Research Office Conference Space is coming soon. We are currently in discussion with Capital Planning to explore the option of converting Rm 308A back into a conference room. We are hoping to have this project completed by early summer. For questions please contact Kay White.
LIMERICK WINNERS!
In case you missed our All Staff meeting yesterday, the winners our our rat limerick contests were Adam in first place with this doozy:
There once was a rat from Corvallis…
Who thought the Research Office was quite the Palace…
It would come out at night in the quiet…
But oh did it cause such a riot…
All for its love of the violet…
Second place went to Autumn:
Rattus Norvegicus though you may be,
Research is your jam, so we see.
No offense, mousy friend,
Your award’s come to an end.
Take it up with the I.A.C.U.C.
REMINDER: RODENT CONTROL IN THE OFFICE
Friendly reminder that we must do all that we can to limit foraging opportunities for rats on the 3rd floor of Kerr. To this end, please:
• Store all food at your desk in sealed containers.
• Secure all edibles in and around your desk space before leaving for evenings and weekends.
• Dispose of food waste and food containers in lidded waste bins. Bins can be found in all three RO kitchenettes AND WE WILL BE PURCHASING A FEW MORE COVERED BINS IN THE COMING WEEKS TO ASSIST WITH THIS.
• Additionally, contact Mimi Poitras if you would like a smaller lidded bin for your office.
• Expect to see Facilities staff collecting trash from your office more often.
PLEASE LET US KNOW if you see any more signs of a rat lurking among us. Thank you for your cooperation and patience as we work to resolve this issue.
PHOTO OF THE WEEK
AT CAPACITY! IRB conducts a meeting in cozy quarters. The news of our conference room coming back could not come at a better time.
REPORTS OF A RAT INFESTATION HAVE BEEN GROSSLY UNDERSTATED….
In the early morning of March 8, images of two rats were captured by a camera trap set on the floor of Cindy’s office. This physical evidence follows on weeks of speculation (e.g., What really happened to Carolyn Moir’s chocolate coins?) and additional material evidence (e.g., a dead rat in a snap trap behind Cindy’s credenza). Facilities has been notified and is responding to our alarm. In the meantime, we must do all that we can to limit foraging opportunities for rats on the 3rd floor Kerr. To this end, please:
• Store all food at your desk in sealed containers.
• Secure all edibles in and around your desk space before leaving for evenings and weekends.
• Dispose of food waste and food containers in lidded waste bins. Bins can be found in all three RO kitchenettes.
• Contact Mimi Poitras if you would like a smaller lidded bin for your office.
• Expect to see Facilities staff collecting trash from your office more often.
PLEASE LET US KNOW if you see any more signs of a rat lurking among us. Thank you for your cooperation and patience as we work to resolve this issue.
ART>RAT
The only civilized response to a rat infestation of our workspace is a poetry contest. Please consider submitting a poem to the RO’s “ART is greater than RAT” limerick contest. Frist prize is a $50 gift certificate from Grassroots Books (Corvallis). Second prize is one pound of OSU Classic smoked cheddar cheese. Your submission must comply with the following:
• Poem must be in the form of a limerick
• Must contain some reference to a rat, rats, or rodents
• RO staff, staff friends, staff family and members of the Graduate School are eligible.
• One entry per person.
• Be received by COB, Friday, March 17.
Submit your entry to Jane Cigarran at jane.cigarran@oregonstate.edu. Entries will be given a unique identifier and submitted anonymously to a blue ribbon panel of rat catchers: Mimi Poitras, Chad Cropley, and Kay White. In the event of a tie, winner will be determined by a rhyme-off. Decisions of the panel will be final. Winners will be announced at the next Research Office all-staff meeting March 22.
The wining limerick will be posted prominently within the reception area of the RO, also with a framed image of the offending rat.
Thank you to Mimi Poitras for her dauntless quest to find and eradicate the offending rodents and to Chad for lending his technical expertise to the project.
Behold the inspiration for your rat limerick, Templeton (the II or III).
We have been having issues with kitchen odors. Just a friendly reminder that the kitchen garbage is only dumped 3X per week and the desk side bins are only dumped 1X per week. So, please be thoughtful when tossing certain food items in the trash. If it is a food item that will turn quickly like fish, meat, etc. please deposit in an outside trash bin. Also, a friendly reminder to clean up your dishes and the sink drain when you rinse your dishes. Please don’t expect someone else to do this for you. SIDE NOTE: Templeton (the office rat) was caught last week and we’d like to ensure that his family and friends find another home and steer clear of the RO.
