Matthews ’71 Elected to Executive Board of ALA

Steve Matthews ’71, librarian and English teacher at Foxcroft School, recently became the first independent school librarian elected to the executive board of the American Library Association. He is one of three individuals elected in January to serve three-year terms on the body that sets priorities and has fiscal and personnel oversight of the largest library organization in the world.

Matthews became librarian of Foxcroft’s Currier Library in 1977 and has taught English at the School since 1980. Foxcroft is a college-preparatory boarding and day school for girls in grades 9-12. Matthews has been a member of ALA since 1977 and has served on ALA Council since 1985. He chaired the Committee on Organization and the Policy Monitoring Committee. Matthews two master’s degrees – in library science from the University of Michigan – and in teaching from Connecticut College.

Chemistry Seminar today

Dr. Bruce Baker, Vice President of New Product and Business Development for Innovative Chemical Technologies, Inc., will speak on Repellent Finishes and Fluorinated Surfactants today at 4:15 p.m. in The Forum, East Hall.

Industrial Usage of short chain fluorinated polymers to modify the wetting properties of various substrates began in the 1950’s, with the introduction of Scotchgard products by the 3M Corporation. Dr. Baker will be talking about the commercial synthesis and application of these materials. The physics behind wetting behavior, the various markets where products are used, and the industrial test methods used to evaluate potential products for acceptability in use will also be covered.

After 15 years at the DuPont corporation, Dr. Baker joined Innovative Chemical Technologies, Inc. as their Vice President for New Product and Business Development. He has over 20 years of experience and numerous patents in polyfluorinated products and their applications in consumer products. He is also the co-author of a chapter in “Textile Finishes and Fluorosurfactants.”

Herwick Professor of Biology Hurd ’69 Gives Inaugural Lecture

Lawrence E. Hurd ’69, has been named Herwick Professor in Biology at Washington and Lee University. He is scheduled to give the inaugural lecture on Tuesday, March 3, 2009. The lecture, titled, “Nature, Red in Tooth and Claw: A Predatory Life,” is free and open to the public.

Hurd earned his Ph.D from Syracuse University, and has served as head of the biology department at Washington and Lee University for 15 years. He has also served as a professor of biology at the University of Delaware. He is editor-in-chief of “Annals of the Entomological Society of America,” and is a fellow of the Royal Entomological Society of London.

Hurd has been published in numerous journals including “Science,” “American Naturalist,” “Ecology,” “Environmental Entomology” and “Animal Behaviour.” He is also co-editor of “The Praying Mantids” (Johns Hopkins Press, 1999). His current research focuses on tropical biodiversity, indicator species and human coexistence with nature; plant community succession and arthropod consumer diversity; and factors that regulate predator populations.

For the full story, go to Rockbridgeweekly.com.

“Flicks with Friends” Continues in March

“Flicks with Friends: The Friends of the Library Film Series” continues on Wednesday, March 4. The Chinese film “In Love We Trust” will be shown at 7:30 p.m. in the Pritchard Room of the Library.

A couple, divorced and both now remarried, discovers that the only way to save their daughter, who suffers from a blood disease, is to have another child. In Mandarin with English subtitles, the film looks at issues related to modernity, family, and bioethics.

Read more about the film.

2009 Baseball Preview

The Hiram College baseball team will look to build upon the improvements made last season in 2009 and will do so with just about the entire squad returning from a year ago this spring.

The Terriers bettered their win total from the 2007 season (6-29 overall) with 14 total victories last year with an overall mark of 14-21 and 5-11 in the North Coast Athletic Conference.

“We had somewhat of an up and down season last year,” said veteran Head Coach Howard Jenter. “We had moments where we played really well and also had games not go the way we wanted. But we finished the year out strong, winning five of our last six games and hopefully that momentum will carry over to this season.”

Hiram lost only three seniors to graduation in All-NCAC pitcher Don Marsh, first baseman Kris Immel and All-NCAC third baseman Frank Liscio.

“We will miss not having Don, Kris and Frank on our team this season,” said Jenter. “The experience and abilities that they brought to the team helped us stay competitive and we’ll need some of our remaining players to step up their play to fill the roles that they provided.”

