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Mar

“The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.” -Disney

March 16th, 2012

Suzie McMullen

Agricultural Education

Warsaw, OH

“Owens Wins Gold” on the back of a newspaper would stand out in nobody’s mind while riding Space Ship Earth in Disney World an attraction that takes your from 40,000 years ago till modern time. Nobody that is except a group of Ohio State CFEAS Ambassadors. This year I had the opportunity to participate in the 2012 College Ambassador Leadership Summit that was held in Orlando, Florida. This summit brought together students from all over the country from colleges such as University of Kentucky, University of Florida, Auburn University, Texas Tech, and University of Arizona. While there we toured Gaylord Palms a resort center with greenhouses that depict ecosystems from all over the world. Inside the hotel they had a lake with a boat as well as alligators. We visited Apopka Mid-Florida Research and Education Center which is much like our Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center. On Valentine’s Day we went to Brothers Orchids and learned about all that goes into growing and marketing orchids in the United States. We participated leadership workshops presented by some of the University of Florida’s graduate students that focused on Authentic Leadership and finding our True North. Of course while in Orlando we had to go to Disney World, however, it wasn’t your typical day at Disney. We got to take part in the Disney YES Leadership Program where we discovered that in order to be a leader you must serve others.

Which takes us to my favorite part of the trip; Give Kids the World is a place where children with terminal diseases can come and experience the magic of Disney as they stay at the resort center and receive free passes to all of the Disney parks. Its founder, Henri Landwirth, was a holocaust survivor, an Army Veteran, and an hotelier who was inspired by a girl named Amy. Amy had leukemia and her one wish was to go to Disney World. Henri was asked to have her stay in his hotel and he graciously agreed, but unfortunately Amy passed away before he could fulfill her wish. He vowed to never let another child down and Give Kids the World was born. When you arrive you feel like you are walking into a movie with a life size gingerbread house and carousel. While there we volunteered and helped with some of the upkeep of the facility. CFAES is filled with so many opportunities and I am so grateful for having the chance to take them. “Life’s not a spectator sport. If watchin’ is all you’re gonna do, then you’re gonna watch your life go by without ya.” -The Hunchback of Notre Dame

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Feb

Global Research

February 27th, 2012

Elizabeth Roche
Biological Engineering
Westerville, OH

This summer I was lucky to receive an international internship in El Batán, Mexico working for CIMMYT (International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center) in the plant pathology laboratory. It was an amazing experience, learning so much about pathology, Mexican culture, language, and global hunger. One of my jobs in the lab was seed germination test of seeds inoculated with Septoria nodorum. I found the levels of resistance and susceptibility in different varieties of seeds. This experiment shows that planting infected seed, will likely result in infected plants and high yield loss. This helps to define which seeds are most resistant to Septoria nodorum will eventually help farmers to plant varieties of wheat that will be resistant to infection and lower yield loss to help to feed more people. While in Mexico I visited many places, including Mexico City, Teploltzlan, Puebla, and Toluca. On my final weekend of Mexico, I visited the pyramids of Teotihuacan. They were huge Aztec pyramis dedicated to the sun and moon gods. They were impressive, and a steep climb to the top. But from the top you could see a beautiful view of the city below. My experiences in Mexico helped me to appreciate how lucky I am. I come from a privileged family in the United States, and have never had to face hunger. Working at CIMMYT helped to develop my desire to learn more about the global food supply and the effects that plant disease have on our food. My internship in Mexico helped me to contribute a small amount to global research to help stop food insecurity and feed more people. When I grow older I want to continue to research, study and contribute to help expand the global food supply and prevent huger.

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Research

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Feb

Honors Isn’t Just for Nerds

February 22nd, 2012

Stephanie Verhoff
Sustainable Plant Systems Agronomy Specialization
Kalida, Ohio

The Honors Program–an opportunity for Ohio State students to take thought-provoking classes and to gain not only research experience, but also access to scholarships, study abroad trips, and much MUCH more! Yet when future or even current Buckeyes hear “Honors” they may envision suspender-wearing students performing research on lab rats in their spare time. However, I can testify that being part of the Honors and Scholars network at Ohio State is a great way to become more involved, meet new people, and most importantly enrich your undergraduate academic experience. For instance, honors students have the chance to take honors classes in a variety of subjects. These classes are taught by select faculty members and offer smaller classes of only 20 students. Last year I took an honors writing course that soon became my favorite class thus far. It offered a unique combination of class discussion and faculty involvement that enabled me to become more engaged in the course and actually enjoy writing papers. The Honors Program has even led me to my current job with Dr. Allison Snow’s Plant Population Genetics Lab in the Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology. Acquiring hands on experience has strengthened my desire to continue my education in graduate school and pursue a career in research someday. All of this and more is why I’m glad that I joined the Honors Program and why you should too! For more information go to http://honors-scholars.osu.edu and learn more about what Honors and Scholars has to offer.

