Words from the Dean
October 2025
Words from the Dean
October 2025
Dear Colleagues,
It’s October!
We’ve made it to the end of week 3 of the term – something I never used to keep track of, but now that I’m teaching, is a pretty big deal.
Speaking of week 3, this is the week for instructional faculty to ensure that some kind of meaningful grade is entered in the Canvas gradebook. Then in week 4 we will reach out to students who are having difficulty to make sure they’re aware, and to offer help or suggest strategies. (Reminder: “meaningful” is defined by you as whatever is predictive of student success).
Two other action items that I’m hoping folks will participate in:
- Throughout the year, we all see incredible examples of people in our College going the extra mile to support students, drive discovery and strengthen our community. The Winter Awards are an opportunity to recognize that dedication and celebrate one another. If someone’s work has inspired you, please take a few minutes to nominate them. Read more about the awards and deadlines.
- The College has launched a new Equity Projects Program with $30K available for equity-focused initiatives, including funding for disability or accessibility needs. The program supports lasting, systemic change, whether in the classroom, within departments or across the College. Awards of up to $10K will be granted, with preference for proposals that promote accessibility, improve student retention or address an identified equity gap. Projects may be led by academic, professional or research faculty. If you have an idea ready to take shape, I encourage you to apply.
And a couple of important announcements:
- I am thrilled to announce that Liz Gire, professor of physics, will be serving as interim associate dean for academic and student affairs while Jessica Siegel is on maternity leave from mid-November through the end of winter term. (Note that Jessica’s duties related to academic misconduct will be handled by Davide Lazzati, associate dean of faculty affairs.)
- I am also thrilled but somewhat intimidated that I will be on stage at PRAx interviewing Margot Lee Shetterly, the author of Hidden Figures, for the Provost’s Lecture Series on October 28. Show up and cheer me on? She should be amazing! She will share the untold stories of Black women mathematicians at NASA and how inclusion and collaboration fuel discovery.
I’ll end with one brag point – it was exciting to see so many College of Science faculty featured in the Division of Research and Innovation’s 2025 Annual Report, which celebrates the inspiring, high-impact work happening across OSU. It’s a great reflection of how essential our foundational and applied science is in driving the university’s success.
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
Membrane active peptides can punch holes through the membranes of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, helping to treat resilient infections.
Research Highlights
Biochemist Myriam Cotten is uncovering how short chains of amino acids called peptides could help fight antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The research by Cotten and collaborators at William & Mary and the National Institutes of Health shows how these molecules break through bacterial defenses, pointing to new ways to treat tough infections. Learn how Cotten and her collaborators are advancing the fight against antibiotic resistance.
Statistician Lan Xue is shaping the future of data science at Oregon State. As head of the Department of Statistics, she’s developing new methods to uncover patterns in everything from wearable health data to agriculture, tools that help scientists translate vast datasets into practical solutions for health, the environment and public policy. Her contributions to statistical methodology and mentorship earned her recognition as a Fellow of the American Statistical Association. Now, she’s leading the formation of the university’s first undergraduate data science program, designed to prepare students to apply statistics across disciplines. See how her work is advancing research and student learning.
Oregon State University’s 2025 Research and Innovation Annual Report underscores the pivotal role of the College of Science in advancing the university’s research and innovation initiatives. The report highlights several key achievements and contributions from the College: Heidi Schellman‘s election to the National Academy of Sciences; Mas Subramanian’s American Chemical Society’s National Award in Inorganic Chemistry and Xavier Siemens’s Bruno Rossi Prize. Check out these and other Science faculty spotlighted in the full report.
Research Funding
Biochemist Sarah Clark received $1.9M from the NIH Maximizing Investigator’s Research Award for her project entitled “Molecular mechanisms of lipid transfer by bridge-like lipid transfer proteins.”
Chemist Paul Ha-Yeon Cheong received $649K from the National Science Foundation for his project entitled “Beyond the Fit, Towards Efficient Elucidation of Factors that Govern Selectivity and Reactivity in Synthetic Transformations – Models from Electron Density Topology.”
Biochemist Ryan Mehl received $389K from the National Institutes of Health Equipment Supplement for his project entitled “The GCE4All Center: Unleashing the Potential of Genetic Code Expansion for Biomedical Research.”
Students turn research into impact
Undergraduate researcher Jordan Indrawan turned a deeply personal cancer battle into scientific purpose through COS’s SURE program. Working in Professor Colin Johnson’s biochemistry & biophysics lab, Jordan is helping investigate how proteins called Ferlins — connected to cell growth, repair and cancer — do their jobs. SURE funding let him fully dive into lab work, build skills and even land authorship on a paper. Read more about Jordan’s journey.
Undergrad biochemistry major Ashley Tran turned her summer in OSU’s SURE program into a game-changer. Mentorship in Emily Ho’s Linus Pauling Institute lab helped her overcome imposter syndrome, work with human clinical samples and feel like she belongs. Find out how diverse mentorship shaped Ashley’s confidence and sense of belonging in science.
Undergraduate BioHealth Sciences and BioResource Research double major Matthew Hines found the confidence he didn’t know he had through hands-on cancer research this summer. Between the STEM Leaders Program and OSU’s SURE, he tackled real lab work, learned coding from scratch and even helped image 3D breast cancer tumor models in Bo Sun’s lab. Find out how mentorship and immersive research helped Matthew overcome doubt and grow as a scientist.
