Publications from Dr. Sharif and her students!

Some new publications from Dr. Sharif!

The first paper by Busjahn et al. was a collaboration with several international researchers.  It was recently published in August 2014. The premise of the paper is that eye tracking technology holds great promise in the realm of computing education. A coding scheme was developed and expert gaze on source code was analyzed. This work is ongoing and in the near future novice gaze will also be analyzed. Continue reading

New Addition to the STEMian Social Media Team

cassieHere at YSU STEM we have been providing you with the news and campus happenings for some time, but now it’s time to introduce our newest STEMian Social Media Team. This month, we’ll focus on the newsletter and social media side.

Cassandra Twoey is a senior professional and technical writing student, who has not only worked hard as the editor-in-chief for the Jambar, but has also worked as a co-editor for the Yo* Magazine. She has been accepted into graduate school, here at YSU, for the professional and technical writing track of the English master’s program.

Starting with the September Newsletter, Cassandra will be bringing a new and interesting vibe to our STEM News! We hope that you will all take the opportunity to welcome her to the STEMian community, but we also want to let you know what the STEMian Social Media Team can do for you.

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YSU to Hold 12th Annual MathFest

MathFestAt the beginning of August, students representing the YSU Ohio Xi chapter of Pi Mu Epsilon traveled to Portland, Oregon for the annual MAA MathFest, which is a joint meeting between the Math Association of America and Pi Mu Epsilon. Nine of the attending students gave presentations at the meeting. Crystal Mackey and Eric Shehadi, both of whom presented at the conference, were recognized for their excellence in student research. Also recognized at the event was George Yates. Yates received the Pi Mu Epsilon Advisor Award, which is given only once every three years.

YSU has its own YSU MathFest, where high school students are invited to learn about math in fun workshops designed by YSU faculty. This year’s 12th annual YSU MathFest will take place on October 23.

“YSU MathFest is one of the premiere YSU Math and Stats Department events where high school students are invited to YSU’s campus to spend the day celebrating and learning about math. High school students get the opportunity to meet YSU students, interact with YSU faculty members in workshops, and explore what its like to get an undergraduate degree in mathematics or STEM at YSU; but most importantly - have fun!” said Eric Shehadi, who is serving as the Student YSU MathFest Coordinator for the third year.

Some of the workshops offered this year include “Mathematics of Diversity in the Environment,” where students will learn about mathematical diversity and evaluating biodiversity indexes, “Are You a Terrorist?” where students will explore statistical methods used by agencies such as the NSA, and “Learning to Divide,” which explores dividing goods among several individuals so everyone feels they get what they deserve.

In addition to the workshops, students have the opportunity to participate in mathematical competitions prior to the event and at the event itself.

Celebrate STEM Achievement with the STEM Showcase

The annual STEM Showcase provides students not only the opportunity to present their research, but to show the community and area high school students what they have been working on all year. On April 26th, 2014, the STEM College had over 50 student projects to present this year, including the Baja Car, the Concrete Canoe, and nanoflowers.

The Showcase has always been an opportunity for the community to come out and share in the excitement, but there was a new twist this year. The STEM College gave out two scholarships to incoming STEM students who attended the event, in an Continue reading

Bridging the Gap: The 7th Annual MVMBBC!

mvmbbcFor the last seven years, YSU, in conjunction with several Valley companies and sponsors, has held the Mahoning Valley Miniature Bridge Building Competition, where students apply different engineering principles to building small wooden bridges. Out of 31 teams from 16 different area schools, Lowellville High School Team B brought home a first place win on February 28th, 2014. This is the fifth time in seven years that a Lowellville team has taken home first place. Continue reading

Student Spotlight: Steve Zaborsky

Many students despise those dreaded eight o’clock in the morning classes. Some students get up much earlier and accomplish more before those eight o’clock classes than some students do all day. Steve Zaborsky, a junior Mechanical Engineering student, is one of those students. Getting up at five o’clock every morning, Steve works out, attends classes, volunteers his time, and then practices with the rest of the football team.

Steve, a graduate of Austintown Fitch High School, enjoys what he does and staying busy. As a mechanical engineering student, Steve excels in mathematics and sciences. While he is engaged in many different types of classes, there is more to being an outstanding STEMian than Continue reading

Students Unite! The Information Security and Ethical Hacking Association

Youngstown State University and the STEM College have many student organizations. Many of these organizations work hard at what they do, but few can say they have the same dedication as the Information Security and Ethical Hacking Association. On Saturday, February 15th, 2014, members of the ISEHA competed with eight other schools for nearly eight hours at the Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition.

