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

Calendar
Monday, April 27, 9 a.m. to noon. YSU Press Day takes place in the Chestnut Room of Kilcawley Center. See News Brief below.

Monday, April 27, 8 p.m. The Dana Symphony Orchestra, featuring guest conductor Svilen Simeonov, presents a premier performance at the Ford Family Recital Hall, Eleanor Beecher Flad Pavilion in the DeYor Performing Arts Center. See News Brief below.

Tuesday, April 28, 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Nearly 600 area high school students and 20 educators will receive education and hands–on experience in financial literacy at a financial life skills conference called “Financial Starting Points” in Kilcawley Center on campus. The conference is being held in recognition of National Financial Literacy month in April and is sponsored by Junior Achievement of the Mahoning Valley, YSU’s Williamson College of Business Administration and the Associated School Employees Credit Union, through the Ohio Credit Union Foundation.

Tuesday, April 28. YSU Board of Trustees meets on the following schedule: 3:30 p.m., Academic and Student Affairs Committee, in the President’s Conference Room, second floor of Tod Hall; 4 p.m., joint meeting of the Finance and Facilities and the Internal Affairs committees, also in the President’s Conference Room; and 5 p.m., special Board of Trustees meeting in the Board of Trustees Meeting Room on the first floor of Tod Hall.

Tuesday, April 28, 7 p.m. YSU hosts the 2008–09 Honors Convocation in the Chestnut Room of Kilcawley Center on campus. Hundreds of students will receive awards. Twenty–four faculty members will also receive Distinguished Professor Awards.

Wednesday, April 29, 12:15 p.m. YSU Jazz Experience performs a Music at Noon concert in the Butler Institute of American Art. It is the final Music at Noon concert of the academic year.

Wednesday, April 29. YSU baseball team plays Marshall in a doubleheader at Cene Park, 1 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. And, the softball squad takes on Pittsburgh in a twin–bill at McCune Park, 3 p.m. and 5 p.m.

Wednesday, April 29, 8 p.m. The YSU Wind Ensemble and YSU Jazz Ensemble perform in Stambaugh Auditorium. See News Brief below.

Thursday, April 30, 10 a.m. News conference in the lobby of Ford Theater on the first floor of Bliss Hall to announce the 2009–2010 University Theater Season.

Thursday, April 30, 5:30 to 9 p.m. Penguin Productions will sponsor the 2nd annual May Day festival in the Rec 5 area, located in front of Pete’s Place on the YSU campus. The event features singers Josh Kelley, Ryan Cabrera, The Kin and Brandon Whyde, as well as free festival–style food, free carnival games and more.

Thursday, April 30, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. “President Barack Obama’s First 100 Days” is the topic of a free forum in the auditorium (Room 132) of DeBartolo Hall on campus. The forum, presented by YSU’s Black Faculty and Staff Association, will include a panel discussion moderated by Victor Wan–Tatah, director and professor of YSU Africana Studies.

Thursday, Friday and Saturday, April 30, May 1 and 2, 7:30 p.m. YSU Dance Ensemble presents spring concert in Ford Theater in Bliss Hall. See News Brief below.

Friday, May 1, 6:30 p.m. Former head women’s basketball coach Ed DiGregorio and former Philosophy and Religious Studies department chair Tom Shipka will receive the prestigious YSU Heritage Award during the annual Faculty and Staff Awards Dinner in the Chestnut Room of Kilcawley Center. See News Brief below.

Friday and Saturday, May 1 and 2. YSU’s Ward Beecher Planetarium presents “Two Small Pieces of Glass” at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and “Secret of the Cardboard Rocket” at 1 and 2:30 p.m. Saturday. Free. For more information, visit http://www.cc.ysu.edu/physics–astro/planet.htm.

Students selected to present at exclusive LaunchTown 
Two Youngstown State University students were among a select few chosen to make a presentation at the LaunchTown Entrepreneurship Awards competition in Cleveland, an event that seeks college students with ideas for new businesses, products or services.

Tim Capp of Youngstown and Mike Repasky of Boardman, both of whom are completing their third years in the YSU respiratory care program, presented a product that improves a currently available product for humidification during mechanical ventilation of patients with respiratory problems.

