Students in the News
Our students are continually doing wonderful things-- read about some of our recent award-winners and attention-grabbers below. Click on the blue links to read the full articles as they appeared in university or local media outlets, or scroll down to read uptdates and articles written by HTC staff.
Ryan Smith, HTC English, Featured in Competitive Award Article
ATHENS, Ohio (June 2, 2008) -- Ryan Smith smiles as he talks about the creative teaching approaches of Nikhil Sathe, his mentor and thesis adviser. "He's always helping students to understand things. He knows how to present things in a way that still challenges us, but helps us to grasp the concepts," he says.
Sathe advised and assisted as Smith prepared an ultimately successful application for an Austrian Ministry of Education Teaching Assistantship he'll serve next year. And he headed the study abroad program Smith attended in Salzburg, Austria. To finish reading the story click here.
Morgan Riles, HTC Film, Recognized as 'Graduate with Promise'
ATHENS, Ohio (May 28, 2008) -- HTC Film senior Morgan Riles has been recognized as an Ohio University graduate with promise. To read her interview and discover why she is so promising, click here.
Michael Kortlander and Erika Swanson, HTC Students, Win Student Enhancement Awards
ATHENS, Ohio (May 19, 2008) — Ohio University’s Council for Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity granted 19 Student Enhancement Awards (SEA) this spring that total $93,774. The grants will fund student endeavors on subjects ranging from hydrogen energy and kidney disease to a short film called “The Dying Western.” The complete story can be read here.
HTC Students Win Big at Research Expo
ATHENS, Ohio (May 16, 2008) -- More than 86 prizes were awarded Thursday at the university's seventh annual Research & Creative Activity Expo. Winning projects included a study of theater as a tool for social and political change, the use of data-mining to analyze student retention at Ohio University, a content analysis of Southern Ohio community newspapers' coverage of health and health disparities, and an investigation of how the small, racially diverse community of Blackfork has lived harmoniously since the 19th century.
This was the biggest exhibition of Ohio University research, scholarship and creative work to date, comprising the original work of more than 550 undergraduate, graduate and medical students and post-doctoral fellows. Faculty and staff judges honored first- and second-place winners with cash prizes for their projects in categories based on student enrollment in each discipline. To read the full story and see a complete list of winners, click here.
Four HTC Students Win Prestigious Hollings Scholarships
Six Ohio University students recently earned 2008 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Ernest F. Hollings Scholarships, two more than all previous years' recipients combined.
Sarah Gutzwiller, Justin Henthorn, Brooks Kohli, Molly Semones, Elizabeth Simonik and Darren Snively will receive $8,000 per year for two years of undergraduate study in a discipline related to oceanic and atmospheric science, research, technology or education. Each also will serve a paid summer internship with the NOAA, gaining practical training in areas such as science, research, technology, policy, management and education.
The Hollings Scholarship, which goes to about 100 sophomores annually, is designed to provide undergraduates with training in oceanic and atmospheric fields while improving their environmental literacy. It also is a tool to recruit and prepare students for public service careers with the NOAA and other natural resource and governmental science agencies or as educators in oceanic and atmospheric science.
Four of the winners are students in Ohio University's Honors Tutorial College, which offers a tutorial-based education to 200 honor students in 25 programs. It is the only degree-granting college of its type in the nation. To finish reading this story, click here.
Former Miss Teen USA (and HTC Student!) Thrives at OU
ATHENS, Ohio (May 8, 2008) -- Class, interviews, practice, games, volunteer work: Allie LaForce is busy, but she's hardly fazed. Just two years ago she was balancing high school, charity events, celebrity parties and life with two pageant queens in New York City's Trump Place. Sound like a fairy tale? LaForce's story does include a crown, but right now she maintains she is the typical college student (with a few pageant dresses in her closet). Read the rest of this story here.
Three HTC Students Win Goldwater Scholarships
ATHENS, Ohio (April 22, 2008) -- With four-year institutions limited to four nominations for the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship, Ohio University couldn't have fared much better. Three nominees earned the scholarship and the fourth earned honorable mention. To read more, click here.
Student Receives Phi Kappa Phi Honors
ATHENS, Ohio (April 24, 2008) -- The National Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi has selected Ohio University senior Patrick Heery as a Phi Kappa Phi Graduate Fellow and awarded him the Alfred M. Wolfe Fellowship, one of seven named fellowships reserved for top-ranking nominees. To read more, click here.
