Words from the Dean
March 2026
Words from the Dean
March 2026
Dear College of Science colleagues,
See below for some great news about faculty achievements and upcoming events, starting with the Inclusive Excellence Multimedia Experience TOMORROW! It will be the College’s first PRAx stage event, featuring Inclusive Excellence award winner Hannah Stuwe and musical guests.
While I hope everyone is noticing the good news, I am sure you are also noticing discussions of budget and “Strategic Resource Renewal (SRR),” seeing the news from other Oregon universities, and perhaps feeling apprehensive. I don’t have many specifics to share yet, but here are a few things you should know.
- First of all, OSU is not in the same position at all as some of the other institutions in our state. While we are seeing deficits and feeling some financial stress, we are overall quite stable.
- Secondly, the potential budget cuts and the SRR are completely different things. The budget discussions are about the 2027 fiscal year (starting in July). The SRR is about creative ways to find new revenue and efficiencies for the long term. I’m quite optimistic about that process. One of the most important areas they will be looking at is procurement, where they believe millions of dollars can be recovered, for example, from individual expenditures on software that we already have site licenses for.
- In the next month or so, we should see extensive opportunities for everyone to get involved in the SRR process and bring proposals to the table.
- In terms of budget cuts for FY27, the College of Science is in pretty good shape because of our rapidly increasing enrollments and all of the steps we are already taking to find efficiencies. I can’t promise no stress, but I do not anticipate any drastic steps. We’ll know more soon, especially once tuition rates for next year are set.
If you’d like to hear more about these topics, look for the recordings of recent Faculty Senate meetings. Roy Haggerty and Carla Ho’ā have been doing a great job of presenting updates and taking questions at almost every meeting.
Finally, I have some bits of good news in the space and facilities realm.
- There should be an internal OSU Request for Applications in the next few weeks for groups/labs interested in space in the Huang Collaborative Innovation Complex. The complex and the supercomputer are still on target for use very early in 2027.
- Now that it is clear that Weniger will be around for a while, we have identified some minor upgrades that will make the best possible use of College space there for both research and education.
- We are seeing significant reorganization of the university’s core research facilities, including new cost models. While change is always a bit nerve-wracking, the goal is to end up with stronger, better-supported facilities that are accessible to all researchers.
- OSU’s next proposal to the state for capital funding will be for renovating Gilbert Hall. I’m helping put that together right now.
- For fall of 2026, the Math and Statistics Learning Center (MSLC) will be moving part of its operations to the third floor of the library, joining Physics and Chemistry to create a central locus for student help with core course sequences. Bringing these science tutoring resources together should make it easier for students to find the support they need.
Final final note (I swear) – The university accreditation is happening April 8-10, and we need faculty, staff and students to show up for forums to offer comments to the site visitors. View the schedule and forums.
It’s hard to believe that we are already heading into the final term of the academic year. This year has been a lot, and I’m deeply grateful for the thoughtful and generous ways everyone has stretched to support our students and keep the work of teaching and discovery moving forward.
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
Image by the Fang lab: Fluorescent proteins first discovered in marine life contain light-responsive molecules that turn on and off, or change color. Chong Fang’s ultrafast spectroscopy reveals how structural changes explain these behaviors.
Highlights
Three striking journal covers now spotlight the ultrafast spectroscopy breakthroughs coming out of chemist Chong Fang’s lab — from revealing how fluorescent proteins fire to engineering carbon‑dot materials that glow red. Led by two postdocs, their work is reshaping the future of imaging and light‑emitting materials. Explore the discoveries that earned these covers.
Decades ago, microbiologist Steve Giovannoni began collecting plankton DNA from the Sargasso Sea. Today that record helps explain how marine microbes evolve in warming, nutrient-poor oceans, work now strengthened by new support from the Simons Foundation. The research also helps predict how microbes shape ocean carbon cycling in a changing climate. Learn why this ocean gyre is an ideal study site.
Two College of Science teams have been selected to receive Huang Complex Supercomputing Seed Funds, supporting projects that scale GPU-based research computing to “hero runs” on the Huang Complex supercomputer.
- Chemist Tim Zuehlsdorff will develop massively parallel tensor network simulations to study how porphyrin molecules, biological building blocks of light-harvesting systems, relax energy, work that could inform the design of next-generation photovoltaic devices.
- Disease ecologist Ben Dalziel is developing AI frameworks to reduce infectious disease transmission in cities by modeling adaptive changes in human mobility, producing publicly available urban mobility models and open-source virtual models for all 241 incorporated cities in Oregon.
Funding
Alison Bain received a $750K National Science Foundation CAREER Award for her project, “Influence of microplastics on aerosol processes,” which examines how atmospheric microplastics affect airborne droplets that influence clouds and climate. The project also includes training undergraduates to analyze environmental datasets using AI-assisted coding tools and introducing rural Oregon middle and high school students to microplastic detection. Read how Bain is uncovering how microplastics shape atmospheric chemistry.
Honors and Awards
Image: In addition to her outstanding academic impact, Margie Haak has given OSU students countless opportunities to share science with young community members over her career.
Three cheers for Margie!
Congratulations to Margie Haak, senior instructor in the Department of Chemistry, who has received the 2026 Outstanding Educator in Higher Education Award from the Oregon Academy of Science! For more than 30 years, Margie has helped thousands of OSU students navigate their first college chemistry courses while advancing active, evidence-based approaches to teaching. Read more about her lasting impact.
