OSEP Awards to Increase Access to Research for Undergraduates, Improve Soil Health

Aug 01, 2025

By Chris Bournea

The recipients of the 2025-26 Ohio State Energy Partners (OSEP) Academic Collaboration Awards include projects to reduce carbon emissions and increase opportunities for undergraduate students to participate in research by monitoring ions in the Olentangy Watershed.

Administered by The Ohio State University and OSEP, the awards provide funding for projects that promote energy efficiency. In 2017, Ohio State and OSEP entered into a partnership to promote sustainability. Through the partnership, OSEP distributes $810,000 annually to Ohio State programs or philanthropic causes affiliated with the university.

Each year, Ohio State’s Office of Academic Affairs engages faculty, staff and students through a request for proposals for the OSEP awards. Programs that receive funding advance university priorities and promote interdisciplinary and community collaboration.

Source : osu.edu

Video: What Does 20 MILLION Hogs a Year Look Like?

?? The Multi-Plant System Processing 20 Million Hogs Annually in the Midwest JBS USA operates multiple large-scale pork processing facilities across the Midwest, including major plants in Iowa, Minnesota, and Indiana. Combined, these facilities have the capacity to process approximately 20 million hogs annually.

Each plant operates high-speed automated slaughter systems capable of processing up to 20,000 head per day, followed by fabrication lines that break carcasses into primals, sub-primals, and case-ready retail products.

Hog procurement is coordinated through electronic marketing platforms that connect regional contract finishing operations and independent producers to plant demand schedules. This digital procurement system allows for steady supply flow and scheduling efficiency across multiple facilities.

Processing plants incorporate comprehensive food safety systems, including pathogen intervention technologies, rapid chilling processes, and integrated cold-chain management. USDA inspection is embedded throughout the harvest and fabrication stages to ensure regulatory compliance and product integrity. Finished pork products — from bulk primals to retail-ready packaged cuts — are distributed through coordinated logistics networks serving domestic and export markets.