The concrete canoe — yes, a canoe made out of concrete — and other student projects from the YSU College of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics will be on display at part of the annual STEM Careers and Student Project Displays, 3 to 6 p.m. Wednesday, April 21, in the lobby of Moser Hall. Also on display will be the mini Baja car, steel bridge, moon rover and much more. Read more in this edition of the YSU News Briefs.

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

• Number of YSU residential students continues to grow
• Campus celebrates Earth Day on Wednesday
• Careers in Aging event set for Tuesday
• Film on Warsaw Ghetto makes U.S. premier at YSU
• Steel bridge, concrete canoe and more featured in STEM display
• Lecture focuses on depression and bipolar disorders
• Dana presents 26th New Music Festival
• Softballers collect used sports equipment
• MBA info sessions will be April 26 and 29
• WYSU sets $106,000 spring fund–raising goal
• 'Financial Starting Points' is Friday on campus
   
  

Calendar
Monday, April 19, 11 a.m. The 26th Dana New Music Festival kicks off with a lecture by Johnterryl Plumeri in Bliss Hall. See News Brief below for full schedule of events and concerts.

Monday, April 19, 2 p.m. Mary L. Phillips, a professor in the Department of Psychiatry and director of Functional Neuroimaging at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, lecture in the Ohio Room of Kilcawley Center. See News Brief below for more information.

Tuesday, April 20, 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The Western Reserve Chapter of the Society of Human Resource Management, in partnership with the Williamson College of Business Administration, will hold its annual conference at YSU. The conference theme is "Leading with Vision." Jeanne T. Hauer, author and chief marketing officer of Advocare Group in Cleveland, will open the conference by addressing the topic – "The Power of a Positive HR Vision." For more information, visit www.wrc–shrm.org.

Tuesday, April 20, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Gerontological Society of America Emerging Scholars and Professional Organization at YSU is holding a Careers in Aging Day in the Ohio Room in Kilcawley Center. See News Brief below for more information.

Tuesday, April 20, 4 p.m. YSU softball team plays a doubleheader against Cleveland State at McCune Park. A single game against CSU is scheduled for 6 p.m. Wednesday, April 21. The April 21 game is part of the Hit a Home Run through Recycling initiative. See News Brief below for more information. The softball squad also plays Illinois–Chicago in a doubleheader at 1 p.m. Saturday, April 24 and a single game at noon Sunday, April 25.

Tuesday, April 20, 7:30 p.m. Jane Goodall, world–renowned primatologist whose landmark research on chimpanzees has become a foundation of primate research across the globe, will be the Skeggs Lecture Series speaker at Stambaugh Auditorium in Youngstown. THE LECTURE IS SOLD OUT. All tickets have been distributed. For more information call YSU Alumni and Events Management at 330–941–3497.

Wednesday, April 21, 3 p.m. YSU's baseball squad takes on Pittsburgh at Eastwood Field in Niles. The Penguins also play a doubleheader 3 p.m. Friday, April 23 against UW–Milwaukee and a doubleheader at noon Sunday, April 25 against Butler.

Wednesday, April 21, 3 to 6 p.m. The College of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics presents its annual "STEM Careers and Student Project Displays" in the lobby of Moser Hall. For more information, see News Brief below.

Wednesday, April 21, 6:30 p.m. The Dr. James Dale Ethics Center at YSU, in conjunction with the YSU Philosophy and Religious Studies Club and the Anthropology Colloquium, hosts a lecture by Joseph Jenkins titled "Humanure and the Ethics of Sustainability." Jenkins is an expert on converting human manure into beneficial compost and minimizing demands on city water and sewer ?systems. The lecture is in the Humphrey and Coffelt rooms in Kilcawley Center.

Thursday, April 22, 6:30 p.m. The YSU Beeghly College of Education hosts the annual Outstanding Alumni Awards Dinner in McKay Auditorium in Beeghly Hall. Alumni receiving awards include Cindy Cairns, Outstanding Administrator; Riyad Mansour, Outstanding Counselor; Karen Carney, Outstanding Educator; Joyce Brooks, Lifetime Educational Service; William Blake, Dean''s Diversity Award; Therese Kightlinger and Mary Eckard, Dean''s Excellence Award.

Friday, April 23, 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. About 700 students from 17 area high schools attend "Financial Starting Points" in the Chestnut Room of Kilcawley Center on the YSU campus. See News Brief below for more information.

