Diving into Underwater Robots

Have you ever wondered what goes into designing and building a robot? In an age of seemingly exponential technological growth, robots are becoming more and more commonplace. On land, robots have excelled at tasks such as assembly line manufacturing, warehouse logistics, and even household chores. Engineers and researchers are now designing robots capable of exploring other environments such as the ocean. The use of robots underwater can aid humans in many tasks, including engineering projects like offshore construction. This approach significantly improves safety by removing humans from often dangerous situations, while also increasing efficiency. However, the underwater environment differs dramatically from land, posing many challenges for researchers.

Akshaya Agrawal, a fifth-year PhD candidate in the Robotics Department at Oregon State University’s College of Engineering, is tackling the challenges of implementing robots underwater. Ocean currents create drag—up to 800 times greater than what we experience on land—and communication signals like Wi-Fi do not travel well underwater, making it difficult to localize (determine the robot’s exact position). Akshaya’s research involves developing and testing motion-planning algorithms designed to help teams of robots coordinate movement and perform tasks underwater. She utilizes realistic simulations to assess the performance of robots underwater, coupled with laboratory tests on ground-based robots, and plans to transition to an underwater testing phase in the future.

DCIM\100GOPRO\G0054727.

Akshaya’s passion for engineering and robotics began at an early age. Her journey from India to Oregon is inspirational, as is how she’s redefining the academic landscape for women in robotics. To hear more about her story, all the cool robots she’s working with, and the steps involved in getting them underwater, tune in to KBVR 88.7 FM this Sunday, Feb. 2. You can listen to the episode anywhere you listen to your podcasts, including on KBVR, Spotify, Apple, or anywhere else!

Take a Deep Breath: Tracing the Carbon in our Air back to the Source

Carbon emissions in our air have long-term consequences for our health and our planet. Despite this, yearly carbon emissions are in the range of billions of metric tons. However, not all the carbon in our air is chemically the same, and the differences in these compounds can give researchers forensic evidence on where these pollutants are coming from.
Alison Clark is in the lab of Kim Anderson in the Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology. In her research she aims to answer the question “where do the things that we are exposed to over time come from and how can we tell?” In particular, she is investigating ways to detect and trace the origins of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH). PAH are found in engine exhaust fumes, tobacco smoke, wildfire smoke, coal and petroleum products. Long-term exposure to PAH can lead to various cancers and cardiovascular issues.
Currently, Clark is investigating human exposure to PAH and how it moves through the environment by analyzing data from a town with a known source of PAH emissions.

Tune in at 7pm on January 26th at 7 pm PST on KBVR 88.7 FM to hear all about the sounds and silence of our forests and what that tells us about them! 

If you miss the show, you can check out the interview wherever you get your podcasts, including on our KBVR page, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or anywhere else!

The details are in the DNA

Have you ever been on a walk or a hike and encountered the feather of a bird or the scat of a deer? Most likely, you tried to avoid stepping on the scat and you maybe admired the feather for a few moments before moving on. But did you know that those left behind animal parts are actually full of genetic data that scientists use to answer all kinds of ecological questions? Nowadays, many ecological studies strive to be as non-invasive as possible since physically handling animals can be logistically complicated as well as potentially cause stress to the animal. Hence, being able to make use of biological samples such as feathers or scat that are already left behind is incredibly non-invasive!

On this week’s show, we talked with PhD student Emily Dziedzic about her multitude of projects that she is working on for her research in the Levi Lab in the Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Sciences. Emily is a molecular ecologist who focuses on bioinformatics, which means that she uses computer-based methods to analyze genetic data. Her work spans a wide variety of taxa, from freshwater fish to scarlet macaws, from bats to Humboldt marten, and has implications for improving ecological monitoring for management as well as assisting in the fight against wildlife disease.

If you’re curious to hear more about Emily’s research as well as learn about how she went from being a young child who organized all the kids in her neighborhood to save snapping turtle hatchlings on bikes to a molecular ecologist working on conservation management projects at OSU, then listen to our episode with Emily wherever you get your podcasts, including on our KBVR page, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or anywhere else!

