Sophomore Audria Grubbs and the rest of the YSU swim team take on Wisconsin—Green Bay 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 23 in the Beeghly Center Natatorium. The meet is one of many events on campus this week, including the Dana Fall Choral Concert, Octubafest performances, a seminar on the U.S. Census, Safe Zone training and much more.

Below are a variety of items about upcoming events and other news notes on the campus of Youngstown State University:

• WYSU marks four decades on the air
• Prof named chair of Mathematical Olympiad
• Programs to feature Depression–era diary
• Respiratory Care featured in national publication
• YSU piano professor Oltmanns releases solo CD
• Student proposals sought for IdeaLaunch contest
• Alcohol on campus is topic of ￔLast Callￕ program
• Miniature books displayed at Bliss Gallery
• National Instrument presents seminar at YSU

Calendar
Monday, Oct. 19, 8 p.m. "Songs of Love" is the theme of the YSU Dana School of Music Fall Choral Concert in the Ford Family Recital Hall, Eleanor Beecher Flad Pavilion at the DeYor Performing Arts Center in downtown Youngstown. Admission is $5 for adults and $4 for senior citizens and students. Children under 12 and anyone with YSU ID are admitted free. For more information, call 330–941–3636.

Wednesday, Oct. 21, 12:15 p.m. The YSU Dana School of Music's Jazz Combos perform at Music at Noon concert in the Butler Institute of American Art. Free.

Wednesday, Oct. 21, 8 p.m. Octubafest continues with the Dana Faculty Chamber Music in Bliss Recital Hall. Studio recitals are also set for Thursday, Oct. 22 at 8 p.m. and Saturday, Oct. 24 at 2 p.m., also in Bliss Recital Hall. Octubafest, sponsored by the YSU Dana School of Music, recognizes the heritage of the tuba and euphonium.

Thursday, Oct. 22, 9 a.m. to noon. The YSU Center for Urban and Regional Studies hosts a seminar titled "U.S. Census 101" in the Ohio Room of Kilcawley Center on campus. The seminar is free and open to the public and is geared toward educating community leaders and the public about the U.S. Census and how it will impact the Mahoning Valley. For more information, call 330–941–1462.

Thursday, Oct 22, 3 to 5 p.m. YSU faculty, staff and students are invited to attend Safe Zone training in the McKay Auditorium in the Beeghly College of Education. For more information, visit http://www.ysu.edu/stu_org/ysunity/. 

Thursday, Oct. 22, 7 p.m. The 2009 Youngstown Area Jewish Film Festival features Walk on Water at USA Cinema in Great East Plaza, Niles. The film festival is presented by the Center for Judaic and Holocaust Studies at YSU. The festival continues 1 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 25, at the Butler Institute of American Art, Wick Avenue, Youngstown, with a double feature, In Search of the Bene Israel and Blessed is the Match. For more information, call 330–941–1604.

Friday and Saturday, Oct. 23 and 24. The 2009 Annual Reading Conference will be held in Kilcawley Center on the YSU campus. The conference, titled "The Power of Literacy: Our Hope for the Future," is sponsored by YSU, Kent State University, University of Akron and the Ohio Council of the International Reading Association. For a complete program, visit http://www.coe.ysu.edu/FINALBROCHURE09.pdf.

Friday, Oct. 23, 4 p.m. YSU soccer squad takes on Wright State at Stambaugh Stadium. The soccer team also plays 1 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 25 against Cleveland State, also at Stambaugh.

Friday, Oct. 23, 5 p.m. The YSU swimming and diving team takes on Wisconsin–Green Bay in the Beeghly Center Natatorium.

Sunday, Oct. 25, 3 p.m. The YSU Dana School of Musicￕs piano department recital will be in Bliss Recital Hall. 

WYSU–FM marks four decades on the air
When Barbara Krauss began her career at WYSU in 1971 as a student announcer, the radio station was a mere shadow of its current self.

"We did taped broadcasts from rooms out of the old Valley Park Motel on Wick Avenue, where each makeshift 'studio' had its own bathroom," Krauss remembers.

While the location has changed – now airing from its current home in Cushwa Hall on the Youngstown State University campus – one thing has remained constant: WYSU's commitment to high quality programming.

"What has truly made us unique, even among other public radio stations, is the maintained spirit of what was started in 1969," said Krauss, who has logged thousands of hours on the air in 38 years at the station.

"One of the things we try to do is make the listening experience about the music and news. Everything the station does is with the intent to provide the best programming possible."

In celebration of its 40^th anniversary, WYSU will hold a string of events starting Friday, Oct. 23, the day four decades ago that the station began broadcasting.

(Note: Leading up to the 40th Anniversary date, WYSU is holding its Fall Fund Drive, Oct. 16 through Oct. 23.)

This Oct. 23, the station will air portions of its original 1969 broadcast. In November, the station will present its annual Folk Festival. In December, the station hosts a lecture by NPR White House Correspondent Don Gonyea. And the 40^th anniversary celebration will conclude with an Ethnic Food Festival in October 2010 at Mill Creek Park.

