Collegium CommuniquéTHE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY HONORS & SCHOLARS CENTER

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

VOLUME 4, ISSUE 1

AUTUMN 2009

Program Updates 2-3Letter from the Director,Collegium activities and initiatives

Student Scholars 4-5Students present their re-search at conferences and in publications

Summer Stories 6-13Collegium students’ sum-mer endeavors

Alumnus Profile 14Matthew Borths describes his Fulbright experience in Germany

Collegium students Tyler Miller, Adrienne Strong, Devyn Paros Ian Green and Justin Schulze meet with the External Honors Advisory Board at the Faculty Club.

When the Collegium hosted its annual Kick-Off Cookout in September, even President Gee wanted to stop by and hear about our students’ impressive summer accomplishments. From Machu Pichu to Munich, Collegium students have traveled the world to conduct and present research, volunteer, and make connections with leaders in their fields. As these remarkable students returned to campus this fall, we heard reports about conferences in Germany (Samantha Gett, page 5), malaria research at Harvard (Rob Bonnaci, page 10) and organic farming projects (Kelly Lewis, page 11), just to name a few. Each year we like to get together and share these stories, and the Collegium staff is excited to continue to enable such travels and research as we begin a new year.

Collegium Welcomes Back Students

Read more to learn about Adrienne Strong’s (top right) research in Tanzania, Justin Schulze’s (bottom right) community internship in Peru, Ryan Connolly’s

(bottom left) study abroad in Europe, or Maggie Darocha’s (top right) State De-partment internship in Bolivia.

From the DirectorDear Friends,

I am happy to report that the Collegium program is strong and growing. Ten out-standing Presidential Scholars entered as freshmen this fall. Several are already engaged in research with faculty at Ohio State. One freshman, Joanna Daigle, even traveled abroad before classes be-gan, joining several Collegium students and Pro-fessor Debbie Parris to work with the Foundation for the International Medical Relief of Children in Peru. In addition to the freshmen, we added 20 sophomores and juniors, bringing the Collegium to over 70 students, our largest group yet.

Throughout this issue of the Communiqué, you will notice these students have a global reach. They have traveled to numerous countries, including Tanzania, Nicaragua, and South Africa. Their stud-ies were just as diverse, from examining human trafficking in Bolivia to analyzing storms in the atmosphere of Jupiter. To support these travels, the Collegium recently received a generous grant from Women & Philanthropy. These funds will help two Collegium students travel abroad during 2010. Devyn Paros, a double major in International Studies and French, will travel to Senegal to study international development and French. Surili Sheth,

one of OSU’s Truman Scholar nominees and a Political Science and Economics major, will travel to India for six months to investigate educational access for the impoverished.

In the coming months, we will also com-plete another competition cycle of external scholarships and fellowships. We submit-

ted several excellent nominees, and we will update you on the results in the spring. We had over 20 undergraduate applications for Fulbright Grants, and we are building this program even further. Cur-rently, OSU is planning a “Fulbright Week” dur-ing Spring Quarter 2010. We will co-sponsor this effort with the Office of International Affairs and the Graduate School to raise on-campus awareness about Fulbright grants and thus increase OSU’s participation in the program.

As I finish my first year as Director, I continue to be impressed with the students’ dedication to be-coming global citizens with the skills to tackle the complex problems facing the world today. Finally, I want to thank the Collegium staff for their dedica-tion and passion for guiding our students. Best wishes for the coming year,

Join us in welcoming two additions to the Colle-gium staff. Lauren Clark joined us as the Program Assistant and Writing Coordinator in July. A recent Masters student in Ohio State’s English Depart-ment, Lauren has taught a variety of composition courses at the university and looks forward to bringing her expertise to Collegium programming. She has already met and worked with several of the students and says, “It’s great to see such motivated young people accomplishing such amazing projects at the University. I’m excited to continue working with the Collegium students on their upcoming ap-plications and opportunities.”

Tanner Wilson, a freshman from North Royalton, a Cleveland suburb, also joined the Collegium in September, when he began working with our current student assistant, junior Meghan Gannon. Tanner is a Business major and a member of the Politics, Society, and Law Scholars program. He’s a sports and music enthusiast, and he is excited to be-come a part of Ohio State’s athletic traditions over the coming year. After graduating from Ohio State, he hopes to move to California and begin a career in real estate development.

