Work to support our environment and natural resources is powered by people.
This May, we’re celebrating SENR students, programs and researchers making a difference across Ohio and beyond.
Up Next: Our Engaged Programs
Everyday SENR faculty and staff are making an impact - in this feature, we are celebrating work that is co‑created with communities, grounded in long‑term partnerships, and responsive to public needs.
The School had a particularly strong showing among recipients of Ohio State’s 2026 University Outreach and Engagement Awards, a university‑level recognition honoring faculty and programs that exemplify excellence in community‑engaged scholarship.
These awards celebrate work that is co‑created with communities, grounded in long‑term partnerships, and responsive to public needs. SENR’s honorees reflect the School’s deep commitment to engagement as a core part of its land‑grant mission.
Community Engaged Scholar Award
Shoshanah Inwood, Associate Professor, SENR
Shoshanah Inwood was named a 2026 Community Engaged Scholar for advancing research‑with‑communities at the nexus of food systems, agriculture, and rural development. Her work as a rural sociologist in SENR is grounded in long‑standing, trust‑based partnerships with farmers, food‑system practitioners, community organizations, and policymakers. By co‑producing actionable evidence with these partners, she helps translate lived experience into policy‑relevant insights that support farm viability, and resilient local and regional food economies. Dr. Inwood has built a strong national reputation for examining how social and economic needs—specifically the availability of childcare and the impacts of caregiving—affect farm operations. She directs the Northeast Ohio Agriculture Innovation Center on the CFAES Wooster Campus. .
Programs of Excellence in Engaged Scholarship
Four of the university’s Programs of Excellence in Engaged Scholarship honorees are closely connected to SENR faculty, staff, students, and partners. A fifth honoree reflects SENR’s interdisciplinary and cross‑college leadership in bringing education to places its least accessible.
Ohio Bird Conservation Initiative (OBCI)
The Ohio Bird Conservation Initiative is a statewide partnership that turns science into on‑the‑ground conservation. Coordinated by Matthew Shumar (SENR), OBCI convenes nonprofits, agencies, researchers, businesses, and community volunteers to advance priority projects such as Ohio Lights Out and the Second Ohio All‑Bird Conservation Plan (2023), which provides habitat‑ and species‑level guidance across the full annual cycle. OBCI is further supported by SENR faculty and staff including Devin Mingesbruney (Lights Out Coordinator), Stephen Matthews and Christopher Tonra, and collaborates closely with the Ohio Division of Wildlife while engaging SENR students and alumni in research, monitoring, and community science that benefit birds and people across the state.
Ohio Certified Volunteer Naturalist (OCVN) Program
Led by Anne Baird (State Program Director, SENR/OSU Extension), the Ohio Certified Volunteer Naturalist program equips Ohioans with research‑based training in ecology, interpretation, and stewardship, then connects graduates with service opportunities that advance conservation statewide. Delivered through county Extension offices and a robust network of local hosts—such as parks, nature centers, and arboreta—OCVN ensures courses and service are locally relevant while maintaining statewide standards. By cultivating a skilled volunteer corps, OCVN extends Ohio State’s education and outreach capacity far beyond campus, strengthening programming for schools, parks, and conservation partners across Ohio.
Ohio Clean Marinas Program
Coordinated by Ohio Sea Grant with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, the Ohio Clean Marinas Program helps marinas and boating communities adopt best practices that protect water quality and reduce pollution across Ohio’s coastal and inland waterways. Program leadership includes Sarah Orlando (Program Manager) and Maria D’Amico (Clean Marinas Coordinator, 2025). Through technical assistance, workshops, and a tiered certification system (Certified, Gold, Platinum), Clean Marinas supports resilient operations and recognizes environmental leadership within the marine industry—demonstrating how sustainability and business performance go hand in hand.
Ohio Woodland Stewards Program
Delivered through OSU Extension and led by Marne Titchenell (Extension Program Director, Wildlife) with long‑standing leadership from Kathy Smith (Program Director, Forestry), the Ohio Woodland Stewards Program offers workshops, publications, and field‑based learning that help woodland owners and professionals manage forests sustainably. Collaborating with partners such as the ODNR Division of Forestry, the program covers topics from invasive‑species control and wildlife habitat to timber marketing and stand improvement—translating SENR expertise into practical guidance that strengthens forest health, biodiversity, and rural economies across Ohio.
Philosophy for Humans (P4H) Learning Community
The Philosophy for Humans (P4H) Learning Community, co‑facilitated by Amy Shuster (Department of Philosophy) and Alia Dietsch (SENR), brings together incarcerated scholars and Ohio State students, faculty, and staff as intellectual peers in a shared environment of co‑learning. Since 2021, P4H has met biweekly year‑round inside Southeastern Correctional Institute near Lancaster, Ohio, through a sustained partnership between Ohio State and the Ohio Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Through dialogue and collaborative inquiry, participants explore ethics, justice, responsibility, and social change, reflecting a commitment to education grounded in reciprocal care.
Engagement as a Hallmark of SENR
Together, these recognitions highlight the collective strength of SENR’s people and partnerships. From statewide environmental programs to cross‑college learning communities, SENR faculty, staff, students, and community collaborators continue to demonstrate how engaged scholarship creates lasting public value. SENR is proud to see this work recognized at the university level and grateful to the many partners whose collaboration makes it possible.
More Celebrations
Celebrating Students: Engaging the community around art and nature
Celebrating Students: Bringing the SENR Student Research Symposium to life