Words from the Dean
May 2024

Dear College of Science Community,

I hope you are all enjoying (and surviving) the homestretch of this academic year. It’s been a busy and stimulating year for me, and there is still much to look forward to in the next few weeks. Please read on to learn about the exciting events coming up, including three department lectures, our inaugural Research Showcase, and lunch with Provost Ed Feser on Friday to discuss the vision of “Prosperity Widely Shared” and how it intersects with the College of Science. I hope your schedules allow you to join us for some of these opportunities to engage with each other and with our students.

In June, we will celebrate our 2024 graduates at the department, College and university level. It means so much to our graduates to see their faculty and staff turn out to celebrate them, and I hope many of us can turn out for department celebrations and the College’s annual reception on the lawn.
 
On a related note, I am excited that Dr. Michael Waterman, a colleague of mine, will be recognized by OSU with this year’s sole honorary doctorate at commencement. Dr. Waterman, who earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mathematics at OSU, is a renowned mathematician and biologist known for his work in bioinformatics and the Human Genome Project. He co-developed the widely used Smith-Waterman algorithm for gene and protein sequence analysis in bioinformatics, molecular biology, medicine and biofuel.
 
A National Academy of Sciences member and the founder of the Journal of Computational Biology, Dr. Waterman has received the Guggenheim Fellowship and countless other awards, including the College’s Lifetime Achievement in Science Award in 2020. We are fortunate to have him on the College’s Board of Advisors and are extremely grateful for his generosity in establishing an endowed scholarship for College of Science students.



There is amazing work happening in our College. Thank you for all your hard work in pushing science forward, helping our students and being there for each other.

Eleanor Feingold
Dean, College of Science

Research Highlights

Materials scientist Marilyn Rampersad Mackiewicz is co-leading a collaborative team studying how silver nanoparticles shape and surface chemistry impacts how they affect aquatic ecosystems. The findings, published in Nanomaterials, suggest that nanoparticles can be produced in formats that preserve their beneficial properties while limiting environmentally negative ones. These particles have been used in products ranging from sanitizers and washing machines to makeup and food packaging. Visit IMPACT to read the full results of the study.

Graduating physics senior Phia Morton discovered the first strong candidate of a black hole merger emitting light. Morton spent last summer studying in Pisa, Italy and is now first author on a paper published in Physical Review D. Read more about what her discovery means for the future of astrophysics.

National Honors

Ph.D. microbiology student Kelly Shannon was selected as Oregon’s young ambassador for the American Society for Microbiology. Only one candidate is selected each year for this honor to work with the oldest and largest single life science membership organization in the world. Shannon will connect microbiology students and early career scientists with ASM resources and organize a career development seminar series. Read about how he credits his success to the exceptional mentorship community within the college.

Marine ecologists Kirsten Grorud-Colvert and Jenna Sullivan-Stack attended the eighth Our Ocean Conference in Athens. They informed global leaders from the private and public sector that although progress has been made to protect the ocean, more action is urgently needed. Read about the five recommendations they presented, including the creation of an online commitment registry.

Kirsten Grorud-Colvert was also quoted in a New York Times article in response to new details of the Biden administration’s signature conservation effort. She expressed concern that the plan would count certain commercial fishing zones as conserved. Learn more about the future of marine protected areas by reading the full article.

Microbiome researcher Maude David will co-lead a virtual microbiome data analytics workshop hosted by Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. The two-day intensive training of seminars and hands-on analytical sessions will provide an overview of 16S rRNA gene sequencing surveys including planning, generating and analyzing sequencing datasets. Registration is open now for the June 20 to 21 workshop.

Newly honored University Distinguished Professor Malgorzata Peszyńska’s research has fostered innovation and enabled applications with global impact on pressing environmental concerns and natural resource management. The College of Science spoke with her to capture her remarkable career bridging complex mathematics and diverse real-world disciplines.

Rebekka Toyoizumi, a graduating biochemistry and biophysics major, was able to gain confidence and direction through an internship with Lonza. Located in Bend, Oregon, this international biotech company specializes in molecular, cellular and genetic biology. Read how this experience prepared Toyoizumi for her career with AstraZeneca following graduation.

Nine undergraduate and graduate mathematics students attended the annual Cascade Regional Applied Interdisciplinary and Numerical Mathematics society meeting in Portland at the end of April. Three of the students gave talks at the event, which started in the Department of Mathematics in 2014. The event will return to the Corvallis campus in 2025. 

When Samantha Crockett transferred to Oregon State’s Ecampus program she found a flexible and supportive environment that allowed her to flourish. She will graduate in June and plans to explore career paths in conservation. Learn how the College of Science supported her and provided hands-on learning opportunities.

Upcoming Events

Yunker Lecture
Monday, May 20
5:30 p.m., Milam 026
Explore the future of physics education with Chandralekha Singh, distinguished professor of physics at the University of Pittsburgh. Singh has pioneered research to improve learning of advanced physics, and will share how research-based approaches can revolutionize physics education, both within traditional classrooms and beyond.

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Berg Lecture
Tuesday, May 28
5 p.m., LaSells Stewart Center

Jeff Gore, professor of physics at MIT, will discuss how the exploration of individual interactions within microbial populations shapes the evolutionary and ecological dynamics of multi-species microbial communities. RSVP for the Berg Lecture.

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‘Prosperity Widely Shared’ forum with Provost Feser
Thursday, May 23
11:30 a.m.-12:45 p.m., MU Multipurpose Room 13

The College of Science will host Provost Ed Feser to discuss our university’s new strategic plan, “Prosperity Widely Shared,” as a College community. Join us for lunch and share your thoughts on how we can all contribute to our shared university and College goals with Provost Feser, who will answer questions you may have.

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COS Research Showcase
Tuesday, May 21
11 a.m.-2 p.m., MU Multipurpose Room 13

The College of Science is hosting its inaugural research showcase, featuring SciRIS awardee presentations, panel discussion on artificial intelligence in the College of Science, and posters and science education demonstrations by Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) Fellows. Learn more about the showcase and RSVP here.

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Graduation Ceremonies 
The College of Science is proud to celebrate its 2024 graduates! Join us as we celebrate them with their family and friends  at  our graduation reception outside of Kidder Hall on Friday, June 14 at 3:30 p.m. s as well as  department-specific graduation ceremonies!

Recent Events

Dam Proud Day
Wednesday, April 24

On Dam Proud Day, we rallied for student success! Thanks to the generosity of 132 donors, the College of Science raised nearly $45K to put toward scholarships and experiential learning opportunities. An enormous thank you to those who gave — you have helped many students gain access to what they need to achieve their dreams!

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2024 University Distinguished Professor Lecture with Malgorzata Peszyńska
Wednesday, May 8

Malgorzata Peszyńska, one of two faculty members named 2024 University Distinguished Professors, delivered her University Distinguished Professor Lecture, “Math Matters: Multi-* Modeling, Analysis and Simulation.” The University Distinguished Professor title is the highest faculty honor granted by Oregon State University.

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Gilfillan Lecture
Monday, May 13

Wei Kong delivered the 2024 F.A. Gilfillan Memorial Award Lecture, “Which way up: Using field orientation to see the unseen.” She described her journey towards developing a revolutionary method for high-resolution atomic imaging that has potential to redefine drug development.

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Discovery Days
May 13-14

Twice a year, over a thousand young learners flock to the OSU campus to be immersed in the diverse world of science. Sponsored by the College of Science, the organization is primarily run by student volunteers who engage kids in hands-on experiments.