HTC Students Shoot Out Competition in Film Contest
ATHENS, Ohio (February 20, 2008) -- HTC students swept this year's 48-hour Shoot Out. The Shoot Out, now in its sixth year, is a competition that pits student groups against each other to create a short film in just 48 hours. Twenty-five short films were completed this year by Ohio University students. "Aunt Fanny's Training Video" won first place. The team that created this comedic take on an instructional video included HTC students Wes Cronk (telecommunications), Kate Primeau (theater), Mike Kortlander (telecommunications), Gina Beach (journalism) and Morgan Chambers (dance). The second place film "In The Gutter" was created by a team that included HTC students Anthony Fabiano (telecommunications), John Heeg, (telecommunications) and Samantha Pattantyus (film). Third place winner "Snapshot" included Alina Buccella (English), Bryan Cain (telecommunications), Tom Wagener (telecommunications), Savannah Aepli (journalism), Tamsin Green (theater) and Sean Howlett (telecommunications). Congratulations to all HTC winners!
Brittany Hughes, HTC Journalism Student, Places Fourth in National Writing Competition
ATHENS, Ohio (Dec. 17, 2007) -- Brittany Hughes has placed fourth in the Hearst Awards for Editorial/Column Writing. To read the press release, click here.
HTC Student Wins Prestigious Marshall Scholarship
ATHENS, Ohio (Dec. 5, 2007) -- Bob Arnold got the phone call on a Wednesday night. It was the Marshall Scholarship's British Consul-General in Chicago congratulating the Ohio University political science major on winning a 2008 Marshall Scholarship. Thrilled, Arnold called his parents ("There was a lot of shouting on their end") and then his mentor, Distinguished Professor of Economics Richard Vedder. Next, he hung up the phone and returned to studying for Vedder's economics final exam, scheduled the following morning. To finish reading this story, click here.
HTC Philosophy Student Brings Controversial Pastor to Campus
ATHENS, Ohio (Oct. 25, 2007) -- Ask Nicole Ogundare, executive assistant to Bishop Carlton D. Pearson, how the pastor decides when and where he will speak publicly and she will tell you, "It has to be worthwhile." Pearson came to Ohio University this week for one very worthwhile reason -- Max Korn." To read the full story, click here.
Jordan Pleasant, HTC Junior, Featured in Outlook
ATHENS, Ohio (Oct. 16, 2007) -- Jordan Pleasant, a junior HTC philosophy major, is the focus of an article in Outllook for his skills in language and translation. Jordan recently returned from studying in India, and hopes to study in Egypt later this year.
Baer Prize for Multi-Disciplinary Work Awarded to HTC Student
HTC dance student Morgan Chambers has been awarded the Herbert L. Baer Prize for 2007. Morgan earned the prize by researching the use of soundbeam technology to treat disabilities.
The Baer Prize is awarded exclusively to students who have demonstrated exceptional research skills in multi-disciplinary fields of study. During her research, Morgan fused the areas of music, dance, therapy, hearing, speech and language sciences, musical-digital interface technology and special education.
Among Morgan's competition were eleven other applicants who completed research in various fields.
The Baer Prize was established to honor the memory of former HTC student Herbert L. Baer, a 1977 graduate of the Honors Tutorial College whose life was cut short by a bicycle accident. At the time of his death, he was an economist at the World Bank.
Class of 2007 News
Dean Fidler is pleased to announce that all of our Honors Tutorial College Spring graduates will be graduating either cum laude (10 students),
magna cum laude (14 students), or summa cum laude (16 students). To see her comments regarding this impressive achievement of the Class of 2007, click here. To view an article recently released by the university about the accomplishments of the Class of 2007, click here.
Laura Rossi, HTC Senior, Returns from Swansea an Ambassador
HTC Senior English major Laura Rossi spent the last year studying at Swansea University in Whales. She is recently returned to the States, where she will serve as a British Council Student Ambassador. You can check out her blog here.
Kelsey Brennan, 2007 HTC Graduate, joins The Rep
MILWAUKEE, Wis. - (Aug 14, 2007) -- Recent HTC graduate, Kelsey Brennan has been accepted as an acting intern in the Milwaukee Repertory Theater. She will work there for a full season, from August to May.
Liza Kindl, 2007 HTC Graduate, is a BA with a BFA
ATHENS, OH - (May 22, 2007) -- HTC Theater senior Liza Kindl was featured in Perspectives magazine for her work in Production, Design, and Technology. Among her past works are a ceremonial machete for The Gods are Not to Blame, for which she won an Ezekiel Award, and a bleeding bathtub for Marat/Sade, her thesis project. Liza currently holds an internship with the Sante Fe Opera Company.
