The Nutshell is the official e-newsletter for Ohio State alumni club and society officers and board members. We encourage you to share the information with your members via your own newsletters or Web sites.
DATES & DEADLINES
Jan. 21: Alumni of the Big Ten luncheon in Sarasota/Manatee, Fla.
Jan. 25: Final tailgate numbers to Craig for Feb. 4 participants
Jan. 31: Year-end reports due
Feb. 4: Alumni Society Hockey Night: Ohio State vs. Michigan State
Feb. 24: Ohio State Alumni Day with the Columbus Blue Jackets
OSUAA ANNOUNCEMENTS
Check your basketball game-watch locations
Local Buckeyes might be looking for your game-watch party. Please check the website to make sure the correct location is listed for your area game-watch locations, especially if you are watching basketball at a different venue from football. If there are any changes for this year, please report them to Susan at long@ohiostatealumni.org. After your events, please remember to report your attendance numbers to Susan and send event pictures to Craig or Kimberly.
Nominations now being accepted for 2012 Alumni Awards
Do you know an outstanding alum? Maybe you know a club or society leader who has served for 10 years—why not nominate him or her for the Ralph Davenport Mershon Award for service to Ohio State? For information about all the awards or to download a nomination form, please go to www.ohiostatealumni.org/Awards. Nominations will be accepted through Mar. 31, and groups that submit a nomination will earn five points toward their Alumni Association Award totals. If you have any questions, please contact Erin Kopp at kopp@ohiostatealumni.org.
Official Ohio State app: Buckeyes Unite
Designed by an Ohio State alumnus, the Buckeyes Unite app allows you to check in wherever you are across the country and find fellow Buckeyes to watch the game with. Get badges for visiting Buckeye Bashes and new stadiums. This is a great tool to advertise your local game watch. Have your group check in on Buckeyes Unite so visiting Buckeyes can more easily find you. To download Buckeyes Unite for free, visit the iTunes app store or the Android Market.
Nominees sought for OSUAA board of directors
Would you like to be more involved in Alumni Association leadership? The 2012 nominating committee is accepting nominations for alumni to serve on the OSUAA board of directors. If you or someone you know would like to be considered for board service, please visit www.ohiostatealumni.org/WhoWeAre/Pages/nominating_committee.aspx for application requirements. Submission deadline is Jan. 6, 2012, and nominations must come from active Association members. E-mail questions to questionnaire@ohiostatealumni.org.
General alumni group business
Don’t forget, we must have the following on file for all alumni groups:
1. Updated membership roster (including term limits, if applicable)
2. Updated club/society officer roster following your elections or fall reunion meetings
3. Copy of your group's bylaws
4. JPG file of your group's logo (if applicable)
Also send all event announcements, meeting minutes, and activity reports to Kimberly Lowe at lowe@ohiostatealumni.org or Craig Little at little@ohiostatealumni.org. Thanks to those who have already submitted these materials. Also, now is a good time to request updated lists of alumni in your area. For this purpose, please complete and send the information release form. Remember to allow 10 business days for your list request to be fulfilled.
Coastal Life along the Adriatic Sea
with General Wesley Clark, NATO’s former Supreme Allied Commander-Europe
June 24-July 2, 2012
from $3,995 + air
Explore the Adriatic Sea’s island-dappled Dalmatian Coast on this seven-night cruise aboard the deluxe M.S. L’Austral. This cruise features General Wesley Clark, NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander-Europe (1997-2000), and visits Diocletian’s Palace in historic Split; the walled city of Korˇcula, birthplace of Marco Polo; the Bay of Kotor in Montenegro; Dubrovnik’s perfectly restored Gothic and Romanesque quarters; tour of Mostar or the pilgrimage site of Medjugorje in Bosnia Herzegovina; and Pula’s great Roman Arena. Further enhance your experience during the Village Forum™ with local residents, a folk music performance, and a specially-arranged lecture on Dubrovnik's restoration. A two-night Venice extension will be offered at an additional cost.
For detailed information, please visit www.ohiostatealumni.org/resources/travel/2012/Pages/AdriaticSea12.aspx or contact Amy Stoneking by phone at (614) 292-2372, 1-800-852-8687, or stoneking@ohiostatealumni.org.
