College of Science Faculty, Staff and Students:

As you know, Dr Sherm Bloomer will begin his appointment as Director of Budget and Fiscal Planning on February 1, 2012. I have initiated an expedited internal search to identify an interim dean. The interim dean will lead the College until a permanent dean is appointed and begins her/his appointment.

Dr Mark Zabriskie, Dean of the College of Pharmacy, will serve as chair of the screening committee for the interim dean position. The other members of the screening committee will be confirmed soon. In the meantime, the position announcement is attached and applications for the position are welcome. Please note the February 6 application deadline.

I will initiate the search for a permanent Dean in the near future, but first, I will identify a date and time for a College forum so that I have an opportunity to meet with you to hear about your expectations for the position.

 

Sabah Randhawa

Provost and Executive Vice President

Interim Dean of Science Job Description

The Research Office is requesting letters of intent from interested faculty for the National Science Foundation (NSF) – Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship (IGERT) program.

Please forward this funding opportunity announcement to faculty that may be interested.

Letters of intent submission deadline to the Research Office: Monday, March 5, 2012

The IGERT program has been developed to meet the challenges of educating U.S. Ph.D. scientists and engineers with interdisciplinary backgrounds, deep knowledge in chosen disciplines, and technical, professional, and personal skills. The program is intended to establish new models for graduate education and training in a fertile environment for collaborative research that transcends traditional disciplinary boundaries. It is also intended to facilitate diversity in student participation and preparation, and to contribute to a world-class, broadly inclusive, and globally engaged science and engineering workforce.

Building upon the IGERT platform, the purpose of this IGERT solicitation is to support new models in graduate education in which students are engaged in an environment that supports innovation to learn through hands-on experience how their own research may contribute in new ways to benefit society and to learn the processes for the successful implementation of such contributions.

Guidance for preparation of Letters of Intent may be accessed at: http://oregonstate.edu/research/incentive/igert.htm

NSF – IGERT program guidelines: http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2011/nsf11533/nsf11533.htm

Letters of Intent should be submitted electronically to Debbie Delmore, Research Office at debbie.delmore@oregonstate.edu as a MS Word document.

If you have any questions, please contact Debbie Delmore at (541) 737-8390.

 

Environmental Health Research Experience Program (EHREP) at the University of Washington Seattle

The EHREP is a funded nine week, summer experience for undergraduates with interest in an interdisciplinary field that uses the tools of science to solve human health problems related to the environment. EHREP provides students with hands on experience in laboratories of leading researchers, introduces them to key environmental and occupational health issues while offering research exposure that will help them become competitive for graduate school. Students will receive a stipend of $5,200.

The program is meant for student underrepresented in the sciences. The deadline for student applications is Wednesday, February 15, 2012.

Program website: http://depts.washington.edu/ehug/ehrep/index.html

 

Oregon Academy of Science
2012 Annual Meeting on Saturday, February 25th, in Portland Oregon

The annual award nomination deadlines have been extended to February 1^st.

Abstracts (poster or oral sessions) may be submitted through February 4^th.
Submission and registration forms are attached and are available at the Oregon Academy of Science website, http://www.oas.pdx.edu/ .

I would like to extend a special welcome to our graduate and undergraduate student members to present their research in one of the many forums available at this year’s meeting.
Student annual membership and meeting registration, including breakfast and lunch, is still just $20.00.

Best wishes for a peaceful new year,
Dieterich Steinmetz, M.D.

President, Oregon Academy of Science
Division Dean, Science and Engineering,
Portland Community College, Sylvania Campus, Portland, Oregon
971-722-4226

The Oregon Academy of science promotes scientific research and education in Oregon. Divisions of the Academy represent all areas of the natural sciences and social sciences. The Academy encourages participation by research and applied scientists and educators from all fields.

 

If you are looking for summer internship or research experience, there are MANY programs across the US that offer summer research experiences for undergraduates from all schools.  These require application forms and usually a couple of letters from professors or other references and are competitive.  You have to look at the specific requirements for each one.  Many application deadlines are the end of this month and some go through the end of Februrary.   I have compiled a short list and given some links to the big lists of programs on the CH 362 web page.  Many are referred to as “NSF REU” programs – this stands for National Science Foundation – Research Experience for Undergraduates.  These  programs usually run about 10 weeks in the summer and offer a stipend and sometimes help with travel and room/board.  This a great way to get experience in a lab and see if you really like what scientists do for a living!