Hear ye! Hear ye! Bioacoustics are telling us about the health of our forests

If you’ve ever recreated in the stunning forests of the pacific northwest, you’ve probably taken in a peaceful moment listening to the wind rush through the trees, the pattering of the rain, the buzz of insects, and the chattering of birds. What you may not have considered, is that these sounds could be indicators of forest health. Second year masters student in Fisheries and Wildlife, Anna Bloch Kohlberg, is assessing the health of Pacific Northwest forests with bioacoustics. Bioacoustics uses sound to study an ecosystem or species. From animal communication and behavior to coral reef health, the study of bioacoustics has broad applications.


Anna is specifically investigating forests covered by the Northwest Forest Plan (NWFP). The NWFP is a series of federal policies and guidelines governing land use on federal lands in the Pacific Northwest. It was established to protect threatened and endangered species while also contributing to the social and economic sustainability of the region. In her research with Damon Lesmeister and Taal Levi, she analyzes bioacoustics data collected from 4000 recorders across the Northwest for acoustic signatures of indicator species. The processing and analysis of these massive datasets is aided by AI tools developed by the lab. From the analysis of these datasets they are able to get key information on the health of forests across the Northwest, which inform policy and conservation efforts.
Tune in at 7pm on November 10th at 7 pm PST on KBVR 88.7 FM to hear all about the sounds and silence of our forests and what that tells us about them!

If you miss the show, you can check out the interview wherever you get your podcasts, including on our KBVR page, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or anywhere else!

Is Climate Change Making Gray Whales Picky Eaters?

The Oregon Coast is known for its ruggedness and harsh weather, but also offers a prime opportunity to spot gray whales on their migratory paths. These majestic marine mammals undertake one of the largest migrations of any animal, traveling from the Arctic to Baja California to breed before heading back north along this “whale super-highway.” Despite having the mechanisms to feed in the water column, these benthic specialists prefer bottom feeding, scooping up sand from the seafloor and filtering out invertebrate prey through their baleen, likely targeting locations of high caloric content. However, along the coast of the Pacific Northwest, a behavior known as ‘prey switching’ has been observed, where gray whales feed in the water column instead of their preferred benthic prey, amphipods. Our upcoming guest, Taylor Azizeh, a first-year Ph.D. student at the Marine Mammal Institute, explores what may be driving this prey switching behavior.

Polar regions are among the top locations to be impacted by climate change, which Taylor suspects may be responsible for grey whales switching from benthic to pelagic prey. Changes in bottom water temperature and sediment grain size may result in habitats less favorable for amphipods, leading whales to seek food elsewhere. In response to warming, the distribution of other predators may shift to where they compete for the same food source, or the reduced sea ice cover could result in more productive pelagic waters. How do gray whales, these benthic specialists, adapt to changing food availability?

Gray whale populations often experience boom and bust cycles or unknown mortality events, with the most recent one currently underway. Taylor’s research on the foraging plasticity of gray whales is not only timely, but also employs a holistic approach using a combination of methods to assess the big picture. She plans to use stable isotopes to provide information on what whales are feeding on, but only when combined with GPS tags tracking movement and drone photogrammetry measuring body conditions can one understand where and why. Taylor plans to utilize this combination to ask big picture questions such as whether they’re feeding in areas of high biomass, if they return to those same areas, and how much adaptability can individual gray whales display?

At its core, Taylor’s research delves into the adaptability of gray whales. Gray whales have survived the ice ages, proving their ability to deal with harsh conditions, and Taylor hypothesizes they may be more flexible than we currently understand.

To learn more about Taylor’s passion for these charismatic animals of ecological, social, and cultural importance, the adventure which led here to grad school—from Costa Rica to Ecuador, Denmark, and London—tune in to KBVR 88.7 FM this Sunday, Nov. 3. You can listen to the episode anywhere you listen to your podcasts, including on KBVR, Spotify, Apple, or anywhere else!