ACADEMIC NEWS
Ohio State team driven to create best eco-friendly car
A group of Ohio State students is looking to revolutionize the way people think about environmentally and economically friendly cars. About 40 students signed up in September to take part in a three-year competition sponsored by General Motors and the U.S. Department of Energy. Their assignment is to redesign a 2013 Chevy Malibu to make it as efficient and user-friendly as possible. www.snponline.com/articles/2012/01/10/multiple_papers/news/alluaecoca_20120109_0753pm_2.txt
Near East Side starts renewal with $10 million from Ohio State
East High School hosted a pep rally on Jan. 8; but instead of boosting an athletic team, the good wishes for things to come were for the neighborhood. The event launched a revitalization effort on the Near East Side of Columbus that is funded by a $10 million investment from Ohio State, which hopes to fix up the depressed area surrounding University Hospital East. While details are few, the coalition behind the project will choose a development firm by next month to craft the blueprint, said Dawn Tyler Lee, executive director of Partners Achieving Community Transformation, or PACT. www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2012/01/09/near-east-sidestarts-renewal.html
Climate scientists named to receive Benjamin Franklin Medal
Two Ohio State climate scientists have been selected to receive this year’s Benjamin Franklin Medal from the Franklin Institute, a prestigious honor previously awarded to scientists such as Albert Einstein, Stephen Hawking, Jane Goodall, and Jacques Cousteau. Lonnie Thompson, distinguished university professor of earth sciences, and Ellen Mosley-Thompson, distinguished university professor of geography and director of the Byrd Polar Research Center, will receive the Institute’s award for Earth and Environmental Science during ceremonies in April. http://researchnews.osu.edu/archive/franklinmedal.htm
RESEARCH NEWS
One trait has huge impact on whether alcohol makes you aggressive
Drinking enough alcohol to become intoxicated increases aggression significantly in people who lack one particular personality trait, according to new research. But people with that trait don’t get any more aggressive when drunk than they would when they’re sober. That trait is the ability to consider the future consequences of current actions. “People who focus on the here and now, without thinking about the impact on the future, are more aggressive than others when they are sober, but the effect is magnified greatly when they’re drunk,” said Brad Bushman, lead author of the study and professor of communication and psychology at Ohio State. http://researchnews.osu.edu/archive/alcoholfuture.htm
Elderly can be as fast as young in some brain tasks, study show
Both children and the elderly have slower response times when they have to make quick decisions in some settings. But recent research suggests that much of that slower response is a conscious choice to emphasize accuracy over speed. In fact, healthy older people can be trained to respond faster in some decision-making tasks without hurting their accuracy—meaning their cognitive skills in this area aren’t so different from younger adults. “Many people think that it is just natural for older people’s brains to slow down as they age, but we’re finding that isn’t always true,” said Roger Ratcliff, professor of psychology at Ohio State and co-author of the studies. http://researchnews.osu.edu/archive/responsetime.htm
Study confirms new strategy in fight against infectious diseases
New research shows that infectious disease-fighting drugs could be designed to block a pathogen’s entry into cells rather than to kill the bug itself. Historically, medications for infectious diseases have been designed to kill the offending pathogen. This new strategy is important, researchers say, because many parasites and bacteria can eventually mutate their way around drugs that target them, resulting in drug resistance. http://researchnews.osu.edu/archive/leishdrug.htm
ATHLETICS NEWS
Ohio State athletic department official Bill Jones dies
Bill Jones was in charge of ticketing as an Ohio State associate athletic director, but he was much more than that to those who worked with him. Jones, 48, died Jan. 11 in his office of an apparent heart attack. “Bill was just a very positive person,” Ohio State athletics director Gene Smith said. “Everybody who knew him knows how great a person he was. He was genuine. He was kind. As a co-worker, he was unbelievable. He just got things done. Everybody just loved him.” www.buckeyextra.com/content/stories/2012/01/11/osu-athletic-department-official-dies.html
Men’s Track: No. 4 Buckeyes trounce Michigan, 91.5-70.5, in “The Dual”
No. 4 Ohio State cruised to an easy 91.5-70.5 win over rival Michigan in "The Dual" on Jan. 14 at the U-M Indoor Track Building in Ann Arbor, Mich. With the victory, which featured individual titles in 10 of 15 events, Ohio State picked up its fifth-consecutive win over its rivals. The Buckeyes now own a 7-2 advantage over the Wolverines since the renewal of the series in 2008.
Men’s basketball: Single-game tickets for the Big Ten schedule are now on sale
Subject to availability, single game tickets may be purchased through TicketMaster by phone at (614) 431-3600, online at www.ohiostatebuckeyes.com, or in person at the OSU Athletic Ticket Office located in the southeast corner of the Jerome Schottenstein Center. Ticket prices vary depending upon seat location. Service fees and ticket limits per person may apply. Per Big Ten policy, every person entering must have a ticket, including infants. www.ohiostatebuckeyes.com/tickets/m-baskbl-information.html