In 2009, the Terriers will be led by four seniors including two-time All-NCAC designated hitter/outfielder Craig Dobos (Warren/Howland), outfielders Mark Reifsnyder (Tallmadge) and Joe Trela (Lakewood) and pitcher Jeremy Barchie (Moon Twp., Pa./Moon).

Dobos finished second on the team in batting average at .351 (40-of-114) and led the team in runs batted in (32). He was also tied for the team-lead in both homeruns (four) and triples (one). In addition, Dobos was third in doubles (seven) and fifth in runs scored (23). Following the season, he earned All-NCAC honors for the second time in his career with his first second-team selection.

Reifsnyder finished just behind Dobos in batting average at .350 (41-of-117) and led the team in doubles with 12. He also tallied two homeruns, scored 24 runs and had 24 RBI.

Trela has been a consistant player for the past three seasons who batted .275 (22-of-80) at the plate as a junior with a homerun, a triple, two doubles, 16 runs scored and drove in 10 runs. He was a perfect five-of-five in stolen bases and had an impressive .964 fielding percentage defensively.

Barchie will be in his third season with the team after transferring to Hiram prior to his sophomore season. Last season, he was the number two pitcher in the starting rotation with 10 total appearances, including eight starts and two complete games. He had a 9.23 earned run average and was fourth in strikeouts with 18 in 39 innings pitched.

“We’ll need our seniors to have solid seasons for us this year,” stated Jenter. “All four have the experience to lead our team and to help our younger players play at the level we’ll need.”

In addition to the seniors, Hiram will return a host of juniors led by All-NCAC second baseman Kyle Kovach (Garfield Heights), All-NCAC catcher Justin Street (Warren/ Howland) and pitchers Tim Pratt (North Canton/Hoover) and Jeff Papesh (Garfield Heights).

Kovach led the team or was tied for the team-lead in six statistical categories to earn his first All-Conference award. He led the team in batting average (.383), runs scored (27), slugging percentage (.542), on-base percentage (.465) and was tied for the team-lead in hits (41) and walks (15). He was second in homeruns (three) and stolen bases (nine).

Street fourth on the team in batting average this spring at .338 (26-of-77) with two homeruns, nine doubles, 13 runs scored and 12 RBI to earn honorable mention All-NCAC accolades last spring. His nine doubles ranked second most on the squad.

Pratt recorded the most appearances last season (13) as a bullpen pitcher. He ended the season with a 1-0 record, including a save, and an 8.41 ERA. He was third in strikeouts (23) in 20-and-a-third innings.

Papesh was the third pitcher in the starting rotation in 2008 with a 4-3 record and leading the team with a 5.05 ERA. He struck out a team-best 37 batters in 46-and-a-third innings.

In addition, look for juniors Matt Rinaldi (Cape Coral, Fla./Cape Coral) and Matt Wilson (Ashtabula/Edgewood) along with sophomores Andy Marsh (Orwell/ Grand Valley), Cody Fincham (Windham), Doug Adkins (Frazeyburg/Riverview), Mitch Gant (Kent/Field) and Bubba Thurner (Pittsburgh, Pa./Brashear) to see their share of playing time.

“We have some talented players at our junior and sophomore ranks,” said Jenter. “We’ll look for them to continue to gain experience and improve their skills, especially our underclassmen, and a lot of them could play significant roles for us this year.”

In addition to its returning players, Hiram will also welcome 10 freshmen to the program this spring, highlighted by newcomers Bryan Easton (Rome/Pymatuning Valley), L.J. Schromofsky (Youngstown/ Struthers), Randy Miller (Glenmont/West Holmes) and Paul Yoculan (Erie, Pa./ Mercyhurst Prep)

The Hiram baseball team will play its first game of the season on Sunday, Mar. 8 in a doubleheader against No. 14 nationally-ranked St. Scholastica (Minn.) College as part of the season-opening spring trip to Ft. Pierce, Fla. The first game is scheduled to begin at 4 p.m.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, please contact Hiram College Sports Information Director Jeff Hoedt by phone at (330) 569-5495, by FAX at (330) 569-5392 or by email at hoedtjm@hiram.edu.

