Student Newsletter: January 11, 2021

The course provides an introduction to the fundamentals of remote sensing and Unmanned Aerial System (i.e., drone), and their applications in agriculture. Additionally, the course provides students hands-on experiences on the use of drone and other remote sensing data and their processing, analyses and interpretation for agricultural applications. Upon completion of the course, the students will also be better prepared for remote pilot certification. To provide students real-life perspectives on the use of remote sensing data in agriculture, we have several guest speakers from Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Precision Agricultural Industries, such as Sentera, Beck’s Hybrid, and Sunrise Cooperative, and federal agencies, such as USDA-ARS and Soil Water and Conservation District,  already lined up for the semester. 

More information can be found here. 

The Miner Institute in Chazy, NY is now accepting applications for four paid internship programs. Applcations are due February 15th

Summer Experience in Farm Management
http://whminer.org/education/summer-experience-in-farm-managment.php

Summer Experience in Equine Management
http://whminer.org/education/summer-experience-in-equine-managment.php

Summer Experience in Ag Research
http://whminer.org/education/summer-experience-in-agricultural-research.php

and new this year:  
Summer Experience in Water Quality Research
http://www.whminer.org/img/sewqr-program-pdf-1.pdf#:~:text=SUMMER%20EXPERIENCE%20IN%20WATER%20QUALITY%20RESEARCH%20OVERVIEW%20Students,farm%20pro%EF%AC%81%20tability.%20Students%20will%20have%20the%20opportunity

The Department of Animal and Poultry Sciences at Virginia Tech is seeking applicants for working facility manager to coordinate animal care activities, within the implementation of research protocols and serve as the intermediate between daily farm operations and the poultry programs. Responsible for daily management and maintenance of facilities and oversee the welfare of poultry flocks associated with departmental research. To help ensure that research and teaching protocols are maintained efficiently and accurately at the Glade Road Poultry Center. Additional duties include manage feed inventory, maintain ad run basic feed mill equipment, manage facility schedule and billing. This individual will be required to effectively communicate across multiple farm users to ensure smooth farm operations. Assist in other farm activities as necessary for the success of the department.

More information on the position and how to apply can be found here. 

Create a beautiful, low-maintenance terrarium to decorate your home or give as a gift. Plants lift our spirits when daylight is in short supply, so this is a great class to take with winter on its way! Students can attend in-person or virtually. The cost of the in-person class includes all necessary materials. The class will be limited to 8 students. Social distancing and a face covering are required. Before the class, virtual students will receive a list of supplies that they must acquire on their own.

Date and time of class: Saturday, January 23; 12:30 – 2pm

Location: Virtual or in-person

For more info visit https://www.fpconservatory.org/events/diy-terrarium-5/

In alignment with recommendations from the Safe Campus and Scientific Advisory Subgroup, Campus Area Bus Service (CABS) continues to limit occupancy to support safety and physical distancing guidelines. For students coming/going to our CFAES Columbus campus, please note:

• There are only two routes right now during the day. Additional routes are available after 7 p.m.
• MC-Med Center Express goes from West campus directly to the hub near the Herrick Drive Transit Hub and back but does not go past our Midwest bus stop.

• BL-Buckeye Loop: goes from the Buckeye lot (near Ackerman and Fred Taylor) in a loop that goes to the 4-H Center stop (new), Midwest campus stop (Woody Hayes), RPAC, and then back via Olentangy and Ackerman. It runs every 5 minutes during the day.

We are working with CABS to possibly expand routes in the coming weeks. For more information on routes, please visit: https://ttm.osu.edu/news/2020/07/31/cabs-announces-route-changes-autumn-semester. Alternative transportation is included on TTM’s COVID response page: https://ttm.osu.edu/covid-19-transportation-response

The Libraries are currently offering contact-free pickup by appointment at Thompson Library only, and document delivery through Interlibrary Services.  To see a full list of librries and their hours, see here.

The Libraries will reopen to users on January 25, and will aim to provide services that support your teaching, learning and research in a safe and healthy environment.  Here’s what that will look like:

Using the Libraries’ space: 

·         The Veterinary Medicine Library, as well as most department libraries, will operate on a modified schedule of 10am-4pm, Monday-Friday.  Thompson and 18^th Avenue Libraries will maintain normal hours. Hours are subject to change. Please visit library.osu.edu for current information.