Friday, April 23, 6:30 p.m. Autistically Speaking, a variety show organized by the Parents of Autistically Learning Students at the Rich Center for Autism at YSU, will be at Mr. Anthony's in Boardman. The event, now in its sixth year, is a major fundraiser for the Rich Center. Tickets are $50/person. For more information, call Tricia Perry, Rich Center events coordinator, at 330–941–2047.

Sunday, April 25, 1:30 p.m. A film about Polish Catholic social worker Irena Sendler, who is credited with saving 2,500 Jewish children by smuggling them out of the Warsaw Ghetto, will be screened at YSU. For more information, see News Brief below.

Sunday, April 25, 4 p.m. YSU's Dana School of Music will present a lecture/recital featuring pianist Rika Uchida, assistant professor of Piano and Theory at the Drake University, in Bliss Recital Hall on the YSU campus. See News Brief below for more information.

Number of YSU residential students continues to grow

Progress continues on the construction of the Flats at Wick apartment complex on the North Side of campus, marking yet another step in Youngstown State University's continued efforts to increase student housing on and around campus.

Dominic Marchionda, president of U.S. Campus Suites, said the 115–bed first phase of the project, located across from the Cafaro House residence hall, is set to open this summer.

The project is the first privately–owned apartment complex of its kind built exclusively for YSU students.

Marchionda said U.S. Campus Suites started market research three years ago to assess the housing needs of university and college campuses within a 100–mile radius of the company's Youngstown base.

"We were looking for campuses showing signs of growth, that had a definite need for additional campus housing and were willing to work with an outside developer," Marchionda said.

YSU was a perfect match, with enrollment increasing to more than 14,500 last fall – the highest in 16 years.

The number of students living in the university's five residence halls, University Courtyard Apartments and Buechner Hall hit 1,354 in the fall semester, an all–time high and an increase of nearly 400 students since fall semester 2000, said Danielle Meyer, director of YSU Housing and Residence Life.

A record 890 students are living in the five university–owned residence halls—Cafaro, Lyden, Kilcawley, Weller and Wick. That was up from 822 in fall 2008. The residence halls were originally equipped to handle 858 students, but adjustments have been made to accommodate the increased numbers.

YSU's Centennial Master Plan identifies a long–term need for a total of 2,400 to 2,800 student beds on campus.

"Having additional private housing available for our upperclassmen is a great opportunity for both the student and the university," Meyer said. "It is a way for the students to live close to campus, but have more freedom. They get the same experience of living on their own, but won't have to continue to travel on and off campus as much."

"It's exciting to get to work in my own backyard and bring this type of planning and development to Youngstown and YSU," Marchionda said.

The apartments are equipped with single, double, triple and quad garden–style units along with private bathrooms for each bedroom. The building also includes two laundry rooms, two computer study areas, a fitness center and full Wi–Fi access. A state–of–the–art security system will be installed restricting access to the building only to residence cardholders, Marchionda said. YSU police will also be patrolling the area, and a trained YSU residence aid will be living on site.

The building is intended for upperclassmen occupancy only.

For more information on the Flats at Wick, visit www.flatsatwick.com.

Campus celebrates Earth Day on Wednesday

A variety of activities and events, including a vegan meal, will be part of Youngstown State University's annual Earth Day celebration on Wednesday, April 21.

The celebration is sponsored by Youngstown Environmental Sustainability Society, a YSU student organization that helps promote sustainability on campus and in the community. All events are open to the public.

Activities include :

• Informational Tables and Resource Fair, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Campus Core. Representatives from the following organizations will be present: The Greater Youngstown Vegetarian Society – Vegetarian Information; Nick Leone – Straw bale house building; Youngstown CityScape – City wide beautification project; Eastgate Regional Council of Government; Youngstown Litter Control & Recycling – Youngstown City Recycling and Clean up; The Green Team – Mahoning County CommissionerÕs Reuse and Recycling Program; Sierra Club – Mahoning County Chapter; Ohio EPA; Grow Youngstown – Community supported agriculture; Mahoning County Health Department – Air Pollution Control Agency; Green Energy Ohio – Trumbull Chapter; Ohioans for Health, Environment and Justice – Environmental Justice Issues; Audubon Society – Bird Watching; OSU Extension – Ohio Certified Volunteer Naturalist; Peace Action; T. Boone Pickens Organization – Reduce dependence on foreign oil; US Coast Guard Auxiliary – Energy Efficiency; Treez Please – Tree Plantings to convert abandoned lots into green spaces; Re Power America – Green Jobs and Green Energy initiative.

• Environmental Presentations, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Peaberry's inside Kilcawley Center. 