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Class Experiences

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Feb

Script Ohio On Ice

February 17th, 2012

Mike Hannewald
Sustainable Plant Systems
Waterville, OH

This year, Ohio State is celebrating the 75th Anniversary of one of its greatest traditions: Script Ohio. In what has become an icon of our university, members of TBDBITL (the marching band) take time at the beginning of every home football game to organize themselves into the memorable O-H-I-O. And of course, there’s always the honor given to one of the senior sousaphone players, the chance to “dot the i.”

But in more recent years, this tradition has expanded beyond the turf of Ohio Stadium. On January 15th, the Ohio State University Athletic Band traveled to Cleveland for the Frozen Diamond Face-Off, an outdoor hockey game in which the Buckeyes faced our greatest rival, the Michigan Wolverines. During the first intermission of the game, myself and nearly 300 others marched down onto the ice of the arena to perform “Script Ohio on Ice” for over 25,000 fans in attendance. You can check out a video of us performing at: http://tinyurl.com/tbdbitlonice.

The Athletic Band is a band of about 300 members who perform at various events such as basketball and hockey games. It’s made up of all kinds of students with many different majors. Many of them are also in the marching band, but most of them, like me, are a part of the band just because they like to have fun making music and cheering on the buckeyes. I really enjoy playing my trumpet, and the athletic band gives me the opportunity to perform without the major time commitment that is required to be a part of the marching band. Plus, I had the opportunity to be a part of “The Incomparable” Script Ohio!

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Student Life

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Feb

Jambo, Kenya!

February 6th, 2012

Amy Frost
Bloomingburg, OH
Agriscience Education

“It’s our problem free philosophy, hakuna matata!” Most students can look back at their childhood memories and reminisce on the lessons learned while watching one of Disney’s legendary movies, “The Lion King.” I had the opportunity to explore the African landscape that inspired “The Lion King” story through an internship last summer.

I received an invitation from Dr. Dennis Garrity, Director General of the World Agroforestry Centre and alumnus of The Ohio State University (OSU) to intern at the World Agrofroestry Centre in Nairobi, Kenya for eight weeks. This experience changed my life as I worked to educate primary school students on an agricultural technique termed “agroforestry” through the development of curriculum; presentation of lesson plans; interviews with students, teachers and parents; and analysis of research. During my time in Kenya my fellow interns and I visited 10 rural, primary schools and interacted with over 700 students!

Meeting the students was the highlight of this internship! Almost all primary students were fluent in three languages, walked miles to and from school, and ate nothing more than boiled corn and beans for lunch. To American students this definitely isn’t a, “problem free philosophy,” but they were thankful for everything they had.

During this experience I learned pieces of Swahili such as jambo (hello) and hakuna matata (no worries), I learned that I have a passion for international agricultural education, and, most importantly, the Kenyan students taught me to be genuinely thankful for all the blessings and opportunities that come from being an American and a student at OSU!

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Internships

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Jan

Now or Never

January 30th, 2012

Sierra Cousineau
Agribusiness and Applied Economics
Temperance, Michigan

Should I go? Should I stay? These thoughts might cross your mind as you consider summer employment and internship opportunities. I am glad I decided to go and not stay. This past summer with an internship in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, I gained insight into the world of a Farm Marketer for Cargill Ag Horizons. Learning about the industry, the company, and myself was an invaluable experience I would not trade.

It was a scary thought to be 840 miles from my family and 920 miles away from my school and friends but it was something I was willing to do for some adventure and excitement. South Dakota, exciting? Yes, it sure was exciting. I shadowed experienced Farm Marketers, Personal Marketers, and Crop Insurance Agents in their sales calls and farm visits. Let me tell you, the farms in South Dakota are beautiful. Eventually, I was on my own and prospecting and cold calling farmers. It was not the easiest thing to do and not all the farmers were all that happy to talk to me. The ones who were receptive and willing to chat more than made up for the ones who turned me away. All in all, it was an amazing summer.

So when you get the chance to intern farther away than you might like… do it! Push yourself, seek adventure in the unknown, and cast aside your fears. The reward is immeasurable. Now is the time to get out and go. Don’t hold yourself back.

