YSU in 3-D: A new way to 'visit' campus - Youngstown State University

Insider
Y o u n g s t o w n S t a t e U n i v e r s i t y
The
YSU Magazine Supplement • http://magazine.ysu.edu
FALL 2007
YSU in 3-D: A new
way to ‘visit’ campus
Haven’t been to the YSU campus in
awhile
Now you can fly over Jones Hall, zoom
through the campus core, take a spin past the
Andrews Student Recreation and Wellness
Center, circle around Stambaugh Stadium and
buzz over Cafaro and Lyden residence halls.
All with a few swipes of your computer
mouse.
YSU’s new three-dimensional campus
map, available online at www.ysu.edu/campusmap,
is the result of a nearly two-year
project by a group of nine undergraduate and
two graduate students under the guidance of
Brad Shellito, associate professor of geography.
“The project went so far beyond what we
first thought it would,” Shellito said.
The map, which allows viewers to fly over
and around 3D models of campus buildings,
gives alumni, prospective students and others
a realistic and detailed bird’s-eye view of the
campus.
“It’s really cool,” said Sue Davis, director
of undergraduate admissions. “I don’t see too
many sites out there like this at other universities.”
continued on back page
enrollment reaches 13-year high
Enrollment at YSU continues to grow and is now at its highest level in 13 years.
The university has 13,497 students on campus this fall semester. That’s an increase of 314
students or 2.4 percent from last fall semester. It is the highest enrollment since 13,979 students
were attending classes in fall semester 1994.
Since fall 2000, enrollment is up 1,701
students or 14.5 percent.
Centennial Celebration
Two 80-foot banners marking YSU’s Centennial
decorate the west side of Stambaugh Stadium
as the university kicked off its year-long 100th
birthday celebration at homecoming on Oct.
20. The banners were under-written by the YSU
Foundation. Homecoming featured a parade
along Fifth Avenue and a halftime show featuring
the performance of a special music composition
and the start of the Centennial celebration
clock countdown. Dozens of Centennial events
are planned throughout the academic year,
including the unveiling of a sculpture of YSU’s
fi rst president, Howard Jones, in May. For a list
of all Centennial events, visit http://www.ysu.
edu/centennial/.
“To maintain enrollment increases of
this magnitude in a region that continues
to lose population is a reflection of the
hard work and dedication of thousands
of faculty, staff, students and community
members,” President David C. Sweet said.
“YSU is committed to increasing educational
attainment levels in the Mahoning
Valley, which is a key factor in the future
economic growth of the region.”
Sweet said enrollment is up for several
reasons, including YSU’s relatively low
tuition costs, increased student scholarships
and financial aid, increased student recruitment
and retention efforts, and the creation
continued on back page

Around Campus
Serendipity: Students discover faster, safer process
Instead of taking the summer off to relax, four YSU students put on
their lab coats and discovered a new chemical process with potential
medical benefits.
Undergraduate chemistry students Tracy Vadjinia of Wellsville, Lisa
Jones of Liberty, Brooke Katzman of Boardman, and Jonathan Mason of
Boardman worked this past summer under the supervision of chemistry
Professor Peter Norris.
The students initially were conducting individual research projects
on an existing chemical process, but when they pooled their data they
realized they had discovered something new.
“It was serendipitous,” Norris said. “The students’ work became a
more important spin-off of something else we were trying to do.”
The work in Norris’ labs in Ward Beecher Hall is yet another example
of YSU undergraduate students getting hands on, real world research
experience.
The research focuses on organic chemicals
and processes that are used in medicine.
One of the processes has potential pharmaceutical
use against bacteria such as
Staphylococcus aureus (“Staph”). The procedure,
however, involves sodium azide, an
explosive and toxic substance.
The four students’ research, however,
came up with an organic salt to replace the
dangerous sodium azide, potentially resulting
in a safer, faster and more environmentally
friendly chemical process.
The students will continue to research
their discovery, “fine-tuning” their work, as
Katzman put it, and exploring “what useful
medicinal function it might have,” Mason
said. Additionally, plans are underway for
the student researchers to be co-authors with
Norris to submit their findings for journal
publication and also to present their work
in April 2008 at the 235th National Meeting
of the American Chemical Society in New
Orleans.
(Story by Elaine A. Habeger)
YSU is building a dynasty of champions
at the annual national MathFest competition.
This year, YSU sent a contingent of 15
students to the Annual Summer Meeting of
the Mathematical Association of America
and Pi Mu Epsilon in San Jose, Calif., also
known as MathFest 2007.
