Dear colleagues,

This fall, we welcomed 748 new first-year science students to the class of 2023, 27% of whom are first-generation college students which is a 25% increase from fall 2018. About 18% are underrepresented minorities. These numbers are based on the beginning of fall term; OSU will issue official enrollment numbers after week four. I appreciate all that you are doing to make our new students feel welcome and to help them settle into campus life.

As we begin an exciting new academic year, I want to update you on college priorities for this year and to share one or two things we will be doing in each area. These are the same priorities I outlined at the State of the College meeting in June.

We will continue to invest in and to grow research and innovation. This year we are again investing more than $800K in research and innovation development and in equipment (including startups). We will kick off a Phase 3 SciRIS competition at $125K, which will be open to the teams that received SciRIS Phase 2 funding (at $75K each). We will invite new awards for SciRIS, both for individuals and teams, and launch a new round for Phase 2 SciRIS in spring 2020. Please watch our eCOS email announcements every two weeks and visit the eCOS website for the most up-to-date information.

In addition to the research funding, we will increase support for faculty and staff professional development this year and will announce those awards soon. We are setting aside $200K for travel to conferences, access to trainings, or other support for all professional faculty (e.g., advisors) and all instructional faculty (both tenure-track and non-tenure-track). We will offer additional in-house training for faculty and graduate students for innovation. We are pleased to announce the new College of Science Distinguished Service Award for excellence in service by faculty, staff, or students. Anyone may submit a nomination. Nominations are due October 22, and awards will be presented at our Fall Awards ceremony on November 21. The College will also be hiring a Facilities Operations Coordinator to assist with lab renovations, the Cordley Hall remodel, and other facilities tasks to reduce the burden on faculty, staff and department heads.

We will continue our work on equity, justice, and inclusivity (EJI). All units, including the Dean’s office, are conducting EJI workshops this year. We will be reviewing our policies, position descriptions, annual reviews, and reward structure around EJI. The College will again offer a couple of trainings on prevention of sexual harassment and gender bias. We are also pleased to announce a new award for Inclusive Excellence, open to all faculty, staff and students. Anyone may submit a nomination, which are due October 22. These awards will also be presented at our Fall Awards ceremony.

We will continue to prioritize student recruitment, retention and success. Debbie Farris, Henri Jansen, Heather Arbuckle and Gabrielle James are all leading important efforts to increase the number of science majors and to help our current science students be successful. I also want to thank the dozens of faculty volunteers who are mentoring students who are new to OSU in the Faculty-Student Mentor Program. The program, which we are piloting university-wide under Dan Larson’s and my leadership, appears to be a success but we will know for sure in a few weeks, when we see our fall enrollment numbers.

We will increase our fundraising efforts this year. In collaboration with the OSU Foundation, we will hire an Assistant Director of Development for the College. This person will help to build our cohort of friends and donors who will help our students and researchers be successful in the future. We will also continue to lay the foundation for a fundraising campaign that will be transformational for the College of Science and OSU.

Lastly, we will continue to make and to monitor investments in order to grow revenue. In addition to recruiting and retaining students, Ecampus will continue to be a major focus. Our Ecampus revenue increased significantly last year, and we expect that trend to continue thanks to the launch of our online Zoology degree this fall, online Physics courses, online MS in Data Analytics, and other new offerings. Thanks to everyone who has contributed to our Ecampus We will identifying new investments this year to further grow our revenue.

I am looking forward to a successful year for all of us and for our students. Thank you for all that you do.

Roy Haggerty
Dean, College of Science

Research Highlights

Building on his earlier discoveries, chemist Kyriakos Stylianou has found that, when combined with propylene oxide, MOFs can catalyze the production of industrially useful cyclic carbonates while scrubbing CO2 from factory flue gases. “We’ve taken a big step toward solving a crucial challenge associated with the hoped-for circular carbon economy by developing an effective catalyst,” said Stylianou.

In a paper published in Historical Biology, biologist and Professor Emeritus George Poinar Jr. describes a pine cone, approximately 40 million years old, encased in amber in which embryonic stems are emerging. This is the first fossil evidence of a botanical condition known as precocious germination in which seeds sprout before leaving the fruit.

