Words from the Dean
June 2025
Words from the Dean
June 2025
Dear College of Science Community,
As we close out the academic year, I want to give tremendous thanks to everyone who is making graduation weekend special for our students – all of the organizers and participants in Friday’s departmental ceremonies, and all of the marshals and others who are giving almost a full day on Saturday so that our students will see friendly faces along the parade route and at the diploma tent. With all the stresses of the academic year (and this one in particular), it will be absolutely restorative to celebrate with our students and wish them well.
Looking ahead toward fall, here are a few things to look forward to:
- On August 15, Davide Lazzati will transition to the Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs role, and Ethan Minot will assume the role of Interim Head of Physics. I am very much looking forward to working with both of them in those roles.
- We will welcome approximately seven new tenure-track hires across the College (with a few searches still in progress, including a department head for IB), as well as new Instructor and/or Professor of Teaching hires in almost every department.
- At the University level, we anticipate the appointment of a director for the Huang Collaborative Innovation Complex. With leadership in place, we will finally be ready to start implementing the vision for how this institution will operate and what it will bring to campus.
- The new Core Ed curriculum will launch, including the signature College of Science version of the Transitions course, designed by an amazing team led by Devon Quick. I am personally extremely invested in this course, and plan to put a great deal of thought and effort into it, including teaching a couple of sections. If done right, this course has the potential to provide points of connection and survival resources to all incoming students and become a key part of our student success and retention strategies.
Finishing my first full year as dean, I continue to be incredibly appreciative of everyone I have had the opportunity to work with. The College of Science is such a fantastic group of people who are super-accomplished, as well as thoughtful, caring and committed. Thank you all, and I hope that you are able to enjoy plenty of relaxation over the summer.
Go Beavs!
Eleanor Feingold
Dean, College of Science
All the news that’s fit to print.
Please submit news, honors and awards, discoveries, events, research funding, student news, alumni updates and more. Just send us a quick email by the end of the month.
Research updates
Research Highlights
Microbiologist Maude David and material scientist Oksana Ostroverkhova are helping bridge science and art in Futurefarmers: Silicon Forest, a thought-provoking new exhibition exploring the entangled relationship between ecology, technology and human agency. Through June 21, check out Ostroverkhova’s research into fungi-derived pigments as a possible semiconductor material and David’s reflections on AI in PRAx.
Research Funding
Alison Bain received $400K from the National Science Foundation for her project titled “Surface tension of aerosol droplets containing complex mixtures of organics.”
Maude David, along with a faculty member in the College of Engineering, received $500K from the National Science Foundation for their project titled “ACED: Integrating wide and deep: Foundational AI models for accelerating microbiome science.”
Congratulations
National Honors
Chemist Alison Bain has been named one of the “Talented Twelve” by Chemical and Engineering News, the newsmagazine of the American Chemical Society. The honor celebrates early-career researchers who are making the world a better place through chemistry. Read why Bain was honored for her research in atmospheric chemistry.
Kelly Shannon, a Ph.D. student in the Department of Chemistry was awarded a transformative educational award from the U.S. Department of Energy. Shannon is one of 79 doctoral students selected this year for the Office of Science Graduate Student Research (SCGSR) program. Learn which DOE laboratory he will have access to and the mentor he’ll work with.
Jacob Van, a 2025 National Merit Scholar from Beaverton International School, is joining Oregon State’s Honors College this fall to study biology on the pre-med track. He founded the Dimple Care Foundation to help students facing housing instability. His dedication to service and academics sets a strong example for the biology class of 2029. Learn more about this National Merit Scholar and future Beav.
Three mathematics graduate students have been accepted to participate in summer programs hosted by the Simons Laufer Mathematical Sciences Institute. Heather Fogarty will attend the 2025 PIMS-CRM Summer School in Probability; Morgan Lewellen will participate in the Mathematics of Climate, Sea Ice, and Polar Ecosystems program; and Logan Richard will join the Geometry and Dynamics in Higher Rank Lie Groups program.
University Honors
Congratulations to the College of Science 2025 promotion and tenure honorees. This year’s honorees are members of our community who have achieved excellence in teaching, research and creative work and service. We thank them for their diverse contributions to our college, the university and beyond. Visit this website for the full list of recipients.
