Marion Professor Chosen For Highest Faculty Honor

Teresa M. Mensing, Associate Professor in the Department of Geological Sciences at The Ohio State University at Marion was recently selected as a recipient for the 2003 Alumni Award for Distinguished Teaching.

The award, which was established in 1959, is given annually to ten full-time faculty members at The Ohio State University. Considered the highest university honor for a faculty member, the award is presented in recognition of those 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 base salary. Teaching Award recipients also are inducted into the Academy of Teaching, which provides leadership on improving teaching at Ohio State.

She is the ninth Marion campus professor to receive this highly coveted honor. According to Mensing, the honor is due to a team approach on the Marion campus.

"Teaching on the Marion campus is a collaborative effort between the faculty and staff. The success our faculty have had in receiving the Alumni Award for Distinguished Teaching is due in no small measure to this partnership," she explained.

The Ohio State Marion professor received her undergraduate degree from State University College, Geneseo, New York. She went on to earn a master's degree and Ph.D in geology from The Ohio State University.

Mensing began her teaching career on the Columbus campus as a graduate teaching associate. She joined the Marion campus as an assistant professor in the Department of Geological Sciences in 1990. In 1996 she was promoted to Associate Professor of Geological Sciences with tenure at The Ohio State University.

Along with her recent Distinguished Teaching Award, she has received numerous research grants, written over 30 collaborative publications, abstracts, and reports, has extensive field experience in the Antarctic, and been honored several times in the past by those in the academic community.

Ohio State Marion will hold a ceremony honoring Mensing's achievements April 9 , 12 p.m. in Morrill Hall Lobby. The Ohio State Marion Board of Trustees will present her with a proclamation honoring her outstanding achievements in teaching in Marion.

A recognition event is also scheduled for Monday, April 21, 5:30 p.m. at Mershon Auditorium, at which time the award and honorarium will be presented to Mensing and other Distinguished Teaching Award recipients from the entire university.

Funding for the awards is provided by private donations to the university and by The Ohio State University Alumni Association.

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Five Nights Welcomes Classical Pianist to Marion Campus

The Ohio State University at Marion's 2002-2003 Five Nights on Campus performing arts series welcomes classical pianist Steven Michael Glaser to Morrill Hall Auditorium, Thursday, March 20, 7:30 p.m.

Glaser has performed in numerous world-renowned venues across the United States, such as the Lincoln Center's Alice Tully Hall and Merkin Hall in New York, Orchestral Hall in Chicago and internationally in Canada, Europe Israel, Taiwan, New Zealand. Recently he lent his talents to area performances by the Columbus Symphony Orchestra and Mansfield Symphony

Glaser is the winner of such prestigious competitions as the First New York Chopin International Competition and the Society of American Musicians Competition. He also received first prize in the 1986 Liederkranz Foundation Competition.

Professor Glaser holds degrees from the University of Michigan and The Juilliard School, where he was a scholarship student of the late pianist and renowned teacher, Nadia Reisenberg. He has served on the faculties of Penn State University and Texas Tech University. He is currently Associate Professor of Piano in the School of Music at The Ohio State University.

Tickets for the Steven Michael Glaser concert are $8 general admission, $3 students, and are available at the door. For tickets or information contact The Ohio State University at Marion Office of Community Relations at 740-389-OSUM (6786), extension 6341.

Attendees are also encouraged to visit The Wayne & Geraldine Kuhn Fine Arts Gallery next to the auditorium in Morrill Hall.

Five Nights on Campus is a cultural arts outreach to the residents of the seven-county regional service area of Ohio State Marion. This series features a variety of entertainment styles form classical music to bluegrass, with an opportunity for the audience to meet with artists following each performance.

The mission of the Five Nights on Campus performance art series is to provide unique cultural opportunities to the community, educational opportunities about diverse cultures and backgrounds, and to encourage residents to be a part of campus life.

