Undergrads at The Ohio State University are about to get their hands dirty—in the name of science, sustainability, and the health of our soils. The Ohio State Energy Partners (OSEP) have announced the latest beneficiaries of their Academic Collaboration Awards, and two standout projects are poised to make waves in both the classroom and the natural world. According to Ohio State News, these initiatives not only aim to cut down carbon emissions but they're also a boon for undergrads eager to engage in meaningful research.
This year, a cool $810,000 is being doled out to various programs—all in keeping with Ohio State and OSEP's collaborative goal set since 2017 to advocate for a sustainable future. One of the award-winning projects includes a $48,288 investment into “Increasing Carbon Sequestration in Turfgrass Through Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi,” an initiative led by Samaneh Tajik, a postdoctoral scholar, and Florence Sessoms, assistant professor at CFAES. They're tackling climate change by making the soil retain more CO2, a strategy tow fantasies can't help but admire.
Speaking to Ohio State News, Tajik highlighted the perks of soil carbon sequestration, noting its role in "reduce atmospheric carbon and also increase the soil’s fertility." It’s a silver lining that stretches beyond Ohio State, with potential applications across turfgrass-laden landscapes like parks, golf courses, and cemeteries. Sessoms echoed this optimism, expressing the project's capacity to spark a significant shift in the turfgrass industry.
Another chunk of the pie, $50,000 to be precise, is funding a venture entitled “A Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experience to Monitor Ions in the Olentangy Watershed.” Nicole Karn, an associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry, is at the helm of this initiative. To blend hands-on research with data collection aimed at assessing the watershed's environmental wellbeing. Karn drives home the importance of this experiential learning, "I want to make sure that students feel included when they come into the classroom and feel like they have a sense of belonging, and research gives students that opportunity," she told Ohio State News. It's a sentiment that underscores the program's aim to foster confidence and independence in budding scientists.
For a complete list of the OSEP Academic Collaboration Awards and further details on the funded projects, interested parties can visit the program’s website. Both projects shine as examples of Ohio State's commitment to environmental stewardship and educational empowerment, two pillars that have long been foundational to the university's ethos.
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