Representing nine colleges from around the university, 22 researchers have been selected through a competitive process for the 2025 Growing Research Opportunities (GRO) Academy, including the first participants from the Colleges of Social Work and Veterinary Medicine.
This professional development program helps researchers develop the skills and confidence to work on and lead effective interdisciplinary research teams. Federal funders are increasingly emphasizing research that is interdisciplinary, convergent or collaborative. The GRO Academy curriculum was specifically designed – using models of training through evidence-based guidelines – to provide a supportive environment for learning about principles of team science and apply them to their research collaborations.
The 2025 cohort includes about 30 hours of program participation, including: a kickoff retreat, weekly in-person sessions and weekly virtual small group discussions. Highly interactive sessions will be led by national and international experts in interdisciplinary research at Ohio State and across the nation. As the lessons build off of each other, participants will ultimately come away from the course with a three- to five-year research plan and the toolkit to put the plan in motion.
2025 GRO Cohort
- Arya Ansari, PhD | College of Education and Human Ecology
- Joshua Blakeslee, PhD | College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences
- Seuli Brill, MD | College of Medicine
- Hanna Cho, PhD | College of Engineering
- Emily Dringenberg, PhD | College of Engineering
- Sushmitha Durgam, PhD | College of Veterinary Medicine
- Michelle Failla, PhD | College of Nursing
- Maryam Ghazisaeidi, PhD | College of Engineering
- Scott Graves, PhD | College of Education and Human Ecology
- Becky Huang, PhD | College of Education and Human Ecology
- Jin Jun, PhD, RN | College of Nursing
- Asimina Kiourti, PhD | College of Engineering
- Rachel Kopec, PhD | College of Education and Human Ecology
- Huyen Le, PhD | College of Arts and Sciences
- Gordon Meares, PhD | College of Medicine
- Garrett Owen, PhD | College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences
- Joshua Sadvari, MGISc, MA | University Libraries
- Alok Sutradhar, PhD | College of Engineering
- Katelyn Swindle-Reilly, PhD | College of Engineering
- Tina Tallon, PhD | College of Arts and Sciences
- Elissa Washuta, MFA | College of Arts and Sciences
- Susan Yoon, PhD | College of Social Work