LOCAL NEWS

Up on the porch

It may be the most unusual home show in the country. Welcome to Citirama 2007, a showcase of the latest in student housing.

The beds aren't all made yet, but the welcome mat is out at the University of Dayton.

Citirama 2007 kicks off Aug. 2-5 at the corner of Stonemill Road and Frericks Way in UD's south student neighborhood. The $2.5 million project features five new townhouses, a renovated duplex and three other renovated homes in a neighborhood populated by hundreds of upperclass students. Students have dubbed one of the homes the ''Castle'' for its distinctive turret.

In the first partnership of its kind in the country, the Home Builders Association of Dayton and the University of Dayton will showcase the latest in student housing in the free home show.

Since college students bring their own sheets, UD officials made a last-minute scramble to find quilt covers, pillows and pillowcases to dress 55 twin beds for the event. It was not your typical shopping spree. Event organizers conducted Internet research and found the best deal in two states at the IKEA store in Canton, Mich. — a three-hour jaunt.

A crew of 100 construction workers spent the last few weeks putting the finishing touches on the houses, while UD's residential properties staff laid new sod and spruced up the neighborhood for visitors.

Media are invited to cover an invitation-only blessing, ribbon-cutting ceremony and preview party at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 1, corner of Frericks Way and Stonemill Road.

Citirama 2007 runs from 4 to 8 p.m. Aug. 2-3 and noon to 8 p.m. Aug. 4-5. It's free, but tickets are required. Tickets can be picked up at the event at the registration tent on Frericks Way just north of the intersection of Frericks Way and Stonemill Road -- or in advance at the University of Dayton, Home Builders Association of Dayton, National City Bank branches, Frank Z Chevrolet and the Dayton Daily News. Parking is available in all P lots just east of Brown Street on Caldwell Street and Frericks Way or in the Frank Z Chevrolet parking lot on Caldwell Street.

As part of Citirama 2007, Brown Street eateries -- Milano's, Cold Stone Creamery and Moe's Southwest Grill -- as well as UD's catering services will set up sidewalk stands on Stonemill Road and sell popular dishes at "The Taste of Brown Street." Neighborhood and community groups will offer exhibits in the registration tent. In addition, visitors can take a longer walking tour and view some of UD's newest facilities, including ArtStreet, Marianist Hall, RecPlex and the exterior of the soon-to-open University Place. UD's new Heritage Center, which showcases UD's rich history, also will open its doors.

Tuition break for teachers

Teachers will receive a break from the University of Dayton, which today announced a freeze of tuition for up to three years for graduate students pursuing advanced degrees in education and the helping professions.

“We recognize that many educators are confronting real financial challenges. Some have lost jobs and even those who are currently employed may be finding it difficult to continue their educations,” said Thomas J. Lasley II, dean of the School of Education and Allied Professions.

“Holding the line on tuition costs for these educators is one way we can help them be more effective teachers and improve their marketability,” he said.

Students enrolled in the departments of teacher education, educational leadership, counselor education and human services, and health and sport science are eligible for the freeze. Not included are students in the doctor of physical therapy program.

More than half of the graduate students at the University are enrolled in these departments of the School of Education and Allied Professions, according to Lasley.

“The University is pleased to be able to make this significant institutional and financial commitment to teachers and others in the helping professions,” said Daniel J. Curran, president.

The freeze will work this way:

Students who enroll for the first time during the 2007-08 academic year (fall 2007 through summer 2008) will be eligible for the tuition freeze through the summer of 2010.

Tuition for students already enrolled prior to fall 2007 will be frozen through summer 2009.

The University, which operates on a semester calendar, will freeze rates at current levels as of fall 2007. Those rates per semester credit hour are: master’s, $435; education specialist, $544; and doctorate, $587.

Lasley said given current trends in private higher education, he expects tuition to continue to increase annually, so the tuition freeze could potentially result in significant savings for teachers.
“Though UD is already very competitive in its pricing in comparison to other schools both on the semester and quarter calendars in the region, this effort is directed toward giving an extra hand to those students in the helping professions,” Lasley said. “Teachers, especially, need additional coursework and have very limited resources, given current salary structures.”

