With the rapid emergence of the regional natural gas industry, the Natural Gas and Water Resources Minor at YSU was first proposed in November 2011 and was quickly approved by the Board of Trustees in April 2012.

The broad based curriculum includes coursework that supports emerging requirements for safe and efficient production of natural gas and water resource management. In only it’s first full year, approximately fifteen students have already declared Natural Gas and Water Resources as their minor.

“I chose the Natural Gas and Water Resources minor not only because of the growing field, but because the subject itself is very interesting.” Marcy Angelo, junior says.

The Natural Gas and Water Resources minor has a base curriculum of three courses:

• Introduction to Natural Gas and Water Systems;
• Foundations of Environmental Studies and Lab;
• and Natural Gas and Water Resources Seminar.

Students select additional classes from Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, or Geological and Environmental Science for a total of twenty credit hours.

Core courses include discussions on the variety and effectiveness of various well-drilling techniques, as well as the impact of science, technology, and engineering on the safe and efficient practices. Students also perform environmental studies and research as part of their field experience, thereby expanding their knowledge beyond the classroom to include both the oil and gas fields and the subsequent oil and gas downstream processing.

“The class time goes very fast because everything is new for us to learn, and all of us have many questions. It’s a class that I look forward to attending. The seminar is geared toward listening to a representative from a company speak about the oil and gas field, and I am excited for our first speaker to learn even more about the subject,” Angelo also said.

The new minor pairs well with a major in Geological and Environmental Science, and it makes graduates more marketable in this exciting new area.

“I chose to minor in Natural Gas and Water Resources because it is a great opportunity to get involved with what is happening in our area. I want to be well educated on anything happening with the earth. Geology is my passion and I want to know as much as I can about it,” said Lauren Talda, a junior majoring in Geological and Environmental Science.

Starting in June, Katie will embark on the first leg of the Edison Engineering Development Program’s two-year rotation. The program is an accelerated track for gaining leadership within the company.

During the past two summers, Katie has interned with the company in two separate departments: LED Technology and Fluorescent. Working in LED Technology, Katie analyzed competitive product data. Also while with the Fluorescent Technology Team, Katie fabricated an action spectra and conducted lamp reliability tests.

In the summer of 2011, Katie analyzed the emission and excitation spectra of phosphor samples from the GE Global Research Center. Through many trials, Katie also preformed precipitation reactions with varying parameters to yield phosphor powder from raw materials.

“I would like to acknowledge the faculty of the YSU Engineering Department and of the Scholars and Honors Program who have been so instrumental in my success, especially Dr. Douglas Price and Dr. Amy Cossentino. They truly went above and beyond just teaching in the classroom, enabling me to grow into a young professional,” Katie said.

Katie will be pursuing a Master’s of Engineering degree at Case Western Reserve University starting this fall. Many student organizations will be sad to see her leave. As a member of Phi Kappa Phi National Honors Society, Phi Sigma Rho Sorority for Women in Engineering, and Society of Women Engineers, the STEM College has no doubt that she will fit right in.

Katie, a Boardman High School graduate, will graduate this spring summa cum laude with her bachelors in chemical engineering and minors in both mathematics and chemistry. She attributes much of her love of the field to her upbringing. Mrs. Burkey, a BHS chemistry teacher, and Mr. Centofanti, a BHS calculus teacher, helped to carve her path of success. Her family has also played a big role in her career decisions.

“There are a lot of engineers in my family! Three uncles and four cousins,” Katie said.

Katie will still be working hard until graduation, but she is sure to have an enjoyable final semester at YSU.

Dr. Virgil Solomon looking at the chemical composition of a sample.

From the outside, Ward Beecher Hall looks like a normal academic building. Sure, it houses a planetarium and a greenhouse, but there is more than that on the inside. Youngstown State University has the privilege of having an Electron Microscope (EM) Facility on its campus.

The first part of the facility was started in 2009 with the help of a grant from Ohio Third Frontier. The $2.1 million grant was used to redesign part of the fifth floor of Ward Beecher Hall to accommodate both a focused ion beam/scanning electron microscope and a scanning/transmission electron microscope.