FOOD DRIVE
Food Drive ends on February 28, so you still have time to donate to the food box, money donation or payroll contribution. The food box is located in A312 and money donations can be given to Mimi in A312 and a tax receipt will be provided. Remember as little as $5 a month can be deducted automatically from an employee’s paycheck and the amount is taken out before taxes. Note: $1.00 = 4 pounds of food.
Monthly Payroll Contributions: Payroll Contribution Form (PDF) Below a list of suggested food that is needed. Reminder please no glass containers:
Canned meats (tuna, chicken, salmon, etc.)
Canned and boxed meals (soup, chili, stew, mac & cheese, etc.)
Peanut butter
Canned beans & peas (black, pinto, lentils, etc.)
Pasta, rice, cereal
Powdered milk
Canned fruits
100% Fruit juice (canned, plastic or boxed)
Personal care items needed: Shampoo, soap, toothpaste, etc.
SAVE THE DATE! MARINE SCIENCE DAY AT HMSC- SATURDAY, APRIL 8
Join the OSU Hatfield Marine Science Center (HMSC) in Newport for Marine Science Day. HMSC will open its doors for a behind-the-scenes peek at the cutting-edge research, education and outreach in marine sciences that makes this marine laboratory unique. Meet researchers from Oregon State University and five government agency partners. Explore with interactive science displays presented by marine scientists and special family-friendly activities by Oregon Sea Grant and the Oregon Coast Aquarium. For more information, a flyer, Schedule of Events or to volunteer, see hmsc.oregonstate.edu/marinescienceday. The event is free, open to the public and appropriate for all ages. For accommodation requests related to a disability or other questions, email maryann.bozza@oregonstate.edu or call 541-867-0234.
PHOTO OF THE WEEK
THIS JUST IN: Cindy is en route from Astoria to Portland visiting our food science labs and encountered some lovely snow flurries along the way. Drive safely!
Read all about Accelerator intern, Benny Kuo, here!
EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS TOPIC
Food In emergencies: If a disaster strikes, you might not have access to food, water, electricity for days or even weeks. Having a stored supply of food will help sustain you and your family. Know your options. Emergency 02-15 MPT-Food Options
PHOTO OF THE WEEK
Amanda Watts and her husband, John, attended Super Bowl (!!!) in Houston, TX last Sunday. Amanda managed to snap a selfie as the stadium processed going into overtime. Witnessing a historic event…pretty cool! (regardless of your feelings about the Patriots winning).
We are pleased to welcome Nancy Collins as the Temporary Intellectual Property & Contracts Assistant in the Office for Commercialization and Corporate Development. Nancy comes to us most recently from Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries. Nancy has a Masters in Environmental Systems/Geology from Humboldt State University and a Horticulture certificate from Linn-Benton Community College. Please help welcome Nancy to the Research Office.
Additionally, we are excited to announce that Ying Wang will be joining us on February 13th as a Fiscal Coordinator. Ying comes to us from a CPA firm in West Linn Oregon. She has a Master of Accounting Degree from University of Oregon and a Master of Laws Degree from East China University of Political Science and Law. With her experience and enthusiasm, she will be an asset to the Research Office. Ying will be supporting ORI, OSRAA, and Central VP admin offices. Please join me welcoming Ying to the Research Office family.
OUR NEW PROVOST, ED FESER
FROM CINDY SAGERS: Ed Feser has been selected as OSU’s next Provost. Ed arrives from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where he is serving as Interim Provost. His background is in city planning which translates well to managing a university and its interests. Attached is his resume. Ed will take over the reins on Feb. 28th. Please join me in welcoming our new Provost to campus! Feser bio
THE NEXT GREAT START-UP!
We got to hear about the neat things going on in our Accelerator program yesterday from Mark and Karl…HERE: START UP press release announce teams is some more detail re; the launch of its first annual Next Great Startup competition.. The competition offers over $30,000 in prizes and is not an ordinary business plan competition, nor a pitch competition.
