Dr. Pat R. Whittington, Assistant Dean for Student Development in the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences Academic Programs Office, was elected President of the National Agricultural Alumni Development Association (NAADA) for 2020-2022. NAADA, which was formed in 1976 provides education, support and recognition for professionals and volunteers dedicated to expanding resources for advancing agriculture and related disciplines through land-grant and other colleges of agricultural sciences and partner programs. Members of NAADA are from two-year and four-year institutions of higher education and organizations associated with agriculture and related sciences.

Dr. Whittington served as the NAADA Vice President for 2018-2020 and took over leadership of the organization at the 2020 annual conference, which was scheduled to be held in June, 2020 at Michigan State University; however after COVID-19 this was converted to a virtual conference. The 2021 annual conference will be held in Portland, Oregon in June, 2021.

Dr. Pat R. Whittington is currently the Assistant Dean for Student Development in the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences at The Ohio State University.  He serves as the Director of Scholarships and Student Financial Aid, Honors, Undergraduate Research and Career Services.  Currently, Dr. Whittington serves as an advisor for two OSU student organizations; Ohio Stater’s Inc., and Delta Theta Sigma Professional Agricultural Fraternity.

Dr. Whittington has been a faculty mentor for STEP (Second-Year Transformational Experience Program) since the inception of the program in 2013. STEP was developed as a continuation of the university’s effort to redefine the student experience. He is very passionate about creating access to higher education for underserved and disadvantaged populations, and really enjoys being part of an office that makes educational experiences more affordable.

Whittington earned his Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration from the University of Idaho, a M.S. in Educational Administration and Agricultural Education from the University of Idaho, and a B.S. in Agriculture from The Ohio State University. Dr. Whittington previously worked at Washington State University serving as the Coordinator for Research and Innovation and later as the Assistant State Director for the Washington Small Business Development Centers; and prior to Ohio State was the Assistant to the Dean for Undergraduate Education in the College of Agricultural Sciences at The Pennsylvania State University.

Dr. Christopher T. Simons, a faculty member in the Department of Food Science and Technology would like to invite your child to participate in his research study to understand underlying textural attributes of foods that might cause food aversions. Your child(ren) may participate if they are 10-15 years of age without braces and willing to evaluate pictures on a computer screen and answer a few simple questions to the researchers. Additionally, you must identify if your child is a picky or non-picky eater (in regard to food texture).

Let the email below know if your child wants to participate VIRTUALLY on Zoom in a one hour session where we will:

1) talk about their food preferences

2) take a fun IQ test

We may ask your child questions about his/her testing experience, the frequency with which they use the product (or similar products), and/or other demographic variables including age, gender, and ethnicity.

After the virtual session, they will be asked to come to the testing facilities on one occasion for 15-30 minutes once Ohio State gives us the go ahead in the coming months. They will receive $40 total, $20 for the online portion and $20 for the in-person portion. All money will be given at the in-person session.

If interested and for any other questions, please email Amy Andes at andes.34@osu.edu. She will send you consent forms to fill out virtually and create a time slot for your child.

Mental Health Awareness Training
Date: Friday, May 22^nd
Time: 1:00-2:00PM EST
Location: Zoom (link sent after registration)
Register here: https://osu.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_86dUl3y8x5Y5tWJ

The Ohio State University Employee Assistance Program is offering a Mental Health Awareness training program to help OSU employees improve their understanding of mental health. Participants of this training program will learn how to:

• Identify signs and symptoms of depression, anxiety, and substance abuse
• Recognize warning signs of suicide
• Support coworkers and others who may be experiencing mental health difficulties
• Access treatment and resources available to OSU employees

This event is sponsored by the CFAES Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion as a part of several initiatives to support of neurodiverse individuals and to promote the mental health and wellbeing of the OSU community. The event is free and open to all OSU employees.

Presenter: Suzanne Vickers is a licensed clinical social worker who has a background in Employee Assistance work with staff in the Emergency Department at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and currently with the  EAP team here at Ohio State as a counselor, trainer and crisis debriefer.  She is passionate about offering strategies to improve OSU employees resilience, mental well-being and fulfillment. In her personal life, she loves to care for her rescue dog, to work on creative projects and spend time with her partner and her friends.

Please direct all inquiries to Dr. Leo Taylor(.3408), the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Program Manager for Faculty and Staff Affairs in CFAES.