WYSU's beginnings date to 1967, when Don Elser, the first chair of the YSU Drama and Speech Department, Steve Grcevich, YSU director of radio broadcasting, and YSU President Albert Pugsley proposed a fine arts radio station for Youngstown and the Mahoning Valley.

Two years later, WYSU began broadcasting 12 hours a day at its current dial position, 88.5 FM. In 1971, the station began streaming national programs via satellite and expanded broadcasting to 18 hours a day. The station moved to Cushwa Hall in 1976, and in 1980 it expanded to a 24–hour–a–day broadcast format.

Today, the station does most of its own programming, and boasts a staff of seven full–time and four part–time paid employees, as well as nine student employees and volunteers. The station is licensed to YSU and operates under the auspices of the YSU Division of University Advancement as a community service.

Throughout the past 40 years, WYSU has remained dedicated to community–focused programs, while also bringing nationally syndicated shows to Youngstown listeners through its partnership with National Public Radio, said Gary Sexton, WYSU director.

"We've worked at professionalizing our broadcast performance and have become more responsive to the programming needs of the community," Sexton said. "Aside from advances in our technology over the years, we have become more active in the community and a stronger participant in the rebirth of this town and region."

Barbara Krauss can still be heard 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. For more information, visit http://www.wysu.org/.

Prof named chair of Mathematical Olympiad

Jacek Fabrykowski, a professor of mathematics at Youngstown State University, has been selected to serve as chair of the Committee for the United States Mathematical Olympiad (USAMO) for a term beginning in January 2010 and ending in January of 2013.

USAMO provides a means of identifying and encouraging creative secondary mathematics students who may become the leaders in the mathematical sciences of the next generation. The USAMO is part of a worldwide system of national mathematics competitions, a movement in which both educators and research mathematicians are engaged in recognizing and celebrating the imagination and resourcefulness of youth.

The USA Mathematical Olympiad is the culmination in the United States of the American Mathematics Competitions, given by the Mathematical Association of America for 60 years to approximately 400,000 students nationwide. The students are narrowed down through a series of competitions to 250 students taking the USAMO. This culminating USAMO competition itself has been given since 1972.

"Being chosen to lead this extremely talented group of individuals is a testament to the outstanding achievements of Jack Fabrykowski," said Nathan P. Ritchey, chair of the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at YSU. "We are delighted that Professor Fabrykowski has achieved such national prominence."

Programs to feature Depression–era diary
The Department of History at Youngstown State University and several co–sponsors will present two events this month to celebrate the national release of The Great Depression: A Diary, the chronicle of Youngstown attorney Benjamin Roth's Depression–era experiences.

Co–editors James Ledbetter and Daniel Roth, the author's son, will discuss the diary and will sign copies of the book at 4 p.m. Monday, Oct. 19, in the Chestnut Room at YSU's Kilcawley Center. The presentation will also feature an exhibit, titled "Youngstown in the Great Depression," as seen through Benjamin Roth's eyes.

"It's a fascinating book, and they're marketing it nationally," said Martha Pallante, professor and chair of the History Department. The book is published by Public Affairs Books, a division of Perseus Books, New York.

Ledbetter and Roth will also meet with the public to discuss the book from 5 to 6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24, at the Youngstown Historical Center of Industry and Labor, 151 W. Wood St. The museum will be open to the public free of charge at that time.

Sharing sponsorship of the events with the YSU history department are the Center for Applied History, the Mahoning Valley Historical Society, the Ohio Historical Society, the Youngstown Historical Center of Industry and Labor, YSU Center for Working–Class Studies, YSU Center for Judaic and Holocaust Studies and the YSU Department of Economics.

Respiratory Care featured in national publication
Youngstown State University's Respiratory Care Program is one of three programs featured in the October 2009 issue of the AARC Times.

The article highlights participants and presenters of research abstracts at the annual American Association of Respiratory Care International Respiratory Congress in Anaheim, Calif.

Teresa Volsko, program director of the YSU Respiratory Care and Polysomnography programs, as well as an assistant professor in Health Professions, was spotlighted alongside participants from the Mayo Clinic and Georgia State University.

Volsko was accompanied by students Tiffany Walsh and Maria Badescu, who presented posters at the open forum on their capstone research project, a culminating analysis and assessment based on the work they have done during their time as undergraduates.

"The meeting generates a lot of enthusiasm about the profession," Volsko said. "They have a unique opportunity to network with professionals around the country and are inspired by respiratory therapists who contribute to the advancement of the profession."

This year, Volsko will return to the Congress in San Antonio with three student presenters.

YSU piano professor Oltmanns releases solo CD

Caroline Oltmanns, professor of piano at Youngstown State University's Dana School of Music, has released her fourth solo CD, Pastorale, a collection of favorites by Beethoven, Chopin and Wilding.

Recorded on the Filia Mundi label, the CD was recorded in Newton Falls, Ohio.

Oltmanns is an international Steinway artist and has performed as a soloist in Europe, South Africa and North America, with many of her performances broadcast via radio and television. In addition, she has presented master classes and workshops throughout the world.