Staff Additions and Welcomes

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Brian Winer

Program U

pdatesPeru: Students and Faculty Explore International Health Care

This September, while most Ohio State students were waiting for their new leases to begin, Collegium Faculty Community Leader, Dr. Deborah Parris took nine Ohio State Students to Huancayo, Peru. This was no vacation, but a trip to explore health care conditions in the region while volunteering with local hospitals and orphanages.

During their weeklong stay, Collegium students Rachel Kominsky, Liana Bonanno, Ian Green, Joanna Daigle, Kelsey Gray, and Ben Briskin lived in a homestay while they worked with the Foundation for the International Medical Relief of Children (FIMRC) to organize community

outreach projects. These included teaching dental hygiene in an orphanage, sharing their college experiences with teenagers in foster care, and helping entertain children soon to undergo surgery. In addition to working in the community, Dr. Parris’s group studied medical care and practices in the region by shadowing medical students and doctors and learning about the FIMRC’s work in the region.

Ian summarized the group’s feelings on returning to the states: “I left Peru thinking about the adaptation and perseverance that I had witnessed. I was re-inspired to become more involved with international development, especially in the area of health care.”

COLLEGIUM COMMUNIQUÉ PAGE 3

In 2007, Collegium alumnus Jessica Hanzlik organized the first annual Girls Reaching for Achievement in Sports and Physics (GRASP) camp. This year’s GRASP camp was also spearheaded by the Collegium, including our Director, Physics Professor Dr. Brian Winer, and Collegium students Liana Bonanno, Jake Connors, and Dan Giglio, each of whom organized activities on everything from the physics of football to flying Plexiglas gliders. Each of these activities aimed to entertain and educate the girls, who are at a crucial age, and need to be encouraged as they consider pursuing careers in the sciences.

Showing Ohio State Pride in Peru

Dr. Winer explains the motivation behind combining science and sport for these girls saying, “As a father of three girls, I think it’s important that we help them see science in their everyday lives.” Plus, sharing some field time with the Buckeyes makes a great sum-mer story!

GRASP: Collegium Students Promote Girls in the SciencesVolunteering in the pediatric ward

GRASP students meet the OSU football team Dan teaches the physics of punting

Collegium Students Present and Publish ResearchThe Honors Collegium expects its members to distinguish themselves beyond the baccalaureate degree. As undergraduates, many Collegium students have published their research and traveled widely to present their findings at conferences. Students receive funding for their trips from a variety of sources, including Collegium grants.

Ryan ConnollyLocation: Cleveland, OHField: ArchitectureGraduation Year: 2011

Elizabeth OttoLocation: San Fajardo, Puerto RicoField: AstronomyGraduation Year: 2012

I presented my project “Instant Nightlife” at the Post Architecture Journal’s “All You Can Eat: A Buffet of Architectural Ideas for Cleveland” exhibition. “All You Can Eat” was a collective exhibition of architectural ideas for vacant sites in Cleveland, Ohio, that took place on October 30th and 31st.

“All You Can Eat” was based on the premise that the city of Cleveland has a high metabolic rate, burning through ideas faster than they can be digested. In response, this exhibition presents a wide-array of possible future city-scapes. Each design is excessive and extreme, and the organizers encouraged projects at various states of development, from the refined to the undeveloped. My project proposed the use of a variety of inflatable room-sized bubbles to provide the means for a creative and cultural renaissance in the city.

Last summer, I conducted research at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory at Caltech University, where I was an Undergraduate Research Fellow. After my internship, I was able to present our lab’s research at the annual Division of Planetary Sciences of the American Astronomical Society meeting. My project was entitled Temporal Changes in Jupiter’s White Oval(s) and explained the work conducted and sponsored through the fellowship program.

Specifically, my project analyzed the evolution of a set of storms on Jupiter. At the conference, I gave a poster presentation of the work as part of a larger poster session focused on Jovian Atmospheres. The conference was a fantastic learning experience where I met with other researchers in the field from all over the world. Not only was I able to present my research to this audience, but I also was able to see the breadth of research going on in planetary science while exploring Puerto Rico, a unique cultural landscape within America.

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An image from Ryan’s Project

Elizabeth Otto

Tyler MerzLocation: University Park, PennsylvaniaField: Engineering PhysicsGraduation Year: 2009

Samantha GettLocation: Bremen, GermanyField: LinguisticsGraduation Year: 2010

I have been con-ducting research on zinc oxide and surface photovolt-age spectroscopy, which will allow us to design faster and more environ-mentally friendly computers.