A study examining bacteria found in the ocean led by microbiologist Kimberly Halsey revealed that SAR11 bacteria consume acetone, adding evidence to suggest that aspects of the marine carbon cycle, which pulls atmospheric carbon into the sea, should be considered in the study of the cycle and its ability to buffer climate change.

Research Funding

Microbiologist Stephen Giovannoni received $260K from the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences Inc for a project entitled “BIOS-SCOPE II – A Collaborative Program for the Study of Microbial Oceanography in the North Atlantic Subtropical Gyre.”

Microbiologist Christopher Suffridge received $35K from the Research Foundation for SUNY for a project entitled “Do lake trout eggs and free embryos acquire thiamine during development in wild populations?”

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.

National Honors

Mathematician Juan Restrepo was elected a 2019 Fellow of the American Physical Society (APS). The APS Council of Representatives made this decision upon the recommendation of the APS Topical Group on Physics of Climate. This is a prestigious recognition for outstanding contributions to physics. Restrepo was awarded the fellowship “For advancing the understanding of wave dynamics and uncertainty quantification in the climate system.”

All in one month, Bo Sun, an associate professor of physics, received two awards—a prestigious National Science Foundation (NSF) Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Award totaling $740K and a New Investigator Award by the Medical Research Foundation of Oregon.

University Honors

At the 2019 University Day celebration on September 10, the College of Science had a record seven science faculty win eight awards for innovation, collaboration and scholarship, teaching excellence and mentorship.

• Faculty Innovator Award – Douglas Keszler, Chemistry
• Richard M. Bressler Senior Faculty Teaching Award – Andrew Blaustein, Integrative Biology
• Promising Scholar Award – Elise Lockwood, Mathematics
• University Mentoring and Professional Development Award– David Hendrix, Biochemistry/Biophysics
• Student Learning and Success Teamwork Award – Lori Kayes and Devon Quick, Integrative Biology
•  Faculty Teaching Excellence Award – Lori Kayes, Integrative Biology
• Impact Award for Outstanding Scholarship – Chong Fang, Chemistry

Megan Wilson, a Ph.D. student in the Department of Integrative Biology, was named a 2019-20 Malouf Scholar. Oregon Sea Grant funds the Malouf Scholarships, which support graduate students who combine societally relevant research with education or public engagement. Wilson’s graduate research seeks to align environmental, ecological and social systems and to examine sources of variability that drive fluctuation in marine fish populations. She is committed to using her research as an avenue to broaden participation in STEM for people in all stages of their scientific education.

Integrative Biology Ph.D. students Leah Segui, Vanessa Constant and Katie Dziedzic were among 69 recipients of the John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship Program. They will spend a year working in federal government offices in Washington, DC. The fellowship is jointly awarded by NOAA and Sea Grant. Outstanding!

College Honors

Four distinguished alumni and friends have been selected for the College of Science 2019 Alumni Awards:

Young Alumni Award – Megan Cook. Cook’s (Biology, ’09) career has spanned research, marine operations, media communication and ocean education. Read more about the 2019 Young Alumni Awardee makes waves as marine ecologist and ocean storyteller

Distinguished Service Award – Wei Family Private Foundation (Edward Chen, Janet Chen, John Donnelly) are being honored for their generous support that eases the cultural and financial transition for many students of Chinese heritage throughout their experience at OSU. Read more about their extraordinary commitment to the university and its students.

Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award – Zelma Long. World renowned enologist Long (General Science ’65) is considered to be one of the female pioneers in California wine. Read more about her fascinating journey in winemaking.

Lifetime Achievement in Science Award – Warren Washington was one of the first developers of groundbreaking global climate models. In 2010, President Barack Obama named Washington one of 10 eminent researchers to be awarded the National Medal of Science. Read more about this eminent climate scientist winning the 2019 Lifetime Achievement in Science Award.

Marine ecologists Kirsten Grorud-Colvert and Jane Lubchenco’s guidelines on Marine Protected Areas to facilitate more effective ocean protection globally was featured in the National Geographic.