The facility, including the surrounding labs, needs to be able to obtain constant temperature and humidity to ensure proper working conditions for the different microscopes. There also needs to be consistent vibration and noise levels, most of which is cancelled out by soundproof walls and insulation. The JEOL 2100 Scanning/Transmission Electron Microscope has its own vibration table to reduce the amount of outside vibration to ensure the microscope can give a clean image of the sample.

A gold nano particle on a carbon film.

The microscopes are used to visualize sub-micron features and to determine the chemical composition and chemical structure of different materials. With the microscopes, a scientist or an engineer can understand the structure, properties, processing, and performance of a material. For example, there can be two materials of the same chemical composition, but made in two different ways. One may have a different conductivity than the other and may behave differently.

One of the biggest challenges in electron microscopy is creating the samples. The samples need to be a certain size and thickness to be used in the microscope. The samples for the JEOL 2100 need to be less than 10^-7mm thick and fit on a 3mm diameter transmission electron microscope (TEM) grid, which is usually made of copper or aluminum. The samples for the JEOL 2100 can be made from larger samples using the focused ion beam/scanning electron microscope, the JEOL JIB-4500, in a process called nano-manufacturing.

Another challenge for the Electron Microscope Facility is the training the JEOL 2100 requires. Learning to operate the instrument requires a lot of energy and commitment from the users. The students have the opportunity to be trained in using the electron microscopes either taking the specialty graduate classes offered by the STEM College or by individual training with EM instrumentation scientist Dr. Dingqiang Li.

“I have been using electron microscopes for fifteen years, but I’m continuously learning about the instrumentation and microscopy techniques,” Dr. Virgil Solomon, assistant professor and coordinator of the facility, said. Dr. Solomon was hired to help develop the EM Facility, in part because of his work at the University of Connecticut.

The Electron Microscope lab works in collaboration with companies like Fireline Incorporated, in Youngstown. Together, they do research on developing new materials for making better products.

The JEOL 2100

In the future, the facility hopes to add a second phase to the Electron Microscope Lab. Two more electron microscopes will be added to the facility.  The new microscopes will be located on the first floor of Moser Hall. The instruments will be purchased with the help of two grants: one from the National Science Foundation and the other from Ohio Board of Regents. The microscopes will be a field emission scanning electron microscope (SEM) and a variable pressure SEM. The microscopes will provide the college with investigation tools that complement the analytical capabilities of the focused ion beam/SEM and the transmission electron microscope. The instruments will be added later this year.

Youngstown State University collects all sorts of people as students, faculty, and professors. Each of these people has something specific and unique to offer the community and the university. Dr. Michael Butcher, assistant professor of anatomy and physiology, has been an essential part of the research initiative in the Department of Biological Sciences for the last five years.

Michael feels at home in the Biological Sciences department; the position is what brought him to the Youngstown area.

“The Department of Biological Sciences was a good fit for me and they were very supportive of my research program,” Michael says.

Dr. Butcher studied

muscle and bone biomechanical functions while earning his degrees. He earned his bachelors degree in exercise science and biology from Christopher Newport University and his masters in functional morphology and biomechanics from Wake Forest University. At the University of Calgary, Dr. Butcher earned his Ph.D. in biomechanics and muscle physiology.

Michael had also held a post-doctoral fellowship at Clemson University studying the evolution of bone loading in the limb systems of turtles and early mammals with Dr. Richard Blob.

While he continues collaborate with Dr. Blob, Michael explained, “At YSU, I now study the muscle structure and muscle fiber type in the prehensile tails of didelphid marsupials (opossums) and muscle structure and force production in the forelimb of digging specialists (like badgers and moles).”

Dr. Butcher is not all about his research though. While he may be often found in is lab, Michael also enjoys the Rec Center and mentoring his graduate students. He enjoys interacting with his undergraduate students too.

“[Y]ou do not realize how influential you are to their lives and the way they think and learn,” Michael says.

Michael is the faculty adviser for the YSU chapter of the American Medical Student Association, the current president of the YSU chapter of Sigma Xi, and the Biological Sciences department’s resident ‘fitness guy’ and foodie. Following the television show “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives,” Dr. Butcher travels all around the country to try eclectic foods.

