ONU Applied Technology

On Thursday, May 7th, Applied Technology held its 2nd Annual Drone Day. This event is organized by Professor Douglass Degen, and months of work have gone into it.
The day started off at 7am with breakfast and a career fair where students could interact with some of the great companies attending the day's activities. Companies attending included Haynes Construction, Independence Excavating, Kleinfelder, Kokosing Construction Company, Mossier Construction Company, Percision Laser & Instrument Inc., Rudolph Libbe Inc., and Woolpert.
From there, we moved to the Pharmacy lecture hall with a presentation of the Flags and opening remarks from the Dean of Arts and Science, Stacey Lowery Bretz.
The students received amazing presentations from Brian Stevens (Woolpart), Donovan Powers (OGRIP), Drew Ritzler (United States Department of Agriculture and President of Freedom Civil Services), Dominic Stepanovsky (OH/IN UAS Center), Jared Baxter (Survey Department Manger), Dan Kempa ( Kleinfelder), Doug Thomas (Independence Demolition), Dr. Janet Deardorff Schroeder (Champaign County), Travis Althouse (Erie Insurance Group), and Dr. James Uphaus (Rhodes State College).
We even received a very special visit from George Washington (Professor Silva) to discuss surveying.
Next was the fantastic lunch provided by Smokin' BBQ.
Then we all got the pleasure of going outside to watch these companies fly / boat their drones. The weather cooperated this year, so the students saw some amazing things and received some first-hand drone experience.
On top of all this excitement, there were door prizes throughout the day, and so many students had the great honor of winning them. Things such as Super Bowl Footballs from Wilson Football Factory, a custom-made ONU Fire Pit ring from International Tank Service, and automotive books from our very own Jim Halderman, just to name a few. There were so many other prizes provided by the companies previously mentioned in this post as well.
This truly is a special event for the students, and we do owe another thanks to Professor Degen for his hard work in putting this all together. We also want to thank the Tech Club, the Applied Technology Department, and all the participants who took time out of their day to make this day so special for the students.

Last week during University Honors Day, the Department of Applied Technology proudly hosted the initiation ceremony for Epsilon Pi Tau, recognizing students for their academic excellence, leadership, and commitment to the field of technology.

Congratulations to our newest inductees. We are proud of your achievements and excited to see your continued success.

Last night, the ONU Tech Club hosted its first-ever Touch-a-Truck event and it was a tremendous success!

With beautiful weather and an incredible community turnout of nearly 400 attendees, families and children had the opportunity to explore over 35 vehicles, including fire apparatus, construction equipment, law enforcement vehicles, and more.

This event would not have been possible without the dedication and hard work of our Tech Club members and volunteers, who put in countless hours to make the evening run smoothly.

Thank you to everyone who attended, participated, and supported this event. We look forward to making Touch-a-Truck a lasting tradition at Ohio Northern University.

Join us for Touch-a-Truck on April 23 from 5-8 PM! 🚒🚑. It’s free, family-friendly, and supports St. Jude Children’s Hospital. Come explore the vehicles and meet the professionals!

We want to thank Kokosing for speaking with the Materials and Processes class this morning and they will be sticking around the department all day. If you are interested in a full time position or a coop, come see them in the faculty lounge.

Attention: Parents, Alumni, and Students!!!Epsilon Pi Tau, the Applied Technology Honor Society, is selling Applied Technology apparel. Feel free to place an order below for your student or yourself. You can pick up your order here at ONU or your student can bring it home to you. Deadline is Saturday evening.

Applied TECH Apparel Order Spring 2026 Fill out the form and order everything you want! All money (cash or check) is due at the time of pickup, which will be a few weeks after the sale closing. Sale ends Saturday March 21, 2026 If any questions please email Austin Black | Email: [email protected] or Kort Sutherland | Email: k-sutherland@...

With many years of dedication to the ONU Applied Technology department, Douglass Degan has made a lasting impact on generations of students. His experience, steady leadership, and commitment to hands-on learning continue to strengthen our program year after year.

Shining the spotlight on Jeremy Agozzino! 🌟 His dedication, positivity, and commitment to excellence make a lasting impact on everyone around him. We’re so grateful for the energy and leadership he brings to our department everyday!!

With 25 years in the department, Feng brings experience, dedication, and heart to Ohio Northern Applied Technology—and when she’s not on campus, you can find her baking or biking!
💜💜