How do you like them NAPLs? Investigating the chemical properties of pollutants

Seneca Lake in New York is known for stunning views, wine tasting, and being the lake trout capital of the world. However, a threat lies unseen in its beautiful waters. Earlier this year the Seneca Lake Pure Waters Association put out a report showing positive tests for polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in water drawn from several sites in Seneca Lake. The report provides evidence that the known PFAS contamination at the former Seneca Army Depot is spreading beyond its borders. Seneca Lake is not the only community facing this issue. In Tucson, Arizona there has been an ongoing effort to remove PFAS from groundwater since the late 2010s when it was found that PFAS contamination was stemming from two nearby Air Force facilities. At K. I. Sawyer Air Force Base in Michigan, the Air Force is monitoring PFAS contamination in the water and soil with the help of the Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy.

PFAS are often used to make products grease-proof, waterproof, nonstick, or flame-resistant. They are also found in firefighting foams, which are commonly used to put out fires at airports and military bases. They are also known as “forever chemicals” because they do not break down easily in the environment or the human body. PFAS have also been linked to several health problems, including certain cancers.

An additional factor becomes a concern when thinking about the impact from PFAS laden firefighting foams: non-aqueous phase liquids (NAPL). Common examples of NAPL are petroleum products, coal tars, and pesticides. In certain pollution sites there are both NAPL and PFAS present, which have the potential to interact in unexpected ways, impacting how these pollutants move through the environment, and potentially creating new NAPL-PFAS compounds of concern.

This week on ID we are interviewing Mireia Roig-Paul, a second year PhD student in Environmental and Molecular Toxicology, to learn all about these pollutants and the potential threats they pose. She studies in the laboratories of both Jennifer Fields and Serhan Mermer, and her research focuses on the intersection of PFAS and NAPLs, how they move through soil, and how they interact with each other. Tune in at 7pm on October 27th at 7 pm PST on KBVR 88.7 FM to hear all about it!

If you miss the show, you can check out the interview wherever you get your podcasts, including on our KBVR page, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.

Pictured is Mireia Roig-Paul (provided by Mireia Roig-Paul).

Straying from the stream: investigating the impacts of spring Chinook salmon hatchery fish on wild, origin fish

Dams, climate change, habitat loss, predation, anglers. Wild salmon must contend with all of these challenges during some point in their lifetimes. But an additional challenge may be having a negative impact on wild salmon that we don’t yet quite understand: hatchery salmon. The main purpose behind rearing and releasing hatchery salmon into the wild is to increase the number of fish available for anglers (both recreational and commercial) to catch since wild salmon populations are too low in many areas to yield sustainable catches. However, when hatchery fish are released into the wild, some individuals stray. The term straying describes when hatchery fish go where they are not supposed to go. While some degree of straying can be positive because it helps maintain or increase genetic diversity within wild populations, too many hatchery strays could lead to problems for wild salmon. Investigating the impacts of hatchery salmon on wild salmon is no easy feat, and it’s not made easier when you’re trying to do it in possibly one of the most remote and wild places in Oregon…

But that’s exactly what our guest this week is doing! Emily Treadway is a first year Master’s student advised by Dr. Seth White in the Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Sciences at OSU. On top of being a graduate student, Emily is also an employee at the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife working within the East Region Fish Research Office. By wearing these two hats and through support from the Lower Snake River Compensation Plan, Emily’s Master’s research aims to do three things: (1) establish baselines for the Wenaha River, (2) determine how a remote region like the Wenaha can be monitored cost-effectively into the future, and (3) hopefully implement certain mitigation efforts or designs that will help support healthy wild salmon populations. 

Map of the Grande Ronde watershed
Map of the Wenaha River
h

If you want to hear more about Emily’s research, which involves kayaking on the Wenaha, scouting for river hazards, hiking into remote regions with huge solar panel-powered stationary antennas, then tune in to our live show with Emily this Sunday (October 20th) at 7 pm PST on KBVR 88.7 FM! 

If you miss the show, you can check out the interview wherever you get your podcasts, including on our KBVR page, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or anywhere else!