Over this past summer, Michael extended his travels past the United States borders and went to Costa Rica as part of a research expedition studying the prehensile tails of opossums. Dr. Butcher is no stranger to international travelling, and if he were not a professor, he would like to be a global travel guide. For now, Michael settles for being the Biological Sciences department tour guide on Crash Days.

Dr. Butcher’s most current research papers were published this January:

Hazimihalis PJ, Gorvet MA, Butcher MT. 2013. Myosin isoform fiber type and fiber size in the tail of the Virginia opossum (Didelphis virginiana). Anat Rec 296: 96-107.

Moore AL, Budny JE, Russell AP, Butcher MT. 2013. Architectural specialization of the intrinsic thoracic limb musculature of the American badger (Taxidea taxus). J Morphol 274: 35-48.

For more information, check out his laboratory website here!

“Structures, Binding Energies, and Spin-spin Coupling Constants of Geometric Isomers of
Pnicogen Homodimers (PHFX)₂, X = F, Cl, CN, CH₃, NC”
J. E. Del Bene, I. Alkorta, G. Sánchez-Sanz, and J. Elguero.  J. Phys. Chem. A.
116, 3056 (2012).

“Proton-bound homodimers involving second-row atoms”
B. Chan, J. E. Del Bene, and L. Radom.  Theor. Chem. Acc. 131, 1088 (2012).

“Variations in the Structures and Binding Energies of Binary Complexes with HBO”
    J. E. Del Bene, I. Alkorta, G. Sanchez-Sanz, and J. Elguero.
Chem. Phys. Lett. 538, 5 (2012).

“Homo- and Heterochiral Dimers (PHFX)₂, X = Cl, CN, CH₃, NC:  To What
Extent Do They Differ?”
J. E. Del Bene, I. Alkorta, G. Sanchez-Sanz, and J. Elguero.
Chem. Phys. Lett. 538, 14 (2012).

“Influence of Hydrogen Bonds on Pnicogen Bonds”
I. Alkorta, G. Sanchez-Sanz, J. Elguero, and J. E. Del Bene.
J. Chem. Theory Comput.  8, 2320 (2012).

“Interplay of F-H^…F Hydrogen Bonds and P^…N Pnicogen Bonds”
J. E. Del Bene, I. Alkorta, G. Sanchez-Sanz, and J. Elguero.
J. Phys. Chem. A.  116, 9205 (2012).

“Multinuclear NMR characterization of cyanuric fluoride (2,4,6-trifluoro-1,3,5-triazine)”
N. Fresno, R. Pérez, M. L. Jimeno, I. Alkorta, G. Sánchez-Sanz, J. Elguero, and J. E. Del    Bene. J.
Heterocyclic Chem. 49, 1257 (2012).

“Exploring (NH₂F)₂, H₂FP:NFH₂, and (PH₂F)₂
Potential Surfaces:Hydrogen Bonds or Pnicogen Bonds?”
I. Alkorta, G. Sánchez-Sanz, J. Elguero, and J. E. Del Bene.
J. Phys. Chem. A. (in press)  DOI: 10.1021/jp3100816.

“John Pople, the Man and His Science” in Pioneers of Quantum Chemistry.
J. E. Del Bene, ACS Symposium Series, T. Strom, Ed. (invited; in press).

Youngstown State University is privileged to have Dr. Kerry Meyers on the faculty this year.Kerry brings passion, fun, and learning to the job of “First-Year Engineering Director.

Dr. Meyers earned her bachelors degree in Mechanical Engineering from Purdue. She continued with her masters in Mechanical Engineering at Oakland University in Michigan. Returning to Purdue, Kerry earned her Ph.D. in Engineering Education. For her Ph.D. Kerry did research in student engagement and engineering identity (who goes into engineering, who stays in engineering, and why?).

As the director for the First-Year Engineering students, Kerry helps to introduce the students into world of engineering. The First-Year Engineering students learn the fundamentals of computing (EXCEL and MATLAB) and then apply what they have learned in several hands-on engineering projects throughout the year.

Dr. Meyers loves that the students are enthusiastic about their work. “They go above and beyond [in their projects] when they are excited,” she said.

Kerry, a Detroit native, worked at Chrysler as a design engineer for a time before being relocated to the Valley. In the past, she has also held a faculty appointment at the University of Notre Dame.