Four of the students won awards for
“outstanding presentations.” Over the last
three years, YSU students have won 14 “outstanding”
awards at MathFest competitions,
including five in 2006 and five in 2005. In
comparison, no other university has won
From the left, YSU students Tracy Vadjinia, Jonathan Mason and Brooke
Katzman work in a lab in Ward Beecher Hall.
YSU’s dominance continues at
national MathFest competition
more than three awards at any single competition.
“We are very proud of our students and
their continued performance,” said George
Yates, YSU professor of mathematics and
statistics and director of the YSU Center for
Undergraduate Research in Mathematics
(CURMath).
Yates, Angela Spalsbury, Jay Kerns, Doug
Faires and Tom Smotzer were among the
faculty members in the Department of Mathematics
and Statistics who assisted students
with their projects and presentations.
The Insider, a supplement to the Youngstown State
University Magazine, is designed to inform the more
than 70,000 readers of the magazine of university
news. Visit the YSU web site at www.ysu.edu to keep
up on the latest YSU news and information.
Send alumni news to universitymagazine@ysu.edu or
call 330-941-3519.
News Manager: Ron Cole
Layout Design Artist: Renée Cannon
Photos: Jim Evans
Graduate Assistant: Elaine A. Habeger
Intern: Jenny Boyce
Printing: YSU Printing Services
Marketing and Communications
133 Tod Hall, Youngstown, Ohio 44555-3519
2 Youngstown State University
YSU students who won “outstanding presentation” awards at the 2007 MathFest are, from the left,
Ryan Livingston of Hubbard, Tyler Drombosky of Boardman, Matthew Ward of Brewerton, N.Y., and
Jeff Cornfi eld of Warren.

Meeting demand:
Arabic, Chinese
introduced
China is the world’s newest economic
giant, and the Arab world is becoming more
and more a center of political and economic
activity.
In response, YSU is now offering language
courses in Chinese and Arabic.
“We thought there’d be interest since
China is such a big economic force, and other
than Arab-Americans, very few people know
Arabic,” said John Sarkissian, professor of
Latin and Greek and chair of the Department
of Foreign Languages and Literatures.
The U.S. State Department has designated
Chinese a “critical language,” and Campus-Watch
reported recently that Arabic is
the fastest-growing foreign language on the
nation’s college campuses.
Madeleine Maroun,
who teaches the new
Arabic course, and
Shelly Zhu, instructor
for the Chinese course,
both reported positive
responses from their
students as the classes
began this fall semester.
Madeleine Maroun
Shelly Zhu
Zhu said that students
taking the course
have various majors.
One student plans to
teach English in China,
and two students are of
Chinese descent. Many
of the students expect to
visit or work in mainland
China or Taiwan
someday.
Maroun’s students
in the Arabic course are
similarly diverse. “Some are of Arabic background;
they can speak Arabic but they want
to learn to read and write it,” she said. The
class also includes political science majors
and ROTC students, who may someday be
stationed in Arabic-speaking countries.
“With all the geo-political changes, people
are ready to learn Arabic and more about
the diverse cultures of the Middle East,” said
Maroun. “You start with the language and go
from there to learning about the people.”
YSU also offers German, Hebrew, Latin,
Russian, Ancient Greek and Swahili, with
majors available in French, Italian and
Spanish.
(Story by Elaine A. Habeger)
Nearly 150 middle
school students in two
school districts will participate
in after-school
academic and enrichment
programs this fall
thanks to a five-year,
$1.7 million grant to
YSU’s Center for Human
Angela Cameron
Services Development.
YSU received the grant from the Ohio
Department of Education to set up 21st Century
Community Learning Centers at East
Liverpool and Weathersfield school districts.
The centers are for students in grades five
through eight, and funding runs through the
2011-12 school year.
“The goal is to help students academi-
Around Campus
YSU helps schoolchildren with
$1.7 million after-school grant
cally, especially in math and reading, and to
also help improve their self-esteem so they
can achieve more in school,” said Angela
Cameron, research associate in the YSU Center
for Human Services Development.
“The other goal is to keep them safe, keep
them off the streets and give them something
constructive to do after school.”
The Center for Human Services Development,
established in 1985, works with a
community-wide spectrum of people to identify
community problems and needs, develop
solutions, and evaluate outcomes. Among the
projects that the Center oversees is the federal
Weed and Seed program on Youngstown’s
North Side, the Homeless Management Information
System and the Northeast Ohio
Leadership Task Force.
