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Campus, Community Voices June 20, 2017

BGSU hosting young African leaders

From BGSU OFFICE OF MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS Bowling Green State University is hosting 25 emerging African leaders for a six-week academic and leadership institute sponsored by the U.S. Department of State. The Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders, the flagship program of the Young African Leaders Initiative, empowers young African leaders through academic coursework, leadership training and networking opportunities. Fellows are from every country in Sub-Saharan Africa and have established records of accomplishment in promoting innovation and positive change in their organizations and communities. This cohort is part of a larger group of 1,000 fellows studying at institutions across the United States this summer. The institute will draw on the experience of the fellows, BGSU faculty and students, and local and regional partners to explore four topics of mutual concern: migration/refugee/human trafficking, youth poverty, civic leadership and engagement, and women’s rights/minority rights/disability. “We hope that peer-to-peer interactions around critical community issues will help both the fellows and regional professionals and their organizations to gain new insights and strategies for civic leadership and action,” said Dr. V Jane Rosser, co-director of the institute and director of the Center for Community and Civic Engagement. The institute will combine engaging seminars, interactive discussions and site visits to relevant organizations, businesses and agencies. Fellows will also engage in weekly community service projects with a variety of community partners. Professional development sessions will focus on social media use, constructing a persuasive argument, funding challenges, grant-seeking, activism and social organizing. “The goal of the BGSU Civic Leadership Institute is to create lasting partnerships between Mandela Washington Fellows and Americans, to facilitate enduring networks, mutual learning…

Posted by:
David Dupont on June 20, 2017.
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Campus, Community, Community Voices June 1, 2017

Don Scherer’s “Cooperative Wisdom” wins Nautilus Award

From BGSU OFFICE OF MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS A book co-authored by Dr. Donald Scherer, professor emeritus of philosophy, and BGSU alumna Carolyn Jabs, a journalist and author, is the recipient of a gold Nautilus Award. “Cooperative Wisdom: Bringing People Together When Things Fall Apart” won recognition for illuminating an innovative and highly effective approach to conflict resolution. “We started working on the book in 2008, long before the recent election,” Scherer said. “Today, we find that people are deeply tired of endless conflict. There’s a real hunger for the benefits that come only from cooperation.” Scherer, who specialized in environmental ethics during his teaching career, spent a lifetime studying social systems to understand what makes them sustainable. “Cooperative Wisdom” distills his research, describing five principles that promote the kind of cooperation that undergirds thriving human communities. “The book is rooted in rigorous ethical philosophy,” Scherer said, “but the principles are relevant for families, schools, workplaces, nonprofit organizations and even governments.” Scherer and Jabs wrote the book as a conversation, a time-honored way of presenting philosophical ideas. Using living examples from history, current events, family life and Scripture, the book guides readers through 15 practices that will help them master this new way of responding to conflict. Jabs writes the award-winning column “Growing Up Online” and has published hundreds of articles on families, ethics, environmental issues and the internet. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, Newsweek, Working Mother and Family PC, among many others. She is also the author of “The Heirloom Gardener.” The Nautilus Book Awards recognize books that transcend barriers of culture, gender, race and class….

Posted by:
David Dupont on June 1, 2017.

Campus, Environment, Health May 31, 2017

BGSU researchers find virus may have been accomplice in Toledo water crisis

By BGSU OFFICE OF MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS In August 2014, toxins from algal blooms in Lake Erie shut down the city of Toledo, Ohio’s water supply, leaving half a million residents without potable water for more than two days. A new study co-authored by Bowling Green State University researchers shows that a virus may have been involved in the crisis and suggests methods for more stringent monitoring of water supplies. Michael McKay, Ryan Professor of Biology, and George Bullerjahn, Professor of Research Excellence, both at BGSU, worked with a team of 25 researchers to examine the physiological traits of Microcystis, the cyanobacterial organism responsible for scum-like algal blooms in Lake Erie. They found that it was consistent with algal blooms from 2012 and 2013 except for one thing – the Microcystis cells had a viral infection. Typically, toxins from algal blooms are trapped within the cell until the cell dies. But virus infections can cause cells to break open, leaking the toxin into the water and subsequently into water facility intake pipes and treatment centers. The viruses analyzed in this study infect only bacteria and do not infect humans. “The study changes the way we think about how the toxin moves around aquatic systems and gets into water supplies,” said Steven Wilhelm, Mossman Professor of Microbiology at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, who led the study. “It may help us understand how these organisms persist in nature.” The study was published recently in the journal Environmental Science and Technology. Co-authors included Wilhelm and his team from the University of Tennessee; Tim Davis of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Great…

Posted by:
David Dupont on May 31, 2017.

