Ohio State Engages June/July 2025 Newsletter

Colleagues,

May was a busy month of STEM-related outreach and engagement activities. In collaboration with the Ohio Academy of Science, Ohio State hosted State Science Day, which brought hundreds of students to the Ohio Union.

Columbus was also the host for the 2025 Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF), for which Ohio State served as the key academic partner. The ISEF competition attracted more than 1,500 students from around the globe. Ohio State was well represented at the 2025 COSI Big Science Celebration with nearly 40 exhibitors.

We want to thank the Ohio Academy of Science and COSI for their long-standing partnership with the Office of Outreach and Engagement. We also thank all our faculty, staff and students who dedicated time to these engagements. You can read more about these exciting events and other updates below.

Wishing everyone a wonderful start to the summer.

Sincerely,

Jason Reece
Vice Provost for Urban Research and
Community Engagement
Office of Academic Affairs

Engaged Scholar Q&A: Jacquelyn Meshelemiah

"Faculty and students interested in involving the community in their scholarship should establish genuine relationships with prospective community partners well before writing a grant application or a research project begins," said Jacquelyn Meshelemiah, professor in the College of Social Work.

Ohio State Energy Partners makes annual philanthropic awards

Ohio State Energy Partners (OSEP) has announced the recipients of its 2025-26 philanthropic awards. The awards provide funding for proposals that match Ohio State's sustainability goals; align with advancing access, engagement, and student success; and promote research translation. As part of its commitment to academic collaboration, OSEP contributes $810,000 annually to the university or affiliated philanthropic causes.

Shannon named 2025-26 Artist Laureate

Kate Shannon, associate professor in the Department of Art at Ohio State Mansfield, has been selected as Ohio State's 2025-26 Artist Laureate. In her new role, Shannon will host a series of hands-on workshops across the state, helping community members of all ages connect with the history of photography and gain a deeper appreciation for its impact on cultural memory.

75th Annual Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair

Ohio State served as the key academic partner for the 75th Annual Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF), which took place in Columbus last month. Regeneron ISEF is the worlds largest international pre-college science competition. More than 1,500 students representing 60-plus countries, regions and territories competed for nearly $9 million in awards, scholarships, internships and prizes.

Meet the 2025-26 Columbus-Athens Schweitzer Fellows!

The Schweitzer Fellows Program supports and trains emerging health-focused graduate and professional students in creating and carrying out service projects to address unmet community needs. The Fellows conduct a one-year community service project of at least 200 service hours, with at least 100 hours involving direct client contact. Fellows partner with an existing community agency in the Columbus or Athens area and have both an academic and a community-based mentor.

Ohio State at COSI's Big Science Celebration

Ohio State faculty, staff and students provided hands-on scientific learning at COSI's 2025 Big Science Celebration in May. In addition to being a sponsor of the event, Ohio State had representatives at nearly 40 booths from a wide range of colleges and departments across the university.

Families Flourish program featured by WOSU

Families Flourish, a program aimed at helping families secure housing, started seven years ago with 10 families. Today it serves 100 families and was recently featured by WOSU. Overall results to date show families raised their incomes by 58%, or $17,000 on average, and improved their mental and physical health. Vice Provost for Urban Research and Community Engagement Jason Reece is the lead researcher of the program.

More community engagement news

• For Ohioans: A drum beat brings renewed joy
• Rodis awarded university grant to evaluate community pharmacy impact through PFP
• Engineering faculty to receive $10K grant for STEM outreach in local schools
• McClimans, Middle East Studies Center awarded grant for food sovereignty initiative
• Intergenerational workshops help children showcase heritage through book series Bigger Than Me: My Story, My Culture

Opportunities

Register for the 2025 Engagement Scholarship Consortium Conference

The 2025 Engagement Scholarship Consortium Conference (ESC) will take place Oct. 8-9 in Roanoke, Virginia. This year's conference theme is "Bridging Resources to Build Stronger Communities." The 2025 ESC Conference will be a place for engaging conversations about the many ways that we work collectively to bridge the resources of our universities and communities, strengthening us all. The registration deadline is Sept. 22. Ohio State is a member of ESC.

Emerging Engagement Scholars Workshop (ESC pre-conference event)

The Emerging Engagement Scholars Workshop is part of the Engagement Scholarship Consortiums (ESC) 2025 pre-conference program, taking place Oct. 6-7 in Roanoke, Virginia. This intensive professional development program provides advanced doctoral students and early career faculty with background literature, facilitated discussion, mentoring and presentations designed to increase their knowledge and enhance their practice of community-engaged scholarship. The application deadline is June 30. Ohio State is a member of ESC.

Outreach and Engagement Practitioners Network Workshop (ESC pre-conference event)

This workshop, taking place Oct. 6-7, is an invitation to pause, reflect and realign your professional practice with the deeper why behind community-engaged scholarship and outreach. Together, well explore how reconnecting with core values can strengthen our ability to navigate complexity, foster civic responsibility and inspire meaningful action for the public good. This OEPN workshop is a pre-conference option as part of the Engagement Scholarship Consortiums 2025 conference in Roanoke, Virginia. OEPN is a community of practice for university staff, non-tenure-track faculty and community partners. Ohio State is a member of ESC.

Registration Open: Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities Conference

Join the Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities (CUMU) for its 2025 annual conference "The Power of Place" in Baltimore, Oct. 26-29. The 2025 conference will explore how campuses partner with their communities to promote social and economic mobility, drive regional development and foster community well-being.

Make connections with the Outreach and Engagement listserv

Did you know you can connect with colleagues through the Outreach and Engagement listserv? You can share your work and events, look for partnerships and much more by emailing the list at outreach@lists.osu.edu.