YSU students Nathan Caldwell and Isaac Mills present research on nuclear isomers and the development of possible isotope batteries at the University Clean Energy Alliance of Ohio’s third annual workshop April 8 and 9 in Columbus. For more details, see News Brief below.

Calendar
Monday, March 30, 8 p.m. YSU’s Dana School of Music presents its Spring Choral Concert, Sacred World, in the Ford Family Recital Hall, Eleanor Beecher Flad Pavilion at the DeYor Performing Arts Center in downtown Youngstown. See News Brief below.

Tuesday, March 31, 2:30 p.m. YSU Board of Trustees' Executive Committee meets in the President's Conference Room on the second floor of Tod Hall on the YSU campus.

Wednesday, April 1, 12:15 p.m. James Umble, saxophone, performs a free Music at Noon concert in the Butler Institute of American Art.

Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, April 1, 2 and 3. The annual YSU English Festival features guest speeches by two renowned authors, a dramatic book representation by the Oakland Theater, essay and art contests, and poetry, prose and journalism workshops, and much more. See News Brief below.

Wednesday, April 1, 3 p.m. YSU Penguins baseball team takes on Akron at Eastwood Field in Niles. The Penguins also host Butler 3 p.m. Friday, April 3 and a doubleheader starting at noon Saturday, April 4.

Wednesday, April 1, 5 p.m. and 7 p.m., Thursday, April 2, 1 p.m. YSU Penguins softball squad takes on Detroit at McCune Park.

Wednesday, April 1, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. A reception for neo–pop artist and cartoonist Chris Yambar will be held at the YSU SMARTS Center Gallery in downtown Youngstown. Yambar brings his nationally acclaimed signature brand of over–the–top entertainment to the gallery with 20 new paintings featuring his characters Mr. Beat and Itsi Kitsi — Happy Adventure Cat. The exhibit runs through May 9.

Thursday, April 2, 6 p.m. YSU’s Second Annual Diversity Leadership Recognition Celebration, sponsored by KeyBank, will be at Mr. Anthony’s in Boardman. The purpose of the event is to celebrate and embrace diversity at YSU and in the community. For reservations, call 330–941–3497.

Friday, April 3. An all–star cast of Mahoning Valley elected officials are featured in “Autistically Speaking: The Fifth Annual Variety Show” at Mr. Anthony’s in Boardman. The event, in support of the Rich Center for Autism at YSU, begins at 6:30 p.m., with entertainment at 8 p.m. For more information and tickets, call 330–941–1927.

Friday, Saturday and Sunday, April 3, 4 and 5. University Theater at YSU presents the tragic drama, Miss Julie, in Bliss Hall’s Spotlight Arena Theater. Friday and Saturday performances start at 7:30 p.m., with Sunday matinee at 3 p.m.

Friday, April 3, 8 p.m. Corinne Morini Studio Voice Recital in Bliss Recital Hall.

Saturday, April 4, 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. YSU Flute Festival features guest artist Marianne Gedigian, flute, in Bliss Recital Hall. For more information, call 330–941–1831 or e–mail kaumble@ysu.edu

Saturday, April 4. YSU History Day will be held in Kilcawley Center. The theme for this year’s event is “The Individual in History: Action and Legacies.”

International Year of Astronomy

  International Year of Astronomy

Thursday, April 2, 1 to 2:30 p.m.  Space Observations: Past, Present & Future, a live Webcast at YSU’s Ward Beecher Planetarium discussing Galileo and the importance of space observations throughout history.

Friday, April 3, 7 and 8:30 p.m. 100 Hours of Astronomy, includes shows at 7 and 8:30 p.m. in YSU’s Ward Beecher Planetarium and telescope observation opportunities for the public on the YSU campus starting at 8 p.m.

Saturday, April 4, noon to 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. to midnight. Global Star Party offers the public opportunities for daytime and nighttime telescope viewing with assistance from YSU faculty, staff, students and members of the Mahoning Valley Astronomical Society. Planetarium shows also featured at 7 and 8:30 p.m.

Schwebel Family gives $250K for business school
The Youngstown State University Board of Trustees has designated the cafe in the new Williamson College of Business Administration building as the Schwebel Cafe in recognition of a $250,000 gift given by the Schwebel family. The donation will help support the new business building, which is the most significant component of the university’s Centennial Campaign.

With a long history of philanthropic support of YSU and the community, the Schwebel family made a leadership gift in 2003 to the establishment of the Andrews Student Recreation and Wellness Center, and in 1995, the Schwebel Reception Room in Kilcawley Center was named in the family’s honor after their contribution to The Campaign for Youngstown State University.

Joseph Schwebel is an active member of the President’s Council and the Board of Directors for the YSU Foundation. The Schwebel family owns and operates the Schwebel Baking Company, established in 1906.

