four walls of a rented garage.”

UD’s entrepreneurship major is the fastest growing and most selective major in the business school with the average GPA of 3.3.

“Entrepreneurship courses at UD are taught by both Ph.Ds and actual entrepreneurs, which is part of the strength of our program,” said Dean McFarlin, chair of the management and marketing department and NCR professor of global leadership development. “It’s really an unbeatable combination. Our entrepreneurs bring in-the-trenches examples to students while our Ph.Ds — who are world-class researchers on entrepreneurship issues — show students how to connect theory to practice. And through the Crotty Advisory Council, local entrepreneurs act as mentors to the students.”

One of those entrepreneurs is community leader and alumnus L. William Crotty who has provided more than $3 million for the program. "It's no surprise that UD has achieved this honor,” Crotty said. “UD's mission is ‘learn, lead, serve’ and that is what entrepreneurs must do every day."

“Our students come with the notion that security is in self-reliance rather than depending on others for a livelihood,” Chelle said. “They leave here with the combination of opportunity recognition, ethical ways to conduct business and the strength to be an entrepreneur.”

The University of Dayton’s entrepreneurship program was named one of the top 10 entrepreneurship emphasis programs in the country in Entrepreneur magazine’s “Top 100 Entrepreneurial Colleges for 2005.” In 2004, Forbes.com and The Princeton Review selected UD as one of the country’s “most entrepreneurial campuses.” This fall, UD’s School of Business Administration is featured in The Princeton Review’s 2007 edition of its book, “Best 282 Business Schools.” For more information, go to Entrepreneur.com.

For more information, contact Robert Chelle at 937-229-2022, Patricia Meyers at 937-229-3731 or Dean McFarlin at 937-229-4928.

September 15, 2006 in Miscellaneous | Permalink

September 14, 2006

Extraordinary alumni

The University of Dayton will honor one of the nation's leading cancer researchers and the creator of the Bill of Rights Institute when it bestows the 2006 Alumni Awards.

The University of Dayton's National Alumni Association is honoring five alumni for their embodiment of UD's emphasis on learning, leadership and service.

''Whether it's serving students for more than 40 years from a solid spiritual base to reaching back to help the student organization you were an integral part of as a student to conducting nationally acclaimed cancer research, these Alumni Award winners truly personify the University of Dayton's motto of learn, lead and serve,'' said Bill Hunt, assistant vice president of alumni relations. ''UD is immensely proud of them. By recognizing these graduates, the National Alumni Association hopes to generate alumni pride and reflect on the true excellence of a UD education."

The 2006 University of Dayton Alumni Award winners are:

o Eileen Dolan, one of the nation's leading cancer researchers. She will receive the Distinguished Alumnus Award. Dolan, a professor of medicine at the University of Chicago, has dedicated her research to making chemotherapy more effective and less toxic for patients by focusing on the ways that DNA repair proteins can be modulated to prevent killing cells. Her work has led to the development of a drug now in clinical trials that shows effectiveness for the treatment of brain tumors in adult and pediatric patients. She holds 31 patents related to cancer research, her research is widely published, and she serves as teacher, adviser and mentor to students ranging from high schools to doctoral programs. She graduated in 1979 with a bachelor's degree in chemistry and resides in Oak Park, Ill.

o Bill Ricco, who helped found Walsh Jesuit High School in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, when it opened its doors in 1965. He's still there today more than 6,000 students later. Ricco will receive the Christian Service Award. Before retiring in 1996 and returning as a counselor and alumni coordinator, he served Walsh as a teacher, football coach, athletic director, assistant principal and principal, helping oversee the transition of the school from an all-boys to a co-ed institution. He is a past winner of the Humanitarian Award from the Akron Beacon Journal and the Manresa Award from Walsh, given to those who “are outstanding exemplars of the Jesuit motto, ''men and women for others." He graduated in 1958 with a bachelor's degree in secondary education and resides in Akron, Ohio.

o Victoria Knipper Hughes, who created the Bill of Rights Institute, a nonprofit organization in Washington, D.C., in 1999 to help educate students about the United States' founding principles. In its seven years, the institute has grown to a staff of 14 and a budget of $2.6 million and has provided educational materials to nearly 30,000 teachers. In 2006, she was appointed by U.S. Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice to serve as national commissioner to UNESCO. Hughes, who will receive a special achievement award, graduated in 1974 with a bachelor's degree in elementary education. She lives in Falls Church, Va.