This year's sponsors of the Five Nights include: Clear Channel Radio, Marion; Herald Printing; Marion Area Health Center; Marion Steel; Medical Mutual; Smith Clinic; Verizon; Warren Brown Family Foundation; Whirlpool Corporation; and Wyandot Inc. Five Nights is also made possible through a grant from The Ohio Arts Council, which helped fund this program with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, educational excellence, and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans.

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My Life, A Work In Progress, by Debby Shade

I came to the Marion area in 1966 with my husband who had taken a job with Whirlpool Corporation. After spending three years living in Morrow County, we built a house in Marion County in 1969, and except for five years in Worthington during the 1980s, we have made our residence here until three months ago. Despite being raised in Pittsburgh and the Philadelphia area, I quickly considered Marion my home and I think I always will. We moved back to Marion after five years in Worthington because we both desperately missed the sense of community that we have always felt here.

Marion was in some ways very different back thirty-seven years ago and in some ways much the same. Of course, there has been tremendous change in the industries here. Marion Power Shovel was the largest industry and Tecumseh and Quaker Oats were major industries when we came. Being in the human service field, I was well aware of the importance of their contributions to the community both in terms of financial gifts and also volunteer manpower. Most of the heads of major industry and businesses were either Marion natives or had been here for many years and were heavily involved as the volunteer leaders of non-profit organizations. They also insisted that members of their management team be heavily supportive and volunteer their time. Volunteers were fairly easy to procure from all sectors for multiple good causes and some groups, especially associated with the hospital twigs, had lists of potential volunteers waiting for an opening in order to be able to join.

The retail market for the avid female shopper was wonderful. Downtown offered a mecca of clothing stores including Franks, Uhlers, Bintzıs, and of course Sutton and Lightner. How I loved their sales!!! Welles was in the Plaza Shopping Center, along with Big Bear. I still have some of the ³goodies² I got with my Big Bear S & H green stamps.

The human service organizations were much smaller. I worked at Childrenıs Services where we had two full time and three part time caseworkers on staff. If we had a call reporting physical or sexual abuse, which was very rare, we always took a city police officer or member of the Sheriffıs Department with us. We placed twenty to thirty infants per year in adoptive homes. Today, I am a member of the Board of Childrenıs Services. There are 27 caseworkers who are all specialists. They receive an average of 800 to 1,000 abuse and neglect calls per year and placing a baby in an adoptive home is rare. The situations they face and deal with on a daily basis were non-existent thirty years ago. The Welfare Department, as it was called then, was also very small with perhaps eight employees providing all of the services. Of course there was no homeless shelter, or free medical clinic, or many of the other social service organizations that we need and have today in our community.

The campus of The Ohio State University at Marion was just a field until the late sixties. In fact once you drove East on Rt. 95 from the Plaza Shopping Center, there was not much there except for East Lawn Manor. Gas stations were everywhere in town. There were four, one on each corner, of Mt. Vernon Avenue and Richland Road. Of course they had names you never, or rarely, see today like Sohio, Texaco and Esso.

After moving to Worthington, I continued to drive back to Marion each day to work. It wasnıt any big deal. There were virtually no stoplights on Rt. 23 between Marion and Worthington. Of course there was also next to no development between here and there.

So, a lot has changed. But then again, a lot has not. Marion remains a hub for its surrounding communities. Perhaps most importantly, it remains a community where most likely you will run into a neighbor, friend, or colleague in the grocery store, and they will greet you with a warm hello. It is a place which welcomes new residents and where you are quickly known and called by name in many business establishments.

As the years have gone by, our children have grown and are on their own. We ourselves see retirement looming in the not too distant future. We considered moving away to a warmer climate on a full time basis one day, but came to the conclusion that we wanted Marion to always be the center of our activities and friendships. We took the opportunity to move back to my husbandıs roots in Morrow County a few months ago to a home where we could live on the water and enjoy lake activities, while still living close enough to Marion to continue to call it home. Why? Because Marion is a very special community which is small enough to get around easily, and to build and maintain relationships, large enough to have most resources here that one could ever need, and close enough to metropolitan areas to take advantage of opportunities offered only in major cities. Most of all, Marion was many years ago, and still remains, a very caring and closely connected community. Whether a new resident, or an old-timer, Marion is, as our Chamber of Commerce slogan says, a place where ³youıll feel right at home².

