Welcome to the Fall issue of ¿Qué Pasa, OSU?. With another year ahead of us, and with a change in our team, ¿Qué Pasa, OSU? will continue to be an important mechanism to keep Latin@s connected and informed for the 14th consecutive year. We are pleased to welcome Susana del Río, our new graphic designer and Web manager.

Being part of The Ohio State University is something to be excited about, as is the beginning (or the continuation) of your educational journey and working toward building a successful career. And you could not have chosen a better place to achieve these goals. As the largest university in the United States, and as one of the top 25 public research universities in the country, Ohio State is a vibrant place, offering students the opportunity to expand their academic horizons, experience diversity, learn from other cultures, and develop leadership skills.

For many of you, new students in particular, this is a time of transition and adaptation to a new environment. As some of you come from big urban schools and others from small schools in rural towns, the responses to this time of transition are bound to be different. Feeling intimidated, uneasy, or even homesick is not unusual, but don’t worry, Ohio State has many resources available to help you make a seamless transition to college and to start to achieve your academic and personal goals.

In this issue, we are hoping to reassure new students that it is possible to overcome any challenges and pursue a successful career at Ohio State. Carlos Cervantes’ story exemplifies this; his initial fears and uneasiness are long gone as he gets closer to finishing his doctorate degree. Additionally, Alvaro Hernández describes an international student’s efforts to get involved in a research project early on, and the project’s successful outcome.

Mi Experiencia again features their personal story of a Latino at Ohio State; this time, Jimi Rodriguez shares how adversity can make a person stronger and how Ohio State may be the turning point in shaping his future. Our profiles section presents Dean Cheryl Achterberg, the only Latin@ dean at Ohio State, who shares some of her background and goals for her new position. We also include a graduate section with tips and information not only for graduate students but for undergraduate students who have graduate or professional school in mind for the future. Additionally, professionals from Career Connection provide you with some tips on how to develop the skills that employers are looking for in college graduates. Finally, we feature an administrative area at Ohio State, Facilities Operations and Development, which is “walking the talk” regarding diversity in the workforce.

Just as new students arrive and some get ready to graduate, similarly we are pleased to welcome Indra Leyva-Santiago to our community while saying a sad hasta pronto to Dr. Raúl Herrera.

Bienvenidos to the 2008-2009 academic year!