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Austrial visiting scholar to join CAST in February

Ursula Maier-Rabler will join CAST in February as a visiting scholar from 
Salzburg, Austria.

Maier-Rabler is on the faculty  at the University of Salzburg. She is coming to
CAST and The Ohio State University having been awarded the prestigious 
"Erwin-Schroedinger-Auslandsstipendium" from the Austrian Science Foundation. 
The grant is one of the most renowned in the Austria scientific community and 
is designed for scholars under 35 years of age who work at Austrian 
universities. The grants are normally awarded primarily to scholars working in 
the physical sciences.

While with CAST, Maier-Rabler will be doing research towards her 
"habilitation," a project that is similar to a dissertation in the American 
university system. She expects to spend her time with CAST reading, talking 
with colleagues and developing several lines of research. In addition, she is 
gathering information about the changes under way in the European 
telecommunications system and expects to contribute that work to endeavors in 
progress at CAST.

Her particular interests in telecommunications center around three areas: the 
socio-economic aspects of communication, particularly the relationship between 
new communication and information technologies and spatial development and 
change; the privatization of telecommunications systems, particularly in light 
of moves to privatize the Austrian post-telecommunications company; and 
teaching telecommunications. In addition, she also is engaged in a new project 
with colleagues that looks at issues of "telecommunications and the right to 
communicate."


Maier-Rabler's research towards her habilitation will focus primarily in the 
first area. In her grant proposal for her work with CAST she noted that new 
information and communication technologies give rise to hope for solving some 
communication problems in Austria, particularly in respect to the specific 
topographic nature of the country. Some 40 percent of Austria'Us population 
live in villages of fewer than 10,000 inhabitants, often isolated in narrow 
valleys in the mountains.

Until recently, AustriaUs economic development proposals for these areas have 
centered around forcing tourism into the mountains, an approach that has 
created infrastructure and environmental problems. Maier-Rabler sees potential 
in new technologies for offering alternative approaches to economic 
development. While with CAST, she wants to locate examples of such projects 
already under way in rural communities here and evaluate the success of these 
approaches.

Maier-Rabler expects to rent an apartment while in Columbus, and would welcome 
suggestions or tips as to where to find something suitable. She can be reached 
through the CAST office, or directly at MAIRAB@EDVZ.SBG.AC.AT.

                         * * * * *

CAST Directors welcome new associate members

CAST solicits the nomination of faculty, graduate students and staff at 
universities and colleges, and of members of the Ohio and international 
telecommunications research and policy communities as associates of CAST. The 
nominations are reviewed by the Co-Directors. An individual whose nomination is
approved is awarded the honorary title of CAST Associate. The title is 
renewable indefinitely at the discretion of the associate and of CAST.

Associates are expected to have expertise in some area of telecommunications or
to be engaged in research in some area of telecommunications. Associates are 
expected to be involved in CAST in some of the following ways:

* Contribution of research papers to the CAST Working Files series;
* Presentation at CAST symposia and workshops;
* Presentations of research to potential donors to CAST;
* Special requests from CAST

The following individuals are currently CAST associates. Unless otherwise 
noted, the associate's affiliation is with Ohio State.


Stephen Acker (Communication)
Robert Agunga (Agricultural Education)
Al Albarran (Center for Communication Arts, Southern  Methodist University)
Catherine Murphy Bakes (College of Business Administration, Kent State 
University)
Lee B. Becker (Journalism)
Andrew Calabrese (University of Colorado)
Marjorie A. Cambre (Educational Policy and Leadership)
Charles Clift (School of Telecommunications, Ohio University)
Linda Cooper (Communication)
Sally Cousino (Ohio Development Association)
Alex Cruz (American Airlines)
Brenda Dervin (Communication)
Hugh Carter Donahue (Journalism)
Barbara Erdman (Educational Policy and Leadership)
Joseph M. Foley (Communication)
Jane M. Fraser (Industrial and Systems Engineering)
Cheikh Tidiane Gadio (Communication)
Jean-Michel Guldmann (City and Regional Planning)
Diane M. Hockman (Porter, Wright, Morris & Arthur)
Bradley L. Johnston (Warner Cable Communications Inc.)
Robert J. Kalal (Academic Computing Services)
Bruce C. Klopfenstein (Radio-Television-Film Department,  Bowling Green State 
University)
David Landsbergen Jr. (Public Policy and Management)
Raymond W. Lawton (NRRI)
Mary J. Leugers (CAST)
Gregory F. Lowe (Telecommunication, University of Kentucky)
Walter Mathews (Speech Communication and Theatre,Youngstown State University)
Thomas A. McCain (Communication)
Stanford Garikayi Mukasa (Bethany College)
Roopali Mukherjee (Communication)
Roger D. Musgrave (Fordham University)
Scott J. Patterson (Department of Communication Studies, Virginia Tech)
Dino G. Pezzutti (UNITS)
Charles H. Reilly (Industrial Systems Engineering)
Jeffrey B. Ritter (Vorys, Sater, Seymour & Pease)
Peter Robinson (Ottawa, Canada)
Anthony Roso Jr. (Colorado Office of Business Development)
Eric W. Rothenbuhler (University of Iowa)
Rohan Samarajiva (Communication)
Anthony P. Scott (Art Education and Advanced Computing Center for the Arts and 
Design)
Peter Shields (Communication)
Dave Spooner (Senior Economic Development Officer, Manchester, England, City 
Council)
Christopher H. Sterling (Communication, George Washington University)