2009 Softball Preview

Written by Sports Information Student Assistant Heidi Gipson

The Hiram College softball team will look to build on its recent success including last season’s second place finish in the North Coast Athletic Conference Tournament as the Terriers set their sights on the start of the 2009 season.

Hiram is coming off of another year of growth in which the Terriers finished 18-20 overall and 8-6 in the NCAC. Hiram finished fourth in regular season play and made its second straight appearance in the conference tournament. Hiram went on to defeat top-seeded Allegheny (Pa.) College twice in the tournament to advance to the championship game, but fell short losing to Denison University. The Terriers set four team records in 2008 including at bats (1,053), homeruns (15), doubles (79), and innings pitched with 253 and two-thirds.

“We have continued to improve and last year was another step that the team has taken in achieving our ultimate goals,” said Tassey. “This year we have a lot of senior leadership and a lot of experience that should help us later in the season work towards a possible NCAC tournament championship.”

Hiram lost three players to graduation from last year’s squad including All-NCAC pitcher Jame Brown, All-NCAC catcher Mindy Miller, and Rachel Unsinger.

“We lost some talented players from last season,” said Tassey, “but the leadership they provided has helped the remaining players progress and should help to make us an even better team this season.”

The Terriers will be led this season by a strong group of seniors in three-time All-NCAC first baseman Chastine Romanello (Phoenix, Ariz./Barry Goldwater), two-time All-NCAC shortstop Stephanie Zunic (Canfield), two-time All-NCAC outfielder Megan Samuel (Olmsted Falls), All-NCAC designated player Heidi Gipson (Canal Fulton/Northwest) and Rosie Frank (Strongsville/Parma Hts. Holy Name).

Romanello earned honorable mention All-NCAC honors in 2006, second-team honors in 2007, and first-team honors in 2008. She led the team in eight statistical categories last spring including: batting average (.404), homeruns (six), triples (three), RBI (31), slugging percentage (.746), on-base percentage (.452), putouts (279) and fielding percentage (.987). Her six homeruns were a Hiram single-season record and her 31 RBI were seven shy of her own single-season record (38). In addition, Romanello became the school’s all-time leader in homeruns (10) and RBI (91). She was also tabbed All-Central Region by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association.

Zunic earned honorable mention All-NCAC honors in 2007 and second-team honors in 2008. Last spring, she finished second on the team in hitting with a .372 batting average (51-of-137) and led the team in at-bats (137), hits (51), doubles (16), runs scored (28) and was second in homeruns (four) and RBI (25). Her at-bat and double totals were Hiram single-season records. After three seasons, Zunic is the school all-time leader in doubles (38) and is currently third all-time in at-bats (385) and second in career hits (132).

Samuel earned second-team All-NCAC honors in the 2007 and 2008 seasons. She recorded a .279 batting average (29 of 104) last season including 15 runs scored and six RBI. In addition, Samuel tallied four stolen bases in six attempts bringing her career total to 24 which ranks in a tie for fourth on the Hiram all-time stolen base list.

Gipson earned second-team All-NCAC honors in 2006. Last season, she recorded a .299 batting average (32 of 107) with two homeruns, eight doubles, eight runs scored and 14 RBI. After three seasons, Gipson is second all-time in career batting average (.361), fourth in hits (118), tied for second in homeruns (seven) and tied for fifth in RBI (57).

Frank finished the 2008 season with a .248 batting average (25 of 101) including six doubles, two triples, 15 runs scored and 11 RBI. She has tallied 99 career hits which ranks in a tie for ninth all-time in school history and has scored 58 runs for seventh all-time.

“Our seniors this year will be the heart of our team,” said Tassey. “They are all four-year members of the team that have the most experience and we will look for them to help lead the team to the next level.”

Hiram will have a strong returning cast this spring led by junior All-NCAC out fielder Whitney Dropsey (Ashland/Hillsdale), sophomore pitcher Sarah Padilla (Ontario, Calif./Colony), sophomore pitcher Alati Gagne (Gorham, N.H.) and sophomore catcher Jena Ervin (Canfield).

