Congratulations to our STEAM Members, Dr. Harmony Bench and Dr. Chris Orban, on their awards from the Battelle Engineering, Technology, and Human Affairs (BETHA) endowment! Bench and Orban were two of the six grant awardees for 2016.

Dr. Harmony Bench, Department of Dance,is the principal investigator for Dance in Transit,  a digital humanities research project that will employ data analytics to complete the historical record of modern dance performance in the first half of the 20th century. The project explores the relation between touring performers and the modes, networks and infrastructures of transportation that link cities, countries and cultures. The result will be a publicly accessible database extensively documenting an estimated 30,000 individual performances, and a digital scholarship on mid-century African American choreographer Katherine Dunham. Dunham conducted anthropological research in the Caribbean, transformed her ethnographic observations into choreographed works for the stage and toured domestically and internationally with her dance company. 

Dr. Chris Orban, Ohio State Marion Department of Physics, is the principal investigator for The Revolution in Cosmology and Fr. Georges Lemaître’s Hidden God, an interdisciplinary study of the life, work and thought of the astrophysicist-priest who was one of the most remarkable figures of early 20th century cosmology. Lemaître helped lay the groundwork for the Big Bang theory, and his life and work represents one of the most interesting interactions between science and faith in the 20th century. The project will involve a collaboration between members of Ohio State’s physics, astronomy and philosophy departments to develop coursework to teach about Lemaître and the wider context of his work, a student-led STEAM project to depict the expansion of the universe and public lectures on Lemaître’s life, work and his philosophical and religious thinking.

All full-time Ohio State faculty from any college or discipline are invited to submit proposals for the annual Battelle Engineering, Technology and Human Affairs (BETHA) Endowment grant competition. The Battelle Memorial Institute-Ohio State partnership fosters programs that examine the relationship between science and technology and its impact on broader social and cultural issues. Emphasis is placed on educational and public service projects rather than pure research. Interdisciplinary collaborations within the university and collaborations with other institutions are especially encouraged. Projects that address engineering-related topics or feature collaborations between engineering and the social sciences or arts/humanities are particularly welcomed. Typically, three to six awards are granted, ranging from $10,000 to $60,000.