Top stories of 2020

Take a look back at The Ohio State University College of Engineering's 10 most popular Buckeye Engineering stories from 2020, as determined by webpage views.

1. Ohio State Engineering partners with 2U to launch first coding boot camp
   The College of Engineering launched its first coding boot camp in partnership with 2U, Inc., a global leader in education technology. Geared toward adult learners and working professionals, the coding boot camp will teach front-end and back-end skills necessary to become a proficient full-stack developer in an engaging online format, including live instruction with industry professionals, webinars with tech employers, and asynchronous coursework with 24/7 access to tutoring help.

2. 

   Six 2020 grads to watch
   On May 3, 2020, the college welcomed thousands of new alumni into the Buckeye engineering family. Meet a few members of the class of 2020 who combined their passions with Ohio State’s offerings to engineer an extraordinary education. Though the COVID-19 crisis changed their senior year in unimaginable ways, these resilient Buckeyes not only triumphed over hardship, they also learned positive lessons that will benefit them—and us—in the future.
3. Not sitting on the sidelines
   Buckeye engineers Natalie Amling, McKenzie Kennelly and Allison Cuba never intended to be entrepreneurs. But when presented with the opportunity to create Sitti—an online marketplace that connects families with vetted babysitters—they were all in. While building their product and startup during the COVID-19 crisis, these computer science and engineering majors are also expanding Sitti’s reach to provide free childcare to first responders.
4. Engineering solutions to COVID-19 challenges
   Engineers like to solve problems. For many, the bigger the better. So it comes as no surprise that while most engineering R&D is on hiatus with the closure of campus, several faculty and staff from the College of Engineering are enlisting in the fight against COVID-19. From biomedical research to manufacturing collaborations, Buckeye engineers are applying their ingenuity, expertise and community spirit to answer the call.

5. 

   Facing the pandemic: Engineers’ rapid response to PPE needs
   The COVID-19 pandemic has depleted supplies of personal protective equipment (PPE) for healthcare professionals nationwide. Dr. Karilyn Larkin is a hematologist at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute. When she and her colleagues experienced shortages of face shields, she turned to Ohio State engineers—specifically Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Professor Carlos Castro—for help.
6. Lisa Barclay to lead College of Engineering’s Office of Diversity, Outreach and Inclusion
   Senior Director of Diversity, Outreach and Inclusion Lisa Barclay has been named interim chief diversity and inclusion officer and assistant dean by The Ohio State University College of Engineering. She succeeds Donnie Perkins, who announced his retirement recently after serving exceptionally in the role since January 2015.
7. College announces 2020 alumni award recipients
   South Africa’s first female nuclear engineer, a military jet propulsion systems designer, one of the developers of the Materials Genome Initiative, a nationally renowned historic preservation expert and an entrepreneur enhancing the lives of disabled Ohioans are among the 21 recipients honored with 2020 Excellence in Engineering and Architecture Alumni Awards.
8. Undergraduate program rankings on the rise
   In U.S. News & World Report’s 2021 Best Colleges issue, Ohio State’s undergraduate engineering program again ranks first in Ohio and 15th among public universities nationwide. Among both public and private institutions, Ohio State’s College of Engineering ranks 28th, up one spot from last year.

9. 

   Ayanna Howard named next dean of College of Engineering
   The Ohio State University has hired accomplished roboticist, entrepreneur and educator Ayanna Howard, PhD, as dean of the College of Engineering. Dean-designate Howard will join Ohio State on March 1 from the Georgia Institute of Technology, where she is chair of the School of Interactive Computing in the College of Computing as well as founder and director of the Human-Automation Systems Lab.
10. How contact tracing apps could help us fight COVID-19
    As society looks to mitigate the effects of COVID-19, contact tracing applications have emerged as one way to determine who around you is healthy or affected with the virus. While these apps could seemingly offer a way to avoid infection, they also raise questions about privacy and the effectiveness of the approach. Engineering researchers Ness Shroff and Dong Xuan have been developing a contact tracing app that protects your privacy.