Fall 2023 Edition
Alumni & Friends Magazine
OHIO Making Headlines
Bobcats make the news—and the OHIO community proud--every day.
Emma Henterly, BSJ '10 | October 2, 2023
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A New Look at the Building Blocks of Matter
A team of scientists led by OHIO physics professor and Argonne National Laboratory scientist Dr. Saw Wai Hla have taken the world’s first X-ray SIGNAL (or SIGNATURE) of a single atom. This groundbreaking achievement was funded by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Basic Energy Sciences, and it could revolutionize the way scientists detect and identify materials in a sample. Scientific journal Nature featured the accomplishment on the cover of its June print edition; hundreds of news outlets around the world have also covered it. “The technique used, and concept proven in, this study broke new ground in X-ray science and nanoscale studies,” says Tolulope Michael Ajayi, MS ’18, PHD ’22, who is the first author of the paper and is doing this work as part of his Ph.D. thesis.
Recognizing Black Excellence
Magazine, the official publication for New York City’s Museum of Modern Art, highlighted Professor Emeritus Daniel S. Williams for his photograph, “Untitled (Juneteenth Emancipation Day celebration),” taken in 1982 and acquired for MoMa’s collection the following year. Williams spent three decades photographing Juneteenth and Emancipation Day celebrations across the country, immersing himself “in parades, sermons, and communal cookouts, photographing candid moments of celebration,” according to the article. “From bustling urban centers to rural towns, Williams captured how communities came together to honor the struggles and triumphs of their ancestors. Through his lens, we are transported to rituals of remembrance and rejoicing.” The story included several photos from Williams’ Juneteenth project and an interview with Williams and his daughter, Megan Paulson
Photo courtesy of granger images
Naval Ship Renamed for Alumna
The New York Times, New York Post and others reported that the Pathfinder-class oceanographic survey ship formerly named USNS Maury has been renamed the USNS Marie Tharp as part of an effort to oust references to Confederate names on federal property. The new name honors OHIO alumna Tharp, who graduated from the College of Arts and Sciences in 1943 with bachelor’s degrees in English and music. However, a geology class at the University set her on her path to change geography as it was then known, says geographer, President Emeritus and Trustee Professor M. Duane Nellis. Tharp became a pioneering geologist and oceanographic cartographer who created the first scientific maps of the Atlantic Ocean floor and provided the first understanding of plate tectonics and continental drift. Photo courtesty of granger images
Green Practices Earn National Recognition
OHIO was included in a list of environmentally friendly colleges in The Washington Post, thanks to the extensive compost program at Culinary Services. The program, which the Post described as “one of the most efficient university food services in the country,” collects more than 600 tons of food waste annually for processing at the University’s composting facility. Located on The Ridges Green, the facility opened in 2009 and expanded in 2012. It’s the largest known in-vessel composting system at any university nationwide; after spending about two weeks in the vessel, compost is placed in rows outside the facility for three to four months before being used for landscaping, athletic fields and more. Solar panels on the roof provide about 75 percent of the facility’s energy.