Two Students Present Research at Honor Society Conference
PITTSBURGH, Pennsylvania - (June 21, 2007) - HTC English seniors Alina Buccella and Laura Stautberg presented papers at the Sigma Tau Delta annula conference in Pittsburgh, PA. Alina's paper was titled "The Search for Transcendental Enlightenment in Edgar Allen Poe and Emily Dickinson". Laura's paper was titled "Imaginary Lines and Broken Spaces: the Designation of the LIving and the Dead in Thomas Kidd's Spanish Tragedy and Shakespeare's 'Hamlet'".
Third of Three Sisters Graduates from HTC
ATHENS, Ohio (June 18, 2007) -Anna Weed, a 2007 HTC Business graduate, joined her sisters Rachel Weed, a 2006 HTC Social Work graduate, and Sarah Grace Weed, a 2005 HTC Biological Sciences, as alumnae of the HTC. Her graduation begins the first year in which Dean Fidler has not had a Weed sister in the college.
Micah Mitchell, 2007 HTC Graduate, named Outsanding Senior Leader.
ATHENS, Ohio (June 11, 2007) - Micah Mitchell, a 2007 HTC Communication Studies graduate, was recognized as one of seven Outstanding Senior Leaders at the 2007 undergraduate commencement.
Ben McClelland, 2006 HTC Graduate, Wins Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship
Ben McClelland has just been selected for a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship to spend the 2007-08 school year in Russia. Ben graduated in June from the Honors Tutorial College with a combined BA/MA in Political Science. His thesis, "Democracy and Identity in Bosnia-Herzegovina" was based on an independent research project he conducted in Bosnia. This upcoming year Ben will be going to Kobe, Japan, to teach English in the Japanese public schools, before undertaking his Rotary Scholarship in Russia the following year. He will work on his Japanese there as well, which will compliment his already fluent Russian and French.
Warner Asch, 2006 HTC Graduate, Receives Fulbright Award to India
ATHENS, Ohio (June 14, 2006) - Warner Asch, a 2006 HTC Philosophy graduate, was recently offered a Fulbright grant to India. Warner will be the first Ohio University awardee to take part in the new Fulbright Language Training Initiative, designed to encourage more Americans to learn languages that are deemed important for national security, but which are not widely taught in the United States. He will spend three months intensively studying Hindi to improve his intermediate skills in the language. He will then spend nine months in the city of Varanasi researching contemporary followers of the medieval poet Kabir. Warner Asch is the thirteenth Ohio University student to win a prestigious Fulbright award.
Andy Goodhart, HTC Junior, Wins David L. Boren Fellowship
ATHENS, Ohio (June 9, 2006) -- The National Security Education Program has awarded David L. Boren 2006 Fellowships to three Ohio University students. Andy Goodhart, a junior political science major, will study Arabic and Middle Eastern history and diplomacy in Aman, Jordan, next year.
Ohio University Honors Students Volunteer with Habitat for Humanity
ATHENS, Ohio (May 11, 2006) -- Student volunteers from Ohio University's Honors Tutorial College staffed the building site of Habitat for Humanity's 20th home in Athens County as a part of the Honors College Volunteer Weekend, April 28-30.
Three HTC Incoming Freshmen Named Cutler Scholars
ATHENS, Ohio (May 15, 2006) -- Three HTC incoming freshmen, Emily Grannis, Jay Simmons and Jordan Templeton, were named Ohio University Manasseh Cutler Scholars for the 2006-07 academic year. The prestigious scholarships include an annual stipend to cover undergraduate tuition, room and board, and four summers of enrichment experiences, including study and work abroad.
Rachel Cook Wins Nationally Competitive Morris K. Udall Scholarship
ATHENS, Ohio (April 28, 2006) -- Ohio University student Rachel Cook has been named a Morris K. Udall Scholar for 2006.
Ohio University Students win Fulbright Teaching Assistantships
ATHENS, Ohio (April 10, 2006) -- Two Ohio University students have been awarded Fulbright teaching assistantships in Indonesia for the 2006-07 academic year.
Clarissa Kornell and Warner Asch Among 15 Fulbright Semi-Finalists
ATHENS, Ohio (February 9, 2006) -- Fifteen Ohio University students have been recommended to the final round of competition in the Fulbright U.S. Student Program.
HTC Freshmen Liz Nalepa, Ted Weissfeld, JD Holten and Joel Smith Excel on Ohio University Forensics Team
ATHENS, Ohio (February 8, 2006) -- HTC Freshmen Liz Nalepa, Ted Weissfeld, JD Holten and Joel Smith Excel on Ohio University Forensics Team.
Senior Sarah Sexton Named George J. Mitchell Scholar
ATHENS, Ohio (November 29, 2005) -- Ohio University senior Sarah Sexton of Athens, has been named a George J. Mitchell Scholar for 2006-07.