Distinguished Professor of Integrative Biology Jane Lubchenco presided over key events at the International Climate Week that began on Sept. 20 with a focus on the United Nations and other sites in New York. Lubchenco was among the scheduled speakers at a New York Sept. 25 press briefing event called “Blue Leaders: Call to Action on Ocean and Climate.” Other speakers included heads of state and 16-year-old Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg. Lubchenco co-chaired the expert group that advises the High Level Panel for Sustainable Ocean Economy and oversaw its report. The Expert Group is tasked to ensure the quality and integrity of the High Level Panel’s work.

Jane Lubchenco, along with former fellow NOAA administrators D. James Baker and Kathryn D. Sullivan, wrote an op-ed in The Washington Post speaking out against recent political appointees attempting to overrule scientists.Mas Subramanian, Milton Harris Professor of Materials Science, was cited in Discovery, an inflight magazine for Cathay Pacific and Cathay Dragonin. In an article addressing how the exclusive use of a color pigment has pitted artists against one another, Subramanian speaks to the complexity of discovering and patenting a new pigment.

Mathematician Malgo Peszynska was selected to serve as rotating Program Director within the National Science Foundation’s Division of Mathematical Sciences (DMS) in Washington, D.C., effective Sept. 16. She will review national research proposals and make crucial funding recommendations during her term.

This fall, the College of Science welcomed 748 new first-year students, an increase of about 3% from fall 2018. Twenty-seven percent, or 242 first-year students, indicated they are first in their family to attend college, a 25% increase from last year; about 18% are underrepresented minorities. Read more in Welcoming the class of 2023, next gen scientists.

Our new College of Science recruitment video shares our vision for how we are preparing our students to follow their curiosity to learn how life and the universe work. Feel free to share this video on your students, alumni, colleagues or social media platforms.

Statistician Lisa Madsen and collaborators from the US Geological Survey came together to develop methodology to estimate the total mortality of bats, birds and other small creatures on wind farms and solar facilities. Monitoring fatalities at wind energy facilities can help government agencies, such as the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and the Bureau of Land Management, make better decisions about species management

Jerri Bartholomew, head of the Department of Microbiology and Pernot Distinguished Professor, is the new head for the School of Life Sciences (SLS), effective September 16, 2019. Established in 2013, SLS comprises the Departments of Integrative Biology, Microbiology, and Biochemistry and Biophysics and is at the forefront of interdisciplinary research and teaching. Bartholomew will lead the School, which is home to the largest number of undergraduates—more than 2,469 majors on OSU’s Corvallis campus and 108 graduate students. At the end of the 2019-20 academic year, Bartholomew will step down as Head of the Department of Integrative Biology, a position she has led since January 2015.

SLS seeks to stimulate scientific discovery and to address critical societal problems in the interdisciplinary sciences that lie between biology and medicine. Thanks to Distinguished Professor Andy Karplus for heading the School the past two years. Under his tenure, the School of Life Sciences continued to coordinate collaboration and curricular developments among the three Departments of Integrative Biology, Microbiology, and Biochemistry and Biophysics; coordinated and strengthened the pre-health professions advising activities; and worked with Chris Larson, director of partnerships and industrial programs, and the College’s integrated professional development (IPD) team to bring IPD into existing coursework and to develop additional IPD-specific coursework.

New College of Science awards: The College is proud to announce three new awards: the College of Science Inclusive Excellence Award and the College of Science Distinguished Service Award. Nominations for either award may come from anyone and are due October 22. The Champion of Science Award is the Dean’s award recognizing an individual or individuals who demonstrate excellence, extra effort beyond that requested and the highest quality performance. It is modeled, including the words, after the OSU President’s Beaver Champion award. Dean Haggerty will select the awardee. Nominations are now open for all three new awards and will be given out at the 2019 College of Science Fall Awards on Thursday, November 21.

Several biochemistry and biophysics, microbiology and biology graduate students presented research talks and posters at the 2019 Fall Conference held on Sept. 20 at the Center for Genome Research and Biocomputing. Jaga Giebultowicz, professor of integrative biology, and Viviana Perez, associate professor of biochemistry and biophysics, were members of the conference committee.

