Grad & Career Edition

riving in graduate school as an international student: Obstacles and advice

By Mariam Abaza Lantern Reporter

Graduate school can be challenging to navigate, and for international students, additional hurdles can make the experience even more stressful.

According to the university’s Autumn 2024 Enrollment Report, there are about 6,000 international students across Ohio State’s campuses. Despite this sizable population, many international students have faced distinct struggles while trying country.

Current international graduate students shared their experiences and advice to help guide incoming students who may

face similar challenges.

Obstacles in the application process

student in biomedical sciences and an international student from Egypt, said she set her sights on Ohio State due to its prestige and research opportunities.

“I knew I wanted to come to the U.S. because the research opportunities and everything is kind of better, espe -

research in neuroimmunology, and we basically don’t have any research lab in this area in Egypt,” Hassan said.

Hassan said she quickly realized the application process for international

of domestic students. Unlike many U.S. students in biomedical sciences, who rotate between labs before committing to one, Hassan had to select a lab prior to arriving in the country.

“When joining grad school, what should happen is that you join a program, and then you rotate between different labs until you choose one that is at OSU, some of the programs require you to communicate with [Principal Investigators] and apply.”

Another daunting application process for international students is the visa application. Hassan described the process as “very annoying” due to its TOP STORIES

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How Ohio State’s digital tools and immersive programs empower graduate students

By Sandra Fu Photo Editor

At Ohio State, the approach to career development for graduate and career management and professional development resources across its different colleges, from the Fisher College of Business to the College of Veterinary Medicine. Nancy Thompson, directoraccompanying resources all share one goal: supporting student success.

“It really does take that village toport students,” Thompson said.

Beyond the Graduate and Professoriate resources

Two of the resources Thompson touched on, the “Beyond the Graduate” and “Beyond the Professoriate” career-training platforms, were adopted by the university roughly a year ago.

Available for all faculty and students, Beyond the Graduate and Beyond the Professoriate are designed to help master’s, doctoral and postdoctoral students quickly build their skills and prepare for career success through on-demand, online workshops and resources, Thompson said.

“I think what’s nice about it being online is knowing that our graduate students and our doctoral students are really busy,” Thompson said. “Some of them have assistantships in addition to their full course load, so this allows them to have access to resources based on their schedule.”

Thompson said she credits her colleagues in the College of Arts and Sci-

ences for bringing these resources to her attention.

“After sitting through the [Beyond the Graduate and Professoriate] demo, asking some questions and then talking to people who work very regularly with graduate and doctoral students, they were impressed with the tool,” Thompson said. “So, we said, ‘You know what, let’s make this available.’”

Students seeking out personal coaching through Beyond the Graduate or Beyond the Professoriate can schedule one-on-one virtual sessions via Handshake, Thompson said.

Student Personnel Assistantship Program

The College of Education and Human Ecology has collaborated with

Student Personnel Assistantship Program, which assists students in the recruitment, programming and assistantship processes, according to its website.

Through the SPA program, students are matched into a two-year assistantship with a university department. One such department is Buckeye Careers, which allows participating graduate students to work alongside professionals and tackle current challenges within higher education.

uate student in higher education and

Buckeye Careers as a graduate teaching associate. In her role, she helps students with career-readiness tasks like resume reviews and interview preparation.

Notably, Jones said the program helps her apply what she has learned in the classroom to gain hands-on expe -

rience working with students.

“That’s what I want to do with my degree,” Jones said. “I want to work in a student support role, in a student

And graduate students aren’t the -

gram, as participating students are imperative to the operation of university departments that participate in the program, Thompson said.

“And the great thing is, [the students are] getting paid, and they should be,” Thompson said. “They are doing great work. They’re really integral to the success of student life, and they really are the future for our industry.”

Thompson said the program gives students a valuable chance to immerse themselves in other areas of student -

side the program or department they study in.

