Working for a Living
As Omar Turay graduates from the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences this June, he'll head straight for the workforce. After interning with Cargill in Virginia this past year, he landed a position as an operations associate with the Cargill Value Added Meats facility in Springdale, Arkansas.
"I like the company culture," Turay said. "They're really going green, and they're trying to make an impact in developing countries."
Turay, originally from Chicago, always knew he wanted to attend Ohio State, but he didn't know about CFAES until he arrived on campus.
"I had a couple of conversations with my counselor and with my father, and I realized it's just common sense: I came to realize that the most sustainable job anyone could have is in the food field. Everyone has to eat."
Turay feels well positioned for the future.
"Just being a part of the college has helped me. My involvement in different organizations--like my fraternity and MANNRS--helped me learn from other students. And the career fairs the college offers and the mock interviews I had with Adam Cahill in the College Career Services Office helped tremendously--I went into my job interview with a lot of confidence. And, I've really enjoyed the professors I've had. They are very knowledgeable and they love what they do. During my internship, I understood everything Cargill was trying to do because of my ag econ courses and all of the courses in my major--everything just clicked."
Turay talks to anyone who will listen about what CFAES offers.
"No matter what you're interested in--sales, business, energy, even medicine and public health--I try to make the connection to what their degree can be used for. It's not just 'farm.' And I try to tell them about my experience here. It's been wonderful."
Fast Facts:
CFAES has a proud history of solid placement for its graduates. In 2009-10*:
-- 92 percent reported being placed in jobs or graduate school.
-- 75 percent were employed in Ohio.
-- Average starting salary: $38,603.
* Based on 226 total responses out of 462 graduates surveyed
--By Martha Filipic
They're the Tops
Every year, CFAES students intending to graduate are invited to apply for the Top 20 Seniors award. A selection committee of faculty, staff, and students rank the applications to select the honorees--who this year, actually, number 21. This year's CFAES top seniors are:
Jed Bookman, Agricultural and Extension Education, Loudonville, Ohio. He plans to pursue a master's degree in Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering with a research associateship in Ag Safety.
Dan Brown, Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering, New Bremen, Ohio. He plans to attend graduate school at Ohio State and will work as a research associate at OARDC in Wooster studying anaerobic digestion.
Sarah Butterļ¬eld, Agribusiness and Applied Economics, Oxford, Ohio. She has accepted a position as a marketing representative with John Deere.
Emily Chappie, Agribusiness and Applied Economics, Troy, Ohio. She has accepted a position in commodity logistics at Union Paciļ¬c corporate headquarters in Omaha.
Rachel Crusey, Agribusiness and Applied Economics, Huntsville, Ohio. She plans to work in the agricultural industry in marketing.
Maria Goubeaux, Agricultural and Extension Education, Versailles, Ohio. She plans to teach high school agriculture.
Amber Hoffstetter, Plant Health and Resource Management, Kinsman, Ohio. She plans to pursue a master's degree and has a position as a research associate in Horticulture and Crop Science studying wheat breeding.
Hanna Lemle, Animal Sciences, Monclova, Ohio. She has accepted a position with Cargill Meat Solutions.
Tara Milliken, Agricultural and Extension Education and English, West Alexandria, Ohio. She plans to work in the field of higher education and student affairs and to study abroad.
Lyndsey Murphy, Agricultural Communication, Mechanicsburg, Ohio. She plans to pursue a master's degree in Agricultural Communication at Ohio State.
Stephanie Neal, Animal Sciences, North Canton, Ohio. She plans to attend Virginia Tech in the fall to study dairy science focusing on dairy calf nutrition and management.
Justin Rismiller, Agribusiness and Applied Economics, Rossburg, Ohio. He has accepted a position in commodity marketing with Cargill in Sidney, Ohio.
Emily Severt, Animal Sciences, Coldwater, Ohio. She will attend the College of Veterinary Medicine at Ohio State and eventually plans to work in a large-animal practice.
Kathleen Shircliff, Animal Sciences, Randolph, Ohio. She plans to attend graduate school to study microbiology/animal health, with an ultimate goal to earn a PhD and work in the food safety or meat industry.
