Majoring in subjects like chemistry, biology, physics or mathematics can open doors to successful careers in medicine, biosciences, technology, finance and beyond. However, talented students need academic support in their first year of college, and for many, that support can make the difference between staying in a science major and choosing to move into a different field.
The transition from high school to college coursework, including rigorous introductory courses, can be a significant adjustment, and students need help from their institutions. The college’s supportive, inclusive learning environments address these challenges and give students the confidence they need to succeed and reach their full potential.
“We’re at a moment now where a number of people, not just at our university but across the country, are asking the question ‘what if’,” said College of Arts and Sciences Dean David Horn.
“What if our goal was to teach as many people as possible the foundations of STEM disciplines, if our goal was to give as many people as possible the competencies they need to pursue additional coursework or the careers that most interest them.”
Active learning puts students in the driver’s seat
Building academic support systems beyond the traditional classroom setting is important to Susan Olesik, dean of natural and mathematical sciences in the College of Arts and Sciences and one of the driving forces behind the college’s modern approach to teaching STEM courses.
Instead of the traditional lecture hall set up where all seats face the instructor, active learning classrooms include group tables for 6–10 students, where they are engaged in the learning process beyond passive listening and taking notes. For students, working together in this setting can make the difference between success and failure. In an active learning class, they may work through activities in small groups, discuss assigned readings to deepen their understanding of what they’re learning or spend time presenting information to their classmates.
Olesik noted that a recent pilot in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry showed the impact of this approach in a practical setting. When the same exam was administered to two groups of students, those who learned in an active learning classroom performed remarkably better than students in a traditional lecture course.
“The instructors will say what they like about this is that the students are really deeply engaged in the material,” Olesik said. “You just don’t get that same level of participation and deep engagement in a traditional lecture hall. So, both the instructors and the students are really pleased with the changes we’re making.”
What is STEM?
STEM is a term used to group together the related disciplines of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. It represents a broad and interconnected set of fields that are crucial for innovation and technological advancement.
At the Amgen STEM Learning Center in Ramseyer Hall, students have a space where they can receive additional support for their introductory science classes, mainly through one-on-one work with peer tutors who have previously completed those same courses. The tutors also host group study sessions to help with study skills, and the center staff offer exam preparation such as taking timed tests from previous semesters for a specific class. Others simply come to the center to do homework in a space where they have easy access to help when they need it.
“The main goal of the STEM Center is to advance student success in STEM, in particular the foundational courses,” said Jennifer Collins, the center’s associate director. “What we know from research is when peers work together, we increase sense of belonging, which ultimately increases retention and success in STEM courses, and we’re very excited to launch that on a bigger scale this fall.”
Preparing for the future, together
The college’s current focus is expanding that active learning model into more classrooms. The Meta STEM Instruction Innovation Hub, located in Ramseyer Hall along with the learning center, will open to students in summer 2026 and will accommodate 150 active learners in a single classroom. Once expanded from its current math and chemistry focus to also include biology, chemistr and physics, it will support 16,000 students per year from majors across Ohio State. Two additional active learning spaces in the same building are also planned for the near future.
Those additional facilities wouldn’t be possible without support from two areas: the college’s facilities team, led by Sergio Soave, associate dean for space and infrastructure, and the Office of Industry Partnerships and Research Collaborations, which managed many of the partnerships that helped establish the active learning spaces in Ramseyer Hall. One of those partnerships is with Meta, the company behind Facebook, which has established a Columbus data center and is actively partnering with Ohio State on workforce development goals.
“Ohio State is focused on STEM education, workforce development and creating impactful opportunities for students to engage with the vast opportunities that are here in central Ohio and beyond,” said Amanda Miller, community development lead for Meta’s New Albany data center, at the opening of the active learning classroom.
“The plans for the STEM instruction innovation hub and the greater STEM enterprise in Ramseyer Hall stood out to us because it revolutionizes how we connect our students to educational opportunities, to student-centered learning and how to be successful in educating our students for careers and their academic careers, all while developing a workforce-ready graduate pipeline.”
Workforce preparation is also an important part of Ohio State’s overall mission to train students to lead and be engaged citizens who can improve the well-being of their local, state, regional, national and global communities. Those goals also align well with the State of Ohio’s workforce development goals as the state shifts from traditional manufacturing into a more technology-focused economy.
For Olesik, it all comes back to giving students new opportunities.
“I want students to know that Ohio State is a place where STEM students succeed, and that it’s a fun place to get your STEM degree, but also that when they graduate here, they’re going to have outstanding career paths,” she said. “We’re going to make sure that you succeed by connecting you with many potential employers, and you’ll be able to decide for yourself where you want to take your first step. But it’s going to be a good one, because we’ve got your back.”