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It’s been another banner few months for YSU, with record-setting research and grant activity, recognition from the FBI, celebrating the stars and a new partnership with one of the largest tech companies in the world. Read about these and more recent campus highlights in Our Campus:
“Ohio knows how to build a workforce”
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Faculty/staff record grant activity “remarkable”
YSU faculty and staff earned nearly $16 million in research and service grants, the most ever in a single year. “This record-setting level of grant activity across campus is remarkable,” said Brien N. Smith, provost and vice president for Academic Affairs. “This means that over the last two fiscal years, our talented and hard-working faculty, staff and others throughout the university have garnered more than $30 million in grants – a laudable achievement.” Faculty and staff won 93 grants totaling $15.8 million in fiscal year 2022. That’s up from $14.4 million last fiscal year, the previous high mark for YSU.
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hundreds walk the stage at fall commencement
Hundreds of students received diplomas at YSU's Fall Commencement in December in Beeghly Hall. David Lee Morgan Jr., an award-winning sportswriter, author and high school English teacher, gave the keynote address, while student speaker was Kendall Bartels, who graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Forensic Science with a concentration and minor in Chemistry.
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FBI recognizes YSU for help in criminal investigations
The YSU Department of Physics, Astronomy, Geology and Environmental Science received the FBI Director’s Community Leadership Award in a ceremony at the FBI field office in Boardman. The award recognizes YSU for assisting the FBI Evidence Response Team in several recent criminal investigations. “This is an important award for us,” said Jeff Dick, professor of Geology. “The academic mission of our program is focused on providing students with exciting real-world applications of Geology. Our work with the FBI is directly reflective of that mission.”
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Making college affordable, one book at a time
YSU students saved more than $750,000 on textbooks last year due to a variety of initiatives at the university. “Making higher education more affordable is a major emphasis across all of Ohio and especially here at YSU,” said Neal McNally, vice president for Finance and Operations. “Textbooks are a major expense, and sometimes a surprise expense for many students, so anything we can do to lessen that burden is important.” The textbook savings initiatives are among many listed in YSU’s annual Affordability and Efficiency Report filed last week with the Ohio Department of Higher Education.
YSU leadership in workforce training expands to 5G
The Appalachian Regional Commission awarded $1.15 million to YSU to implement broadband and 5G readiness training across eastern Ohio. The award to YSU’s Division of Workforce Education and Innovation will allow 165 people in Mahoning, Trumbull, Columbiana, Ashtabula, Jefferson and Belmont counties to earn 375 credentials for careers in broadband and 5G, said Jennifer Oddo, executive director of the division. “The deployment of 5G is expected to create approximately 32,000 jobs in network infrastructure over the next several years,” Oddo said. “This funding allows YSU to continue its leadership in ensuring that we develop the trained workforce to respond to those demands.”
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Fire Damages Ward Beecher Planetarium
On Monday, Jan. 9, the first day of Spring Semester, YSU's Ward Beecher Planetarium suffered a fire that Youngstown Fire Department estimated caused about $400,000 in damage. YFD said the fire began when a roofing company tried to fix a small leak on the flat portion of the building’s roof. The building was evacuated. Two firefighters sustained minor injuries. The planetarium is closed pending repairs. The planetarium was in the midst of celebrating its 55th season, featuring more than a dozen new and tried-and-true shows for space enthusiasts of all ages. The planetarium in Ward Beecher Hall on campus opened in 1967 and serves as an astronomy and science education resource center for the Mahoning Valley and surrounding communities. The facility, operated by the YSU Department of Physics, Astronomy, Geology and Environmental Sciences, supports astronomy teaching on campus as well as public planetarium shows.
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Opening means new audiences, new partnerships
The Rose Melnick Medical Museum celebrated its official reopening in September in its new home in Cushwa Hall on campus. “It was Dr. Melnick’s dream to cultivate an interest in medicine and promote medical history,” said Cassie Nespor, museum curator. “With the new location in the center of campus, we are looking forward to using the museum’s collection to reach new audiences and form new partnerships.”