{"id":1028,"date":"2021-02-26T19:42:00","date_gmt":"2021-02-26T19:42:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/science\/?p=1028"},"modified":"2024-02-23T22:57:40","modified_gmt":"2024-02-23T22:57:40","slug":"february-2021","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/science\/newsletter\/february-2021\/","title":{"rendered":"February 2021"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

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

February 2021<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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

This last year has been like no other. The sudden need to confront unprecedented challenges thrust many in our College into heroes’ journeys \u2013 requiring rapid and wide-reaching action to protect and educate our students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we faced obstacles created by the pandemic, most had little choice but to venture into strange new territory. I am proud of how many of you have gone above and beyond to serve students well and advance research during this time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Across the departments, I have observed remarkable ingenuity, creativity and quick thinking as you overcame challenges. Many of you logged hundreds of hours to redesign courses, transform face-to-face courses and labs into remote environments, organize remote tutoring centers, manufacture and distribute COVID-19 safety supplies and equipment, communicate with students and colleagues, move advising to virtual home offices, and bring a virtual Science education to life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I always look forward to celebrating achievements of faculty, advisors and staff at College award ceremonies, but this year will be particularly meaningful. Please take time to nominate your colleagues<\/a> for an award by Feb. 1<\/strong>5 <\/strong>(extended deadline) if you haven’t done so already. Students can nominate advisors and instructors for the Carter and Boedtker awards until March 1<\/strong>. Please help spread the word!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This year, we will combine ceremonies for our Faculty and Staff Awards and Teaching and Advising Awards into one virtual event on April 22 (see events below). There is much to celebrate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It’s clear that many adaptations made during this difficult time will transform our educational model in lasting ways and leave us stronger for students. Our university and College will be better equipped to provide access to more learners \u2013 a goal OSU President King Alexander often emphasizes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This Thursday, you will have the opportunity to hear firsthand President Alexander’s longterm vision for OSU and what he sees as the College’s role in achieving that vision. I encourage you to join an exclusive College of Science discussion with President Alexander<\/strong> and Provost Ed Feser. The meeting will begin with a short intro talk and then open up for a live Q&A session. Please join us February 4, 1:30 \u2013 2:15 p.m. on <\/strong>Zoom<\/strong><\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I look forward to the virtual gathering of our community to think about the future and how we will leverage new lessons and applications. The conflict and adversity you have experienced is significant. It’s encouraging to look to the hopeful time ahead when we complete our current journey and return to a new normal, transformed.<\/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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Graphic showing pulsar light traveling to Earth amid a sea of gravitational waves. (Image by: NANOGrav\/T. Klein)<\/small><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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

Astrophysicist Xavier Siemens<\/strong> and fellow NANOGrav researchers \u2013 including College of Science students \u2013 took a big step forward<\/a> in their quest to detect gravitational waves caused by supermassive black holes. Success in the next stage will unravel questions about how the Universe forms and grows over cosmic time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Emeritus Professor of integrative biology George Poinar Jr.,<\/strong> has identified two new species trapped in ancient amber: a spectacular new genus and species of flower<\/a> from the mid-Cretaceous period, part of a forest that existed 100 million years ago, and a new genus<\/a> and species of cylindrical bark beetle<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Microbiologist Stephen Giovannoni <\/strong>received $260K from the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences for a project entitled “BIOS-SCOPE II \u2013 A Collaborative Program for the Study of Microbial Oceanography in the North Atlantic Subtropical Gyre.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Microbiologist James Fox<\/strong> received $140K from NASA for a project entitled “Global assessment of climate driven trends in marine primary productivity.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chemist Marilyn Mackiewicz<\/strong> received two grants in December and January:<\/p>\n\n\n\n