Understanding Generational Diversity in Today’s Workplace: Creating Synergies Through Effective Communication
Hosted by the CFAES Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion on Monday, May 18^th, 11AM-12:30PM, the workshop is free and open to the entire OSU community as well as the general public.

Location: Zoom (link sent after registration)

Register here: https://osu.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6yZzqVsJpoiC5xz

Did you know that there are now five generations in the workplace? Are you a Traditionalist (>73), Baby Boomer (54-72), Gen X (38-53), Millennial (24-37), or a Gen Z (8-23)? There are both similarities and differences amongst these generations that contribute to the richness of a diverse workforce. Effectively communicating and collaborating with one another can be challenging when we do not understand the unique experiences and perspectives of our colleagues. In this workshop, you will learn how understanding generational diversity can improve employee engagement, impact retention, and increase organizational productivity. Participants will explore how bridging the generational gap can foster respect, positive relationships, and create an inclusive work environment.

About the presenter
Ankit Shah is a Career Consultant in the Lhota Office of Alumni Career Management at The Ohio State University. In this role he provides one-on-one career advice to multi-generational alumni across industries. Ankit also provides ongoing professional development trainings via webinars, podcasts, and virtual group coaching sessions. He has more than nine years of experience in the career management field within higher education and K-12 settings. He has advised students and alumni at Methodist University, Denison University, Columbus State Community College, and The Ohio State University.

Ankit holds a BS in Early Childhood Education from the University of Toledo and a MEd in Higher Education Administration with specialization in Student Affairs from North Carolina State University.  He is currently pursuing a MA in Workforce Development & Education with specialization in Adult Education & Human Resources Development at The Ohio State University.

Please direct all inquiries to Dr. Leo Taylor(.3408), the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Program Manager for Faculty and Staff Affairs in CFAES.

Though we are uncertain what the actual bike ride in August will look like right now, Pelotonia is looking at several options such as having smaller, in person rides, or a completely virtual ride. Regardless of what the ride looks like this year, cancer research has not stopped, and our medical professionals need our help now more than ever. Will you join us?

What is Pelotonia?
Founded in Columbus, OH in 2009, Pelotonia started as a grassroots bike tour. Ten years later, Pelotonia has raised over $200 million for cancer research.

Why get involved?
The funds raised by Pelotonia are donated to the OSU James Comprehensive Cancer Center. Money is used by researchers (including a number of students supported on fellowships) and medical professionals at our university to get closer to achieving Pelotonia’s one goal: cure cancer.

In addition, this year Pelotonia in collaboration with OSUCCC-James and the broader Ohio State University research enterprise, has created a research fund with an initial pledge of $1 million to investigate the impact of COVID-19 on the cancer community.

You can read about Pelotonia’s impact at OSU, including stories of riders and those who have been impacted by the annual event, on our Team Buckeye webpage.

How to get involved?
Check out Pelotonia’s new website with information and updates specific to this time, including fun virtual events, a community forum where you can submit cool stories you see happening or are a part of, and lots of other resources.

TO REGISTER:

• Go to the Pelotonia website and click on the Register tab on the top left side of the page.
  • Virtual Riders and Volunteers do not pay a registration fee.
  • Typically, riders must commit to raising a certain amount of funds each year, however fundraising commitments for 2020 will not be enforced. This is a great year to get involved as a rider if you may have previously been deterred by any fundraising commitments!
  • Members are encouraged to raise whatever amount they feel comfortable with, but your credit card will not be charged if the minimum commitment isn’t met.
  • Check out the FAQs on the PelotoniaRISE microsite for details on fundraising as well as lots of information about how Pelotonia is supporting the bigger community during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• During registration you will be prompted to join a peloton (team). Click on the drop box and find pelotons starting with Team Buckeye.
• Many Advancement members have connected with Team Buckeye – Alumni & Friends which includes staff from 1480 West Lane, the Alumni Association and Advancement staff from across the University.
• If you’ve wanted to participate in Pelotonia, but were concerned about the fundraising, 2020 is your chance to become part of the Pelotonia community.

TO RAISE MONEY:

• All Pelotonia merchandise sales have 100% of net profits going toward helping healthcare workers at The James and OSU Wexner Medical Center. This year, there is even a new arrow design to honor our healthcare workers, designed in coordination with Team Buckeye (available in red or blue).

