Sing with Ashland Area Chorus This Summer

The Ashland Area Chorus, a non-auditioned mixed choir of 40-60 participants, invites local singers to join them for the short summer session and to perform with the Ashland Symphony Orchestra. The 4-week rehearsal schedule begins on June 6 and continues for four consecutive Mondays including: June 6, 13, 20, 27. Each rehearsal is from 7-8:30 p.m. at Ashland University in Room 242 of the Center for the Arts. The session will conclude on Sunday, July 3 with a live performance of light, popular, and patriotic tunes with the Ashland Symphony Orchestra for the Pops In the Park concert at Brookside Park Band Shell.

Why Obama Won't Apologize for Hiroshima

by Craig Hovey

President Obama’s visit to Hiroshima is historic—he is the first sitting president to visit there—and he spoke movingly and philosophically about the desire for the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki to mark the “start of our own moral awakening.” But observers also noted that Japan should not expect an apology for America’s actions 71 years ago. Why not? FULL STORY

Spanish Major Scores Advanced Low Proficiency

Congratulations to Spanish major Andrea Anderson who scored Advanced Low on her ACTFL Writing Proficiency Test and Oral Proficiency Interview!

Sport Psychology Class Teaches the Mental Game

Members of this year’s Sport Psychology class shared their newly acquired knowledge about mental game skills with local athletes as part of a class project. Dr. Curt Ickes said, “I have a real passion for applied psychology and wanted my students to experience this firsthand. This project gives students the opportunity of seeing psychology in action, while at the same time giving back to the community.” AU students worked with local athletes including: New London Middle School Track, Hillsdale High School Baseball, AU women’s Soccer, AU Men’s Golf, AU Track, Motocross Racers, High School Track Throwers, and Ashland High School JV Softball. READ MORE

Gallery Opens "Natural Tendencies" on May 20

The Coburn Gallery opens the exhibition “Natural Tendencies” today, Friday, May 20 with free/public reception from 6 to 7:30 p.m. The exhibition features a group exhibition of seven artists from the Cleveland area exploring the tendencies of our minds and emotional states with a vocabulary centering around the natural world.The reception coincides with the Ashland Regional Ballet’s 34th Annual Spring Dance Concert at 7:30 p.m. in Hugo Young Theatre. FULL STORY

AU Choirs Touring Northern Ohio, WV and DC

Ashland University alumni and friends are cordially invited to attend an upcoming concert of the Ashland University Choir and Chamber Singers May 16-19 as they travel close to you. The  2016 tour presents concerts scheduled at churches in Sandusky on Monday, Fairview Park on Tuesday then to Morgantown, West Virginia on Wednesday and Washington, D.C. on Thursday. MORE INFO

AU Theatre Students Celebrated at Annual Banquet

Alpha Psi Omega Theatre Honor Society

With alumnus Dusten Welch (2007) as the guest speaker, Alpha Psi Omega hosted the annual theatre banquet where students were celebrated and recognized for their year of accomplishments. Faculty and staff made the award presentations for outstanding contributions in design, technical theatre and performance; best supporting actor and actress; green room; metamorphosis and "I Can Do That." Graduating senior were also celebrated including Natalyn Baisden, Zachary Lindesmith, Fatima Imani-Smith and David Wagar.

Music Students Recognized for Year's Accomplishments

As the 2015-2016 academic year concludes, the Department of Music recognized students for their academic and performance accomplishments as well as outstanding contributions to the department. Awards ranged from outstanding academic awards at the University's Spring Convocation to exceptional musical performances at the honors recital, OCMEA Leadership Awards, outstanding contribution from non-music majors, most improved music major, outstanding student teacher, outstanding performers and outstanding music major. Special recognition was also given to the graduating seniors including Hannah Phillips, Rachel Crow, Shayne Smith, Jessica Barnhouse and Fatima Imani-Smith. Awards Listing HERE

URCA Contest Winners Revealed

Ashland University Entrepreneurial Studies has announced the winners for the 2016 URCA Idea Competition.

URCA Participant Idea Contest Winners

• 1st ($500): Meghann Fitzpatrick, "Coat of Hope" to reduce toxic metal exposure in cookware
• 2nd ($300): Casandra Craig, "Preventing Cataracts"
• 3rd ($200): Hannah Thome, "Advocating for Women in Art"
• $20 AU Gift Card winners: Dane Zunich and Ed Hunt

URCA Non-Participant Idea Contest Winners

• 1st ($500): Danielle Smith, "Bye-bye Blues" blue colored lenses in glasses for cancer patients to promote calmness during treatments
• 2nd ($300): Nathaniel Minneman, "A Painter's Social Media Site" to create a painters community to discuss and promote their art inspired by Rachel Yeager's presentation
• 3rd ($200): Kiana Ziegler, "Be a Man" artwork to counter the problems of the distorted views of masculinity
• $20 AU Gift Card winners: Jim Toth and Miki Yamamura