MORE HTC NEWS STORIES
Junior HTC Journalism Student to Compete in Miss Ohio Pageant 
June 7, 2006
Mary Krouse, a junior HTC journalism student from Powell, Ohio, , will compete for the title of Miss Ohio at the annual pageant that begins July 1.
Mary won the title of Miss Marion Popcorn Festival last summer and has been preparing for this summer's pageant since her win while maintaining a high g.p.a. in her classes for her dual concentration in public relations and pre-law.
Mary's platform is cancer awareness and prevention. To this end, Mary has undertaken a huge project: to collect 1,000 signatures for a petition for a "Prevent Cancer" specialty license plate to be offered by the Ohio Department of Motor Vehicles.
"Right now I have about 300," Mary said. "But I'm going to keep going with this even after the pageant, no matter how well I do."
If she's successful, the Ohio DMV will offer this specialty plate-- and $25 per license plate purchased will go to the American Cancer Society for cancer research and prevention.
To read more about Mary's pageant preparations, or to sign the petition, visit her blog, Crowning Acheivements.
Thirteen HTC Voinovich Research Scholars for 2006-07 Named
May 18, 2006
The following HTC students have been selected as Voinovich Center
Undergraduate Research Scholars for 2006-2007:
Robert Arnold, HTC Political Science
Stefan Barber, HTC Political Science
Meredith Barnett, HTC Journalism
Alina Buccella, HTC English
Anna Colaner, HTC Sociology
Spencer Griffin, HTC History
Daniel Layman, HTC Philosophy
Erin Lund, HTC Political Science
Meredith Maxey, HTC Biological Sciences
Erica Poff, HTC Political Science
Anastasia Pronin, HTC Journalism
Gordy Ruchti, HTC Mathematics
Leah Stoner, HTC History
Congratulations to these students. Their contributions to the research
conducted by faculty and staff associated with the Voinovich Center and
ILGARD will be of great assistance in subjects ranging from welfare reform
to highway expenditures.
Written by Dean Fidler
New Phi Beta Kappa Inductees Announced
May 17, 2006
The following HTC students have been elected to Phi Beta Kappa-- the oldest and most prestigious honors society in the country.
Patrick Heery, HTC Classics
Rachel Cook, HTC English
David McCowan, HTC Physics
Patrick Green, HTC Physics
Rachel Durso, HTC History
Greg Snowden, HTC Environmental & Plant Biology
Annie Johnson, HTC Sociology
Holly Davis, HTC Communication Studies
Clarissa Kornell, HTC Political Science
Brian Dearing, HTC History
Andrew Connor, HTC History
Nicholas Starvaggi, HTC History
Jason Hoy, HTC Chemistry
Ben Lachman, HTC Computer Science
Michael Jacobson, HTC Political Science
Ilya Kogan, HTC Computer Science
Congratulations to these students on this most impressive accomplishment!
Written by Dean Fidler
Clarissa Kornell and Warner Asch Among 15 Fulbright Semi-Finalists
February 9, 2006
ATHENS, Ohio - Fifteen Ohio University students have been recommended to the final round of competition in the Fulbright U.S. Student Program. This is a new Ohio University record for the highest number of recommended students in this prestigious national competition. The students, who have applied to visit ten countries, represent programs in six colleges, as well as the Center for International Studies. Last year, nine Ohio University students won the prestigious award, setting a record for the highest number of Fulbright recipients from the university.
The candidates will each find out sometime between March and June whether they will receive a Fulbright award. Those who receive the award will spend the 2006-07 academic year abroad working on projects funded by the Fulbright program. The recommended students, their Ohio University majors, the countries to which they have applied and the name of their projects are:
Philip Allman
Doctoral student, Biological Sciences
Ghana Community-Based Sea Turtle Program in Ghana
Warner Asch
Honors Tutorial College, Philosophy major
India Kabir Mysticism in Varanasi
Julie DePaulo
World Religions major
Japan Spirituality in a Modern Japanese Community
Layne Hanson
International Studies - Latin American Studies major
Indonesia Teaching Assistantship
Tod Imperato
Master's student, Latin American Studies
Chile Teaching Assistantship
Mary Katherine Johnson
Master's student, Visual Communications
South Africa South African Identity in Youth of Color
Troy Johnson
Master's student, International Development Studies
Indonesia Islamic Participation in Voter Education Programs
Eileen Kelbach
German major
Germany Teaching Assistantship
Clarissa Kornell
Honors Tutorial College, Political Science major
Indonesia Teaching Assistantship
Alyssa Malchi
Hearing, Speech and Language Sciences major
Korea Teaching Assistantship
David Porter
Alumnus, Master's in Business Administration program
Estonia Economic Impact of Information Technology in Estonia
Melanie Schori
Doctoral student, Environmental and Plant Biology
Philippines Field Research on Philippine Trees (Gomphandra)
Megan Schuck
German, Political Science and Journalism major
Germany Teaching Assistantship
Genevieve Waller
Master's of Fine Arts student, Departments of Art History and Photography
Germany The Photogram Process in Germany
Carly Witmer
Bachelor's of Fine Arts student, Painting
Ecuador Indigenismo and Ecuador
Assistant director of the Center for International Studies and Ohio University's U.S. Fulbright Program adviser Beth Clodfelter commends all of the Fulbright U.S. Student Program applicants.
