HAILS!

Dawn Alapisco will be joining the RO in a new part-time role as our Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation (NAGPRA) Coordinator. The NAGPRA Act- National Park Service (NPS), passed in 1990, provides a process for museums, state and local governments, and Federal agencies to return certain Native American cultural items to lineal descendants, culturally affiliated tribes, and Native Hawaiian organizations. Previously, Dawn was a Intern/Curation Coordinator for the Umm-el-Jimal Osteological Research Collection, as well as a Graduate Teaching Assistant Anthropology and Osteolog here at OSU. Dawn will be located within the College of Liberal Arts on the 3rd floor of Fairbanks Hall so you may not see her that much, but we are very glad to have her as part of the RO team!

IMPACTS OF OSU BUDGET REDUCTIONS ON THE RO

OSU must reduce its FY18 budget by $20M in response to state revenue shortfalls and increased costs linked to benefits and retirement. The OSU Budget Office has developed a plan to meet this target, in part, by reducing budgets in central administration. On May 23, the Budget Office communicated to me a preliminary budget allocation for the Research Office. The preliminary FY18 allocation is 7.7% (approx. $740K) below the RO’s FY17 budget. We will need to do business somewhat differently in the year ahead to meet this budget reduction. This message provides a top-level summary of the actions I plan to implement. RO staff salaries and staff lines will be protected. Moreover, Centers and Institutes will maintain current funding levels, with the exceptions of centers set to cease operations in FY18. The brunt of the budget cut will be borne by the RO’s research incentives programs. To absorb the full impact of the budget reduction, however, it will be necessary to implement additional restrictions.

• Unit heads will retain 10% of year-end balances as carry-over to the next year. The remainder will be moved to the RO reserve account.
• Staff travel will be limited to one out-of-state trip per year. Additional travel will be allowed only with approval of the unit supervisor.
  • All travel must be pre-authorized.
  • Look for details regarding travel in a subsequent e-mail from Jenn Creighton.
• Communication allowances will be approved only for staff at the rank of director or above.
• Based on input from staff, RO festivities can and will be more subdued than in the past,
  • Look for details regarding party plans in future communications from Jane Cigarran and others.

OSU RESEARCHER TESTIFIES AT HOUSE ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY HEARING

Check out the press release below from Rep. Bonamici’s office on Dr. Burke Hales’ testimony today at a House Science Subcommittee on the Environment hearing. He did a great job representing his work that has led to real impacts for the Oregon coast, and he reflected well on the university. Video link at the end!

OSU Researcher Testifies at House Environmental Technology Hearing: Bonamici Invited Dr. Hales to Underscore the Importance of Federal Investment in Research

WASHINGTON, DC [06/21/17] – Today Oregon State University’s Dr. Burke Hales testified before the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology’s Subcommittee on Environment about his work to help Pacific Northwest shellfish growers adapt to changing ocean conditions that affect shellfish growth. Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici, the top Democrat on the Environment Subcommittee, invited Dr. Hales to testify about his technology and the importance of federal investment in funding his and other scientific research.

“Strong federal investments can incentivize and drive the development of new, innovative technologies that can help us find creative solutions to our most troubling problems,” said Congresswoman Bonamici. “Dr. Hales’ research at Oregon State University is an excellent example of this. Dr. Hales used federal research grants to start developing the ‘Burke-o-Lator,’ which now helps shellfish growers across the Pacific Northwest analyze ocean acidification and determine the best time to grow larvae. The testimony of Dr. Hales and the witnesses today underscores the importance of EPA, NOAA, and other federal investments in research to help our economy and our environment.”

“I will focus my testimony here to highlight an example of the important role federal investment in ocean monitoring systems and technology innovation had for my work on the Oregon Coast to address a unique industry’s concerns for ocean acidification,” said Dr. Hales in his prepared testimony. “Ultimately, I devised a system for the robust constraint of carbonate chemistry of natural waters, popularized by shellfish aquaculturist (aka oysterman) Mark Wiegardt as the ‘Burke-o-Lator’. … With technological developments motivated by my own ocean carbon cycle research and supported by grants from the National Science Foundation and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, I was able to develop systems for these measurements that were significantly lower-cost, faster-analysis, and more-robust for dynamic coastal waters than much of the research community, and were unparalleled by any existing technology in the commercial sector.” You can watch the hearing titled, “Leading the Way: Examining Advances in Environmental Technologies,” here.

PHOTO OF THE WEEK