Dear colleagues,

I hope you all will join me at the College of Science Distinguished Lecture featuring Dr. Michael Waterman (Mathematics ’64, ’66) next week. One of the most brilliant thinkers in the field of computational biology and bioinformatics, he will present the lecture at 5:30 p.m., Wednesday, November 10 (details below). Register here.

Dr. Waterman is a superb example of the best of Oregon State University. A first-generation college student from an isolated livestock ranch on the south coast of Oregon, he heartily supports OSU’s mission, which is rooted in our land-grant tradition of commitment to engaging in exceptional research, education, innovation and engagement. Starting at OSU, he is now an elected member of both the U.S. National Academy of Sciences and of Engineering, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and both the French and Chinese Academies of Sciences. He has received the William Benter Prize in Applied Mathematics, the Gairdner Foundation International Award in Biomedical Sciences, the Dan David Future Prize in Bioinformatics and a Guggenheim Fellowship. He is also one of our most generous donors.

Upon entering Oregon State, Dr. Waterman remembered being awestruck by the educational opportunities before him, including a library filled with so many books that he thought he was in heaven. At OSU, a “doorway to the rest of the world,” he earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mathematics, and then earned a Ph.D. in statistics and probability at Michigan State University. He then worked at Los Alamos National Laboratory where his reputation grew as he worked with prominent mathematicians.

Dr. Waterman, now known as the “father of computational biology,” went on to make an international impact as a renowned scientist at the convergence of mathematics and biology. His work formed one of the theoretical cornerstones for many DNA mapping and sequencing projects, including the Human Genome Project, and has contributed to some of the most widely used tools in the field.

Reflecting on his own journey, Dr. Waterman considered ways he might impact future generations of scientists, especially first-generation students from rural, less privileged communities like his own. This inspired him to establish an endowed scholarship for science students. His legacy gift, the Michael and Tracey Waterman Scholarship, is the second largest in the College’s history.

I am eager to hear more about his experiences at OSU and Oregon and his insights into the integration of mathematics and the life sciences at his upcoming lecture. I am also delighted to share that Dr. Waterman is receiving the College of Science’s 2021 Lifetime Achievement in Science Award for his remarkable accomplishments that have brought honor, distinction and visibility to the University. He is a very worthy recipient and I am looking forward to his Distinguished Lecture.

Roy Haggerty
Dean, College of Science

Research Highlights

Research from physicist Bo Sun has shed new light on the way malignant cells change their shape and migration techniques to invade different types of tissue. The findings, published in Scientific Reports, are a key step toward understanding and preventing cancer metastasis, the internal spreading of the disease that’s responsible for 95% of all cancer deaths.

Physicist Heidi Schellman is leading an international experiment to study neutrinos and their anti-matter counterparts, antineutrinos, that could reveal the secret of how the universe exists. The project, titled “Essential Computing and Software Development for the DUNE experiment,” has received a $3M grant from the Department of Energy.

A study led by microbiologist Ryan Mueller sheds new light on the mechanisms of carbon cycling in the ocean, using a novel approach to track which microbes are consuming different types of organic carbon produced by common phytoplankton species. The research is an important step toward forecasting how much carbon will leave the ocean for the atmosphere as greenhouse gas carbon dioxide and how much will end up entombed in marine sediments.

Amber research from the Department of Integrative Biology’s George Poinar Jr. has produced the first definite identification of grass in fossilized tree resin from the Baltic region, home to the world’s most well-known amber deposits.

A new study led by epidemiologist Anna Jolles on foot-and-mouth disease among buffalo in South Africa could help explain how certain extremely contagious pathogens are able to persist and reach endemic stage in a population, long after they’ve burned through their initial pool of susceptible hosts.

Research Funding

Biologist Kirsten Grorud-Colvert received $364K from the National Philanthropic Trust for a project entitled “Achieving effective ocean protection: Using the MPA guide to advance global commitments.”

Chemist May Nyman received $954K from the U.S. Department of Energy for a project entitled “Passive and enhanced capture and conversion of CO2 by d/f0 molecules and materials.”

Microbiologist Christopher Suffridge received $143K  from the University of California – Davis for a project entitled “Rapid response to understanding causes, impacts, and treatments of thiamine deficiency in California Salmon.”

Research Proposal Support

You can find funding opportunities on ECOS. To access a suite of tools and resources available to faculty, visit the College of Science Proposal Support webpage.

University and College Honors

We are very proud of all the graduate students who received awards, fellowships & honors this year. These range from prestigious National Science Foundation fellowships, ARCS Foundation-Oregon chapter awards to the Provost’s Graduate Fellowships and several donor-supported research awards. Congratulations to all who were recognized for their accomplishments at the College’s Graduate Student Appreciation Night event October 14, 2021.

