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

Calendar
Monday, Feb. 9, noon to 3 p.m. The 9th Annual Nursing Job Fair in the Chestnut Room of Kilcawley Center. See News Brief below.

Tuesday, Feb. 10. Paul Finkelman, a President William McKinley Distinguished Professor of Law at Albany Law School in New York, gives two lectures on campus: “Are the Ten Commandments the Moral Foundation of American Law?” at 11 a.m. in the McKay Auditorium of Kilcawley Center; and “The Great Emancipator as Lawyer: How Lincoln Ended Slavery” at 5 p.m. in the Jones Room of Kilcawley Center. The second lecture is in celebration of the 200th anniversary of Lincoln’s birth.

Tuesday, Feb. 10. Reporters from the Wall Street Journal, The Plain Dealer in Cleveland and National Public Radio appear on campus to talk about the 2008 presidential election. A news conference will be held at 1:30 p.m. in Room B0013 in Fedor Hall. The panelists will also present a journalism seminar for students 2 p.m. in Room B0013 in Fedor Hall. The group will be featured in a forum 7:30 p.m. in the Ohio Room of Kilcawley Center.

Tuesday, Feb. 10, 12:45 p.m. Jeffrey K. McKee from Ohio State University presents a lecture entitled “Darwin’s Prescient Insights on Human Evolution” in Moser Hall Room 2000. The lecture is part of YSU’s celebration of Darwin Day, marking the 200^th birthday of Charles Darwin.

Tuesday, Feb. 10, 6:30 p.m. Black Faculty Research Showcase and Panel Discussion in the Gallery of Kilcawley Center. The event is part of the YSU African American History Month celebration.

Wednesday, Feb. 11, 12:15 p.m. The Dana School of Music presents a free Music at Noon concert in the Butler Institute of American Art, featuring the Faculty Jazz Trio (Nathan Douds, piano; David Morgan, bass; Glenn Schaft, drums).

Wednesday, Feb. 11, 8 p.m. Dana School of Music presents a percussion studio recital in Room 2326 of Bliss Hall.

Thursday, Feb. 12, 9 a.m. About 250 area middle school students participate in the 2009 MATHCOUNTS competition in the Chestnut Room of Kilcawley Center. See News Brief below.

Thursday, Feb. 12. George L. Mehaffy, vice president for Academic Leadership and Change at the American Association of State Colleges and Universities, talks about “Engagement as a Strategic Priority in the Public Urban University.” Presentations will be 10 a.m. in the Jones Room of Kilcawley Center and 2 p.m. in the Cope Suite (Room 214) in Williamson Hall. See News Brief below.

Thursday, Feb. 12, 1:30 p.m. YSU's Department of Physics and Astronomy unveils two NASA galaxy murals at the Ward Beecher Planetarium. The press conference kicks off a series of events planned at the planetarium this year in observance of the International Year of Astronomy.

Thursday, Feb. 12, 4 to 5 p.m. Evolution and Darwin Forum in the Jones Room in Kilcawley Center. The forum is part of YSU’s celebration of Darwin Day, marking the 200^th birthday of Charles Darwin.

Thursday through Sunday, Feb. 12 to 15. YSU Theater presents “The Servant of Two Masters” in Ford Theater in Bliss Hall. Performances are Feb. 12, 13 and 14 at 7:30 p.m., and Feb. 15 at 3 p.m. See News Brief below.

Thursday, Feb. 12, 7:05 p.m. YSU men’s basketball squad takes on Wisconsin–Green Bay in Beeghly Center. The men also play Wisconsin–Milwaukee 7:05 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 14 in Beeghly Center.

Friday, Feb. 13, 5:45 p.m. “Boys, Pull Your Pants Up,” a play that satirizes the style of African American youth wearing their pants below their waists and scrutinizes the impact of hip–hop styles and videos, will be performed in the Chestnut Room of Kilcawley Center. The performance is part of YSU’s African American History Month celebration.

Sophomore awarded study abroad scholarship

Brian Haughey, a Youngstown State University sophomore political science major from Austintown, has been awarded a $5,000 Freeman–Asia Scholarship to help fund his study abroad this semester at Rangsit University in Bangkok, Thailand. 

A son of Deborah and Michael Gaia and David Haughey, Brian left for Thailand on New Year’s Eve and will return home in April. The second–oldest of four brothers, Haughey has a 3.9 grade point average at YSU. 

“He’s a go–getter. When he sets his mind on something, he gets it done,” Michael Gaia said.