Noontime music
YSU students Evan Hertrick, left, and Chris Coles, perform at a Music at Noon concert
in the Butler Institute of American Art. The free concerts, presented by the Dana
School of Music, are held at noon on Wednesdays throughout the academic year.
FALL 2007

Around Campus
New chef, renovated dining hall lift culinary spirits
He once had a job cooking for the crew of an oil exploration ship that traversed
the Amazon River and Gulf of Mexico. He’s even cooked up dinner in the
kitchen of the Dalai Lama in Dharamsala, India.
Now, Clint Kifolo has brought his culinary skills to YSU, where he’s the new
executive chef for the university’s dining services.
“It is the only profession that returns immediate laughter, friendship and
memorable experiences from your guests and friends,” Kifolo said.
As executive chef, Kifolo oversees the cooking staff at Christman Dining
Commons and the new Pete’s Arena restaurant in Kilcawley Center.
Christman, built in 1993, is the main dining hall for YSU’s nearly 1,000
residential students, and it has undergone a $275,000 facelift of its own this year,
including a new display cooking area for made-to-order entrees, an improved dining
area and a “sports bar” area complete with big screen TVs.
“Two new trends are emerging in university dining,” said Jack Fahey, YSU
executive director of student services. “Students are much more accustomed to
dining out frequently. As a result, they are accustomed to a much more diverse
menu. Also, student dining used to be something that students did as quickly as
possible. Students used to eat and run. Increasingly, meal time has slowed down
for students and it has become a time when they can catch up with friends socially.”
Kifolo, a native of Texas who was trained in the culinary arts at Bucks County
Community College outside Philadelphia, is one of only 7,000 certified executive
chefs in the world. He worked at private country clubs, inns, schools, colleges and
restaurants before coming to YSU this summer.
(Story by Jenny Boyce)
Sports
YSU’s new executive chef Clint Kifolo rustles up a wide
selection of culinary delights in the newly renovated student
dining hall.
Pens tip season with UCLA
The YSU men’s basketball squad tips off the 2007-08 season
in style with a trip to Los Angeles to play 11-time national
champion UCLA at historic Pauley Pavilion.
The Penguins-Bruins contest is slated for 11 p.m. eastern
time on Monday, Nov. 12 and will be televised nationally on
ESPN2.
The contest is YSU’s first against a Pacific-10 Conference
team, and it marks the first time YSU’s hoops team has played
in the state of California.
The game is part of the O’Reilly Auto Parts CBE Classic.
Weber State plays UC-San Bernardino in the other tournament
game at Pauley Pavilion. The two winning teams and the two
teams that lost play on Tuesday, Nov. 13 in Los Angeles.
Buckeye sandwich
Penguin linebacker Rashon Simons loses his helmet as his teammates
swarm Ohio State tailback Maurice Wells at Ohio Stadium in Columbus.
The Penguins opened the season against the Buckeyes on Sept. 1, YSU’s first
appearance in the Horseshoe. The Penguins, defeated 38-6 by the Buckeyes,
will also open next season against Ohio State in Columbus on Aug. 30, 2008.
Youngstown State University
Heacock signed through 2012
Head football coach Jon Heacock headed into the 2007 season
with a new five-year contract that will keep him as the coach
of the Penguins through the 2012 campaign.
One of just five head coaches in YSU’s 67-season history,
Heacock is in his seventh campaign with the program. He ranks
second in school history in winning percentage (.614) and owns
an overall record of 43-27 heading into the 2007 season.
YSU has won the Gateway Football Conference championship
for two consecutive years.

Development & Foundation
Resource Center dedicated in memory of Mrs. Nohra
The Betty C. Nohra Student Resource
Center, featuring a virtual computer lab, was
dedicated over the summer in Cushwa Hall.
The dedication recognizes a $100,000 gift
from the Cafaro family to improve technology
and laboratory facilities in YSU’s nursing
department. The donation is part of YSU’s
Centennial Capital Campaign.
“Because of the center, students will have access
to the latest technology in the field,”
said John J. Yemma, dean of the Bitonte College
of Health and Human Services.
The gift is being used to create a 15-carrel
virtual computer lab in Room 2080 on the
second floor of Cushwa Hall where faculty
can conduct virtual clinical sessions using
micro-simulators and where students can
practice virtual clinical skills using the latest
software.
The nursing department has been one of
the fastest growing departments in the 3,500
student college, which has experienced a
staggering overall growth of 50 percent since
2000.
