connected - winter 2014

This is a quarterly e-newsletter designed to connect Ohio higher education to the business community. In this publication, you will learn about the efforts of the Ohio Board of Regents to move students from the classroom to the workforce; and about research and idea development happening within the University System of Ohio that is benefiting Ohio businesses.

ConnectED: Connecting Higher Education to Business

ConnectED: Connecting Higher Education to Business | Volume 2 Issue 1

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GE Aviation and University of Cincinnati Research Institute Collaborating on the future of aerospace

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Urbana University Creates MBA Program and Partners with Industry Leader Coursework delivered both online and onsite

Stark State Opens the Taps on Training for Ohio Shale Jobs Downtown Canton Satellite Center and Energy Institute

A Look at the Mitsubishi Training Center at Rhodes State College Community College also adding courses to meet its needs in manufacturing

Dual Enrollment at Coshocton County Career Center A student success story

RED BORDERSappy New Year! As we head into the first weeks of 2014, I’m pleased to share with you the latest issue of ConnectED, our quarterly newsletter that places a spotlight on the ties between higher education and the business community, and how these ties

turn today’s students into tomorrow’s workers.

In this issue, we’ll look at three unique collaborative partnerships: between the University of Cincinnati Research Institute and GE Aviation, which is preparing students for the highly competitive aerospace industry; between Rhodes State College and Mitsubishi Electric Automation Inc., which is training manufacturing workers on the use of Mitsubishi’s Programmable Logic Controls; and between Urbana University and AkzoNobel, which has resulted in a 36-hour MBA program for AkzoNobel employees.

This issue also features stories about Stark State’s role in the growing shale industry and a student who took advantage of dual enrollment courses at the Coshocton County Career Center. This issue truly focuses on the work being done around Ohio to provide skilled workers for high-demand jobs. And a skilled workforce is just one of the many benefits of being ConnectED.

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John CareyChancellor, Ohio Board of Regents

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A rendering courtesy of GE Aviation.

When completed, this will be the combustion laboratory at Evendale where the UC researchers will work on emissions technology.

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GE Aviation and University of Cincinnati Research Institute

Collaborating on the Future of Aerospace

GE Aviation, Ohio’s leading exporter with thousands of employees in the Greater Cincinnati region, needs highly qualified engineers with specific experience in order to keep pace with changing workforce needs and to meet the demands of rapid industry growth.

Engineering students at the University of Cincinnati need the right type of hands-on experience, coupled with their academic training, if they are to land jobs in the highly competitive aerospace industry.

The University of Cincinnati needs first-in-class facilities and cutting-edge research if it is to attract the best minds from around the world as students and faculty.

Ohio needs to strategically and effectively develop and manufacture technology if it is to continue to build on its rich history of success in the aerospace industry and create high-paying and lasting jobs for its citizens.


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All of these needs came together in a historic partnership between GE Aviation and the University of Cincinnati Research Institute (UCRI).

The collaborative partnership, announced at the end of October, will create the GE Aviation Research Center in Evendale, Ohio, and offer students and faculty the opportunity to tackle the next generation of material and engineering challenges in state-of-the-art facilities.

GE Aviation is investing nearly $100 million in the joint research project, and an additional $6 million to fund 19 student and six faculty researchers. UCRI is committing $1 millon over the next three years to purchase the necessary equipment.

David Linger, president and CEO of UCRI, said he is excited about this important and critically needed collaboration between higher education and business.

“Business investment and collaboration in the past has tended to be rather ad hoc, with changing alumni connections, and other intermittent relationships and strategies playing a key role,” Linger said. “This partnership in contrast will focus investment in a specific area in terms of talent, infrastructure and expertise. This long-term strategic focus is then something GE and

the aerospace industry can count on in their planning and not worry about duplicative investment.”

Rick Kennedy, GE Aviation media relations manager, said this is the talent pipeline his company needs.

“Our industry is highly competitive and our growth means an even greater need,” Kennedy said. “We view this as great way to train engineers who not only have an excellent classroom education but also the direct experience of working in the lab on real world GE projects.”

Both sides reap the benefits.