These students rose to the challenge of the rigorous Fulbright application process and would serve as outstanding cultural ambassadors for the university and the country.
"The diversity of the academic programs that these 15 students represent highlights the excellence of education available across the Ohio University campus," Clodfelter said. "These students rose to the challenge of the rigorous Fulbright application process and would serve as outstanding cultural ambassadors for the university and the country."
Clodfelter expressed her appreciation to the more than 130 faculty and staff members across campus who assisted Ohio University students in the Fulbright application process participating in campus interviews, writing letters of recommendation and administering foreign language evaluations.
Students interested in applying for the 2007-08 Fulbright U.S. Student Program, who are U.S. citizens and who will be seniors, masters or doctoral students next fall, as well as younger students who would like to receive information early, are invited to attend one of the following Fulbright U.S. Student Program information sessions, which will be held in Baker Center room 332:
Monday, Feb. 13th (3 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.)
Thursday, Feb. 16th (4 p.m. - 5 p.m.)
Tuesday, Feb. 21st (11 a.m. - noon)
For more information, please contact Beth Clodfelter, the Fulbright Program adviser, at clodfele@ohio.edu or 740.593.2302 or visit Ohio University's Fulbright Web page at http://www.ohiou.edu/internationalstudies/fulbright.htm.
Senior Sarah Sexton Named George J. Mitchell Scholar
November 29, 2005
ATHENS, Ohio - Ohio University senior Sarah Sexton of Athens, has been named a George J. Mitchell Scholar for 2006-07. She is one of only 12 students awarded the prestigious scholarship, which will allow her to pursue a master's degree next year at the University of Limerick's Centre for Peace and Development Studies in Ireland. Sexton is the first Ohio University student to receive a Mitchell Scholarship.
"I think it's an amazing opportunity," said Sexton. "It was great to meet all the wonderful people associated with the scholarship during my interview and I will bring back a wealth of experiences from Ireland."
The Mitchell Scholarship is a competitive, national scholarship available to American citizens between the ages of 18 and 30 at institutions of higher learning. Recipients must use the scholarship for graduate study in Ireland.
The scholarship provides tuition, housing, international travel and a $12,000 stipend for living expenses. Recipients must exhibit superior records of academic excellence, leadership and public service. To win the award, she was chosen from a pool of 250 students representing more than 170 universities and colleges.
The George J. Mitchell Scholarship is named in honor of the former U.S. Senator, who was chairman of the peace negotiations in Northern Ireland. Under his leadership, the governments of Ireland and the United Kingdom and the political parties of Northern Ireland agreed to a historic accord, ending decades of conflict. In May 1998, the voters of Ireland, North and South, in a referendum, overwhelmingly endorsed the agreement. As a reward for his outstanding leadership, Mitchell was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize.
Sarah is a remarkable young woman and the Mitchell committee seemed to grasp that fact even before her interview.
Sexton, who received a Harry S. Truman Scholarship last year, is an Honors Tutorial College student majoring in political science with minors in geography and Spanish. Since 2004, she has served the city as an at-large member of Athens City Council and has been an active member of the local Democratic Party. She is a co-founder of Ohio University's Student Renters Union and is a member of the Athens Rotaract Club.
"Sarah is a remarkable young woman and the Mitchell committee seemed to grasp that fact even before her interview," said Ann Fidler, dean of the Honors Tutorial College. "She learned during the course of the interview that she was one of only two of the 20 finalists who wasn't subjected to the semifinalist review process. Thanks to Sarah's hard work, the faculty mentoring she received and the help that Ann Brown in the Office of Nationally Competitive Awards provided, Sarah has contributed to the national prominence of Ohio University."
Sexton's academic interest is public policy and public interest law. After graduating from law school, she plans on fighting poverty as an advocate for disenfranchised individuals. She is the daughter of Timothy and Colleen Sexton.
For more information about Ohio University's Office of Nationally Competitive Awards, visit www.onca.org.