Mrs. Nohra, who died in August 2006,
was a registered nurse. She graduated from
the Youngstown Hospital School of Nursing
in 1957. Upon graduation she worked
for two years at Sloan Kettering Cancer
Joseph S. Nohra, a former member of the YSU Board of Trustees, unveils a photograph of his late wife,
Betty, at the dedication of the Betty C. Nohra Student Resource Center in Cushwa Hall.
Research Center in New York, returning to
Youngstown in 1959 as a private duty nurse.
Her husband, Joseph S. Nohra, a former
member of the YSU Board of Trustees, is the
retired long-time chief financial
officer of the Cafaro Corp.
The Nohras have eight children, all of
whom attended YSU, and 20 grandchildren.
‘Anonymous’ gives $48,000 to
chemistry department
One day this past summer, YSU Chief Development Officer Paul McFadden received
a call from Bruce Sherman, president of Sherman Creative Promotions, with
news about an anonymous $48,000 gift earmarked for the Department of Chemistry.
“The donor is cognizant of budget cuts at YSU and at most public universities
in Ohio,” said Sherman, a 1970 business college graduate and president of the YSU
Alumni Society. “The donor’s hope was that this gift may encourage others to follow
suit. I think that it’s a true act of selflessness because of the anonymity of the donation.
Obviously, the university has meant a lot to this person.”
The gift, which is part of the university’s Centennial Capital Campaign, helped
YSU surpass the $32 million mark in gifts and pledges toward the $43 million goal.
The campaign began in 2005 and is set to end in 2010.
“This gift will help enhance an already excellent department,” McFadden said.
Each academic year, approximately 50 students graduate with bachelor’s degrees in
chemistry, and at least 1,000 students per semester in different majors take chemistry
courses.
Daryl Mincey, department chair, said the gift came as a complete surprise. “I hope
our department can do it justice,” he said.
YSU’s $43 million Centennial Capital Campaign keeps
moving upward, reaching the $34.2 million mark.
FALL 2007

Alumni News
All Alumni Reunion
set for July 2008
A warm “Welcome Home” will be extended to
all YSU graduates and their families on Saturday,
July 12, 2008, during the All Alumni Reunion.
Make plans to come back to campus and reminisce
about your days as a college student and participate
in YSU’s Centennial Celebration. Each college will
be open for tours. Meet and greet professors. Talk
with deans. Programming will be available for the
entire family. A complete calendar of events will be
mailed to each graduate in spring 2008. But, mark
your calendars now.
D.C. alums gather
YSU alumni in the Washington D.C. area shared laughter and memories at a
reception at Chef Geoff’s restaurant on Aug 16.
Save the Date!
Mark your calendar for the following Alumni Relations
events. More details are available by calling the Office of
Alumni Relations at 330-941-3497.
Alumni Basketball Dinner
YSU Men vs. Cleveland State, Saturday, Dec. 8;
Wolstein Center, 2000 Prospect Avenue, Cleveland;
5:30 p.m. Alumni pre-game dinner; 7:00 p.m. Game begins.
Sorority sisters in Sunshine State
The sisters of Beta Sigma Omicron/Zeta Tau Alpha held their annual
reunion in Oldsmar, Fla., March 8 to 11, 2007. Seventeen sisters
gathered to celebrate YSU memories. A reunion is being planned in
Youngstown during Homecoming 2008.
Heritage Award
The deadline is Dec. 31 to nominate former faculty or
administrative staff for the YSU Heritage Award.
The award is the most prestigious honor bestowed for
outstanding contributions to the university.
Nomination forms are available at www.cc.ysu.edu/hr
or at the Office of Alumni Relations. For more information,
contact Carol Kordupel in HR at 330-941-3360 or cakordupel@ysu.edu.
Chicago Area Alumni Reception
Monday, Dec. 10; The Tower Club, 20 N. Wacker Drive,
Chicago; 6 to 8 p.m.
Alumni Doubleheader Basketball Dinners
Saturday, Jan. 19, 2008 – YSU Women vs. Detroit at 4:35 p.m.
YSU Men vs. Butler at 7:05 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 9, 2008 –
YSU Women vs. Milwaukee at 4:35 p.m.
YSU Men vs. Wright State at 7:05 p.m.
Saturday, March 1, 2008 – YSU Women vs. Valparaiso at 4:35 p.m.
YSU Men vs. Cleveland State at 7:05 p.m.
All dinners will be in Room 119 in Beeghly Center, between the
women’s and men’s games.