For more information on the tuition freeze and the application process, contact Janice Keivel at 937-229-3103 or janice.keivel@notes.udayton.edu.

For interviews, contact Thomas J. Lasley II, dean of the School of Education and Allied Professions at 937-229-3327 or thomas.lasley@notes.udayton.edu.

Cleaning up for development

The Clean Ohio Council has approved a $3 million state grant that will enable the University of Dayton to clean up approximately 26.5 acres of largely vacant former NCR Corp. land between Brown and Main streets.

This is the second Clean Ohio Revitalization Fund (CORF) grant the city of Dayton has received on behalf of UD to revitalize an urban brownfield for academic and mixed-use development. In December 2005, the city was awarded a $2.54 million grant to remediate 11 acres of riverfront land. Today's grant is another important step in the redevelopment of the largest developable piece of land in the city of Dayton.

''These grants are a catalyst for returning this land to productive economic use,'' said Daniel J. Curran, University of Dayton president. ''The funds will allow the University of Dayton to build for its future as well as revitalize this area of the city. We are grateful to campus and community leaders who see the potential in this land and are working to bring its transformation to fruition."

The new grant applies to land east of Main Street, bounded by Stewart and Caldwell streets. UD officials say they will use the new state grant for soil cleanup and renovation of the 477,000-square-foot College Park Center at the corner of Stewart and Brown streets into a combination of facilities for research and development, commercial, University and secondary education purposes. They've dubbed the proposed project UD-REDI — the University of Dayton Research, Education and Development Initiative (UD-REDI).

Total development costs on all of the new land could exceed $200 million, according to UD officials. In the past five years, UD has completed $168 million in campus construction projects, some with private developers. UD officials plan to recover part of the land purchase price through some mixed-use development. UD bought the property from NCR for $25 million two years ago.

Burt Hill, an international design, architecture and engineering firm, is currently developing a master plan for all 259 acres of campus, including the new land. UD's board of trustees is expected to approve the master plan in October.

Today's $3 million grant is part of $41.1 million in Clean Ohio funds awarded to projects around the state. The Ohio Department of Development, through its Office of Urban Development, implements the Clean Ohio Revitalization Fund in consultation with the Ohio EPA.

For more information, contact Ted Bucaro, UD's director of government and regional relations, at 937-229-4158.

Alumni association names new members

Four new board members will join the 16-member board of directors. Each will serve a three-year term.

The University of Dayton National Alumni Association has named four new board members to its 16-member board of directors. Each will serve a three-year term.

“We are absolutely delighted to welcome these four distinctive graduates as our newest alumni board members,” said William Hunt, UD assistant vice president for alumni relations. “To a person, they will bring a sense of commitment and service to their new roles. UD’s alumni board genuinely cares for this great institution, and it shows repeatedly in their willingness to serve when asked.”

They are:

➢ Patricia Bernard ’71, senior vice president of Mirant Corporation, Atlanta. Bernard won the 2005 Catalyst Award, for her innovative approaches to addressing the recruitment, development and advancement of managerial women, and the 2005 AFL-CIO Labor Management Award. She has served on the boards of Metro Atlanta Recovery Residences Inc. and Northwest Georgia Girl Scout Council Inc. Before working at Mirant, she was the executive vice president of human resources for Georgia-Pacific Corp where she won the Catalyst Award. Catalyst is a nonprofit research and advisory organization working globally with businesses to build inclusive environments and expand opportunities for women and business. It has offices in New York, San Jose, Calif., and Toronto.

➢ Dan Castleforte ’73, president of Associated Computing Technology, Springboro, Ohio. Castleforte is a past member of the association’s alumni services committee. Coffman YMCA in Springboro named him volunteer of the year in 2005 for his work on the board as chairman of the financial development committee.

➢ Richard Granite Jr. ’88, president of Granite Diagnostic Laboratories, Racine, Wis. As a member of his local Rotary Club, Granite served as the event chairperson for the Great Midwest Dragon Boat Festival for three years. He also is a member of his church’s parish council.

