Career Expos Get the Job Done
Students interested in finding an internship during summer break or a job after graduation often search the Internet, talk to their friends and family, or consult with their teachers to find the right position. Another good option for them is to attend a career expo event hosted by their college.
"When someone is conducting a job or internship search, it can be very difficult to visit with 20 companies in one day," said Adam Cahill, Career Development Coordinator for the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences. "But you can by coming to one of our Career Expo events where companies come to you in one afternoon."
The college offers four Career Expos throughout the year to meet the needs of all the different majors in the college. The largest expo, in November, is a general event that draws a wide array of companies and organizations--as well as a broad range of those looking for employment.
"The November event was so popular with companies we had to expand into more events," Cahill said. Currently, in October the college offers a Career Expo focused on the construction industry, and in January, it offers an expo specifically for opportunities related to environmental careers. A second general expo is held in February.
"We encourage students to take advantage of these events," Cahill said. "Even as a freshman--you might not be looking for a job but you'll meet people, network, and see what kinds of opportunities are available. Signing up for an interview offers a great professional development experience as well." The expos are also open to alumni, who can make use of the college's online career services site, Hireabuckeye, to identify employment opportunities. "We've seen a large increase in alumni using Hireabuckeye," Cahill said. "Alumni, current students, and companies can all benefit from this site."
For more information on Hireabuckeye, Career Expos, or general career services offered by the college, visit http:// www.cfaes.osu.edu/career or contact Adam Cahill at cahill.71@osu.edu or 614-292-1589.
-- Martha Filipic
Doing things right
More students find a home in CFAES
As coordinator of Prospective Student Services, Jill Tyson is feeling good about the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences.
New first-quarter freshmen for 2010–11 totaled 142. With an additional 192 transfer students -- including 80 from ATI (Agricultural Technical Institute) in Wooster -- the college welcomed a total new student population of 334 this fall.
"The fact that we have 19 different majors representing a lot of different areas tends to bring students in," Tyson said. "Many of our majors are the only program in the state and are nationally recognized. That's an indication that we're doing things right."
College highlights:
-- Over 90 percent of CFAES graduates find full-time employment or enter graduate school within six months of graduation.
-- The college's student-to-faculty ratio remains at 10 to 1, offering a small-college feel at a world-class institution.
-- The college awards $1.5 million in scholarships each year--so many that, typically, two-thirds of applicants receive an award.
Tyson's office is making more use of social media and networking today to spread the word about the opportunities available in the college.
"This is definitely a team effort, and alumni can play a big role. When they talk about how successful they've been or how much they enjoyed their years in the college, that goes a long way. If they ever speak with an interested student, they can just refer them to our office for more information."
A new student recruitment video has generated a "phenomenal" response, Tyson said. "It really holds people's interest. I think it's because we used current students and nothing was scripted--they're just talking about what they find enjoyable about the college. People relate to that."
To see the video, see http://go.osu.edu/cfaesrecruit. For more information about student recruitment, contact Tyson at tyson.46@osu.edu or 614-292-8124.
-- Martha Filipic
Book Club Acclimates Students to College Life
The 6,500 freshmen enrolled at The Ohio State University this fall were welcomed with the challenge of exploring ways to reduce their carbon footprint on campus.
From biking to supporting local foods to conserving water and exploring alternative energy, the students embarked on a weeklong carbon-cleansing "No Impact" event Oct. 10–17 that encouraged them to take up Ohio State President E. Gordon Gee's call of transforming Ohio State into the "greenest" campus in the country.
Trish Raridan Preston, School of Environment and Natural Resources program coordinator, said that the program is a culmination of the First Year Experience Buckeye Book Community where the incoming students were asked to read "No Impact Man." The story follows a man and his family as they go off the grid for one year and live a no-impact life.
"The activities centered around the book were designed to educate the students that in some small way they can contribute to environmental stewardship and a more sustainable lifestyle," said Raridan Preston. "We in SENR were excited about being part of the activities because of the emphasis on being green."
Students toured the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences, Ohio 4-H Center, Olentangy River Wetland Research Park, and Waterman Agriculture and Natural Resources Laboratory.
The Buckeye Book Community is one of the largest book clubs in the nation. The goal of the program is to introduce first-year students to campus life, and foster community among other students and faculty through connections achieved by reading required selections before classes begin. The book and subsequent discussions, said Raridan Preston, are a way for students to share their experiences both in and outside the classroom.
To learn more about Buckeye Book Community, log on to http://fye.osu.edu/bbc.html.
-- Candace Pollock
CFAES Students Earn Ohio State, National Ag Ed Honors
Congratulations to our latest award winners, Justin Rismiller and Jed Bookman
Two CFAES students were recently recognized for their academic achievements.
Justin Rismiller, a Versailles, Ohio, senior majoring in agribusiness and applied economics and minoring in political science, received the Ohio State University Board of Trustees' Student Recognition Award Sept. 17.
He's a member of Class 10 of Alpha Zeta Partners (AZP), CFAES's selective leadership program, last year worked in Ohio State's Ohio Bioproducts Innovation Center, and currently serves as a college ambassador assisting with CFAES recruitment.
He was a 2010 finalist for the Board of Trustee's highly competitive student position and won CFAES's Outstanding Freshman Award in 2008.
"As the advisor to AZP over the past three years, I've watched Justin blossom both inside and outside the classroom," said Jill Pfister, CFAES's assistant dean for academic affairs. "He has the keen ability to listen, synthesize the information, analyze the situation, and offer suggestions for improvement.
"He is committed," Pfister said, "to getting the most out of his college experience."
Jedidiah Bookman, a Loudonville, Ohio, senior majoring in agricultural education, has been selected as one of 15 recipients nationally of the National Association of Agricultural Educators' (NAAE) Delmar-Cengage Upper Division Education Scholarship. He received the award at NAEE's November annual conference.
Bookman has conducted undergraduate research on classroom applications of Piaget's theory of cognitive development and in each of the past three years has presented his work in CFAES's Undergraduate Research Forum and in Ohio State's prestigious Denman Undergraduate Research Forum.
He's student teaching this fall at Amanda Clearcreek High School in Fairfield County. He'll return to his job as a student administrative assistant in the Department of Human and Community Resource Development after that.
"Jed sets high standards for himself," said Susie Whittington, an associate professor in the department, Bookman's advisor, and his student employment supervisor. "He came from a strong FFA background at Hillsdale High School (in Ashland County) and consequently believes in the intracurricular mission of agricultural education.
"He'll be a great teacher."
-- Kurt Knebusch
