On July 19, the 2024 ORIP cohort presented their research findings to an audience of more than 70 individuals including their mentors, lab colleagues, families, and peers at the ORIP Final Presentations Luncheon. From Biocontrol Properties of Bacteria to the persistence of eDNA to the influence of stress on the fecal pH of horses, the breadth of research that the ORIP interns were engaged in was diverse and a fantastic representation of the work that takes place in our college every day.
The 2024 cohort was comprised of 13 individuals, some internal to OSU, others from schools across the United States and Puerto Rico, ranging in age and experience, from high school graduates to college seniors. The interns were mentored by faculty members from seven different academic departments and centers, including: Animal Sciences, Center for Food Animal Health, Entomology, Horticulture and Crop Science, Ohio State ATI, Plant Pathology, and the School of Environment and Natural Resources.
ORIP is a competitive internship opportunity for graduating high school seniors and current underclassmen in college. The goal of the program is to expand research opportunities for local students and to enhance their interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). An ORIP internship will introduce participants to a variety of scientific areas of study through laboratory and field-based research experiences. The program is managed centrally through the CFAES Office for Research and Graduate Education (R&GE) and coordinated by Alexis Didinger, Administrative Associate (R&GE) and Faculty Advisor, Michelle Jones, Professor (HCS).
ORIP is held annually, spanning ten weeks over the summer. One of the requirements of the program is to attend weekly lunch and learn sessions, which are designed to spark connectivity and allow for networking opportunities amongst the cohort and the guest speakers, which included CFAES faculty members, postdoctoral scholars, and graduate students. Each week, interns gathered and casually discussed the progression of their research, followed by a presentation from a guest speaker providing a brief overview of their research journey and their field of study.
2024 speakers included:
- Dr. Michelle Jones, Horticulture and Crop Science
- Dr. Ashley Leach, Entomology
- Dr. Kayla Perry, Entomology
- Dr. Fernanda Krupek, Horticulture and Crop Science
- Dr. Shoshanah Inwood, School of Environment and Natural Resources
- Dr. Manbir Rakkar, School of Environment and Natural Resources
- Dr. Braden Campbell, Animal Sciences
Starting in 2023 and continuing for 2024, the ORIP interns were joined at occasional lunch and learns by the SROP interns on the CFAES Wooster Campus. SROP, the Summer Research Opportunities Program at Ohio State, is designed to help historically underrepresented students explore opportunities for graduate study and academic careers. SROP runs for nine weeks overlapping ORIP.
The ORIP and SROP interns were again invited on a CFAES Wooster Campus tour, provided by the CFAES Wooster Director’s Office. The 2024 tour kicked off with lunch and an introduction to the CFAES Research Enterprise by Dr. Gary Pierzynski, CFAES Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Education & Director of the Ohio Agricultural Experiment Station.
Next, the students were guided through the Wooster Science Building by Erick Martinez Rodriguez, a graduate teaching assistant in Entomology. A crowd pleaser was a stop in the United Titanium Bug Zoo to check out the insects and other critters that call the bug zoo home.
After leaving the Wooster Science building, we may have been out of the bug zoo, but more bug business was in store as we stopped off at the Bee Lab to hear from Dr. Reed Johnson, Professor and Entomology Graduate Studies Chair. Students learned about identifying the queen and bee communication before getting to observe a hive and receiving tiny jars of honey to take home!
The next stop on the tour had the interns visiting Dr. Melanie Ivey, Associate Professor, Fruit Pathology and Fresh Produce Safety. Dr. Ivey ushered us out into the field to show the cohort the apple disease management research taking place on our campus.
Leaving the CFAES Wooster Campus proper, we headed toward Apple Creek to check out the Equine Center. Rachel Bell, Assistant Horse Herd Manager, walked the interns around the facility, introducing us to some of the horses in the stable and their current research projects.
We officially ended the tour at the Barnard Rd. Bridge where we heard from Dr. Steve Lyon, Associate Director, School of Environment and Natural Resources, about projects occurring in the forest and in the field.
