Words from the Dean
March 2024

Dear College of Science Community,

The past month has given us the opportunity to celebrate some very significant achievements of College of Science faculty and staff. Our awards event on February 29 showcased many remarkable individuals, who I know are just the tip of the iceberg in terms of the creativity the College has to offer. If you were unable to attend the awards ceremony, you can read about our awardees in three Impact stories that highlight Science faculty and staff excellence in research, teaching and advising, inclusive excellence, and service and performance. Congratulations again to our impressive awardees!

And last week brought us the wonderful news that Malgo Peszyńska has been appointed as a University Distinguished Professor – an immense, well-deserved honor. Dr. Peszyńska, the Joel Davis Faculty Scholar in Mathematics, has excelled in mathematical and computational modeling, particularly with applications to environmental challenges and resource management. An AAAS Fellow, her interdisciplinary research modeling complex processes has earned her recognition as an international leader. Please join me for her university distinguished lecture on May 8, from 1:30 – 3 p.m., in the Memorial Union Horizon Room.

As you spread the word on these terrific achievements of our College, be sure to let people know that Dam Proud Day is nearing. This is the one day annually that gifts to support future science leaders can be amplified through matching opportunities. Coming soon will be details on how gifts made on April 24 can unlock additional support.  

Finally, I would like to thank everyone who has been a part of recent conversations about AI and data science within the College of Science. The AI@OSU Advisory Group, which is chaired by our own Associate Dean Vrushali Bokil, has been talking to many of you about how AI fits into both the research and the educational mission of the College. And I have started similar conversations about data science with many of you. Those conversations are just the beginning, but I would like to draw everyone’s attention to the Global Futures Forum: Artificial Intelligence on April 12. That event will be the culmination of a week of major events related to AI at OSU, including a forum featuring work at the College of Science.

There is so much to be proud of in the College of Science. Thank you for your contributions to further extending the reach and impact of science this academic year. Have a great spring break!

Eleanor Feingold
Dean, College of Science

Research Highlights

Materials scientist Kyriakos Stylianou is leading an international team that identified a new tool for tackling the global problem of weedkiller-tainted groundwater. The group identified a metal-organic framework that showed an ability to completely remove, and also break down, the often-used herbicide glyphosate. Read more about the findings published in Nature Communications.

Microbiologist Maude David joined a collaborative effort to protect honey bees in Oregon. Focused on an infectious bacterial disease that can wipe out entire colonies, David is part of a diverse team of researchers from four universities across the U.S. studying European foulbrood disease. Read more about the group and the $4.3 million grant supporting their research.

Research Funding

Kyriakos Stylianou received $55,000 from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation for his project entitled, “Understanding, Quantifying and Mitigating Adsorbent Degradation: From fundamental understanding to Techno-economic Analysis heating.”

Ryan Mehl received funding for two projects. He was awarded $44,725 from Light Horse Therapeutics Inc. for “LHTI GCE Fellow Interns” and $46,300 from Terremoto Biosciences for “Terremoto GCE Fellow Internship.”

Bo Sun received $15,000 from Hewlett-Packard Company for his project entitled, “Advancing Tumor-on-chip Research with Spatial Cell Dispensing Technology.”

National Honors

Microbiology graduate students Hayden Krause and Nilanjana Das received awards at the Oregon Chapter of the American Fisheries Society annual conference in Bend. Krause received the Gerald R. Bouck Memorial Scholarship, and Das was honored with the Runner-Up Best Student Poster Award. Her research project on “The Emergence of Proliferative Kidney Disease in an Oregon Salmonid Hatchery,” was done in collaboration with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. Great job, Hayden and Nilanjana!

A physics-engineering double major senior, Vincent Vaughn-Uding received a Summer Computational Physics Fellowship from Los Alamos National Lab. Congratulations, Vincent!

University Honors

Congratulations to Professor Malgorzata Peszyńska, who has been selected as a 2024 University Distinguished Professor. This prestigious recognition is a testament to her national and international leadership in mathematical and computational modeling of complex processes. She will present her award lecture on Wednesday, May 8 from 1:30 to 3 p.m. in the Memorial Union Horizon Room. RSVP link will be available soon. Bravo, Malgo!

College Honors

Congratulations to the award winners of the 2024 Combined College of Science Awards Ceremony. These awards celebrate ways our colleagues go above and beyond: distinguished contributions to science, commitment to service and inclusive excellence, and deep dedication to the success of our students. The accomplishments of this year’s nominees and awardees bring tremendous credit not only to the College of Science, but also to Oregon State University.

