UDRI reaches another record for sponsored research
Staff Writer
— A Lebanon police LEBANON officer is facing charges of domestic violence, aggravated menacing and using a firearm while intoxicated in Warren County.
John Wetzel, 41, was arrested Sunday after Clearcreek Twp. and Springboro police responded to a 911 call at 9:29 p.m. from his wife from their home.
In 2016, Wetzel, a detective, was recognized by the Lebanon Optimists Club as officer of the year.
On Sunday, his wife accused Wetzel of threatening to kill her and her boyfriend after she returned home from a weekend trip. Wetzel admitted to the wife’s accusations, according to the police report.
“He admitted to drinking most of the day and again he advised he was just mad and would not actually kill his wife or her boyfriend,” according to the report.
Spr i ngboro officers assisted Clearcreek, according to the police report.
No one was injured. Police seized a shotgun Wetzel pulled from a dresser drawer, according to the report.
“At that point, Mr. Wetzel opened his top dresser drawer, pulled out a shotgun and racked a round into the chamber. Mrs. Wetzel stated that she has ‘never been so afraid in her life’ and she dialed 911,” according to the report.
According to the report and court records, Wetzel was arrested and booked into the Warren County Jail. He appeared in Warren County Court on Monday morning.
A tempo- rary protec- tion order was issued. The Warren County Prosecutor’s Office declined to suggest a bond, indicating it would be seeking a special prosecutor.
O n Tu e s day, Warr en County Prosecutor David Fornshell said Mason City Prosecutor Bethany Bennett would be handling the case for his office.
Wetzel, a longtime police officer in Lebanon, was released on a “signature bond.”
An arraignment is scheduled for Aug. 22.
Lebanon Police Chief Jeff Mitchell said Wetzel has been placed on adminis- trative leave and relieved of his duties while the case is pending.
The University of Dayton has posted a new record in sponsored research.
The university’s research institute saw its fifth straight year of double-digit research growth with $166 million in sponsored research in fiscal year 2019. That represents an 11% increase over last year’s mark of $149.8 million, the university said.
New awards in fiscal 2019 helped the university not only attain a record, but reach $2.5 billion in cumulative sponsored research, boosted by Air Force contracts for work in hyperson- ics, advanced power technologies, structures and land- ing gear.
In fact, citing National Sci- ence Foundation data, UD says it is the top Ohio university for drawing feder- ally sponsored engineering research and development and Department of Defense research.
“The university is heav- ily investing in new areas of faculty research, and continually developing ways to foster interdisciplinary, collaborative research projects between its academic departments and its research institute,” John Leland, the university’s vice president of research, said in UD’s announcement this week. “While the vast majority of research projects at universities take place on a lab bench, researchers at UDRI are increasingly working on solving problems and moving technology into application or testing new and existing technologies and demonstrating them in the field.”
In May, UDRI took possession of a decommissioned C-130 from Eglin Air Force Base to work with the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center on technologies designed to help the Air Force keep its aging fleet of C-130s aloft.
“I can look outside my window at a C-130 Hercules in our parking lot,” Leland said. “That’s pretty cool. For UDRI to have an aircraft on hand, where researchers can test and demonstrate technology solutions in a real environment, shows its progress in this area as an organization.”
Citing National Science Foundation data from fiscal 2017, UD said it performs more sponsored materials research than any university.
Again relying on National Science Foundation data, UD said it ranks fifth for all sponsored industrial and manufacturing engineering research and development, eighth in federally sponsored engineering research, ninth in total research spending among private four-year U.S. universities without medical schools, and 23rd nationally for all sponsored engineering research.
Among U.S. Catholic universities, UD said it ranks first for all sponsored engineering research.
UDRI employs about 640 full-time and part-time employees, an increase of nearly 200 in three years. Nearly 100 faculty and 370 students also engage in sponsored research.