Brief biographies of new associates follow:


Catherine Murphy Bakes is an assistant professor in the College of Business 
Administration at Kent State University, where her teaching responsibilities 
include the graduate and undergraduate telecommunications and networking 
courses. Her research interests include telecommunications networks, 
communications services, and local area network performance. She has spent 
three summers as a faculty fellow in the Telecommunications and Networking 
Branch at the NASA Lewis Research Center and is currently the principal 
investigator for a grant awarded by NASA Lewis to investigate the role of  
telecommunications technologies and services in a research environment. Cathy 
received a Ph.D. in industrial engineering from The Pennsylvania State 
University, majoring in operations research. She also holds a Master of 
Engineering Science degree from University College, Dublin, Ireland, and a 
Bachelor of Engineering degree in electrical engineering from University 
College Cork, Ireland.


Linda Cooper is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Communication at The Ohio 
State University. She completed her M.A. degree in 1990 under the direction of 
Professor Samarajiva, with a thesis "The Equity/Economic Efficiency Dichotomy 
of the Caller ID Debate." From 1980 to 1988, she was employed by the Ohio 
Technology Transfer Organization (OTTO) as a research associate and associate 
director. During her tenure at OTTO, she presented and had published several 
papers on the communication process of information transfer from the public to 
the private sector. Currently, she is investigating the relationship between 
communication technologies and the spatial/temporal practices of day-to-day 
life.


Barbara Erdman received a masterUs degree in Library Science and a Ph.D. in 
education technology from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. She has been an
assistant professor in the Department of Educational Policy and Leadership 
since 1989, teaching courses in educational telecommunications and school 
librarianship. Her research interests include the design and evaluation of 
telecommunications applications in educational settings, and the development of
educational media centers. She worked with CAST to arrange the November 1990 
symposium on television in the classroom. She currently is conducting a study 
of the use of distance education satellite courses in the K-12 schools in Ohio.


Cheikh Tidiane Gadio is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Communication at 
The Ohio State University working on a dissertation titled "Cooperation in 
Telecommunication Investment Between the World Bank and African States: A 
Critical Assessment." Born in Senegal, Tidiane pursued advanced study in Paris 
in sociology and journalism. From 1984 to 1988, he was employed by the Center 
for Sciences and Techniques of Information Studies at the University of 
Journalism in Dakar, Senegal. His responsibilities included being director of 
the audiovisual department, and lecturing on "Television and Issues of 
Socioeconomic Development." Tidiane's research focuses on 1) the impact of 
telecommunications investment policies on the socioeconomic development of 
Third World countries; and 2) the Gramscian concept of hegemony and its 
application to the search for a viable framework of analysis of power 
relationships within the structure of national or international communication.


Robert J. Kalal is an associate director of Academic Computing Services (ACS) 
at The Ohio State University, focusing on distributed computing support and 
Unix workstation support. He also serves as the ACS liaison to OSU Libraries 
and is co-chair of the OhioLINK Library Document Delivery subcommittee, which 
was formed to select a document delivery technology for Ohio public higher 
education. Bob previously worked with OCLC and Ohio Bell. At OSU, Bob has 
worked in mainframe scientific and engineering support, electronic mail and 
text processing support, and in CAD/CAM/CIM and computer graphics support. He 
managed the project team responsible for the OSU/CICNet Network Fax project, 
led the design and implementation of the MAGNUS computer system, (a cluster of 
small servers providing electronic news, mail, and information services to 
7,000 campus users), and is currently working to build a free community 
computer information system, "The Heart of Ohio Free-Net," for the Columbus 
area.