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Ohio State Marion To Host Science Day

North Central Ohio area students will converge on The Ohio State University at Marion campus on Saturday, March 29 for the 2003 North Central District Science Fair and Marion Area Science and Engineering Fair.

An estimated 200 young scientists will enter the District Science Fair, ranging from fifth graders to high school seniors. School districts from Crawford, Knox, Marion, Morrow, Union, and Wyandot Counties, as well as Buckeye Valley, Olentangy, Delaware City, Delaware Christian, and St. Mary's Schools in Delaware County are all part of the North Central Ohio district. Each participant will vie for trophies and the possible privilege of competing at the state level in May.

Judging of the studentsı projects begins at 8:45 a.m. in OSU Marionıs Student Center. After two rounds of judging, the exhibition will be open for viewing from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m., allowing families, teachers and interested individuals an opportunity to check out the wide variety of science projects.

Students winning top honors for outstanding projects will be presented with trophies at an awards ceremony at 2:30 p.m. in Morrill Hallıs auditorium.

The Marion Area Science & Engineering Fair is affiliated with Science Service and is also held at the Alber Student Center, The Ohio State University at Marion, in conjunction with North Central District Science Day.

High school students at the Marion Area Science & Engineering Fair compete for an opportunity to participate in the Intel International Science & Engineering Fair (ISEF), to be held in Cleveland, Ohio May 11-17, 2003. ISEF participants will receive an all expenses paid trip to Cleveland for the competition.

Students in grades 5-8 compete in the junior division of the Marion Area Science & Engineering Fair. The top 10% of students in the junior division will be nominated for the Discovery Channel Young Scientist Challenge. Nominated students will participate in an essay competition that could qualify them for an all expenses paid trip to the finals in Washington, DC.

Students qualify for the Marion Area Science & Engineering Fair by earning a superior at a local science fair and entering the project in North Central District Day. High school students may also enter the Marion Area Science and Engineering Fair without necessarily qualifying for North Central District Science Day.

For more information on Science Day, please contact Dr. McEnnis at 740-389-6786, ext. 6271, or visit http://academic.marion.ohio-state.edu/sciencefair/.

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My Life a Work in Progress Growing Buckeyes In Marion By Wayne Rowe

The Ohio State University at Marion has shaped the lives of countless people in Marion and the surrounding area since1957. For those who truly call themselves Buckeyes, like myself, it has done more than shape lives. For those who know what it is like to be a ³true buckeye,² the university has become a pervasive part of our persona, family, career, mindset, and understanding of the world we live in.

Reflecting on my personal experience, I am part of a large family of seven children with numerous branches on my family tree. A strong work ethic and moral character were always valued in my family. Another common trait of my ancestors was making your way through military service followed by physically demanding jobs in areas such as long haul truck driving or coal mining. You could call me first generation when it comes to obtaining a college degree, which I believe is fairly common for many who choose to attend the Marion Regional Campus.

I went the traditional route of joining the military, but one major difference was my decision to earn a bachelorıs degree. To this day, I couldnıt tell you what led me to the decision to attend college. I graduated in the top ten percent of my class from Cardington-Lincoln High School, but I donıt recall ever receiving direction from teachers, guidance counselors, fellow students, or my family to reach for something more after high school.

The grand tradition of The Ohio State University, with its ivy covered walls, a reputation of academic prowess, world renowned research, and national athletic presence, gives Ohioans a feeling of belonging and pride that makes your chest swell every time you heard the word, ³Buckeye.² Those concepts have a draw and appeal all their own. It is a feeling of pride that gives you the same sense of belonging you experience with family or close friends.

Looking back eighteen years, I believe this is what prompted my divergent family path. Equally as influential was the fact that this proverbial academic giant overlooked East Lawn Manor, my motherıs first and eventual last place of employment in Marion County, thanks to its recent closure.

