Nominations for classified or professional faculty to receive a monthly Merit Award are now being accepted. The award recognizes and encourages outstanding performance in the work place. The nominator may be anyone from the campus community. Potential qualities include great working attitude, cooperation, courtesy, creativity, flexibility, professionalism, quality of work, sense of humor, and other qualities the nominee admires. Nominations are due by the 10th of each month. For more information: http://oregonstate.edu/aop/awards-recognition. December’s awardee was Kathleen Lillis from College of Business.
Author Archives: Luanne Johnson
Chemistry mentioned in Materials World Magazine
What is it?
A new chemical reaction between magnesium, zinc and CO2 that can be used to synthesise nanoporous graphene for supercapacitors.
Who is involved?
Chemists and engineers at Oregon State University College of Science and Engineering, Argonne National Laboratory, the University of South Florida and the National Energy Technology Laboratory, USA. Read more…
Who Am I? Wednesday – Sandra Loesgen
Name: Sandra Loesgen
Area of Study / Position Title: Assistant Professor in Chemistry
Why chemistry? (What about it initially interested you?): My high school teachers in chemistry and biology really loved their jobs and taught science with enthusiasm. In 7th grade, our class won a science fair working on allergy inducing proteins and peptides and since then, I am excited to work in a lab and look at health related chemistry!
Research focus (in non-science terms) or basic job duties? Drug Discovery. We focus on identifying new biologically active substances from rare bacteria and fungi. Most people have taken penicillin to fight a bacterial infection at least once in their life, but only few people know that this is a fungal metabolite and still one of the most used antibacterial drugs we have nowadays. Our research is focused on finding new potential drugs and to test them against pathogenic bacteria, cancer, and viruses and we are particularly interested in their chemical structures and mode of action.
One thing you truly love about your job? I love working with students and explore chemical structures provided by nature. There is noting better than collecting a sample, isolate microbes, and explore their chemistry and medicinal potential.
One interesting/strange factoid about yourself. I can eat Nutella with a spoon.
Inspiration Dissemination on KBVR
Inspiration dissemination is a radio show on 88.7FM every Sunday night at 7 p.m. that features graduate students sharing stories about their research and lives here at OSU. If you are a graduate student and would like to communicate your research to a broad audience, please sign up at the following link: http://goo.gl/forms/wDxnbfUkpj
OSU Women’s Giving Circle accepting proposals
The OSU Women’s Giving Circle is currently accepting proposals for grants to be awarded in May 2015. The applications are due by Friday, Jan. 16. For more information please visit http://osufoundation.org/howtogive/annualgiving/womens/apply_grant.htm. Questions contact Kellie Parker at 541-737-4691 or Kellie.Parker@oregonstate.edu.
Request for Nominations – Graduate School Fellowships/Scholarships
Leah Chibwe awarded 2015 Graduate Student Award in Environmental Chemistry
Congratulations to Chemistry Graduate Student Leah Chibwe for receiving a 2015 Graduate Student Award for Environmental Chemistry from the American Chemical Society.
Jeff Gautschi and OSU Cascades featured in Bend Bulletin
OSU-Cascades faculty members are working hard to bring science students more opportunities to apply concepts learned in the classroom.
Using undergraduate students to conduct research is an up-and-coming trend at OSU-Cascades that has slowly garnered more funding opportunities over the past few years.
Traditionally, most university research is conducted by tenure-track professors and graduate students. But OSU-Cascades doesn’t have graduate students in science, and many within the Oregon State University system say bringing undergraduates into research projects benefits everyone. Read more…
Who Am I? Wednesday – Margie Haak
Name: Margie Haak
Area of study: Chemistry Education (although I am a physical chemist by training)
Position title: Senior Instructor II
Why chemistry?: It’s all Mr. Smith’s fault! (Mr. Smith was my high school chemistry teacher) UCLA didn’t have a Pre-med major, so I had to pick something to major in. My thought process was something like this “Well, chemistry was fun, I guess I’ll be a chemistry major.” And then I got sucked in by the beauty of chemistry, especially physical chemistry, and the rest, as they say, is history.
Research focus (in non-science terms) or basic job duties: I teach mostly general chemistry and my interests lie in active learning strategies and ways to increasing student success in general chemistry courses.
One thing that I truly love about my job: The students! Both undergraduate and graduate students. I also love that virtually every day is different – it is NEVER boring.
One interesting/strange factoid about myself: In whatever free time I can find I like to quilt.
Funding Available—Proposal Due Date Extended
The Center for Teaching and Learning funds instructors for the redesign of established on-campus courses as hybrid courses through the Hybrid Course Initiative. These funds are in support of participation in a faculty learning community in Spring term and the development of a hybrid course. See Request for Proposals; due date extended to Jan. 20. Questions? Contact cub.kahn@oregonstate.edu