Increasing visibility
Don’t miss this interview! Chemist Marilyn Rampersad Mackiewicz and her lab have found ways to watch for and reverse a chemical process in the brain connected with Alzheimer’s disease, paving the way for better treatments. Listen to her discuss this impactful finding on Fox 12 Now in this Q & A segment.
Chemist Mas Subramanian’s work on new, safer pigments continues to draw attention. The chemistry of bright reds has long forced trade-offs between safety, stability and intensity. Solving that puzzle could ripple across industries that depend on durable color. Read the full New Scientist feature to see where his research is headed next.
Three College of Science faculty members — Ben Dalziel, Alysia Vrailas-Mortimer and Axel Saenz Rodriguez — were featured in OSU’s Seattle Campaign Road Show, sharing research on human health, Parkinson’s and quantum materials with alumni and friends. The event is part of the $1.75B Believe It campaign.
College news
International Women’s Day
On March 9, the university hosted a spirited International Women’s Day celebration featuring Jane Lubchenco, university distinguished professor and Wayne and Gladys Valley Chair in Marine Biology. One of the world’s most highly cited ecologists, Lubchenco encouraged future science leaders to take on challenges and lift others up. Thank you, Jane, for sharing your insight and inspiration with our community.
Join the Food Drive!
March is OSU Food Drive month. Every year, university departments and units plan a variety of fund- and food-raising activities to help the hungry. Here is information about the College of Science departments who are participating:
- The Department of Integrative Biology is hosting a chili cook-off on Tuesday, March 17, in Cordley Hall Room 2414 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. To participate, bring a suggested donation of $7 and enjoy chili, potatoes and drinks! To enter the cook-off, bring your best chili and your own slow cooker or pot to keep it warm.
- The School of Life Sciences is hosting a gift basket drawing March 3-18. You can buy tickets at the IB Main Office (2403 Cordley), at the chili cook-off or through Venmo (add note SLS Food Drive Raffle). Featured baskets include a Common Fields gift card and swag, Mamalou’s Bakeshop, Sewing Basket and more. Winners will be drawn on March 18.
- The Department of Chemistry is hosting its annual food drive guessing game. Anyone can participate by donating via a QR code or by bringing cash or non-perishable, non-expired foods to Gilbert 153. Monetary donations can go directly to the Linn Benton Food Share. For every $1 donated or food item, participants can guess how many candies are in the giant Erlenmeyer flask. The winner gets the candy and the flask. The event runs from March 1-31.
Upcoming Events
Inclusive Excellence Multimedia Experience
Tuesday, March 17
4 p.m., PRAx Detrick Concert Hall
What does science have to learn from DIY counterculture? Inclusive Excellence Award winner Hannah Stuwe, a Ph.D. candidate in biochemistry and biophysics, draws on her SARS-CoV-2 research and her work as a musician and community organizer to explore how DIY punk practices can strengthen how science is done and shared. The evening pairs short reflections with live saxophone and vocals, joined by bandmates and community musicians. Join us for this STEAM-powered fusion of music and science and hear how science is punk. Learn more about Stuwe and the event and RSVP.
Town Hall with President Murthy and Provost Haggerty & Faculty Research Poster Session
Thursday, April 2
11 a.m. to 1 p.m., MU Horizon Room
Join us for a College of Science Town Hall with President Murthy and Provost Haggerty on Thursday, April 2 in the MU Horizon Room. The town hall and reception run from 11 to 11:45 a.m., followed by the Faculty Research Poster Session and lunch from 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. Don’t miss this chance to connect with leadership and explore faculty research. Be sure to RSVP and submit your questions in advance.
Accreditation Renewal Site Visit
April 8-10
OSU’s reaccreditation process is underway, with external peer reviewers assessing institutional effectiveness and the quality of our educational programs. A peer evaluation team will visit the Corvallis campus April 8–10, hosting forums for faculty, students and staff, followed by a public exit meeting summarizing their findings. Learn more about the schedule and forums.
Dam Proud Day
Wednesday, April 30
Join us for Oregon State University’s annual day of giving to support future science leaders! Last year, our College rallied for student success, raising $53.6K for scholarships and experiential learning — helping students access resources to achieve their dreams. This year, we’ll rally for experiential learning opportunities and more. Join us on damproudday.org.
Lonseth Lecture
Thursday, May 1
C & E Hall and Myrtle Tree Alcove
3:30 p.m. — Department awards ceremony
4–5 p.m. — Lonseth Lecture; Reception follows
The Department of Mathematics will host its 41st annual Lonseth Lecture this spring. The speaker will be Laura P. Schaposnik, professor of mathematics at the University of Illinois Chicago. Her research sits at the intersection of geometry, topology and mathematical physics. Schaposnik is a recipient of the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, as well as NSF CAREER, Simons and Humboldt fellowships. More details to follow.
Graduate Research Showcase
Monday, May 11
Noon to 2:30 p.m., Memorial Union Ballroom
The College of Science is organizing the 2026 Graduate Research Showcase to present the research of Graduate Students to the College of Science community and for students, faculty and staff to develop connections and build community across the different units in the college. Please join us to celebrate their accomplishments and celebrate our students! Learn more about the showcase and RSVP in advance.
Berg Lecture
Thursday, May 21
5:15 p.m., Reception to follow
LaSells Stewart Center, Construction & Engineering Hall.
The Department of Microbiology will host the Berg Lecture this spring. The speaker will be Vincent Racaniello, professor of microbiology and immunology at Columbia University. His research focuses on poliovirus and viral pathogenesis. Racaniello is a recipient of honors from the American Society for Microbiology recognizing his contributions to virology and science communication. More details to follow.