• Download the PULLL app and connect to the Team Buckeye Private Reserve.
  • PULLL is an app created by Pelotonia that tracks your physical activity (walking, running, swimming, going to the gym, etc.). Every time you start the app and are active, you earn micro-donations based on time or distance.  These micro-donations are directed to your Pelotonia profile at various points in the year. In order to get donations using PULLL, you must connect your account to the Team Buckeye private reserve fund.
  • Complete details about PULLL can be found here on the Pelotonia website. To start, you simply download the free app to your android or iPhone and set up an account.
    • All Team Buckeye members who download PULLL should also connect to the Private Reserve.
    • WHY? You will earn more money for your activity by being in the Private Reserve.
    • Download the free PULLL app (green background, white arrow) from the App Store or Google Play Store and set up your account
    • Include your Pelotonia Rider ID to connect your PULLL account with your Pelotonia profile.
    • Go to www.pulll.org/osu on your mobile device, click the green “Join Now” button, and you’ll be connected to the Team Buckeye private reserve.
      • A red arrow and “Powered by Buckeye Nation” should appear on your PULLL app “Start Activity” page, indicating you are in the private reserve.
    • When you are ready to use the app, select the “Start Activity” button, select your activity, and click “Start.” Click “Stop” when you are done, and then click “Finish” to have your activity logged.

Congratulations to all of our 2020 CFAES research award winners! For anyone who was unable to view the live awards ceremony on Friday, there is a recording available online. Note, there was a small error in the initial announcement of poster competition winners, thus corrected winners are shown below.

Junior Faculty Research Award: S. Mažeika Sullivan, School of Environment and Natural Resources
Senior Faculty Research Award: Monica Giusti, Food Science and Technology
Innovator of the Year Award: Luis Rodriguez-Saona, Food Science and Technology
William E. Krauss Director’s Award: Joonbum Lee, Animal Sciences and OSU Nutrition Program, advised by Kichoon Lee

Poster Competition Winners:
Master
Third place (tied): Sarah Scott, Entomology, advised by Mary Gardiner
Third place(tied): Lydia Fyie, Entomology, advised by Mary Gardiner
Second place:  KC Kushal, Food, Agricultural, and Biological Engineering, advised by Sami Khanal
First place: Nicole Lorig, Animal Sciences, advised by Kimberly Cole
Ph.D.
Third place: Dipak Kathayat, Food Animal Health Research Program, advised by Gireesh Rajashekara
Second place: Denisha Parker, Entomology, advised by Mary Gardiner
First place: Yiyun Lin, Horticulture and Crop Sciences, advised by Michelle Jones
Postdoctoral Scholar
Third place: Jie Xu, Food Science and Technology, advised by V.M. (Bala) Balasubramaniam
Second place: Sankar Renu, Food Animal Health Research Program, advised by Gourapura Renukaradhya
First place: Ashish Manandhar, Food, Agricultural, and Biological Engineering, advised by Ajay Shah
Research Scientist
Third place (tied): Erick Martinez Rodriguez, Entomology, advised by Peter Piermarini
Third place (tied): Pat Boley, Food Animal Health Research Program
Second place: Daniela Gutierrez Yanez, Plant Pathology and Food Science and Technology
First place: Linda Michel, Food Animal Health Research Program

Email Wellness Challenge
April 6 – May 18, 2020

Sign up for the Ohio State University Extension,
Live Healthy Live Well 6-week Email Wellness Challenge.
Two weekly e-mails will be sent directly to you from an
OSU Extension Family and Consumer Sciences Professional.

During this six-week challenge you will consider ways that “time” affects your life. You will be encouraged to fill your plate ½ full of vegetables & fruits for two meals each day. For activity, you will aim for 30 minutes of movement at least 5 times a week. You will focus on strategies to improve sleep. You will also explore ways to enhance your work/life balance and enjoy more “me” time.

You will learn tips and strategies to help you utilize time management tips to reduce stress in your life. By practicing wellness habits over the 6-week challenge, you will begin strengthening positive lifestyle behaviors. During this challenge, you will gain ideas to help you:

0. Manage Time Constraints
1. Enjoy Mealtime with Family
2. Enhance Sleep
3. Find Time and New Ways to Connect with Family and/or Friends
4. Fit Creative Time into your Life
5. Reduce Screen Time
6. Focus on Work/Life Balance
7. Eat more Vegetables and Fruits
8. Add more Movement your Day

What does it cost? Nothing – it is free!