“Something greatly important to me, as a supervisor for grad students, is to learn [about what] their interest is,” Thompson said. “So, if they’re interested in another area that’s outside of our department, I take it as a personal responsibility and professional responsibility to introduce them todent life, because it’s really important that they get some more exposure to areas that may be of interest.”

through the program is designed to help students expand their professional networks, Thompson said.

“That’s what so much of what this is, is helping to build their network,” Thompson said.

For more information about Ohio State’s digital career resources, visit the Graduate School webpage.

SANDRA FU | PHOTO EDITOR

INTERNATIONAL continued from Page 3

who are accepted to a U.S. university are unable to attend because they do not get their visa in time, Hassan said.

“It’s just a lot of work,” Hassan said. “From applying to getting accepted to settling everything to moving here, it’s just a lot of work.”

Adjusting to a foreign environment

Once international graduate students secure admission and visas, their journey isn’t over; rather, they must trek across the globe to Columbus.

Hareem Ali, a second-year graduate student in public health and an international student from Pakistan, described the travel process as exhausting.

26 hours to get here, and immediately after, I had to start my training for my assistantship.”

Adapting to campus life was even harder, she said.

“For me, trying to get to know things here was a big culture shock,” Ali said. “Everything was pretty fastpaced for me, and just trying to learn about the system and the school I had to do pretty quickly, which I found overwhelming.”

Hassan agreed, adding the adjustlocal support system.

“It’s very hard for us internationalent countries right into this, to adjust to everything — getting to know the place, being independent, not having anyone to help you,” Hassan said.

to feel accepted among her peers, she said.

“Because of the stereotypes, you have to kind of make people see you as a person, regardless of what you’re wearing, or how you look or whatever,” Hassan said. “That was hard, and I still somehow struggle with it.”

Homesickness is another major challenge, she said.

“Being away from home and missing your friends, your family, your

6,305 international students at Ohio State (includes all students across all Ohio State campuses)

AROUND

10% of Ohio State student organizations are dedicated to international students

International students must adjust to the culture, language and lifestyle of a foreign country, all while keeping up with rigorous coursework. Even small -

ture references, can add to this pressure, Ali said.

especially the on-campus food,” Ali said. “I miss a lot of my mom’s home cooking.”

Cultural barriers likewise extend to American references, which Ali said are sometimes hard to fully grasp.

“There are things that are so specific to the U.S., like slang or any mention of anything here,” Ali said. “Sometimes, I’ve experienced, there comes a shock if there’s a show here that they mention, and everybody has seen it,

and I say I don’t know about it and ask them to explain it. Not everyone has grown up seeing the same thing. There are so many things that we would need more context on, and there should be space to give us more context.”

Navigating resources

According to the Undergraduate Admissions website, about 10% of Ohio State’s clubs are dedicated to international students, aiming to connect students with others from their respective home countries.

national students, such as workshops, one-on-one appointments and more, according to its website.

Additionally, Counseling and Con-

graduate students, which can help with navigating feelings of isolation, homesickness, stress or other mental health concerns, according to its website.

Advice for international graduate students

Despite tackling various obstacles, Hassan and Ali said they have found several approaches that help streamline the transition.

Hassan said she recommends international students involve themselves and their peers in traditional and cultural activities to build new connections.

“I would advise them to try to make more activities and engage colleagues into their activities,” Hassan said.

Ali agreed getting involved is a necessity, urging students to advocate forsional success.

“I would suggest being more proactive,” Ali said. “Don’t rely only on your academic advisors or your supervisors to tell you everything. Be more proac-resources, scholarships and any grant funding.”

a strong learning environment is also important, Ali said.

“A lot of public health is about developing countries, so I could bring said. “That made a good learning environment for us to go back and forth about things, and I also learned a lot about the U.S. healthcare system from [American students].”

At the end of the day, Hassan emphasized the importance of staying strong in the face of discrimination and adversity.

“I just want to advise people to be more open and to be thick-skinned,” Hassan said. “It’s a very important thing because when you’re coming here, you should expect that for the

to have to endure a lot of faces and comments, and you just have to not let it get to you.”