A native of Fxrth, Germany, Oltmanns received a Performance Diploma from the Staatliche Musikhochschule Freiburg, and she consequently accepted a Fulbright Scholarship and the prestigious Stipendium der deutschen Wirtschaft for graduate and doctoral studies at the University of Southern California.

Oltmanns said the CD, dedicated to her parents, is intended to evoke a concert–like experience even though it was recorded in a studio. "This CD should make listeners feel as though they are at one of my concerts," she said. "The selections are some of my favorites."

 The CD is distributed by Filia Mundi records and available for sale by e–mailing info@carolineoltmanns.com. CDs are $14.99 each plus $2 postage and handling.

Student proposals sought for IdeaLaunch contest
As a part of Global Entrepreneurship Week, Nov. 16 to 20, Youngstown State University students are invited to submit their ideas for new businesses as part of the IdeaLaunch competition.

IdeaLaunch is sponsored by YSU's Williamson College of Business Administration and Monus Center for Entrepreneurship, Youngstown Business Incubator, Ohio Small Business Development Center at YSU, and the Garden Club Angels.

YSU students must submit proposals to idealaunch@ybi.org by 5 p.m. Nov. 2. Proposals will be reviewed by a panel of entrepreneurial experts who will consider the economic and technical feasibility, quality of product, service and solution, and market opportunities and competition of each proposal. Semi–finalists will be invited to present their proposals at the Rise & Shine breakfast on Thursday, Nov. 19.       

Finalists will be paired with a mentor to assist them in preparing a business plan for presentation to the Garden Club Angels, a local organization of individuals interested in investing in small businesses. Final presentations will be held during National Entrepreneurship Week in February 2010.

For more information, contact Donna Walsh, program director of the Monus Entrepreneurship Center, at dmwalsh@ysu.edu or 330–941–3385.

Alcohol on campus is topic of 'Last Call' program
Brent Scarpo, one of the nation''s foremost authorities on Alcohol Awareness, will bring his "Last Call" program to Youngstown State University at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 20 in the Chestnut Room of Kilcawley Center.

The program is sponsored by YSU Greek Campus Life, Panhellenic Council and Interfraternity Council and co–sponsored by the Department of Athletics, Student Life, Housing, Center for Human Services Development and Student Diversity Programs.

The program addresses a major issue that campuses across the nation face – alcohol. According to a USA Today survey, 30 percent of all college freshmen deaths were attributed to alcohol or drug overdose.

"Last Call" looks at the reality of alcohol and how it affects a campus and the surrounding community. Scarpo will share his experiences of having to make that "last call" to a parent, friend or loved one when alcohol serves its final round on a student's life.

Participants will leave the program with real life skills on dealing with alcohol, alcohol abuse and the culture that it creates within our classrooms, campuses and communities.

For more information, call 330–941–3575.

Miniature Books displayed at Bliss Gallery

The Monumental Ideas in Miniature Books (MIMB) project is on display through Oct. 30 in the Bliss Hall Gallery on the Youngstown State University campus.

MIMB is a traveling exhibit of 141 miniature books by artists from 12 countries. The organization's mission says "artworks of monumental physical scale are overwhelming. The diminutive viewer is confronted and consumed by the gigantic." The pieces they create and present are on a small scale so as to invite the viewer into a more personal and intimate relationship with the work. The goal is for viewers to let go of the passive observance of large, dominating artistic work, and rather, "devour the work, taking it into his or her soul."

The MIMB was founded within the University of Akron's Mary Schiller Myers School of Art. Curator Hui–Chu Ying, professor of Art at Akron, and director Del Rey Loven, feature scale–size artist books ranging in size from 7/8ￓ to 5ￓ in height.

The tour began in March 2009 and will continue presenting at various colleges and galleries throughout the Midwest until February 2012.

Bliss Gallery is open Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

 

 

National Instrument presents seminar at YSU
A free hands–on seminar on the Introduction to LabVIEW and Computer–Based Measurements will be held 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 22, at Youngstown State University.

The seminar conducted by National Instrument will be in Room 2400 of Moser Hall on the YSU campus. The seminar is organized by the YSU Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering and the student branch of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.

Seats are limited. Participants can register at Introduction to LabVIEW and Computer–Based Measurements Hands–On Seminar – National Instruments

http://sine.ni.com/nievents/app/offering/p/offeringId/522778/site/nic/country/us/lang/en.

The seminar discusses how to build powerful, custom test, measurement and control applications from scratch using intuitive, measurement–specific graphical programming. National Instruments LabVIEW 8.6 software delivers distributed intelligence, a suite of capabilities for engineers and scientists to design, distribute and synchronize intelligent devices and systems. In this seminar, participants will gain hands–on experience with LabVIEW and learn how to use LabVIEW graphical development to reduce development time and create flexible applications that easily integrate with thousands of I/O devices from hundreds of vendors.

The seminar is designed for engineers, scientists, and technicians who build test, measurement, process monitoring and control, or research and analysis applications.

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