Who can participate? Any adult with an email account.

How do I sign up? Register with this link: go.osu.edu/yp4hspring20

For more information, contact Lisa Barlage, barlage.7@osu.edu or Michelle Treber, treber.1@osu.edu

Training curriculums are currently in development in preparation of the Workday implementation. More information will be announced soon on this webpage. Training opportunities will begin in spring 2020, ahead of the summer 2020 implementation of Workday.

Workday – Staff Training
Staff fall into two categories: core users (HR, Finance, Supply Chain, and Payroll Professionals), and casual users (all others). The difference between the two is how much time and what transactions you may need to perform in Workday.

As a staff casual user, you can access everything needed as an employee related to your personal information, travel, spend authorizations, expenses, and purchasing.

• Optional: 15-minute “Navigating in Workday” eLearning.
• Frequent Travelers: “Spend Authorizations and Expenses” videos.
• Purchasers: 1-hour  “The Purchasing Process in Workday” webinar
• Additionally, you will have access to 30+ on-demand support resources including job aids and/or videos related to topics such as:
  • Updating your personal information
  • Updating your direct deposit and tax information.
  • Using time clocks.
  • Time tracking processes.
  • Updating your benefit elections.
  • Finding job postings and applying for internal jobs.

Training for HR, Finance, Payroll and Supply Chain professions will be offered in various formats including in person, self-paced eLearning and on-demand job aids. Individuals will participate in courses that align to their security role in the system. As a result, the duration of training will vary. More information regarding training for HR, Finance, Payroll, and Supply Chain professionals will be available soon.

If you questions on Workday, please contact one of the CFAES Enterprise Project Change Ambassadors.

Pelotonia is an annual bike ride to raise money for cancer research. All proceeds from the event are donated to the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center (The James). To date, Pelotonia has raised over $230 million for cancer research at Ohio State University. This year, the event will take place from August 7-9, 2020, however fundraising begins as soon as registration opens!

After registration launches at noon on Thursday, February 20^th, make sure to join our college’s team. To register, go to their website and click on the appropriate registration (rider, virtual rider, volunteer, described below). To request to join our Peloton, you must select it (CFAES Sustains Life) from the drop-down during the registration process. Our team captain, Gary Pierzynski, will then accept your request to join the peloton. If you’re looking for a Peloton, check out the Pelotons page. Note, this page will not be live until February 20.

How can you get involved?
Can you ride a bike?
Riding in Pelotonia is an amazing experience. There are a variety of routes you can sign up for. The 25, 45, 55, 75, and 100-mile Riders will complete their routes on Saturday, while the 135, 155, 180, and 200-mile Riders will stay overnight at Kenyon College on Saturday and continue the second portion of their ride on Sunday of Pelotonia weekend. The 35-mile Riders will start and finish their route on Sunday.

Note, there is a $100 registration fee and there are minimum fundraising requirements for riders (ranging from $1,250-2,500 depending on the chosen ride). Student riders can join the student team, which has lower fundraising minimums. Additionally, those who need a bike can participate in OSU’s bike lease program (more details about this to come).

Can you volunteer?
Volunteers can participate in many activities ranging from pre-event activities, at the Opening Ceremony, at every start and finish location, every rest stop along the route on Saturday and Sunday, and for post-event activities. There are also options throughout the summer if you are unable to volunteer during event weekend. Fundraising is encouraged, however there are no fundraising requirements for volunteers.

Do you have a phone?
Virtual Riders are individuals who choose to participate in Pelotonia by only fundraising instead of riding or volunteering. There is no registration fee, however, there is a minimum fundraising commitment of $100. For more details, please see the Virtual Riders page which is located under “Fundraising: Virtual Riders” on the website.

Other ways to get involved
We will be organizing periodic fundraising events and sending out communications about our college’s team throughout the spring and summer. We are also planning to host an informational webinar for anyone interested in joining this year (details to come). Have questions? Read the online FAQ or contact Kayla Arnold.1065. You can also read more about Team Buckeye online.