“There is nothing like being able to drive down I-75 and be in the lab talking to students and faculty face to face,” said Linger. “Students will be embedded in facilities, working on equipment and addressing challenges that companies like GE Aviation are facing right now. This is invaluable experience that will allow UC students to hit the ground running. That is a powerful asset in the job market.”

UC has developed an approach that seeks out businesses to better understand skills and

“This incredible collaborative agreement will allow the university to develop state of the art labs and facilities.”

-Dr. Teik Lim Dean of the College of Engineering and

Applied Science at the University of Cincinnati

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David Linger, president and CEO of the University of Cincinnati Research Institute (UCRI)

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talents they are looking for in order to better align training and experience with real-time demands and challenges. The university’s long history of co-ops has helped it to foster relationships with the business community and to be proactive in seeking input. And it is paying off.

“This incredible collaborative agreement will allow the university to develop state of the art labs and facilities which will have an impact beyond the work being done by GE,” said Dr. Teik Lim, interim dean of the College of Engineering and Applied Science at the University of Cincinnati. “At the same time, it takes our already powerful relationship with GE to another level.”

The state of Ohio also recognizes the importance of the aerospace industry to the state’s economy. UCRI received a Third Frontier grant in 2012 that will be used to purchase equipment for this initiative. And the work of UCRI has the potential to serve as a model for research, technology development and transfer, as well as education, training

and workforce development. Its flexibility and adaptive structure makes it easier to forge relationships and reach agreements similar to this one.

“This project is already bringing a great deal of media attention and prestige to our university, our region and the state of Ohio,” Dr. Lim said. “It has the potential to position the region as the ‘Silicon Valley’ of the Midwest for the aerospace industry.”

The collaboration between GE and UCRI expands and bolsters an already successful aerospace industry in Ohio. Ohio’s “Aerospace Arc” runs from Cincinnati, including the University of Cincinnati, UCRI and GE Aviation, north through Dayton, with further collaboration between GE and the University of Dayton, as well as Wright Patterson Air Force Base, and over to The Ohio State University, which hosts GE-funded engine fan and materials research, ending in northern Ohio with NASA Glen. Ohio is the number one supplier for aerospace companies such as Airbus and Boeing and the sector’s workforce includes more than 36,000 Ohioans.

Public-private partnerships involving businesses, higher education and state investment are increasingly critical components of economic growth and development at the local, state and regional levels.

The partnership between GE Aviation and the University of Cincinnati is an example of how collaboration can bring state of the art research and facilities to the higher education community, meet the workforce and research and development needs of industry, and bring high-paying jobs and investment to the region and beyond.

Check out the UC Research Institute website at:

http://www.uc.edu/discovery/ucri.html


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Stark State Opens the Taps on Training for Ohio Shale JobsOhioans don’t have to dig very far to find a well-paying job in the state’s growing oil and gas industry. According to data provided by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, approximately 169,000 Ohioans already work directly or indirectly in the industry, and that number is expected to increase dramatically over the next five years. But in order to tap into many of these jobs, additional education is necessary.

That’s where schools like Stark State College come in. Utilizing state and federal grant money, Stark State plans to open a new class/lab site dedicated to training students for the oil and gas industry in northeast Ohio. The new facility, will be built in downtown Canton as part of the Stark State Downtown Canton Satellite Center and

Energy Institute. It plans to open in time for the fall 2014 semester.

Stark State is uniquely situated to become resource for oil and gas workers. Sitting atop both the Marcellus and Utica shale plays, Stark County ranked fifth in the state for the number of new wells drilled (36) in 2012, and neighboring Carroll County ranked first (87). Utica shale permits have been issued to 29 different companies, and 609 wells have been drilled to date.

The Satellite Center and Energy Institute aims to train the workforce that will man the wells in the coming years. The facility was born in early 2012 when Stark State received a $10 million grant from the state to build it in downtown

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Canton. Then, in October 2012, Stark State became one of four colleges nationally to receive curriculum funding in the form of a ShaleNET Grant from the U.S. Department of Labor. The college convened an Oil and Gas Advisory Council, consisting of industry, education, community and government leaders, to help guide its curriculum development and programing scope.