Here is the link:  http://chemistry.oregonstate.edu/courses/ch361-464/ch362/Summer_Undergraduate_Research_Opportunities_fo_Chemistry_Majors.html

There are research opportunities on campus and I suggest that you talk with your chemistry advisor about how to locate these.  For on-campus examples, see the research web pages for faculty on campus and contact them directly to find out if they have room in their labs for summer interns.  It is often a good idea to start out volunteering in a lab for example spring term, with hopes that the lab can hire you for summer lab work if funding is available, for example.

A good place to start looking for science research labs on campus is on the College of Science web page at (see Centers, Institutes & Initiatives associated with Science at the bottom of the page) :

http://www.science.oregonstate.edu/node/43

 

You may have heard information about Oregon State University’s efforts to address sexual harassment, including unwanted sexual contact and/or relationship violence. This message is intended to provide information to help you understand your responsibility to recognize and appropriately respond to such conduct. It can be difficult for anyone who experiences sexual harassment or sexual violence to make a disclosure. For this reason, it is important that you believe survivors, listen without judgment, and offer information about rights and resources. For additional information about your responsibilities, please see the attached guidance for responding to disclosures.

As an employee, you also have the right to access a range of support and reporting options. These options include confidential support, counseling, and advocacy, as well as opportunities to seek institutional and legal remedies.

OSU has a responsibility to take reasonable steps to eliminate sexual harassment and sexual violence, prevent their recurrence, and to address their effects. Such efforts are informed by internal policies as well as external regulations. In defining and implementing our policies and practices, OSU seeks to preserve survivors’ autonomy and authority over their process; however, there may be some rare instances when the university may be obligated to pursue a more formal response. If you or someone you know would like to speak with a confidential resource, please access one of the following support, counseling, and advocacy resources:

 

Center Against Rape and Domestic Violence (CARDV)

Phone: 541-754-0110

Web: http://cardvservices.org

Hours: 24-hours

CARDV provides 24-7 confidential crisis response, hospital and legal advocacy, hotline support, and support groups.

 

Sexual Assault Support Services (SASS)

Phone: 541-737-7604

Location: 500 Snell

Web: http://oregonstate.edu/counsel/sexual-assault-support-services

Hours: 8am-5pm, Monday-Friday (academic year); 9am-4pm, Monday-Friday (summer)

SASS provides confidential support, crisis intervention, and/or counseling for any OSU student who has experienced unwanted sexual contact or relationship violence (students only).  SASS also provides confidential consultation for employees who have received a report of sexual harassment or sexual violence.

If you or someone you know would like to make a report*, please contact one of the following resources:

 

Office of Equity and Inclusion (OEI)

Phone: 541-737-3556

Location: 526 Kerr Administration Building

Web: http://oregonstate.edu/oei

Hours: 8am-5pm, Monday-Friday

The OEI accepts inquiries, formal, and informal reports of sexual harassment and sexual violence.  In addition to handling grievances, the staff offers consultation and advice on what procedure is likely to have the most positive outcome.

 

Oregon State Police (OSP)

Phone: 541-737-3010 (non-emergency); 541-737-7000 (emergency)

Location: 200 Cascade Hall

Web: http://oregonstate.edu/dept/security

The Department of Public Safety and OSP respond to safety concerns and to violations of Oregon law, which may lead to criminal proceedings.

 

Student Conduct & Community Standards (SCCS)

Phone: 541-737-3656

Location: B058 Kerr Administration Building

Web: http://oregonstate.edu/studentconduct

Hours: 8am-5pm, Monday-Friday

SCCS responds to violations of the student conduct code by an internal university disciplinary process when the alleged perpetrator is a student (separate from a civil or criminal hearing).  The office also administers no contact orders between students.

 

Anonymous reporting

Students, staff, and faculty may submit an electronic anonymous report, or may print the report and return it by campus mail to the address printed on the form.

If you have questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me,

 

Angelo Gomez

Title IX Coordinator

Interim Executive Director of Equity and Inclusion

Oregon State University

526 Kerr Administration Building

Corvallis, Oregon 97331-2139

(541) 737-0869

angelo.gomez@oregonstate.edu

 

*Sexual Assault/Harassment Amnesty Clause

The university will not pursue any conduct violation against a survivor for substance use, including alcohol, at the time of sexual assault/harassment if the sexual assault/harassment is reported to Student Conduct and Community Standards or the Office of Equity and Inclusion.

 

Dear OSU Community:

The 2011 Oregon Charitable Fund Drive at Oregon State University is coming to a close on January 31, 2012.

As of January 19, 2012, 184 OSU employees have contributed $98,742.  Currently we are 16% behind last year’s contributions of $118,400. We encourage you to make your contribution before the fund drive ends.

