BGSU AVIATION STUDENT CREATES INTERNSHIP WITH MERCY HEALTH LIFE FLIGHT
> Historic “Certified Mental Health Assistant” program created by NEOMED signed into law
> Student Spaceflight Experiments Program gives Ohio University students a chance to reach for the stars
> University of Cincinnati Blue Ash students are developing new sound bulb technology
> BGSU aviation student collaborates with local business leader to create internship at Mercy Health Life Flight Network in Toledo
> Belmont College students flying high with drone piloting course
Photo: The University of Toledo
A Message from Chancellor Mike Duffey
A new year finds an ever-evolving landscape in higher education, but one constant amidst the change is the creativity demonstrated by our campuses as they engage their students in workforce opportunities, whether apprenticeships, internships, or other learn-and-earn models.
In this issue of ConnectED, you’ll learn how one student at Bowling Green State University helped develop an internship for future aviation professionals with help from a regional business leader. There’s news about a new program at NEOMED designed to address the shortage of behavioral health workers, and a course at Belmont College for students looking to become drone pilots. You’ll also learn how visually impaired students can benefit from research at the University of Cincinnati’s Blue Ash campus.
Higher education remains an important part of the American Dream for many Ohioans, and these kinds of partnerships are key to maximizing opportunity for every student. Collaborations between the Statehouse and the classroom and the workplace truly make us all more ConnectED and help move our great state forward.
IN THIS ISSUE:
Historic “Certified Mental Health Assistant” program created by NEOMED signed into law
New program aims to address Ohio's mental health workforce shortage
Student Spaceflight Experiments Program gives Ohio University students a chance to reach for the stars
Students' experiment investigates plant growth in space for future astronaut food sources
Researching ways to help sight-impaired students ‘hear’ the light
UC Blue Ash students are developing new sound bulb technology
BGSU aviation student collaborates with local business leader to create internship at Mercy Health Life Flight Network in Toledo
Historic “Certified Mental Health Assistant” program created by Northeast Ohio Medical University signed into law
Northeast Ohio Medical University (NEOMED) applauds the decision by Ohio Governor Mike DeWine to sign legislation creating a new profession to meet the mental health care needs of communities across the state. The Certified Mental Health Assistant (CMHA) graduate degree program, developed by NEOMED, addresses the workforce shortage of mental health professionals.
“This is a historic endeavor that will ultimately save lives,” said NEOMED President John Langell, M.D., Ph.D., M.P.H., M.B.A. “Certified Mental Health Assistants will transform the landscape of mental health treatment by providing greater access to care.”
Governor DeWine signed Senate Bill 95 into law on January 8, 2025.
State Senator Theresa Gavarone (R-Bowling Green) has championed legislation to initiate a Certified Mental Health Assistant educational program since 2022.
“Ohio is leading the nation by creating this first-of-its-kind profession,” said Senator Gavarone. “We hope this new program grows the workforce in this critical field and helps address our mental health crisis by providing access to care for all people in every corner of our state.”
Photo credit:
“Certified Mental Health Assistants will transform the landscape of mental health treatment by providing greater access to care.”
– Dr. John Langell President of Northeast Ohio Medical University
A CMHA will work exclusively under the supervision of a physician who will make the original diagnosis. The CMHA will carry out the treatment plan as prescribed by the physician.
According to the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration, Ohio has 138 Mental Health Professional Shortage Areas and 16 Ohio counties are currently listed as Mental Health Professional Shortage Areas.
“Several years ago, NEOMED pioneered an innovative solution to tackle Ohio’s mental health workforce crisis, which led to the creation of CMHAs. Through a strong partnership with Senator Gavarone and other key legislative leaders, we worked tirelessly to bring this vision to life. Together, we developed a transformative program designed to make a lasting impact on the well-being of Ohioans,” Dr. Langell said. “We understand that your mental health matters.”
Student Spaceflight Experiments Program gives Ohio University students a chance to reach for the stars
Gabriel Scotto APG Media
A team of Ohio University students has designed an experiment that will be sent to the International Space Station.
Undergraduate students Lara Fogwell and Cat Gavin, along with recent Ohio University graduate Jake Magula, conducted research investigating the effects of spaceflight on watercress germination, attempting to see how the plant would grow in microgravity.
“By examining watercress germinated and grown both on the ISS and here on Earth, we hope to see whether this plant could prove to be a viable option as a food source for astronauts in the future,” Fogwell explained.
Fogwell, Gavin, and Magula’s experiment was one of 21 selected for the Student Spaceflight Experiments Program Mission 19 to the International Space Station.
The Student Spaceflight Experiments Program is a creation of the National Center for Earth and Space Science Education, which creates and oversees national science education programs focused on Earth and space science.
