ConnectED - Spring 2017

STATE FUNDING SPARKS UNIVERSITY RESEARCH TO SOLVE LAKE ERIE HARMFUL ALGAE PROBLEM

INSIDE:

Spring 2017

> Ohio Insurance Industry Teams with Higher Education to Close Talent Gap > Nursing Student Looks to “Make a Difference” in the Community > Miami University’s Armstrong Institute for Interactive Media Studies > The Applied History Program at Youngstown State University

Volume 5 Issue 2

Photo: Kent State University SPRING 2017

3 Spring is an exciting time for universities across Ohio, as students prepare for graduation and look forward to starting their first “real” jobs. As you will see in this issue of ConnectED, many students — including those involved in an innovative program at Miami University — will be ready to contribute on their first day of work.

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Others will be ready to bring history to life thanks to their preparation in Youngstown State University’s applied history program and work at the Youngstown Historical Center of Industry and Labor (YHCIL). The museum offers practical experience to students interested in collection management, exhibit design, and archival work.

Still others will be working to solve more serious issues, such as reducing excess phosphorous and nitrogen in Lake Erie’s Sandusky Bay, the known cause of toxic algae blooms that have affected drinking water in the region.

Ohio’s two-year and four-year campuses are preparing the workforce of the future, and their students are preparing to become leaders in their communities. I hope you enjoy the stories we’ve selected for the spring issue of ConnectED. They represent the thousands of ways that higher education in Ohio is making a positive impact in our lives every day.

There’s certainly no shortage of passion, creativity, and excellence in the great state of Ohio.

John Carey Chancellor, Ohio Department of Higher Education

State Funding Sparks University Research to Solve Lake Erie Harmful Algae Problem

UT researcher highlights the importance of $2M in state funding for toxic algae bloom research

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Ohio Insurance Industry Teams with Higher Education to Close Talent Gap

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Nursing Student Looks to “Make a Difference” in the Community

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A partnership unlike any other in the country

A program at Ohio State is designed to help connect Nursing students to their surrounding communities Coming - Fall 2017

Miami University’s AIMS:

A convergence of technology, innovation, design, and, well, almost any other program

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The Applied History Program at Youngstown State University:

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Two Decades of Preservation and Education

• Bachelor’s

• Certificate

• Associate

• Multiple degrees SPRING 2017

4

University of Toledo researcher Dr. Tom Bridgeman, speaking at an event at the Bowling Green State University Firelands Campus near Sandusky, is the first to acknowledge the importance of $2 million in state funding for toxic algae bloom research.

“The state’s investment has grown exponentially with additional university matching funds, Sea Grant funding, and the human capital of researcher participation, including scores of student research projects,” Bridgeman said during his overview of algae bloom research efforts.

Bridgeman presented preliminary results of research efforts during one of several events in and around Sandusky as part of Governor John Kasich’s State of the State Address April 4.

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The Great Lakes water system represents the largest single source of fresh water in the world. According to Bridgeman, the algae blooms that have affected drinking water in Sandusky Bay have a multitude of potential causes, including agricultural practices and municipal water plant operations. The common problem? Excess nitrogen and phosphorous create favorable conditions for algae growth that produces toxins that affect human liver function and choke freshwater ecosystems and wildlife.

Bridgeman said that the potential harm to freshwater is not limited to the Great Lakes; traces of micro toxins from Sandusky Bay have been found downstream in the Mississippi River.

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Ohio State University, Case Western Reserve

phosphorus and nitrogen runoff from

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results, but efforts need to continue.

solid product through coagulation into a usable precipitate. Their research may

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Bridgeman said.

of liquid fertilizer from manure ponds is common practice. Nutrients from the liquid

Student research at the participating

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in production of commercially valuable

for experiential and innovative learning

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at BGSU, is emblematic of the student

reduce the adverse environmental impact of

research projects.

using manure as fertilizer.

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OHIO INSURANCE INDUSTRY TEAMS WITH HIGHER EDUCATION TO CLOSE TALENT GAP

By 2011, it had become clear that trouble was brewing in the Ohio insurance industry. Baby Boomers were retiring faster than jobs could be filled, making a future talent gap seem unavoidable for one of Ohio’s leading economic drivers.