Starting fall term 2019, graduate students will enjoy a new space on the sixth floor of the Valley Library: The Graduate Student Commons. The Grad Commons features a variety of spaces and services to support graduate student needs, including a light-filled reading room, a group research room, a technology-enhanced classroom, long-term research rooms and more. Spread the word to your graduate students!

The OSU Foundation has launched its crowdfunding platform BeavsGive. BeavsGive has been used for various projects ranging from creating scholarships for students, funding student organization events and projects, supporting research opportunities and much more. Do you have a project that would fit the BeavsGive platform? You can submit your project proposal online and contact Jake Mendenhall at Jacob.mendenhall@osufoundation.org to set up a meeting to discuss the project.

High school and college students conducted research at sea on Sept. 12-15 aboard a ship operated by Oregon State University. Biologist Sarah Henkel was one three lead researchers on the cruise. The students learned how to collect sediment and animals from the ocean floor at a future wave energy test site off the coast of Newport. They also collected plankton and deployed equipment that records oceanographic data at different depths. The cruise, which departed from and returned to Newport, is funded by the Oceangoing Research Vessel Program at OSU, Oregon Sea Grant and the Oregon Coast STEM Hub.

Brown University physicist Sylvester James “Jim” Gates recently published a book “Proving Einstein Right” (Hachette Book Group). Gates presented the College of Science 2017 Distinguished Lecture “Why Diversity Makes for Excellent Science.”

Jane Lubchenco and fellow marine ecologist Kirsten Grorud-Colvert launched The Marine Protected Areas (MPA) Guide to define the levels of MPAs for governments across the globe to make MPAs more effective and robust. Their work is supported by grants from the Kingfisher Foundation and Oceans 5.

Teaching faculty please note OSU’s policy and legal responsibility to reasonably accommodate any qualified student who has a disability. Providing equal educational opportunity is an important and shared responsibility. Please refer to OSU’s policies related to disability and the Disability Access Services Faculty and Staff Guidelines for more in-depth information. Faculty can also register for and view the Disability Access Services Faculty Training.

Upcoming events

October 10
Linus Pauling Science Center Room 402
Brown bag information session + Q&A with the facilitators. Open to faculty, instructors, graduate students and postdocs.

October 10
LaSells Stewart Center, Construction and Engineering Hall; 5:30 – 6:30 p.m.  
A reception and registration begin at 5 p.m.
Join us for the College of Science 2019 Fall Distinguished Lecture, presented by science alumnus and climate science pioneer Warren Washington. His talk is entitled “The Historic Development of Climate Models and Geoengineering of the Earth’s Climate.” Dr. Washington is credited with writing the book on climate modeling. He collaborated on the construction of one of the first computer models of the Earth’s climate, and as technology advanced he expanded the model to incorporate oceans, sea ice and rising levels of carbon dioxide. RSVP by Oct. 4.

October 1
Native American Longhouse Eena Haws: Native Connect; 4-6 p.m.
Connect to community and learn more about the Native American Longhouse Eena Haws along with several other participating student organizations

October 1
3rd floor of Waldo Hall; 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Please join the Educational Opportunities Program’s 50th birthday celebrations! Share light snacks and help EOP unveil the newest murals for their floor.

October 22
Covell Hall 117; 9 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.
Join a general information session with US Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Army Research Laboratory. Learn from ARL representatives about the laboratory’s research priorities and how to collaborate with ARL. The session will be offered twice to accommodate schedules. Registration required by October 17.

Recent Events

September 10
University Day 2019 Faculty and Staff Awards Recognition with opening remarks by President Ed Ray.

September 10
A screening of feature documentary film, “UNLIKELY,” that explores the barriers students face in their pursuit of an education and meaningful career. Set in the cities of Akron, Atlanta, Boston and Los Angeles, five individuals navigate the college journey, fighting for a second chance at opportunity. Following the film, OSU hosted  a conversation about OSU’s initiatives to address student success. Watch the trailer.

September 24
We welcomed new students to the College of Science at the 2019 Fall Ice Cream Social.