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Estee George Wins 2014 Professional Promise Award

Left to Right: Douglas Price, Estee George, Gisica Abdallah, Max Henderson, and Pedro Cortes.

Left to Right: Douglas Price, Estee George, Gisica Abdallah, Max Henderson, and Pedro Cortes.

Youngstown State Chemical Engineering Senior Estee George was the 2014 recipient of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers Professional Promise Award at the Pittsburgh Local Section of AIChE held at Carnegie Mellon University on February 18, 2020. Estee and fellow students Gisica Abdallah and William “Max” Henderson presented posters of their research at the event. Estee was recognized for her research in the mathematical modeling of the production of biofuels from carbohydrates. She has made three national conference presentations and is currently looking to pursue graduate study after graduation in May 2014.

Congratulations, Estee!

The 6th Annual STEM Awards Dinner

What makes a STEM College successful? Some may say it is the students, some may say it is the faculty, or the alumni, or the community partners, or the education partners, or the employers. At the 6th Annual YSU STEM Awards Dinner, all of our STEMians concluded that just one group will not make a STEM College successful; all of them work together to make YSU STEM the best it can be.  Continue reading

Spring Training: Six Sigma Green Belt Certification

sixsigmaWhen you first hear Six Sigma Green Belt Certified, you may be thinking about dojos and karate chopping, but the Six Sigma Green Belt Certification Program, which was held on January 24-26, 2013 at the YSU Metro Campus, chopped something a little different: numbers. This event was the first time YSU has participated with this program, which is offered by the Institute of Industrial Engineering.

Ted Mullan, a senior Industrial Engineering student and member of the Student Chapter of IIE, was appointed by Dr. Martin Cala as the Program Certification Liaison. His efforts, along with the teaching efforts of IIE instructor Doug Long, brought this new certification to campus to make our students and University more distinguished.

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Student Spotlight: Ashley Bowers

AshleyBowersMuch of what YSU STEM stands for can be shown through students like Ashley Bowers, a junior Industrial and Systems Engineering student with a minor in Mathematics. Ashley, who will become the new President of the STEM Leadership Society next fall, displays the top characteristics that STEM works hard to instill in its students.

Ashley, an Austintown Fitch graduate and valedictorian, has worked her way through the last three years of college like many other students. What is different about Ashley is how she has also worked her way up in the STEM Leadership Society (SLS). Starting with a basic position she moved to being the Vice President this year. Next year, Ashley will be the new President. SLS isn’t the only organization that Ashley is a part of; she is also a part of Sigma Alpha Lambda Honors Society and the YSU Honors Society. Continue reading

STEM Intern of the Year: Teresa McKinney!

TeresaweldingMany STEM students participate in internships during their college career. One STEM student, Teresa McKinney, has won the STEM Intern of the Year. The STEM Intern of the Year award is given to a student that has shown a high quality of work, has shown initiative, has completed presentations, and has had an impact on the company with whom they have worked.

Teresa McKinney, a senior Mechanical Engineering student, has accomplished a great deal in her college career. While she has held several internships, one of her most memorable ones was her internship at Nucor Steel Auburn, Inc. Continue reading

Scholarships: The wait is over!

finaidAll students should know that with the New Year comes a whole new scholarship search. Youngstown State University and the College of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics offers many scholarships to a variety of students. Scholarships are awarded according to many different factors including different majors, class standing (freshman, sophomore, etc.), financial need, and much more. Continue reading

Par for the Course: The Engineer Experience

Last month, if you walked through the lobby of Moser Hall, you would have noticed the mini-golf courses that lined the middle of the room. These projects were part of the freshman-engineering course that all engineering majors have to go through. This year, YSU STEM followed one of the groups throughout their project.

The group of engineers we followed, Team 44, developed a course that included an elevated obstacle, as well as a diversion. The project’s theme was “The Rocky Road,” and ice cream cones lined the course, causing a sweet distraction to all around. Continue reading

Student Spotlight: Tai Jaune Robinson

TaiJaune Robinson PicWhile each and every one of our Student Spotlights feature a remarkable student for their grades and research, not many of them can say that they are as inspirational to the people around them as Tai Jaune Robinson.

Tai, a sophomore Industrial Engineering student, had always wanted to go into engineering, but didn’t know which one would fit the best. During her high school years at Youngstown Early College, she did research, finding that YSU and the Industrial and Systems Engineering program were the best fit for her. Tai graduated YSU with her associate’s degree a few days before receiving her diploma from YEC.

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