'Vlady' Steffel Selected For Ohio State's Distinguished Teaching Award

Vladimir Steffel, associate professor of history at The Ohio State University at Marion, has been selected for the prestigious Alumni Award for Distinguished Teaching.

Steffel was recognized in a surprise ceremony March 31 by Ohio State University President William E. "Brit" Kirwan, Dean Dominic Dottavio, and the faculty, staff and students of Ohio State Marion.

The coveted award is given to 10 university faculty members each year. This year's recipients were selected from about 400 faculty members nominated by students and other faculty. The final selection is made by a 12-member committee comprised faculty, students and alumni.

The Alumni Award for Distinguished Teaching honors faculty members who have done a superior job of teaching. Recipients are nominated by students and colleagues, and chosen by a committee of alumni, students and faculty. They receive a cash award of $3,000 and a $1,200 increase in their base salaries. Said one student who recommended him for the award, "If you have an award for a teacher who pushes, encourages and succeeds in driving his students toward unprejudiced critical thinking on the highest level ... then Vlady Steffel deserves it several times over."

Another student remarked "I've learned more from him than any other professor I've had ... He is full of knowledge, cares about and enjoys his work, and has truly inspired me to want to learn more."

Steffel's award represents the 11th time an Ohio State Marion faculty member received the Distinguished Teacher Award. In 1999, Associate Professor of English Scott DeWitt received the honor. In 1997, two of the 10 award winners were from Marion - Stuart Lishan and Franklin Proano. Other recipients include three-time winner Terry Pettyjohn, two-time winner Dan Christie, Tim McNiven, and English professor David Citino, formerly of the Marion Campus.

A native of New York, Steffel earned an undergraduate degree from Case Western Reserve University, and from The Ohio State University he earned a bachelor of science in education, and a master's and doctorate in history.

Steffel has been a member of the Marion faculty since 1968 and has directed the campus' Honors Program since its inception in 1969. He teaches world and European history courses on the Marion campus, and formerly taught some computer science courses. Each year, Steffel organizes the Norman Thomas Lecture at Ohio State Marion. This event recognizes the contributions of Thomas, a Marion native who was a tireless advocate of pacifism, civil rights, socialism, anti-Communism, and civil liberties. Thomas was United States presidential candidate on the Socialist Party ticket six times between 1928 and 1948.

Steffel is active in research within his academic discipline and is author of several research articles published in refereed journals. He also has presented papers at numerous regional and national conferences. In 1998-99 he served as president of the Ohio Academy of History, an organization which he has been actively involved for several years. In 1990, he earned the Distinguished Service Award from that organization.

A Delaware resident, Steffel has been active in organizations. He is a long-time member and officer of Delaware Recylers and an instrumental volunteer with the Delaware-Omutninsk Friendship Project.

March 28 Learning Lunch To Explore Perspectives Of Upcoming Russian Election

The public is invited to attend the March 28 Learning Lunch at The Ohio State University at Marion to learn about and join in the discussion on "Russian and American Perspectives on Current Elections in Russia." The free event will be held in the Morrill Hall auditorium.

Russian citizens Alexander Yeremeev and Sergei Pchyolkin and Ohio State Marion faculty members Deborah Wilson and Vladimir Steffel will discuss President Yeltsin's legacy in light of the December 1999 Duma elections and the March 2000 presidential elections.

Panelists will discuss the general state of the post-communist politics and life in Russia, including Yeltsin's decade in office, his appointments, and his surprise resignation. Some specific discussion topics will include the transition of democracy, the economy, relations with Russian minorities, and foreign policy. Ohio State Marion's Learning Lunch program, held at noon every Tuesday when classes are in session, are open to the public. For more information, or to learn more about the topics planned for spring quarter, contact Lori Willeford at (740) 389-6786 extension 6344.

Poetry To Be Celebrated April 11 With "Poetry And The World" Event At Ohio State Marion

A poetry celebration day entitled, "Poetry and the World," is planned for April 11 at the Ohio State University at Marion and will feature two nationally known poets - David Citino and Imogene Bolls.

The public is invited to attend a poetry reading by Citino and Bolls, planned for noon to 1 p.m. The event is free.

Organizers are Stuart Lishan, associate professor of English at Ohio State Marion, and Terry Hermsen, also an English faculty member at Ohio State and director of the Writing that Connects program in the area schools. They said the day will provide students, faculty, staff and community members an opportunity to come together to play with poetry in the form of exercises and language games, to listen to poetry and engage in conversation about various aspects of poetry and its place in American and world culture. In addition, a special feature of the day's activities will be for Citino and Bolls to respond to individual students' poems.