LaunchTown was founded by several Northeast Ohio entrepreneurs and investors and offers students the opportunity to present their next big idea for products or services, said Teresa Volsko, YSU assistant professor of health professions.

The competition is open to college students throughout Northeast Ohio. More than 100 teams and individuals submitted proposals this year, but only eight — including Capp and Repasky — were selected to present their ideas to a group of business owners and investors at the LaunchTown Entrepreneurship Awards at Baldwin–Wallace College.

“Tim and Mike were inspired by their clinical experiences and worked diligently on an idea to improve patient care, contain costs and assist the respiratory care community in becoming environmentally conscious,” Volsko said.

Capp and Repasky designed a heat and moisture exchanger with a replaceable filter. The housing remains inline with the ventilator circuit, reducing the cost of humidification and reducing plastic waste. The unit is in compliance with current practice guidelines for the prevention of ventilator associated pneumonia.

The students were awarded $1,000 for their proposal

Volsko said Capp and Repasky received valuable feedback at LaunchTown and will be pursuing a path to bring the product to market.

Faculty member wins Outstanding Educator honor

Regina Rees taught English language arts for nearly 20 years to students in grades four through 12 in local school districts before coming to Youngstown State University in 2004.

Five years later, she is being honored by the Ohio Council of Teachers of English Language Arts with the Outstanding English Language Arts Educator Award in the university category.

“It’s nice to be recognized by one’s peers, especially since I’m new to university teaching, and I’m doing this late in life,” she said.

Rees, assistant professor of teacher education at YSU, earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from YSU and a Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction from the University of Akron in 2005. Before beginning work at YSU, she taught elementary through high school students at Warren City Schools and the Catholic Diocese of Youngstown.

A lifelong instructor, Rees believes she was called to teach. “I really enjoyed working with the students in the public schools, finding ways to motivate them to be lifelong learners,” she said. “Now, I enjoy teaching students who are going to be teachers, and I enjoy their motivation.”

Rees, state coordinator for the Ohio Council of Reading Teachers and president of OCTELA, said she is not unique and that she is only as passionate as the next teacher, but her students say otherwise.

“She’s a fabulous teacher. She truly loves what she does, and she really cares about her students,” said Tracy Pinter, a December 2008 graduate in middle childhood education. “She’s all about making her students into good teachers.”

Rees was honored at the OCTELA spring conference in Columbus. For more information on OCTELA or past award winners, visit www.octela.org.

DiGregorio, Shipka to receive Heritage Awards
Former head women’s basketball coach Ed DiGregorio and former Philosophy and Religious Studies department chair Tom Shipka will receive the prestigious Youngstown State University Heritage Award during the annual Faculty and Staff Awards Dinner Friday, May 1 in Kilcawley Center.

The Heritage Award was established in 1980 to recognize former faculty and staff whose contributions to the university have had a major impact on its development.

The Awards Dinner also honors retirees, Distinguished Service Award recipients and employees who have completed milestone years of service. For a full list of those honorees, visit http://cfweb.cc.ysu.edu/hr/index.htm and click on Employee Recognition

DiGregorio’s storied 20–year career as head coach of the Penguin women’s basketball team included five consecutive Mid–Continent Conference regular season championships. His teams also won Mid–Continent Tournament Titles and appeared in the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament in 1996, 1998 and 2000. In 1998, he led YSU to its first NCAA Tournament win with a 91–80 upset over Memphis.

Shipka was honored for a career at YSU that spanned 1969 through 2006, including 20 years as chair of the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies. He raised substantial funds for the Dale Ethics Center, the University Professor of Islamic Studies, the American Studies Program and the Shipka lecture series.

Shipka led the drive to create the YSU chapter of the Ohio Education Association, the first faculty union at a public university in Ohio. He also was involved with the Ohio Faculty Council and National Education Association.

Grad students inducted into counseling honor society
Twenty–one Youngstown State University students were recently inducted into the Eta Chapter of Chi Sigma Iota, the National Honor Society for Professional Counselors. 

Chi Sigma Iota, with chapters at more than 280 universities, is the world’s largest counseling honor society. The mission of the society is to promote scholarship, research, professionalism, leadership and excellence in the profession of counseling. Membership is by invitation only to graduate students in counseling who have distinguished themselves through professional excellence and aspire to work as professional counselors.

