Monthly Archives: May 2012

Information for Graduating Chemistry Majors

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Congratulations on your pending graduation this June!  Please note the following events for commencement and we hope that you will be able to participate:

 

Commencement is Sunday -June 17, 2012. You can reserve your place in the commencement ceremony online. The deadline to RSVP for commencement is May 18, 2012. Contact the Registrar’s office at 541-737-4331 or in 102 Kerr Administration Building if your plans change and you are unable to attend the ceremony.  To participate in commencement, you must file an application for graduation with the Registrar’s office. You must also be a graduate of the Summer, 2011, Fall, 2011, Winter, 2012 or anticipated graduate, Spring, 2012, Summer, 2012 term or Fall, 2012. See the General Information web site for more information:
http://oregonstate.edu/events/commencement/

The ceremony will begin at 3:30 am in Reser Stadium and will end at approximately 7:30.  Line up for the processional begins in the MU Quad at 1:30 on Sunday. (note this is a change from last year).

Reception: The Chemistry department will host a complimentary light lunch for chemistry graduates & guests from noon-2:00 pm on Saturday June 16th in the lobby of Gilbert Addition. Following this there will be an informal ceremony to honor our graduates with a certificate and a class picture – please wear your cap and gown. Please email Dr. Pastorek with the number of guests that you intend to bring to the reception.

PHOTO Please arrange to get your picture taken for the graduate picture board that is displayed in the hallway of Gilbert Hall. Complements of the Chemistry department, please make an appointment to get your photo taken at The Ball Studio located at 6th and Adams in Corvallis (541-753-5721; theballstudio@gmail.com). Please don’t leave town without getting your picture taken for the chemistry board!

Graduating Senior Pizza feed and Exit Interviews 6 pm June 7th in GILB 324. Prof & Chair of Chemistry Rich Carter will be hosting a pizza get together and is very interested in feedback that you can offer on the chemistry program at OSU –Admission” to the pizza party will require that they complete the short exit survey your ticket is your exit interview form (attached to this email).

Congratulations on all your accomplishments and much success in your future endeavors!

 

Arsalan Zolfaghari Wins Summer 2011-12 URISC

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We’re sending a congratulatory shout-out to Arsalan Zolfaghari (Student Researcher for Dr. Paul Blakemore) for winning a 2011-12 Summer URISC for his proposal entitled, “Investigation of a Novel Boron Containing Sulfone for Julia-Kocienski Olefination.”

Arsalan is also the recipient of the 2012 HHMI Summer Research program for his proposal of the same name.

Undergrad Chem Major of the Term

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Matt StoltMatthew Stolt has been selected as an undergrad chem major of the quarter for Spring 2012.  Matt was born and raised in Oregon – growing up in the Beaverton area. He attended Jesuit High School.  He cites his big brother as a significant influence in his life including encouraging him to attend Jesuit High School as well as Oregon State University.  While he came to OSU initially to be a Chemistry Engineering major, one of his friends, Evan, got him interested in becoming a Chemistry major.  Matt has been conducting undergraduate research with Mas Subramanian since his sophomore year.  He initially worked closely with senior graduate student Geneva Laurita-Plankis; however, he is now working on an independent project within Professor Subramanian’s lab.   He specifically mentioned emeritus professor Glenn Evans as his favorite teacher. He described Dr. Evans has “unbelievably challenging,” but he did a wonderful job of making sure that the students really “know” the material.  Matt plans to continue his education after graduation – likely getting a PhD in materials / inorganic chemistry.  He would like to thank all the faculty and students he has worked with during his time here as well as his study group and friends for their support. We congratulate Matt on all his accomplishments to date and he is a wonderful part of the Chemistry program at OSU!

 

The Role of Research in Promotion and Tenure

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MAY 9TH, 2012

Sitting on the University’s Promotion and Tenure Committee is one of the most important roles that I can fulfill as VP for Research.  Most tenure/tenure track faculty appointments include a percentage of time dedicated to research activities.  The measures of performance in research are varied, and their relationship to scholarly productivity proves to be an important focus of discussion.

It doesn’t take long before some challenging questions emerge from individual curriculum vitae:

  • How much effort should be focused on hypothesis-driven research, versus more service-oriented productivity?
  • What constitutes a legitimate proportion of attention to “high-impact” journals?
  • How should one represent one’s contribution to publication activity (e.g. first authorship)?
  • Is there a best balance of students and post-docs?
  • How do we weigh the respective merits of intellectual property development (e.g. patent disclosures) to peer-reviewed publication?
  • What is the “community ” standard for rates of publication within a given discipline?

As an oceanographer, I bring my own “community” biases to the discussion of research impact.  For example, I’ll look at a publication in Nature (with its high impact factor) much differently from one in, say, Journal of Geophysical Research.  I also know what it means to have served as a Chief Scientist on a major research cruise, but I may not know what an equivalent activity might be in another field.  Those are metrics that may not be part of the culture in, say, plant pathology.  You should know the culture of your field.  If you don’t, speak with your mentors, ask your peers.  It is to your benefit to understand early in your career how you will be judged within your field so that you can reach your aspirations.

This year, alone, the P&T Committee read through nearly 10,000 pages of dossiers, and spent hundreds of cumulative hours in review, discussion and consideration.  And that doesn’t count the time and effort put in by the candidates, faculty committees, administrators and staff!  The time-honored traditions of P&T merit this investment, an investment that pays off to guide the careers of our university’s educators, researchers, administrators and service providers.

So, as we close out another academic year, let me be one of the first to congratulate those who’ve been promoted and/or attained tenure.  Your accomplishments are noteworthy and significant.  It’s a pleasure to recognize your success!

 

Rick Spinrad
Vice President for Research
Comments to this blog are welcome!

 

Flyfisher’s Club of Oregon Graduate Scholarship – Nomination Deadline June 4, 2012

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The Graduate School invites nominations for the Flyfisher’s Club of Oregon Graduate Scholarship.

The purpose of the Flyfisher’s Club of Oregon Graduate Scholarship is to provide support for graduate students pursuing a course of study involving any one of the endemic wild stocks of fish within watersheds of the State of Oregon.

Eligibility

To be eligible, students must:

  1. Qualify for regular admission to a graduate degree program in one of the following colleges: College of Agricultural Sciences, College of Forestry, College of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences.  Nominations from relevant interdisciplinary programs will also be considered.
  1. Pursue a course of study involving any of the endemic wild stocks of fish within watersheds of the State of Oregon. Research topics might include life histories, diseases, population dynamics, inter-relationships with other aquatic species, essential habitat needs, or management and restoration approaches. Financial need shall not be a criterion in making this award.

Scholarship Award

One scholarship valued at approximately $4,750 will be provided during the 2012-13 academic year. All scholarships awarded under this program shall be for one academic year.

Nomination Procedures:  http://oregonstate.edu/dept/grad_school/flyfisher.php.

 

Deadline for Nominations – June 4, 2012, 5PM.

 

Upcoming Compressed Gas Safety Training

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Please notify others in your department who use any type of compressed gas that there will be compressed gas safety training on Tuesday, May 22.  There will be two sessions; the first will focus on compressed gas usage in shops and art, the second will cover more research and cryogenic uses.  A demonstration will conclude each session, in which liquid nitrogen will be used to convert common ingredients into a special treat for all.

Please post the attached flyer, and encourage people to attend this important training.  Pre-registration is highly recommended – email kay.miller@oregonstate.edu (include name, OSU ID, and department) to sign up.  Space is limited.

 

Compressed Gas Training Flyer