{"id":1009,"date":"2022-03-26T17:57:00","date_gmt":"2022-03-26T17:57:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/science\/?p=1009"},"modified":"2024-02-06T22:19:06","modified_gmt":"2024-02-06T22:19:06","slug":"march-2022","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/science\/newsletter\/march-2022\/","title":{"rendered":"March 2022"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

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Words from the Dean<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

March 2022<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Dear colleagues,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I would like to take this month’s newsletter to provide an update on the College finances. We have created a new webpage with college financial reports<\/a> going back to 2019. At that webpage, you will find the financial report that I have just submitted to the Provost for this year. In this year’s report (PDF)<\/a>, you will find a description of how the College develops its internal budget for the departments, an overview of FY21’s revenues and expenses, our most recent year-end fund balances, a summary of the current finances of the college, and a look at the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First, the good news. Our Ecampus revenue has soared, averaging 27% growth per year for the past three years, and is projected to grow faster than the rest of campus for at least a few more years. Our research funding grew last year to $24.4M, an increase of 55% over the three-year average, led by the Physics Frontiers Center but with contributions from across the College. We continue to set aside significant funds for research support and development \u2013 this year more than $1M \u2013 to build on that momentum. Since the summer of 2017, we have raised $42.8M in philanthropy and the College endowment has grown to $48.5M, including OSU’s first endowment for scholarships for students with disabilities. The number of Science majors now exceeds 4,000 students for the first time ever. As a College, we have built a fund balance of more than $9M over the past few years (though much of that is committed to startups and other needs), and we entered FY22 with all departments in the black, the first time in at least five years. We are hiring a significant number of faculty this year. And we will have new and renovated buildings on the horizon!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now the more challenging news. The part of our core education and general fund budget that does not come from Ecampus \u2013 essentially that part associated with on-campus instruction \u2013 continues to decline significantly. This is due to two factors. First, our on-campus student credit hours (SCH) continue a decline that began in 2015. This is due primarily to students \u2013 both our majors and others \u2013 arriving to OSU with more credits. Other factors include some majors requiring few science student credit hours (SCH) and a relatively flat on-campus enrollment. Second, the part of OSU’s budget that generates Science’s non-Ecampus budget has been shrinking. This is called the Academic Productivity Pool net of Ecampus, and it has shrunk by 24% over four years, and is projected to shrink again next year. There are two reasons for this shrinkage: OSU’s Corvallis-based net tuition revenue has declined 11.2% over the same time period, and campus “taxes” on the Academic Productivity Pool have increased (some of which benefits the College, such as funds set aside for building renovation and repair).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To mitigate these challenges, we need to work both externally and internally. Externally, we need to support OSU’s work to grow our on-campus enrollment and net tuition revenue. I will continue to voice my concerns over campus taxes on the Academic Productivity Pool to the Provost and Budget Office, and they are committed to looking at solutions. Internally, we need to look at new offerings in areas that will attract new students both to campus and Ecampus, continue to grow our Ecampus revenue in other ways, grow our extramural funding, grow our philanthropy, and continue to be frugal where possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lastly, on a different note, I hope that you join me and the rest of the College at Monday’s Future of Science Thought Leadership Forum. I am looking forward to hearing from some of the most senior scientists in the country who are specifically attending to speak to our College. Register here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Roy Haggerty<\/strong>
Dean, College of Science<\/small><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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All the news that’s fit to print.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Please submit news, honors and awards, discoveries, events, research funding, student news, alumni updates and more. Just send us a quick email<\/a><\/strong> by the end of the month.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Research updates<\/h4>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Pisaster ochraceus<\/em>, the ochre sea star, is a keystone species in the intertidal waters of the Oregon Coast.<\/small><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Research Highlights<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Biochemist Maca Franco<\/strong> and collaborators discovered a new class of drugs<\/a> for people suffering from neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and Lou Gehrig’s disease. Their findings were published recently in Redox Biology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Biochemist Adrian (Fritz) Gombart <\/strong>and researchers from the University of Nebraska Medical Center have made a key advance against dangerous and costly surgical site infections, the type of infection most commonly associated with health care procedures. They found that adding an enzyme inhibitor to nanofiber-based wound dressings loaded with vitamin D<\/a> resulted in cells better producing an antimicrobial peptide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Biologists Felipe Barreto, Sarah Gravem <\/strong>and Ph.D. candidate Andrea Burton <\/strong>found that healthy-looking ochre sea stars have minimal genetic difference<\/a> from those displaying symptoms of sea star wasting syndrome. Without genes promoting resistance to wasting syndrome, the iconic Pacific Ocean sea star’s ability to persist through future outbreaks is in greater doubt. Their findings were published in Molecular Ecology<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Research Funding<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Congratulations to David Hendrix<\/strong>, associate professor of biochemistry and biophysics, on his recent award of $638K from the United States Department of Agriculture! Collaborating with OSU faculty in pharmacy and agriculture, his project will use genomic and bioinformatic tools<\/a> to increase the viability of hop and hemp products for medical and commercial uses around the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Biochemist Maria Franco <\/strong>received $76K from the National Institutes of Health for a project entitled “Redox Signaling in Neurofibromatosis.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Research Proposal Support<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

You can find funding opportunities on ECOS<\/a>. To access a suite of tools and resources available to faculty, visit the College of Science Proposal Support webpage<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Congratulations<\/h4>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Congratulations to the award winners of the 2022 Combined College of Science Awards Ceremony. These awards celebrate the best of our College: distinguished contributions to science, commitment to service and inclusive excellence, and deep dedication to the success of our students. The accomplishments of this year’s nominees and awardees bring tremendous credit not only to the College of Science, but also to Oregon State University.<\/p>\n\n\n\n