Honda-Ohio State Partnership

 

The Honda – Ohio State Partnership marked its 20th anniversary in October 2020. This lively discussion examines the impact and celebrates the past, present and future of this unique and fruitful relationship.

The Honda Partnership Program is a bilateral collaboration between The Ohio State University and Honda that supports initiatives in education, research and public service. Today’s strong partnership has benefited from both organic and deliberate growth, now focused on the mutually beneficial areas of research, talent and community.

The partnership dates back to the establishment of the Honda of America manufacturing facility in East Liberty Ohio in 1988, when an endowment for transportation research was established at the Ohio State College of Engineering in conjunction with Honda. That endowment now generates $1.5 million in revenue annually to be invested in ground transportation-related programs in the college. 

This collaboration positively impacts research, the development of technical professionals in the transportation field and outreach to the broader community. This research has been influential in reducing worker injuries in automotive assembly, and other projects have dramatically reduced the energy required for climate control in painting operations.

Education Initiatives

Honda Dreams Scholars
First Honda Dreams Scholars cohort: (from left) Isaiah Hamilton, Bethany Massenburg-Jackson, Belquis Mbayu, Elijah Thomas and Regina Akrong-Lamptey.

Honda Dreams Scholars

Supporting diversity in both the college and field of engineering, the $5,000 Honda Dreams Scholarships are awarded to students majoring in electrical and computer engineering, industrial and systems engineering, or mechanical engineering who are active in the National Society of Black Engineers, the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers or organizations with similar missions. 

Honda Dreams Scholarship recipients also will have the opportunity to develop relationships with Honda staff, apply for internships and co-ops, and get involved with collaborative projects at Honda and Ohio State.

Interdisciplinary Capstone Design

Development effort for interdisciplinary courses in capstone design for senior engineering students, providing industry-relevant projects carried out in interdisciplinary teams from Electrical, Industrial Systems and Mechanical Engineering.

Enriched by industry's participation in design reviews, information on previous efforts, and contribution of domain-specific knowledge, this program allows students to experience the entire process in a time effective setting, in which they are free to try out product and/or process concepts that might be deemed too risky by industry. Industry gives students these types of projects so that industry can get a fresh perspective on a design.

In FY21 there were 130 engineering students participating in capstone projects and 33 students participating in business projects with the Fisher College of Business.

Objectives:

  • Increase student awareness and participation in transportation-related activities and research 

  • Develop team skills in an interdisciplinary environment

  • Work directly with engineers in the transportation industry

Research

Interdisciplinary Research Infrastructure Support (IRIS)

Established in 2001, the IRIS endowment supports centralized interdisciplinary transportation-related research laboratory facilities within the College of Engineering.

Center for Health in Automotive Manufacturing (COHAM) Explores Ergonomic Issues

This center explores ergonomic issues in the automotive manufacturing process that impact worker safety as well as skyrocketing health care costs. Equipped with a “real world” manufacturing environment, new production technologies and cutting edge analysis methods, the center focuses on developing health risk assessment techniques for high tech manufacturing. COHAM is the only university-based, full scale manufacturing operation in the world where automobile manufacturers as well as suppliers can test the effects of manufacturing systems on the health of workers.

Learn more

The Honda-Ohio State Partnership website
https://honda.osu.edu/

The 20th Anniversary Impact Report
go.osu.edu/hondaosuimpact

CONTACT

Alissa Comella
Co-Director, Honda-Ohio State Partnership
comella.3@osu.edu

Emily Sandvik
Program Manager, Honda-Ohio State Partnership
sandvik.3@osu.edu