Progress 09/01/16 to 08/31/18

Outputs
Target Audience:In the last academic year, we focused our efforts on reaching high school students who are considering career options. Additionally, we reached out to members of Future Farmers of America (FFA), high school science club members, and middle school students across the State of Ohio. Further, we worked with 24 teachers predominantly from high schools and a few from middle schools. Also, two-year asscociate of science applied degree students took part in the program, receiving different levels of training and exposure. Overall, we reached 285 high schol students, 38 middle school students, 24 teachers (of agriculture, science and environmental sciences), 1 research scientist, 2 laboratory technicians, and 6 associate of applied science students over the last year. Over the two-year life span of the project, we trained a total of 649 students (611 high school students and 38 middle school students). and worked with 30 high/middle school teachers, 2 research scientists, two laboratory technicians and 10 associate degree students in the areas of water and wastewater treatment, biofuel production and ancillary techniques including measurement of chemical and biochemical oxygen demand, High performance liquid chromatography, gas chromatography, PCR, spectrophotometry, protein and DNA analysis, agricultural waste conversion to fuels an chemicals, anaerobic digestion, water quality assessment, and fermentaiton technology, among other techniques. High and middle school students received direct training experiences that ranged from one-day intensive training sessions to week long training sessions. Students - high and middle school and assocate degree - received hands-on training in the listed areas. The research scientists and technicians received training in experimental design, teaching and presentaiton. With the teachers who took part in the project, the PD and co-PD provided them with easy-to-replicate tools on how to reinforce the essence of water and wastewater treatment and waste-to-energy technologies in their classroom with simple experimental deisgns. Changes/Problems:The major challenge that we faced, particulalry in the first year was attracting students to take part in the program over the summer. Since students were not meant to be paid to take part in the project, most of the interested students opted to work over the summer, rather than take part in the program. To circumvent this challenge, we opted for shorter taining sessions that lasted a day each, where students arrived with their teachers, undertook trainings and presentations and left later in the day. For some of the schools, we included field trips as part of the events for the day. By so doing, we were able to reach a large number of students. Furthermore, some students from nearby schools undertook longer projects with us over a period of time, which allowed them to gain a broader training experience. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Late last year (October, 2017), the PD, Victor Ujor atended the Ohio Association of Two-Year Colleges Association Conference, where he gave a joint presentation with colleagues on Project-based Learning. Th presentation in part, focused on aspects of the work on the USDA-NIFA SPECA-sponsored project. The well-received presentaiton looked at hands-on sessions (in the field or in the laboratory) and in some cases, self-designed by students (with the guidance of faculty) as a powerful tool for impactful and meaningful teaching, especally in technical education. This conference also afforded the PD an opportunity to interact with and learn from collegues accross the State. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Having found hands-on training successful for teacing 'hard sciences', the PD presented the outcomes of the project at the Ohio Two-year Colleges Association conference in October a the Lakeland Community College, Kirtland, Ohio. In addition, a research project that was started by the Ohio State ATI students that took part in the program - Biological valorization of anaerobic digestion wastewater for the production of value-added chemicals - is nearing completion with some exciting results. The PDs are working towards completing this study (of which 90% of it has been carried out by two-year undergraduates as part of their capstone projects), by the end of the year. We are looking to submit the manuscript to the journal, Water Research by early next year. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? The following were accomplished in the past year: Aim 1: To provide hands-on training in the operation of HPLC and GC, Fermentation Technology, DNA and protein gel electrophoresis, Genomic DNA and protein isolation, use of spectrophotometer, agricultural biomass hydrolysis, anaerobic digestion of municipal solid waste and wastewater to high school students. Having set out to reach students at two local high schools - Northwestern and Wooster high schools - we quickly found the need to reach out to more schools acrosss ohio. First, we reached most of the target students at both high schools in the first year. Second, the enthusiasm of the participating students and teachers, as well as the relationships thet stemmed from the interactions during the training sessions led us to extend the project to more schools. Consequently, we were able to reach a total of 285 high schools tudents and 38 middle school students, and 24 teachers from various high schools and a middle school across the State of Ohio in the second year. Three hundred and forty six students had received various levels of hands-on training in the first year. Altogether, 631 students - from high schools and middle schools - were trained over the course of the project. Additionally, we brought students from a high school FFA and a science club on campus for training sessions. Further, associate of applied science students (10) from Ohio State ATI received extensive trainings in the forms of practicums, capstone projects and laboratory-based trainings. Consequently, 6 Ohio State ATI students were able to