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How arti cial intelligence can have positive impacts on students’ future

careers

By Aria Garcia Lantern Reporter

Aworld by storm, causing many students to worry about how it may impact their future careers.

ing AI, students should embrace it as an inevitable aspect of their future career journeys.

“Don’t be afraid of it, but be mind-

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Even so, some Ohio State community members in the science, technology, -

can workforce at large.

Joy Obiri, a second-year in health

long as it is used wisely.

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“Especially for explaining certain explained in lectures, and especially for me as a health science major, I feel like it helps me understand things in a way that’s not really taught to me,” Obiri said.

Nya Washington, a third-year in communication technology, agreed with Obiri’s views on how AI can be a supplemental learning tool, but also emphasized its potential to stunt students’ long-term learning and professional growth.

“For example, you can take your notes and then have it condensed so you can further understand it — more for people who get really overwhelmed by a lot of reading,” Washington said.

gertips, you’re kind of using it in a way that you probably shouldn’t because you’re not absorbing the in formation.”

fessor of electrical and computer engineering, as well as computer science and engineering — said instead of fear

risks. Be a citizen that’s involved in the regulatory process.”

Tanya Berger-Wolf, a professor of computer science and engineering — who also specializes in evolution, ecology and organismal biology — said AI is already deeply ingrained in modern life. Considering this reality, she said it’s more productive to treat this technology with curiosity rather than alarm.

“AI, as an industry, is one of the fastest-growing and [is] creating a settry, and many of them are new, such as servicing data centers and creating all the chip manufacturing,” said Berger-Wolf, who also serves as director of the Translational Data Analytics Institute.

the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, said though there are fears AI could disrupt and replace jobs traditionally occupied by people, learning basic AI skills could give some students a competitive edge in the modern-day workplace.

“If you have a good understanding of AI, you can master any of these emerging or existing AI tools really well, then you can sig-

productivity and increase

ARTS&LIFE

PhD candidate to discuss contemporary worship music in Monday musicology lecture

Spring semester events for Ohio State graduate students

By Samantha Harden Arts & Life Editor

Ohio State graduate students seeking professional guidance and networking opportunities can take advan-

university over the next few months. Below is a list of a few graduate and postdoctoral opportunities availableing graduate school events, visit Ohio State’s Graduate School webpage.

Feb. 19 — Beyond the Professoriate - Writing resumes that communicate your value to employers (virtual)

As part of Ohio State’s Graduate School’s “Beyond the Professoriate” virtual event series, this webinar — designed for doctoral, postdoctoral and PhD students across all academic disciplines — will provide insight into what employers look for in candidates-

plicant’s value.

Scheduled from noon to 12:45 p.m., the webinar requires prior registration, which can be completed on Ohio State’s Graduate School webpage.

Feb. 28 — Edward F. Hayes Advanced Research Forum (1739 N.

High St.)

According to Ohio State’s Graduate School webpage, The Edward F. Hayes Advanced Research Forum provides graduate students and postdoctoral scholars from diverse academic disciplines an opportunity to present their research to a set of judges for a chance to win a cash prize.

The event — co-sponsored by Ohio State’s Graduate School, Council of

Dietetics

Health

Occupational Therapy

Physical

Respiratory

School of Music to host contemporary worship music lecture

PhD candidate Dylan Crosson will

discuss modernization of

worship music in Monday lecture

Senior Lantern Reporter

The School of Music’s upcoming “Lectures in Musicology” event will aim to strike a chord with students Monday evening.

In this installment of the weekly series, Dylan Crosson — a PhD candidate in musicology — will present a lecture titled “Audible Orthodoxies: How Contemporary Worship Music Turns Evangelical Values into Musical Style.” According to Ohio State’s School of Music webpage, the event will take place Monday from 4-5:30 p.m. in the Music and Dance Library, located on the sec-

175 W. 18th Ave.

Crosson said the lecture will explore contemporary worship music’s musical and cultural construction in evangelical churches. He said during the lecture he will examine why this music sounds the way it does, drawing on examples from popular groups such as Hillsong, Bethel and Elevation Worship.