The energy institute’s new lab will include both indoor space and an outside well site trainer that simulates a fully operational, producing well. According to Kathleen Steere, Stark State College coordinator of oil and gas programs, “The goal is to have the students train in a realistic but controlled safe environment.” Construction will begin in March, 2014.

Through the ShaleNET program, students at Stark State can already take noncredit floorhand and welder’s helper classes, as well as IADC Rig Pass, SafeLAND and SafeGULF training. They also can earn one-year and applied associate of science degrees in petroleum industrial mechanic technology, industrial process operation, petroleum technology (pipeline technician major), and petroleum technology (instrumentation and electronics major). In fall 2013, there were 36 declared majors, with 60 anticipated for spring 2014. Eastern Gateway Community College is the only other Ohio school offering noncredit ShaleNET courses, but other Ohio institutions are developing classes with direct and indirect impact on the industry.

“Support received from the Oil and Gas Advisory Council, college leadership and the Ohio Board of Regents has tremendously helped get the programming up and running in one year,” said Steere, adding that “By working closely with industry, the training will evolve as the plays develop to establish a sustainable infrastructure.”

David Haase of Sinclair Community College holds the Vireo Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) before a test flight at Springfield-Beckley Municipal Airport.


The college will construct a 7,000-square-foot building on the land to house an indoor/outdoor well-site trainer and lease operator lab.

Nestled in Urbana, Ohio, a private liberal arts university develops the connections between students and faculty that lead to the cultivation of cutting-edge programs and partnership opportunities.

In October of 2013, Urbana University began a customized degree program and partnership with AkzoNobel, an international leader in fine coatings and specialty chemicals with offices and manufacturing facilities in Columbus, Ohio and around the world. AkzoNobel employs more than 450 highly skilled scientists and engineers in North America.

AkzoNobel came to the university through Urbana board member and alum Ben Mitchell, who is with the AkzoNobel sales management department.

Ben asked Urbana University to create an in-house MBA program customized for managers and supervisors. UU responded by offering a 36-hour MBA program, with the coursework delivered both online and onsite at the AkzoNobel plant in Columbus. Faculty and students jointly negotiate the scheduling of class time to maximize flexibility. In addition, when appropriate, coursework focuses on the industry sector of AkzoNobel. University President Kirk Peterson said “this is a new focus for us, customizing our academic programs to meet the needs of our student stakeholders.”

Urbana University finds partnerships with corporate entities such as AkzoNobel mutually beneficial. The company allows itsmanagement team the opportunity to obtain an MBA while balancing work and home commitments, growing into company leaders. The University benefits from the addition of enrolled students in its MBA program and sharing the successes of the programs with additional companies.

Urbana University

Creates MBA Program and Partners with

Industry Leader




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A Look at the Mitsubishi Training Center at Rhodes State College When Rhodes State College in Lima developed a partnership with Mitsubishi Electric Automation, Inc. to train manufacturing workers on the use of Mitsubishi Programmable Logic Controls (PLC), Rhodes State administrators knew it addressed a great need.

Northwest Ohio has the highest concentration of Mitsubishi PLCs in the United States. With three Honda of America plants located within a 60-mile radius of the college, and more than 35 Tier 1 and Tier 2 Honda suppliers nearby, Rhodes State and Mitsubishi officials were confident manufacturers would welcome a regional training solution.

The Mitsubishi Training Center at Rhodes State College provides that. As Ohio’s only certified Mitsubishi Electric Factory Automation Training Center, workers can get the training they need without an overnight trip to Mitsubishi’s headquarters in Vernon Hills, Ill. The result? Employers save money and Rhodes State strengthens its ability to train workers in advanced manufacturing jobs.

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Since opening in July, the Training Center has added a new class and additional sessions of existing classes, and started to provide training on two other brands of PLCs. To date, 11 companies from three states have sent workers for training.

Margo Meyer, director of advanced manufacturing initiatives for Rhodes State, said companies are “calling us saying we want training more frequently, and we are adding courses to meet their needs.” To date, Meyer estimated that by offering those classes locally, Ohio-based employers have saved $30,000 in travel costs.