The recently concluded Scholarship Dessert celebrated 248 recipients who received $863K in scholarships. An inspiring video shown at the event and featuring our students attests to the powerful impact of philanthropy and scholarships on their education and careers.

Congratulations to four distinguished alumni who will be honored at our annual College of Science Alumni Awards dinner and ceremony. This year’s award recipients include:

• Andres Cardenas (’10, Biochemistry & Biophysics) 2021 Young Alumni Award
• Judy Faucett (’70, Mathematics) 2020 Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award
• Ron Schoenheit (’65, Mathematics) 2021 Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award
• Michael Waterman (’64, ’66, Mathematics) 2020 Lifetime Achievement in Science Award

The blockbuster, newly released film Dune, based on Frank Herbert’s sci fi novel, has put the spot light on the work of Department of Integrative Biology researchers Sally Hacker and Rebecca Mostow. In Geek Wire, Hacker and Mostow discuss their research on the sand dune ecosystem in Oregon and the effects of invasive beach grasses and explore interesting parallels between the dunes of Oregon coast and the dunes of Arrakis.

Microbiology graduate student Sarah Wolf met with staffers of Senator Jeff Merkley and Representative Peter DeFazio to share information about her research on local hypoxia and advocated for continued funding for science and specific relevant bills as part of the American Society for Microbiology’s Capitol Hill Day.

After more than 30 years at OSU, chemistry department Head Mike Lerner is leaving to take on an important scientific position at Ford Motors, where he will be in charge of much of their chemistry program to develop new batteries with which to electrify Ford’s automobile fleet. Mike will step down as head and retire from OSU at the end of this year. Congratulations, Mike!

A warm welcome to Swati Patel and Axel Saenz Rodriguez who have joined the Department of Mathematics as tenure-track assistant professors. They join us from the University of Warwick in England where they were postdoctoral researchers in mathematics and statistics.

Kameron Kadooka, coordinator for OSU’s Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation program (LSAMP), will serve as the interim director for Equity, Access and Inclusion (EAI) for the College of Science. Andy Karplus, university distinguished professor of biochemistry and biophysics, will work with Kadooka as a part-time associate director until a full-time director is hired.

Resources and tools

Please help spread the word about the College’s feedback form. This tool provides a means for faculty, staff and students to offer feedback related to their experiences, including instances of bias and discrimination in the classroom, in advising, with other students or elsewhere. This tool also provides a place to share positive experiences, recognize contributions and propose solutions.

Need to update your College of Science directory profile with your latest publications and awards? Simply scroll to the bottom of your profile page and click the “Log In” button. From there, you will see an “edit” button at the top of the page, and can make changes from there. You may also send your requested changes to Cari Longman in the College marketing office. New faculty and staff can also email Cari Longman with their job title, ONID and, if available, a headshot to be added to our College directory. If an existing department biography exists, please send a link that we can use to add content to your COS profile.

Upcoming events

Distinguished Lecture featuring Dr. Michael Waterman
Wednesday, November 10, 5 – 6:30 p.m.
Memorial Union Horizon Room and Virtually via Zoom

Join us for the College of Science 2021 Distinguished Lecture by Dr. Michael Waterman (Mathematics, ’64 ’66), renowned computational biologist, whose work laid the foundations for DNA sequencing and mapping, as well as the Human Genome Project.

Register by November 5.

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Seminar featuring Dr. Andres Cardenas
Friday, November 12, 2 p.m.
LINC 200 and Virtually via Zoom

Dr. Andres Cardenes (B.S. ’10), College of Science 2021 Young Alumni Award recipient, will give a talk entitled “The epigenome: a key regulator between the environment and disease.” His research group at UC Berkeley School of Public Health and Center for Computational Biology focuses on epigenetic aging biomarkers.

Attend in person or register for Zoom

Recent Events

Black and Orange Awards
Thursday, October 21
Alumnus Román Hernández received the Oregon State University Foundation Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Alumni Legacy Award at this year’s Black and Orange Awards – a time to recognize extraordinary alumni making a difference in their communities and in the world.

Scholarship Dessert
Thursday, October 21, Memorial Union
This annual event celebrated our student scholarship recipients and the donors that make them possible.

Graduate Student Appreciation Night
Thursday, October 14, MU Ballroom
This inaugural event was a time to recognize and show appreciation for our graduate students.

Strategic Diversity Action Plan Launch Sessions
October 7 (faculty and staff) and October 12 (students)
These two events provided an opportunity for the College of Science community to hear more about the College’s Diversity Action Plan, an inclusive effort to increase equitable hiring, create a more inclusive climate and provide greater access to learning and research experiences. Read more about the plan, which reflects priorities shared by our community, gathered over the last academic year.