Most recently, Kerry has been active with the students in the design of mini-golf courses. The students had several constraints and had to work with a team of their peers. They selected a design concept and applied visualization skills in their project design, for which they then had to analyze and prepare formal written and oral reports.

This next semester, Dr. Meyers will lead the First-Year Engineering students in a project that benefits the community. The project centers on designing an experiment for the OH WOW! The Roger and Gloria Jones Children’s Center for Science and Technology. Check back this next semester to see how the projects go!

Massey Fowler

Any student at YSU will tell you that a full schedule of classes is a lot to handle. Massey Fowler, however, just keeps adding more to his already busy schedule. The junior Mechanical Engineering and Math major likes keeping busy all the time.

Massey is currently the president of the YSU STEM Leadership Society. As if being the president wasn’t an accomplishment enough, he is one of the founding members that brought SLS to YSU’s campus.

“SLS’s mission is to develop students into better leaders and therein greater successes beyond their years at YSU,” Massey says.

STEM Leadership Society is a student organization where students are provided excellent opportunities for networking, mentoring, and interaction with area businesses.

Like many YSU students, Massey is not originally from the area. The Sparta, Ohio native was drawn to YSU and Youngstown, with the help of University Scholar alumnus and Massey’s former AP Calculus teacher Brad Smith.

“I really like Youngstown. The dynamic is great in that it’s close to so many engineering and technological resources without the overwhelming size of a bigger city,” he says. Massey enjoys learning and working with companies in the TechBelt.

At YSU, he enjoys hanging out in the dorms, playing video games, and going to church with friends. Massey also enjoys being involved with many campus clubs and organizations like University Scholars, American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Tau Beta Pi, Engineers Without Borders, Sigma Alpha Lambda, Cru and Habitat for Humanity, in addition to SLS.

Massey hopes to continue his education with graduate studies and a doctorate. While most students want to get out into the engineering industry, Massey would prefer to do research on nanotechnology, fluid mechanics, or bioengineering.

Coming up for Massey and SLS is Crash Day, a campus wide event for perspective students to explore YSU. At Crash Day, Massey and SLS hope to present the new media that they’ve worked on this last semester that shows students that YSU College of STEM and SLS could be where they belong.

In just over a year, the STEM Professional Practice Program has shown me, and many other students, all it has to offer. Students have the opportunity to meet with the program’s coordinator to discuss the opportunities offered to them, like constructing a resume and landing an internship. Students are also offered a variety of resources like career development and professional etiquette techniques. The opportunities for students are always growing with new grants and programs being added all the time.

As a STEM student who works with the STEM Professional Practice office, I have seen the opportunities offered to students and how the students benefit from them. The program teaches students the differences between co-ops and internships, how to construct an effective resume and cover letter, and how to find openings in the online database for current co-op/internship positions. Students are now participating in co-ops and internships with companies like Diebold, General Electric, and General Motors. These opportunities don’t stop at our borders either. One student has participated in an international internship with a company in Seoul, South Korea. Now students can utilize appointments for quick resume reviews, go through the entire co-op/internship process, and gain valuable professional experience with the direction of the STEM Professional Practice office.

The STEM Professional Practice Program also coordinates the STEM Co-op/Internship Expo for students. This expo is designed to bring area businesses with open co-op and internship positions onto campus for a student-oriented networking event. Expos are to be offered in fall and spring semesters, to accommodate employers seeking interns according to their needs. Last October, the STEM College held its first expo in conjunction with the Williamson College of Business Administration. Over twenty-five companies sent representatives to campus to seek potential student interns. For the next expo in February, the colleges plan to increase the number of companies to offer students more opportunities to enhance their professional careers.

This spring will be a busy semester for the STEM Professional Practice Program. Over the course of the last year, the amount of students that are aware of the office and its abilities has more than tripled. With the increase of student traffic, the STEM Professional Practice Program has many new programs in the works. For example, new funding from the Ohio Board of Regents will provide greater opportunities for co-ops and internships in areas of advanced manufacturing and related fields.  The STEM Professional Practice office is organizing information for students about our services, as well as raising awareness for the spring expo. As this great chance for success approaches, multiple workshops are set to teach students how to get the most benefit from expo. With all of the events happening in the STEM Professional Practice Program, the benefit to the students keeps growing as the program grows.