• Fish Out of Water – Kayaking Program, Noon to 1 p.m., Campus Core. Discover the YSU Department of Campus Recreation Kayaking program and learn more about this adventurous activity that takes place on the YSU campus. For more information, contact Michael Bowman at 330–0941–1964.

• Vegan Earth Day Meal, 3 to 7 p.m. Pete's Place in Kilcawley Center. Co–created by Chef Clint Kifolo of YSU dinning services and Chef Ely from Ely''s to Go on Western Reserve Road inside the Bread Chef. Buffet price of $7.50

For more information on Earth Day activities, contact Jenny Jacobs at yess_ohio@yahoo.com.

Careers in Aging event set for Tuesday
The Gerontological Society of America Emerging Scholars and Professional Organization at Youngstown State University, the student organization for those interested in the field of aging, is holding a Careers in Aging Day 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday, April 20 in the Ohio Room in Kilcawley Center. 

The agenda will include speakers discussing the various careers available in the aging field. There also will be an aging resource fair where campus and local agencies will be displaying information as well as answering questions. 

For more information, contact Daniel Van Dussen at 330–941–3442 djvandussen@ysu.edu; Julie Iudiciani at 330–717–2650 jliudiciani@student.ysu.edu; or Sarah Deiger at 330–727–1095 sadeiger@student.ysu.edu.

Film on Warsaw Ghetto makes U.S. premier at YSU

A film about Polish Catholic social worker Irena Sendler, who is credited with saving 2,500 Jewish children by smuggling them out of the Warsaw Ghetto, will be screened 1:30 p.m. Sunday, April 25, at Youngstown State University.

The film, "In the Name of Their Mothers," will be shown in McKay Auditorium in Beeghly Hall on the YSU campus.

Sendler, who died at the age of 98, served in the Polish Underground and resistance organization. Her story, told in the documentary, reveals how she and others helped save the children and also how they were captured and tortured for it. More information, including a film clip, is available at www.irenasendlerfilm.com

The screening is hosted by the Polish Arts Club, Youngstown Area Jewish Federation and the YSU Center for Judaic and Holocaust Studies. It is a first time cooperation between the groups as a sign of understanding of their shared histories. It is also the first time the film has been shown in the United States since its Warsaw premiere.

The film's director Mary Skinner will also attend the screening.

Steel bridge, concrete canoe and more featured in STEM display
The College of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics presents its annual "STEM Careers and Student Project Displays" 3 to 6 p.m. Wednesday, April 21 in the lobby of Moser Hall on the campus of Youngstown State University.

Visitors will be able to talk with STEM faculty, students and industry representatives about STEM Careers and take Tours of Moser Hall computer and laboratory facilities.

Also on display will be various student projects, including the concrete canoe, mini Baja car, steel bridge, moon rover and supermileage car. Later this month, the concrete canoe and steel bridge teams will compete in the Ohio Valley Student Conference competition at the University of Kentucky. Last year, both teams placed second, and the steel bridge squad qualified for the national competition in Las Vegas.

Free parking is available in the M1 Wick parking deck.

For more information and to register, contact Daniel Suchora at 330–941–3015 or dhsuchora@ysu.edu.

Lecture focuses on depression and bipolar disorders
Mary L. Phillips, a professor in the Department of Psychiatry and director of Functional Neuroimaging at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, will give a lecture 2 p.m. Monday, April 19 in the Ohio Room of Kilcawley Center on the campus of Youngstown State University.

The lecture, which is free and open to the public, is titled "The Role of Brain Imaging in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Depression and Bipolar Disorders."

Phillips also holds positions at Carnegie Mellon University, as well as the University of Cardiff and the Institute of Psychiatry in Great Britain. Phillips earned both a medical degree and a Ph.D. from Cambridge University.  She is the recipient of numerous awards and honors, including a Young Investigator Award for her research on schizophrenia. She has authored more than 150 articles and book chapters and received numerous research grants. 

The Mental Health Public Lecture Series has been made possible by a bequest from the Mahoning Valley Mental Health Association, a group of concerned lay people and professionals who formerly promoted mental health services and better public understanding of mental health issues in the area.  When the Association disbanded, the assets of the group were donated for public lectures in mental health. The assets are administered by the YSU Foundation.

Lecture and piano recital set for April 25 in Bliss Hall

Youngstown State University's Dana School of Music will present a lecture/recital featuring pianist Rika Uchida, assistant professor of Piano and Theory at the Drake University, at 4 p.m. Sunday, April 25 at 4 p.m. in Bliss Recital Hall on the YSU campus.

The lecture and performance are free and open to the public. Parking is available for a nominal charge in the M1 Wick Avenue Deck. For more information, call 330–941–3636.