join the PDs in providing hands-on training to high school students and teachers. In all, students were able to undertake hands-on training on fermentation technology, agricultural biomass hydrolysis, anaerobic digestion, fuel cell technology, water quality assessment, spectrophotometry, DNA and protein isolation and analyses, gas chromatography and HPLC. Aim 2: To expose high school students in Wayne County, Ohio to career opportunities in the biofuel/bioprocessing and water/wastewater industries through training and interactions with industry experts from Quasar Energy Group and other local Waste Management Engineering firms and with Renewable Energy students of Ohio State ATI. A core part of the project was to inform participatants (including high, middle school and college students and teachers) of the growing demand for trained personnel in the water, wastewater and bioenergy sectors. Towards this, a part of the training sessions was devodted to educating participants on the numerous job opportunities in this field. More importantly, we organized field trips that engendered closer interactions between participants and industry workers - who also re-echoed the dearth of trained young personnel in the industry. We went further, however to explore constructive means for getting young people employed at various capacities in the industry through the relationships that stemmed from these trips. As a result, we have had; 1. One high school student work with the PDs on an international science fair project that looked at more efficient ways to produce energy from food wastes in the form of biogas (anaerobic digestion). The student in question, David Baden also secured a full scholarship to study engineering at the Arizona State University. 2. One assoiate of applied science student secure a job with a POET Biorefinery plant in Marion, the biggest bioethanol plant in Ohio 3. Three associate of aplied science students interned with 3 different wastewater treatment plants in Ohio 4. One associate of applied science graduate secured a full-time job that entails operating two different wastewater treatment plants in Ohio (Delware County, OH) 5. One associate of applied science graduate secured a job with a biogas plant in Medina County, Ohio. 6. Two associate of applied science degree students of Ohio State ATI currently work part-time with Quasar Energy Group, an ohio-based biogas company with multiple plants across the State and the country. Aim 3: To provide a platform for professional interaction and exchange of ideas between science teachers (agricultural and environmental sciences, chemistry and physics) at Wooster and Northwestern High Schools with their counterparts from Ohio State ATI and OARDC - Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center. A vital aspect of the project was to ensure continuity. The PDs fully understand that offering one-off hands-on training will not plug the skilled labor gap in the industry. To ensure that the message goes beyond the training sessons, participating teachers were a crucial part of the project. They were equiped with simple, easy-to-replicate laboratory, field, and classroom teaching tools and projects that are designed to allow them to further the message gained from the training sessions in their various schools/classrooms. By taking part in the training sessions, we explored measures and strategies that will easily enable them to repeat and expand most of the experiements that were a part of the training sessions at their various schools for classes in agriculture, environmental science, biology and general science. We plan on staying in touch with the teachers with a view to helping them better incoporate these tools in their teaching materials. In October, the PD, Victor Ujor will be working with a local middle school in Wayne County to help the teachers deliver sessions on water quality and water conservation to middle school students. This is part of efforts geared towards sustaining some of the gains that were recorded during the life span of the project. Aim 4: To encourage stronger industry-academia relations between Quasar Energy Group (other local Waste Management Engineering firms) and, Ohio State ATI and OARDC, towards fashioning problem-solving curricula that prepare students for the workplace. Ensuring that this program serves as a much needed catalyst for funneling young skilled workers into a sectore that is in dire need of trained personnel requires constructive industry-academia relations. Therefore, we worked extensively with Quasar Energy Group throughout the project as one of our field trip sites for the participants. More importantly, we (Quasar Energy Group and Ohio State ATI and OSU/OARDC) vigorously pursued ways to provide holistic training and edcuational experience that will produce industry-ready graduates. Towards this, Quasar Energy Group serves as platform for our students to gain additional real-world training while still studying. Currently, two of our students (from the Bioenergy an Biological Waste Management Program of Ohio State ATI) work part-time with Quasar. Additionally, a third student is undertaking Paracticum (unpaid internship) with Quasar. Further, the PD, Victor Ujor is working actively with Mike Mringer, a Municipal Manager at Quasar Energy Group, who also sits on the board of OTCO - Operator Training Committee of Ohio (which prepares candidates for wastewater and water licensing exams in Ohio, throug trainign and education) - on capacity building within the industry. As part of this collaborative effort, Victor Ujor provides assistance in the area of technical writing to candidates working on their Ohio Class IV wastwater license. This is the highest licensing Class in Ohio and other states, which entails writing a thesis. This (thesis writing), is a daunting task for most highly skilled staff in the industry, having not undertaken such an educational task in a long time. To help them make progress, and thereby fill the personnel vaccum in the State, the PD, Victor Ujor provides training and support for the candidates in the area of technical writing.