➢ Stephen Kelly ’88, co-founder and principal of Merrill-Lynch Private Equity Partners, Waban, Mass. Kelly spoke at UD’s 2005 Redefining Investment Strategy Education forum armed with knowledge garnered from starting the $2.3 billion global, diversified private equity investment program. Since 1999, he has led the team's investments in private equity funds and direct investments with a focus on venture capital, technology and growth investments. He also has served on or as an observer of the boards of several private companies including Liberty Propane, Cyveillance and NerveWire.

The National Alumni Association’s mission is to foster the life-long involvement of alumni with the University in support of its vision to be a Catholic leader in higher education. There are no membership dues, so all UD graduates are automatically members of the association.

The National Alumni Association gave the University a $200,000 gift to build a Marianist Heritage Center on campus. UD alumni nationwide conduct Christmas celebrations — Christmas Off Campus — to benefit charities in their respective cities.

For interviews, contact Shawn Robinson at 937-229-3391.

Citirama 2007

Citirama 2007, slated Aug. 2-5, will showcase new and renovated homes in the south student neighborhood. Of course, all include front porches. Tickets are free.

A hundred workers are putting the finishing touches on five gleaming new townhouses and four renovated homes in the University of Dayton's south student neighborhood in preparation for Citirama 2007. The free home show runs Aug. 2-5.

Most home shows feature upscale housing with all the amenities -- but Citirama 2007 is different. That's because the University of Dayton's south student neighborhood is not a traditional urban neighborhood. With its distinctive renovated single-family homes and signature front porches, it offers all the ambiance of a small town.

''Here, students meet on their front porches. It's not unusual for a cornhole tournament to break out in the front yard. Students have front-porch living and a strong sense of community. It's an atmosphere like none other in the country,'' said Kevin Hess, vice president of Greater Dayton Building and Remodeling, contractor for the $2.5 million project.

The homes on Stonemill Road and Frericks Way will house 55 students this fall, but for four days this summer they will open their doors to the public, prospective college students and their families, campus housing officials, alumni, faculty, staff, students, contractors — and the curious. How do today's college students live? Some say like royalty: one of the renovated homes is the ''Castle," dubbed because of its rugged stone exterior and trademark turret.

As part of Citirama 2007, Milano's, Cold Stone Creamery and Moe's Southwest Grill will set up sidewalk stands and sell popular dishes at ''The Taste of Brown Street.'' Neighborhood and community groups will offer exhibits in the registration tent. In addition, visitors can take a walking tour and view some of UD's newest facilities, including ArtStreet, Marianist Hall, RecPlex and the soon-to-open University Place. UD's new Heritage Center, which showcases UD's rich history, also will open its doors.

Citirama 2007 runs from 4 to 8 p.m. Aug. 2-3 and noon to 8 p.m. Aug. 4-5. It's free, but tickets are required. Tickets are available at National City bank branches; University of Dayton (Welcome Center at the main entrance, Kennedy Union information desk and Alumni House, 208 L St.); Dayton Daily News, 1611 S. Main St.; Home Builders Association of Dayton, 2003 Springboro West; and Frank Z Chevrolet, 1620 Brown St. Tickets also can be obtained at the gate. Parking is available in P Lot just west of Brown Street on Caldwell Street or in the Frank Z Chevrolet parking lot on Brown Street.

Citirama 2007 signals the University of Dayton's commitment to maintaining the front-porch character of its student neighborhoods, home to a number of Marianist brothers and priests who teach and work on campus. They believe that living, praying and supporting one another in community enrich their faith -- a philosophy they share with students.

''University of Dayton graduates talk about their house, their porch and community. This project continues that legacy,'' said Daniel J. Curran, University of Dayton president.

Citirama 2007 is historic. It's the first time a Home Builders Association has partnered with a university to showcase the latest in student housing, according to Walt Hibner, executive director of the Home Builders Association of Dayton.

''This type of showcase demonstrates the ability of our members to build more than traditional market housing," he said. ''The floor plans provide efficient live/study environments with many conveniences of 'home.' The important front porches allow much-desired interactions with the neighborhood."

The Citirama homes include front porches, energy-efficient windows, doors and insulation; durable and low-maintenance interior and exterior finishes; and state-of-the-art mechanical, safety and communication systems, including high-speed, wireless Internet connections. The architectural features blend with other homes in the neighborhood.

