Congratulations to the ten College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CFAES) researchers selected for the 2024-2025 Strategic Alignment for Research Success (STARS) cohort, including our own Assistant Professor, Dr. Olser Ortez!
The STARS program is hosted via the CFAES Office for Research & Graduate Education and "is an initiative to identify and develop the next generation of research leaders among early and mid-career tenure track faculty within the College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences".
We sat down for a quick chat with Dr. Ortez to get his thoughts on this exciting time...
What are you most looking forward to as you join the STARS cohort?
With about 2.5 years at Ohio State working on collaborative research and extension projects, I am excited to be part of the STARS 2024-2025 program as a way to help me direct future energy and efforts in spaces of collaboration and innovation. At large, the Strategic Alignment for Research Success (STARS) should be foundational to what we do at Ohio State.
How do you anticipate STARS will help you grow as a research leader?
I envision this program helping me (us) in many ways, some of these include:
- Better positioning for career achievement and expanding collaborations.
- Enhanced personal growth, leadership skills, and expanded support systems.
- Develop a Research Action Plan to better inform my upcoming years at Ohio State.
- An opportunity to ensure that our projects are well aligned with my position and CFAES goals.
Could you give us a glimpse into your current research?
My current research can be grouped in three main buckets involving students, staff, faculty, educators, farmers, industry, and funding agencies:
- Agronomic management in corn production: planting dates, hybrid selection, crop rotations, inputs management, and organic production.
- Integration of cover crops in cropping systems: cover crops establishment methods, effects on cash crops, and biological applications.
- Emerging crops: sunflower as full season and double crop options in Ohio, and agronomic management for natural rubber alternatives.
Congratulations to all ten of the researchers selected - meet them all and learn more about the STARS cohort below.