Peavy Hall Has Some New Looks!
Exterior & Landscaping:
- All exterior work on the building is expected to be completed by the end of December!
- Landscaping is nearing completion, including in the arboretum and to the northwest between Peavy & Richardson.
- A new covered bike rack with lighting and gutters has been installed on the south side of Richardson. More bike racks to come soon on the north side of the new Peavy.
- The beatification of the Hatfield Courtyard has begun. The 1st-floor knuckle door to the courtyard will be closed for use (except during emergencies). You’ll see new benches installed, new plants and trees, and grass going in — that work should be completed by early January.
- A new generator will replace the old towers in between Richardson and Peavy (in the arboretum, by the service access driveway), and you’ll see a lot of that old machinery come out in January and new equipment installed into February. The screening will be put in place around the equipment pad.
- Outside garbage bins will be relocated in January/February. These will still be on the southside of Richardson but will move into the southeast corner of the works yard with screening and an accessible gate.
- Outdoor classroom space is starting to shape up and I’ll be in touch with faculty who intend to use this space to discuss plans for seating.
Interior:
- The recycled/restored glulam beams from old Peavy being used for the Atrium stairs are installed and looking beautiful! The slatted feature wall inside the first floor is also going in and is also very striking. Pictures soon of that space.
- Classrooms are coming together and our Computing Group will be working with Classroom Technology Services to start getting A/V installed and networking going beginning in early January.
- Lab casework is being installed and the lab group homes are ready and awaiting outfitting.
- Furniture orders have been placed with three different vendors and are expected to be delivered and installed in February & March. We are working with four craftsmen/small businesses to build our custom conference room tables each featuring a select PNW wood type.
Occupancy and Move-In:
It is our intent to hold classes in Peavy starting Spring term, barring any issues with classroom technology, outfitting, and Registrar approval. The move of folks to Peavy is scheduled for the week of Spring Break.
And finally… mark your calendars!
We are planning to hold the public opening celebration of the Peavy Forest Science Center on Tuesday, May 12. This will be an event open to everyone and will highlight important partnerships we have developed and all of the awesome features of new Peavy. We also look forward to the 1% for Art pieces that will be installed throughout the Spring and Summer.
Meet Dr. Tom DeLuca- Oregon State University’s Cheryl Ramberg Ford and Allyn C. Ford Dean of the College of Forestry and director of the Oregon Forest Research Laboratory effective June 30, 2020!
Dr. DeLuca is currently dean of the W.A. Franke College of Forestry and Conservation at the University of Montana. A forest soil scientist and ecosystem ecologist, Dr. DeLuca’s efforts in research, teaching, and administration have been focused on sustainable land management and advancing the understanding of natural ecosystem function. He currently directs a college with over 40 faculty members, 133 graduate students, and more than 750 undergraduate students.Dr. DeLuca is responsible for the management of two external research facilities, Lubrecht Experimental Forest (a 28,000-acre forest) and Bandy Ranch (a 3,600-acre cattle ranch). Prior to his current post, he served as the director of the School of Environmental and Forest Sciences at the University of Washington.
During the past 20 years, Tom has conducted research on a variety of topics across temperate, boreal, maritime, and Arctic settings. His primary research interests include the influence of disturbance on nitrogen and carbon cycling in forests, prairie and tundra ecosystems; the fire ecology of temperate and boreal forests; biological nitrogen fixation in forest ecosystems; sustainable forest management; and forest restoration. A highly cited scholar, he has published more than 100 refereed research papers, including in Science and Nature. Tom received his Ph.D. in soil biology and biochemistry from Iowa State University; his master’s degree in soils from Montana State University; and his bachelor’s degree in soil science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
What a wonderful year we have to look forward to at the College of Forestry! I’ll be sure to keep you up to date the best I can. 🙂 -Destiny Pauls, NR, CoF Ambassador