This summer, I presented my work at the Elec-tronic Materials Conference at Penn State, where I shared my findings then took questions from several scholars in the field. It was exciting to exchange ideas with researchers from around the world, and I hope to continue these exchang-es through additional (hopefully first-author) publication on the topic. I have also presented this work at research forums on Ohio State’s campus, and have worked with other researchers to produce two publications in Applied Physics Letters.

I am grateful for the Collegium for helping fund my trip to the University of Bremen in Germany, where I presented at the Second International Conference on Maltese Linguistics.

The three day conference accepted professors, graduate students, and a few undergraduates from several different countries (including France, Germany, Malta, the United States). We presented our research on various aspects of the Maltese language-from phonology to syntax, historical linguistics to psycholinguistics. My paper was entitled, “Factors affecting

Vowel Duration in Maltese,” and could shed some light on Maltese pronunciations.

My paper will be published in a collection of essays from the conference, and I’m looking forward to attending the next International Conference, which will be hosted by Malta in 2011 or 2012.

OSU-Brazil Research Exchange ProgramSponsored by the University Honors & Scholars Center, the program allows OSU students to travel to São Paulo, Brazil, to present their research in an international forum. This year, Collegium students Hudson McFann, Amy Eakins, and Andy Campbell traveled with Dr. Garett Heysel to present their work. Andy describes his project below:

I presented data on the dysregulated brain circuitry underlying schizophrenia. My research group generated this information by surgically implanting an enzyme-coated microelectrode array biosensor into different animal subjects. This allowed us to monitor second-by-second measurements of neurotransmitter release and clearance in the brain of living research subjects. Such detail allows us to better understand the chemical processes that may underlie schizophrenia, perhaps leading to better and more effective treatment in the future. I was appreciative of the opportunity to share this important work abroad, especially because I could receive feedback from different perspectives while exploring the culture of Brazil.

COLLEGIUM COMMUNIQUÉ PAGE 5C

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Tyler presents his work

Sam Gett

Hudson, Andy, and Amy explore the architecture

Adrienne StrongOn my third trip to Singida, Tanzania, I conducted medical anthropology research on health care services during pregnancy. Through courses and previous travels to Tanzania, I learned that the country has a high infant and maternal mortality rate, especial-ly in rural regions. During this

trip, I wanted to explore the rea-sons behind these tragic mortality rates. Specifically, I wondered why many women did not visit doctors or hospitals during their pregnancies.

Throughout the summer, I trav-eled to surrounding areas to in-terview local women and health care workers about pregnancy and traditions in Tanzania. Be-cause I speak Swahili and have established great connections on previous trips, I felt integrated into the community and could thus hear a variety of perspec-tives. The women helped me understand that, as a future doc-tor, I will have to be sensitive to my patients’ beliefs and cultural needs. The hospital employees

shared stories about the often preventable deaths they see, encouraging me to continue to educate women about the impor-tance of prenatal health.

The next step is to translate these interviews into my Honors thesis during this school year. I also look forward to returning to Tan-zania and other African countries in order to organize educational campaigns, and I want to prac-tice medicine in the region after I complete medical school in the United States.

TanzaniaWhat: Thesis ResearchArea of Study: Biomedical SciencesGraduation Year: 2010

Justin SchulzeI interned with Asociacion Kuraka, a non-profit organiza-tion in Cusco, Peru. Asociacion Kuraka is dedicated to protecting indigenous rights and promot-ing development. Currently, the organization works with a group of women who weave textiles us-ing traditional techniques passed down from generation to genera-tion.

Asocacion Kuraka helped the women secure land for a permanent store and a living museum. As construction of the store neared completion, I helped the weavers prepare to sell their textiles by creating a web page about their lives and work. I also worked to market their products to local hotels and restaurants. With the store and museum, the women will gain financial stability and autonomy. Moreover, they will do so while preserving an important piece of indigenous culture.

During my internship, I learned so much from my travels in Peru, and I feel very grateful that I was able to watch these women practice their art and establish

themselves in the community. I hope that I can continue to use the knowledge I gain at Ohio State to help develop small-scale busi-nesses and initiatives that sustain and enrich the regions in which they are built.