At Ohio State Marion, I was exposed to life on my own for the first time in a small apartment off Reed Avenue. I can recall hundreds of other individual firsts I experienced in Marion and at the university. Many remember, ³Hands Across America,² the fall of communism, and the Gulf War. Those of us who are not classified as baby boomers or generation Xıers grew up during our formative years with these historic events, as well as the beginnings of the AIDS epidemic, a then popular and uncut version of Michael Jackson, Earl Bruce roaming the sidelines in a fedora, and Pink Floyd at Ohio Stadium.

The Ohio State University at Marion shaped my thoughts on true world shattering issues. It gave me the beginnings of my individual social values. More importantly, Ohio State is not just a degree to me; it is where I became the man I am today. These memories, the choices I made, and the events that shape my generation will always be faithfully tied to The Ohio State University.

My wife recently asked me, ³why do you love Ohio State so much?ı After writing this, it has finally dawned on me that many of the things that have shaped my present began with Ohio State, or happened while I was involved with the university in one way or another.

I met my wife in college. I went to war while in college. I met most of what I would consider my lifelong friends in college. I developed my feelings of belonging to the Marion community and the State of Ohio in college. I developed a since of social responsibility. I even developed a crazed sense of Ohio State Football that lingers today as if I were programmed. Brainwashed if you will, to rise and fall on the fortunes of the Ohio State Football program.

Looking back on what seems like yesterday, but is now 11 years removed since graduation, The Ohio State University at Marion has grown and changed considerably. No longer does Morrill Hall act as the lone looming facility for OSUM students. No longer are students taking two-years worth of basic educational requirements then moving to the Columbus Campus, as was common in 1985 when I began my quest.

Buildings are popping up like dandelions on a sunny May afternoon. Students are choosing from several four-year academic programs. Enrollment has doubled since my days on the Marion campus. The university continues to employ more and more faculty and staff from Marion and the surrounding area each day.

How do I know all this? In the past year, I returned to The Ohio State University at Marion. With my degree in hand, ten years of professional experience at some of Marionıs most respected businesses and a strong desire to give back to the university that has become such a large part of my world. I am now tied to the past, present, and future of this university.

Ironically, this campus used to be referred to as a branch. But similar to my own development and that of the many students who have passed through Ohio State Marionıs doors in the past 46 years, growth is inevitable.

What was once called a branch is now The Ohio State University at Marion, one of Ohio Stateıs four growing and burgeoning regional campuses. Similarly, the person that was once a wide eyed student soaking up all that is Ohio State Marion is now its Manager of Marketing and Communications.

Thinking of my six-year old daughter, I assure you not a day goes by that she doesnıt hear of Ohio State, visit the campus, watch a game and listen to Daddy scream, ³go Buckeyes,² or receive a new bit of Buckeye memorabilia.

New growth will continue on the Marion Campus. I knowŠI am one of many who have already planted a seed for new growth.

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Ralph Howard Service Award

The Ohio State University at Marion is currently accepting nominations for the Ralph Howard Service Award. The award is given each year to a community member who has contributed to the development of educational opportunities and the quality of education at the OSU Marion Campus.

This award is given annually at the Campusı Academic Recognition Night. It is named for Ralph Howard, deceased Marion attorney who was a founder and strong supporter of the campus and the community. Deadline for nominations is April 4, 2003.

The one page nomination form is available at Ohio State Marion and can be obtained by contacting Debby Shade at 389-6786, x 6253 or by email at shade.35@osu.edu. .

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My Life a Work in Progress By Dr. Terry Pettyjohn

My wife Bernie and I moved to Marion with our infant son 29 years ago to start a position as a psychology professor at The Ohio State University Marion Campus. We were not sure how long we would be here or how well we would enjoy living in a relatively small community, since we were both from Detroit. Twenty nine years later, after our three children have successfully grown and we have become grandparents ourselves, we are still here, and still happy with our decision to settle in Marion.