Deadline: March 1, 2020

The Faculty Advisory Council (FAC) invites lecturers, clinical, assistant, associate and full professors (with a minimum 75% appointment for a 9 or 12-month period) to submit proposals for the 2020 FAC/CFAES grant competition. The objectives of this call for proposals are:

1. To increase collaboration and a sense of community among the faculty within CFAES.
2. To improve the working relationship between the Faculty Advisory Council and the faculty in CFAES.
3. Provide funds to support projects that find it difficult to receive funding from other sources
4. To promote the core values of CFAES in teaching, research and extension.

SELECTION CRITERIA

• The general guidelines for the proposal will be the following:
  • PIs must be from faculty in CFAES and can be untenured or tenured faculty on tenure track positions, lecturers, clinical, research or professional practice faculty.
  • Tenure-track assistant professors with more than six years employment (pre-tenure) are ineligible to be PI, Co-PI or collaborator on a proposal.
  • PIs and Co-PIs must come from at least three departments in CFAES.
  • Proposals must address aspects of teaching, research and extension. At least two aspects would be acceptable. PIs should make a deliberate effort to balance the emphases between the chosen aspects.
  • Proposals must state how the funds will be used to benefit a wide distribution of faculty and students in CFAES and potential student in CFAES.
  • The duration of a funded project must be no longer than two years.
• Faculty members listed as PIs or Co-PIs on projects approved for funding, are ineligible for funding on future projects for a period of two years after receiving such funds.
• Proposals that focus mainly on pure research, extension or curriculum development alone or seek only to acquire or use technology (e.g., to purchase computers or other equipment) rather than explore its impact on broader college-wide issues, will not be considered.
• Funded proposals are not allowed to support any faculty salary.

AWARD AMOUNTS
Typically, one or two proposals will be selected for awards ranging from $10,000 to $15,000. After the review process in the spring of a funding cycle, PIs will be notified of the outcome of the proposals by April 15^th.  Funds will be available from May 1^st. During the fall funding cycle, PIs will be notified by October 15^th and funds will be available from November 1^st.

SUBMISSION OF PROPOSALS
Instructions and forms for submission of grant proposals can be found on the OARDC Seeds website. Details about the submission process will include the following:

• All proposals should be submitted by 5pm on March 1, 2020 using the SEEDS grant submission portal on the website located at osu.edu/seeds.  The competition name to select from the drop-down options, once you enter the submission section, will be Fac. Grant. Website submission errors/questions should be directed to David Lohnes Lohnes.2@osu.edu at Lohnes.2@osu.edu.
• Proposals should be printed on 8.5-inch by 11-inch paper and submitted as a PDF file.
• Proposals should be 12-point type size with 1-inch margins and single spaced.
• Proposals should be no longer than 5 pages excluding the cover page, CVs and supporting letters.
• A maximum of 4 supporting letters are allowed for each proposal.
• Each CV submitted should not be longer than 4 pages in length.
• All pages in the proposal should be numbered except the cover page, CVs and supporting letters.
• All tables and figures must be included within the 5-page limit. Proposals over the page limit will not be considered for review.
• The cover page is limited to one page and should show the name(s), campus addresses, emails, phone numbers and affiliates of all of the PIs, Co-PIs and collaborators, proposal title, start and end date of the project, amount of funds requested and a summary of the proposal consisting of not more than 250 words.
• The proposals should be divided into the following sections:
  • Rationale and significance, to include the following:
    • A detailed explanation of how the proposal addresses a need within the CFAES
  • The approach, to include the following:
    • A detailed explanation of how the proposal meets the stated goals of this RFP
  • Budget narrative
  • Collaborative arrangement with PIs, Co-PIs and collaborators
  • The project timeline

PROPOSAL REVIEW PROCESS

• The Faculty Advisory Council (FAC) will select a proposal review committee annually to review proposals submitted for funding during a given school year. The committee will report to the FAC and make funding recommendations based on based on the objectives and selection criteria contained in the RFP.
• Faculty members who are named on proposals as PIs or Co-PIs are ineligible to serve on the proposal review committee during a given funding cycle.
• Faculty members who serve on the proposal review committee can only do so for a maximum of two consecutive one-year terms.
• A faculty member who is serving as a member of the FAC is ineligible to be named as PI, Co-PI or collaborator on a proposal until he/she completes his/her term or resigns from the FAC.
• Proposals that are late, incomplete or not prepared according to the guidelines will not be reviewed.
• The review panel will evaluate proposals using the following criteria:
  • Does the proposal have potential to encourage new scholarly teams among faculty from diverse disciplines?
  • Has the proposal integrated at least two of the following themes – teaching, research or extension?
  • Would the deliverables of the proposal have a positive impact on a large number of faculty members and students in CFAES? This also includes potential students.
  • Are the objectives of the proposal measurable and achievable within the stated timeline?
  • Would the deliverables of the proposal have a positive impact on the Grand Challenge areas in CFAES?