PeruWhat: Volunteer and InternshipArea of Study: International Studies, EconomicsGraduation Year: 2012

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Justin in traditional garb

Justin and the women of Cusco

Adrienne interviewing a local family

Elaine HouseholderThanks to the Dream Catcher Foundation, I was able to volunteer and conduct re-search for five weeks in South Africa. I started each day by volunteering at the re-gion’s primary school, called a Kibbutz. Things could become pretty hectic in the classroom, and my students did not speak English, but I learned a lot about the educa-tion system and traditions in South Africa. I developed a great relationship with the Fraus (teachers) and students, and I even learned some common phrases in Afri-kaans!

After working at the Kibbutz, I would often travel to The House of Mercy, a home-based non-profit organization that serves destitute children in the region. The house pro-vides them with a safe place to play and often feeds and houses their families. While

there, I came up with my own project for the students, and we used my camera and computer to make short vid-eos together.

Finally, when not volunteer-ing at the Kibbutz or House of Mercy, I conducted my own research on impover-ished children in the area. I interviewed several children about their perceptions of youth violence in post-apartheid South Africa. Their stories and struggles elucidat-ed the devastating legacy of apartheid and further solidi-fied my desire to help im-poverished children through education and volunteering.

South AfricaWhat: Volunteer and Research Area of Study: International Studies, French Graduation Year: 2011

Dustin Koenig

My study abroad trip to Russia was informative and enlightening, complementing my in-class Russian studies at OSU. During my trip, I lived with a host family in order to study and experience Russian culture and language while I participated in a two-month, language-intensive program in Tomsk, Siberia.

We focused on language and literature with coursework and conversation practice nearly every day. I can definitely see the difference; my Russian has improved dramatically, which is a great advantage as I move towards my goal of working in Russia as a member of the Foreign Service. This experience has also helped me as I apply for a Russian Fulbright grant and a Carnegie Institute Fellowship, both of which would prove great next steps towards working as a diplomat in the region.

RussiaWhat: Study AbroadArea of Study: Political Science, RussianGraduation Year: 2010

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Dusty explores Russia

Elaine and her students at the Kibbutz

Tyler Merz I participated in Germany’s Research Internships in Sci-ence and Engineering (RISE) program, which allows students from the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada to live and work in Germany. I was placed at Technische Universität München in Munich, Germany, where I studied magnetic materials and superconductors. While there, I learned several new techniques and was responsible for multiple small projects, many of which I am now incorporating in my laboratory at OSU.

Perhaps more importantly, I was able to discuss contemporary physics research with researchers from all over the world. I even had some downtime to increase my language skills as I hiked in the Bavarian Alps and traveled to Berlin, Heidelberg, Berchtesgar-den, and Dresden.

GermanyWhat: Research InternshipArea of Study: Engineering PhysicsGraduation Year: 2011

Ryan ConnollyThis summer several Ohio State students and I travelled with Professor Jackie Gargus to Germany, Austria, Slovenia, the Czech Republic, Italy, Switzerland, and France. Over the course of the trip, we

studied nearly 300 buildings in depth. We focused on generating a critical discourse through which architecture could be understood as progressing from antiquity to modern society. I plan to use some of the buildings and ideas I was exposed to on the trip as the basis for a future research project on archi-tecture’s (in)ability to convey meaning spatially or symbolically.

Overall, it was a great way to motivate and inspire my senior thesis, and I hope to continue to study international architecture as I de-velop my own skills in the field.

EuropeWhat: Study AbroadArea of Study: Architecture, Political ScienceGraduation Year: 2011

Caroline PowerI spent my summer working for a Member of the Canadian Parliament, Justin Trudeau. Mr. Trudeau is the son of revolutionary former Prime Minister, Pierre Elliott Trudeau, and premier junior member of the Liberal Party, which is currently the Official Opposition. I spent my time running back and forth between the capital, Ottawa, Ontario, and Mr. Trudeau’s district in Montreal, Quebec. And, because a Canadian MP has only 2 or 3 staffers, I was able to take on several different projects. I helped with everything from pre-paring research to setting up daily schedules, from writing to constituents to filing office expenses. At the end of my program, the office offered me a position and place to live for another month, so I chose to stay.