Campus, Community, Immigration May 31, 2017

‘Isms’ give power to prejudice by labeling people

By JAN LARSON McLAUGHLIN BG Independent News   Racism. Sexism, Ageism. Classism. Those “isms” tacked onto the ends of words stand for prejudice combined with power. The words define systematic prejudice – made easier by lumping people under a label. Earlier this month, Not In Our Town Bowling Green held another workshop at the library – this one specifically on “isms.” Everyone at the workshop could identify as a victim of at least one “ism.” There were “foreigners” and “feminists.”  There were people who stood out due to their color or their politics. The workshop was led by Dr. Krishna Han, assistant director of the BGSU Office of Multicultural Affairs. Han, originally from Cambodia, speaks five languages. Sometimes he can’t immediately find the English word that he is searching for. So, his strength sometimes appears to be a weakness when people judge Han’s intelligence by his occasional halting English. That and the color of his skin mean that Han may forever be looked upon as a foreigner in the U.S. – no matter how many years he had been here or the fact that he is an American citizen. “Generalization is dangerous – period,” Han said. Han tires of hearing people say, “Worry about your own country … This is my country,” he said. Even stereotypes that paint favorable pictures of people – such as all Asians being smart and hardworking – are harmful. “Any stereotype is negative,” said Ana Brown, a member of NIOT and BGSU administration member. Han asked the group to identify the hurtful comments directed to them in the past. “What do you never again want…

Posted by:
Jan Larson McLaughlin
Jan Larson McLaughlin on May 31, 2017.

Campus, Community Voices May 30, 2017

Bethany Ash receives BGSU Rookie of the Year Award for work with COSMOS

From BGSU OFFICE OF MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS Beginning a new job is challenging enough, but Bethany Ash, research program manager for COSMOS (Northwest Ohio Center of Excellence in STEM Education), has not only mastered her own duties since joining Bowling Green State University in February 2016, she has already made improvements to the program to further benefit students. She has also taken on an additional role left vacant by a departing staff member. Ash was recognized for her many contributions with the 2017 Rookie of the Year Award at the Administrative Staff spring reception and awards. The Rookie of the Year is awarded annually by Administrative Staff Council in recognition of an administrative staff member who has played an integral part in implementing an idea, program or procedure designed to enhance or improve student recruitment, retention and/or engagement. To be eligible for the award, employees must have worked at BGSU a minimum of one year but no more than three years. As manager of the research program, Ash works on multiple projects and grant programs. She works very closely with students who conduct water quality research, providing them with an experiential learning opportunity and a chance to be a part of local, state and national discussions surrounding water quality and farm run-off. “In mid-2016 Beth learned that the grants covering the research did not have funding for students to work in the lab and that the students were volunteering their time,” said her nominator, Jessica Belcher, COSMOS associate director. “She took it upon herself to write a grant specifically to fund the students’ work. Because of her efforts these students now…

Posted by:
David Dupont on May 30, 2017.

Campus, Community Voices, Science May 28, 2017

Michael McLaughlin, Robert Snyder win BGSU classified staff awards for caring for lab animals

From BGSU OFFICE OF MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS Like most classified staff members, Michael McLaughlin and Robert Snyder serve the needs of students and faculty. But their responsibilities also include nonhuman clients. As the Bowling Green State University Animal Facilities technicians, they care for research subjects such as pigeons and rats. In addition, they maintain the research facilities for faculty and students in the areas of biology, forensic science and psychology. Their dedication to their wards and to enabling research to be conducted in a clean, safe and compliant situation have earned them the 2017 Classified Staff Team Award. The award was presented May 17 at the annual Classified Staff Council reception and ceremony. The team will share a $1,500 award and their names will be displayed on a commemorative plaque in the Bowen-Thompson Student Union. Caring for animals is a seven-day-a week job, with no holidays and no two days the same. The University has two on-campus facilities plus a satellite location. McLaughlin and Snyder work diligently to ensure that not only are the needs of the animals met, but also the needs of the faculty, staff and students who utilize the facilities in their own important work, said Jenifer Baranski, director of BGSU animal research facilities. Each research project is different, with different requirements, but all must meet strict federal guidelines for safety and the well-being of the animals. McLaughlin and Snyder are thorough and careful in maintaining these standards while making sure that researchers have what they need to conduct their studies. Dr. Jon Sprague, Bureau of Criminal Investigation Eminent Scholar and director of the Center for the…

Posted by:
David Dupont on May 28, 2017.

Campus, Community Voices May 27, 2017

Marsha Bostelman presented with service award at BGSU

From BGSU OFFICE OF MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS Persistence, kindness, professionalism and skill are but some of the characteristics Marsha Bostelman brings to her job as administrative assistant in the Department of Marketing at Bowling Green State Universty. Her unflagging commitment to excellence and service was Marsha Bostelman recognized with the presentation of the 2017 Classified Staff Outstanding Service Award, given to Bostelman at the annual Classified Staff Council awards and reception on May 17. She received a $1,000 check and a plaque bearing her name, to be permanently displayed on the second floor of the Bowen-Thompson Student Union. Bostelman’s role in keeping the department running smoothly is appreciated by faculty, administrators and students alike, and they joined to nominate her for the award. “Marsha’s wealth of information, understanding of institutional policy and legacy knowledge of the University is inimitable,” wrote marketing faculty members Kirk Kern and Drs. Douglas Ewing and Jeffrey Meyer. “Her talents for efficient organization and effective communication with our faculty members and department chair keeps our diverse department operating. In short, she is invaluable.” “To say that Marsha exhibits exemplary job performance (one of the criteria for the award) is an understatement,” said former faculty member and chair Dr. Susan Kleine. “In fact, in an annual performance review, it is a challenge to identify something Marsha could improve; her work is nothing less than excellent in every way.” The marketing department is a challenging environment, her nominators agreed. Comprising a variety of disciplines from marketing to entrepreneurship to business communications to BIZX to hospitality management, it serves all business students plus others outside the College of Business…

Posted by:
David Dupont on May 27, 2017.