Kip Shoemaker, Agribusiness and Applied Economics, Leesburg, Ohio. He has accepted a position with Farm Credit Services of Mid-America in Washington Court House.
Katrina Swinehart, Agricultural and Extension Education, Lancaster, Ohio. She plans to attend graduate school to study Agricultural and Extension Education at Ohio State.
Shalie Terrill, Agricultural and Extension Education, Rushylvania, Ohio. She plans to teach high school agriculture.
Hannah Thompson, Agricultural Communication, Walkersville, Maryland. She has accepted a summer position with Charleston Orwig and will attend graduate school in agricultural communication at Ohio State.
Omar Turay, Agribusiness and Applied Economics, Chicago, Illinois. He has accepted a position as Operations Associate with Cargill in Springdale, Arkansas.
Kayla Weaver, Agricultural Communication, Upper Sandusky, Ohio. She plans to enter the communications or public relations industry focusing on producer and consumer interactions.
Lynn Wischmeyer, Food Science and Nutrition, Ottawa, Ohio. She has accepted a position as a product development technology associate with Nestle in Solon, Ohio.
New Australia Study Abroad Program Explores Human-Environment Connections
Ohio State students interested in the unique natural and human diversity of the "Land Down Under" now have a chance to explore it first-hand thanks to the School of Environment and Natural Resources (SENR).
Offered for the first time at the university, the "Sustaining Societies and the Natural Environment" study abroad program will take students on a three-and-a-half-week tour of Far Northeast Queensland, Australia--a region that boasts year-round tropical climate and some of the most diverse and remarkable natural resources in the Southern Hemisphere.
Hosted by American Universities International Programs (AUIP), the trip portion of the program runs from June 23 through July 16. Before leaving for Australia, students attend two orientation seminars and complete several reading and essay assignments.
"Australia is a very nice environment for students to learn about sustainability and the impacts of interactions between humans and natural resources," said SENR Director Ron Hendrick, who became familiar with the AUIP program while working at the University of Georgia. "You can learn about traditional Aboriginal and modern perspectives, all in one place."
The program has been very well received, Hendrick said. Organizers expected 15 students to sign up, but the number of requests has reached 30--and a few more have been put on a waiting list.
"Not only will students be thrown into a new culture and environment, but they will gain an in-depth understanding about the people and places as they experience them," said Jennifer Sherry, a graduate student and teaching associate of Eric Toman, an SENR assistant professor who will be leading the trip. "In some cases they will even be contributing to human communities or natural ecosystems through service projects and assisting local researchers. I think this will enhance their experience and draw more connections to a place that might initially seem very different and far from home."
Learn more about study abroad opportunities at http://cfaes.osu.edu/studyabroad.
--By Mauricio Espinoza
Internship Gives Jump-Start on Career
Katie Soehnlen is a "quality" student.
This summer, the third-year food business management student has an internship with Land O'Lakes in Kent, Ohio, focusing on quality assurance in the plant and the lab.
Soehnlen, whose father and grandfather are both food scientists, always knew she wanted a career in the food business.
"I've always looked at food labels, not necessarily for the nutrition information, but just to see what's listed in the ingredients." She's the rare consumer who can decipher much of the alphabet soup common in ingredients listings and who can use that information to assess the quality of the product.
Soehnlen got a jump-start on her career plans right after high school, when she took a summer job on the line at Superior Dairy in her hometown of Canton.
"Then they needed someone in quality assurance, and I realized that I like making sure everything is working right."
During a food science class she took this year on HACCP principles (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points), she and other students developed a food safety/quality assurance plan for a fictitious apple juice company. Such coursework makes her feel well prepared for her field, she said.
Soehnlen combed listings on the college's Hireabuckeye service and attended college-sponsored career fairs to find an internship this summer. "Land O'Lakes happened to be at a career fair, and then I got an e-mail from them saying they were looking at my resume. I found a whole bunch of opportunities, but this was really a good fit."
CFAES recognizes how important internships can be for a student's success. In fact, all CFAES students must complete an internship as a requirement for graduation. "Internships give our students the practical experience they need for the job market, helping them be more prepared professionally and making them more attractive to potential employers," says Adam Cahill, CFAES career development coordinator.
--By Martha Filipic
