Expanded Industry Night event reaches 300+ students
The buzz of excitement filled the air at the 2022 Industry Night hosted by the Center for Aviation Studies. A record number of students – estimated at over 300 – attended the annual networking and recruitment event on March 3, held on the campus of The Ohio State University.
“The students were very enthusiastic about this year’s Industry Night, especially after not having one since 2019,” said Assistant Director Brian Strzempkowski. “This forum provides an excellent opportunity for students to interact with industry members, many who attend to actively recruit students for internships, full-time positions and career pathway participation.”
Student attendees were from aviation programs in the College of Engineering, College of Arts & Sciences and Fisher College of Business. Alumni, faculty and staff also participated in the much-anticipated gathering.
The event included industry booths, a panel discussion and breakout sessions. Panelists were Traci Clark, vice president of corporate and general aviation, Allegheny County Airport Authority; Greg Kappen, senior director of flight operations administration, Atlas Air;
Greg Marcussen, senior vice president of fleet operations, Jet Edge; Efrain Ayala-Johnson, director of inclusive talent strategy, diversity, equity, inclusion, United Airlines; and Monica Frain, senior program manager - Aviate sourcing and engagement and Airbus Captain, United Airlines. Moderator was acclaimed Ohio State alumnus Justin Siems, host of the Pilot to Pilot podcast and NetJets pilot.
Student Drew Lawrence, event director, shared the impact the event had on students. “With over 20 companies from all different corners of the industry, we had the amazing opportunity to fully open the door to the world of aviation,” he said.
“There is a multitude of possibilities in this industry and the students certainly had the ability to create meaningful connections and pursue options!”
New this year, Industry Night capped off Networking Week, a multi-day event featuring a variety of professional activities designed to facilitate student engagement with aviation industry members. The week included casual networking opportunities, as well as an informational session to prepare students to be ready for interviews.
“As our program grows, we continue to evolve our networking and recruitment initiatives to match the interests and needs of both students and industry members,” shared Strzempkowski. “The new Industry Night and Networking Week activities this year were incorporated due to demand.”
Top-level Industry Night sponsors were Jet Edge, NetJets and United Airlines; mid-level sponsors were Atlas Air, FlightSafety International, PSA Airlines and Republic Airways; and general sponsors were AirNet, Columbus Regional Airport Authority, Delta Air Lines, Executive Jet Mangagement, Envoy, Federal Aviation Administration, GoJet Airlines, FoxTrot Aviation Services, Ohio Aviation Association, Unmanned Safety Institute, WheelsUp and Woolpert.
Information about next year’s Industry Night will be available in autumn 2022.