Fear.exe: How horror video games hijack more than just your computer

Our upcoming guest is Erika Stewart, a second-year MA student in the School of Writing, Literature and Film. As an avid gamer growing up, Erika found a way to explore this passion more deeply in graduate school, where her thesis focuses on horror in video games. 

Scholars have studied our relationship with horror for decades, identifying that the fear induced arises from a threat to our bodies. But what about video games, where no immediate physical threat exists? An emerging genre of games—coined by Erika as ‘malwaric’ games—hijack your computer (much like malware) and can induce deep fear in players. How do these games create fear if there’s no representation of the body?

Erika explores this question by presenting the argument that the computer functions as an extension of the body. Malwaric games are designed to be intrusive and reflect a cultural fear: they are terrifying because the computer has become a part of us, and these games seem to attack us directly. In an age rife with artificial intelligence, augmented reality, and virtual reality, Erika’s research is both timely and insightful, addressing what this means for the ‘digital divide.’

To learn more about Erika’s research—and how childhood video game memories and positive community college experiences influenced her path to graduate school—tune in to KBVR 88.7 FM this Sunday, Oct. 13. You can listen to the episode anywhere you listen to your podcasts, including on KBVR, Spotify, Apple, or anywhere else!

Changing the narrative of the sophomore slump

Going to college is an overwhelming and all-consuming experience. To help students cope with the new realities of college life, universities typically provide huge amounts of resources and support to freshmen during their first year. Once students hit their sophomore year, the assumption is that students are returning to something they’re already familiar with; they know what resources their school has to offer, how to sign up for classes, where to buy the best lunch on campus, and so on. Sophomores are expected to independently way find and the amount of support and provided resources fizzles out. This phenomena is referred to as the sophomore slump as research has shown that sophomores are in fact quite vulnerable compared to other college classes because of this drop-off in support. Shania Siron, who is in her third (and final!) year and advised by Dr. Tenisha Tevis at OSU, is our guest on the show this week and the focus of her Doctorate of Education dissertation research is the sophomore slump. Shania’s research aims at better understanding how college sophomores develop their abilities to self-author through engaging with career services, which Shania is pretty well-placed to do given that she doesn’t just wear a graduate student hat but she in fact also works full-time as the Assistant Director of Career and Fellowship Advising at Reed College in Portland, Oregon.

Schematic showing how Self-Authorship Theory intersects with the Center for Life Beyond Reed’s Purpose=Driven Career Advising Model

Tune in to our interview with Shania this Sunday (October 6th) at 7 pm PST on KBVR 88.7 FM to learn about Reed College’s unique advising model, what it means to self-author, and Shania’s journey from being an undergraduate Duck at University of Oregon to being a graduate Beaver at Oregon State University!

If you miss the live show, you can check out the interview wherever you get your podcasts, including on our KBVR page, Spotify, Apple Podcasts or anywhere else!

From hooves to helicopters: the study of foot-and-mouth disease virus in African buffalo 

Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) virus is one of the most infectious viral diseases in the world. FMD virus affects all cloven-hooved animals and there have been outbreaks all over the world except for in North America. While FMD virus doesn’t necessarily cause fatality in animals, it causes severe milk production losses and can leave affected individuals severely weakened and debilitated. This is particularly problematic for people who keep livestock as it can affect their livelihoods and economic welfare. Our guest this week is Cambrey Knapp, a 2nd year PhD student in Comparative Health Science who is studying wildlife-livestock interactions related to FMD virus around Kruger National Park in South Africa. African buffalo within Kruger National Park harbor FMD virus and it can spillover to livestock that are kept in the surrounding areas outside of the park. Cambrey’s research is investigating which viral lineages of FMD virus are most prone to spillover and the temporal aspects of transmission by looking at historic and contemporary African buffalo and cattle samples.

Curious to know how helicopters factor in to the whole story? Tune in to our interview with Cambrey this Sunday (June 2nd) at 7 pm PST on KBVR 88.7 FM. If you miss the live show, you can check out the interview wherever you get your podcasts, including on our KBVR page, Spotify, Apple Podcasts or anywhere else!