• Olaf Boedtker Award for Excellence in Academic Advising – Cody Duncan, Integrative Biology
• Loyd F. Carter Award for Outstanding and Inspirational Undergraduate Teaching in Science – Amila Liyanage, Chemistry
• Loyd F. Carter Award for Outstanding and Inspirational Graduate Teaching in Science – Jamie Cornelius, Integrative Biology
• Frederick Horne Award for Excellence in Teaching Science – Shawn Massoni, Microbiology
• College of Science Faculty Scholar Award – Kyriakos Stylianou, Chemistry
• Whitely Faculty Scholar for Teaching Excellence Award – College of Science Mentoring Community, Mary Beisiegel, Lauren Dalton, Elizabeth Gire, Erin Howard, Nathan Kirk, Shawn Massoni and Louis Wojciniski
• College of Science Inclusive Excellence Award – Inclusive Excellence @ OSU program
• Gladys Valley Award – Rusty Root, Chemistry
• Distinguished Service Award – Fred DeAngelis, Physics
• Champion of Science Award – Vrushali Bokil, Associate Dean Research and Graduate Studies
• Outstanding Faculty Research Assistant Award – Jenna Sullivan-Stack, Integrative Biology
• Dean’s Early Career Achievement Award – Maude David, Microbiology & Marilyn Mackiewicz, Chemistry
• F.A. Gilfillan Award for Distinguished Scholarship in Science – Elisar Barbar, Biochemistry and Biophysics
• Milton Harris Award for Basic Research – Christopher Beaudry, Chemistry

Many thanks to our awardees – and all of you – for extending the reach and impact of science and embedding inclusive excellence in all we do.

Mathematician Chad Giusti spoke with MAA FOCUS, the news magazine of the Mathematical Association of America. He spoke about his work in applying tools of topological data analysis to problems in medicine and biology. Read about his fascinating work.

Did you know Oregon’s dunes inspired the epic science fiction novel and resulting film series, Dune? Coastal ecologist Sally Hacker was interviewed by BBC News about how Oregon coastal towns were made possible by terraforming schemes imported by European settlers more than a century ago. Their efforts stabilized the dunes with Willow Trees and eventually beachgrass. Read the full BBC article here.

Science Daily and KTV News shared Kyriakos Stylianou’s research that identified a new tool to remove a common herbicide from groundwater. Because only a small percentage of applied herbicides are taken up by crops, leakage into water channels is a primary cause of water pollution.

Zoology senior Camrie Smith showcases Black excellence in STEM. “Being a Black woman in STEM is a big part of my college identity,” Smith said. “That would have been a lot less possible only 100 years ago.” She currently works at Reid Veterinary Hospital in Albany. Read more about her passion for animal conservation and rehabilitation.

Mathematics alumna Rachel Sousa (‘20) navigates the convergence of mathematics and biology. Sousa is currently a Ph.D. candidate at the University of California, Irvine. She credits her College of Science education for her success, including attending prestigious international events and earning highly competitive internships. Read about her motto on seizing opportunities.

Carley Beeman is not only the chemistry undergraduate of the quarter, she is also a Pac-12 Division 1 gymnast, specializing in the uneven bars and the balance beam. Her resume is impressive and she has big dreams of pursuing a Ph.D. in the biomedical science field while being a role model for young girls. Read more about how she pulls off this balancing act and finds time for undergraduate research.

Upcoming Events

Graduation Appreciation Night
Tuesday, April 16, 5-6:30 p.m.
MU Lounge

This third annual event recognizes and celebrates our graduate students in the College of Science and all they contribute to our research and teaching efforts. We hope you will join us for an evening of festivities to show how much we value our graduate students! Faculty are encouraged to attend! RSVP now.

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Dam Proud Day
Wednesday, April 24

On Dam Proud Day, we rally for student success for all. The experiences and education Science students gain during their time as Team Science Beavs are life-changing. They even stand to be world-changing. Would you join hundreds of other Beavs in support of our Science students on April 24? It’s the one day a year when you can see your investment in future science leaders multiplied. Watch for details on how you can help unlock support for students in science and mathematics through your investment on Dam Proud Day.

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2024 University Distinguished Professor Lecture with Malgorzata Peszyńska
Wednesday, May 8, 1:30-3 p.m.
MU Horizon Room

Keep your eyes peeled for an RSVP link to celebrate College of Science mathematician Malgorzata Peszyńska. She is one of two faculty members named 2024 University Distinguished Professors.

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Gilfillan Lecture
Monday, May 13, 5:30-7 p.m.
LaSells Stewart Center

Wei Kong, chemistry department head and professor, will present the 2024 F.A. Gilfillan Memorial Lecture. Kong is credited for single handedly introducing electron diffraction as a structure tool to the helium droplet community. This process is essential to unraveling the intricacies of molecules. This is crucial for discovering new drugs and understanding the formation and progression of diseases. RSVP today!

Recent Events

Inclusive Excellence Lecture
February 15

Kristen Grorud-Colvert presented the College’s annual Inclusive Excellence Lecture. If you missed her presentation, the entire lecture is now available on YouTube. In her lecture, Grorud-Colvert shared her insights and relayed lessons learned in fostering a culture of inclusion on Team Science.

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COS Combined Awards Ceremony
Thursday, February 29

The College gathered for the annual awards ceremony to celebrate instructional and research faculty and administrative staff. We enjoyed recognizing the incredible work done by our colleagues!