UD, one of the most residential universities in the country, owns 328 properties, including houses and duplexes, in four student neighborhoods (south, north, Holy Angels and Wyoming). About 90 percent of undergraduates live on campus in housing ranging from traditional residence halls and apartments to ArtStreet lofts and single-family homes with porches. In the past five years, UD has invested more than $80 million in student residential facilities and amenities.

Citirama 2007 is presented by the University of Dayton and the Home Builders Association of Dayton, with support from the Dayton Daily News, WDTN-TV, National City Bank and Frank Z Chevrolet. For more information, call 937-229-2902 or 937-298-2900.

Contact Walt Hibner at 937-298-2900 or Richard Perales, University campus planning director, at 937-229-4339.

From Shanghai to Dayton

Engineering classes don’t start until August, but a group of Chinese students has already started learning about American customs and culture with shopping trips, a baseball game and courses in English and communication as a prelude to a year long experience at the University of Dayton.

“This is a good opportunity to be here with a good chance to study,” said Jin “Iris” Caihong, who arrived July 1 with a dozen other Shanghai Normal University classmates to complete their undergraduate degrees at UD. “We were a little bit worried because we’ve never been out of the country before.”

While the Chinese students may have started their American learning experience with baseball, the year is likely to end with excellent job prospects from U.S., Chinese and international companies, according to Scott Segalewitz, chair of UD’s engineering technology department. Joseph Saliba, the dean of UD’s School of Engineering, recently returned from meetings with companies in China who were enthusiastic about the UD students.

This year’s group of students is the second crop from a budding partnership between UD and Shanghai Normal University. The students study for three years in Shanghai and one year at the University of Dayton, earning degrees from both schools. Along the way, they develop crucially important skills in an international setting, Segalewitz said.

As the first year of the partnership ended this May with dual graduations, Segalewitz said organizers were unsure whether companies and students would find value in the unique program. Chinese students and their parents must pay $25,000 in tuition, room and board expenses, without a student loan system like that available in the U.S.

After talking with companies in China earlier this summer, Segalewitz said it’s clear that the gamble for UD, SHNU and the students will pay off.

“Companies were extremely enthusiastic about these students with a U.S. education,” he said. “The rate of job offers to students in the joint program was 80 to 90 percent, compared to 50 percent for the students who just took the Chinese-only program.”

And those who graduated last year formed a solid bond with UD, he said. Half of the 12 students enrolled last year want to return to UD for graduate studies, he said.

Jin said she checked with last year’s group of students about their experience here. “They said the people of UD were all very kind and helpful.”

Amy Anderson, director of UD’s Center for International Programs, said the program is also paving the way for new partnerships with companies both here and in China. Companies who do business internationally are eager to hire engineers, or train their own engineers to succeed in an increasingly global workplace.

“Engineers may have to get used to the fact that while they work here, their work day is on Asia time,” she said. With the growth of manufacturing overseas, she said “engineering is happening where the manufacturing takes place.

“That means that employees need to be flexible and those that have international experience will have an advantage in this very dynamic environment,” she said.

With the success of the first class, Anderson said more discussions are in the works about creating innovative partnerships among the University, SHNU, Chinese companies and local companies.

In the meantime, the new cohort of Chinese students are finding their ways around campus, discovering that American watermelons are three times the size of Chinese melons, and starting their intensive summer program.

Through July, they’ll work on polishing their English skills, learning about U.S. communication styles, and how to be an American student.

“We help them get used to our style of report-writing and discussion and group projects,"
Segalewitz said.

Tina Manco, partnership and exchange coordinator for UD’s Center for International Programs, said the introductory sessions include teaching students about class participation and making presentations – skills not required in Chinese universities but essential for success in American classrooms.

Manco said students also will receive more help in American customs and culture.

”We’re adding a little more this year and will work with them on using the telephone,” she said.

At a welcoming reception the just-arrived students, still a little travel weary and jet-lagged, introduced themselves to engineering faculty and international program staff.

Many said simply they were happy to be at the University to learn new things and make new friends.

Yu “Allen” Bingqian didn’t need to wait for the classes to start. He was ready to start making new friends through a universal language.

“I can play the piano, so if we have the time, we can communicate,” he said.