The Training Center, equipped with state-of-the-art Mitsubishi PLC and Human Machine Interface (HMI) trainers, was created through a public-private partnership supported by $117,000 in Ohio Board of Regents’ Non-Credit Workforce Development Grant money. Mitsubishi provided equipment at cost, faculty training, and ongoing system updates. Rhodes State provided the facility and instructors, and the Ohio Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP), of which Rhodes State is a member, provided the tools to outreach to local industry. A key requirement of the training was to replicate and maintain the quality content, delivery and equipment that are the backbone of the standardized Mitsubishi Training Center philosophy.

Mark Werthman, director of the Technical Support Group for Mitsubishi Electric Automation, said, “We believe the partnership with Rhodes State has strengthened our training program by bringing a training facility to northwest Ohio that maintains the organization’s high quality and standards.”

After the Training Center successfully launched, Procter & Gamble Manufacturing Co.’s Lima Plant approached Rhodes State about offering factory automation training for its plant workers. The plant and distribution center produces several brands of liquid detergents and softeners, including Tide and Downy. The facility has been called the largest fully automated logistics center in the world.

The plant uses Allen Bradley brand PLCs and automation devices. So to fulfill the training request, Rhodes State partnered with Northwest State College, another MEP member. Northwest State provided the equipment and instructors. Rhodes State offered the training room and the customers. To date, 10 classes for P&G workers have been held.

Meyer said the Training Center opens more space to provide different types of non-credit workforce training.

“It is kind of a domino effect that has really touched a local need,” Meyer said. “It started with Mitsubishi and we now have the resources to offer other training, based on customer requests and needs.”

Customer requests are driving demand for more types of classes. In 2014, the Center expects to add classes in human machine interfaces (HMI), Siemens brand factory automation devices, and factory automation troubleshooting and maintenance.


Mark Werthman, director of the Technical Support Group for Mitsubishi Electric Automation

“We believe the partnership with Rhodes State has strengthened our training program by bringing a training facility to northwest Ohio that maintains the organization’s high quality and standards.”



Dual Enrollment in Ohio Student Profile:

Lane Shaw

Lane Shaw graduated from the Coshocton County Career Center (CCCC) in June 2013. During his senior year he successfully completed four Dual Enrollment (DE) courses: Electric Circuits I, Introduction to Electronics, Digital Systems and Network Engineering.

Students in this program spend two years studying digital electronics, including electronic theory and the components that store, transmit or alter electrical signals. Students build and analyze various types of digital circuits and then test and troubleshoot problems with their operation. Computers of various types are used to reinforce the technology studied.

Shaw is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in electrical/electronics engineering technology from at Kent State University at Tuscarawas.

While in high school, Lane took second place in a digital electronics high school competition held in January 2013 and earned a $750 scholarship.

According to his instructor, Steve Ervin (CCCC), during his enrollment in these courses Lane developed a program in C++ that was shared with the author of a book on the subject

matter. Shaw also started a business repairing computers and assisting area businesses and residents with solutions related to information technology.

Last summer, Shaw started and he is now completing the development of a game application that converts a Microsoft Xbox game into a laser tag version. In this application he built the server with one computer controlling the input/output of several wireless stations. His innovative laser tag game is designed to move the characters in the arena with up to 24 players (up to 12 players per team) and with nine game characters.

Laser tag technology offers wireless interactive game play, lighted guns with sound, and colorful barriers.

Shaw is currently developing a business plan to bring his invention to market, as he continues the pursuit of his engineering technology degree at KSU at Tuscarawas.

Coshocton County Career Center &Kent State University - Tuscarawas

Thank you for reading ConnectED. We would appreciate any suggestions or ideas to improve this newsletter.

We welcome story ideas, links to articles of interest and news releases.

Please send story ideas to Jeff Robinson at [email protected]

A special thank you to all of those who contributed stories and articles:

University of Cincinnati - MB Reilly, Dama Ewbank Stark State College - Irene Motts Urbana University - Cherie Moore and staff Rhodes State College Edwina Blackwell Clark Coshocton County Career Center / Kent State University-Tuscarawus - Dr. Kamal Bichara


connected - winter 2014

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