Not Even the Sky is the Limit

Engineering senior cherishes NASA experience, quality of CFAES education

Working on a toilet might not sound too glamorous or innovative at first sniff. But if the commode is to be used by astronauts in a space shuttle and needs to defy the problem of zero-gravity, flushing-challenged environments, then things get a little more interesting.

That's the project Monica Okon, a senior in the Department of Food, Agricultural, and Biological Engineering (FABE), took on last summer as part of an internship at NASA's John Glenn Research Center in Cleveland. As a project manager, the northeast Ohio native oversaw the task from design to completion, testing the toilet system to validate some modeling that scientists at John Glenn had done.

Nancy Hall, a NASA research scientist who supervised Okon, said the student's background in biological engineering made her a great fit to manage the project, as she was able to apply what she has learned at Ohio State to solve a complex problem.

Okon agrees.

"FABE is a great department because it brings together different aspects of engineering and biology that we interact with on a daily basis," she said. "We all eat and we all need to be aware of the environmental processes around us. What I've learned during my time here all pertains to how humans and the environment interact, and that's what I'm interested in."

Okon believes all students should be involved in an internship so they can apply their knowledge and skills to real-world issues. "Internships bring to life all the concepts you learn in the classroom, allowing you to problem-solve and speak intelligently about the processes involved in what you do."

After graduating from Ohio State, Okon would like to pursue a Ph.D. and do research at a government agency.

"NASA would be great," she concluded.

Find a video about Okon's experience at http://www.osu.edu/features/2010/nasa.html.

--By Mauricio Espinoza

CFAES profs named 'Champions of Teaching'

The new award went to six Ohio State faculty members--and three are from our college.

Half of Ohio State's first-ever "Champions of Teaching" are from the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences.

The University Center for the Advancement of Teaching (UCAT) recently named Joe Donnermeyer, Rural Sociology; Mike Mangino, Food Science and Technology; and Peg McMahon, Horticulture and Crop Science, as three of the award's six 2010 recipients.

UCAT Director Alan Kalish said the "Champions of Teaching" program, started just this year, recognizes faculty members who provide significant and sustained service to UCAT in support of teaching and learning at Ohio State.

"We decided to make this recognition in conjunction with our new name, which more directly describes our mission in seeking to advance teaching at Ohio State by promoting a university culture that puts students first," Kalish said. UCAT had been called Faculty and TA Development.

Donnermeyer, the award's web site says, "has championed a scholarly approach to teaching in ways that have advanced learning at Ohio State." He is a past winner of the Alumni Award for Distinguished Teaching, which granted him admission into the Academy of Teaching, and is chair of the Academy's executive committee.

Mangino participates in the yearly University-wide Orientation for New Instructors, where he "guides and supports many new teaching assistants across campus in their teaching endeavors"; they get "thoughtful feedback and insightful advice." He, too, is a past winner of the Alumni Award for Distinguished Teaching and member of the Academy of Teaching.

McMahon "sets the example as someone who works to continually grow as a teacher…and is well-known for her concern for students." She was an early joiner of the Mid-career and Senior Faculty Learning Community in UCAT's Ohio State Teaching Enhancement Programs and has won CFAES's Outstanding Advising Award.

Read more at http://ucat.osu.edu/champions.html.

"While Ohio State is a research-extensive university," Kalish said, "educating students is core to our mission."

--By Kurt Knebusch

CFAES study abroad program celebrates 20th year

Ohio State University's study abroad program to the Dominican Republic celebrates its 20th anniversary this year.

Considered one of the longest-running study abroad programs offered by the Office of International Affairs in the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences, the program has undergone some recent changes that add natural resources and conservation to its agricultural components.

"The general focus of the program was rural development, with a specific emphasis in agriculture, but over the past few years, we've added a natural resources component to the program," said Joe Bonnell, School of Environment and Natural Resources program director of watershed management. "We believe the new additions add breadth and depth to the coursework and give students more of an insight into the host country."

The six-week program, offered winter quarter, provides students with a wealth of information in agricultural economics, international development, and agricultural education, as well as various environmental issues and natural resources topics.

"Students take field trips to important ecological areas, such as organic farms, plantations, and national parks, as well as take courses that address conservation issues, such as water resource management," said Bonnell, who has incorporated natural resources curriculum into the study abroad program the past two years. "The agriculture and natural resources curriculum nicely complements the cultural and historical aspects of the host country."

Note: The study abroad program to the Dominican Republic is one of 19 programs sponsored by CFAES. Countries include:

Australia

Brazil

Chile

China

Costa Rica

Czech Republic

Dominican Republic

Ecuador

Egypt

England

Ghana

Iceland

Ireland

Mexico

New Zealand

South Africa

Uganda

For more information, log on to http://cfaes.osu.edu/current-students/academics-advising/study-abroad/.

--By Candace Pollock