“This is my way of trying to give people a glimpse into an evangelical worldview through the lens of music,” Crosson said. “It’s a way of understanding.”

Crosson said his dissertation explores the increasing popularity and broad recognition of pop-style worship music, even among atheists.

“Some people

that they’re not Christian or not religious, but why is it that every time

Christian station, they know it right away?” Crosson said. “I try to explain why church music sounds the way that it does.”

Austin McCabe Juhnke, an Ohio State professor of musicology and coordinator for the lecture series, said Crosson’s talk will analyze the distinct use of contemporary production techniques in religious music.

“[Crosson’s] work is really about a certain sound in music that is immediately sonically distinctive,” McCabe Juhnke said. “People will say, ‘Ah, this feels like worship music,’ but it might be something else as well. You want to come away with that sense of how modern music production might link two ideas of music and musical value.”

Crosson also said he will delve into deeper musical elements beyond just melody or tune, examining factors like volume, reverb and echo, which contribute to the overall sound and emotional impact of the music.

“I look at things that can appear on recorded music, so musical space,” Crosson said. “Some of that has to do with how loud or how quiet the lead singer is, or whether it sounds like they’re far away or close up because that’s all intentional. Another thing that comes from my dissertation is reverb. I talk about how some of those principles actually impact how reverb

Crosson said he chose to host this lecture now be -

worship music is gradually becom-

OF DYLAN CROSSON

Attendees of the 2024 FILO Conference— a conference for “technical artists” at churches— listening to contemporary worship music.

ing a shared language among Christians and across multiple denominations.

“This shared music is starting to dissolve denominational distinction in some ways,” Crosson said. “That’s probably the most shocking thing from the 2,000-year history of Christianity that you’re starting to see.”

As a whole, McCabe Juhnke said the lecture series provides an interest-

EVENTS continued from Page 6 -

search, Innovation and Knowledge — will take place in various rooms within the Ohio Union from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and will award more than $17,000 in total cash prizes to top presentations in each academic category.

For more information about the event, including the schedule and room assignments, visit the event’s webpage.

March 5 — Research Commons Open House (175 W. 18th Ave.)

Graduate students seeking research support, software tools or expert guidance are invited to an informative, in-person discussion with representatives from Ohio State’s Research Commons.

The open house — which will take place from 3-4 p.m. — will include a tour and overview of the Research Commons’ spaces and services, and

the opportunity to learn more about the commons’ available resources and to network with experts on data management, research impact, digital humanities, geospatial information science and data visualization.

The Research Commons serves as a collaborative hub where graduate students, faculty and postdoctoral researchers can access expert support at any stage of the research process.

Registration is not required but is

years of independent research and hard work.

“[Crosson] has very keen analyses of the way this music works,” McCabe Juhnke said. “Hopefully, you’ll come away with some of the newest and most cutting-edge research on this topic.”

For more information about the lecture series, including Crosson’s specific lecture, visit Ohio State’s School of Music webpage.

recommended and can be completed on Ohio State’s Graduate School webpage.

April 1 — 2025 Engineering Spring Into Your Career Fair (1739 N. High St.)

Hosted by Engineering Career Services, the “Engineering Spring Into Your Career Fair” is a small-scale career fair featuring 35 participating companies. Designed to connect students with employers for summer and fall hiring opportunities, the fair will take place from 2-5 p.m. in the PerforOhio Union.

Business professional attire is recommended. Registration for the event opens in Handshake at 8 a.m. March 10. For more information, visit Ohio State’s Engineering Career Services webpage.

April 16 — Beyond Graduate School - How to prepare for your (virtual)

As part of Ohio State’s Graduate School’s “Beyond Graduate School” insights about what to expect during to position oneself for future success in a role.