For more information, contact Scott Segalewitz at 937-229-4216 or segalewitz@udayton.edu and Amy Anderson at 937-229-4413 or amy.anderson@notes.udayton.edu.

Honoring Latin Soul

Nominations are open for the Alma Latina award which recognizes those Miami Valley individuals and organizations who have demonstrated "Latin Soul" by helping Latinos and keeping alive Hispanic culture.

Sponsored by the University of Dayton’s Office of Diverse Student Populations, the award is given to individuals or organizations throughout the region who have made great efforts to support the Latino population, said Indra Leyva-Santiago.

“Our goals are to celebrate Latino culture and recognize the contributions Hispanics are making in the community,” said Leyva-Santiago, coordinator of Latin American Student Services at the University. “We also want to commemorate the coming together of the American and Hispanic ways of life.”

Criteria for selection include how the nominee has enhanced, supported or had an impact on the Latino community in the Dayton-Miami Valley region, she said. Nominators are asked to complete an application form and may also highlight other outstanding contributions.

This year’s award will be presented at a Sept. 20 ceremony and dinner.

Last year, Sister Maria Stacey, of the Hispanic Catholic Ministry, was honored for her efforts to create a more inclusive environment for the immigrant community in Dayton, said Leyva-Santiago.

Nominations for the award will be accepted through Aug. 13.

For more information and to obtain nomination forms, contact Indra Leyva-Santiago at 937-229-3635 or Indra.Leyva-Santiago@notes.udayton.edu.

New faces, new honors

The University of Dayton hires a new vice president and dean, promotes others and bestows awards for teaching, scholarship and service.

The University of Dayton has hired new administrators and promoted others. Other UD faculty and staff have won awards for teaching, scholarship and service.

* Deborah A.W. Read has been named vice president for advancement. Previously she served as vice president for university development at University at Albany, State University of New York. She also served as the executive director of the University at Albany Foundation.

* Paul Benson is the new dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. Previously he served as associate dean for integrated learning and curriculum in the College of Arts and Sciences. A philosophy professor, he has been a faculty member at UD for 22 years.

* Donald Pair, chair of the geology department, has been named associate dean for integrated learning and curriculum in the College of Arts and Sciences.

* Jack Ling has accepted a newly created position, executive director of institutional diversity and inclusion, beginning Sept. 4. He's currently associate dean for inclusive excellence and executive director of the Center for Multicultural Learning at Santa Clara University.

* John McCombe, associate professor of English, has been named associate director of the Honors and Scholars Programs for distinguished fellowship advising.

* Cilla Bosnak Shindell, assistant director of media relations, has been promoted to director of media relations.

* Peter Powers, associate professor of physics and electro-optics, has won the 2007 Alumni Award in Scholarship.

* Rex Berney, professor of physics, has won the 2007 Alumni Award in Teaching.

* Dilip Ballal has received the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics International Air Breathing Propulsion Award for 2007. The award is presented for meritorious accomplishments in the arts, sciences, and technology of air breathing propulsion systems. Ballal serves as the Hans von Ohain distinguished professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at UD.

* Billy Mayo, director of campus recreation, and Jeannie Perry, compensation manager, are the 2007 recipients of the Marianist Service Award. This award honors staff whose behavior exemplifies the Catholic and Marianist character of the University.

* The University of Dayton has named four new members to its National Alumni Association's board of directors, which represents 33 alumni chapters throughout the U.S. and Puerto Rico. New directors include: Dan Castleforte, president of Associated Computing Technology from Springboro; Patricia Barnard, senior vice president of Mirant Corp. from Atlanta; Richard M. Granite Jr., president of Granite Diagnostic Laboratories from Racine, Wisc; and Stephen J. Kelly, co-founder and principal of private equity partners of Merrill Lynch, Inc. and a Waban, Mass., resident.

* Robert Mott, professor emeritus of engineering technology, has been inducted as a fellow of the American Society for Engineering Education.

License to create jobs

A UD technology that already has attracted the attention of two cell phone makers will be the first to be licensed as part of the Institute for Development and Commercialization of Advanced Sensor Technology. IDCAST is part of Ohio’s Third Frontier initiative to create more technology jobs in Ohio.