Each year we have responded generously to crises at home and abroad and have extended helping hands to those affected. The Charitable Fund Drive is the one campus-wide effort that enables you to contribute to non-profit groups locally and throughout Oregon to help a wide range of needs in the communities where we live

The participating umbrella groups represent more than 850 individual charities.  This year your overall choices are:

Your local United Way – focuses locally to address important human needs

Black United Fund – helps to stimulate success in low income communities

Children’s Trust Fund – works to prevent child abuse and neglect

Community Health Charities – supports research, education & helps people living with disease

Earth Share – protects our natural heritage & human health

Equity Foundation – promotes the dignity and worth of all people

Habitat for Humanity – allows low-income families to purchase affordable homes

Local Independent Charities – helps wide range of nonprofits, from guide dogs for the blind to breast cancer research

Work For Art – supports the arts and arts education

McKenzie River Gathering Foundation – supports grassroots social justice organizations around the state

The campaign is designed to allow EVERY state employee to be a philanthropist – you get to decide how much you give and where it goes. You can also see how your dollars are working in the community by allowing your charities to connect with you. Oregon employees collectively have given more than $21 million since the campaign began 21 years ago. This year’s goal is to raise $1.2 million – last year, we raised slightly more than $1 million!

The charities involved in the Charitable Fund Drive are committed to promoting healthy families, clean air and water, community vitality, and opportunities for self-help and self-sufficiency. Please join us in helping others by supporting the services and activities that are important to you.

With over 4,500 employees at OSU, if each one of us donated $5 per month, we could increase the amount of contributions made last year from $118,400 to more than $270,000.  By contributing to this effort, we will help enhance the lives of those who live in our community in a number of significant ways.

You may contribute in two different ways:

• FORM: Return the filled out form in your packet to 2011 CFD, 100 LaSells Stewart Center
• ONLINE:  https://www.ipledgeonline.org/_cfduniversities/ and follow instructions on how to log-in to contribute online.

Please check the OSU Charitable Fund Drive website at oregonstate.edu/charitablefunddrive to view more information on the numerous charities and to track the progress of our contributions.

Sincerely,

 

Edward J. Ray

President

 

Mark McCambridge

Vice President for Finance & Administration, 2011 CFD Campaign Chair

 

Here is some clarification regarding E-campus courses counting toward full-time enrollment status for graduate students, as a follow up to the announcement/information on this subject sent by Brenda McComb in early November.

Effective winter 2012 (this term), the E-campus course exclusion for registration requirements for graduate assistants (GRA/GTA) appointment and qualification for graduate scholarships has been removed.  E-campus credits will be viewed as no different than on-campus courses, and will count toward reaching full-time enrollment status (12-credits) for graduate students. Similarly, E-campus courses will count toward full-time enrollment status for graduate scholarships and fellowships, and scholarship/fellowship tuition relief programs.

We are piloting this program for one year (winter 2012 through fall 2012); at the end of that period, a decision will be made as to whether this will be continued.  Financial impacts to programs offering E-campus graduate courses will only be felt when a graduate student receiving a tuition remission or waiver takes an E-campus course.  For those students with a tuition waiver, E-campus and the unit offering the course will see a reduction in tuition revenue. If a grant pays tuition remission for on campus course credits it will also pay for E-campus course credits.

Analysis of the current situation is that few on-campus graduate students currently take E-campus courses, so the financial impact will be small.

Examples:

1. Student A is a GTA employed at > =0.2 FTE and is taking 9 credits of on-campus courses and 3 credits of E-campus courses. The tuition for both on-campus and E-campus courses is waived.  Loss of revenue to the unit and E-campus is equal to the value of the tuition income for the E-campus course credits.

 

1. Student B is a GRA at > =0.2 FTE and is paid from a grant in which tuition is included in the grant award. This student is also taking 9 credits of on-campus courses and 3 credits of E-campus courses.  The tuition for both on-campus and E-campus courses is paid from the grant.  Loss of revenue to the unit and E-campus is equal to the value of the tuition income for the E-campus course credits.

 

1. Student C is not employed by the university in a tuition waiver-qualified position, and is not receiving any tuition remission.  This student is taking 9 credits of on-campus courses and 3 credits of E-campus courses. The tuition for both on-campus and E-campus courses is paid in full by the student.  E-campus and the unit will receive revenue from tuition income for the E-campus course credits as they did prior to this new policy.

 

Student fees are not covered by the GRA/GTA fee waiver nor for scholarship tuition relief waivers; any additional student fees charged for E-campus courses therefore must be covered by the student regardless of tuition waiver, just as on-campus course fees must be paid by the student.

 

Questions, please give me a call.