DONATE TO THE FOOD DRIVE
The annual OSU Food Drive is off and running. The most effective way to raise money for the food drive is to participate in a payroll direct deposit. As little as $5 a month can be deducted automatically from an employee’s paycheck and the amount is taken out before taxes. Note: $1.00 = 4 pounds of food. Monthly Payroll Contributions: Payroll Contribution Form (PDF)
We are also collecting food in the front office. There is a list there that indicated preferred donation products. Note that personal hygiene items, in addition to food are now being accepted (refer to the list up front).
PHOTO OF THE WEEK
Sad but true, Shirley’s last official day of work was on Tuesday…happy retirement, Shirley! Boy are we glad you are not leaving us just yet, though. Thank you for all you have done, and continue to do for the Research Office and OSU… DONUTS FOR EVERYONE!
Watch for an email early next week with details for a “Research Office Employee” Super Bowl Tailgate Event on Friday, February 3, at Noon in the hallway. Dig out your favorite appetizer recipe and bring it and the recipe to share. Represent your favorite team (whether they are playing Sunday, or not). Games and Music. See you there!!! Contact Julie Meier with questions.
IT SUPPORT POLICY GUIDELINES
Roy and Mimi both circulated emails last week regarding the new guidelines for IT support. If you haven’t printed it out or saved to your desk top to reference, please do so now…located here: IT SUPPORT POLICY GUIDELINES
JAN/FEB BIRTHDAYS!
January
14
Shane Melton
Saritha Suram
16
Chrystal Seager
Annisa Goss
February
6
Berry Treat
PHOTO OF THE WEEK
Cindy with Jonathan Hurst and “Cassie”, the latest bipedal robot in the Dynamic Robotics Laboratory. The Robotics program hosted the OSU Board of Trustees last week, showcasing one of OSU’s signature research programs.
Dorthe Wildenschild, Associate Dean and Director of Postdoctoral Programs in the Graduate School and in the Research Office, will begin a new position as Associate Dean of Graduate Programs in the College of Engineering on February 15th. This is an exciting new role that will allow her to continue to collaborate around various issues of graduate education and the research enterprise within Engineering.
ACCELERATOR NEWS
The Accelerate Winter 2017 cohort kicked off with 12 companies on the 11th. Five of the companies have previous participated in the Iterate program, four in the most recent session this past fall. Dimension PDF is located in Bend and Smart Traffic Control Cones is located in Portland. Over half of the companies include an OSU student as a team lead or secondary team member. Details here: Winter Cohort
In other Accelerator news, Onboard Dynamics, an OSU spinout company and early Advantage Accelerator graduate, has announced a recent partnership with SoCalGas to further their work on mobile natural gas compressors. Onboard Dynamics started with OSU-Cascades technology working on proof-of-concept test engine/truck with an onboard natural gas compressor and has been advancing this technology ever since. For more on this partnership, here is the full article.
REMINDER: SAVE THE DATE- RO ALL-STAFF MEETING – 2/2, 10:30am
It has been quite some time since our last all-staff meeting! There are many new faces in the office and lots of things to discuss so please do try to make it if your schedule allows. we’ll be meeting Memorial Union 213 from 10:30-11:30 on Thursday, Feb. 2 (Groundhog Day!).
PHOTO OF THE WEEK
It is with great fanfare that we announce the arrival of Chrystal (OCCD) and Jack’s baby girl, Cordelia Marie. This adorable little glow worm arrived on January 10th. All are happy, healthy and ready to take on 2017. Congratulations, Chrystal!
It’s with a very large dose of bittersweet-ness that we announce these farewells…first, Stephen Hotard will be leaving the Research Office effective January 20th to pursue a new career opportunity at Samaritan Health. Additionally, Shirley Chow announced her plans to retire at the end of January, though she will be on a 1039 appointment for a bit. As most of you most certainly know, Shirley and Stephen have been a huge source of support and talent for the Research Office and their shoes will be hard to fill. We wish them all of the best in their new endeavors and thank them for their years of fantastic service to OSU and the Research Office!
We are excited to announce that Chad Cropley has joined the Research Office as of January 9, 2017 as an Information Technology Consultant. The purpose of this position is to provide technical assistance, operating instruction, and diagnostic help to the Research Office. Chad is a graduate of OSU in Recreation Resource Management and was recently an IT Manager at CB Distributing in Albany, as well as previous employment with Cedarsix, Inc. as a Web Manager and Intel Corporation as a Technical Marketing Engineer. Chad’s office will be in A312J.