CanadaWhat: Government InternshipArea of Study: Political Science, International RelationsGraduation Year: 2012

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Tyler hikes in Bavaria

Ryan studies classic architecture

Caroline and Mr. Trudeau

Maggie DaRochaDuring Spring of 2009, I worked as a State Department Intern in La Paz, Bolivia, where I represented the Embassy abroad while honing my Spanish and learning about Bolivian culture. While in Bolivia, I worked with officials on various issues, including human trafficking and even attended an international Trafficking in Human Persons conference. On the way back from the conference, I was able to travel in a C-130 military transport plane, something few civilians will ever experience.

As a graduating senior in International Relations, I am now applying for a Fulbright Grant, which requires extensive knowledge of the region. This internship helped me understand the Bolivian culture and provided insights that will help me as I continue to pursue a career in international development.

During my free time, I was able to explore the lakes and mountains through hiking tours. At Lake Titicaca, I fol-lowed a six-mile trail to find sacrificial tables at the top of the mountain. During the Incan era, human sacrificial vic-tims would have followed the same path to the peak.

BoliviaWhat: State Department InternshipArea of Study: International Studies, Spanish, Political ScienceGraduation Year: 2010

Seva KhambadkoneThis past year I helped found the Ohio State chapter of Project Nicara-gua, an organization dedicated to bettering the lives of Nicaraguan people through efforts in health care. Our branch is mainly focused on el Centro Nacional del Ofthalmologia (CENAO), the only public eye clinic in the entire country.

This summer some of our group members traveled to Nicaragua to build our relationship with the hospital and better understand its needs. We stayed at the headquarters of AMOS Health and Hope, an organization dedicated to working towards effective, empowering healthcare in impoverished communities, and we helped with the pharmacy and maintenance at the hospital. Our trip also overlapped with that of Dr. Mauger, our advisor and the Chief of Oph-thalmology at the Havener Eye Institute at Ohio State, so we had the opportunity to watch him perform corneal transplants on patients of the clinic.

NicaraguaWhat: Medical VolunteerArea of Study: International Studies, Neuroscience PSP Graduation Year: 2012

COLLEGIUM COMMUNIQUÉ PAGE 9Sum

mer StoriesMaggie travels in style in a C-130

Visiting an Incan sacrificial table at Lake Titicaca

Seva (left) smiles with fellow volunteers

Robert Bonnaci I researched malaria as a Summer Intern in the Division of Biological Scienc es of the Harvard School of Public Health. While there, I studied the development of Plasmodium falciparum, the most deadly malaria-causing parasite, which accounts for hundreds of millions of infections around the world.

I was able to present this work to my fellow interns and the faculty, including researchers across the country. I was even put in contact with scientists and officials in Mexico, some of whom are supporting my Fulbright application to conduct H1N1 research in their labs during the coming academic year.

Boston, MAWhat: Research InternshipArea of Study: Microbiology, SpanishGraduation Year: 2010

Drew EnigkThrough an internship with the Animal Sciences Department in the College of Food, Agricul-tural, and Environmental Sci-ences at The Ohio State Univer-sity, I studied turkey behavior, welfare, and productivity. I col-lected video and statistical data using the stroll test method. I visited the turkeys’ pen with a camera, then counted the number of turkeys visible within five-second intervals of film. This allowed me to assess their propensity to approach the tester, later creating graphs to analyze the data for trends. Ultimately, my research should help elucidate how stockpersons can change their behavior in order to decrease stress levels among the turkeys, thus leading to increased production. While I may ultimately pursue wildlife or exotic animal studies in my own research, this project confirmed my interest in animal psychology and taught me several useful research skills. To continue developing these skills, I’m spending winter quarter in Australia, were I will explore agri-culture and animal welfare on the continent.

Devyn ParosAfter completing my summer intern-ship with the Insti-tute for Policy Stud-ies, I can say that I know a great deal more about Ameri-can Foreign Policy. While working with the Institute’s Foreign Policy in Focus Project, I helped coordinate President Obama’s trip to Ghana in July. I also organized a forum on U.S. military involvement in Africa/AFRICOM.

In addition to the activities direct-ly surrounding the Obama admin-istration’s policy in Africa, I also began working on the Stop Vul-ture Funds Bill. This bill seeks to protect heavily indebted countries from lawsuits filed by predatory lenders holding portions of their debt. I even met with Representa-tives on the Hill to advocate for the Bill and at-tended conferences on a proposed currency transac-tion levy. Each of these projects has the potential to impact global policy and finance on a huge scale, so I am glad I spent my summer working on each and building my understanding of D.C. politics.

