Projects

Students gain practical, hands-on experience  through an internship, independent study, mentored Extension experience or a mentored teaching experience. Projects can be completed with mentors in industry or an Ohio State faculty member.

Potential internships/project areas

  •     Crop production and management; scouting
  •     Agribusiness management, consulting, economics
  •     Chemical, seed and biotech companies - research and development
  •     Integrated pest management - technical advising/sales; research
  •     Animal and plant health; crop/food/port inspection, monitoring of insects, disease and pests; assessment of management practices
  •     Government regulatory agencies that direct inspection, regulatory issues, food safety, and policy
  •     Horticulture and landscape production, services and sales
  •     Ornamentals and floriculture production
  •     Golf/sports turf management
  •     Gardens and arboretums
  •     Industry or commodity associations that direct research, education, communications, policy development, legislative issues


Previous MPHM projects

Spotted Wilt Drosophila monitoring and trap comparison - Andrew Michalek (with Jim Jasinski)

Development of Standard Operating Procedures for a controlled environment facility - Jessica Wheeler (with Chris Taylor, Chieri Kubota)

Training tools for pest management with employer - Heather Kase (with Luis Canas and BioBee USA)

OSU Extension education and training with nursery and greenhouse ornamental producers - Jayden Black (with Luis Canas, Owen Black and Francesca Hand)

Evaluation of cover crops and slug feeding in soybean fields - Rachel Cochran (with Kelley Tilmon, Andy Michel)

Development of Training Courses for Private Category 1 of Applicator License Exam (Grain and Cereal Crops) - Brittany Heigley (with Mimi Rose and Clif White, OSU Extension)

Screening Commercial Soybean Cultivars for Resistance to Soybean Cyst Nematode Type 2* - Conner Johnson (with Horacio Lopez-Nicora and Laura Lindsey) *CFAES Graduate Research Forum, 2nd place, M.S. Poster competition)

3D Printing: Engaging Stakeholders and Enhancing Extension - Olivia Lang (with Kelley Tilmon, Andy Michel)

Evaluating the response of Pythium spp. to solutions of varying pH (a disease problem in hydroponics systems) - Ian Rabinowitz (with Sally Miller, Chieri Kubota)

Online training and education for pesticide applications Soybean gall midge, monitoring parameters with remote sensors - Anna Kelley (collaboration with Univ. of Nebraska)

Oak wilt training resources for arborists - José Fernandez (with Enrico Bonello)

Soil testing education for gardeners - Alexis Clingingsmith (with Sunny Park, STAR soil testing lab)

Soybean insect pest survey in southern Ohio, OSU Extension - James Morris (with Kelly Tilmon and Andy Michel, Entomology)

Corn trials with Pivot Bio microbial product - Jordan Olinger (with Soledad Benitez Ponce, Plant Pathology)

Susceptibility of Natural Enemies to Insecticides in Controlled Environments - Rachel Bienemann (with Luis Canas, Entomology)

Managing Pest Insects in Ohio for Gardeners and Homeowners - Michael Rizzi (with Luis Canas, Entomology)

Powdery Mildew on Hemp - Amanda Rutan (with Francesca Hand and Scotts Co.)

Use of NIR Spectroscopy in Early Detection of Beech Leaf Disease - Caroline Georskey (with Enrico Bonello)

Surveying Oleander Aphids on Milkweed in City Parks - Brenna Scheiderer (with Celeste Welty)

Integrated Pest Management of Western Flower Thrips  (Frankliniella occidentalis) in Hydroponic Strawberries - Nora Durham (with Chieri Kubota and Luis Canas)

Comparison of Novel Insect Deterrent Material to Organic and Conventional Insecticides for Spotted-Wing Drosophila Management - Esther Kibbe (with Celeste Welty)

Integrated Pest Management in Commercial Orchards vs. Backyard Fruit Plantings - Michael Goard (with Celeste Welty)

Examining the learning preferences of Ohio commercial pesticide applicators - Jessica Burns (with Mary Rose, OSU Pesticide Safety and Education Program)

A Survey of Spotted Cucumber Beetle Activity in Dahlias - Taylor de Gier (with Celeste Welty)

Examination of soil samples for beneficial fungi that might control soybean cyst nematode - Junaid Abdullah (with Soledad Benitez Ponce and Anne Dorrance, Ohio State)

Biostimulants in Agriculture for a Sustainable Future - Sara Eff (with Francesca Peduto Hand, Ohio State and Craig Yendrek, Scotts Miracle Gro Co.)

A Survey of the Wild Bees of the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument (New Mexico) - Cali Granger; Olivia Carrill et al.  2018

Writing Pesticide Safety Fact Sheets for the Public - Helen (Ellie) Andrews, with Mary Rose, OSU Extension, Pesticide Safety Education Program, Ohio State. 2018

Urban Forest Evaluation and Management Project, City of Kent, Ohio.  Kodi Riedel with The Davey Tree Expert Co. and the MPHM program. 2018

Survey of Sudden Death Syndrome in Soybeans, Soybean Cyst Nematodes and Soil Fertility Levels in Soybean Fields Across Ohio.  Jonell Winger, Anne Dorrance et al.  2018.

Topic: Technical Fact Sheet to Video Synopsis for Major Pest Related Issues on Ornamental Trees and Shrubs.  Anna DeToro with The Davey Tree Expert Co. and the MPHM program. 2018

Comparison of soil sampling methods for estimating population
densities of Heterodera glycines cysts. E Smirtnik, T Niblack, P Paul, AE Dorrance, D Bruns. Plant Health Progress (2016) 17, 167-171  (MPHM - industry collaboration)

Preventive Control of Bluegrass Billbug, Sphenophorus parvulus, in Lawn Turf, 2015. DJ Shetlar, S Erick,  J Andon. 2016. Arthropod Management Tests 41 (1):tsw109

Evaluation of preventative fungicide sprays for control of anthracnose on geranium, 2016. F Peduto Hand, Z Foust. Plant Disease Management Reports 11:OT028

Evaluation of fungicides to control powdery mildew on pumpkin, 2015.
J Jasinksi, J Schoenhals. Plant Disease Management Reports 10:V057.

Evaluating the use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles in cucurbit pest management. J Schoenhals and J Jaskinski.  2015.  OSU Extension Annual Conference, Research Poster, 1st place

Development of Extension training, materials and website for ornamental
diseases (u.osu.edu/ornamentaldiseasefacts)

Evaluation of integrated pest management methods:
Agronomic crops  -  Ornamentals  -  Cucurbits  - Hops  -  Turfgrass

Evaluation of soybean seed treatments for Pythium, Fusarium virugliforme

Development and delivery of Pesticide Safety and Education training (pested.osu.edu)

Biological control and beneficial insects for greenhouse integrated pest management

Urban tree surveys; development and evaluation of online tree health training modules

Evaluation of Extension programming and citizen science programs pertaining to pollinators and  lady beetles

Developing Extension materials and online course modules for plant health and turfgrass health management