For OSRAA, two new hires joined the office on Monday, January 9. The first is Lisa Hall, our new Effort Reporting Analyst. Lisa comes to us from previous employment at the Siletz County Schools and will be working with Aedra. The second is Corinne Johnson, who will be one of our new Award Management Coordinators. Corinne will be working with Zach and the PAM Unit, and comes to us from previous employment at USDA agencies. The second Award Management Coordinator, Mindi Woods, will join us the week of 1/16/17. Mindi previously worked for the Research Office about 14 years ago. PHEW! I think that’s it for now…HAPPY 2017!
Fiscal Coordinator 1 – The Oregon State University (OSU) Vice President for Research Office invites applications for a full time Fiscal Coordinator-1 position. The Fiscal Coordinator provides fiscal and administrative support to the units and the Centers & Institutes within the Research Office in areas requiring fiscal and/or administrative support in the areas of accounting, financial analysis/reporting, business procedures, and budgeting. Posting # P00676CT. Closes Jan. 11.
NEW! Temporary Administrative Program Assistant – The Office for Commercialization and Corporate Development in the VP for Research Office is seeking a full-time Temporary Administrative Program Assistant, working with the Intellectual Property and Licensing and Industry Contracts Teams. Posting # P00710CT. Closes Jan. 20.
The Vice President for Research is seeking an Accelerator Operations Manager. This is a full-time (1.00 FTE), 12-month, fixed term professional faculty position. Reappointment is at the discretion of the Vice President. Closes Jan. 17.
GET YOUR OREGON GRAY WHALE LICENSE PLATE!
FROM BRUCE MATE: This license plate: gray-whale-license-plate-flyer carries a great message about the healthy oceans, whales, and coastal tourism that will find a place in Oregonian hearts. If you feel you would like a plate of this sort on your car, please fill out the registration either online at mmi.oregonstate.edu/whaleplate. We will need over 3,000 folks to join us in this venture in order to make it work. You can read details about how the process will unfold in the attached document. At that time, ODOT will request $40 in return for a plate voucher. Then once the plates are printed and available, ODOT will redeem the voucher for your special plates . You will be able to replace any of your current plates without losing any of the previously paid-for registration time. The proceeds from the plates will come back to the Marine Mammal Institute to support whale research, graduate students, and public education. I suspect there will be a piece in the Oregonian and on OPB next week. There will also be thousands of these flyers given to whale watchers during the Whale Watching Spoken Here week between Christmas and New Year’s at 22 coastal headlands along the Oregon coast. You can really help us start a social media “buzz” too. If you like the proposed plate and are a member of Facebook, please go to our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/Marine.Mammal.Institute) and share our post that announces the proposed plates with your friends!
PHOTO OF THE WEEK
Yes, it’s cold here in Corvallis…but check out Boise, ID! They have had record breaking snow all over the city combined with freezing temperatures making for super gigantic icicles. The whole city is shut down, even the big shopping mall – the first time ever that has closed….so you KNOW this is serious. Susan Emerson’s lovely daughter, Molly Sue, is holding one of the many menacing icicles. Stay warm!
The Research Office is helping coordinate the Human Library this year. A human library functions similarly to a regular library, however, the Books are real, human beings, who teach others about themselves and their experiences through interpersonal dialogue. The Human Library will be held on February 14th and 15th, 2017 from 12:00pm-5:00pm on Tuesday, and 10:00am-3:00pm on Wednesday. We are looking for individuals who might want to sign up to be a human book. Everyone has something unique about themselves that makes them a great book to learn from. If you would like to volunteer to be a living Book, please visit this link http://oregonstate.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_0kqxrfCMEWidbsp to complete the online registration process. Participants who wish to meet with a Book can schedule a 30- 45-minute discussion session with a specific Book or drop by the library for a 30-minute discussion with an “on call” Book. Registration to meet with a book will open in January. If you would like to learn more about the Human Library, or if you have questions about registering, please contact Jillian Coleman (jillian.coleman@oregonstate.edu).