Publications

• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Accepted Year Published: 2017 Citation: Reframing the Learning Landscape: Project-based Learning as a Pathway to Completion Nathan Crook (OSU ATI), D.R. Elder (OSU ATI), Victor Ujor (OSU ATI) and Eric Williams (OSU ATI) OSU ATI faculty explain how they organize their teaching-learning style using project-based learning (PBL) as a pathway to completion of assignments, units and courses.

Progress 09/01/16 to 08/31/17

Outputs
Target Audience:The audience targeted by this project is high school students (K-12) that are currently considering career options. By educating students on increasing demands for jobs in the water/wastewater industry as well as the expanding bioprocess industry in Ohio, and equipping them with key skills that will shed more light on essential operational tools (in these industries) and exposing them to the workings of a bioenergy and/or wastewater treatment plant, it is expected that a greater number of students will gravitate towards jobs in these sectors. We expect that participants (select K-12 students) in this project as well as wider cross sections of K-12 students in both high schools, who will be targeted through in-school demonstrative sessions, will leverage the two-year associate of science/associate of applied science degrees at Ohio State ATI in preparation for the workforce. Changes/Problems:Thus far, it has been challenging to attract large enough number of students to take part in the lab-based training sessions at Ohio State ATI and OARDC (due to their prior summer commitments), prompting us to expand the in-school sessions and reduce the duration of the lab-based sessions, so as to reach a wider number of students. We plan on making the in-school sessions smaller in the coming year, while organizing more sessions to allow more students gain hands-on training at their schools. Also, we are currently making efforts to recruit the next batch of trainees at ATI and OARDC, so as to get them to commit to the program soon enough (ahead of other commitments). Also, we plan on expanding the training to other local high schools. Further, we will seek to organize more field trips, as students enjoyed the opportunity to interact directly with industry experts on jobs and career-related topics (in relation to bioenergy and water/wastewater treatment). What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?This summer, the PD (Dr. Ujor) attended the PD meeting in West Lafayette,Indiana, which provided an excellent opportunity to interact with other PDs and learn about other NIFA-SPECA projects as well as proffer opportunities for future collaborations. Through interactions with industry experts in bioenergy and water/wastewater management, the PD has garnered extensive knowledge on skills and techniques that are relevant to employers in the field, thereby allowing him to make extensive improvements to his teaching content and delivery approach towards producing quality and productive graduates. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?In addition to presenting a poster on a project involving both ATI students and high school students on waste-to-energy at the PD meeting in West Lafayette, Indiana, the PD delivered a presentation at the Wooster Science Café, Wooster OH - on sustainability and conversion of wastes to value-added products - with a view to driving the message of sustainability, population growth and resource management especially in relation to waste and water to the local community What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?One of the challenges we have faced so far is convincing more students to take part in the lab-based sessions at Ohio ATI and OARDC. Due to summer commitments, most students cannot commit long enough time to undertake the training sessions. Therefore, we will look to organize multiple in-school sessions, focusing on smaller classes where students can work with a variety of techniques over one to two hour periods. This way, more students can gain exposure to a wider range of techniques. Also, we will look to target a few more high schools in the area (for both the hands-on sessions and career talks). Also, we are currently working on attracting students to take part in next summer's lab-based sessions at ATI and OARDC. We expect that by starting early, we should attract more participants for next summer. We plan on keeping the career interactive sessions where high school students interact with a range of industry experts, especially during trips to different facilities.