Columbus/Central Ohio : Featured Stories

Tucked away on the west side of the Ohio State University campus is the Byrd Polar Research Center -- an international leader in polar and alpine research that is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. hiVelocity spoke with Director Ellen Mosley-Thompson, who came to OSU on a graduate fellowship and never left. A professor of geography, leading expert in ice core paleoclimatology and frequent flyer to Antarctica and Greenland, her responsibilities include caring for 7,000 ice cores stored at 30-below in the bowels of Scott Hall.

Four years ago, a grand plan was rolled out for the "315 Research and Technology Corridor," one that envisioned coordinated, concentrated development of high-tech industry in an area roughly along Columbus's I-315. Since then, development has taken another course -- one that shows that the vision, if not the original game plan, is still alive.

Israel boasts the highest number of start-ups per capita in the world. Ohio wants to be a second home to some of these businesses as they build their worldwide markets. Thanks to the aggressive efforts of business developers across the state, Ohio has become one of the most successful states in attracting investment from Israeli companies.

In January, Gov. Ted Strickland announced that Ohio had received $400 million in federal stimulus money to develop a "3C Corridor" passenger rail system linking Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton and Cincinnati. Immediately, questions flew: Will the trains go fast enough? How many stops? Who will ride it? Will the benefits be worth the money?  hiVelocity caught up with James E. Seney, who served as executive director of the Ohio Rail Development Commission under former Gov. Bob Taft. Seney, who oversaw the Taft Administration's original Ohio Hub rail plan to link Ohio to midwestern and east coast lines, says all questions are valid -- but that Ohio has an opportunity that's too good to pass up. 

While the image of farmer Brown milking a cow from a stool may linger in the imagination, old Bessie today is more likely to make her way through a sophisticated milking parlor wearing an electronic collar -- not a bell. And while the image of farmer Brown may be one of a humble man in overalls, his world today is one of college degrees, self-steering combines, and use of Twitter and Facebook as a way to connect with other farmers and a hungry population.

Twelve-year-old teacher and author Adora Svitak reports from Columbus, filming herself in a mirror with commentary on this month's eTech Ohio conference, where she was a keynote speaker. We think the future of America is in safe hands.

For years, Ohio has been a quiet powerhouse in the worlds of industrial design, architecture, communications design and brand marketing. Problem was, few people outside the state noticed. No more. The Buckeye state's reputation, particularly along the I-71 corridor from Cleveland to Cincinnati, is charging to the forefront.