2026 COF Annual Showcase Highlights
Faisal Alsulaiman (IBEO-Engineering) at the 2026 COF Annual Showcase. Click the right arrow to see the next photo.
Corajayne DeBoer (IBEO-Science) delivering her presentation to the Chancellor of the Ohio Department of Higher Education, Mike Duffey. Click the right arrow to see the next photo.
Ohio State COF scholars, left to right: Bashir Ali (EFC), Faisal Alsulaiman (IBEO-Engineering), Jordan Porter (INSW-Science), Jordin Reyes (FMSMO-Science), Corajayne DeBoer (IBEO-Science), and Camden Burgess (EFC). Click the right arrow to see the next photo.
Left to right: Corajayne DeBoer (IBEO-Science) and Bashir Ali (EFC). Click the right arrow to see the next photo.
Left: Faisal Alsulaiman (IBEO-Engineering) listening to poster presentation from a student colleague. Click the right arrow to see the next photo.
Left to right: Jordan Porter (INSW-Science) and Corajayne DeBoer (IBEO-Science) at the Ohio Statehouse Atrium. Click the right arrow to see the next photo.
Right: Bashir Ali (EFC) delivering his presentation at the 2026 COF Annual Showcase. Click the right arrow to see the next photo.
Ohio State COF scholars at the Showcase Guest Speakers session.
The Ohio State University Choose Ohio First (COF) scholars Bashir Ali (EFC), Corajayne DeBoer (IBEO-Science), Camden Burgess (EFC), Faisal Alsulaiman (IBEO-Engineering), Jordan Porter (IBEO-Science), and Jordin Reyes (FMSMO-Science) attended to the Ohio Statehouse on February 27, 2026 to be part of the 2026 Choose Ohio First Scholar Showcase. This event is a celebration of the scholars and COF scholarship programs across Ohio. Scholars have an opportunity to display and discuss research, academic projects, and work-based learning experiences they have had during their time as a COF Scholar. The Showcase gives scholars recipients firsthand experience in conference-style presentations and allows them to network with General Assembly members, state officials, business leaders, and the Chancellor of the Ohio Department of Higher Education, Mike Duffey. The Ohio House of Science and Engineering (OHSE) is pleased to report that two of our COF scholars at Ohio State presented their work-based learning experiences during Showcase poster presentation session.
This event was another amazing display of the great things happening not only with the Choose Ohio First programs at the participating institutions, but at Ohio State. Chancellor Mike Duffey, Dr. Cheryl Rice (Vice Chancellor), U.S. Senator Jon Husted, and Kristi Clouse (Senior Director of Talent at JobsOhio) highlighted the importance of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines and the growing STEM employment opportunities in Ohio. This event was transmitted through the Ohio Channel.
Ohio State and OHSE are very proud of Bashir, Corajayne, Camden, Faisal, Jordan, and Jordin accomplishments. Click the following boxes to learn more about Bashir's and Corajayne's work-based learning experiences.
Corajayne DeBoer is a second-year Choose Ohio First (COF) Advancing an Inclusive Biotech Economy in Ohio (IBEO-Science) Scholar majoring in microbiology and minoring in Spanish at The Ohio State University. In March 2025, Corajayne began working for The Ou Lab at The Ohio State University. The Ou Lab is primarily a maize lab and studies transposable elements’ (TEs) impact on plant and animal species under different conditions. See Corajayne's full biography.
Bashir Ali is a fourth year Choose Ohio First (COF) Excellence Fellowship in Computing (EFC) scholar studying Computer Science and Engineering with a passion for software engineering. This past summer [2025], Bashir completed a Product Engineering internship with John Deere. On the Test Engineering team, he was able to develop test cases for autonomous tractor systems, helping ensure the reliability and effectiveness of John Deere’s precision agriculture technologies. See Bashir's full biography.