That’s when Gov. John Kasich stepped in and challenged leaders of the state’s largest insurance companies to collaborate on a solution. What emerged was a partnership unlike any other in the country. Calling themselves the Insurance Industry Resource Council (IIRC), leaders of 13 Ohio-based insurance companies teamed up for a common goal: to get more Ohioans into insurance jobs.

“What we’ve built is a program unparalleled across the nation. We are competitors, and we have come together to solve a problem,” said Dave Kaufman, IIRC co-chair and president and CEO of Motorists Insurance Group. “The IIRC is a living example of what we want in our employees – collaboration, commitment, and intentional problem solving.

Our partnership with Ohio’s institutions of higher learning is now starting to move the needle.”

Ohio is home to 242 insurance companies, which together employed more than 104,000 in 2015 – 23 percent more than typical for an economy of Ohio’s size. In 2014, the industry contributed $20.8 billion to Ohio’s gross domestic product – nearly 40 percent more than would be expected for an economy of Ohio’s size.

Those numbers are cited in a 2016 IIRC study conducted by Regionomics, which also projected that the insurance talent gap will grow to about 29,000 by 2024 if employment trends continue.

Nearly three-quarters of that number are vacancies due to retirements.

While talent gap issues were already known in 2011, companies were working alone in trying to change misperceptions that hindered wider interest in insurance jobs – including the notion that most insurance jobs involve sales. It didn’t help that not a single Ohio college or university offered programs specific to insurance.

The IIRC, which has now grown to 17 companies and associations, decided it needed to do two things – change the industry’s image and create a talent pipeline.

The IIRC’s pipeline strategy has focused on collaborating with Ohio’s colleges and universities.

Today, nine campuses offer insurance programs: Bowling Green State University, Owens Community

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7 College, Ohio Northern University, Ohio Dominican University, Kent State University, Columbus State Community College, Clark State Community College, the University of Cincinnati, and Franklin University. The University of Akron will offer a new insurance program beginning this fall.

“Communication is the key to filling the pipeline, said Dr. Martina Peng, chair of the Accounting, Finance, and Economics Department at Franklin University. “Industry and education must come together frequently and consistently to ensure that education produces graduates that align to workforce needs. Students who enter the industry can make a big difference in the future – they have to first learn about the many career pathways available in the industry.”

In fact, insurance companies not only need actuaries and underwriters, but also those with investigative, forensic, math, legal, health, human resources, marketing, IT, and communication skills.

Additionally, insurance jobs are stable and pay an average of $70,000 a year – 35 percent higher than Ohio’s average private sector annual salary.

The IIRC’s strategy has focused on informing career-changers, veterans, and students of careers in insurance. In addition to sponsoring on-campus events, the IIRC built a jobsoriented website (http:// www.insuringohiofutures. com) that allows interested Ohioans to explore various

careers and the path it takes to qualify for them. The site also allows visitors to apply for open positions online.

“With strong support from the governor’s office and the Ohio Department of Insurance, the word is getting out,” said Carol Blaine, insurance program director at Ohio Dominican University. “We’re now taking our messages into high schools so students can start thinking about insurance careers early. The potential talent pool is vast, but the messages have to resonate, especially among young people.”

Carly Fortman is typical of young professionals who want a good career that makes a difference.

After graduating with a marketing degree from Bowling Green State University in 2011, Fortman worked in underwriting at Westfield Insurance before joining Central Insurance in her hometown of Van Wert in 2013. She now serves as Central’s learning development manager.

“I’m a millennial, so I want to help people,” she said.

“A lot of my friends are teachers or in healthcare.

But insurance also is all about helping people. A little over 10 years ago, there was a tornado in Van Wert.

The entire community was impacted. If it weren’t for insurance, we could never have rebuilt.”

THE IIRC IS FUNDED BY: Celina Insurance Group Central Mutual Insurance Company Grange Insurance Hylant Group Liberty Mutual Insurance Molina Healthcare of Ohio Motorists Insurance Group Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company Ohio Insurance Agents Association, Inc. Ohio Mutual Insurance Group State Auto Insurance Company of Ohio The Cincinnati Insurance Company Wayne Insurance Group Westfield Insurance

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Nursing Student Looks to “Make a Difference” in the Community

By Stephanie Wise

The Ohio State University

When talking to Morgan Ciehanski, a thirdyear honors nursing student at The Ohio State University, it is easy to pick up on the zeal she has for her area of study. She is involved both in and out of the classroom, making sure to keep her plate full with admirable activities and events.