This year’s graduate student inductees were: Nicole Adamson of Salem; Michael Augustine of Youngstown; Julie Duke of Salem; Sheila Donnadio of Canfield; Darla Cortez of Struthers; Daljeet Dhillion of Canfield; Ashlee Graham of Mineral Ridge; Sarah Grether of Rock Creek; Alana Jackson of Youngstown; Lisa Matas of Cortland; Melissa Nagy of Sharpsville; Nikunj Patel of Canfield; Valerie Prevosnak of Youngstown; Michael Prystash of Youngstown; Sarah Root of Niles; Toni Raseta of Poland; April Roscoe–Garfoli of West Middlesex, Pa.; Mallory Schell of East Liverpool; Abigal Sjostrom of Conneaut; Sierah Smith of Campbell; and Netta Stitt of Masury.

The induction ceremony featured two keynote speakers: Meghan Brown, a 2006 graduate of the YSU counseling program, current president of the Eastern Ohio Counselors Association, and program manager of NORCAT at Meredian Services; and Chris Faiver, a member of the faculty in the YSU counseling department from 1976 to 1989, and the current coordinator of the counseling program at John Carroll University.

Jake J. Protivnak, assistant professor, and Victoria Kress, associate professor, are the advisors for the YSU chapter of Chi Sigma Iota. For more information, visit http://www.ysu.edu/counselingandspecialeducation/eta/index.htm.

YSU Press Day features NY Times sports columnist

Press Day, which attracts high school journalists from throughout the region, will be 9 a.m. to noon Monday, April 27, in the Chestnut Room of Kilcawley Center on the Youngstown State University campus.

Karen Crouse, a sports columnist for The New York Times since June 2005, will be the keynote speaker.

Crouse, who covers the New York Jets, will talk about her career and the future of the profession. Prior to joining The Times, she worked as a sports columnist for four years at the Palm Beach Post.

She is a graduate of the University of Southern California, where she was journalism major and member of the Trojan women’s swim team. She grew up in Santa Clara, Calif., and started her newspaper career in Georgia at the Savannah News–Press.

 

Cinco de Mayo to be celebrated at YSU brunch
Youngstown State University celebrates Cinco de Mayo with a brunch 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday, May 5, in the Ohio Room of Kilcawley Center on campus.

The celebration features an overview of Cinco de Mayo by Mehera Gerardo, YSU assistant professor of history; remarks by Rachel Flasco, the president of the Youngstown Mexican Club; and performances by the Mosaica dancers from the Academy of Arts and Humanities in Warren and the YSU Latino Organization Dancers.

The program is sponsored by the YSU Office of Student Diversity Programs and the Cinco de Mayo Planning Committee.

Bulgarian conductor takes baton for Dana concert

The Dana Symphony Orchestra, featuring guest conductor Svilen Simeonov, presents a premier performance 8 p.m., Monday, April 27 at the Ford Family Recital Hall, Eleanor Beecher Flad Pavilion in the DeYor Performing Arts Center.

Soloists for the concert are Hristo Popov, violin, and Kalin Ivanov, cello.

The concert pieces include: Don Giovanni Overture, K527 (W. A. Mozart); Symphony No. 7 in A major, Op. 92 (Beethoven); and Concerto for Violin and Cello, Op. 102 (J. Brahms).

Svilen Simeonov has established himself as one of Bulgaria’s foremost conductors. Since his 2003 appointment as chief conductor of Sofia Sinfonietta, it has become one of the most sought after Bulgarian orchestras. He has been awarded the Musician of the Year Prize with Sofia Amadeus orchestra (1999) by Bulgarian National Radio, the Crystal Lyre Award (2001) with Colegium Musicum orchestra–Bankja, and the Golden Lyre Award with Sofia Sinfonietta Orchestra (2007) for high artistic achievements in the performing arts. Maestro Simeonov is also the chief conductor of Vidin State Symphony Orchestra in Bulgaria and serves as guest conductor at the Viennese Operetta Stage.

Ivanov, cellist, is a prominent recitalist, chamber musician, and recording artist. A native of Bulgaria, he holds a master of music degree from Brooklyn College Conservatory and has performed at concert halls around the world.