·         Masks are required in all University Libraries facilities.

·         Library users are asked to maintain a safe, physical distance of six feet apart. We have spaced out seating in our common areas and closed our group study rooms to help make this possible.

·         Eating and drinking are not permitted. 

·         The Veterinary Medicine Library’s space will have restricted seating and will primarily be used for classroom and exam space.  You can also pick up reserved books and use our computers, printers, copiers and scanners.  We ask that you sanitize surfaces after use.

Using the Libraries’ materials:

·         The book stacks will remain closed to the public. Materials must be requested through the Library Catalog. Only University Libraries staff may remove books from shelves. Any books brought to the circulation desk by visitors will have to be quarantined and unavailable for up to five days.

·         Materials you request can be picked up at a library circulation desk, or sent to your Columbus campus office. 

·         Returned materials will be quarantined for five days and will remain checked out on your account until quarantine is complete and they have been checked in.

·         Due to quarantine, OhioLINK and Interlibrary Loan requests will be delayed. 

·         Print course reserves and textbooks will circulate for extended loan periods, rather than two hours or in-library use.

·         Requests for new materials will take longer than normal to process.

The Safe and Healthy Buckeyes website is continually updated with the most current information about the university's return to campus and navigating the term.  This site features resources for accommodations related to COVID-19, daily health checks, living on campus, dining on campus, events and gatherings, mental health and wellness, personal protection, recreation, testing and quarantines, transportation, and more.

All OSU Counseling and Consultation Services (CCS) staff were sent home to tele-commute until further notice.The CCS phone line 614-292-5766 remains available for emergency assistance 24 hours per day, 7 days a week. Students can push 2 to reach a mental health counselor at any time.

CCS has suspended onsite and in person services, including those at embedded locations, through at least May 3, 2020.  You are still able to connect with a counselor  for a 30 minute phone or video consultation using Carmen Zoom or Skype. These consultations are offered 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM Monday through Friday in order to check in with students, problem solve, and offer support.  Students will need to share their address/location at the time of the call.

Students can access many self-help tools that are available on the CCS website at https://ccs.osu.edu . The CCS COVID-19 updates page linked to the website is a great resource. On that page, students will find helpful coping skills such as the mental health strategies video series. This time that can be difficult for many. All students are encouraged to check that out.

This link also contains some great information for coping right now:https://u.osu.edu/emotionalfitness/2020/03/12/mental-health-tips-during-covid-19-coronavirus/

If you encounter a suspected emergency situation with any student during this time, crisis support is available by calling CCS at 614-292-5766. If this happens with the student remotely located, please try to get as much contact information about the student such as name, phone number, OSU dot #, and address where they are currently located. If you suspect safety is at risk or compromised at that time for the student or anyone they are with, please call 9-1-1. They will help immediately regardless of where the student is physically located. After you have done one of the steps above, please let me know of the situation so that follow up contact attempts can be made with the student. Please make sure to provide me with the best way to reach you right now too.

This is an unusual time for all of us. Please practice good self-care, social distancing, and stay safe. Additional information on Coronavirus (COVID-19) is available at https://cdc.gov . Faculty and Staff should also remember our OSU Employee Assistance Program https://osuhealthplan.com is still available by contacting 614-292-4700 or 800-678-6269.

A full list of available counselors in the college can be found here. 

The College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences has renewed its partnership with Portfolium.com and will continue to provide ALL students and faculty the opportunity to create a professional, online digital portfolio. In today’s world, employers seek evidence of career-relevant skills and competencies beyond listings on a resume. Students at all levels can easily create evidence-based credentials. In other words, attaching documents, videos, audio files, graphics, coding samples and presentations help demonstrate your knowledge and abilities.

You should have already received your Portfolium invitation with the subject: “Access your CFAES Portfolium.” The email contains a link to activate your free verified account within the CFAES network using your Ohio State credentials.  If you missed the initial email, you can also join by using the Portfolium Resource Page.

For more information or inquires, contact Elaine Eberlin.

The Career Services page on the departmental site has been redeveloped to hopefully make it more user-friendly. Check out helpful resources for building a resume, writing cover letters and more. There are resume templates that can be used to create a resume in case you don’t know where to start. In addition, there is an option for students to submit their resume and/or cover letters for review, prior to applying for internships or going to the career expo. Check it out! https://ansci.osu.edu/undergraduate/career-services/building-resume