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OSU Extension

College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences

CFAES

Communiqué May 22, 2013

Contents

Positive Thinking Quotes to Get You Thinking

-Keith L. Smith, associate vice president, agricultural administration and director, OSU Extension

As I continue our series on positive thinking, I would like to share with you some thoughts from the book Attitude is Everything - 10 Rules for Staying Positive by Vicki Hitzges (2010) published by Simple Truths.

Rule #3 is Your Health is Your Wealth

It doesn’t even matter if you have a mansion, a yacht or a new Rolls Royce. If your health fails and you feel lousy, you’re not going to enjoy it. Your health is your wealth. So, what can you do to protect this important asset? Get in shape! It’s one of the most positive moves you can make. Why? Because getting fit gives you energy, increases your endurance and builds your confidence.

When you exercise or lift weights, your body releases endorphins. Endorphins have been linked to the same kind of high produced by morphine! (And they are legal!) When you are pumped full of endorphins; you look, feel, and sleep better.

According to a study done at California State University, 30 minutes of intense aerobic exercise immediately reduces body tension. Research at Hofstra University in NYC showed that weight lifting stops anxiety and boosts self-esteem as well as, if not better than, aerobic exercise. Do both! You’ll look and feel terrific … plus, the stress relief will help you sleep. Speaking of sleep, it is recommended that adults get seven to nine hours of sleep every night. In addition to exercise and sleep, watch your diet.

Someone once asked the actress Katherine Hepburn what it takes to be successful and she replied, “One of the main qualities it takes to be successful is energy.” Then she paused and added, “Energy may be the only thing!” That may be a very simplistic formula for success, but winning in life has a lot to do with having the energy you need to accomplish what you want in life.

You may think that you don’t have time to exercise 30 minutes a day or sleep eight hours a night or even eat right. The reality is that if you don’t make time to take care of yourself, you’ll be forced to find time to be sick. MAKE TIME! If you lose your health, you lose everything.

All OSU employees are eligible for the Your Plan for Health program where you can record your healthy habits and earn points. If you have not started the program, I encourage you to start now by earning points for your effort to become healthier. Here is the link for you to sign up: http://yp4h.osu.edu/.

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Civic Commons Conversations – Update

-Bev Kelbaugh, South Central regional director

We’ve had a great response to our first week of conversations online via Civic Commons! Thanks to those who have logged on and started talking about the goals of our strategic plan. We welcome open dialogue and constructive feedback about how each of us can be a significant part of implementing our strategies.

We are presenting the goals in reverse order (3-2-1), so we’ve already opened discussions about G3S1, G3S2, and G3S3. Two new questions have been posted for the G3S4 and G3S5 conversation which start today, so log in (http://theciviccommons.com/conversations/develop-sustain-world-class-osue-professionals) and join us!  

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Campus Campaign raises $4.9 Million

Current and former OSU employees (29,116 of them) donated one million dollars more this year than last year! That adds up to 39% participation across the university. We thank each of you who donated toward the Campus Campaign. We had a significant impact on the donations by the CFAES employees, as 35% of all new donors were from Extension.

In our regional challenge, the participation percentages are as follows:

  • North East: 18.6%
  • South Central: 27.6%
  • West: 18.8%
  • State: 53.8%
  • Total OSU Extension: 28.9%

Congratulations to the winners of the fabulous life-changing prizes:

  • 2 OSU football tickets donated by Keith Smith: Kathy Michelich
  • Bass fishing flies donated by Stephen Wright: Judy Villard
  • Block “O” quilt made by Bev Kelbaugh : Graham Cochran
  • 4 Cleveland Browns tickets donated by Jackie Kirby Wilkins: Alison Baker

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Congratulations to 2013 OSU CARES Seed Grant Recipients

The faculty and staff projects recognized by the OSU CARES Seed Grant program illustrate how engagement is being embedded in colleges across the university. They also showcase how Ohio State is sharing expertise broadly across the entire state and deepening relationships with community partners.

Listed below are 2013 OSU CARES/OSU Extension grants that were awarded; and a brief description of each can be found online at http://osucares.osu.edu/grants/2013seed.html. All of these grants support partnerships between OSU Extension and another Ohio State department to broaden the University’s engagement with communities. Visit the OSU CARES Grants Program Webpage at http://osucares.osu.edu/grantsprogram.htm for more information about OSU CARES grants and about submitting a proposal for 2014.

Million Hearts: Improving Cardiovascular Health across Ohio
PI(s)s: Patricia Brinkman, assistant professor and Extension educator, College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences; Kate Gawlik, clinical faculty, College of Nursing

The Bridge: Issue Analysis Process -- Connecting FFA Students with Employers
PI(s): Frank Gibson, program manager, Alber Enterprise Center, OSU Marion; Myra Wilson, director, Alber Enterprise Center, OSU Marion

Partners: Stephanie Jolliff, Ridgemont Schools agricultural education teacher and FFA advisor; John Hohn, director of economic development, Hardin County Chamber & Business Alliance; Rose Fisher-Merkowitz, associate professor/Extension educator, Ohio State University Extension; Christine Trapp, assistant director of academic services, Ohio State University Marion; Mark Light, 4-H youth development educator/Hardin County Extension director, Ohio State University Extension.