Scheduled from 2-2:30 p.m., the which can be completed on Ohio State’s Graduate School’s webpage.

COURTESY

SOFTBALL

To learn more about Columbus’ professional women’s volleyball team check out thelantern.com

New head coach Kirin Kumar aims to elevate Buckeyes

By Reilly Cahill Lantern Reporter

Years ago, Kirin Kumar never could’ve imagined being a softball coach. Simply put, she had no interest.

“My college coach kept telling me I would be a really good coach,” Kumar said. “I was like, ‘Eh, whatever.’ I didn’t want to.”

Now, Kumar is in her 19th season and counting.

Ohio State hired Kumar as its newest head softball coach June 4, 2024, per prior Lantern reporting. Having accumulated nearly two decades of coaching experience, Kumar said she wants to bring a winning mindset to Columbus, especially considering the season.

“I expect to win; I like to win,” Kumar said. “I don’t like to lose. That’s the expectation.”

Kumar was a Division I collegiate athlete at Georgia Tech from 200205, during which she played in 251 career games. Throughout Kumar’s four years, the Yellow Jackets advanced to the NCAA Tournament in each season and won two ACC Championships.

After college, Kumar said she wondered what her next step would be. She could decide to coach, or she could elect to pursue alternate opportunities that aligned with her bachelor’s degree in business.

But in the end, Kumar was convinced to try coaching.

Coincidentally, John Bargfeldt— the pitching coach at Georgia Tech during Kumar’s collegiate career — accepted a job at the University of Tulsa around the time she graduated. Then, a life-changing opportunity.

“He called me and said, ‘Would you like to come be my assistant?’ And I said, ‘Well, it’s a chance to try it and see if I like it,’” Kumar said.

Following her time with the Golden Hurricanes, Kumar spent time as an assistant coach at North Carolina, Western Kentucky, Tennessee Tech, NC State and Virginia Tech.

After serving 15 years as an assistant, Kumar earned a head coaching job at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.

At the helm of the RedHawks, Kumar found immense success; she accumulated a 174-56-1 overall record and was 107-16 in the Mid-American Conference.

proved to be her most successful. Her

RedHawks squad won a program-record 49 games, also earning a nationschool’s history.

home runs, the second-most in a single season in NCAA history.

During her time in Oxford, Kumar was a two-time MAC Coach of the Year, a four-time MAC regular-season champion and earned an NCAA Tournament bid in each of her four years. -

portunity to be the Buckeyes’ head coach. She said it was a no-brainer.

“It’s Ohio State,” Kumar said. “I always wondered why Ohio State softball was not on the map and the rest of their sports are.”

Courtney Vierstra, an assistant

softball coach at Ohio State, said she worked with Kumar for the past four years. Having played for Miami University from 2018-22, she was the 2021 MAC Pitcher of the Year and served as the Redhawks’ pitching coach from 2023-24.

Notably, Vierstra said Kumar is someone who cares deeply about her players and is unwilling to back down from adversity.

“She does a really good job of getting people to buy in,” Vierstra said. “You can see how intelligent she is about the game of softball. Then, she

In less than a year with Ohio State — and with only four games under her belt — Kumar has already made an impact on the program.

Senior Kami Kortokrax, a two-time

Ohio State, said Kumar’s leadership style pushes the team to be determined

“She’s a competitor and wants to win,” Kortokrax said. “She wants to be the best and wants to compete against the best. Having a coach like that just

Even though the program has undergone immense change — betweening seniors — Kortokrax believes the almost half the team being new, we want to win this year,” Kortokrax said. Ultimately, Kumar said she is keepseason at Ohio State.

“We’re going to see how they grow together, where everybody plays,” Kumar said. “So, right now, no expectations, just go out and play.”

SANDRA FU | PHOTO EDITOR

Ohio State softball coach Kirin Kumar is introduced to the crowd at Ohio Stadium during the football game against Marshall Sept. 21, 2024.