Students present research at Clean Energy meeting
Two Youngstown State University students who are part of the university’s Isomer Physics Project will present a research poster at the University Clean Energy Alliance of Ohio’s third annual workshop April 8 and 9 in Columbus.

Nathan Caldwell, a YSU graduate student pursuing a master’s degree in computer science, and Isaac Mills, a YSU undergraduate pursuing a bachelor’s degree in education, will present the research on nuclear isomers and the development of possible isotope batteries to support specialized applications.  

The presentation will essentially be a review of work being conducted by the YSU Isomer Physics Project, led by Physics Professor James “Jeff” Carroll. Nuclear isomers have the potential for use as long–life power sources for a variety of applications. The research Carroll and his students have been conducting for more than a decade focuses on studying the isomers and on finding ways to “turn on” the energy inside.

The University Clean Energy Alliance of Ohio is comprised of 15 institutions of higher education in the state, including YSU. Carroll is a member of the executive committee. UCEAO’s mission is to serve as a means of informing policy makers on energy–related matters and to provide a research resource based on the collected expertise at the member institutions.

The third annual workshop is called “Putting the pieces together: The New Energy Paradigm in Research, Education, Business and Public Policy.” Keynote speakers include the Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher and Kathleen McGinty, former secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and former chair of the White House Council of Environmental Quality.

YSU’s connection with UCEAO was the impetus for the Great Lakes WIND Network workshop at YSU in October 2008. Funded by the Ohio Department of Development, the workshop was designed to help Mahoning Valley manufacturers learn about business opportunities in the fast–growing wind energy market. 

For more information on UCEAO and the conference, visit www.uceao.org.

English Festival draws more than 3,000 to campus
This year’s Youngstown State University English Festival, featuring guest speeches by two renowned authors, a dramatic book representation by the Oakland Theater, essay and art contests, and poetry, prose and journalism workshops, will be April 1 to 3 in Kilcawley Center on the YSU campus.

From a record 185 schools in Northeast Ohio and Western Pennsylvania, more than 3,000 junior and senior high school students are expected to attend the 31^st annual festival.

  Under the Blood–Red Sun

Authors featured at this year’s festival are:

• Graham Salisbury, Thomas and Carol Gay Memorial Lecturer. Winner of both the Scott O’Dell and Nene Awards for his book, Under the Blood–Red Sun. His books, Under the Blood–Red Sun, Blue Skin of the Sea, and Eyes of the Emperor, are on the English Festival student reading lists.
• Jim Blasingame, James Houck Memorial Lecturer. Assistant professor of English Education at Arizona State University and co–editor of The ALAN Review, a journal devoted entirely to young adult literature.

Keith Mann of the Ohio Historical Society and Gail Okawa, YSU associate professor of English, also will be guest speakers. Mann will discuss child labor the focus of a required reading, Susan Campbell Bartoletti’s Kids on Strike! Okawa will discuss her childhood in Hawaii and her grandfather’s experience in a Japanese interment camp during World War II, topics common of Salisbury’s work.

High school students are scheduled to attend the festival on Wednesday, April 1, and junior high school students will attend Thursday and Friday, April 2 and 3. Festival activities will last from 9 a.m. until 3:45 p.m. each day at various locations on the YSU campus.

For more information, contact the YSU English Department at 330–941–3414.

DiversityInc Media exec is Williamson Series Speaker

  Luke Visconti

Luke Visconti, partner and co–founder of DiversityInc Media LLC., will be featured as part of Youngstown State University’s Williamson Symposium Speaker Series at noon, Thursday, April 2, at the Youngstown Club in downtown Youngstown. 

A student session open to the public will be at 2 p.m. April 2 in the Cope Suite on the second floor of Williamson Hall. 

Visconti directs all editorial operations of the magazine, which has a circulation of more than 200,000, and the web site, which reaches more than a million unique visitors monthly. He also oversees marketing and circulation.

Visconti developed and directs the methodology for The DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for Diversity. His blog, “Ask the White Guy,” is a top draw on DiversityInc.com. He is a frequent senior–level lecturer on the business benefits of diversity to corporations, business groups and nonprofit organizations.

He has appeared on FOX, MSNBC, CNBC and National Public Radio and is regularly quoted on diversity issues in publications such as The New York Times, Chicago Tribune, BusinessWeek, Fortune and The Wall Street Journal.

Visconti received the “Bridge Builders Award” from the Rev. Jesse Jackson
at the Wall Street Project conference in January 2006. He was also recognized with the “Legacy of Leadership” award from Dr. Beverly Tatum, Spelman College in May 2006.

Dana announces free Music at Noon performances
Youngstown State University’s Dana School of Music, in collaboration with the Butler Institute of American Art, presents free Music at Noon performances 12:15 p.m. every Wednesday throughout the academic year.