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Objective 1: By taking equipment and tools to both Northwestern and Wooster high schools, we provided demonstrative training sessions for a total of 364 students on anaerobic digestion, thermal conversion of biogas to electricity, water quality assessment, the principles of wastewater treatment, the concept of lignocellulosic biomass to energy and bioethanol fermentation. Secondly, four students took part in an intensive week long hands-on training covering anaerobic digestion, gas chromatography, bioethanol fermentation, polymerase chain reaction, high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), water quality assessment, spectrophotometry, protein analysis (by protein gel electrophoresis), DNA analysis (DNA gel electrophoresis) and liquid-liquid extraction, protein and DNA extraction from bacterial cells, DNA restriction and ligation, measurement of total nitrogen and chemical oxygen demand (COD) of wastewater samples from the area. Objective 2: To expose students to career options in bioenergy and water/wastewater management, Dr. Ujor (PD) gave career talks at Northwestern and Wooster high schools, detailing the state of the job market in both fields - job opportunities, requisite skills, job stability, emerging trends and on-the-job-training. Further, trips were organized to Quasar Energy Group facility in Wooster (a waste-to-energy company), the city of Orrville wastewater treatment plant and Smith Foods wastewater pre-treatment facility, also in Orrville. During these trips, students interacted with experts in the field on the state of the industry, career options, job stability and future trends. Further, during the career talks, high school students had extensive interactions with students of the Renewable Energy Program at Ohio State ATI (Agricultural Technical Institute) on their job prospects, how the program may have prepared them for the job market and the relevance of water/wastewater treatment and Bioenergy to society. Objective 3: Over the past year, this project has allowed the PD and co-PD to work extensively with Science teachers at both high schools, exploring ways to enhance their various curricula to prepare students for the bioenergy and water and waste management industries. Science teachers at both schools organized the career talks delivered by Dr. Ujor, as well extending the core themes of the talks to their various classrooms. Additionally, in October 2016, Dr. Ujor delivered a presentation at the Wooster Science Café, Wooster OH - on sustainability and conversion of wastes to value-added products - with a view to driving the message of sustainability, population growth and resource management especially in relation to waste and water to the local community. Objective 4: By virtue of this project, the PD and co-PD have strengthened their relationship with Quasar Energy, where multiple students of the Renewable Energy Program have and still continue to undertake Practicums and Internships. Mike Maringer, a senior manager at Quasar and industry expert in wastewater treatment has delivered presentations to students of Renewable Energy at Ohio State ATI on careers in wastewater treatment and the entire waste management industry and emerging trends in the industry. Through this collaboration, the Renewable Energy Program at Ohio State ATI has been modified into Bioenergy and Biological Waste Management program (two-year Associate of Applied Science degree; led by the PD, Dr. Ujor), due to start this Fall. The aim is to focus the program more on training the next generation of water/wastewater and solid waste managers and operators, as well as bioenergy and sustainability experts - technicians and research analysts - in response to industry demands. The new program is designed in such a manner as to prepare graduates of the program to excel at the State of Ohio-administered wastewater operator license (Class II). Further, the PD has established working relationships with Olentangy Wastewater Treatment facilities in Columbus Ohio (where two students of the program are currently undertaking internship), city of Orville wastewater treatment facility, city of Wooster wastewater treatment facility and Smith Foods wastewater pre-treatment facility. We continue to explore ways to equip students of the program with skills that will allow them to excel at such plants upon graduation by understanding the skills that are relevant to these employers. This Fall, we are working with Wooster wastewater treatment facility to run some of the laboratory sessions (for the new program) at their facility, to give students as close to real as possible of hands-on experience while studying.

Publications

• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Project-based learning: valorization of anaerobic digestion wastewater