According to the Student Spaceflight Experiments Program, 9,800 students from grades 5-12 and university undergraduates were expected to participate. In addition to students from the United States, students from Canada, Ukraine, Portugal, and Brazil also participated.
Photo by Ben Wirtz Siegel
“Not only does SSEP provide an accessible opportunity for students to conduct space science, but it also equips students with resources and the space to design their unique projects,” Teacher Facilitator Remington N. Burwell said. “I hope that SSEP is here to stay so more students can have the amazing opportunity to say they personally designed an experiment and had it flown in space.”
At present, Ohio University and Kent State are the only two universities in Ohio that participate in the Student Spaceflight Experiments Program.
Sarah Wyatt, a professor of environmental plant biology at Ohio University, is director of the Student Spaceflight Experiments Program at OU.
“We have students from all across campus. They’re not just scientists. We have students from engineering and business and English and from all across campus,” Wyatt said. “They work in teams. We divide them up into teams and they have a (graduate student) facilitator. We typically have 10 teams.”
Wyatt’s interest in space exploration began when she was a child. Wyatt grew up watching episodes of the cult science fiction show “Star Trek” and decided she wanted to become an astronaut after her 11th birthday, when NASA landed a man on the moon.
While Wyatt didn’t grow up to become an astronaut, she became involved with NASA during the mid-1990s and has sent five experiments to the International Space Station. Wyatt first became aware of the Student Spaceflight Experiments Program through a student, before then-provost Elizabeth Sayrs reached out to Wyatt and asked if she would be interested in overseeing the program.
“I wrote a proposal to (the National Center for Earth and Space Science Education) detailing all the material that they wanted to know and they accepted us into the program,” Wyatt explained. “Then I started rounding up colleagues to help me.”
One of the people Wyatt got involved in the program was Corey Beck, a theoretical chemist and assistant professor at Ohio University. Beck, who previously worked as a rocket fuels chemist at Vanderberg Space Force Base in Santa Barbara County, California, serves as outreach coordinator for the program.
Sarah Wyatt, a professor of environmental plant biology at Ohio University, is director of the Student Spaceflight Experiments Program at OU. Wyatt has also been involved with NASA since 1996 and has sent five experiments to the International Space Station.
Gabriel Scotto APG Media
In his capacity as outreach coordinator, Beck was responsible for the Student Spaceflight Experiments Program Patch Design Competition, which is a collaboration between the Ohio Valley Museum of Discovery and the Ohio University Student Spaceflights Experiment Program.
Beck says his goal as outreach coordinator is to grow the program at Ohio University and engage and collaborate more with other universities and organizations. He also encourages the community to stay involved and support the program’s efforts to inspire the next generation of scientists.
“I want to help build out the outreach, because it is important to talk to the kids at a young age. If we can get them at a young age to do the patch design, then when they’re in high school, they can become the judges. When they’re in college, they can be in the program,” Beck said. “We’ve got a nice pipeline for keeping the students in the sciences and, with this program, all the way from kindergarten through college.”
Nathan Smith, an Ohio University senior majoring in field ecology, was part of a team of OU students that designed an experiment for the Student Spaceflight Experiments Program Mission 18 to the International Space Station last year. Smith recommends the program to OU students for its resume-building experience and real-world applications. He advises students who are interested to be open to new ideas, to show up and put in the effort to succeed in the program.
“It’s a good resume-building experience, along with having to be put in a real-world situation where you have strict deadlines and you’re not going to get that from a regular class. You might have to give a presentation in a normal class, but those skills are not the same as what you’ll go through SSEP with,” Smith said.
About SSEP
The Student Spaceflight Experiments Program [or just “SSEP”] is a program of the National Center for Earth and Space Science Education (NCESSE) in the U.S. and the Arthur C. Clarke Institute for Space Education internationally. It is enabled through a strategic partnership with Nanoracks, LLC, which is working with NASA under a Space Act Agreement as part of the utilization of the International Space Station as a National Laboratory.
On Nov. 4, Ohio University students sent an experiment to the International Space Station as part of the Student Spaceflight Experiments Program’s Mission 18. The next mission will take place in spring 2025.
Photo Ohio University
Researching ways to help sight-impaired students ‘hear’ the light
UC Blue Ash students are developing new sound bulb technology
Two students at the University of Cincinnati Blue Ash are conducting research on new technology that could be a breakthrough for anyone who is blind or visually impaired.
Mayumi and Richard Chinchihualpa are siblings who are both pursuing engineering degrees. Mayumi is focusing on biomedical engineering with an interest in neuroscience, while Richard is studying for a career in aerospace engineering.
They are using their education and skills to collaborate with Dean Stocker, PhD, professor of physics at UC Blue Ash, in solving an accessibility opportunity that has been identified in physics labs.
“In my physics lectures I have occasionally had students who are blind or visually impaired,” said Stocker. “We found ways to make the lecture work for them, but it really made me wonder what would happen if I had a sight-impaired student in a lab.”
