Program connects liberal arts students with research experiences

Ohio 5-OSU SURE co-led by Amy Ferketich

Franny Lazarus
A student in the Ohio 5-OSU SURE program shares his research

A student in the Ohio 5-OSU SURE program shares his research

Last month, students from a cluster of small private colleges known as the Ohio 5 schools presented research they had completed at The Ohio State University during the OSU SURE program.

Ohio 5-OSU SURE, or Summer Undergraduate Research Experience, allows students from the College of Wooster, Denison University, Kenyon College, Oberlin College and Ohio Wesleyan University to participate in summer-long research projects at Ohio State. The colleges collaborate through an organization known as the Five Colleges of Ohio, or Ohio 5 for short.

The program benefits the student participants and Ohio State, said Thomas J. Magliery, faculty program co-director and associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry.

“We see things like the ability to give great oral presentations, strong writing, because of the liberal arts core at those places,” he said of Ohio 5 students. Meanwhile, the students can experience lab work at a top-tier research institution thanks to “the breadth of what you can have at a place like this.”

“Basically, if you can think of an experiment in those areas we’ve covering here, probably Ohio State has facilities to do it,” he said. “They get to see an R1 institution, they get a preview of what graduate school looks like and what the research process looks like.”

Started in 2018 by Magliery and Amy Ferketich, faculty program co-director and professor of epidemiology in the College of Public Health, OSU SURE began with a handful of students. Since then, it has grown, with 26 students enrolled this year. More than 30 Ohio State professors from six fields participate as well. Students have the chance to work closely with these professors for ten weeks.

To read more, visit Ohio State News.

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About The Ohio State University College of Public Health

The Ohio State University College of Public Health is a leader in educating students, creating new knowledge through research, and improving the livelihoods and well-being of people in Ohio and beyond.  The College's divisions include biostatistics, environmental health sciences, epidemiology, health behavior and health promotion, and health services management and policy.   It is ranked 22nd among all colleges of public health in the U.S. by U.S. News and World Report, and also includes the top 8-ranked MHA degree program.  The college’s epidemiology specialty was ranked 19th. The College provides leadership and expertise for Ohio and the world through its Center for Health Outcomes and Policy Evaluation Studies (HOPES) and Center for Public Health Practice (CPHP).