The Fine Art of Plein Air

The Coburn Gallery at Ashland University is hosting an exhibition titled “The Fine Art of Plein Air,” which will feature paintings from the officers and board of the Ohio Plein Air Society. The exhibition will run from June 28 through Aug. 2.

One Rice Season in Taiwan as an Exchange Professor

By Dan Lehman, Professor of English

When I arrived in Taiwan, accompanied by my wife Barbara, to teach American Literature and composition at Providence University in Taichung, the rice paddies were bare, dark, and flooded. We have seen one crop grow a brilliant green, age to yellow, be shorn, and the stubble burned for a new crop in the flooded fields. Overall, it has been a wonderful experience that we will always treasure...READ MORE

Dwier Brown Appears as Special Guest for Bo Reid Memorial

AU Theatre alumnus Dwier Brown will be visiting Ohio on July 24-26 as the Special Guest for the Bo Reid Memorial Baseball Tournament in Tiffin. Friday evening he will be the featured speaker at the Ritz Theatre with a Q&A immediately following. On Saturday morning he will throw out the first pitch for the tournament and present another speaking engagement at noon. He will have autographed copies of his book, If You Build It..., A Book About Fathers, Fate and Field of Dream, at events throughout the weekend. All events are free and open to the public.

Dalcroze Summer Training Workshop

The Department of Music is presenting a week-long Dalcroze summer training workshop led by Dr. Marla Butke and Dr. Kathy Thomsen at the AU Columbus Center this week. The workshop is focusing on Dalcroze Eurhythmics, solfege, and piano improvisation and is also addressing applications for the music classroom/studio, curricular designs, and assessment.

MFA 2015 Summer Residency Schedule Released

The 14-day MFA residency features a rigorous schedule of workshops, seminars and readings with visiting readings and craft seminars free and open to public. The 2015 visiting writers include Patricia Henley, Lee Martin and Patricia Smith. Unless otherwise indicated, all events are held in Ronk Lecture Hall in Schar College of Education. Full Schedule of Events

River Teeth Conference 2015

by Hilary Donatini

From May 29-31 nearly eighty writers gathered on Ashland's campus to discuss the craft of creative nonfiction. The fourth annual River Teeth Nonfiction Conference featured readings and craft talks by some of the most exciting writers working in this burgeoning genre. Full Story...

Charleston Shooting was Terrorism

Photo Credit: ibtimes.com

By Craig Hovey

It’s important to refer to the shooting at Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina as an act of terrorism. I join with others in insisting not only that the June 17 massacre meets the FBI’s definition of terrorism, but also that calling it by its proper name is important to highlight America’s long history of terrorism against African Americans.  FULL STORY...

Alumni Spotlight: Amanda Reis

By Amanda Reis, class of 2010, English major

I listen for my AU English professors every time I write. I can still see Dr. Russell Weaver in his tweed sports jacket and grey beard, sitting at the head of a long rectangular table, telling me to avoid comma splices and never start a sentence with ‘it’. “How can you make this sentence better?” he’d asked. On the contrary, I can hear Dr. Joe Mackall assuring me with his light hearted, personable demeanor that it’s okay to “just write” sometimes and worry about the spelling and grammar later. Skip the introduction and write the piece, he’d tell me, for how can you introduce something that hasn’t yet been written?  FULL STORY...

2015-16 Phi Sigma Tau Inductees

Ashland University's PHI SIGMA TAU, Ohio Mu Chapter, honors the following new members who have demonstrated academic excellence in philosophy:

Lauren Brumbaugh, James Coyne, Logan Darsee, Steven Forbush, Christopher Hassman, Aaron McKinney, John Osborne, Jacob Westfall

NYC Reading Huge Success & Celebration for All!

As the culmination of the inaugural College Collaboration Project by The Farm Theater, the Monday evening reading of Lindsay Joy's 'In the Event of My Death' at NYC's Cherry Lane Theatre featured AU Theatre major Natalyn Baisden as Amber. Artistic Director Padraic Lillis posted this video of Natalyn at the post show discussion answering a question about 'surprises in the process.' Many thanks to the AU Theatre faculty and alumni who attended the New York reading.

An Element of Violence

By Jeff Weidenhamer

"While lead exposures from leaded gasoline are no longer a problem in the US, older housing built before lead paint was banned in 1978 remains a source of serious lead exposure to children.  This is likely where Freddie Gray’s exposure came from.  It is not just Baltimore and other inner cities where this is a problem.  Ashland and Ashland County has a significant proportion of older housing, and areas where children are at serious risk of having elevated lead levels." READ THE FULL ARTICLE

Math/Computer Science Alumni News

Congratulations to 2015 graduate Joel Moseman who accepted a position with Motorists Insurance Group as an actuarial analyst. He will assist in pricing their personal and commercial Property and Casualty lines.

Philosophy: Meaning and Love

Check out these Career Services' promotional videos featuring Philosophy alumni Nate Bebout and Michael Donatini titled "Finding What's Meaningful" and "Study What You Love," respectively.

Alaina Berry Wins Award for Best Honors Capstone Project

English major Alaina Berry was awarded the Howard O. Rowe Scholarship for best Honors Capstone project among her peers. Her project, titled The Effects of Code-Switching: How Bless Me, Ultima Explores Chican@ Culture and Identity. Read more about her project HERE...

Ashland Community Arts League Juried Exhibition

The Coburn Gallery is currently exhibiting works by 25 members of the Ashland Community Art League. The exhibition showcases the local artistic talent in the Ashland community and will run through June 19, 2015. An opening reception announced awards including Best in Show to Marty Bossler Lee; 1^st Place, MP Marion; 2^nd Place, Susan Shafer; 3^rd Place, Nancy Pierce; and Honorable Mentions to Caryl Richmond, Janet Wells, Robin Roberts and Janet Steiner.

Successful 2015 Choir Tour!

The Ashland University Choir had an incredibly busy, productive and rewarding tour with appearances beginning in Millersburg, Ohio, to New York City and ending in Gibsonia, Pennsylvania. Several alumni witnessed their concert at NYC's Cathedral of Saint John the Divine. Among their many performances, they were able to take in the culture and history in the Big City!  Congratulations and thank you for representing AU well!

AU Theatre Students Make Connections in NYC

AU Theatre students were productive in New York City while touring with the University Choir. They attended the Tony-Award winning musical "A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder" where AU alum Brittany Hartman is the wigmaster; and "Something Rotten" with photo ops afterward with stars Brian d'Arcy James, Christian Borle, and John Cariani. They also had a personal tour of Labyrinth Theater and caught up with this year's guest playwright Lindsay Joy, and guest speaker Portia who they saw walking down the street in the Big City!