Dropsey earned first-team All-NCAC honors last season batting .349 (44-126) with 15 runs scored and ten RBI. For the second consectutive year, she was named the NCAA Division III “Toughest to Strike Out” for the second straight season bcoming the first D-III player to do so. On the mound, Dropsey had a 3.47 ERA with a 5-2 record and 24 strike outs.

Padilla finished the 2008 season with a 3.54 ERA and a 7-8 record in 24 appearances. She struck out 40 batters and limited her opponents to a .275 batting average.

Gagne had a 6.06 ERA on the mound. In 34.2 innings pitched, she had a 1-5 record including nine strike outs.

Ervin recorded a .284 batting average (25-88) in her first season with the Terriers. She had two homeruns, five doubles, one triple, 15 runs scored, and 11 RBI.

Also returning in 2009 is junior pitcher/utility player Ashley Crowder (North Lewisburg/ Triad), sophomore first baseman Kayla Flowers (Burghill/Badger), and sophomore third baseman Leah Shema (Harrisburg, Pa./Central Dauphin).

“We have the ability to win a championship this season,” said Tassey. “We have a lot of pieces in place this year that should help us towards that goal.”

Joining the Terriers this season are six newcomers in freshmen outfielder Kristen Cooney (North Lewisburg/Triad), catcher Libby Swanson (Aurora), first baseman Corinne Cline (Andover, N.H./Proctor Academy), thrid baseman Ashley Pike (Mission Viejo, Calif./Mission Viejo), shortstop/outfielder Marlene Smith (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Trinity) and second baseman/outfielder Erin Kellar (Canal Fulton/Northwest).

“We are glad to have our six newcomers join our program,” said Tassey. “All will be great additions to the team and some could see significant playing time this season.”

The Terriers will officially begin the 2009 season on Sunday, Mar. 8 with a pair of seven-inning games against Emmanuel (Mass.) College and Chatham (Pa.) College at the Rebel Spring Games in Orlando, Fla. Hiram will take on Emmanuel at 9 a.m. followed by Chatham at 11 a.m.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, please contact Hiram College Sports Information Director Jeff Hoedt by phone at (330) 569-5495, by FAX at (330) 569-5392 or by email at hoedtjm@hiram.edu.

Computer Science Faculty Candidates Presentations

Please come hear talks by two computer science faculty candidates:

The first will take place Thursday, February 26 at 4:15 p.m. on the third floor of the library.

Matthew Lang, Ph.D. Candidate at Ohio State University, will speak on “Maximal Software.”

His abstract:

Maximality is a property of software; just as we call software “correct,” “fast,” or “elegant,” we can call software “maximal.” Informally, a software system is maximal if it does not unnecessarily restrict the non-determinism permitted by its specification.

Though this property sounds exotic, it’s something that–in many cases–we intuitively desire of our software. In this talk, we’ll formalize this intuitive desire by defining maximality and examine (as well as try to build) some examples of maximal software.

We will also look at some difficult challenges that we face when designing maximal software and the theoretical results from which these challenges stem. In addition, we’ll discuss some open questions and exciting research opportunities surrounding reasoning about maximality properties.

The second talk will take place on Monday, March 1 at 9 a.m. on the third floor of the library.

Serita Neleson, Ph.D. Candidate at University of Texas Austin, will speak on “Discovering relationships: Estimating phylogenetic trees and alignments.”

Her abstract:

In order to understand the diversity of life on Earth, scientists from a variety of fields work together to create phylogenetic trees that capture the historical relationships between species. One approach towards this goal is to collect sequence data, align these data, and then estimate a tree based on that alignment. While this method seems to work well on relatively small datasets, this approach can produce highly incorrect trees and alignments when applied to large datasets, or ones where the sequences change under processes that include substitutions, insertions, and deletions. In this talk, I will give a brief introduction into how phylogenetics is usually approached, and then present a few of the insights that led to a new method for producing phylogenetic trees and alignments. This new method produces much more accurate trees than the current best methods, and can be used to analyze datasets with up to 1000 sequences on a desktop computer.