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Internships

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Jan

Surprise Menagerie in São Paulo, Brazil

January 23rd, 2012

Drew Enigk

Animal Sciences

Cincinnati, OH

As I stepped out of the São Paulo-Guarulhos International Airport in Brazil, the sun completely enveloped me with its warmth. Before boarding the charter bus, we met our hosts for the upcoming week of travel. The delegations from Rutgers University and the University of Porto arrived later that evening, and we ate dinner at a nice restaurant called Pizzaria Veridiana.
The next morning, I received a tour of the University of São Paulo’s veterinary campus.
I first met with a veterinarian who had acquired her DVM degree at the Ohio State University. It was nice being able to speak with her about the differences between the São Paulo and Ohio State veterinary campuses. One striking difference that I noticed was that the waiting room at the veterinary hospital in São Paulo was outdoors.
After speaking with the veterinarian and a few other members of the academic administration, my host took me to another section of the veterinary campus to meet several graduate students, and then to the Museu de Anatomia Veterinária (veterinary anatomy museum). The museum was actually closed during the time that I was on campus, but the veterinarian was so generous that she had arranged in advance for it to be open exclusively for my visit! This museum was definitely one of the highlights of my trip. I was able to observe mounted skeletons of a wide variety of animals, including a lion, tiger, orca, capybara, hippopotamus, elephant, rhinoceros, camel, ostrich, chimpanzee, bat, and giraffe.

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Study Abroad

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Jan

“Research… Not Just for Graduate Students”

January 20th, 2012

Kati Stevens
Springfield, Ohio
Animal Science

Being an Honors student at OSU has its obvious perks such as scheduling classes early and having the opportunity to take more challenging courses, but the biggest perk is the opportunity to participate in undergraduate research. The opportunity to partake in undergraduate research and my Undergraduate Research Experience Internship through the Department of Animal Sciences opened my eyes to the world of research and introduced me to the idea of graduate school.

As a research assistant, I have already conducted one dairy nutrition research trial and have recently started a new one. There is excitement in research. The uncertainty of results, the spontaneity of the animals that you work with, and the discovery of new and industry important methods is a rewarding adventure to say the least. My Honors research project focuses on the effects of feeding two different types of cottonseed to 11 lactating dairy cows. It is a bit overwhelming at times to be responsible for a project of this scale as an undergraduate student, but I love every minute I spend working with my lovely Jersey ladies.

The best part of my undergraduate research experiences was being able to work with my mentor and research advisor Dr. Maurice Eastridge, Professor Animal Sciences. From these experiences I learned I aspire to be a university professor after I retire from practicing Food-Animal Veterinary Medicine. I encourage all undergraduate students to participate in some form of research, and I hope to continue mine as a graduate student in Dairy Nutrition.

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Research

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Jan

“Paddling towards a Greener Future”

January 19th, 2012

Max Downen
Belleville, Illinois
Parks, Recreation, and Tourism

Wouldn’t it be nice to get paid for doing what you absolutely love to do? I usually hate to brag, but I was lucky enough to do just that this past summer while working as a paddling instructor at YMCA Storer Camps. Day in and day out, I had the opportunity to teach youth from across the globe how to kayak, canoe, and conserve. Applying my major of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism couldn’t have been any more interesting, eye opening, or exciting. Believe it or not, being outside on the water for the entirety of the summer and getting paid for it wasn’t the best part. No… something else ranks leaps and bounds higher than that: getting to share my passion and instill a love for the environment in children from all different walks of life. It’s hard to explain: seeing that spark in a child’s mind when they realize how important it is that we take care of our natural resources. Being able to ignite that spark through paddling and outdoor recreation by using the leadership skills and knowledge that I gained at OSU was incredibly rewarding. As we near the arguably, most challenging era of natural resource management, inspiring our youth to value the environment might just need to be a top priority. After all, if the leaders of tomorrow aren’t interested in nature or the outdoors, who will be the planet’s caretakers, when Earth, our only home, needs them more than ever?

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Internships

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Jan

Como Se Fala…Great Experience!

January 13th, 2012

Kevin Jacque
Animal Science
Nankin, Ohio

Often when I was young, I thought about exploring the world like my favorite hero, Indiana Jones, rescuing damsels, flying over the desert, and combating enemies. While that didn’t come true, I certainly had a comparable experience on my study abroad to Brazil during Winter Quarter 2011.
Just as many past members of Alpha Zeta Partners, all 20 students and our advisor boarded a plane bound for São Paulo, Brasil early in January. We arrived in Brasil with great excitement and soon the digital cameras where flashing away. That was just the beginning of a great time.
Over the next six weeks, I encountered many new phenomena, including Pão de Queijo (a Brasilian cheese bread), cafezinha (a coffee break), two hour lunch breaks, and eight hour class days. I didn’t understand the language. I didn’t understand all the traffic circles. I didn’t understand why water wasn’t free at a restaurant. But all that didn’t matter, because while I might have been slowly interpreting our guides’ prompts and directions, I was diversifying and expanding my knowledge of life.
Now, I was only in Brasil for six weeks, but I learned a great deal more about myself, than I did the country. I learned what it means to be a part of something bigger than your class schedule and making club meetings. I learned what it means to be human and to experience life. My study abroad took me there, but I made it into what I could use for a lifetime.

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Study Abroad

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