Stocker uses lightbulbs for experiments where students look to see how bright the bulb is as the voltage increases or decreases. This is not an effective process for visually impaired students, so he began playing with the idea of replacing the light bulb with something that makes sound.
A fellow UC Blue Ash professor, Natalia Darling, reached out to Mayumi as an exceptional student
Siblings Mayumi and Richard Chinchihualpa make updates to a circuit board with Professor Dean Stocker, PhD, working at the 1819 Innovation Hub.
with an interest in engineering and let her know what Stocker was trying to accomplish. She began working with him to research and test potential solutions, but they struggled to find the answer. They needed something that could replicate the gradual increase and decrease in light that a change in voltage generates. They needed to change the light bulb into a sound bulb.
After designing a simple circuit based around a microchip and creating a few prototypes, they recruited Richard into the project. He developed a prototype 3-D printed enclosure for the circuit board, worked with Mayumi on more prototypes and made several revisions. The group is using the MakerSpace and 3-D printers at UC’s 1819 Innovation Hub as they develop a version that could provide the solution. “It works and it works well,” said Mayumi.
Stocker says he is amazed by the progress Mayumi and Richard have made in researching and testing this new technology.
“Mayumi impressed me right from the start, doing a literature search in which she found relevant publications that I had not discovered. Richard has impressed me especially with his understanding of the circuitry, and the 3-D printed enclosures that he has designed and refined through multiple revisions,” Stocker said.
The students have presented their work at several conferences and will soon be published. Their manuscript was recently accepted for publication by The Physics Teacher, a peer-reviewed journal that features papers on physics research. It is also being submitted by the university for a U.S. provisional patent application.
“Working on this project has been a rewarding learning experience that aligns with my aim to serve as a bridge in my field and community,” said Mayumi. “Having the chance to work closely with the UC Blue Ash staff, guided by Professor Darling and mentored
by Professor Stocker, has continually shown me how supportive and encouraging this campus community is.”
Richard adds that he appreciates the opportunity to apply engineering design thinking in a real-world context.
“This project provided me with foundational research experience and strengthened my leadership and technical skills, especially through designing and testing a 3D-printed case, given that one of our biggest challenges was trying to balance accessibility with affordability,” said Richard.
Next steps in the project will be testing the new technology with students. The plan is to build enough prototypes that they can be swapped for light bulbs in an actual physics lab. Richard will help lead this work as part of his Honors program experience and will be comparing student understanding in the lab groups using light bulbs and sound bulbs.
(L to R) Richard Chinchihualpa, Mayumi Chinchihualpa, and Professor Dean Stocker.
BGSU aviation student creates internship with Mercy Health Life Flight
Partnership to provide hands-on experience for future aviation professionals
As an aviation student at Bowling Green State University, senior Mohamed Abbas takes classes on the mechanics of flying and spends significant time putting his knowledge to practice in the sky.
In addition, students in the flight technology and operations specialization at BGSU learn about the business side of aviation, ensuring they graduate prepared for various careers in the industry.
For Abbas, his business aviation course not only broadened his knowledge, but also led to him securing an internship at Mercy Health Life Flight Network in Toledo, which he was integral in creating.
“I’m so grateful for this opportunity,” said Abbas, who works part-time as an administrative intern for the regional healthcare organization while completing his senior year at BGSU. “I have been able to apply so much of what I learned in the business aviation course directly to this internship.”
The opportunity arose from the relationship Abbas built with the course’s instructor, Douglas Wattoff, the president and director of operations for Mercy Health Life Flight Network, and reinforces the importance of connections
BGSU builds with regional and global organizations to bolster student success.
Partnership success
Mercy Health Life Flight Network's relationship with BGSU, which initially began with Wattoff taking on a role as an adjunct professor, is an expansion of the university’s existing and longstanding partnership with Mercy Health.
“Beyond establishing this internship, we have an opportunity to continue finding other ways to work together to serve our communities,” Wattoff said.
The BGSU aviation program is one of the largest in the United States and exemplifies the University’s commitment to partnerships. The aviation program, through its longstanding public-private partnerships with North Star Companies and Republic Airways, provides students with the most modern technology and a workforce pathway to careers in aviation.
During the business aviation course, Abbas said he was captivated by Wattoff’s teaching style and ability to connect course material to his decades of experience in aviation, both as a pilot and successful business owner.
BGSU senior Mohamed Abbas is gaining invaluable experience for his future in aviation as an intern at Mercy Health Life Flight Network. (BGSU photo/Craig Bell)
Original story by Laren Kowalczyk
With a desire to learn even more from Wattoff, Abbas inquired about completing an internship at Mercy Health Life Flight Network. No such program or position was in place, but Wattoff encouraged Abbas to explore options for creating one.
