Professors Wilson and Crawford Present at OCA

Drs. Wilson and Crawford presented at the Ohio Communications Association Annual Conference last week. They spoke about their experiences setting up talks between Russian linguistics students from Perm State University and ONU students from a variety of majors.

Professor Kate Isaeva, of PSU, joined the presentation virtually, having recorded a summary of the exchange between the two universities on YouTube. She spoke about how the exchanges came about, starting with Crawford's presentation to PSU students on Sport and the Cold War, and evolving into a forum for students to share their university experiences.

Wilson and Crawford then spoke of the technical details and the value of inter-cultural exchanges, and answered questions from the audience. The talk took place at 5:00 on a Friday afternoon, so the audience consisted of one instructor from Owens College in Findlay, but the exchange of ideas made the experience worth the effort.

For once, the technology worked fantastically!

Homecoming at ONU: Alumni Returns in Triumph!

Andy Zaebst, who graduated last year with a BA, majoring in Integrated Social Studies and Teacher Licensure, was on hand for the chilly parade last weekend. Andy is employed by Garrett High School in Garrett, IN.

Andy is enjoying his new position, where he teaches World Geography, and expressed interest in setting up distance lectures by Dr. Wilson, and wouldn't mind being a guest speaker for a weekend seminar on Teacher Licensure Orientation.

It was great to see you again Andy and keep up the good work!

Homecoming at ONU: Alumni Returns in Triumph!

Stephen Borden, who graduated last year with a BA, majoring in History, with a minor in Public History/Museum Studies, came back for Homecoming weekend and was immediately put to work by Professor Schuck. They redying displays created by the Museum Studies class for hanging on the walls of Hill Building. These displays publicize the good work that students, faculty, and staff accomplished during the last few years.

Stephen is currently in graduate school at Indiana University/Purdue University-Indianapolis, which is a premier school for Museum Studies. He is enjoying his courses and is working as an intern for the Indianapolis Museum of Art, which is helping him sharpen his practical skills.

Those skills were put to good use by Professor Schuck, so come see what the Museum Studies class has done for the decorations of second floor Hill!

Building a Cultural Bridge - ONU and PSU

Last week, students from ONU and Perm State University in Russia took part in an online conversation. This is the fourth talk between students from the two nations since 2009. The talks came about when Dr. Crawford delivered a lecture for PSU students on Sport and the Cold War. The initial contact was between Crawford and one of his friends from graduate school who was teaching in Perm. Other Russian professors led by Kate Isayeva of the Faculty of Linguistics, expressed interest in continuing the sessions to give their students practice communicating in English. Dr. Jimmy Wilson and some of his Geography students as well as students from Dr. Smith's Geography classes have also taken part in the talks. Talks are held using Skype and despite some technical issues, they have gone smoothly.

Students from both universities have made presentations, shared videos of their university lives, and conversed since then. This latest effort asked both sets of students to write their conceptions of the others before the conversation started, and then to write about how those preconceptions changed as a result of the talk.

Communication between cultures is an important method for bringing the content of textbooks to life. We believe that both sets of students benefit from these and will continue in the future!

Dr. Jimmy Wilson Inducted Into Hardin County Chamber and Business Alliance

Dr. Wilson, who is an active member of the Committee on Community Improvement, as well as being a member of the Ada Village Council, was recently inducted into the Hardin County Chamber and Business Alliance. The Alliance focus is on improving the economic condition of Hardin County, and recently received a $175,000 grant from the US Department of Agriculture to help accomplish that goal. Dr. Wilson has been a strong advocate for community development and has used his Geographic Information Skills to help planners.