Performances at the Butler Institute of American Art for April include:

• April 1 – James Umble, saxophone.
• April 8 – Tuba/Euphonium, Brian Kiser, director.
• April 15 – Clarinet Studio Recital, Alice Wang, clarinet.
• April 22 – New Music, Robert Rollin, director.
• April 29 – YSU Jazz Experience, Kent Engelhardt, director.

For more information, call the Dana School of Music at 330–941–3636.

WYSU sets $100,000 goal for spring pledge drive

  WYSU 88.5 FM

Everyone who pledges support to WYSU (either as a new member, a renewing member, or with an additional gift) will be entered into a drawing to win a pair of tickets on one of two Go Ahead Tours excursions: The nine–day Coastal New England and Revolutionary War excursion, or the 10–day California Dreamin'' excursion.

Throughout the drive, the station will also be offering daily prize packages, a new member prize basket, and a Pennsylvania member prize package. All of the prize packages will include a new HD Radio.

WYSU Director Gary Sexton said the station’s biannual fund drives are critical to the station''s success.

“We all know these are tough times,” he said. “We hope our members agree with us about the value of our programming services in good times and bad, and can find a way to renew their membership. If you can’t renew this year at your regular level, renew at whatever amount works for you. A contribution to the station in any amount will still qualify you for full membership benefits this year.”

  Hae–Jong Lee, director of choral activities at YSU's Dana School of Music.

Contributions can be made by phone at 330–941–1481, or through a secure on–line server at www.wysu.org.

For information, contact Ed Goist at 330–941–3364 or at EMGoist@ysu.edu.

‘Sacred World’ Spring Choral Concert is tonight
Youngstown State University’s Dana School of Music will present its Spring Choral Concert, Sacred World, under the direction of Hae–Jong Lee, at 8 p.m. Monday, March 30, in the Ford Family Recital Hall, Eleanor Beecher Flad Pavilion at the DeYor Performing Arts Center in downtown Youngstown.

This annual event will feature performances by the University Chorus, Dana Chorale, Women’s Chorus and Symphonic Choir and will be balanced between gospel and spiritual style music and choral classics. 

Tickets are available at the door or may be obtained by calling the DeYor Performing Arts Center Box Office at 330–744–0264.

Cash prizes offered in economics essay contest
Youngstown State University students from all academic fields can compete for cash prizes by participating in the Stocks Essay Competition, sponsored by the YSU Department of Economics.

The event is named in honor of Anthony Stocks, who served for 16 years as Economics department chairman, retiring in 1996.

Participants must write an essay on any current economic issue, analyzing all sides of a clearly defined economic question, then providing an answer based on the arguments presented. Entries should be about 2,000 words in length, or three single–spaced pages, and the submission deadline is Friday, April 17.

First prize is $150; second prize is $100 and third prize is $50. Completed essays should be sent by e–mail to Tomi Ovaska, assistant professor of economics, at tpovaska@ysu.edu. For more information on the contest or for essay–writing help from a member of the economics department faculty, call 330–941–3428.

President Sweet attends Sen. Brown's presidents conference
U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D–OH) will host his second annual college presidents conference in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, April 1, with YSU President David C. Sweet and more than 45 other presidents from colleges and universities across Ohio. 

In addition to meeting with Brown, the presidents will meet with Arne Duncan, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education; U.S. Sen. Patty Murray (D–WA), the Chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Subcommittee on Employment and Workplace Safety; and U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander (R–TN), a former U.S. Education Secretary and college president.

“This conference is about crafting education policy in Washington that meets the needs of Ohio’s students and reflects the input of its colleges and universities,” Brown said. “By bringing together the presidents of Ohio’s institutions of higher education—both large and small, two–year and four–year—we all benefit. Last year, presidents shared best practices and began meeting regionally after the conference.”

The conference is 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Capitol Visitors Center at the U.S. Capitol.

Last April, Brown launched this first–of–its–kind forum for Ohio college and university presidents and Congressional leaders to initiate discussion concerning common goals, needs and opportunities in higher education. The first conference was attended by 46 of Ohio’s college and university presidents. 

Building on the success of the first conference, Brown hosted a series of regional roundtables around the state. The roundtables brought together college presidents and regional business leaders for a discussion on strategies to combat the Ohio “brain drain.” Attendees discussed ways to train college students and Ohio workers for 21^st century jobs and strategies to create and retain good–paying jobs in Ohio. 

The second Ohio college and university presidents conference will focus on how to forge state–wide partnerships to maximize federal investments, including economic recovery funding. Breakout sessions will also explore how to expand higher education access and affordability, support opportunities for research and innovation, and connect higher education with high schools and workforce needs. 

“We must continue to make critical investments in Ohio’s higher education system. Ohio president can pave the way for rebuilding a secure future for our state and for our next generation This conference is an integral step in turning Ohio’s economy around,” said Brown

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