Words from the Dean
January 2023

Dear College of Science Community,

I’m excited to inform you about changes in leadership within the College of Science this term. As of January 1, three exceptional individuals assumed key roles in their respective departments – new leaders in Microbiology and Mathematics, as previously announced, and most recently, a new interim head of Statistics.

Lan Xue is the new interim head of the Department of Statistics. Dr. Xue earned her Ph.D. in statistics from Michigan State University and has served on the faculty of OSU’s Department of Statistics since 2005, achieving the rank of professor in 2018. Her broad research focus includes non-parametric and semi-parametric methods, methods for longitudinal data analysis, and measurement error models.

She is the recipient of numerous awards and grants, including major funding from the NIH for statistical methods for wearable device data. Her contributions to the department and to the profession include service as assistant chair of the Department of Statistics and leadership of the American Statistical Association Oregon Chapter, as well as associate editorships of several journals. She has taught numerous statistical theory classes, developed new applied courses and mentored many Ph.D. and M.S. students.

Please join me in congratulating Dr. Xue and in giving tremendous thanks to Lisa Ganio for her significant accomplishments as department head over the last five years.

In Mathematics, Jonathan Kujawa has now arrived to assume the role of department head of Mathematics and serve as the newly appointed Eileen and Norbert Hartmann Faculty Scholar.

Dr. Kujawa joins us from the University of Oklahoma where he recently served for five years as the associate chair of the Mathematics Department. Last year, he was honored with the university’s Nancy Scofield Hester Presidential Professorship in recognition of his professional excellence, including teaching and mentoring.

He earned a Ph.D. in mathematics from the University of Oregon and a B.A. in mathematics from Gustavus Adolphus College. His research focuses on representation theory and Lie theory, exploring connections to algebraic geometry, low-dimensional topology, and algebraic combinatorics. This exploration aims to understand the mathematics of symmetry, incorporating insights from various disciplines. His research has been funded by the NSF, NSA and the Simons Foundation. He has contributed to well-regarded journals and organized interactive mentorship events, such as the university’s annual Math Day for high school students.

I offer my deepest gratitude to Bill Bogley for his effective leadership of the department over the last five years and to Enrique Thomann for thoughtfully sustaining and leading the department during the transition.  

In Microbiology, Anne Dunn has assumed the role of department head and the newly appointed Gorman Faculty Scholar. Previously, Dr. Dunn served as the department chair in the Department of Microbiology and Plant Biology at the University of Oklahoma, where she was honored recently with the distinguished Regents’ Professorship for her outstanding service.

She received a Ph.D. in bacteriology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a B.S. in biology from Iowa State University. With a research focus on host-microbe interactions and marine microbial physiology, she has secured major NSF funding since 2008. Her lab integrates research approaches in microbial physiology, genetics and biochemistry with bioinformatics to deepen our understanding of microbial processes, their impact on bacterial growth, and their role in host interactions and ecosystem function. Among other professional achievements, she provided leadership in the American Society for Microbiology Division K and on the editorial board service for Applied and Environmental Microbiology.

I offer my sincerest thanks to Steve Giovannoni for his impactful leadership of the department during the last three years and to Rebecca Vega Thurber for her forward-looking leadership as interim head last term.

At the College level, I hope you will join me at the Town Hall Meeting next Monday, Jan. 29 over lunch (11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.). Please RSVP. At this meeting, we’ll share progress on our strategic plan and engage in collaborative discussions to shape a shared vision for the future.

Eleanor Feingold
Dean, College of Science

Research Highlights

A team of College of Science researchers discovered vitamin B1 produced by microbes in rivers. Microbiologist Christopher Suffridge, Ph.D. student Kelly Shannon and 2023 Honors BioHealth Sciences graduate Hailey Matthews worked on the project. Findings were published in Applied and Environmental Microbiology. Read the OSU Today article on why these findings offer hope for vitamin-deficient salmon populations.