Uchida's musical training began at the age of three in Kawasaki, Japan. Uchida came to the United States intending to study psychology. However, pianist Dean Kramer, one of the last students of Vladimir Horowitz, changed her career path.

Uchida received a master's degree in music theory and a D.M.A. in piano performance from the University of Oregon. Uchida specializes in the music of the turn of the century, particularly in Debussy's solo piano music. She has done extensive research on Debussy''s solo piano works. Her master's thesis, "Tonal Ambiguity in Debussy''s Piano Music," traced the evolution of Debussy''s new compositional techniques. Her D.M.A. lecture document, "The New Language of Debussy''s Douze Etudes," presented the structural analysis of selected Douze Etudes and performance interpretation. In 2010, Uchida has been presenting a series of lecture–recitals and master classes of Debussy's piano music national wide.

Prior to her 2005 appointment at Drake, Uchida taught at the College of Wooster in Ohio and at the University of Oregon.

Dana presents 26^th New Music Festival

Youngstown State University is hosting the 26th Dana New Music Festival April 21 through 25 with guest group, the Aurista Chamber Ensemble of New York, and guest composer, Johnterryl Plumeri.

The Aurista Chamber Ensemble is appearing in place of South African musicians Juan–Luis Munoz, violin and Mariel Ilusorio, piano, whose visit was postponed until fall semester because of visa issues. Aurista is an ensemble of New York professionals who join together in various groupings to perform contemporary music recitals. Director Thomas Osuga is a Dana alumnus. Joining Osuga will be violinist Jannina Barefield, an accomplished musician who performs as soloist and chamber player in the New York area. She holds performance degrees from Manhattan School and Mannes College of Music.

The gala opening concert with the Festival Chamber Orchestra and the Composers Ensemble will be 8 p.m. April 21 in Ford Auditorium of the DeYor Performing Arts Center in downtown Youngstown, and will feature music by Johnterryl Plumeri, Dana faculty members Gwyneth Rollin and Robert Rollin, local composer and New Music Guild Inc. member Richard Zacharias, and student composers, graduating senior Daniel Brandt and sophomore Samantha Hogan.

Plumeri, who has been a Dana guest composer in the past was principal bass of the New York Philharmonic and has recently conducted the Moscow Philharmonic in a CD recording of Tchaikovsky's last three symphonies. Plumeri lives in Florida, where he writes music for films, regularly performs with his professional jazz trio, and has become active in the mastering phase of CD production.

Below is the schedule for the festival. All events are free and open to the public unless otherwise noted:

Monday, April 19
11 a.m. Lecture, "Mixing of Large Orchestra," by Johnterryl Plumeri in the Recording Studio, 2^nd floor, Bliss Hall.

Tuesday, April 20
11 a.m. Lecture, "The Art of Recording Symphony Orchestra," by Johnterryl Plumeri in the Recording Studio, 2^nd floor, Bliss Hall.

4 p.m. Lecture, "Scoring for Films," by Johnterryl Plumeri, Bliss Hall, Room 3136.

Wednesday, April 21
12:15 p.m. Music at Noon concert, Butler Institute of American Art. Works by Zacharias, Gershwin, Brandt, Rollin.

8 p.m. Gala Opening Concert at Ford Family Auditorium, DeYor Performing Arts Center in downtown Youngstown, with the Festival Chamber Orchestra, Composers Ensemble, and Aurista Ensemble. Admission is $5 for adults and $4 for senior citizens and students. Children under 12 and anyone with a YSU ID are free. Works by Zacharias, Wilding, Plumeri, Gwyneth Rollin, Hogan, Brandt, and Robert Rollin. Guest artist; Kathryn Umble, flute, and Gwyneth Rollin, violin.

Thursday, April 22
1 p.m. Children's Concert by Aurista Ensemble at Immaculate Heart of Mary School in Austintown.

3 p.m. Composition Seminar with Johnterryl Plumeri, Bliss Hall, Room 3150.

4 p.m. Lecture, "Orchestrating for Symphony Orchestra," by Johnterryl Plumeri, Bliss Hall, Room 3136.

6:30 p.m. "Hors d'oeuvres and Music at the J Cafe" at the Jewish Community Center. 7:15 p.m. Concert of Jewish and Yiddish Music. $10 admission charge; $15 after April 19.

Friday, April 23
11 a.m. Dana School of Music Convocation Concert, Bliss Recital Hall.

1 p.m. Lecture on Stravinsky Analysis by Jena Root, Bliss Hall, Room 3137.