Ecampus chemistry faculty member John Terhost was awarded the 2025 Excellence in Online Teaching and Student Engagement award. Determined by student nominations, this year nearly 200 students nominated 130 faculty members for this award. Students appreciate how Terhost goes the extra mile , especially through his timely communication that helps them navigate common sticking points. Read a student nomination quote here.
Congratulations to the class of 2025!
Meet one outstanding senior from each major:
Ecampus zoology senior Cierra Freese has turned her lifelong love of wildlife into a meaningful career path. Returning to school at 27 after nearly a decade in retail, she balanced a full-time job with her studies and hands-on experiences that took her from Michigan to New Zealand and back. Learn more about the internship that granted her the opportunity to feed kiwi chicks.
BioHealth Sciences major Ella Bailey is graduating with a clear mission: to improve access to dental care in her home state of Alaska. Inspired by her family’s legacy of service and strengthened by Oregon State’s supportive community, she’s turning personal challenges into purpose — one smile at a time. Learn what moment stood out while job shadowing a Corvallis dentist.
Physics major Kyle Gourlie is graduating from Oregon State after turning his small-town curiosity about space into real research. Growing up in Scio, Oregon, he faced the challenges of limited resources and being a first-generation college student. Now, he’s headed to a Ph.D. program at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Read how Kyle’s journey took him from rural roots to studying the mysteries of space-time.
Chemistry major Mitchell Kenny spent a summer researching advanced materials in Germany and mentoring fellow students. This fall, he’ll begin his Ph.D. at Northwestern University. Discover what facet of chemistry caught his attention.
Mathematics major Roan Luikart is graduating this June as an Honors double major in mathematics and physics. After a tough start in middle school math, he’s now headed to the University of Virginia for his Ph.D. Along the way, he studied abroad in England, completed two research projects, served as a resident assistant, and helped revive Oregon State’s Math Club. Check out his plans to become a math professor and inspire future students.
Wine science changed Emily Kaneshiro’s life. A biochemistry and molecular biology major, her Oregon State story includes riding bikes in the Netherlands and landing a summer internship at a winery in France’s Loire Valley. Dive into her research on fixing wildfire smoke taint in wine.
Auria Lee is graduating this spring with an Honors degree in biochemistry, having built a foundation for her medical career through a diverse range of experiences. She co-founded Oregon State’s chapter of Students for Health Humanities, interned in cardiovascular research at Michigan Medicine and taught paramedics in India. Hear from her on why these experiences were important for her future.
Graduating senior Vivian Light has made the most of her time at Oregon State, excelling as both a biology student and a standout on the volleyball court. From researching black rockfish at Hatfield Marine Science Center to leading her team on the court, she’s a model of balance and determination. Can you guess her favorite fish fact?
Visibility
Mas Subramanian’s durable, reddish magenta is inspired by lunar mineralogy. He is still on the hunt for a redder red. (Picture by Jamie Wick)
Materials scientist Mas Subramanian made color history with YInMn blue. Chemical and Engineering News, the news magazine of the American Chemical Society, documented his new challenge with the search for red. Plenty of red pigments exist, but they all have their drawbacks. Subramanian is after a red that is permanent, safe and inexpensive.
College News
Oregon State’s spring break study abroad course in Aruba, co-created by College of Science marine scientist Itchung Cheung, brings students together to explore sustainability in island and coastal environments. Led by experts from sociology and marine science, the program includes beach cleanups, facility tours, and hands-on research. Students gain a global perspective while learning to act locally.
Events
Graduation celebrations
Department walking ceremonies
Friday, June 13
Valley Library Quad and Milam Hall
Celebrate with graduating seniors at your department’s walking ceremony! Graduating seniors from across the College will take the stage and receive a commemorative gift as part of this special event. A reception will follow each walking ceremony — an opportunity to connect, reflect and send our Team Science graduates off in style.
Please mark your calendar and come cheer on your students. Let’s make it a moment to remember!
- Noon – Microbiology
- 1:30 p.m. – Chemistry, Mathematics and Physics
- 3 p.m. – Biochemistry and Biophysics
- 5 p.m. – Integrative Biology (Milam Hall)