Words from the Dean
September 2024

Dear College of Science Community,

I am thrilled to be starting the new academic year. After missing this seasonal excitement last year, it is so great to be with all of you and with our new and returning students.

This will be another big year in the College of Science. We have an unprecedented number of new students and over a dozen new faculty. Another dozen were promoted since last year, and yet another dozen have transitioned from Instructor to Professor of Teaching positions. New SciRIS awards and transdisciplinary research awards will be announced soon – totaling close to a million dollars of seed money for projects involving College of Science faculty. And we have nine new University Day award winners, demonstrating again the remarkable contributions the College makes to research, translation and inclusive education.

The College of Science has key roles to play in Prosperity Widely Shared, and we will be stepping into those roles significantly this year. In research, we will build strength in data science and other key PWS areas, as well as in our many diverse areas of existing strength. In student success, we will build on our already successful programs by diving deeply into qualitative and quantitative data on which aspects of the student experience are most critical to success and retention. And we will broaden our reach by developing new academic programs across the range of the life, quantitative and physical sciences. I will be actively fundraising for all of these initiatives, as well as for the major new “Finish in 4” scholarship program, designed to provide Oregon students who have the highest financial need with the means to finish their degrees without delay.

I know that our challenges this year will include the stress of both national and world events. My hope and my goal is that we will approach these challenges with a focus on supporting each other and our students – with an attitude of listening, caring and championing diversity of all kinds. Closer to home, we will need to think outside the box about how we support both research and student success with limited budgets. This will also require an attitude of care, creativity and respectful dialogue. I hope that I can help lead these critical but difficult conversations; I welcome your thoughts at any time about how best to do that.

I look forward to working with all of you on both the opportunities and the challenges. On Tuesday, Oct. 8 we will hold a Fall Welcome and Town Hall event, with lunch and social time at 11:30 a.m. and a panel discussion starting at noon with me and the associate deans. We’ll make some brief remarks on this year’s plans, and invite questions and thoughts from you on how we can all be successful together. Please RSVP by Oct. 1.

There are a few housekeeping items I would like to share with you as we start the year:

• Please update your web profiles! Keeping these up to date makes all of us look good, and makes it easier for students, colleagues and external partners to connect with the right person. Here’s how: First, log in to your department site by scrolling to the very bottom of any page and clicking “Log In” in the bottom left corner. Then, visit your directory profile page and click edit in the top left corner. Make your edits and click “Save” at the bottom of the page. Visit the directory profile guide or contact your department website team or sharon.betterton@oregonstate.edu for further guidance. 
• Is it time to update your directory photo? Departments can coordinate a profile photo session with Erica.Martin@oregonstate.edu. 
• Join me in welcoming the new members of the Dean’s Office, including colleagues in the Science Success Center and Research Development Unit. You can meet them and learn about the roles they, along with the entire Dean’s Office team, play in advancing our mission. Searches will also be underway very soon for a new event and projects manager and an associate dean for faculty affairs.
• Celebrate excellence in our College. Each year, the College comes together to celebrate the exceptional contributions of our faculty and staff at our winter awards ceremony in February (details below). Please nominate colleagues who inspire excellence in teaching, service, administration or research by Dec. 20.
• Finally, mark your calendar now for some of our key events, including the upcoming Fall Welcome and Town Hall, Inclusive Excellence Lecture, our Winter Awards ceremony and the Gilfillan Lecture with Professor Elisar Barbar. Keep reading for details!

Thank you again for all you do. It is such a privilege to work with this outstanding group of people. I plan to make the rounds and talk to many of you in the next few months, but please feel free to reach out to me anytime.

Eleanor Feingold
Dean, College of Science

Research Highlights

Imagine a tool that could create target therapies for cancer or detect conditions at their earliest stages. GCE4All is the world’s first center focused on optimizing, developing and broadly sharing groundbreaking genetic code expansion technologies. Learn about the center’s recent funding, its future direction and the exciting potential of GCE.

In pursuit of large-scale, reliable, safe, environmentally sustainable and affordable electricity, materials scientist Xiulei “David” Ji is part of a collaborative, interdisciplinary team funded by the U.S. Department of Energy. Comprising experts from 15 institutions, the team is working on a new kind of aqueous battery. Oregon State will receive $1.35 million in funding. 

Led by materials scientist Kyriakos Stylianou, a group of researchers developed a game-changing material that can turn sunlight and water into clean hydrogen fuel. The researchers, including graduate students, created a photocatalyst that enables the high-speed, high-efficiency production of hydrogen used in fuel cells for cars as well as in the manufacturing of many chemicals and plastics. Visit Impact to learn more about their discovery.

Physicist Ethan Minot and his team are unlocking the potential of quantum materials to revolutionize technology. Discover how their research is pushing the boundaries of science.

Research Funding

The College of Science secured $18.5 million in research grants for FY24, driving innovations in integrated health, biotechnology, clean energy and climate change mitigation. Funding came from the National Science Foundation, U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Institutes of Health and others. Read about the impactful awards our colleagues secured. 

Elisar Barbar received $152K from Oregon Health & Science University for a project entitled, “Multiscale Characterization of a Unique Class of Duplex, Multivalent IDP Systems.”

Mary Beisiegel received $124K from the Maricopa Community Colleges Foundation for a project entitled, “Algebra Instruction at Community Colleges: Validating Measures of Quality Instruction (VMQI).”

