Powering the future: How the McClure School builds talent for the data center boom
As Central Ohio solidifies its role as a key data center hub, the need for specialized talent is surging. 51ĀŅĀ×'s J. Warren McClure School of Emerging Communication Technologies is preparing graduates to fill these critical roles through targeted technical and cybersecurity education.
Henry Gorsuch, BSJ '26 | April 29, 2025
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The digital world runs on data, and increasingly, that data lives and breathes within massive, complex facilities known as data centers. Ohio, particularly the region around New Albany near Columbus, has become a major hub for these critical infrastructures, hosting giants like Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google and Meta alongside specialized colocation providers.
These centers are the unseen engines of our online lives, storing information and powering the cloud services countless businesses and individuals rely on daily. As this industry expands rapidly, so does the need for skilled professionals to design, build, manage and secure them.
OHIO's J. Warren McClure School of Emerging Communication Technologies is positioning its students at the forefront of this technological wave, equipping them with the expertise required to thrive in the data center industry and related tech fields.
Skills to keep the data flowing
Running these massive digital factories requires a specific, sophisticated skill set. The scale is immense. Dr. Julio Arauz, associate professor and graduate chair of the McClure School, recalled a conversation with a Meta employee who described the company managing a global network of a million routers with software updated weekly.
Managing and updating systems at this scale necessitates deep technical knowledge and automation.
"You need to have a lot of automation, right?" Arauz stated. "You cannot do this manually." The industry seeks key skills such as proficiency in operating systems like and coding abilities, particularly in scripting languages like , to automate tasks.
Dr. Julio Arauz
"These are applications that might not even have a front end," Arauz explained. "You just run the script, and the script goes and loads some new configuration into the router automatically." Understanding network performance, system operations and cybersecurity is also vital.
Job roles vary. Entry-level positions might involve running existing automation scripts and performing routine operations, requiring skills taught in programs like the partnership between Amazon and Columbus State Community College. More advanced roles, often filled by those with bachelor's or graduate degrees, involve designing, writing and modifying the automation code itself, as well as analyzing system performance.
"A graduate level position might be in charge of actually writing the script or writing the code that goes there, and [the employee is] checking the performance of the system," Arauz said.
Opportunity knocks: Ohio's data center hub
The concentration of data centers in central Ohio, particularly New Albany, creates significant opportunities for skilled graduates. This area became a hub not by chance, but through long-term strategic planning.
"I think the number one thing that we believe is the testament to our success is that we are a strategically-planned community," said Jackie Russell, an economic development specialist for the City of New Albany. This planning spans over two decades, designating specific areas for commercial use, which protects company investments and smooths the development path.
New Albany operates under a unique structure where zoning, planning, building, engineering and economic development all fall under one Community Development Department director.
"Our department, the Community Development Department, houses all five of those things under one director," Russell explained. "So the same people who are negotiating a tax incentive or an agreement with the company to locate here report to the same person that oversees the building and the zoning and engineering. And so it allows us to permit faster".
Adding to this, Sara Zeigler, an economic development manager for the City of New Albany, talked about the efficiency of this integrated approach.
"When we meet with new companies, the people discussing land and incentives are at the same table and at the same time as those handling zoning and building requirements,ā Zeigler said. āEveryone involved from the beginning stays involved, which really streamlines the process. Itās part of our secret sauce."
This integrated approach allows the city to deliver projects quickly and efficiently, often 25% faster than neighboring communities, Russell said.
This success breeds further success, attracting both "hyperscalers" like AWS and Google that use the facilities for their own data, and "colocation" or "colo" providers like QTS and Vantage that rent out data center space.
It's important to note that the landscape for these large-scale projects is dynamic. Recently, Microsoft announced revisions to its build schedule for planned data center development in the New Albany International Business Park.
āThe City of New Albany has been informed by Microsoft that it is revising its build schedule for the planned data center development within the New Albany International Business Park,ā said Sloan Spalding, the mayor of New Albany. āWe understand that large-scale projects like this require flexibility, and we appreciate Microsoftās continued engagement with the city throughout this process.ā
A map of data centers within New Albany's International Business Park.
McClure School: Building the talent pipeline
OHIO's McClure School prepares its students for demanding roles at these facilities through a multifaceted approach combining deep technical training with a crucial understanding of how businesses work.
"What we teach our students involves three key parts, and a critical one is the business aspect," said Associate Professor Charles "Chip" Linscott, the McClure Schoolās chair and director of undergraduate studies. "So all of our students, even the virtual reality and game development students, take business classes... the business side of this is important because we see our technical education is being applied, not exclusively, but largely to business problems."
This broad perspective helps graduates apply their technical skills effectively in corporate, government or non-profit settings. The school's Information and Technology Services (ITS) program provides a strong foundation in network technology.
"ITS is network technology, and that includes hardware and software and how to be a network engineer... and understand how to run networks, repair networks, optimize networks and then ultimately how to keep those networks secure," Linscott said.
McClure students learn the critical skills needed to protect the networks and data crucial to data center operations. While some large companies like Amazon have specific partnerships for entry-level technician roles, McClure graduates are sought after for more advanced positions across the nation.
"At the grad level, actually, we've had several students that have over the past few years joined AWS in Virginia, Utah and Oregon," Arauz said.
Students at the McClure school get hands-on learning opportunities.
Solving business problems
The school equips students with the foundational knowledge in operating systems, scripting, networking and security that allows them to step into roles involving system design, advanced automation and performance analysis.
Adjunct faculty and advisory board members like Jim Gay, an adjunct instructor in the McClure school who previously worked in Nationwideās technology department for 46 years, provide invaluable real-world connections and insights.
Gay notes that the curriculum evolves constantly, responding to the growing need for skills to architect network capability, computing and storage, especially with the prevalence of cloud computing and AI. He sees a future where the intersection of , network technologies and AI become even more critical, increasing the need for strong design skills, all of which are being infused into the curriculum.
The data center industry demands professionals who understand the technology of today and can adapt to the innovations of tomorrow. Through its robust ITS and cybersecurity programs, focus on business skills and connection to industry practitioners, OHIO's McClure School produces graduates ready to meet this challenge.
The goal, Arauz explains, is clear: āWe look at what problems businesses are facing and how technology can solve them. Thatās what we do.ā