"It will be a day in which we celebrate the power and joy of language," Lishan said. "And it will enable our community to hear two of the best poets in the state of Ohio."

About 25 students and their teachers from Fairbanks, Elgin, Rutherford B. Hayes, and Mount Gilead high schools will gather at 9:30 a.m. to discuss poetry of Citino and Bolls and to engage in poetry writing exercises based on the poets' works.

From noon to 1 p.m., the high school students will be joined by college students, faculty and community members for a poetry reading by Citino and Bolls. From 1:10 to 2:15 p.m. there will be poetry reading and discussions with the poets.

A "Master Class" will be conducted by the two poets from 2:30 to 3:50 p.m. Selected students will present their works to the group, and Citino and Bolls will respond and discuss the students' poems. The public also is invited to attend this part of day's events.

"This will be a poet-to-poet talk about the craft of poetry," Lishan said. "It will treat young writers as working poets who are trying to improve their craft."

Imogene Bolls recently retired from Wittenberg University where she was poet-in-residence and director of the journalism program. Bolls is the recipient of two Ohio Arts Council Writing Fellowships and the Ohioana Poetry Award. She is the author of Glass Walker, Earthbound, and most recently, Advice for the Climb.

David Citino is a noted poet and professor or English and creative writing at The Ohio State University. He taught at Ohio State Marion for 11 years before going to the Columbus campus in 1985. Citino is the author of 10 books of poetry, including the Book of Appassionata: Collected Poems, Broken Symmetry and The Weight of the Heart. He also has received a poetry fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts, the first annual poetry award from the Ohioana Library Association, a major fellowship from the Ohio Arts Council, the Dasher Award from the College English Association of Ohio, and the Distinguished Teaching Award from Ohio State.

April 5 Career Night To Focus On Opportunities For English Majors

Current and potential students who are considering an English major at Ohio State Marion will find the April 5 Career Night to be informative and helpful as they contemplate future job options.

The event will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Morrill Hall auditorium. It is free and open to the public.

Ohio State Marion faculty members and invited guests will introduce students to career opportunities of which they might not otherwise be aware. Five people who were English majors and now work in professions other than teaching will speak about the training that their major provided for their current career. Each will give a short presentation which traces their careers since leaving college.

Presenters include Gary Grubler, Director of Legal Services, Nationwide Insurance; Jim Ryan, former publisher of Outlook and owner of Ryan Consulting, an alcohol and drug prevention organization; Natalie Walston, feature writer for WOSU; and Rhonda Stannard, program manager for Ohio State Mansfield. Gary Grubler is an attorney with Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company. He graduated from Wittenberg University in 1982 with a degree in English and business administration and received his J. D. from The Ohio State University in 1985.

Jim Ryan is a consultant and trainer specializing in alcohol, tobacco and other drug prevention; gay, lesbian and bisexual issues; conference management; and writing and editing. An Ohio Certified Prevention Specialist II, Ryan has a bachelor's degree in English from Ohio State University and was co-publisher and editor of Outlook, a national award-winning newspaper he co-founded in 1996.

Natalie Walston, a graduate of Ohio State University, is a producer/reporter with WOSU radio in Columbus. She has had feature and "hard news" stories aired on National Public Radio, Ohio Public Radio, and the Great Lakes Radio Consortium, an environmental news service for the Great Lakes states.

Rhonda Stannard is program manager for the Center for Corporate and Community Education at Ohio State University at Mansfield. After graduating from The Ohio State University, she served as a teacher for the Peace Corps before returning to Ohio.

Also attending the event will be local employers who will discuss skills and help students evaluate their current or needed skills to meet employment needs. The evening also will include time for students to meet and converse with the panelists and employers, and refreshments.

For more information on this Career Night, contact Ohio State Marion at (740) 389-6786 extension 6256 or 6284.

Kuhn Gallery To Feature Works By Ohio State Printmaking Program Students

Throughout the month of April The Wayne and Geraldine Kuhn Fine Arts Gallery on the Ohio State Marion campus will be featuring and exhibition of works by The Ohio State University Printmaking Program. The show will open on April 4 and continue through April 28. There will be a public reception in the gallery at noon on April 5. This reception will feature a representative of the printmaking program leading an open discussion about the work.

The Ohio State University Printmaking Program exhibition includes works by each of the current graduate students and several of the undergraduate printmaking majors. This student work is executed in all of the major printmaking media: relief, intaglio, lithography, and serigraphy. Additionally, it also often incorporates photographic and digital processes.