What drew Ciehanski to nursing was the impact that she could have on people in everyday life. She spoke about how she is indecisive, and the decision to pursue nursing was something with which she had to battle.

THAT’S WHAT I WANT OUT OF LIFE - TO MAKE AN IMPACT. “When I was trying to decide between majors, I couldn’t decide between nursing and business. I felt like when I truly sat down and went through what I want out of life, I thought I could touch more people or influence more people through nursing then I could through business, and that’s what I want out of life - to make an impact. Nursing to me was more important in that aspect,” Ciehanski said.

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Associate Professor of Clinical Nursing Elizabeth Fitzgerald said she was pleased to have Ciehanski become one of her honors students. Fitzgerald, along with Professor of Clinical Nursing Barbara Warren and Clinical Instructor of Practice Deborah Dawson, helps run the Making a Difference program, a community-university partnership that seeks to address health issues on the near east side of Columbus.

“When the program first started, (the program founders) wanted to make a difference on the near east side of Columbus, in the Mount Vernon area, and they identified that in the African-American community a good place to do that was barbershops.

That is a good place to be to kind of get the pulse of the community, and a wonderful place to be able to screen for high blood sugar and high blood pressure,” said Fitzgerald. “Stress is also something that is really important in the community, so we started giving out pamphlets and taking blood pressure and sugar levels.”

The College of Nursing found a committed partner in Al Edmondson, owner of A Cut Above the Rest barbershop. The program has been stationed there for several years and has continued to grow.

9 Ciehanski also spoke about how the program has allowed her to become more prepared for the diverse array of patients she will experience in the field. It has allowed her to relate to patients and bridge the gaps that can exist between patient and caregiver.

When asked about Ciehanski, Fitzgerald had numerous praises for her.

“What I love about her is how eager she is to dive in.

She was assigned to me to do research, but I wanted her to get a feel for the neighborhood, a feel for the people, the history, and the culture to see what we actually do out there rather than just hearing through a focus group...She has also recruited other students to help me that are interested in this kind of work,” Fitzgerald said.

Nursing student Morgan Ciehanski conducts a screening in the Making a Difference Program (photo credit: Lori Reeder).

Ciehanski soon learned about the program through Fitzgerald, and has been actively involved in many of the initiatives offered by the program. She cites the program as being important in her development as a nurse.

“I have experienced so many different people and so many different things I never would have realized or known, especially being kind of isolated on campus. Being where we are, we are closed off from the community around Columbus,” Ciehanski said.

While still undecided about where she would like nursing to take her after college, Ciehanski talked about the pride she has in the efforts Ohio State makes to engage with the community and better it as part of a reciprocal relationship.

“Ohio State has such a voice, and is such a prominent university not only in our state, but across the country and across the world,” said Ciehanski. “People can see that Ohio State is not just Columbus-based, but that it is communitybased and it goes beyond the campus. I think it is so important for us to use our voice and reach out to our community.”

College of Nursing faculty members Dr. Jennifer Kue and Dr. Usha Menon founded the Making A Difference program after receiving an Engagement Impact Grant from the Office of Outreach and Engagement.

Photos by Lori Reeder, Ohio State University College of Nursing

Morgan Ciehanski, Al Edmondson, and Elizabeth Fitzgerald at A Cut Above the Rest barbershop (photo credit: Lori Reeder).

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Miami University’s AIMS: A convergence of technology, innovation, design, and, well, almost any other program

By Glenn Platt, Randi Thomas and Claire Wagner of Miami University

At Miami University, interactive media can play a role in any student’s college experience, whether they’re studying anthropology, English, or biomedical engineering.

Founded in 1993, Miami’s Armstrong Institute for Interactive Media Studies (AIMS) is the first digital media studies program in the country that crosses schools of business, engineering/computer science, arts, education, and liberal arts.

The Economist, in a recent study about preparing students for the future, noted that “Digital literacy, creativity, and the latter’s close relative,

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entrepreneurship, are often cited as essential skills for those who will be operating in the network-filled world of the future.” In AIMS, students and faculty from across Miami in undergraduate and graduate programs explore how digital technology and design are disrupting traditional areas of inquiry. Students are encouraged to experiment, innovate, and collaborate.