Columbus, OHWhat: Thesis ResearchArea of Study: Animal ScienceGraduation Year: 2012

Washington, DCWhat: Government InternshipArea of Study: International Studies, FrenchGraduation Year: 2011

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Rob studied malaria at Har-vard’s School of Public Health

Drew Enigk

Devyn Paros

Emma SilverblattI interned for the Western Reserve Historical Society (WRHS) in their Historical Preservation program, working and taking classes at the WRHS living history village, Hale Farm. Many of the buildings and facilities were around 200 years old, and I studied methods to continue their preservation. Each of the thirty historical buildings were carefully transported, piece by piece, to their current locations, so maintaining these buildings is a big undertaking, but one that’s important to understanding our history.

During the second half of the summer I interned withthe WRHS in Cleveland, working in the archives. I did a special digitization project of the Cleveland Picture File (a collection of images from Cleveland’s inception until the 1950’s). At the end of the summer, I also archived the visual files of the Austin Company, one of America’s oldest still functioning Architecture and Engineering Firms. These projects provided great insights into the connections between architecture and community history, so I’m glad to contribute to their growth. As an architecture student, it’s fascinating to see how buildings impact and reflect their history.

Peninsula, OHWhat: Research InternshipArea of Study: ArchitectureGraduation Year: 2012

BahamasWhat: Internship and ResearchArea of Study: AgricultureGraduation Year: 2013

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Kelly LewisAs an intern at Blue Rock Sta-tion Organic Farm, I helped with daily chores and learned about organic farming. My tasks included everything from feed-ing the llamas and milking goats to leading tours of the farm and explaining basic principles of organic farming to visitors.

I also designed and built an organic berry garden, edited a textbook on green technology, and learned about straw bale construction. After I graduate, I want to study and implement sustainable agricultural practices in the developing world, so this internship was great preparation for classes in crop science and environmental policy.

Emma dives into history at Hale Farm

Ohio State pride in the Bahamas

Kelly tours Andros’ largest textile factory

In addition to working at Blue Rock, I completed a for-credit biology course and trip on Andros Island in the Bahamas. Because the island is sparsely populated, much of it remains unexplored. It has a beautiful barrier reef with unique aquatic life that I was especially excited to study.

Our course combined scuba-diving expeditions with formal courses at night, thus allowing me to explore the ecosystem from multiple perspectives. It was also fascinating to see a developing region and the type of economic realities I might encounter in the future.

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David WilkesI was busy this summer with a business research project and an internship. First, throughout the summer, I worked as an early identification intern with the accounting firm Pricewaterhouse Coopers. I was recruited through their Talent Development Program. Not only did I learn a great deal about working for a major firm, but I also received the eXceed Minority Scholar-ship after this internship, organized service days for my fel-low interns, and received an offer for a future position with the company.

I also dedicated much of my summer to developing a finan-cial modeling software program for a company called Wall Street Prep. This project required hours of work in Excel and hundreds of efficiency improvement exercises, but it was absolutely fascinating to me. Plus, the program can help investors predict market trends in order to make strong investments in the future.

Stephen MeilBefore beginning my classes at Ohio State, I was excited to participate on an archeological dig in Milan, Ohio. This June, I worked with other students and professional archeologists to ex-cavate a Native American site. We determined it was potentially of Hopewellian origin.

Because I want to conduct my own archeological research in the future, this dig offered several helpful insights about my path. Seeing the historical and scientific knowledge required on a site confirmed my choice to double major in chemistry and anthro-pology. Experiencing the difficulties and physical demands that archeologists undertake (including hours of digging) was fasci-nating and well-worth the manual labor.

This small dig taught me that I love exploring history, a project I hope to continue with international field school programs. I’m especially excited about one in Corinth, Greece, a culture that I have studied extensively and want to further explore.

Milan, OHWhat: Field WorkArea of Study: Anthropology, ChemistryGraduation Year: 2013

Steve digs in at an archeological site

Receiving the eXeed Minority Scholarship

David leads an intern service day

Columbus, OHWhat: Internship and ResearchArea of Study: Accounting, FinanceGraduation Year: 2011

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Hudson McFannThanks to a fellowship from the Undergraduate Research Office, I was able to spend this summer conducting interviews with citizens and policymakers throughout Appalachian Ohio. I am now using these interviews to write my honors thesis, which focuses on how citizens in the region perceive government involvement and policy on environmental issues.