The printmaking program emphasizes not only a firm foundation in printmaking processes but also a comprehensive aesthetic and conceptual basis of inquiry. The work is consistently diverse in both style and subject matter. It addresses many traditional and non-traditional issues and represents a broad range of concerns.

The Ohio State University printmaking program has a long history of excellence in the fine arts community. It consistently attracts a broad range of national and international students. Program graduates have gone on to establish successful careers in academia, the art community, and many other related fields. This show presents the current group of promising young artists in the act of establishing their personal aesthetic and finding their place among the programs' rich tradition.

The Kuhn Fine Arts Gallery serves the north central region of Ohio, and maintains exhibits throughout the year. Gallery hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., excluding holidays. For more information, contact (740) 389-6786, extension 6279.

Rusalka To Bring Russian Music To Ohio State University At Marion

Rusalka, the Russian Slavic folk chorus, will present a workshop and performance April 10 at The Ohio State University at Marion, 1465 Mt. Vernon Ave.

The group is Ohio State University's first performing ensemble in its ethnomusicology program. Founded in 1984 in conjunction with a course titled "Music in Russian Folk Tradition," Rusalka has developed into a popular and respected performing ensemble. Its membership includes students, faculty and staff of Ohio State University, as well as Columbus area residents. The group performs regularly in the Central Ohio area.

The group's repertoire includes folk music from throughout eastern Europe, but its specialties are Russian folk music and early Russian Orthodox chants and polyphony. With the help of faculty advisor Professor Margarita Mazo, and director Gregory Halbe, Rusalka aims at emulating the vocal styles and improvisatory techniques of Russian village folk tradition.

Although diverse in language proficiency and musical training, its members are united by their fascination with Russian and eastern European folk culture.

The performance begins at 7:30 p.m. and is free for Five Nights on Campus season ticket-holders.

Tickets are $3 for the public, and will be available at the door.

Ohio State Marion To Offer Course On Web Page Design To Assist Local Agencies

For community agencies to be effective, it is important for them to get the message of their mission out to the community. But many nonprofit agencies are unable to utilize the accessibility afforded by the world wide web because they lack personnel who has the proper expertise to develop and maintain a web site.

The Ohio State University at Marion, as a technology and educational leader, is in a position to assist in this area. During spring quarter, Ohio State Marion, through the department of art, will offer a course on basic web page design. The course is designed to meet the needs of community agencies, as well as provide real-life instructional opportunities for Ohio State Marion students.

The course instructor, Christine Lorenz, will contact the community agencies that have been identified and work to develop a plan for a site for each. These sites will be created and modified by the students under the direction of Lorenz. The software used can incorporate text, graphics, animation and video. This course will be beneficial for both the agencies and students because:

• Ohio State students that create real-world sites that can be used in the students' own portfolio.
• Community nonprofits that have useful, current web sites.
• It demonstrates an outreach project that utilizes the resources of Ohio State University while benefiting the lives of community residents.

The course is open to any person who wishes to enroll as a student, provided he or she meets the prerequisites. No previous experience in an art course is required, however basic computer knowledge is recommended.

For more information, contact the Ohio State University at Marion at (740) 389-6786 extension 6242, and inquire about Art 591.12, "Web Design for Community Agencies." The class meets Mondays and Wednesdays, from 3 to 5 p.m. beginning March 27 through June 2.

Kuhn Fine Arts Gallery To Feature Three-Dimensional Art By Isaac Bower

"Natural Selection" by Isaac Bower will be exhibited in the Wayne and Geraldine Kuhn Fine Arts Gallery on the campus of Ohio State University at Marion, 1465 Mt. Vernon Ave. The exhibit will run February 29 to March 24.

Bower holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree (1989) from Edinboro University in Pennsylvania, and a Master of Fine Arts degree (1996) from West Virginia University. A resident of Lehighton, Penn., Bower is the son of Delaware resident Anne Bower, associate professor of English at Ohio State Marion.

Bower's show involves the display of a collection of mixed media assemblages, each one suggesting an evolutionary process in which mass-produced items have become part of the natural world of flora and fauna. The images humorously underline man's complex symbiosis with such products as a remote control, a can of Pepsi, a pair of sunglasses, or Nike sneakers. In this symbiosis, products, consumers and the environment seem to adapt to each other, echoing Charles Darwin's concept of natural selection.

The public will have an opportunity to meet Bower, and discuss his work with him at a reception on March 1 at noon in the gallery.

The Kuhn Fine Arts Gallery serves the north central region of Ohio, and maintains exhibits throughout the year.

Gallery hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., excluding holidays. For more information, contact (740) 389-6786, extension 6279.