POST-AWARD PROPOSAL ADMINISTRATION

• Funds for successful proposals will be administered by the SEEDS Program Coordinator.
• Funds will be monitored to ensure they are being used as presented to the FAC in the funded proposal.
• Authorization to make changes to the approved project plans, budget and project timeline must be approved by the SEEDS Coordinator and the FAC.
• An annual report will be due to the SEEDS Coordinator and the FAC on all funded proposals on a two-year timeline.
• At the end of its timeline, a complete report on the deliverables of all funded proposals will be due to the SEEDS Coordinator and the FAC.
• Any investigator with an outstanding annual or final report will be automatically disqualified from participating in future proposals until the reporting obligation is met.

Each year the Your Plan for Health (YP4H) program offers incentives when you annually complete a verified Biometric Screening and a Personal Health & Well-being Assessment (PHA).  Medical plan enrolled employees can reduce the cost of their medical contributions by $25 per month or by $40 per month if they and their enrolled spouse completes the PHA and biometric screening.

To help you Know Your Numbers and earn YP4H incentives, we would like to invite you to participate in one of two CFAES Human Resources and Staff Advisory Council sponsored Biometric Health Screening events.

Biometric Health Screening:A verified biometric screening can be completed in one of three ways:

On-Campus Screening Event
On March 25^th and June 9^th,  the OSU Health Plan’s (OSUHP) RN Health Promotion Specialist(s) will be in our department to complete complimentary biometric screenings*.  After completing an on-campus screening, OSUHP will provide verification to Virgin Pulse that you have completed a biometric screening.  See below for screening registration details.

On-Campus Biometric Screening Registration:
If you would like to register for the upcoming biometric health screening event in our department, follow the steps below:

1. Visit the registration portal here.
2. Log in with your Ohio State credentials (last name.# and password)
3. Click “Schedule Appointment or Class”
4. Select “Biometric Health Screening” as the appointment type.
5. In the “Appointment Code” box type in AA20   Do NOT copy and paste as this doesn’t always work to activate the code. 
6. To search for an available time, click “Find Appointments or Classes”- This will show only the appointments available for this screening event.
7. Complete registration to schedule the appointment.  If you experience any difficulty, please contact OSUHP Customer Service at 292-4700 with your Appointment Code.

Personal Health & Well-being Assessment (PHA)
Once you complete a verified Biometric Screening, you will need to complete the PHA.  The PHA is an online self-evaluation of your overall wellness and only takes about 15 minutes to complete.  Please note, that the values you obtain from a screening are not pre-populated in your PHA, you will need to self-enter your screening results.   Log in to Virgin Pulse to complete your PHA.

Verify Screening & PHA Completion
When your verified Biometric Screening and PHA have been processed, it will be reflected in your Virgin Pulse account.  Log in to your account and select the “REWARDS” tab.  When you see a green/white checkmark and date by the Screening and PHA activities, you have completed the requirements for this calendar year to receive the premium credit in 2021.

This screenshot represents a member account who has completed their 2020 PHA and Screening.

Privacy & Participation
Participation in YP4H biometric screenings, PHA and the incentive program is completely voluntary. To learn how your personal information is protected, please visit the Privacy Center.

*As a reminder, you are only eligible for one on campus screening per calendar year.   If you are unsure of when your last screening took place, please log in to LinktoHealth and click on the “Biometric Health Data” tab to view your history.

CFAES Human Resources and Staff Advisory Council

STAR Lab is entering its 21^st year of providing OSU researchers with laboratory analyses.

STAR Lab provides routine chemical analyses on a variety of different sample materials.  We run widely accepted analytical procedures on soils, plant tissues, waters and many other types of samples.  Our main focus is on the elemental analysis of samples for nutrients and minerals.  We offer complete elemental analysis of samples with our Inductively Coupled Plasma Spectrometer and anion analysis by either Ion Chromatography or Flow Injection Analysis.  We can also analyze for Total Carbon and Nitrogen with our combustion analyzer.  Our mercury analyzer is capable of sub part per trillion determinations.