GREAT NEWS FROM THE ACCELERATOR
Paul King + KW Associates have won a Phase I SBIR from the National Science Foundation. The topic area is to investigate the use of externally derived magnetic fields to control electric arcs in vacuum arc remelting furnaces. This topic leverages (and in fact is actionable only because of…) the VARmetric technology that we developed under their BEST grant and for which they participated in the accelerator to commercialize. The goal of this technology is to actively control arcs in VAR processing, as opposed to the passive control we offer now, and hence to dramatically increase the efficiency of VAR processing over what we already offer.
FAREWELLS
Anna Walsh, Operations Manager for the OSU Advantage Accelerator is transitioning at the end of this month, accepting a position with a startup company based in Portland, Oregon. Anna has contributed greatly to the Accelerator and the community working on social media, redesigning programs and supporting the Willamette Innovators Network. The Advantage team will miss her and wishes her the best of continued success in her future!
FEDERAL RESEARCH TOWNHALL- STREAMED LINK AVAILABLE TO VIEW
On Friday, Dec. 9th the Research Office convened faculty for a discussion on the federal research landscape under the Trump Administration and 115th Congress. Joining the discussion were OSU’s Vice President of Research Cynthia Sagers, OSU’s Director of Federal Government Affairs Gabrielle Serra, NOAA’s Chief Scientist Rick Spinrad (and former OSU VPR) as well as NIFA’s director Sonny Ramaswamy (and former OSU Dean of the College of Agricultural Sciences). Associate VPR, Roy Haggerty moderated. If you were unable to attend and would like to view the discussion it can be accessed via this link: https://media.oregonstate.edu/media/t/0_07ovha1y
JOY DRIVE UPDATE
Thank you to everyone who donated to the Joy Drive. We were able to fulfill all of the wishes for the family we sponsored, along with giving them warm handmade blankets and a grocery store gift card. Your generosity was much appreciated by the Childcare and Family Resources Office. And a special thanks to Jillian Coleman for organizing this program!
PHOTO OF THE WEEK
To warm your hearts a bit in this Holiday Season. Susan went on a 10 day Habitat for Humanity trip to Kona, Hawaii. Susan joined longtime friends who have built together in Puerto Barrios, Guatemala; Kauai, Hawaii; and Taos, New Mexico. For this volunteer trip we worked in the Habitat Restore instead of at the construction site. As fast as we could unpack boxes and put price tags on items, stuff sold. The money then goes directly into building homes. The Habitat for Humanity West Hawaii (HFHWH) was impressive with its focus on attending to the whole community and continuum of housing needs. In addition to building new homes in partnership with families and homeownership repair program, an apartment complex is located next to the Restore. This provides a range of affordable housing options for the community. In addition the HFH West Hawaii has received funding to offer workforce development training in the Restore for the young people.
BRINGING A CHILD?: Children can be dropped off for KidSpirit at Langton room 125 between 5p-6p (pizza will be served around 6p). Children can be picked up at Langton 125 when parents are ready to leave.
WHY IS THE DOOR LOCKED?: The main entrance to the MU facing the QUAD will be left unlocked for the party. All doors off of Jefferson should be locked. If you are attending the Holiday Party, please enter through the main entrance facing the QUAD.
HAILS!
The Human Research Protection Program is delighted to welcome Saritha Suram to our team of Coordinators! Saritha earned a Master’s degree in Biochemistry from Texas A&M University and a Master’s degree in Biophysics and Crystallography from the University of Madras, India. She brings over a decade of research and regulatory experience to the job and will be coming to us after working for the past year as a Coordinator for the central IRB that oversees human subjects research conducted under the auspices of the University of Colorado Denver and its four major affiliates. Saritha’s first day will be January 16th.
Additionally, Shane Melton has already started his position as OSRAA’s newest member of the Proposal and Award Management Unit. Shane will be the Award Set-up Coordinator working with Team C and will be sitting in B308. He comes to the Research Office from UABC, and previously worked in Business Affairs. Welcome Shane!
KUDOS TO COMMERCIALIZATION!
Chris Stoner and Joe Christison teamed and executed a complex industry sponsored research agreement with commercialization milestones. The PI and Dean of Pharmacy, Mark Zabriskie sent a note of appreciation: “Chris, Once again, many thanks for the effort it took you and Joe to get this finally through. I very much appreciate the hard work and willingness to find ways get the deals done.” Special thanks to Chris and Joe for putting their talents to this task!
PHOTO OF THE WEEK
Say hello to Kim Reese’s new puppy, Kenzie, an adorable English Springer Spaniel!!
