In Brief: June 4

Celebrate BGSU community commencements

Help the University celebrate the academic achievements of its community. All employees who graduated in May or whose family members graduated are invited to submit photos of the happy occasion to be included on the BGSU website. A link will be provided in Zoom News.

Photos may be of the graduate alone or may include family members. Send photos with names of all those pictured and the degree earned to Bonnie Blankinship at bblanki@bgsu.edu. If the graduate is not an employee, please include the name of and his or her relationship to the employee.

BGSU to host regional Autism Summit June 12

Teachers, professionals, parents and other caregivers of individuals with autism and Asperger’s syndrome will hear the latest in research and activity at the 14th annual Autism Summit of Northwest Ohio at BGSU on June 12.

Keynote speaker Jed Baker will share his expertise in two addresses: “No More Meltdowns: Effective Interventions for Behavioral and Social Change,” and “No More Victims: Protecting Those with ASD from Bullying, Cyberbullying, Internet Predators and Scams.” He has published books on each of the topics.

Baker has more than 20 years of experience working with children, adolescents and adults with autism/Asperger's syndrome. He is the director of the Social Skills Training Project for Individuals with Autism, a private organization in Somerset, N.J., serving those with autism and social communication problems. He writes, lectures and provides training internationally on the topic of social skills training and managing challenging behaviors. Baker is on the professional advisory board of Autism Today and several other autism organizations.

He is also an award-winning author of six books on autism including "Preparing for Life: The Complete Guide for Transitioning to Adulthood for Those with Autism/Asperger's Syndrome" and "Social Skills Picture Book," in addition to a DVD and a CD on social skills training, behavior management and bullying issues. His work has been featured on “ABC World News,” “Nightline,” the “CBS Early Show,” and the Discovery Health Channel.

Baker will sign books during the conference lunch break.

The conference will begin at 8 a.m. with a presentation on “What’s Happening with Autism Today?” including information from Linel Weinberg, executive director of the Autism Society of Northwest Ohio; Andi Ryley, president of the Autism Society of Ohio, and Sheila Smith, assistant director of Ohio Center for Autism and Low Incidence.

The autism summit is hosted by BGSU’s College of Education and Human Development and School of Intervention Services.

Continuing Education Units (for counselors, social workers, nurses and Ohio’s Chemical Dependency Professional Board) and Educator Contact Hours are available to participants. Special student and parent rates are also available.

For more information or to register, visit www.bgsu.edu/autism2015 or contact Dr. Lessie Cochran at llcochr@bgsu.edu or Brittany Joseph at bjoseph@bgsu.edu.

Ruble New Play Festival winner named

“Lost Boy,” by Kevin Milnes, is the winner of the fifth annual Ronald M. Ruble New Play Festival, part of the Caryl Crane Youth Theatre (CCYT) at BGSU Firelands. Milnes will receive a $500 prize courtesy of this year’s festival sponsor, The Huron Eagles. “Lost Boy” will also be offered in a three-week workshop during the CCYT 2015-16 season.

The festival, which took place on May 2 in the McBride Auditorium at Firelands, included the presentation of three outstanding new works for children’s and youth theater, chosen from a nationwide search for the most promising unproduced theatrical works relevant to youth today. The three finalists were chosen by committee from the 69 submitted plays and musicals. During the free festival, the finalists were evaluated by a panel of industry professionals, the teen festival participants, and through an audience ballot.

“Lost Boy” chronicles Slightly's adventures with Peter Pan and the Lost Boys in a Neverland shaken by the return of Captain Hook. The lines between imagination and reality are blurred as the play explores what Neverland actually is — a haven for endless play or a trap for lost children? The play is rated PG.

More than 250 attendees attended the one-day festival, where the three, never-before-seen works were given staged readings by members of the Caryl Crane Youth Theatre Teen Board. The 2015 CCYT Teen Board consists of 24 junior high and high school students who meet weekly and function as the community outreach arm of CCYT. They host events, lead community service projects and create opportunities to bring the teen communities of Erie and Huron county closer together through theater.

For more information about the Ronald M. Ruble New Play Festival, Caryl Crane Youth Theatre or the CCYT Teen Board, call 419-372-0732, email Artistic Director Brian Marshall at mbrian@bgsu.edu, follow Caryl Crane Youth Theatre on Facebook, or visit the website.