Women’s Basketball Defeated by Kenyon College in NCAC Tournament Quarterfinals

GAMBIER, OHIO — The seventh-seeded Hiram College women’s basketball team was defeated by second-seeded Kenyon College, 64-48, tonight (Tuesday, Feb. 24) in a quarterfinal game of the North Coast Athletic Conference Tournament in Gambier. [Game Stats]

The Terriers end their season with a 7-19 overall record, improving last year’s mark by a pair of victories. The Ladies improve to 13-12 overall and will advance to the tournament semifinals on Friday, Feb. 27.

Kenyon took control of the game right from the start with an 18-3 scoring run to begin the first 9:08 of the opening half to take a commanding lead. Hiram cut the deficit to single figures with an ensuing 8-0 run of its own that included a pair of three-pointers by junior guard Pamela Spencer (Massillon/Washington) to get to within seven points, 18-11, and eventually pulled to within four points, 24-20, on a jumper by junior guard Karris Kandel (Louisville/East Canton) with 2:52 remaining before halftime. But the Ladies ended the period with a 9-2 run to claim a 33-22 edge heading into the locker rooms.

The Ladies led by double figures for the majority of the second half, but Hiram would narrow the gap to single digits yet again at the 4:27 mark thanks to a pair of free-throws by sophomore forward Erica DeLuca (Chardon/Notre Dame Cathedral Latin) making the score 51-42. But the Terriers were outscored, 13-6, in the final minutes en route to the 64-48 defeat.

Kenyon shot 46.8 percent (22-of-47) from the floor and held Hiram to just 31.9 percent (15-of-47) shooting from the field.

The Ladies were led by Kathleen Williams with a game-high 23 points on nine-of-15 shooting (60.0 percent) and grabbed a game-best nine rebounds. Elana Carlson was the only other Kenyon player in double figures with 12 points.

Hiram had one player in double figures in freshman guard Tiffiani Shields (Bedford Heights/Bedford) with 11 points on four-of-11 shooting (36.4 percent). Junior forward Ashley Drum (Parma/Valley Forge) grabbed a team-high five rebounds in addition to scoring six points.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, please contact Hiram College Sports Information Director Jeff Hoedt by phone at (330) 569-5495, by FAX at (330) 569-5392 or by email at hoedtjm@hiram.edu.

Men’s Basketball Upset by Wabash (Ind.) College in NCAC Tournament Quarterfinals

HIRAM, OHIO — The third-seeded Hiram College men’s basketball team was upset by sixth-seeded Wabash (Ind.) College, 83-75, tonight (Tuesday, Feb. 24) in a quarterfinal game of the North Coast Athletic Conference Tournament at Price Gymnasium. [Game Stats]

The Terriers end their season with 16-10 overall record which is the first winning season since 1999-2000 and the best overall record since the same year when Hiram finished 14-11. The Little Giants improve to 13-12 overall and will advance to the NCAC Tournament Semifinals on Friday (Feb. 27) at a site yet to be determined.

Wabash led by as many as six points on two occassions in the first half with the last one being a 10-4 mark with 14:43 to play before halftime. Hiram then went on an 8-2 scoring run capped by a three-pointer by junior forward Jason Hebeisen (Strongsville) with 12:18 to play in the opening period. The game became a seesaw battle the remainder of the half with the Terriers leading by as many as three points, 26-23, thanks to a layup by sophomore guard Chris Roberts (Cleveland/Kennedy) at the 3:19 mark. The Little Giants later regained the lead and had a 38-34 margin at the intermission.

In the second half, Wabash began the period with an 8-0 run to take a commanding 46-34 advantage with 16:00 left to play. Hiram cut the deficit to six points, 56-50, later in the half thanks to a tip-in by sophomore guard Glenn Campbell (Copley/Buchtel) at the 7:35 mark. Wabash answered with four unanswered points to push the lead back to double figures, 60-50, with 6:34 left in the game. The Terriers made one final rally late in the game and got to within five points, 70-65, on a triple by freshman guard Andrew Wiegand (Amherst/Firelands) with 1:21 to go. Solid free-throw shooting by the Little Giants quickly extended the lead back to double digits en route to the 83-75 victory.

Wabash shot 53.8 percent (28-of-52) from the floor for the game, including an impressive 56.3 percent (nine-of-16) from behind the three-point line. Hiram shot 37.3 percent (25-of-67) from the floor, but out-rebounded the Little Giants, 45-27.