“I learned so much in the class he taught, and I wanted the opportunity to work with and learn from Mr. Wattoff professionally,” Abbas said. “I have aspirations of one day becoming a chief pilot, which combines flying and business. Getting this experience will help me achieve my dream.”
Creating an internship
Empowered by his BGSU education and ambitious attitude, Abbas spent this past summer tracking down the necessary paperwork and grant funding for Wattoff to establish the internship.
“As an entrepreneur, I understand and appreciate someone who is also an entrepreneur,” Wattoff said. “Mohamed did all the work on his own. He created the idea for this initiative. When you have individuals willing to put in that kind of work to create something valuable to them, that should be celebrated.”
Abbas began the internship at the start of the fall 2024 semester and will continue working at Mercy Health Life Flight Network through spring 2025, shortly before he graduates in May.
Wattoff said Abbas has been a welcome addition to the team and is gaining a range of experience in aviation administration.
“I tell students all the time that aviation is our craft,” Wattoff said. “We must be subject-matter experts in the business of aviation, not just as pilots flying the plane but in all the operational aspects that ensure these businesses function smoothly. This internship is providing Mohmaed an opportunity to see that up close.”
Mohamed Abbas, right, collaborated with Douglas Wattoff, left, to create an internship at Mercy Health Life Flight Network. (BGSU photo/Craig Bell)
Belmont College students flying high with drone piloting course
Belmont College students have the opportunity to take to the skies via a drone piloting course that will prepare them for an exam to receive a drone operating credential.
Belmont College is offering a 13-week drone piloting course. This course is considered to be a step toward achieving the FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate. The course will prepare students with the skills and knowledge they need to pass the FAA Part 107 exam, which will give them the credentials to operate a commercial drone.
Drone operation can be helpful in many different careers, according to the college, including aerial photography, inspection, surveillance, or mapping.
The course is being offered through the college’s Workforce and Community Education Department and taught by Robert McAninch, who is a retired Black Hawk Army pilot.
Simulators and other devices on which students can practice will be used in the course.
This class prepares students to take the exam and for the many opportunities of drone operation, Keith Kaczor, director of industrial trades, said. He said the world is changing with unmanned technology and Uber will be using unmanned taxis to pick people up at airports, so technology is advancing.
“It will benefit just about any industry,” Kaczor said. “Whether you’re in real estate, you want to take videos or pictures of real estate properties, anybody that’s in
industry like insurance that wants to record damage done to property or anything like that. … These vehicles can fly up and take a look at everything that’s going around.”
Even the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning industry will be using drones to look at roofs after a storm.
Kaczor said many new drones will be equipped to look at gas wells that have been abandoned and will be able to locate natural gas coming out of the ground. The person flying the drone can then mark the locations on a GIS map, and someone can go in and cap them so they don’t release gas into the atmosphere.
Kaczor said this course is just one step and part of a program the college is trying to build. It’s the first step toward an aviation program that Belmont College wants to have in the future.
Belmont College is partnering with Unmanned Safety Institute (USI) to offer the course and training. Kaczor and Belmont College’s staff wanted to bring this class to the college because many high schools in the area have offered drone programs and Belmont wants to start building on that foundation.
Kaczor added that there is a need for drone operators in the Ohio Valley because drones can help people in many ways, such as deploying them to find lost animals in the neighborhood, for real estate sales, and to monitor gas lines.
According to UAV Coach, a drone training, education, and news agency, an individual will need an FAA-issued Part 107 Certificate to start piloting commercial drones in the United States.
Belmont College Director of Industrial Trades Keith Kaczor discusses the school’s new drone piloting course.
A special thank you to all of those who contributed stories and articles:
Historic “Certified Mental Health Assistant” program created by NEOMED signed into law
Tonya Strong-Charles | Chief Marketing Officer | Northeast Ohio Medical University
Student Spaceflight Experiments Program gives Ohio University students a chance to reach for the stars
Gabriel Scotto | The Athens Messenger
Sarah Wyatt | Director of the Student Spaceflight Experiments Program | Ohio University
Ben Wirtz Siegel | Photography Supervisor | Ohio University
Researching ways to help sight-impaired students ‘hear’ the light
Pete Gemmer | Director, Marketing/Communications | UC Blue Ash College
BGSU aviation student collaborates with local business leader to create internship at Mercy Health Life Flight Network in Toledo
Laren Kowalczyk | Content Strategist | Bowling Green State University
Craig Bell | Photography Director | Bowling Green State University
Belmont College students flying high with drone piloting course
Keith Kaczor | Director of Industrial Trades | Belmont College
Josie Burkhart | The Intelligencer
Thanks for reading ConnectED. If you have any story suggestions, links to articles of interest, or news releases to share, feel free to send them to Jeff Robinson at jrobinson@highered.ohio.gov.