Scott J. Patterson is an assistant  professor of Communication Studies at 
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, where he began teaching 
this year after earning his Ph.D. from The Ohio State University. He publishes 
and teaches in the broad area of the psychology of communication and culture. 
Recently, Scott's work has focused explicitly on individual preferences for 
different media communication channels. His current work explores the uses and 
impact of high-capacity communication systems on individuals and communities. 
Scott's research has been published in the Journal of Media Economics and the 
Journal of Personality and Social Behavior. He also edited the proceedings of 
the CAST symposia on collaborative strategies for developing telecommunication 
networks in Ohio.


                         * * * * *

CAST Associate profile: Leugers caps efforts at OSU, seeks new challenge

CAST Associate Mary Leugers has just completed an interdisciplinary master's 
degree at The Ohio State University in business and communication. Her thesis, 
titled "A Meta-analysis on Causality Patterns in Media Choice Literature," 
reviews the literature in the area of media choice, and derives a framework for
examining causal relationships in some variables affecting, and affected by, 
media choice.

After three years as a research associate at CAST, where she provided technical
and general research support to the center and edited the CAST calendar, 
Leugers is now looking for a job in telecommunications network management, 
maintenance and design. Her goal is a position that would continue to build on 
her education and work experience, which includes 15 months interning as a 
communication specialist at Cellular One. That job gave her frontline 
experience in network and user support, and problem solving in the 
telecommunications industry. It also helped develop her interest in 
customer-based support -- the process of tailoring telecommunication 
infrastructure as much as possible to meet users' needs.

In addition to her focus on network and user support, Leugers has a particular 
interest in international telecommunications. She was a participant in last 
summer's academic joint venture with the University of Amsterdam that took a 
group from Ohio State to Europe to examine European telecommunications 
frameworks. Leugers found the project to be valuable in giving her an overview 
of the European structure of the telecommunications industry, its regulation 
and business. That experience, combined with the year she spent as an exchange 
student in northern Germany in 1983-84, has given Leugers a particular interest
in telecommunications in German-speaking countries.  She hopes that at some 
point, her telecommunications career will bring her back in contact with the 
industry in those areas, allowing her to put her international experience and 
German-language skills to good use.

Leugers expects to continue her work with Cellular One for the next few months,
gaining experience in telecommunications, interconnect issues, protocols and 
other aspects of network management.


                         * * * * *


Summer symposium put experts to work for area small businesses

                    By Linda Cooper
The Center for Advanced Study in Telecommunications and the new Center for 
Information Technologies in Management (CITM) at The Ohio State University, 
sponsored a half-day workshop on Aug. 28th, "Telecommunications for Small 
Business." Registrants to the workshop represented trade associations, and 
small- and medium-sized businesses. The workshop was designed to assist those 
interested in exploring and expanding their use of telecommunications systems.

Representatives from industry and academia discussed local area networks, 
access to information services, selecting telephone systems, and integrating 
cellular telephones in the workplace. David Monroe, a research specialist in 
Nationwide InsuranceUs advanced technology group, gave an overview of local 
area networks and discussed present and future configurations of such networks.
Allyn Ehrhardt, a librarian at Franklin University, presented information on 
information services available to small businesses that assist in business and 
market planning. He discussed both public and private sector information 
intermediaries who identify, collect and synthesize information for the small 
business client. Ray Gross from Cellular One and a panel representing Ohio 
Bell, spoke about the present and future uses of telephone systems and 
services. Ray Gross is a vice president of sales for Cellular One's Ohio 
market. The Ohio Bell group was composed of Marsha Greer, Sharon Maynard, Nick 
Schneider and Kirby Turner, four individuals who have extensive experience 
working with business customers of Ohio Bell. Their presentations focused on 
the practical considerations in acquiring a telephone system in the business 
startup phase.

Information packets and vendor materials were made available to 
registrants.This workshop was the third annual summer workshop presented by 
CAST.

                         * * * * *

CAST News and Notes:

Old definition for "New Technology"

At a Battelle-Mershon conference on "Mass Media Technologies and Democracy" 
held at The Ohio State University campus Oct. 8-11, there was a lively 
discussion about the role that the mass media and information technologies had 
played in aiding revolution in Eastern Europe in 1989. Several presenters 
argued that, while telecommunications played a part, the old Gutenberg 
technologies had actually been more effective in disseminating information 
about the opposition. In both Poland and Hungary, the 1980s saw a booming 
business in smuggling information technologies through the Iron Curtain, 
technologies that were used by the opposition to publish and circulate 
underground newsletters. But the conference discussion also highlighted the 
technological gap existing between the former East Bloc nations and the West. 
One of the so-called "New Technologies" identified in the discussion as having 
been particularly helpful to the opposition in Poland -- was the photocopy 
machine.