Sarah Clark received $50K from the Medical Research Foundation of Oregon for a project entitled, “Architecture of C. elegans mechanosensory transduction complex.”

Maude David received $541K from the National Science Foundation for a project entitled, “Defining the ecological and genomic properties that underlie microbiome sensitivity and resilience.”

Patrick De Leenheer received $42K from the Simons Foundation for a travel grant for “Problems in Mathematical Biology.”

Anne Dunn received $162K from the National Science Foundation for a project entitled, “Characterizing the role of alternative oxidases in marine bacteria.”

Mark Phillips received $343K from the National Institutes of Health for a project entitled, “Combining experimental evolution and molecular phenotyping to understand variation in organismal phenotypes.”

Patrick Reardon received $25K from Colorado School of Mines for a project entitled, “Development of A Low-Cost Method for Total Organic Fluorine (TOF) Analysis Using Hydrothermal Alkaline Treatment (HALT).”

Kyriakos Stylianou received $399K from the National Science Foundation for a project entitled, “Photocatalyzed hydrogen/deuterium exchange in molecules confined within functional nanopores.”

National Honors

Congratulations to materials scientist Mas Subramanian on winning the 2025 American Chemical Society National Award in Inorganic Chemistry. This prestigious honor recognizes his groundbreaking work in solid-state inorganic materials, including the discovery of YInMn Blue! Read more about his background and career highlights here.

University Honors

Huge congratulations to our faculty, staff and graduate students for winning nine awards at University Day! These awards highlight excellence in teaching, advising, research and diversity advocacy, showcasing the College as a leader across the university. We’re incredibly proud of all the winners: Steven Tran, Cody Duncan, Elisar Barbar, Staci Bronson, Xiulei (David) Ji, Francis Chan, Dana K. Howe, Andrzej Gladysiak and Taylor Krueger! Read the heartwarming stories from nominators.

Renowned winemaker and alumnus Joel Peterson (‘69) was honored by the Oregon State University Alumni Association at the 2024 Black and Orange Awards. Learn how he gained the nickname, “The Godfather of Zin.”

Congratulations to Joline Nguyen and Hannah Long, the 2024 Mathews Fellowship Award recipients in the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics. This fellowship was established in 2015 through the generosity of Chris and Kate Mathews with the purpose of helping the BB doctoral program recruit and retain top notch students. Meet this year’s recipients.

Chemist Kyriakos Stylianou appeared in Yahoo Tech and Photonics Online for the discovery of a highly efficient photocatalyst using metal-organic frameworks and metal oxides. Check out Photonics Online for the story behind the discovery!

Aquatic ecologist Julie Alexander spoke to CNN about the completion of the largest dam removal project in the US. Learn how dams have a negative impact on rivers.

To help people find the bluest waters, CV Villas collected unfiltered Google map images of 200 beaches around the globe. They then analyzed these images to show their RGB color code. This code was cross-referenced with the color code of the certified bluest shade of blue, YInMn Blue, which was discovered by Mas Subramanian at OSU in 2009. Read which beach takes the top spot!

Move over seahorse dads, there’s a new contender in the realm of extraordinary fatherhood: Gigantic Antarctic sea spiders. Team Science evolutionary biologist Felipe Barreto spoke to National Geographic about the surprising parenting behaviors of these spindly legged creatures. Learn why these dads might take the top spot in parenting. 

Chemist Mas Subramanian, who made color history in 2009 with a vivid blue pigment, appeared in European Coatings magazine for his development of a new, durable, reddish magenta. Read the article and learn how Egyptian chemistry played a role!

A community science initiative along the West Coast is using volunteer observations to study the effect of wildfire smoke on birds. COS researcher Jamie Cornelius shared her research with High Country News, which involves catching, tagging and monitoring common forest songbirds in the smokiest Oregon regions. Learn more about volunteer science and her results here.

Once-towering seaweed forests off the coast of Oregon are beginning to resemble clear-cut wastelands. In 2024, Advance Local Media newsrooms in Alabama, New Jersey, Michigan and Oregon set out to document the changes, with Oregon State marine ecologist Sarah Gravem weighing in for Mass Live. Read her answers here.

Physics student Diego Menendez has spent his undergraduate years working to improve access to STEM for traditionally underrepresented students like him. Through the Oregon State LSAMP program, he’s had opportunities to travel, meet a U.S. senator and stay connected to his Hispanic culture. Hear what Hispanic Heritage Month means to Diego, and learn about his experience as a Latinx person in physics.

Arielle (AJ) Damiana, a Biochemistry and Molecular Biology major, recently had her outreach art piece on cellular aging selected for the 2025 ASBMB (American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology) Molecular Motifs bioart calendar. Damiana created this piece during her PRAX fellowship in biochemist Alysia Vrailas-Mortimer’s lab, and it was exhibited last spring. Read about the national contest and the winners. 

BioHealth Sciences senior Anika Phuvasate and her fellow Oregon State Pre-Dental Club members are organizing free clinics that offer compassionate, judgment-free dental services. These efforts not only restores smiles but also dignity, highlighting that everyone deserves access to essential care. Read highlights in Impact.

At this year’s Ignite in STEM camp, high school students not only worked with microscopic particles but also contributed to our mission of making STEM accessible to everyone. This week-long biomedical learning opportunity provides a hands-on experience for students traditionally underrepresented in STEM fields. Learn more about this initiative here.

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