 

Fran Saveriano

Director of Graduate Student Financial Support and Recruitment

Oregon State University Graduate School

541/737-1459

 

I write to call your attention to two important developments here in Washington: the release by the National Science Board (NSB) of the biennial report Science and Engineering Indicators 2012 and the release by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) of a draft RFA to award $100 million over five years to a number of projects tackling the major challenges of international development.

National Science Board: Science and Engineering Indicators 2012

States reduced per-student funding for major public research universities by a fifth during the past decade, while foreign competitors invested heavily to challenge our nation’s once dominant position in science, innovation and higher education, according to the new NSB report out today.  The NSB found state funding for the top 101 public research universities declined by 10 percent between 2002 and 2010, in inflation adjusted dollars and nearly three-quarters of the universities experienced reductions in state funding.

The 575-page Science and Engineering Indicators 2012 report, a biennial report to the President and Congress, is the most comprehensive and up-to-date information and analysis on the nation’s position in science and technology.  It also provides important insight into the plight of public research universities across the nation as well as the important role our institutions play in the nation’s global competitiveness.  We have issued the following statement in response:

“America’s public research universities are a critical component to the nation’s global economic competitiveness.  State support per student for public universities has been trending down for over a decade and that drop in support is driving up tuition costs and increasing the indebtedness of graduates.

“Public university leaders continue to work diligently to control costs and raise funds for additional student financial aid to ensure access to the widest range of students possible. All over the country major change is underway on public university campuses in order to respond to student and public needs with quality even as there have been significant reductions in public funding.

“However, the facts remain, that cuts in state appropriations have resulted in higher tuition and we urge states to do all they can to sustain their support of students and their public universities. For more than 150 years, public research universities have provided the intellectual and human capital to advance America, now is not the time to abandon this critical resource.”

The entire report is available on the National Science Foundation website.  There is significant data within the report that I encourage you to use to build support within your state.

USAID: Request for Applications

USAID announced an interesting opportunity focused on engaging the university community in new approaches to tackling the major challenges of international development.  The draft RFA, comes with a strong S&T emphasis, but it is multidisciplinary in its approach and also reaches deeply into the social sciences.  Our information is that it will award $100 million over five years to two or three consortia, tackling the broadest problems; and seven or eight single institution proposals, with a narrower focus.

The approach draws in some respects on the NSF’s Center concept, and those of you who met with or heard USAID Administrator Raj Shah at our Annual Meeting will realize that his remarks to us were setting the stage for this initiative.

Although this is a draft version, we understand the final will not be substantially different.  We also understand there may be a relatively short response time once the final is released, although we will urge USAID to allow time for our best institutions to do their best work on this flagship initiative.

We provided the document to your International Programs and International Agricultural Officers last week, and it is also going out to your Research VPs.  They are aware of the process for submitting questions and that there will be a pre-solicitation conference/webinar on the afternoon of January 24.  (Details are at  http://universityengagement.usaid.gov.)  Your campuses are no doubt already hard at work, but I wanted to make you personally aware of what I see as an excellent opportunity to deepen the collaboration between our member institutions and USAID.

 

Oregon Lottery Graduate Scholarships

The Graduate School encourages nomination of qualified, degree-seeking graduate and post-baccalaureate professional students under the Oregon Lottery Graduate Scholarship program. Total funding available for these awards will be distributed equally on the basis of academic merit and financial need.

Please limit your nominations to no more than three per department/program. When submitting more than one nominee, please provide a rank ordering to assist in the review process.

Please refer to the announcement (click on link above) for eligibility and procedural requirements.  Nominations must be received by the Graduate School by March 1, 2012.

 

Englund Memorial Postgraduate Scholarship

Applications are sought for the 2012-13 Eric Englund Memorial Post-graduate Scholarship, which is to be awarded to a graduate of Oregon State University. This scholarship will be given for graduate study in agricultural economics (preferably, but not necessarily exclusively, in its international aspects), or home economics.

One or more scholarships will be awarded for the 2012-13 school year, depending on the qualifications and financial needs of the applicants. Students should consult with the Office of the Dean of Health and Human Sciences for home economics students or the director of the Applied Economics graduate program to determine the deadline for submitting their completed application forms and accompanying documents.

Please refer to the announcement (click on link above) for eligibility, procedural requirements and deadlines.

*********************************

Information regarding these and other scholarship and fellowship programs administered by the Graduate School may be found at: http://oregonstate.edu/dept/grad_school/fellowships.php.

 

A matrix of programs administered by the Graduate School may be found here:  http://oregonstate.edu/dept/grad_school/current/2012-13%20Fellowship%20Table.pdf