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PRIME TIME FOR RAZAK CHAIR
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Breaking the ice
Scientist hopes introduction to Antarctica will inspire students Scientists have been puzzled by the uneven climate change observed in Antarctica over the last few decades — and a team from Ohio University is working to unlock the mystery. While the continent’s eastern region has remained relatively stable in temperature, and even has gained sea ice, the west has recorded some of the most dramatic warming trends in the world. With a grant from the National Science Foundation, Assistant Professor of Geography Ryan Fogt and his students are analyzing a persistent atmospheric low-pressure system called the Amundsen-Bellingshausen Seas Low to determine what role it might play in this asymmetrical climate pattern. Antarctic climate change can impact marine ecosystems and terrestrial animal habitats, as well as global sea levels. Yet the continent — which is about 1.5 times the size of the United States — is home to only about 17 staffed weather stations, says Fogt. His study is the first step toward characterizing and developing a better understanding of this Amundsen-Bellingshausen Seas Low; findings were recently published in the Journal of Geophysical Research. In addition to the NSF grant, Fogt has received support from the Ohio Space Grant Consortium to install weather stations at six southeastern Ohio middle schools. Students can track local weather and can compare it to data from Antarctica. Fogt hopes that the project might even inspire a teen to pursue scientific exploration in Antarctica, where he admits he got “ice in the veins.” “Once I experienced Antarctica firsthand,” he recalls, “I knew what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.” A version of this article appeared in the Autumn/Winter 2012 issue of Perspectives magazine, which covers the research, scholarship and creative activity of Ohio University faculty, students and staff. ABOVE: Assistant Professor of Geography Ryan Fogt collects data from a weather station near Mount Erebus, the world’s southernmost active volcano. Photograph courtesy of Ryan Fogt
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hio University President Roderick J. McDavis conferred an honorary degree upon Malaysian Prime Minister Yang Amat Berhormat Dato’ Sri Mohd Najib bin Tun Abdul Razak prior to the Jan. 15 Tun Abdul Razak Lecture, the signatory event of a 32-year partnership between Ohio University and the Malaysian government. Central to this partnership is the Tun Abdul Razak Chair, a prestigious endowed faculty position at Ohio University that works to foster crosscultural understanding of Malaysian-American perspectives. McDavis honored Prime Minister Najib with an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters for his achievements in the areas of education, democratization and unity. Prime Minister Najib is the eldest son of the late Tun Abdul Razak, in whose honor the endowed chair was named. “Through his commitments to educational access, public service and political reform, Prime Minister Najib has positioned Malaysia for continued success and international recognition,” says President McDavis. “We conferred this degree upon a well-deserving partner in Ohio University’s quest to foster cross-cultural understanding and awareness.”
More than 2,400 Malaysians have graduated from Ohio University since 1968, giving it the largest concentration of alumni outside the state of Ohio. On hand for the conferring of the honorary degree were Malaysian dignitaries, educators and alumni alike.