The AIMS program, in partnership with Miami’s entrepreneurship program, was identified by Entrepreneur magazine as a Top 5 program in technology entrepreneurship, and the 2017 Princeton Review places the AIMS game design/development program among the top 25 in the world.

11 In the AIMS curriculum (minor, major, and graduate certificate), students develop a broad understanding of digital context along with a deep understanding of digital specialty. All students learn the fundamentals of programming, user experience, entrepreneurship, digital marketing, design, digital writing, games, and web development. They then specialize in digital marketing/entrepreneurship, web/app development, game design/ development, digital communication, usability/user experience, or 3D/ virtual reality.

All of this is set in the context of constant project and client work. Majors complete a required internship, senior thesis, and work on a capstone project for a client.

Select students also participate in a semester-long immersive apprenticeship with a digital startup in either Cincinnati or San Francisco.

Among digital and virtual environments, Miami’s Smale Interactive Visualization Center houses an immersive 3D CAVE environment and several virtual reality systems. The Center for Research in User Experience has sophisticated tools to track people’s irises as well their facial gestures, EEG, and other response measures.

The Games & Learning Lab offers game-based and VR-based development tools for the creation of learning objects. AIMS is unique in that all undergraduate students have the opportunity to access such equipment. Spaces are spread across campus, encouraging students to interact with other students outside of AIMS in order to gain their perspectives.

In AIMS, student teams work from the client charge to develop a “live” digital solution to the client’s problem. AIMS faculty members coach, but students lead, using Agile project management methodologies.

A condition of the course is that the solution actually will be used. Past projects include:

• Touchscreen kiosks for Target stores • Handheld application for Cintas • Online training and certification for P&G • Web presence and e-commerce for the Taft Museum of Art • Phone and web-based apps for Coca-Cola • Virtual reality mandala and digital books strategy for His Holiness, The Dalai Llama • Gamifying a call center for Home Depot

Other clients have included the U.S. Department of State, dunnhumby, Cablevision, HP, Cardinal Health, Bank of America, and Hulu. AIMS students also helped Cincinnati Children’s Hospital build a virtual reality simulation to help nurses improve evacuation of neonatal facilities. They built custom game controllers for children with autism.

Since 2012, students have “studied away” at AIMS’ Digital Innovation Center in San Francisco’s “startup alley.”

Students spend four days per week interning with a startup company and one day per week in intense lectures, tours, and personal interactions with top innovative thinkers on the

West Coast. In 2014, AIMS received a significant grant from the State of Ohio to launch a similar center in Cincinnati, a worldwide Top 5 Consumer Marketing Region, and home to 10 Fortune 500 headquarters. The Cincinnati Digital Innovation Center began placing students in spring of 2015.

AIMS has offered international workshops in England, Ireland, and China.

In the past three years alone, AIMS graduates have been nominated for an Emmy award, have won a Clio award, have led and launched interactive development offices, have won Techcrunch hackathons, have launched new companies, have interned at NASA and have begun working at Google, EA, LinkedIn, and Facebook, among others.

Miami University’s AIMS program represents a model for the future of higher education, blending a broad liberal arts perspective with deep technical understanding of programming, business, and design.

Such convergence helps Ohio’s workforce remain competitive and attractive to new economy employers.

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t a m ra g ro P ry to is H d e li p p A e h T Youngstown State University: Two Decades of Preservation and Education Applied history is a growing field that places the traditional, academic study of history into an experience for the general public — one that encourages them to think critically and analytically outside of the regular “classroom” enironment. Applied history trains scholars to take historical research and present the findings in a way that the general public, of diverse age groups and backgrounds, can fully comprehend. Graduates in this field comprise various museum professionals, preservationists, archivists, historic document editors, conservationists, and various others.

At Youngstown State University, applied history is offered as a certificate with an M.A. in history program, as well as a certificate and minor for undergraduates. Established in 1997, this certificate program allows students with an already existing background in historical research to specialize in either historic preservation or museum studies.

The program features various classes annually in editing, historical administration, historic preservation, local/community history, material culture, museum studies, and oral history. YSU’s applied history program also provides an annual academic stipend for two students in the form

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of graduate assistant interns at the Youngstown Historical Center of Industry and Labor (YHCIL).

