SENR Announcements

Join SENR to congratulate Valeria and Egondu!

Valeria Genara Moreira, a visiting scholar in the School of Environment and Natural Resources (SENR) was awarded first place winner for, “Fostering Soil Health with Regenerative Agriculture in Ohio: Legacy of Crop Rotation and No Tillage Practices Spanning Six Decades” at the Soil Science Society of America – Soils and Environmental Quality Division’s poster session. The session was held at this year’s joint international meeting of the Agronomy Society of America, Crop Science Society of America, and the Soil Science Society of America in San Antonio, TX. Award winning posters were selected based on their innovative solutions, attention to detail, and impactful contributions. Read more about this recognition >>

Egondu Umeobi (shown below), a graduate student in the School of Environment and Natural Resources has been named a 2024 Bridge Scholar by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America and Soil Science Society of America. The annual awards are presented for outstanding contributions to agronomy, crop science, and/or soil science through education, national and international service, and research. Egondu holds a Bachelor of Science in Soil Science from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka where she was engaged in a research project focused on conducting environmental impact assessments of mining-affected land in Ebonyi State, Nigeria and built expertise in this field.

Adhikari, A., Bajgai, Y., Rabgyal, J. et al. Altitude, Land Use and Soil Depth Effects on Earthworm Density and its Relationship to Soil Properties in an On-Farm Study. J Soil Sci Plant Nutr (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42729-024-01990-9

Matthew Ashenfarb, Carrie Dale Shaffer-Morrison, Robyn Wilson, Sandra Marquart-Pyatt, Rebecca Epanchin-Niell, Social targeting conservation subsidies in the Western Lake Erie Basin, Journal of Environmental Management, Volume 371, 2024, 123103, ISSN 0301-4797, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.123103.

Florence A. Becot, Sandra Contzen, Marie Reusch, Majda Černič Istenič, Julia Valliant, Shoshanah Inwood, Hannah Budge, Anna Kroeplin, New insights on the role of the farm household-farm operation interface in family farm persistence and a call for future research, Journal of Rural Studies, Volume 112, 2024, 103449, ISSN 0743-0167, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2024.103449.

Ippolito, J.A., L. Li, T. Banet, J. Brummer, C. Buchanan, A.R. Betts, K. Scheckel, N. Basta, and S.L. Brown. 2024. Soil health as a proxy for Long-term mine tailings 4 of 71 reclamation success. Soils Environ. Health. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.seh.2024.100096. 

McKenna, A.M., M.L. Chacón-Patiño, H.K. Roth, W. Bahureska, R.B. Young, J.A. Ippolito, Y. Xin, T. Borch, A.J. Williams, and H. Chen. 2024. Effects of pyrolysis temperature on photooxidation of water-soluble  fraction of wheat straw biochar characterized by 21 T FT-ICR mass spectrometry. Soil and Environmental Health. V2, issue 4: 100114. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.seh.2024.100114.  

Wituszynski, D., Hayford, D., Poesel, A. et al. Effects of a large-scale bioretention installation on the species composition of an urban bird community as determined by passive acoustic monitoring. Environ Monit Assess 196, 1037 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-024-13143-7

A number of faculty, researchers and graduate students participated in the 2024 Ohio Avian Research Conference in Columbus, OH (November 16). Access the program to learn who presented and on what topics >>

Faculty and graduate students presented their research at the 54th North Central Soil Fertility Conference hosted in Des Moines, IA (November 20-21). Access the program and poster listing>>

You're Invited! Please join us at the 2024 Environmental Education Final Project Showcase to celebrate work created by students in ENR 3612 – Introduction to Environmental Education & Communications. Students will be sharing their projects – from children’s books to social media posts to lesson plans – that aim to educate people about a complex environmental issue that matters to them. Student work will be displayed at a project fair in Kottman Hall Main Lobby on Tuesday 12/3 between 2:30-3:30pm. 

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The SENR calendar is robust with many opportunities to engage, discover and deepen knowledge. Check it often for new opportunities.

• November 21: Freshwater Science: Spatial Ecology of Smallmouth Bass in Lake Erie >>
• November 21: CFAES Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Virtual Speaker Series welcomes SENR faculty member Natasha Myhal>>
• November 26: SENR Seminar Series>> welcomes Bill Stanley, state director for The Nature Conservancy in Ohio 
• December 2: EPN evening program: Oh, Deer! Collaborative efforts to create and link deer management plans across Central Ohio>>
• December 3: 2024 Environmental Education Final Project Showcase (see invite above)
• December 6: Ohio Woodland Stewards program offers Leaving a Legacy Through Transition and Estate Planning>>
• December 7: Ohio Maple Days: A Day for Maple at Ashland University >>
• December 13: Ohio Woodland Stewards program offers Carbon Credits: What You Should Know webinar >>
• December 17: Freshwater Science: Impacts of Applying Drinking Water Residuals with Algal Toxins to Ohio Soils>> 

In 2025

• January 16:  2025 Soil Heath Virtual Event Series kicks off with "Zooming into soil health via a producer, an educator, and a researcher lens" >>
• January 24: Ohio Woodland Stewards Program offers Backyard Maple Production: Learn to Make Maple Syrup at Home>>
• February 13: 2025 Soil Health Virtual Event Series "Understanding the basics and practicalities of biologicals">>
• March 20: 2025 Soil Health Virtual Event Series "Comparisons of soil health tests and what they are telling us?">>
• April 10: 2025 Soil Health Virtual Event Series "Soil health in the urban sphere">>

Students can apply now for scholarship support to attend classes at Stone Laboratory, The Ohio State University’s island campus on Lake Erie. Stone Lab offers college credit courses and workshops each summer on topics ranging from algae identification to aquatic biology, and credits are transferable to most colleges.

The deadline to apply for scholarships is February 15, 2025 for Ohio State students and March 28, 2025 for non-Ohio State students and high school students. 

Stone Lab classes, as part of the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences, provide students with a hands-on outdoor science experience in areas such as amphibians, birds, fish, local plants, and foundational knowledge about numerous Lake Erie ecosystems. 

Introductory courses are open to advanced high school students – sophomores, juniors, and seniors who have already taken biology – as well as to college undergraduates in any major, while the wide-variety of advanced level courses are ideal for science majors looking for practical experience in their chosen field.

“The value of a Stone Lab education is immeasurable, and that’s why we are dedicated to providing scholarships to as many students as we can,” said Ohio Sea Grant and Stone Laboratory director Dr. Chris Winslow.

To see a full list of scholarship requirements and to apply, students must fill out the online scholarship application at go.osu.edu/aid

Nominate an outstanding staff member

University Staff Advisory Committee recognizes two staff members each month from a pool of nominations. Winners receive a $50 gift card.

Read more about: Nominate an outstanding staff member.

SENR Announcements is a way to share highlights, happenings, and opportunities. We look forward to helping shine a light on your research, outreach, and teaching. If you'd like to submit content for Announcements, please send to the Communications Team email: FAES-SENRComm@osu.edu

Schedule for Announcements 
December 6, 20

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