Haughey is among the last to receive a scholarship from the Freeman–Asia Scholarship program, which has supported more than 4,000 American undergraduates studying abroad in East Asia or Southeast Asia since it was founded in 2001. The Institute of International Education, which co–funds the program with the Freeman Foundation, has suspended the program. 

Two other YSU sophomores, Joseph Zordich of Youngstown and Amanda Benchwick of Austintown, are also studying at Rangsit University this semester. Zordich is a computer information system major; Benchwick’s major is undetermined.

AASCU executive talks about engagement

George L. Mehaffy, vice president for Academic Leadership and Change at the American Association of State Colleges and Universities, talks about “Engagement as a Strategic Priority in the Public Urban University” during a visit to Youngstown State University on Thursday, Feb. 12.

Mehaffy will make his presentation 10 a.m. in the Jones Room of Kilcawley Center and at 2 p.m. in the Cope Suite (Room 214) in Williamson Hall.
The presentation is part of the YSU Division of Academic Affairs’ Engagement Initiative.

The division of Academic Leadership and Change is responsible for a number of special programs and projects for AASCU presidents and chief academic officers in the areas of leadership and organizational change in higher education, focusing on issues such as technology, teacher education, international education and civic engagement.ﾠﾠ 

Some of Mehaffy’s recent projects have included a comprehensive partnership program that pairs AASCU institutions with Chinese universities; a multi–state project on evidence in teacher education; a collaborative effort on graduation rates and Hispanic student success; and a series of technology conferences for the University of Central Florida in partnership with EDUCAUSE. In 2003, he launched a new civic engagement initiative, the American Democracy Project, a partnership with The New York Times and 230 AASCU colleges and universities, representing more than 1.8 million students.

Bridge–building contest slated for Feb. 20 at YSU 

The Second Annual Mahoning Valley Miniature Bridge Building Competition will be 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 20 in the Chestnut Room of Kilcawley Center at Youngstown State University.

The event involves design and construction of a balsa wood bridge, followed by load testing. The goal is to promote an awareness of civil engineering as a career field choice and to provide students with an educational opportunity to apply their knowledge to a real world application.

All Mahoning and Trumbull County high schools have been invited to participate. The winning team in 2008 was Lowellville High School.

On the day of the event, students construct their bridges on site from 8:30 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. At 12:45 p.m., bridges are inspected and then load–tested until the structure fails. Prizes will be awarded to the winning teams at approximately 2:15 p.m.

The competition, held during National Engineer’s Week, is being organized and supported by: ms consultants, inc., engineers, architects and planners; YSU Department of Civil Engineering; Mahoning County Engineer Richard Marsico; and Trumbull County Engineer, David DeChristofaro. Local sponsors include the Boardman Hobby Shop, the Youngstown branches of the American Society of Civil Engineers and Ohio Contractors Association, Thomas Fok & Associates, Inc., and Philip J. Jaminet Engineering.

For more information, contact Rebekah Benner at 330–928–9617.

University Theater presents ‘Two Masters’ comedy
The Youngstown State University Theater will present Carlo Goldoni’s “The Servant of Two Masters” Feb. 12, 13, 14, 20 and 21 at 7:30 p.m., and Feb. 15 and 22 at 3 p.m. in Ford Theater in Bliss Hall.

“The Servant of Two Masters” is a comic tale of risking everything for the pursuit of love, complete with mistaken identity and slapstick jokes that rival “The Three Stooges.”

Admission to the stage production is by reserved–seat ticket only, and parking is available in the Wick Avenue parking deck. The price of admission is $10 for the general public, $5 for non–YSU students, senior citizens, Penguin Club members and groups of eight or more, and free for YSU students.

An opening night buffet will be held Feb. 12 in the Bliss Hall Box Office Lobby next to Ford Theater. The pre–show menu will include a variety of Italian inspired selections reminiscent of Goldoni’s Venice, the setting for the play. The package price for the opening night buffet and admission to the play is $20 for the general public and $15 for season ticket holders. The doors for the buffet will open at 6 p.m., with dinner beginning at 6:05 p.m. The opening night performance begins at 7:30 p.m.

For more information, or to make reservations, call the University Theater Box Office at 330–941–3105.

Nursing Job Fair is Feb. 9 in Kilcawley Center
The 9th Annual Nursing Job Fair for Youngstown State University undergraduate and graduate nursing students is noon to 3 p.m. Monday, Feb. 9 in the Chestnut Room of Kilcawley Center.

Recruiters from the Youngstown, Warren, Ravenna, Akron, Sharon, Pittsburgh and Cleveland areas are expected to attend. Students will submit resumes and scheduling interviews on site. Recruiters are actively seeking to meet with YSU students interesting in obtaining staff nurse and nurse extern positions at various hospital and long term nursing facilities. 

