The JADE 2025 Cohort is led by Leslie Callihan and Dr. Jeremy Grifski from the College of Engineering. The 2025 cohort is composed of undergraduate students spread across a variety of departments within the College of Engineering and the College of Arts & Sciences.
Resident Directors
Jeremy Grifski, Lecturer
Dr. Jeremy Grifski is a Lecturer in the department of Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) at the Ohio State University. Currently, he teaches three sections of Software 2 (CSE 2231) a semester, but he previously taught Software 1 (CSE 2221) and Introduction to Java (CSE 1223). Jeremy’s academic background is in computer engineering (B.S.), computer science and engineering (M.S.), and engineering education (PhD). Prior to graduate school, Jeremy also worked at General Electric Transportation in their Edison program. While this is Jeremy’s first time in Japan, he has studied abroad twice, once for a semester at the University of Manchester and once for a spring break trip to Poland. While at GE, he also traveled to Mexico for training. This will be his first trip abroad since 2017.
Leslie Callihan, Director of International Initiatives
Leslie Callihan is the Director of International Initiatives in the College of Engineering. She holds a Bachelor’s degree from Ohio University and a Master’s degree in Intercultural Service, Leadership, and Management from SIT Graduate Institute in Vermont. Throughout her educational journey, Leslie studied abroad at every level, enriching her academic experience with diverse cultural perspectives.
With over 12 years of experience working at Ohio State and 20 in the field of international education, Leslie has developed a profound expertise in fostering global engagement and cross-cultural understanding. Passionate about travel, she encourages others to explore the world and embrace the role of global citizenship. Her dedication to international initiatives is driven by the belief that experiencing diverse cultures enriches personal and professional growth.
Students
Jacob Kim
Hi! My name is Jacob Kim! I am a third year Integrated Systems Engineering Major with a Data Analytics specialization!
Nathan Mark
My Name is Nathan Mark and I am from Columbus Ohio. I am a rising Senior here at Ohio State where I study electrical and computer engineering, and am a part of the Integrated Business and Engineering Cohort meaning I will graduate with a minor in Business. I have studied abroad once before during the summer of my freshman year when I visited Switzerland during the Drones and UAVs in Switzerland engineering study abroad program. I have visited many other countries in Europe, as well as South America, but I have never traveled to Asia, which was one of my main motivators for enrolling in the JADE program. At OSU I am the president of the Olympic Weightlifting club, and I am a founding member and project coordinator of ECO Space Columbus, a student environmental consulting organization. Outside of the classroom, I am involved in research at the Aerospace Research center here at OSU where I am currently pursuing my undergraduate research distinction, and considering a masters degree. I have worked two internships over the past two years at a company called Chesapeake Technology International, a small government contractor where I did work on drone flight controllers. This summer I will be working for Garmin in Kansas city and an embedded software engineering intern.
Sasha Strauss
Hi! I’m Sasha Strauss, and I am from Cleveland, Ohio. I am a 4th-year Electrical Engineering major and Architectural Studies minor at The Ohio State University. I have been to Japan once other time back in 2019, when my family and I went to Sendai to visit some family and then to Tokyo, doing day trips from there. I can’t wait for the amazing food and learning more about Japanese culture. I also haven’t been to Tsukuba, Kyoto, or Osaka, so I am looking forward to exploring those cities as well as meeting the professors and students at the University of Tsukuba!