A significant subtheme of the conference was the political difficulties being 
created by the inability of nations to control the flow of electronic 
information across their borders. The impact of Radio Free Europe on Eastern 
Europe, West German television on East Germany and other European-originated 
material on efforts in The Netherlands to preserve that nation's language and 
culture were specifically addressed.

Proceedings of the conference are being compiled for publication in book form, 
although a publication date has not yet been set.


Warner Cable, United Telephone link schools

Warner Cable  and United Telephone are providing a distance learning link for 
Allen County Schools in Ohio. This collaborative effort is the first 
cable-telephone company distance learning project in Ohio that has come to 
CAST's attention. United and Warner both contributed the planning and 
engineering expertise that will allow simultaneous, fully interactive classes 
with participation of students in four schools. The students of Allen county 
schools will be the beneficiary of this project, which could not have been 
accomplished without these two companies' cooperative efforts.


Students present their vision of telecom's future

Communication students from Ohio State addressed participants at the Great 
Lakes Cable Expo in Cleveland in September concerning the status of 
collaborative projects for OhioUs telecommunications networks. The students, 
Holly Brinegar, Amy Vickroy, Niki Kosnick, Tom Hansen and Randy Malloy had been
involved in Thom McCain's senior seminar in telecommunications, where students 
wrote case studies of collaborative efforts by Ohio telecommunications users 
and providers. The purpose of the conference session was to demonstrate to 
current cable industry operators and programmers the kinds of issues 
contemporary university students see for the future of telecommunications. A 
summary of these case studies will be available from CAST in December.



CAST family grows by one

Sue Brown, CAST Associate and secretary, has welcomed her first grandchild to 
the world. Austin Stephen Brown was born Oct. 22 to Sue's daughter Heather. 
Austin weighed in at 5 lbs. 12 oz., 19.25 inches long. Mother, son and new 
grandmother are all doing fine. New tech congratulations will reach Sue at: 
subrown@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu.



Winter quarter plans under way

Planning is under way for the CAST roundtables for Winter Quarter. Those who 
have suggestions regarding topics they would like to see addressed at a 
roundtable, or individuals who they believe should beinvited to speak, should 
contact Ann Hollifield at 292-0080 or E-mail chollifi@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu
as soon as possible.



Readership survey planned

In the next issue of CAST calendar, we will be asking for your input as to how 
CAST can better serve you. What type of news and information about 
telecommunications do you need in your research and professional activities? 
What information in the CAST calendar do you find most useful? What do you 
think we can improve, and what can we add to our offerings that we are not now 
providing? Please plan to fill out the survey and return it to CAST. Your needs
are important to us.

                         * * * * *

Upcoming Events:


CAST Roundtables
Editor's Note: If you are sponsoring an event in the telecommunications field 
to which the public is invited and wish to have it included in the CAST 
calendar, or if you have suggestions regarding speakers or topics that you 
would like to see presented at a CAST Roundtable, please contact Ann Hollifield
at 292-0080. CAST Roundtables are held from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Ohio 
Legal Center, 33 West 11th Ave., Room 115, on The Ohio State University campus.
Admission is free and the public is welcome. Parking is available in the 
parking garage just north of the Ohio Union on North High Street. For more 
information, call Sue Brown at 292-8444 or Ann Hollifield at 292-0080.

Dec. 2
Dr. David Landsbergen of OSUUs Department of Public Policy and Management will 
discuss his research into relationships between economic development and 
telecommunications infrastructure. Landsbergen is currently surveying cities 
and states that are doing telecommunications infrastructure planning to find 
out how well the planning approach is working. Landsbergen expects to develop a
typology for different types of telecommunications plans, and to try to define 
which strategies, such as free trade zones and tax incentives, are successful.


Conferences and seminars

Nebraska Economic
Development Conference

Jan. 12-13, 1993
The International Center for Telecommunications Management at the University of
Nebraska at Omaha will join with the Nebraska Department of Economic 
Development and an array of other sponsors in offering a two-day symposium. Two
keynote speakers will highlight the agenda: Dr. Don Dillman from the University
of Washington and Dr. Sharon Strover from the University of Texas at Austin.

The symposium will focus on application of telecommunications and information 
systems technologies appropriate for organizations in rural areas. The agenda 
is designed to provide items of interest to the technological novice in a 
policymaking role, as well as to the technologically proficient manager looking
to expand market reach.

For more information contact Tallie Bishop at ICTM, University of Nebraska at 
Omaha, 304 CBA, Omaha, NE  68182-0459, (402) 554-2647.