YHCIL, or the Steel Museum, is located at 151 West Wood Street, near YSU’s campus. YSU’s Department of History manages the museum, which is a site of the Ohio History Connection. Its mission is to preserve the history of Youngstown’s iron and steel industry, a vital narrative of the community’s history and identity. The Steel Museum also acts as a “laboratory” for YSU’s applied history students, providing hands-on experiences such as collection management, exhibit design, and

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archival work. Seminars and workshops such as Curation, American Architectural History, and American Material Culture take place in YHCIL’s classroom spaces. Students in the applied history program can take full advantage of the facility, creating educational programs, providing tours, and developing exhibits. It is rare for a program to have an accessible facility for its students, and a number of students have actively selected YSU’s program for this reason.

The faculty comprising YSU’s applied history program is made up of professionals in the field and is well equipped to prepare and train students within the program. Dr. Donna DeBlasio, the program’s director, has worked for the Ohio Historical Society, the Ohio Historic Preservation Office, and the Cincinnati Museum Center. The educator and curator of the Steel Museum, Dr. Marcelle Wilson, was the director of the Aurora Historical Society and a part-time faculty member in history at YSU. Dr. Martha Pallante, chair of YSU’s history department, and Dr. Thomas Leary,

professor of history, former curator at the Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society, and principal in the private cultural resource management firm Industrial Research Associates, complete the faculty as core educators and mentors for the program. In addition to coursework, students engage in a variety of hands-on activities and complete a required internship. Organizations and institutions where students have interned include the Ohio History Connection, Mahoning Valley Historical Society, McKinley Birthplace Memorial, Sutliff Museum, Aurora Historical Society, Spring Hill Historical Home and Underground Railroad Site, the Packard Museum, the Football Hall of Fame, Western Pennsylvania Historical Society, Meadowcroft Site, and the Butler Institute of American Art. Graduates of the program have gone on to further develop their training at the Ph.D. level in other applied history programs in various institutions, including Middle Tennessee State University. Others have joined the field as exhibit designers, building displays for corporations such as Dominion

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OHS Steel Museum

Photo Credit: The Ohio Genealogical Society, The Mahoning County Chapter

Energy, or as public historians working at organizations and institutions such as the Ohio Historic Preservation Office, Warren Public Library, The Sutliff Museum, Maryland State Library, GAI Consultants, Inc., McCormick Taylor Inc., McKinley Birthplace Memorial, West Virginia State Historic Preservation Office, Oklahoma Historic Preservation Office, and the North Canton Heritage Society. A number of program alumni have also served in AmeriCorps, providing their services to local historical groups and providing programs that enrich connections of local historical institutions with their communities via educational outreach or historical preservation.

Youngstown State University’s applied history program is celebrating its 20th year.

Through two decades, the program has emphasized the importance of preserving history and enabling the accessibility of historical research and topics to the general public. Training, mentoring, and educating future public historians in the vitality of preserving historical documents, photographs, and architecture are crucial in sustaining the narratives of various communities. That is the mission and the very heart of YSU’s applied history program –providing communities with public historians that will assist them in collecting, interpreting, and preserving the legacy and history of their respective communities.

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15 Photo: Ohio University - Athens, Ohio

A special thank you to all of those who contributed stories and articles: State Funding Sparks University Research to Solve Lake Erie Harmful Algae Problem Dr. Tom Bridgeman University of Toledo

Ohio Insurance Industry Teams with Higher Education to Close Talent Gap Dave Kaufman Dr. Martina Peng Carol Blaine Motorists Insurance Group

Franklin University

Ohio Dominican University

Nursing Student Looks to “Make a Difference” in the Community Stephanie Wise Lori Reeder Morgan Ciehanski Outreach and Engagement Communications Intern, The Ohio State University

The Ohio State University

Elizabeth Fitzgerald

Al Edmondson

The Ohio State University

The Ohio State University

A Cut Above the Rest barbershop

Miami University’s AIMS: A convergence of technology, innovation, design, and, well, almost any other program Glenn Platt Randi Thomas Claire Wagner Miami University Miami University Miami University

The Applied History Program at Youngstown State University: Two Decades of Preservation and Education M. Carmella Cadusale Dr. Donna DeBlasio Dr. Martha Pallante Youngstown State University

Youngstown State University

Youngstown State University

Thank you for reading ConnectED. We appreciate any suggestions or ideas to improve this newsletter.

We welcome story ideas, links to articles of interest, and news releases.

Please send story ideas to Jeff Robinson at jrobinson@highered.ohio.gov.

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