Monday, Sept.14, 4 p.m. The YSU College of Liberal Art and Social Sciences kicks off its Faculty Scholars Forum in the CLASS Dean’s Conference Room in DeBartolo Hall. This week’s forum features Tomi Ovaska (Economics), A Stifled Economy: A Quasi-Experimental Study on Socialism's Socio-Economic Effects on Estonia. Monday, Sept. 14, 7:30 p.m. The Dana Chamber Orchestra, under the direction of Joseph Kromholz, performs at St. John’s Episcopal Church, 323 Wick Ave. The concert is free and open to the public. The repertoire will include these pieces.

In response to the continuing growth of the bioscience industry in Ohio, Youngstown State University is launching a new bachelor of science degree in Biochemistry. “This new bachelor’s program provides our students with educational options to pursue careers in one of the fastest growing sectors of the economy,” said Tim Wagner, professor and chair of the YSU Department of Chemistry. The degree was recently approved by the Ohio Department of Higher Education. Ohio is currently home to 1,300 bioscience-related organizations, half of them in Northeast Ohio.

Youngstown State University’s News Outlet will work with the Akron Beacon Journal, the Bliss Institute of Applied Politics at the University of Akron and the Jefferson Center to study elections and election coverage as part of a $35,000 grant from the Knight Foundation. "We're excited to work on this project with these terrific partners,” said Tim Francisco, YSU professor of Journalism and director of the News Outlet.

Youngstown State University will again host the Speaker Series on Energy and the Environment this Fall Semester, starting Sept. 9 and running through Nov. 18. The lectures, free and open to the public, are 7 p.m. every Wednesday in Cushwa Hall Room B100. (The only exception is Thursday, Nov. 12, because YSU is closed on Wednesday, Nov.