A series to celebrate Stone Lab's 100th Anniversary!
HISTORY
Many are familiar with Stone Lab, the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences’ island campus on Lake Erie, but very few know about the laboratory’s namesake, Franz Theodore Stone. Who was this historical figure, and what’s the history behind the lab’s name?
The family history is well-known to Bruce Stone, Franz’s great-great-grandson, who now serves as the president of the Friends of Stone Laboratory’s board. This year marks an important milestone for the laboratory: in 1925, Franz’s son, prolific businessman Julius F. Stone, donated Gibraltar Island to Ohio State. Julius never liked to have his name on anything, so he elected to name the lab after his late father instead.
Discover more about the history of Stone Lab >>
RESEARCH
Author: Kim Winslow
Stone Laboratory is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year and reflecting on the incredible research it’s supported during that time. From faculty to undergraduate students to agency professionals, Stone Lab is home to important breakthroughs in our understanding of water quality and harmful algal blooms.
“We have about on average 50 to 70 various researchers coming to Stone Lab to use our facilities,” said Justin Chaffin, Stone Laboratory’s Research Coordinator. “… they could be here for a day, or they could be here for a month or two months. And it's not just local researchers. We have researchers from all over the country come. … Like the past five or six years, we had researchers come from 20 different states.”
Watch more of Dr. Chaffin’s interview below.
EDUCATION
Author: Hayley Meyer
As Stone Lab celebrates its 100th Anniversary at Gibraltar Island this year, the occasion marks a century of educating students via hands-on coursework about Lake Erie sciences — all thanks to decades of effort by the lab’s passionate faculty.
“To actually be out in the field, it gives you a whole new perspective that you might not be aware of unless you actually see the dynamic environment in front of you,” said Lisa Kutschbach-Brohl, a Stone Lab instructor since 2003. “Stone Lab gives people an opportunity to see an environment go through different weather changes, different seasonal changes, and meet a lot of researchers that are coming and going.”
Reflections on teaching at Stone Lab >>
OUTREACH
Author: Hayley Meyer (Ohio Sea Grant)
As Stone Lab celebrates 100 years at Gibraltar Island this year, the anniversary provides a moment to appreciate the laboratory’s years of crucial outreach work across Lake Erie.
“Sea Grant does a great job of communicating the work that we do,” said Travis Hartman, Lake Erie Fisheries Program Administrator for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife. “In a lot of cases, it is complex, scientific work, but it’s got to be boiled down so anglers can understand the value of managing the fishery and understanding the ecosystem. Stone Lab’s a key part of that.”
How Stone Lab Benefits Lake Erie Outreach >>
Related: Stone Lab to Host Open House, Celebrate 100th Anniversary on Sept. 6