Sunday, April 25
1:30 p.m. "A Potpourri of International Music" with the Aurista Ensemble. Recital at Sts. Peter and Paul on Covington Street. Reception before the concert at 11:30 a.m.

Softballers collect used sports equipment

The Youngstown State University softball team hopes to collect 3,000 pieces of used sports equipment in its annual Hit a Home Run Through Recycling Program.

Equipment in good condition from all sports can be donated at several locations throughout the region and will be distributed to Youngstown city school children through the Youngstown Police Athletic League, YMCA and Boys & Girls Club.

Items can be dropped off at the Hit a Home Run Through Recycling Softball Game at McCune Park in Canfield on April 21 between 3 and 6:30 p.m. Game time is 6 p.m., and admission is free. The Penguins play Cleveland State.

Items also can be dropped off at the Youngstown Police Department (second floor, Police ChiefÕs Office), Creekside Fitness and Health Center, Glaciers Sports Inc. in Struthers, The Jock Stop on Market Street, Lake Milton State Park office, the Mahoning County South Side Annex, the YMCA (downtown Youngstown and Boardman) and the Boys & Girls Club on Oak Hill Avenue.

MBA info sessions will be April 26 and 29
Youngstown State University's Williamson College of Business Administration will hold Master of Business Administration Information Sessions on:

• Monday, April 26, 5:45 to 6:30 p.m., Cafaro Suite, Williamson Hall

• Thursday, April 29, 5:45 to 6:30 p.m., Cafaro Suite, Williamson Hall.      

The Flexible MBA enables students to pursue a degree either part–time or full–time. Classes are offered one night per week and on Saturdays. Some MBA courses are offered in eight–week blocks. Students may start any term.

The MBA program is accredited by AACSB International, which represents the highest standard of achievement for business schools worldwide.

To make a reservation or obtain application information, contact Monique Bradford at 330–941–3069 or email mrbradford@ysu.edu.

WYSU sets $106,000 spring fund–raising goal

WYSU 88.5 FM, YSU's public radio service, will hold a special 40th anniversary spring pledge drive from April 16 through 23. 

This drive's fundraising goal of $106,000, the most ever for a WYSU spring pledge drive.

Everyone who pledges support to WYSU between now and the end of the spring pledge drive will be entered into a drawing to win a pair of tickets on the WYSU–sponsored Go Ahead Tours 11 day "Enchanting Ireland" 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.

Additionally, thanks to a generous grant from the Community Foundation of the Mahoning Valley, every pledge of support made to WYSU–FM this spring will result in Second Harvest Food Bank distributing $30 worth of food to hungry families right here in our community.

WYSU's bi–annual fund drives are always critical to the station's success. However, according to WYSU director Gary Sexton, this spring's drive takes on added significance.

"We are doing wonderful work on this fund drive," he said. "Meeting our monetary goal is, of course, most on our minds, so that we can continue doing what we do, but in that process, we are helping to plant trees in Mill Creek Park and helping the Second Harvest Food Bank provide food to the growing number of people who need the assistance. How cool is all that?"

Contributions to the station's spring pledge drive can be made by phone at 330–941–1481, or through a secure on–line server at www.wysu.org.

For information about this release, contact Ed Goist, WYSU development officer, at 330–941–3364 or development@wysu.org.

'Financial Starting Points' is Friday on campus
About 700 students from 17 area high schools will attend "Financial Starting Points" 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Friday, April 23 in the Chestnut Room of Kilcawley Center on the Youngstown State University campus.

The event, hosted by YSU's Williamson College of Business Administration, Junior Achievement of the Mahoning Valley, and the Associated School Employees Credit Union, provides education and hands–on experience in three areas of financial literacy: managing credit, investing in the future, and building a personal budget.

Twenty leaders from various segments of business will offer insight and information during sessions that run from 10 a.m. to noon. Some of the participating businesses include the Associated School Employees Credit Union, Stifel Nicolaus, Ohio Treasurer of State, and YSU.

Paul McFadden, chief development officer from YSU's Office of University Development, will speak to students about personal debt, seeking financial aid and building their personal budgets as they enter college and/or begin their careers after high school graduation.

"Selecting a college and weighing wheter to take on student loan debt are not soley education–related decisions; they are also major financial decisions," said Michele Merkel, president of JA of Mahoning Valley. "We don't want our newly minted college graduates defaulting on their student loans which can affect their credit rating for years, or struggling to service those loans. Junior Achievement aims to provide students with a strong set of money–management skills, so they can effectively budget, use credit, invest and save. Since April is Financial Literacy Month, it is a great time to reinforce the importance of those skills."

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