Individually, Wabash was led by Chase Haltom with a game-high 25 points on six-of-12 shooting (50.0 percent), including six-of-11 (54.5 percent) from behind the arc and seven-of-nine (77.8 percent) at the charity stripe. Wes Smith was second with 21 points followed by Ben Burkett and Brian Maloney with 10 points each to round out the high scorers.

Hiram was led by senior forward Ian Pfouts (Uniontown/Green) with 19 points on four-of-six shooting (66.7 percent), including nine-of-11 (81.8 percent) from the free-throw line, and grabbed 10 rebounds. Roberts finished the game with 14 points and Wiegand rounded out the Terrier high scorers with 10 points. Sophomore forward Babjide Eniola (Washington, D.C./Seed Charter) pulled down a game-high 12 boards to go along with three points.

FOR MORE INFORMAITON, please contact Hiram College Sports Information Director Jeff Hoedt by phone at (330) 569-5495, by FAX at (330) 569-5392 or by email at hoedtjm@hiram.edu.

Choose Ohio First Scholars Honored by Governor

COLUMBUS — Six Hiram College students and their faculty mentors were saluted by family members, college and university educators, state officials and business leaders at a  Statehouse reception today honoring Ohio’s first class of Choose Ohio First Scholarship Program participants. The first class of nearly 200 scholars included sophomore Audra Dorsey of University Heights (Cleveland Heights High School), first-year Joseph Hengoed of Seven Hills (Normandy High School), sophomore Scott Hoffman of Canal Fulton (Northwest High School), first-year Conlin Sersig of West Salem (Northwestern High School), sophomore Sarah Stevens of Alliance (Alliance High School), and sophomore Andrew Whims of Rittman (Rittman High School). All six students are biology or biomedical humanities majors at Hiram.

The Choose Ohio First scholars are attending 36 of the state’s public and private colleges and universities, which have some of the most innovative science, technology, engineering, math, and medicine, or STEM programs,  in the country. The Choose Ohio First Scholarship Program is intended to encourage talented high school STEM students to remain in Ohio to study. The program is part of Ohio’s ongoing effort to remake its economy by increasing the role of Ohio’s higher education institutions in building the talent and research pipelines critical to the state’s economic success.

“I am so proud to recognize our first group of program participants, who represent some of the best and brightest college students in Ohio,” said Ohio Governor Ted Strickland said. “The Choose Ohio First Scholarship Program makes significant investments in our state by keeping future leaders in Ohio, and it creates opportunities for our colleges and universities by boosting their research in the fields that will help advance our economy.”

The Choose Ohio First Scholarship Program is a $100 million investment to be awarded over five years, targeting universities and colleges recruiting Ohio residents into current STEM programs, supporting the increased success of students in those fields, and making substantive improvements to the pipeline of STEM students and STEM educators. Scholars attending the reception won competitive scholarships from the March and June 2008 award cycles. The average award funding for collaborations involving the 36 public and private colleges is $2.9 million. Educational/industrial partnership members total more than 950.

“This is an excellent program with bright, talented, motivated students,” said Ohio Board of Regents Chancellor Eric D. Fingerhut. He added that the scholars in attendance are the first of what the state hopes will be 10,000 Ohio college graduates who will be Choose Ohio First scholars over the next five years.

Choose Ohio First is one component of the Ohio Innovation Partnership created by Governor Strickland and the Ohio General Assembly to strengthen and reconstruct Ohio’s economy. It funds collaborations between colleges, universities, and their Ohio business industry partners that will have the most impact in advancing Ohio’s position in fields such as aerospace, medicine, computer technology, and alternative energy.

“I am pleased to honor and applaud the efforts of this year’s Choose Ohio First Scholarship recipients as well as the hard work of their faculty mentors. Supporting the future success of this important program will be a vital component of our work to move Ohio forward,” said State Senator Jon Husted, who championed the establishment of the Choose Ohio First effort when he was Speaker of the House. “By providing our students the resources they need to pursue higher education in the STEM disciplines right here in Ohio, we are creating leaders in those fields guiding the economy of tomorrow.”

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