UD students scoop up spot in global competition with ice cream idea

With the help of ice cream and social media, a team of University of Dayton marketing students froze out their opponents to secure a spot in a global digital marketing competition.

UD seniors John Seals, Colleen Sullivan and Lauren Wolford make up one of 10 teams that will compete in the North American portion of "Unigame" a marketing competition hosted by Unilever in New Jersey in January.

Students will compete to find "creative solutions" for how the multinational company can reach digital customers. Unilever is a company that owns more than 400 brands, including Lipton tea, Dove hygiene products and Ben & Jerry's, among others.

The UD students developed an idea centered on the Talenti brand of gelatos and sorbettos, which come in small plastic pints. They created a "Pints for a Purpose" campaign, asking customers to reuse Talenti's plastic jars in a new way and then to share their idea on social media.

The students could win $7,000 and travel to London to compete in the final round.

“The talent of our business school students is consistently reflected in their work,” said Irene Dickey, marketing lecturer to the students.

A WSU welcome

The University Center for International Education at Wright State created a video to tell international students they are welcome at the college. The video features WSU president David Hopkins, Provost Tom Sudkamp as well as several other university officials and student groups.

More than 1,400 international students attend Wright State, according to the university.

Best college town

Oxford, Ohio, where Miami University is located, was named the best college town by WalletHub.com, a personal finance website. Oxford ranked first among 415 cities considered for the list, according to Miami University. Oxford last received the honor in 2014.

High energy research

Two University of Dayton graduate students received $50,000 each to work in a U.S. Department of Energy program with researchers at Emerson’s Helix Innovation Center on campus.

Kefan Huang, in the renewable and clean energy program, will focus on enhancing software to better distribute heating, ventilation and air conditioning loads in buildings using renewable energy systems. Electrical engineering student Ashsish Gogia is attempting to create a “zero-energy” smart home with green technology and energy management systems.

Colleges named ‘best value’

The University of Dayton was named one of the ‘best values’ among private colleges, ranking 59 out of 100 in a recent report from Kiplinger. Xavier University in Cincinnati came in at 96 among private schools, according to the report.

Kiplinger weighed academic quality and affordability to determine its rankings. In a wider-ranging list from Kiplinger that included both private and public colleges, UD ranked 191 and was joined by Ohio State at 107 and Miami University at 147.

Award winner

Mike Mattison, director of the Writing Center and the Oral Communication Center at Wittenberg University, has won the 2016 Ron Maxwell Award for leadership in promoting collaborative learning practices of peer tutors in writing. Mattison, who received a check and a plaque as part of the award, was also noted for his support for undergraduate student research.

OSU researcher elected

An Ohio State researcher was elected the 2018 president of the Soil Science Society of America, one of the nation’s premier natural science organizations.

Richard Dick, a professor in the School of Environment and Natural Resources and an Ohio Eminent Scholar in soil microbial ecology, will serve a three-year term on the society’s executive council, according to the university.

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