The fair is open to the general public.

For more information, contact Kim Serroka, associate professor of Nursing, at 330–941–1799 or kaserroka@ysu.edu.

Mad About the Arts set for Feb. 20 at McDonough
Mad About the Arts, which benefits Youngstown State University’s McDonough Museum of Art and SMARTS—Students Motivated by the Arts, will be Friday, Feb. 20 in the museum on Wick Avenue.

The Friends of the Arts preview reception begins at 6:30 pm and features Brady''s Leap, a new–Celtic band, along with select hors d’oeuvres and beverages. A local favorite, Brady’s Leap is comprised of five musicians, four of whom are YSU faculty or staff.

The main celebration is from 7:30 to10:30 p.m. and features the Second Avenue Band, a group of eight players, including four graduates of YSU’s Dana School of Music.

The event benefits the McDonough Museum, a center for contemporary ideas, art, education and community, and SMARTS, a K–16 quality arts education partnership involving YSU’s College of Fine & Performing Arts, the Beeghly College of Education, the Youngstown City Schools, and the many vital arts organizations in our area.

On display in the galleries of the McDonough Museum during the event is the 2009 Alumni Exhibition, which honors Department of Art graduates representing more than 35 years of art education at YSU.

A selection of wines, champagnes and micro–brews will be featured along withﾠ hors d’oeuvres and desserts provided by: The Bone Bucket, Cassese''s MVR, Clarencedale Cake, Giannios Candy, Tropea''s Fine Pastry, Winslow''s Cafe, Markko Vineyards, Mastropietro Winery, Struthers Beer, Wine & Spirits, Thirsty Dog Brewery, the Mocha House and Vintage Estate Wine and Beer.ﾠ Promotional assistance is provided by City Printing, The Metro Monthly, Trinkle Signs, 27 First News and Fox 17/62, Prodigal Media, WYSU 88.5 FM, Mix 98.9 and 570 WKBN. Flowers from Edward’s Florist will enhance the evening’s atmosphere.

The event is underwritten by the W.E. Bliss Foundation.

For ticket information call SMARTS at 330–941–2787. The price is $75 for the Friends Reception (6:30 to 7:30 p.m. and 7:30 to 10:30 p.m.); $40 for the Main Celebration only (7:30 to 10:30p.m.), and $30 for McDonough members, fine arts alumni, YSU faculty, staff and students (7:30 to10:30 p.m.).

More than 200 students to compete in MATHCOUNTS

The Youngstown State University William Rayen School of Engineering and Engineering Technology and the Mahoning Valley Society of Professional Engineers are sponsoring the 2009 MATHCOUNTS competition 9 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 12 in the Chestnut Room of Kilcawley Center on the YSU campus.

About 250 middle school students from 30 local middle and junior high schools will participate. The Mathbowl competition begins at 2:15 p.m. and will conclude with a head–to–head Countdown Round, sponsored by YSU Arby’s.

Awards will be presented at a banquet 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 26, at A La Cart Catering in Canfield. 

The top four teams plus the top eight individuals from the YSU competition will advance to the state MATHCOUNTS competition in Columbus on March 14. The top four finishers in the state competition will represent the state in the national finals at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla., May 7 through 9.

Major funding for this year’s local MATHCOUNTS competition is being provided by the Davis Foundation. Additional funding and support is provided by Dominion East Ohio Company, Altronic Inc, Data for Professionals, MS Consultants Inc, Boardman Steel, MVSPE, and YSU’s STEM College. 

MATHCOUNTS is a national program designed to improve math skills among U.S. students by making math achievement as challenging, exciting and prestigious as a school sport. Teachers and students have been preparing for the competition since the fall and, after several months of coaching, participating schools select students to compete individually or as part of a team in written and fast–paced oral matches.

YSU hosts 2009 Teaching & Learning Conference
Educators can learn about ways to use MP3 players, GPS technology and LEGO Robotics in the classroom as part of the 2009 Teaching & Learning Conference set for 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 28 on the Youngstown State University campus.

• An Introduction to Culturally Relevant Teaching and Multicultural Education.
• Closing the Achievement Gap: Using Self–Regulated Learning to Increase Student Performance.
• Real World Learning: Inquiry–Based Instruction.
• STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) Activities for the Elementary, Middle and High School Classrooms.
• Toys as Tools: Creating Educational Podcasts for MP3 Players.
• Toys as Tools: LEGO Robotics in the Classroom.
• Transforming Schools/Transforming Learning.
• Where in the World is Pete the Penguin? Using GPS in the K–12 Classroom.

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