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Loann Crane visits Hagerty Hall

January 24, 2020

Loann Crane visits Hagerty Hall

Loann Crane talks to CLLC Assistant Director during a visit to Hagerty Hall.

Students and staff from across Hagerty Hall gathered to celebrate the start of the 2020 semester Thursday — showcasing the recent upgrades to Crane café and commemorating the 15th anniversary of renovations that transformed Hagerty Hall into a hub for Ohio State’s world language programs.

Among the visitors: Loann Crane, whose generous support has helped Ohio State’s language initiatives and helped students pursue their research and education abroad projects.

Crane, the namesake of Crane Café, graduated from Ohio State in 1947 and majored in Spanish.

In 2013, the Crane family pledged $13.5 million to Ohio State, a donation that helped launch the Loann Crane Advanced Language Institute. The Center for Languages, Literatures and Cultures oversees the institute, which supports efforts that help students combine career skills with world language proficiency.

 

Loann Crane

The institute helped develop the new Certificate of Translation and Interpretation, where students can specialize in one of three tracks (professional translation, literary translation and community interpretation) and apply their language skills by working with government agencies, schools, courts and community partners as part of a practicum.

The institute supported Xiao-Bin Jian, an associate professor in the Department of East Asian Languages and Literatures, conduct his master thesis defenses in Suzhou, China for the Master in Advanced Chinese Language and Culture program. He was also able to recruit domain mentors and language partners for this program's summer and academic year in China.

The institute helped Sarah Jantuah-Agyeman, a graduate student in the Department of East Asian Languages and Literatures, participate in a summer intensive language program in Suzhou. The financial award kickstart her understanding of Chinese business culture, the focus of her research.

“It helped moved my language ability to fluent and conversational to being able to write a thesis, (conduct) research and collect data in Chinese,” she said during scholarship reception last fall hosted by the College of Arts and Sciences.

Thanks to Crane’s support, students who stop by the Crane Café can also try out their language skills. The café is flanked by television screens that continually broadcast more than 25 international channels in 14 languages. Tables are reserved throughout the week for conversation gatherings, where students can practice their language skills.