YSU STEM College Sees Enrollment Grow 25%
By Wim Steelant
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – As the first and only STEM college in the state of Ohio, the College of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics at Youngstown State University is home to more than 3,500 students who receive an outstanding education from close to 300 faculty members in 10 departments.
We offer associate degrees, baccalaureates, master’s degrees and doctorates, many with multiple options for emphasis. Enrollment in the college has grown 25% over the last four years and as such is the fastest growing academic unit at YSU.
The faculty are heavily engaged in research and provide students with the opportunity to benefit from their knowledge outside the classroom, in laboratories and research settings with state-of-the-art equipment.
Our students are prepared for advanced research early in their academic careers and, along with faculty and our partners in industry, are making a difference in their communities.
Graduate and undergraduate students have access to high-end research facilities to build their expertise in operating precision laboratory instrumentation. STEM houses seven instrumentation centers, including two centers of excellence and the Center for Innovation in Additive Manufacturing. All support our faculty and students’ research activities.
YSU is one of only two universities in the country to have all seven of the existing types of equipment that pertain to advanced manufacturing.
Our Center for Innovative Additive Manufacturing (3-D printing) was created to advance research, education, workforce development and industry partnerships in this emerging field. The center, the focus of additive manufacturing activities, serves as a resource for the College of STEM and the other colleges that host the arts and health sciences.
The office of STEM Professional Services promotes partnerships that involve students, employers and YSU faculty. Students find themselves in relevant, resume-building experiences with industry partners and faculty mentors.
Our students have been interns at Delphi, the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, GE Lighting, General Motors Co., The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, Mercy Health, NASA, Nationwide Insurance, the Ohio EPA, Ohio and Pennsylvania departments of transportation, Texas A&M University and Walgreens, among others.
STEM alumni have gone on to work at Amazon, Boeing, the Cleveland Clinic, Covestro/Bayer Material Science, Dominion, FirstEnergy, Google, Harley-Davidson Motor Co., Hewlett-Packard, Intel, McAfee, MedSource, MillerCoors, Nissan, U.S. Army Reserve, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and University Hospitals of Cleveland.
We offer 34 student professional organizations that allow students to meet professionals, attend conferences, expand their learning and participate in national competitions. These organizations provide social, academic, entrepreneurial and professional networking. Opportunities for student participation in clubs and organizations on campus are vast.
STEM faculty, staff and students are involved in community outreach programs that support economic development. As a participant in the Eastern Ohio P-16 Partnership for Education, faculty and staff join with educators, businesspeople and civic and nonprofit leaders to foster better outcomes for K-12 students.
YSU STEM College supports the Regional College in High School program along with Youngstown Early College in collaboration with the Youngstown City Schools.
Each year, YSU hosts between 300 and 400 visitors from a dozen high schools for STEM visit days. Students experience science demos and spend time learning the majors we offer and touring our labs.
The author, Wim Steelant is dean of the STEM College at Youngstown State University. Readers can contact him at [email protected]. Columns submitted by YSU deans and professors are one element in ‘The New YSU!’ print and video series. To see the video stories click here.
Copyright 2024 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.