Popov, who teaches at YSU, has performed throughout the United States, England, Germany, Czech Republic, Poland, Bulgaria, Italy, Switzerland, and Mexico as both recitalist and concerto soloist. He is a founding member of The New York Empire Trio exclusively presented by Bulgarian Virtuosi Artists.

For tickets, call the DeYor Box Office, 330–744–0264.

Wind, Jazz ensembles close out New Music Festival
The Youngstown State University Wind Ensemble and YSU Jazz Ensemble perform 8 p.m. Wednesday, April 29, in Stambaugh Auditorium.

The concert is the closing event for the 2009 Dana School of Music New Music Festival.

The featured artist at the concert is trumpeter Allen Vizzutti, one of the nation’s most accomplished classical and jazz trumpet artists.

In addition, the Wind Ensemble will be premiering a new work by composer David Morgan, YSU associate professor of double bass and jazz studies. The composition, “The Art of Seven,” was commissioned by the American Wind Symphony in summer 2008.

Vizzutti will also teach master classes for trumpet students in the Dana School of Music and for regional trumpet performers. For specific information on the times and locations of the sessions, and for concert ticket information, call the Dana School of Music at 330–941–3636.

Dance ensemble presents spring concert this weekend
The YSU Dance Ensemble will present its annual spring concert Thursday, April 30, Friday, May 1, and Saturday, May 2, at 7:30 p.m. in Bliss Hall’s Ford Theater.

Under the direction of Christine Cobb, a faculty member in the YSU Department of Theater and Dance, the concert will showcase an array of modern dance, jazz, hip hop, belly dancing and Irish step dance.

Work by two professional artists, Billy Siegenfeld, the artistic director and founder of the Chicago–based dance company, Jump Rhythm Jazz Project, and Michael Medcalf, former director of the Cleveland Contemporary Dance Theatre in Cleveland, is also included.  

Siegenfeld’s work was made possible by a grant from the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education and will be performed by Thom Cobb, dance faculty at Slippery Rock University and his wife, Christine Cobb. Medcalf’s modern dance piece entitled “Twilight” will be performed by six YSU students and was made possible through funding provided by the YSU Dance Ensemble and the Department of Theater and Dance.

The YSU Dance Ensemble, a sanctioned student organization sponsored in part by Student Government, accepts members via an audition process in the fall term. Members practice weekly and hone their performance skills as well as their leadership skills.

“The young women who audition and are accepted into the YSU Dance Ensemble put countless hours into practicing their discipline, Cobb said. “They also learn the basics of running a student organization since they must elect officers and participate in activities. The spring concert is the culmination of their year–long efforts.”

Tickets are $7 for the general public and $3 for YSU faculty, staff, and students, as well as children under 12 and senior citizens. Tickets may be purchased at the door.

Rec Center offers Youth Summer Climbing Camp
Youngstown State University’s Andrew Student Recreation and Wellness Center will host the first Youth Summer Climbing Camp.

The camps are being offering in three, five–day sessions: June 22 to 26, July 13 to17 and August 3 to 7. The sessions run from 9 a.m. to noon each day.

The camp is instructed by Travis Dusz, an American Mountain Guide top rope site manager.

Registration is limited to ages 12 to 17. Space is limited. The cost is $100 per participant. The fee includes instruction, a T–shirt and a chalk bag. Participants are encouraged to bring a snack and a water bottle.

Register in person at the recreation and wellness center, or call 330–941–2240 or e–mail tudusz@ysu.edu.

Summer Festival of the Arts seeks volunteers
The 11^th annual Summer Festival of the Arts, scheduled for July 11 and 12 on Youngstown State University’s campus, is seeking volunteers.

Volunteers are needed for artist registration; information booths; in the children''s hands–on art tent; for technical assistance at performance sites; and at the Festival of Nations international area, among others.

Various shifts are available for the two–day event. Each volunteer receives a Festival tee shirt, cold water and reserved free parking.

“Each year our participants compliment our volunteer corps on their knowledge, enthusiasm and professionalism,” said Lori A. Factor, Festival coordinator. “Our volunteers are crucial to the festival''s success and offer a personal touch to make this event successful.”

Interested individuals may receive an application by calling 330–941–2307, emailing lafactor@ysu.edu or logging on to www.ysu.edu/sfa for a downloadable form.

The Summer Festival of the Arts is presented by YSU.

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