The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is currently seeking letters of inquiry for its Reinvent the Toilet Challenge, Round 2. These grants are intended for exceptionally highly-qualified research groups interested in contributing to major advances in sanitation and hygiene in the developing world.

Full Gates Foundation, Reinvent the Toilet, Round 2 description: http://www.gatesfoundation.org/watersanitationhygiene/Pages/rfloi-reinvent-the-toilet-challenge.aspx

Gates Foundation Deadline: May 10, 2012 at 10:00 am

For related questions, contact Martha Coleman, Director of Principal Gifts for Foundation Relations at OSU Foundation at 541-737-6961 or Martha.coleman@oregonstate.edu.

 

Provost and Executive Vice President Sabah Randhawa invites nominations and applications for the position of Dean of the University Honors College (UHC).

This position is a 12-month, 1.0 FTE appointment. The Dean serves at the pleasure of the Provost. Salary is competitive, and the benefits package includes several options for health/dental/life insurance, retirement, and a new program of reduced tuition for dependents. This is an internal search, open only to current Oregon State University employees.

 

POSITION OVERVIEW & QUALIFICATIONS

The Dean of the University Honors College is appointed by, and reports to, the Provost and Executive Vice President. The Dean is a member of the Provost’s Council, and works closely and cooperatively with other OSU deans, vice provosts, department heads, academic program leaders, and faculty.

Expectations for the Dean include:

• sustaining and implementing a compelling vision for the UHC in the context of OSU’s Strategic Plan for the 21^st Century
• creating and sustaining an environment of academic and programmatic excellence
• establishing and maintaining cooperative and effective linkages with OSU academic departments and colleges
• managing human, funding, and other resources to optimize their effectiveness
• providing effective leadership for the UHC unit that will foster success for faculty, staff, and students; facilitate interdepartmental and interdisciplinary programs and initiatives; and advance the UHC mission
• establishing as a priority the commitment to a diverse and multicultural UHC unit and University
• engaging a sustained and aggressive commitment to private, foundation, and corporate fund development working in partnership with faculty leaders and the OSU Foundation
• maintaining a student-centered honors program that is accessible and welcoming to students

Required qualifications for the dean position include an earned doctorate, rank as Professor, and demonstrated:

• administrative ability, including budget and financial management processes, public relations and fundraising, strategic planning, policy formation, personnel management, and supervision
• successful academic leadership as reflected in building relationships, and developing academic and programmatic excellence that is student-centered and focuses on student success
• commitment to advancing diversity, equity and community, with particular emphasis on underrepresented groups and multicultural competence

• commitment to academic excellence with a strong focus on undergraduate education
• ability to articulate and align people around a vision for the direction for the UHC that is responsive to institutional change and moves the institution forward
• superior interpersonal and communication skills; ability to foster collaboration and teamwork; ability to work collegially; ability to inspire others to high levels of performance
• ability to secure external programmatic and financial support
• commitment to faculty governance, interdisciplinary programs, innovative teaching, and outreach
• success in seeking out and applying entrepreneurial approaches to education
• demonstrated commitment to UHC programs
• current employment at Oregon State University

 

 

UNIVERSITY HONORS COLLEGE

The University Honors College (UHC) serves the needs of motivated, high-achieving, and highly qualified students by providing an engaging and compelling educational experience. Students experience a small college environment with all the resources and opportunities of a leading research university. The UHC serves as a beacon to attract top-tier students to OSU and provides a reason for them to stay in Oregon. The UHC benefits all members of the University community as its students model the highest levels of academic achievement, thereby bringing luster to the entire University. The UHC impacts society as its graduates depart leadership-ready, prepared not just for a job, but also for a career.

Through partnerships with other academic units and campus groups, the UHC provides students with opportunities for academic growth, leadership development, and community engagement. As “dual citizens”, UHC students are also students in an academic major, which can be any major offered by OSU.  A thesis experience provides one-on-one interactions with leading faculty and culminates in a student’s contribution to the well of knowledge. Additional enrichment activities let students grow as inquisitive, mindful, and engaged citizens. Small, interactive classes, typically limited to 12 or 20 students, are taught by OSU’s top professors. Faculty members who teach Honors courses are encouraged to experiment with new educational practices and often cite Honors teaching as one of their most rewarding teaching experiences. Honors students earn the Honors Baccalaureate, OSU’s most prestigious undergraduate degree.

The UHC was established in 1995 by the Oregon State Board of Education. It is publicly funded and governed by the Honors College Council appointed by the OSU Faculty Senate. Two UHC students sit on the Council and participate in policy discussions.  The UHC is currently in year five of an eight-year plan to double the number of students enrolled.  About 820 students are expected to be enrolled in the fall of 2012. Applications to the UHC are at an all-time high and the quality of the applicants continues to increase.  Though only 3% of the students on campus, Honors students garner a disproportionate share of campus, state, and national awards and scholarships.  The future of the UHC is bright as more and more students discover the value of an Honors education.

UHC web site: http://oregonstate.edu/dept/honors/

 

APPLICATION PROCESS

Applications must include 1) a letter of interest, including a statement of philosophy or vision for the Dean’s role, and addressing all of the qualifications for this position; 2) a current CV; and 3) contact information for five current references, including name, title, address, phone number and e-mail address. Strict confidentiality will be maintained, and references will not be contacted without permission.

Materials should be submitted by May 7, 2012 to receive full consideration. Application materials should be submitted at http://oregonstate.edu/jobs/ (job posting 0008958).

 

Questions:

Brenda McComb, Dean of the Graduate School

Chair, Dean of the University Honors College Search Committee

Brenda.McComb@oregonstate.edu

 

Gigi Bruce

Special Assistant to the Provost

Gigi.Bruce@oregonstate.edu

 

Jeff Grell has been appointed as a 2012-2013 Provost’s Distinguished Graduate Fellow.  This gives Jeff a $30,000 scholarship and an accompanying tuition scholarship.

