Central State University named partner institution on $10 million NEXTGEN agriculture award

Central State University (CSU) partners with three other universities to receive a $10 million award from the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture to recruit, educate, train, and retain the next generation of diverse food and agriculture professionals.  

The From Learning to Leading: Cultivating the Next Generation of Diverse Food and Agriculture Professionals (NEXTGEN) award was given to CSU and Lincoln University, two Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), along with a Hispanic-serving institution (HSI), Texas A&M University, and one Research University (RIU), Missouri University of Science and Technology. 

See and hear full WYSO 91.3 story here

Asia Kimpson 

Year: Sophomore (Honors student) 

Hometown: Detroit, Michigan 

Achievement: Named Thurgood Marshall College Fund Yardi 



“Asia embodies the essence of a charismatic leader, her infectious energy and enthusiasm radiating through everything she does."

Read more about Asia being named the Thurgood Marshall College Fund Yard Ambassador & Influencer

Madison Gonzalez

Year: Senior (Honors student)

Hometown: Columbus, Ohio 

Achievement: Engaging in a variety of impactful community work and internships throughout area 



“The more I talked to professors, teachers, and family, the more they were encouraging me to consider social work.”

Read more about Madison's journey discovering bold new ways to meet the needs of underserved communities

Daijah and Asiah Robinson 

Year: Recent graduates 

Hometown: Columbus, Ohio

Achievement: Working toward bringing their skills learned at Central State to the agriculture industry at large 

“I don't want to do anything great without my sister.”

Read more about how the Robinson twins plan to innovate in the field of agriculture, as supported by their Central State education

Central State University's breeding program aims to create worker bees with smaller mandibles known as 'Ohio Mite Biters'

The university’s breeding program aims to develop worker bees, known as OB1 or "Ohio Mite Biters," that possess a hygienic trait and develop smaller mandibles.

Bees with smaller mandibles are better groomers and can bite off parts of the mites, preventing them from attaching to the brood or adult bees. Currently, only about 10% of bees exhibit this trait. By using feral bees instead of domesticated bees, the university’s research, in collaboration with Purdue University, aims to breed the biting trait into a larger percentage of a hive's bees.

"This is a long process, so that’s why you don’t see many other universities taking the time to do this," said Dr. Hongmei Li-Byarlay, an associate professor of entomology of Central State. "These [wild] bees are potentially being selected by natural selection for many, many years so we were interested in studying those genes."

Read the full Fox Business story here

Central State joins Thurgood Marshall College Fund and five other HBCUs for historic partnership

Central State University, Ohio’s only public HBCU and 1890 Land-Grant Institution, is one of six HBCUs participating in a groundbreaking alliance in education, research, and service, Binghamton University and the Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) announced earlier this month. 

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Meet your new Interim President, Dr. Alex Johnson

Dr. Alex Johnson has agreed to serve as Interim President for one year. He is serving upon the departure of Dr. Jack Thomas, who did not seek renewal of his contract. His last day was June 30, 2023. Dr. Johnson's term began on July 1, 2023.

With nearly 30 years of experience as a college president, Dr. Johnson is a nationally recognized educator, author, and expert in institutional transformation. Most recently, he served as president of Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C), a position he held from 2013 through 2022. There, he focused on strengthening the institution’s longstanding mission to provide high-quality, accessible and affordable educational opportunities and services.

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Calling all incoming first-year students

Welcome! We are excited about helping you make a successful transition to Central State University.

During the summer of 2023, the Office of Admissions will host in-person and virtual Student Orientation, Advising, and Registration (SOAR) events to introduce you to our programs and support services. All new students are required to attend at least one SOAR event.

• July 15 — College of Engineering, Science, Technology, and Agriculture and College of Education
• July 22 — Undeclared students and anyone who missed the previous dates

Register for SOAR

New Central State programs and certificates provide training for in-demand skills at Dayton location 

Recently, Central State has expanded its emphasis on workforce development through programs and certificates that provide training for in-demand skills. Conveniently located on 840 Germantown St., Central State University-Dayton is quickly becoming a hub for these industry-relevant training opportunities.

In June, the first class graduated from the Community Health Workers (CHW) certificate program. Supported by a $200,000 grant from CareSource, the free program prepared students to work in various settings, including community-based health and social service agencies and home visitation programs. 

In addition to the Community Health Worker certificate program, the Dayton location has recently launched the Workforce Training and Business Development Center. It focuses on upskilling Dayton-area community members, particularly those affected by the pandemic or underemployment.  

Dr. Terry Muff, director of the Workforce Training and Business Development Center, emphasized the affordability of the job training. All programs are free except the app development class. Call 937-376-6136 for more information.

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