Congratulations
Research Advancement Fellows
The Division of Research and Innovation has announced the 2025–26 Research Advancement Fellows, marking the program’s fourth cohort. This year’s group includes faculty from seven colleges, with three members from Team Science: Marilyn Mackiewicz, Alison Bain and Juan Vanegas. Fellows will collaborate on projects to strengthen research strategies, foster interdisciplinary partnerships and increase the impact of OSU research. Learn more about the Research Advancement Fellows program.
Call for nominations
Each year, the College of Science celebrates the outstanding work of our instructional and research faculty and administrative staff at its Winter Awards celebration. This year’s ceremony will be held Feb. 17 from 4 to 6:30 p.m.
We need your help to nominate the 2026 award recipients!
Submissions are invited for one or more of the following awards for colleagues who demonstrate excellence in teaching and advising; administration service and performance; equity access and inclusion or research. All nominations are due by midnight on Dec. 3, 2025.
Please take a moment and nominate one of your College of Science colleagues for any of the following awards:
- Fred Horne Award for Excellence in Teaching Science for a faculty member who demonstrated exceptional instructional qualities and has had a significant impact on students for at least five years.
- Distinguished Service Award for a person or group that went above and beyond what was expected.
- Gladys Valley Award for Exemplary Administrative Support for a staff member who has demonstrated outstanding job performance and dedication to your department or the College of Science.
- Outstanding Faculty Research Assistant or Associate Award to recognize research assistants or associates with a career of outstanding job performance and contributions.
- Inclusive Excellence Award, recognizing the outstanding work of a faculty, staff or student in the college who is advancing inclusive excellence.
- Dean’s Early Career Achievement Award, recognizing exceptional achievement in research and education by an early-career, tenure-track faculty member.
- Milton Harris Award in Basic Research in Science for exceptional achievement in basic research, especially for recent research at OSU that will have significant impact.
- F.A. Gilfillan Award for distinguished scholarship and scientific accomplishments; special consideration for distinguished research careers.
College News
Photo of the Platypus Trophy, carved by Warren Spady, by Sara Northrop of the Eugene Emerald
New College initiative – Equity projects
The College of Science has launched a new Equity Projects Program to help shrink equity gaps across the college and departments. Developed by the EAI Council, the fund supports proposals that address barriers to inclusion, advance equity for students and faculty, and have measurable outcomes. Projects might include mentorship programs, outreach initiatives, training workshops or other strategies that foster a more inclusive learning and research environment. Eligibility for the fund includes all academic, professional and research faculty within the college. The program is funded in part through the Rise Fund and is earmarked for projects that address disability issues or an accessibility need. Proposals are due December 12, 2026. Learn more about how to apply and the fund’s impact.
Making science visible
Biologist Kathryn Everson was quoted in an ESPN article on the Oregon-Oregon State Platypus Trophy. She shared why the platypus is such a fitting mascot mash-up. With webbed feet like a duck, a broad tail like a beaver and even a venomous spur on its hind legs, the platypus embodies traits of both teams.
Events
Upcoming Events
COS-NVIDIA Workshop: GPU Accelerated Scientific Research with Parallelized Software
Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025 – 1 to 3 p.m., ALS 400
The College of Science is hosting a workshop in partnership with NVIDIA, a global leader in artificial intelligence software founded by an Oregon State alumnus. The session will explore how GPUs can accelerate scientific research. Attendees will learn what a GPU is, how supercomputers enhance research and how GPU-accelerated software containers streamline scientific workflows.
Open to all College of Science members. No technical background required; participants are encouraged to bring a laptop to follow along. Learn more and sign up here.
Responsible authorship and publication in the peer review process
Friday, Oct. 24, 2025 – 1 to 2 p.m., Weniger 149
Join Davide Lazzati, Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs and Professor of Physics, for a discussion on responsible authorship and publication ethics in science. The session will cover the scientist’s role as a responsible member of society, common issues in peer review such as conflicts of interest, maintaining confidentiality and security, and the ethical uses and misuses of AI in research. Open to all College of Science members.
This seminar is part of a nine-month in-person only Responsible Conduct of Research Training Program in AY 2025-2026, hosted by the College of Science in collaboration with the Division of Research and Innovation.
30 Years of Lessons from the Paradigms
Monday, Oct. 27, 2024 – 4 p.m. Weniger Hall, Room 116
Join Emerita Professor Corinne Manogue for a special talk celebrating three decades of the Paradigms in Physics Program, which she helped develop. She will share the history, lessons learned and key contributors behind this nationally recognized model for transforming physics education. Tea and coffee at 3:45 p.m outside 116 Weniger; reception to follow in 247 Weniger. Register here.
Hidden figures: The untold story of the black women who helped win the space race
2025 Provost Lecture
Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2025 – 7 p.m., Lynne Hallstrom Detrick Concert Hall in PRAx
The first lecture in the Provost Lecture Series features Margot Lee Shetterly, author of Hidden Figures. The book became a #1 New York Times bestseller, a TIME and Publisher’s Weekly top book and inspired the Academy Award-nominated film. Hidden Figures vividly portrays the lives of Black women mathematicians at NASA whose brilliance and perseverance helped shape America’s leadership in space, while challenging barriers of race and gender in the workplace. COS Dean Eleanor Feingold will join Margot for a moderated Q&A after the lecture.
Faculty and Staff Awards
Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2026 – 4 to 6:30 p.m., MU Horizon Room
Join us for the 2025 Faculty and Staff Awards, where the College will honor outstanding achievements in research, teaching, advising and inclusive excellence. Nominate your colleagues by Dec. 3! Learn about the awards and criteria.