AU Concert Band Performs at Area High Schools

The Ashland University Band is the only campus group that arrives early to campus in the fall and stays after finals in the spring to perform at graduation and on tour. Under the direction of Gary Ciulla, the Ashland University Concert Band will perform at three area high schools for their 2016 Spring Tour as follows:

• Thursday, May 12 at 9:30 a.m.: Williard High School
• Thursday, May 12 at 2 p.m.: New London High School
• Friday, May 13 at 11 a.m.: Bellevue High School

Emma Daugherty Featured in Short North

Ashland University senior Commercial Art Major Emma Daugherty was featured in the May 2016 Columbus Short North Gallery Hop. Presented by the intercollegiate online arts competition, AICUO Award for Excellence in Visual Art, eleven student nominees and finalists from eight different institutions were featured at seven different galleries. Congratulations Emma!

Psychology Research Summer for Spring 2016

The spring 2016 semester was a busy one for the Psychology Department faculty and students.  Over the course of the semester 16 researchers collected data from 161 participants (PSYC 101 students) who make up our participant pool.  The department ran a total of 13 different research projects, with three of those projects being online surveys that were delivered via Sona Systems or Survey Monkey.  Overall, our participants earned 1,563 research 'credits'. READ MORE

Spring Band Concert to Honor Senior Graduates

Ashland University Department of Music concludes an eventful 2015-2016 academic year on Sunday, May 8 at 4:00 p.m. in Hugo Young Theatre with the annual Spring Band Concert. The Ashland Area Community Concert Band under the direction of Leonard Salvo, and the Ashland University Concert Band directed by Gary Ciulla will perform and senior Concert Band members will be recognized for their dedication and contribution to the AU Band program. Admission to the concert is complimentary, and open to the public. READ MORE

Shelby Boatman Awarded as a Gilder Lehrman History Scholar

History major Shelby Boatman is one of only 15 undergraduate history majors in the country chosen to receive the 2016 Gilder Lehrman History Scholar Award. The award "recognizes outstanding college juniors and seniors who have demonstrated academic and extracurricular excellence in American history or American studies as well as a commitment to public service and community involvement."

CAS Faculty Recognized as Outstanding Female Faculty Members of the Year

Dr. Hilary Donatini, Associate Professor and Chair of the English Department, and Dr. Dolly Crawford, Assistant Professor of Biology, were named Outstanding Female Faculty Members of the Year at the Leadership and Service Awards.

9 Social Work Students Complete Internships

Each spring, senior social work students complete a 500-hour in-agency internship during which students put into practice the skills they have learned throughout their time at Ashland while gaining valuable experiences to prepare them to go on to employment or graduate studies after graduation. This year, 9 students interned in organizations across the counties of Ashland, Richland, Huron and Wayne, spotlights for 7 of whom are linked below.

• Brad Gowins
• Ashley Hoffman
• Jocelyn Bean
• Bailey Fullwiler
• Sarah Hayes
• Stephanie Julian
• Kayla Shaver

Dr. Haven Wins 5th Individual Excellence Award

Dr. Stephen Haven, Professor of English and MFA Program Director, won a 2016 Ohio Arts Council Individual Excellence Award in Poetry. This is Haven's 5th Individual Excellence Award from the Ohio Arts Council since his arrival at Ashland University in 1992. The poems that Dr. Haven submitted are all from his new collection, The Flight From Meaning.

Psi Chi Inducts New Members

Congratulations to the following psychology majors/minors who were inducted into Psi Chi, the psychology honorary society: Emily Wirtz, Kimmy Vidika, Dendara Oakleaf, Marissa Lindberg, Jimmy Lentine, Sarah Burdick, Jeremy Hanna, Danielle Bruno, Abbie Brady, Taylor Banks, Dani Czekaj, and Alyssa Edwards.

AU President Dr. Carlos Campo Speaks to Race, Ethnic and Minority Issues Class

During his talk, President Campo brought up his struggles growing up with a Latino name in Miami, Florida, but not having the look or the Spanish language faculty of a Latino to back it up. He said many people had different expectations of him just because of his name, but he felt like he couldn’t live up to these expectations because he didn’t have the look that matched his name. FULL STORY

Spring Honors Recital Tonight

The Spring 2016 Honors Recital is Monday, May 2, 7:30 p.m. in the Elizabeth Pastor Recital Hall. Students who accomplished exceptional musical work during the semester will showcase their talents including: vocalists Jacob Poiner, Elisha Hofer, Sarah Napier, Fatima Imani Smith; and instrumentalists Jaylynn Buchmelter (trombone), Nik Psota (trumpet), Chanel Bluntschly (saxophone), Dominic Febbo (guitar) and Emily Minns (flute). Free & Open to the Public.