Congratulations Jeff!!

The Research Office is requesting letters of intent from interested faculty for the NSF – Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship – CIF21 (IGERT-CIF21) program.

Letter of intent submission deadline to the Research Office: Tuesday, May 15, 2012

This is a new targeted opportunity for research communities to apply for a new track in NSF’s IGERT program as a mechanism to address the training and education needs in computational and data enabled science and engineering (CDS&E) and cyberinfrastructure research.

Guidance for preparation of letters of intent to the Research Office: http://oregonstate.edu/research/incentive/integrative-graduate-edcuation-and-research-traineeship-program-cif21

NSF – IGERT-CIF21 program guidelines: http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2012/nsf12555/nsf12555.htm

Letters of intent should be submitted electronically to Debbie Delmore, Incentive Programs, Research Office at debbie.delmore@oregonstate.edu.

If you have any questions, please contact Debbie Delmore at (541) 737-8390 or debbie.delmore@oregonstate.edu.

 

Please join us for the F.A. Gilfillan Memorial Lecture!!

As the 2011 F.A. Gilfillan Memorial Award Recipient, microbiologist and Oregon State University Distinguished Professor, Dr. Stephen Giovannoni will be presenting a public lecture Ancient History: Microbial Origins and the Greening of the Earth on Monday, April 30^th in the Austin Auditorium at OSU’s LaSells Stewart Conference Center

Looking forward to seeing you there. – Vince

 

Ancient History: Microbial Origins and the Greening of Earth

Presented by Dr. Stephen Giovannoni, 2011 Recipient, F.A. Gilfillan Memorial Award

 

Austin Auditorium

LaSells Stewart Conference Center

875 SW 26th Street, Corvallis, OR  97331

 

April 30, 2012

6:30-7:15 Dessert and Gathering

7:15pm – 8:30pm Lecture

 

Greetings!

The Women’s Center is Hiring for the 2012-2013 Year!

Women’s Center Coordinators are responsible for creating a learning environment that contributes to the student development process.  We are looking for individuals with a strong commitment to the continued empowerment of our diverse student population and dedication to inclusivity.

Students from the STEM fields and who are committed to being an ally for other underserved/underrepresented groups are strongly encouraged to apply.

To apply, please visit the WC Job Application 2012-2012 page where you will find an application packet and other information about the Women’s Center.

Applications, resumes, and cover letters are due Tuesday May 1st, 2012 at 5pm to Virginia Martin (virginia.martin@oregonstate.edu).

If you have any questions regarding the hiring process or the application process, please contact me at mirabelle.fernandes-paul@oregonstate.edu

 

Sigma Delta Omega will be selling a periodic table of sugar cookies at ALS April 23-25 from 10am-3pm. All proceeds benefit Relay for Life.

 

Special Grant Program in the Chemical Sciences – June 4th

Postdoctoral Program in Environmental Chemistry – August 20th

Senior Scientist Mentor Program – Sept 12th

Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award Program – Feb 4th

Scholarship Deadlines

Please join me in congratulating our colleagues, Professor Andrew Blaustein and Professor Stephen Giovannoni for being selected as Oregon State University’s 2012 Distinguished Professors.  The Distinguished Professor award has been presented annually since 1988 to outstanding active OSU faculty members who have achieved national and/or international stature as a result of their contributions to scholarship/creative activity, research, education, and service, and whose work has been notably influential in their fields of specialization.

Stephen Giovannoni is a microbiologist and international leader in the study of marine microbes through advanced molecular techniques, and Andrew Blaustein is a zoologist who studies animal behavior and conservation biology, and one of the world’s leading experts on biodiversity and amphibian declines.  These two OSU scientists have received millions of dollars in grants supporting their research from the National Science Foundation and other agencies, produced scores of professional publications in leading journals, and received numerous other awards for both their teaching and research.

We hope you will join us on Wednesday, May 9^th for lectures by both of this year’s Distinguished Professors.

May 9, 2012

10:30AM -11:45AM – lecture by Stephen Giovannoni

2:00PM – 3:15PM – lecture by Andrew Blaustein

CH2M Hill Alumni Center

Willamette Room

These lectures are a part of the Recognizing Excellence events planned in May. To learn more about the other events, visit http://oregonstate.edu/urm/events/recognizing-excellence.

Again, congratulations to Professors Blaustein and Giovannoni!

 

Sabah Randhawa

Provost and Executive Vice President

 

Research Higher Degree Scholarship

The Quinn group (www.researcherid.com/rid/A-7931-2008) is working towards new therapies for infectious diseases, such as malaria and tuberculosis.

We are seeking applications from prospective PhD students to work in a drug discovery project in infectious disease supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Australian Research Council (ARC Linkage). This project is your chance to make a difference in the global fight against infectious disease like malaria and tuberculosis.

This project aims to synthesis fragments derived from part structures of natural products. This will include molecular modeling and chemoinformatics to identify fragment-sized portions of natural products that can be added to the library to expand the upper limit of accessible fragment diversity and in silico analysis of natural product diversity space to generate a minimum set of fragments. Newly synthesized compounds will be tested against tuberculosis and malaria proteins using FTMS.

Scholarship value and duration

The scholarship is valued AUD$27,651 per annum for three years plus relocation and thesis allowances.

Eligibility

Candidates should hold a First-Class Honors degree or equivalent in a relevant discipline.

 

For more information, please contact:

Professor Ronald J Quinn AM FTSE

r.quinn@griffith.edu.au

www.griffith.edu.au/eskitis