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

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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
Page 1: Insider Y o u n g s t o w n S t a t
Page 5 and 6: Development & Foundation Resource C
Page 7 and 8: Alumni Banquet in October. The reci

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

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