Mathematics alumnus Nicholas Pantuso (‘22) started his Research Fellow position earlier this month at the U.S. Forest Service. He is involved with a project on “3D Fuel Mapping, Fire Modeling and Analysis.” Congratulations, Nico!

Microbiologist Rebecca Vega Thurber and her lab published new findings offering some hope for the resilience of certain coral species. They found certain species of coral seem to remember recent exposure to past marine heat waves and therefore survive future ones better. Researchers included Alex Vompe, Thomas Sharpton, Hannah Epstein and Emily Schmeltzer. Read the story published in ScienMag. 

National Honors

Congrats to graduate student Jenna Bustos for receiving the Student Presentation Award for her inorganic chemistry research and oral presentation skills at the 2023 National Diversity in STEM Conference coordinated by SACNAS. OSU was the presenting sponsor of the conference.

Learn more about the conference and Bustos’ research. 

Ecologist Francis Chan spoke with local media about why the Dungeness crab season in Oregon was delayed this year and why timing is everything when determining open season. Read the KGW8 News article. 

Now This News, FOX TV Stations, The Inertia and more shared Rebecca Vega Thurber’s discovery that coral reefs might be “remembering” heat waves to adapt to the climate crisis. 

The Salem Reporter spoke with physics alumnus Chris Claysmith who now manages the Chemeketa Community College planetarium! The planetarium hosts Friday evening shows at 7:30 p.m. Seating is first-come, first-served with a cap of 60 people. Admission is $5, cash only. Read more about his journey from physics to astronomy at OSU.

Lauren Dalton and a colleague from The University of British Columbia published a free, online Open Education Resources textbook designed for a foundational cell biology course. Online textbooks help to remove financial barriers for students and provide easier access to materials. Check out the textbook here. Great job, Lauren!

Kyle Ireton (biochemistry and biophysics, ’12) gave undergrads unconventional career advice in a recent interview with IMPACT. He will be part of a career panel this spring during OSU’s Graduate Student Career Week. Ireton is the senior statistical programmer at Syneos Health in San Francisco and runs a popular science Twitter account.

The Department of Chemistry was selected to receive a 2024-25 University Graduate Laurels Block Grant. The purpose of Laurels funding is to provide financial support to academic units so they may diversify and strengthen their graduate programs. This is achieved by providing tuition support to assist with the recruitment of new graduate students to OSU. Visit the Oregon State University website to learn more about the program.

Upcoming Events

Moving Science Forward
Monday, January 29, 2024, 11:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m.
Memorial Union, Horizon Room

Hear updates on our Strategic Plan, “Extending the reach and impact of science,” highlighting progress since its October 2022 launch. Engage in an interactive brainstorming session on future priorities. Additionally, we’ll explore how our plan aligns with the university’s vision in the new strategic plan, “Prosperity Widely Shared,” ensuring a cohesive strategy. RSVP now.

Attosecond Science: Understanding the Physics behind the 2023 Nobel Prize
Monday, February 5, 2024, 2:30 p.m.
116 Weniger 

Local experts help us understand the physics behind the 2023 Nobel Prize awarded to Pierre Agostini, Ferenc Krausz & Anne L’Huillier “for experimental methods that generate attosecond pulses for the study of electron dynamics in matter.”

Inclusive Excellence Lecture
Thursday, February 15, 2024, 5:30–7 p.m.
The LaSells Stewart Center, Construction & Engineering Hall

Kristen Grorud-Colvert will present the College’s annual Inclusive Excellence Lecture. In her nine years at Oregon State, she has demonstrated valuable leadership in fostering a culture of inclusion in the College of Science. In 2020-21 Grorud-Colvert led a department-wide effort to develop an Equity, Justice and Inclusion Community Values statement to guide the department’s future goals and actions. In the summer of 2022, Grorud-Colvert co-organized a Decolonizing Biology workshop.

COS Combined Awards Ceremony
Thursday, February 29, 2024 4 p.m.–6p.m.
Memorial Union, Horizon Room

The College will gather for the annual awards ceremony celebrating instructional and research faculty and administrative staff. We are excited to recognize the incredible work done by our colleagues!