I scream, you scream, the ORIP and SROP interns were screaming for ice cream as we headed back toward campus. We made a quick stop at the new Orr Valley Creamery in Wooster for ice cream cones to help us cool off and round out the day.
ORIP 2024 came to a close on July 19, culminating in the presentations of the cohort’s research findings at the Final Presentations Luncheon. The event was held in the Wooster Science Building. Dr. Michelle Jones offered opening remarks.
If it sounds like ORIP is all play and no work, allow me to introduce you to the other program requirements. Over the course of the 10-week program, interns worked diligently with their mentors and the faculty advisor to write a report detailing their research topic, methods, and findings, due at the end of the program. Alongside the written report, each intern was also asked to prepare a PowerPoint presentation to accompany their 10-minute oral presentations. After the pressure was off and all presentations were complete, attendees gathered for a pizza lunch.
Each presenter showcased their work and fielded questions with brilliance. It was truly astounding to see how much the students learned in just ten short weeks. A complete list of student projects is available below.
ORIP will return to the CFAES Wooster Campus in summer of 2025, but the CFAES Office for Research & Graduate Education will be on the search for mentors and speakers starting this winter. If you are interested in participating in the next cohort, keep your eyes peeled for our announcements to submit potential research projects.
From mentors to guest speakers to administrators who helped design and facilitate the campus tour, the success of ORIP 2024 is attributed to so many individuals. We want to say thank you to all who were involved and let you know that your hard work was greatly appreciated. A special thank you to Dr. Michelle Jones, who will be stepping down from the role of ORIP Faculty Advisor in 2025. Dr. Jones put in countless hours matching students to mentors, reviewing proposals and reports, and scheduling lunch and learn sessions. Dr. Steve Lyon will step into the role of ORIP Faculty Advisor for 2025.
2023 ORIP Intern Projects
Caitlyn Geisheimer
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Sara L. Mastellar
Department: Ohio State ATI
Research: How Stress Impacts Fecal pH in Horses
Noah Hart
Faculty Mentor: Dr. M. Soledad Benitez Ponce
Department: Plant Pathology
Research: Examining the biocontrol Capabilities of bacteria against pythium
Zaidlys Hernandez Vargas
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Ashley Leach
Department: Entomology
Research: Re-examining a pathosystem: Evaluating the impact of cucumber beetles in bacterial wilt of cucurbits
Mariely Morales Burgos
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Luis Cañas
Department: Entomology
Research: Environmental DNA Persistence in Growth Chambers, Greenhouses, and Open Fields: The Past, Present, and Future of Agriculture
Beverly Morgan
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Florence Sessoms
Department: Horticulture and Crop Science
Research: Fine Fescue Response to High Temperatures, High Light, and Poor Water Quality
Rosetta Morgan
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Kayla Perry
Department: Entomology
Research: Non-Target Effects of Dinotefuran on Soil Arthropods
Yavier Nazario Cáceres
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Luis Cañas
Department: Entomology
Research: Correlation between Aphid Population Density and eDNA Concentration. How is it affected by time?
Nahara E. Pagan-Ramos
Faculty Mentor: Dr. J.C. Gomes-Neto
Department: Center for Food Animal Health
Research: MLST-Based Analysis on Salmonella Kentucky
Mary Palmieri
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Steve Lyon
Department: School of Environment and Natural Resources
Research: Using Physical Indicators to Examine the Influence of Land Use on Soil Health
Minnie Pozefsky
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Melanie Lewis Ivey
Department: Plant Pathology
Research: Efficacy of Sustainable Carbon Sources for Anaerobic Soil Disinfestation in Strawberries & Characterization of Neopestalotiopsis
Kevin A. Rodríguez Irizarry
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Chanhee Lee
Department: Animal Sciences
Research: Validating creatinine coefficient for more accurate urine volume estimates
Eric Snider
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Feng Qu
Department: Plant Pathology
Research: Demonstrating Superinfection Exclusion (SIE) in a Tomato Virus (TYLCV).
Paige Walter
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Reed Johnson
Department: Entomology
Research: Evaluating the toxicity of adjuvant ingredients to honeybee You(Apis mellifera) larvae
Article by Alexis Didinger