Blue Star Healthy Colon Initiative
PI(s): Electra Paskett, professor and associate director, Population Sciences, College of Medicine; Darla Fickle, program director, Population Science, Comprehensive Cancer Center; Audra Jordan, program coordinator, Population Science, Comprehensive Cancer Center

Partners: Harold Kneen, Extension educator, agriculture & natural resources and county director, Athens County & Meigs County, OSU Extension, College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences; Linda King, Extension program assistant, OSU Extension, College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences; Norma Torres, RN, MS, Chair, Meigs County Cancer Initiative (MCCI)

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New CFAES Faculty Council Representatives

Congratulations to the two newly elected Extension representatives to the CFAES Faculty Council, Brian Raison and Barry Ward. Brian replaces Bruce Clevenger as the at-large representative and Barry replaces Joe Heimlich as the statewide representative. Brian and Barry each will begin serving a three-year term effective July 1.

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The “Art & Science” of Facilitation June 11

A good facilitator can make the difference between the success and failure of a group.

Did you know there is an art and science to facilitation? A successful facilitator utilizes a variety of tools, processes and skills to lead a group to make decisions, solve problems and be most effective.

This hands-on workshop focuses on learning and practicing the stages and characteristics of group facilitation. Participants will learn tips and techniques for dealing effectively with groups, including dealing with conflict in a productive manner.

Rose Fisher Merkowitz and Treva Williams are facilitating this workshop on June 11 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in room 109 of the Agricultural Administration building. The registration fee is $120 per participant. https://regonline.com/seriesleadership.

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Summary: National Conference on Diversity, Race and Learning

Kim Catchpole, educator, Adventure Central

On May 6-7 I attended the National Conference on Diversity Race and Learning at The Ohio State University. In attending the pre-conference, I heard Bevlee Watford from Virginia Tech present “Women & the Underrepresented in STEM: Best Practices for Recruitment and Retention; Impact on the Academy and Workplaces Beyond.” Watford made it clear that attracting minorities to STEM fields and fostering their success throughout college must be intentional because the data shows great inequality in enrollment and graduation rates between women, the underrepresented, and white males (specifically looking at engineering data). Best practices shared by Watford include engineering-themed day camps for underrepresented youth, visits to campus including sporting events, offering scholarships, providing college students with a support network of faculty and students, and using Facebook to track graduate success after college.

During the conference I attended several great sessions, but found “Building a Buoyant Believer: A Framework for Academic Success” by Terrell Strayhorn to be particularly insightful. Strayhorn contends that the factors that contribute most to academic success are resiliency and confidence. Resilient students are able to overcome life challenges in order to succeed while students with confidence believe in their own competency and ability to complete a task. The goal is to strike a balance of the two characteristics – educators and faculty can help students find this balance through encouragement and empathy, but also constructive feedback. Strayhorn suggests that academicians consider these factors in the admissions process along with common considerations like grade point average and test scores.

Finally, I really found the keynote speaker, Tim Wise, anti-racist author and educator, to be motivating and captivating. I recommend visiting his website. http://www.timwise.org/

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Excellence in Extension and Extension Diversity Awards Nominations Due June 1

The Program and Personnel subcommittees of the Extension Committee on Organization and Policy are pleased to accept nominations for the 2013 Excellence in Extension and Extension Diversity awards. The Excellence in Extension and Extension Diversity awards are designed to recognize a select group of Cooperative Extension professionals who excel at Extension programming, make a positive impact on constituents served, achieve organizational changes that support diversity, pluralism, innovation in programs, and provide visionary leadership for the System. Awards available include: five Regional Excellence in Extension awards, the National Excellence in Extension award, and the National Extension Diversity Award.

Further detail about the awards, including eligibility, can be found online at: https://www.aplu.org/document.doc?id=4474 and https://www.aplu.org/document.doc?id=4475. Awards are presented during the annual meeting of the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU), this year held November 10-12 in Washington, DC. Travel stipends up to $1,000 per award, not per individual, are provided by USDA NIFA.

A unique link ( https://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=XQgQF6CBq_2fz_2fKV4VfAIdLQ_3d_3d ) tied to the nomination form and your email address has been created to allow you to enter nomination information, attend to other demands, and return to complete the nomination as your schedule allows. Please do not forward this message. Questions about the nomination form should be directed to chrystal.checketts@extension.org. Nominations for awards are due by June 1. Only electronic submissions will be considered by the respective review committees.

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