Youngstown Day
Sunday, March 9, 2008, the Office of Alumni Relations will host the
2008 Youngstown Area Reunion in Sarasota, Florida. This popular
event draws approximately 500 individuals who have relocated from
Youngstown or reside in Florida for part of the year.
Youngstown State University

Alumni Banquet in October.
The recipients:
Frank Dixon, CPA, of New Springfield, a
partner for Cohen & Co., Ltd., received the Outstanding
Business Alumnus Award. Dixon was
formerly the managing partner in charge of the
Youngstown office. Prior to joining Cohen and Co.
in 1983, he worked for Touche, Ross & Co. and
DeNicholas, Leicht, Masters & Sakony, Inc., Certified
Public Accountants, both in Youngstown. He
graduated from YSU with a bachelor of science in
Frank Dixon business administration in 1977.
Alumni News
College of Business recognizes outstanding alums
The Williamson College of Business Administration’s 2007 Outstanding Alumnus Awards were handed out at the 12th Annual WCBA
Joseph Gregory of Boardman, general
manager of the Youngstown SteelHounds, received
the WCBA Outstanding Recent Alumnus
Award. Gregory earned a bachelor of science
in business administration degree in 2001 and
began his career as operations assistant with the
Giant Eagle LPGA Classic before graduation.
He later became the coordinator of tournament
operations and sales and marketing before leaving
the firm to become director of business
Joseph Gregory
development for the Mahoning Valley Scrappers in Niles.
William Pallante of Canfield, vice president
– commercial at RTI International Metals in
Niles, received the Outstanding MBA Alumnus
award. Pallante graduated from YSU with a
bachelor of science in business administration in
1987 and received a master of business administration
in 1994.
Ted Schmidt of Canfield, senior vice president
and regional manager of corporate banking
at National City Bank, received the Outstanding
Service Award. He graduated from YSU with a
bachelor of science in business administration
in 1987. Prior to National City Bank, Schmidt
worked at Ernst & Whinney.
William Pallante
Ted Schmidt
Penguins in the desert
The YSU Arizona Alumni Chapter continues to strengthen
in numbers. The group met Oct. 14 in the Phoenix Country
Club, where Renny Domini and Ed Stizza were recognized
for co-founding the chapter in 2001. YSU alum Pat
LaRocca, general manager of the Phoenix Country Club,
hosted the group.
YSU MeMORieS
Do you have a special memory
of your years at YSU Is there a
special professor who sticks out in
your mind How about a favorite
class or a memorable campus event
As YSU celebrates its Centennial, the
staff of the Insider and YSU Magazine wants
to hear your memories of your university.
Forward your memories to universitymag-
azine@ysu.edu or fax 330-941-1704. We will
share your memories in the Winter issue of
the YSU Magazine.
Half Century reunion
The Class of 1957 had a wonderful time participating in the
kick-off of YSU’s Centennial Celebration at Homecoming 2007.
FALL 2007 7

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YSU in 3D
(Continued from page 1)
The project started in 2005 by Shellito and four students in his Geographic
Information Systems class. Shellito and his students began to digitize campus buildings.
Using a laser range finder, students measured the heights of buildings. They
developed a model of the topography of campus, allowing the buildings to be positioned
on the terrain. And they took thousands of photos of buildings to assist in
making the models as true to life as possible, including the rows of bleacher seats at
Stambaugh Stadium, the intricate lattice on Jones Hall and the brick design in various
buildings.
It took on average 30 to 40 hours to develop models for each of the buildings,
Shellito said.
The completed site includes an interactive map of each building on campus and
a second map that allows users to view models of various sections of campus. Each
map can also be viewed through Google Earth, allowing the user to zoom from
Earth orbit down to the location of each building.
The new 3-D campus map shows Jones Hall at Wick and Lincoln avenues.
enrollment
(Continued from page 1)
of several new academic programs targeted to serve the needs of students and the
community.
The number of minority students on campus also continues to increase, from
2,062 last fall to 2,338 this fall. Since fall 2001, minority student enrollment has
jumped by 914 students or 64 percent.
Penguin on the prowl...
Simon, an African penguin from the National
Aviary in Pittsburgh, waddles along the sidelines of
Stambaugh Stadium as YSU Penguin quarterback
Tom Zetts looks on. Simon visited the stadium over
the summer and also at homecoming on Oct. 20
as part of the university’s Centennial Celebration.
Although native to Africa, Simon was born at the
Maryland Zoo in Baltimore. Word is that Simon and
YSU’s own Pete the Penguin got along just fi ne.