o Joseph Scherger, professor of clinical family practice and preventative medicine at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine. He is the author of more than 300 medical publications and is past editor-in-chief of Hippocrates, published by the Massachusetts Medical Society. In 2001, he became the founding dean of Florida State University's College of Medicine, and in 1989, he was named Family Physician of the Year by the American Academy of Family Physicians and the California Academy of Family Physicians. Scherger, who will receive a special achievement award, graduated in 1971 with a bachelor's degree in pre-medicine. He resides in Del Mar, Calif.

o Mandy Brogdon, an engineer at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. She has been an integral part of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) since her sophomore year at UD. Her leadership stretched beyond UD's campus as she served as the Region V student representative at the biannual ASME international meetings. She has recently been elected to ASME's committee on Early Career Development, where she is able to continue her involvement in the UD and regional sections of ASME. Brogdon graduated in 2004 with a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering and resides in Fairborn, Ohio. She receives the Joe Belle Memorial Award for volunteer service to students and early career achievement.

The 2006 Alumni Award winners will receive their awards at a dinner on campus on Friday, Sept. 15.

Contact Bill Hunt at 937-229-3294.

September 14, 2006 in Miscellaneous | Permalink

September 13, 2006

Meet the author

Azar Nafisi, the Iranian author of the international best-seller Reading Lolita in Tehran, will meet informally with University of Dayton faculty and students from 3 to 4 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 14, in the Science Center auditorium.

Iran, in the news with growing frequency, finds itself at the center of an international dispute over its nuclear ambitions.

Against that backdrop, Azar Nafisi, the Iranian author of the international best-seller Reading Lolita in Tehran, will meet informally with University of Dayton faculty and students from 3 to 4 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 14, in the Science Center auditorium. She will answer their questions about human rights and democracy in the Muslim world and the power of literature to make readers look at the world with new eyes.

The session is open to reporters, but not the general public. She will kick off the University of Dayton's 2006-2007 Diversity Lecture Series with a free talk, ''The Republic of the Imagination,'' that night at 8 p.m. in the Kennedy Union Ballroom on campus. It's open to the public.

Nafisi is a visiting professor at Johns Hopkins University and director of The Dialogue Project: Culture and Democracy in the Muslim World and the West. She was expelled from the University of Tehran in 1981 for refusing to wear the mandatory Islamic veil and did not resume teaching until 1987. Reading Lolita ''explores the transformative powers of fiction in a world of tyranny'' with its account of how Nafisi gathered young women in her home every Thursday morning to read and discuss forbidden works of Western literature.

September 13, 2006 in Speakers | Permalink

Faces of Japanese-American internment

Henry Sugimoto, his wife and daughter were among the 110,000 Japanese-Americans confined to internment camps during World War II. For three years, he created paintings depicting life in the camps. They will be on display now through Dec. 15 at UD.

Henry Sugimoto, his wife and daughter were among the 110,000 Japanese-Americans confined to internment camps during World War II. For three years, he created paintings depicting life in the camps. He later turned the paintings into woodcut prints that will be on display now through Dec. 15 at the University of Dayton’s McGinnis Center Gallery. The gallery is open 9 a.m. to midnight daily.

Sugimoto’s daughter, Madelaine, will discuss the time in the camp and her late father’s art at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 18, in the McGinnis Center. There will be a reception for Madelaine Sugimoto starting at 6:30 p.m. that evening. Both are free and open to the public.

The Smithsonian Institution, in Washington, D.C., and the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles have displayed Sugimoto’s work.

UD’s ArtStreet and the local chapter of the Japanese American Citizens League are sponsoring the exhibit and workshops.

Educational workshops in conjunction with this exhibit include:

3:30-6:30 p.m., Oct. 13, ArtStreet Studio E: Erin Holscher, a UD printmaking professor, and Jon Swindler, a Wright State University professor, will conduct a hands-on relief printmaking workshop utilizing Sugimoto’s techniques. The workshop is free to UD students and $10 for the general public and includes materials.

9 a.m.-3 p.m., Nov. 18, ArtStreet: The national chapter of the Japanese American Citizens League will conduct a seminar to educate people on the history and experience of internment, with a comparison to the current human rights issues with Arab-Americans. The cost is $20 and includes curriculum materials for educators.

Advanced registration is required for the Oct. 13 and Nov. 18 events. Call 937-229-5103.

For media interviews or more information, contact Susan Byrnes, director of ArtStreet, at 937-229-5103 or artstreet@udayton.edu.

September 13, 2006 in Arts events | Permalink