Beavercreek-based Analog Bridge Inc. will license a University of Dayton communication technology being noticed by cell phone makers Motorola and Nokia. The company is the first to license an invention through the Institute for Development and Commercialization of Advanced Sensor Technology (IDCAST).

Analog Bridge President and CEO Gregg Steinhauer hopes to parlay the commercialization of that technology into more than 25 jobs during the next four years.

Steinhauer is licensing UD electrical engineering professor Guru Subramanyam’s tunable varactor technology that allows cell phones to carry more features without increasing the cell phone’s size or decreasing the battery’s power (see sidebar about varactor technology).

Subramanyam’s technology and Analog Bridge also have attracted attention at two forums — World’s Best Technologies and TechConnect — that focus on the world’s most promising technologies.

Analog Bridge’s employees will work in the 36,000-square foot IDCAST facility on which the city of Dayton broke ground Monday in Dayton’s Tech Town. IDCAST is part of Ohio’s Third Frontier initiative to create more technology jobs in Ohio.

“IDCAST will work to create and grow Ohio companies as well as work with out-of state companies to move to Ohio to bring sensor technology to market through an alliance of university researchers, the U.S. Air Force and industry,” said IDCAST Director Larrell Walters, who anticipates that the UD-led IDCAST will generate more than 350 jobs in Ohio.

Blair Barbour, a 1986 UD electro-optics graduate and owner of Alabama-based Photon-X, has plans to open a branch in the IDCAST facility with three employees and eventually add three additional jobs. Barbour has created technology that reads facial characteristics that could be used to gauge people’s intent in terrorist situations.

“Several other companies have asked for IDCAST assistance,” Walters said. “We are working hard with the other universities for ways to make our collective technologies and expertise available to Ohio companies. We have the strength of six universities and can help these companies gain significant and sustainable advantages. Companies understand their weaknesses and reach out to us. All they have to do now take a short trip to IDCAST and leverage its equipment, expertise and test facilities.”

The Ohio State University, Miami University, University of Toledo, University of Cincinnati and Wright State University are the other universities participating in IDCAST.

Walters also pointed out that IDCAST will provide Ohio’s college students opportunities to work on research similar to Subramanyam’s varactor technology. Walters hopes the chance to solve real-world problems will excite students about science and technology and help restock the dwindling numbers of students in those fields.

For interviews, contact Shawn Robinson at 937-229-3391. Click here for a related story on Guru Subramanyam's varactor technology.

The iPhone maybe has seen nothing yet

Thanks to a technology developed by a UD associate professor of electrical engineering, you may soon use your cell phone to pay for your groceries, start your car or unlock your house.

Thanks to a technology developed by a University of Dayton associate professor of electrical engineering, you may soon use your cell phone to pay for your groceries, start your car or unlock your house.

Guru Subramanyam has developed a way to cut the number of filters used to sort the frequencies that allow cell phones to perform as PDAs, iPods, cameras, phones and TVs. That means even more time-saving capabilities can be added to cell phones. Motorola and Nokia have expressed an interest in “tunable varactors,” a technology that has been licensed to Analog Bridge Inc., a Beavercreek, Ohio, company.

It's the first technology licensed through the Institute for Development Commercialization of Advanced Sensor Technology (IDCAST), a statewide initiative led by the University of Dayton and funded by an Ohio Third Frontier grant to transform the state into the center of the sensor technology industry. The technology was displayed at the World's Best Technologies Showcase in Arlington, Texas, in May.

“Every time we bring a new opportunity to a cell phone, we add a load and need a new frequency,” said Gregg Steinhauer, Analog Bridge president and CEO. “You can put only so many filters in a phone without making it bigger or killing the battery. Our technology could cut the number of filters in a phone from five to two, and the phone still can allow more capabilities.”

He added that the technology could also work in wireless networks, satellites and two-way radios to allow people to switch channels faster than what is allowed by current methods.

Subramanyam said the tunable varactors are made of a thin, ceramic film that is less expensive than silicon-based devices commonly used in cell phones. Very low battery-powered voltage changes manipulate the electrical properties of the film to switch the frequencies that allow the use of different gadgets and improve signal reception.

For interviews, contact Shawn Robinson at 937-229-3391. Click here to see related story about IDCAST.