When we first came to Marion, we were impressed with the sense of warm community that met us. We enjoyed the academic family on campus, and we found a family in the First Presbyterian Church in downtown Marion. This sense of family continued to nurture us through the years as we raised our own family, Terry II, Karen, and Tommy. After graduating from River Valley High School, all three of our children began their college careers at OSUM before finishing on the Columbus Campus. Attending the Marion Campus provided each of them with the confidence and ability to succeed in the big city south of here. The people on campus, from academic advisors to faculty and other staff members, provided guidance, knowledge, and encouragement to our children while they were here.

We have seen many changes over the three decades, both at the Marion Campus and in Marion. When we first arrived, the campus had only one building and the city had many fewer fast food restaurants. And change continues. Marion Campus is now searching for its fourth dean, and in the planning stages of student dorms.

The community has grown as it becomes modern and productive. While we lost some landmarks, such as Power Shovel and Penny's Department Store, we continue to attract new businesses, making Marion a nice place to live. Bernie and I especially enjoy the Regal Southland Cinema in Marion, where we watch movies at least once a week.

First Presbyterian Church has been a great extended family for us as we became integrated into the Marion community. Serving in various capacities at church has helped both Bernie and me grow spiritually. Many of Bernie's volunteer contributions to the community have been through First Church. Our church was an important part of our children growing up, and continues to be central in our lives. But it too is changing, as it currently searches for a new pastor.

We always thought Marion was a nice blend of old and new, traditional and modern. We loved the old architecture of the downtown buildings, including churches, banks, and of course the Palace Theater. And we were proud of the unique heritage of Marion, including being the home of the Popcorn Festival.

As renovations and new buildings were appearing in Marion, the OSU Marion Campus also was growing. From that one original building to a beautiful, expanding campus, we have helped to provide education to thousands of students over the years. I figure that I have taught well over 6,000 students during my tenure at OSUM.

I love teaching and would never do anything else! We live one mile from campus, across a cornfield, so I can walk to work every morning. One of the most enjoyable experiences of my career has been to watch students develop into successful community citizens. It is always fun to run into former students wherever I go in Marion. The most rewarding part of my position is when students tell me how they benefited from my classes. And some of these students have become life-long friends.

My wife and I have also seen our family grow. Our oldest son, Terry II, who was 4 months old when we first arrived in Marion, is married to Shelley Osborne and now has his own daughter, Ana. Terry II is a social professor at Mercyhurst College in Erie PA. Our daughter, Karen, is also married to Kenny Matthews and lives in Dublin. And our youngest son, Tommy, will graduate this summer with a degree in Business administration (from Ohio State, of course). Many Ohio State football games have been watched over the years. But we now have to share out tickets with our family, which means we usually do not get to see the U of M game.

When people ask when I will retire and where we will move to afterward we chuckle. I have no plans to stop doing what I love, and we cannot think of anywhere we would rather be than right here in Marion. We hope to be part of both Ohio State and the Marion community for many years to come.

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Marion Professor Chosen For Distinguished Teaching Honor

Dr. Teresa M. Mensing, Associate Professor in the Department of Geological Sciences at The Ohio State University at Marion was recently selected as a recipient for the 2003 Alumni Award for Distinguished Teaching.

The award, which was established in 1959, is given annually to ten full-time faculty members in recognition of superior teaching at The Ohio State University.

Faculty members are nominated for this honor each autumn. A committee, comprised of students, faculty, and alumni then make the final decision on the nominees.

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Marion Campus Dean Receives Diversity Leadership Honor

F. Dominic Dottavio, Dean and Director of The Ohio State University at Marion, was awarded The Black Heritage Council of Marion's Diversity Leadership Award at the groupsı 25th Anniversary Banquet held Saturday, March 1 at Marion Country Club. The award was given in recognition of increasing the ratio of minority students and staff at the Marion campus and for supporting various diversity initiatives in the community.

State Senator, Ray Miller was the keynote speaker at the event in which over 200 attendees celebrated a culmination of activities in recognition of Black History Month. The annual awards banquet is also held as a fund-raiser for minority scholarships.

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