I’m especially interested by how these perceptions are affected by the legacy of mining in Appalachian Ohio and how understanding this history can help activists and government

agencies work with local communities to forge increasingly effective and informed policies.

This summer I focused specifically on landfills, including how citizens see landfills as an economic opportunity for their community, but also as an external threat to local health, identity, and even economic well-being.

I hope that this research will serve as a case study that could enlighten our understanding of rural communities and landfills more broadly. In fact, I found the topic of landfill politics so intriguing that I’ve applied for a Fulbright Grant to Canada to study the politics of waste management from an international perspective.

Appalachian OHWhat: Thesis ResearchArea of Study: Geography Graduation Year: 2010

David AgranovichAs an incoming Political Science major, I am very interested in development and community sustain-ability. As such, I jumped at the opportunity to spend my summer interning at the Entrepreneur-ship Preparatory School (E Prep), a high-perform-ing public charter school in inner-city Cleveland.

While the school was performing well, it was only three years old, and not well known. My job was to design an inexpensive publicity campaign for E Prep using social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, Ning, and LinkedIn. Ultimately, because E Prep relies on donations, I was responsible for creating a campaign that could increase enroll-ment and also target potential donors. I researched

which sites would be most effective and proposed a plan that we then implemented throughout the sum-mer.

Once we started, I led two staff members and our design firm to implement the campaign, and our fan base grew from zero to over two hundred within the first week of operation. At the end of the summer, I was excited to see that our efforts increased donations by around $1,000. Since I have left the school for Ohio State, I’m happy to report that E Prep has almost doubled its enroll-ment.

As I continue to work on international development issues, I plan to explore how stable institu-tions (like schools) can help prevent crime and cor-ruption.

Hudson takes in the view in Appalachia

Freshman David Agranovich

Cleveland, OHWhat: InternshipAreaof Study: Political Science, SpanishGraduation Year: 2013

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Collegium Alumnus ProfileMatthew Borths is a 2008 graduate of the Honors Collegium. An OSU Presidential Scholar, he ob-tained his B.S. in Anthropology and Geological Science before beginning a German Fulbright Grant to study at the University of Bonn. He is currently a graduate student in the Department of Anatomi-cal Science at Stony Brook University in Long Island, New York, where he is supported by a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship.

As a paleontologist, I’m interested in sorting out the origins of mammals. Because mammalian remains are found on every continent and are scrutinized by specialists in almost every country, paleontology is a very internationalized field. As I prepared to graduate from Ohio State, I wanted to begin forging the international network that would help me pursue a career in paleontology. Through the Honors Collegium, I applied for a German Fulbright to work with Dr. Thomas Martin at the University of Bonn, a fellow enthusiast for early mammalian evolution. I was accepted, and this summer, after a Fulbright-run introductory course to German culture, I moved to Bonn, Germany, to begin work with Dr. Martin. While there, my weekdays were occupied by hours of research with a microscope and my Russian, French, and German office-mates. My weekends were spent roaming the castles and vineyards of the Rhineland, or exploring further across Germany and her neighboring countries, always making time to visit the local Natural History Museum. As a student at the University of Bonn, I participated in field excursions to some of the most famous fossil quarries in the world, like the Messel Pit near Frankfurt, home of the earliest horses and bats, and the Solnhofen Quarry near Munich, home of the dinosaur-bird hybrid Archeaopteryx. I also pre-sented my undergraduate thesis at German paleontological conferences and gave a presentation on the American Creationism and Intelligent Design movement, a perennial source of curiosity and confu-sion for my German colleagues.

After a year in Germany forming my own international network, I ended my Fulbright experience by presenting my findings at the meeting of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology in Bristol, England. Appropriately, this was the Society’s first conference beyond North America. As I begin my graduate education, I appreciate the diversity of insights and approaches that I gained through this experience and hope to continue forging cross-cultural networks throughout my career.

The Honors Collegium301 Enarson Hall

154 West 12th AvenueColumbus, Ohio 43210Phone: (614) 688-5805

Fax: (614) 292-5446collegium@osu.edu

http://www.honors-scholars.ohio-state.edu/hcHome.aspx

Matt explores the German countryside

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