If you are interested in having research samples analyzed for any of the above mentioned criteria please visit our webpage at the address listed below.  You can find a complete list of all the analyses we provide and our current fees schedule on our website https://u.osu.edu/starlab/.  Use the fee schedule to estimate future analysis costs for current projects or future proposals you may be considering.  Contact Sunjeong (Sunny) Park for a quote on specific analyses if you have any questions.

We would like a chance to extend our services to you or any research associates you may have at other universities or colleges.  Please feel free to contact Sunjeong (Sunny) Park Park.701@osu.edu, with any special analysis needs you may need completed.

The Nation Goes Red in February

National Wear Red Day® – Friday, February 7, 2020

The first Friday of every February, which is designated as American Heart Month, the nation comes together, igniting a wave of red from coast to coast. This annual groundswell unites millions of people for a common goal: the eradication of heart disease and stroke.

Go Red for Women®

Go Red for Women® is the American Heart Association’s global initiative to end heart disease and stroke in women. Launched in 2004 to close the gap in awareness, Go Red quickly expanded into a worldwide movement dedicated to removing the barriers women face to achieving good health and wellbeing.

It’s no longer just about wearing red; it’s no longer just about sharing heart health facts. It’s about all women making a commitment to stand together with Go Red and taking charge of their own heart health as well as the health of those they can’t bear to live without. Making a commitment to your health isn’t something you have to do alone either, so grab a friend or a family member and make a Go Red Healthy Behavior Commitment today.

American Heart Month, a federally designated event, is an ideal time to remind Americans to focus on their hearts and encourage them to get their families, friends and communities involved. The first American Heart Month, which took place in February 1964, was proclaimed by President Lyndon B. Johnson via Proclamation 3566 on December 30, 1963. Congress, by joint resolution on that date, has requested the President to issue annually a proclamation designating February as American Heart Month.

While American Heart Month is a federally designated month in the United States, it’s important to realize that cardiovascular disease knows no borders. Learn more.

Waterman Information Sessions – View Invitation
Curious about the changes taking place at the Waterman Agricultural and Natural Resources Laboratory (Waterman)? Heard the name, but never visited? Interested in learning about the new technology in the Wittmeyer conference room? Come out (free parking) to one of four info sessions being held in February!

Content of these info sessions will focus on:
• Wittmeyer conference room – Training on the new audio/visual upgrades
• Future vision for Waterman, and anticipated timelines
• Forms, policies and procedures

Tuesday, February 11th, 10:00A.M.- 12:00 P.M.
Tuesday, February 11th, 1:00P.M.- 3:00 P.M.
Tuesday, February 25th, 10:00A.M.- 12:00 P.M.
Tuesday, February 25th, 1:00P.M.- 3:00 P.M.
Fill out this scheduling poll to indicate which session you plan to attend (MAX per session ~40 people).

Location: Wittmeyer conference room, Headquarters Building: 2490 Carmack Road, Columbus, Ohio 43210

For more info on the information session, contact: Andrew “Dewey” Mann, Ph.D., Director of Waterman at mann.309@osu.edu

Target Audiences for these particular sessions: Lab instructors, research groups, and others who use space around Waterman, specifically the Wittemeyer Conference Room.

The Office of the Chief Information Officer has made us aware of critical security vulnerabilities identified by Microsoft. Our IT teams are working with OCIO to update affected university owned computers and devices. These efforts will happen automatically; no intervention is required on your part.

In the fast-moving world of information technology, hackers make careers out of exploiting vulnerabilities in software and hardware. Keeping devices such as your phone, laptop, and desktop computer up to date serve as best practices to combat against malicious software that can infect your machine and bring about loss of data, identity theft, or financial hardship. We encourage you to take this opportunity to make sure that your home and personally owned devices are up to date as well.

Details on this specific vulnerability for Windows 10 devices and some versions of Windows Server can be found here. To update personally owned systems running Windows 10:
1) Press the Windows Key on your keyboard
2) Type “Check for Updates” without quotes and hit enter
3) Click the box “Check for Updates” to download and install the latest operating system, and follow the on-screen instructions

Any questions about this vulnerability, please email vulnerabilities@osu.edu. Additionally, now is also a good time to remember to forward any suspicious / malicious messages to report-phish@osu.edu. If you have specific security questions, please email security@osu.edu.