{"id":1068,"date":"2021-07-08T20:01:00","date_gmt":"2021-07-08T20:01:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/science\/?p=1068"},"modified":"2024-02-06T22:55:54","modified_gmt":"2024-02-06T22:55:54","slug":"summer-2021","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/science\/newsletter\/summer-2021\/","title":{"rendered":"Summer 2021"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

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

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

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

Each summer, I set priorities for the coming year, and as I have done a number of times in the past, I would like to share my priorities for the College for 2021-22 with you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First, I would like the College to begin to implement our new <\/strong>Diversity Action Plan<\/strong><\/a>. The plan has five goals:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  1. Embed, integrate and advance inclusive excellence within all aspects of the college, which will include hiring a full-time Program Director for Equity, Access and Inclusion;<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Establish holistic, inclusive, and equitable hiring, recruitment, and retention practices;<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Create a welcoming college climate to support a sense of belonging, and equitable learning and training experiences;<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Provide innovative, inclusive, accessible, and equitable access to learning and research experiences that incorporate global experiences; and<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. Communicate accomplishments reflecting our commitments to inclusion and mutual respect of all members while enhancing visibility of minoritized communities.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    The plan is adaptive, and so feedback and new ideas are always welcome. Please hold Thu., Oct. 7 noon \u2013 1 pm for a presentation to faculty and staff followed by discussion. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Second, next year, we will write a new Strategic Plan for 2022 \u2013 2027<\/strong>. The strategic plan will be aligned with the OSU SP4.0, will encompass research, teaching and inclusive excellence, and will provide the basis for much of our work and decisions for the coming five years. Associate Dean Bokil has agreed to lead the strategic planning effort. Nominations to serve on the strategic plan are welcome. <\/strong>Development of the strategic plan will be open and transparent and involve many conversations across the college.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Third, we will continue to cultivate faculty excellence and scholarship<\/strong>, building on an award-winning year of wonderful successes even in the midst of pandemic challenges. In FY21, our research awards rose to $24.4M, a 55% increase over the average of the previous three years and our second-highest award level in at least 11 years (FY12 had slightly higher awards at $24.8M). Those increases were distributed broadly across the college, in five different units \u2013 look for a story in Impact in the coming weeks. This year, we will launch searches for tenure-track faculty in every department and for several fixed-term faculty. We will increase the investment in the Research Reserve from $800K per year to $1M per year, some of which will be used to fund infrastructure and equipment improvements, and we will continue with the successful SciRIS<\/a> program to accelerate the pace of research, discovery and innovation in the College. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    We are looking forward to exciting launches of new centers such as NANOGrav<\/a> led by Xavi Siemens, and to the results that will come from the individual research of many faculty members, such as Holly Swisher’s new NSF grant in number theory. I love Dr. Swisher’s introduction to her winning proposal, which reads, “One of the beautiful things about number theory is that seemingly simple questions, when deeply investigated, can blossom into rich and intricate discoveries.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Fourth, we must stay focused on<\/strong> student recruitment, retention and success<\/strong>, including expanding opportunities for Honors thesis projects, increasing need-based scholarships, building out the Ecampus Zoology degree (closing in on 300 students total, in two years) and launching the Ecampus BioHealth Sciences degree. This year, we will hire a recruiter to help grow our enrollment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Fifth, we will continue to improve the fiscal health of the college<\/strong>. While the pandemic definitely hurt all of OSU, we did manage to finish the year with a balanced budget. FY22 may still contain challenges, depending on net tuition revenue, which is still uncertain. However, in FY21 our Ecampus enrollment grew by 36%, much of which is permanent growth, and which is in large measure what will allow us to hire the faculty mentioned above. We are looking for growth in the future from our new BHS pathway and healthier on-campus numbers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Sixth, we will make significant progress in fundraising<\/strong>. In FY21, we raised more than $7M, bringing us to $37.5M raised since the summer of 2017. These funds pay for our scholarships (nearly $1M per year), endowed professorships, lab equipment, faculty startup, research and many other critical needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    We anticipate the return to a robust on-campus experience for students, faculty and staff in the fall. This is a step back toward normalcy but with enough caution to keep everyone safe (for the latest, see Beaver Healthy<\/a>). To kick it off with an exciting science-centric day, OSU will host Holden Thorp (editor of Science), on University Day, Sept. 14. <\/strong>I would like to ask all of you to attend his keynote address, 10\u201311:30 a.m.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Roy Haggerty<\/strong>
    Dean, College of Science<\/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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    The eastern spadefoot, Scaphiopus holbrookii<\/em>, is one of the least studied frogs due to a misconception that it spends most of its time below ground<\/small><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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

    Research led by biochemist Adrian Gombart <\/strong>suggests a pair of compounds originating from hops can help thwart a dangerous buildup of fat in the liver<\/a> known as hepatic steatosis. Compounds produced by hops can mitigate diet-induced accumulation of fat in the liver.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Emeritus professor of integrative biology George Poinar Jr<\/strong>., an international expert in studying ancient plant and animal life preserved in amber, has made two recent discoveries: The first is the oldest known specimen of a fungus parasitizing an ant<\/a>, and the second is a 100-million-year-old weevil<\/a> that represents a new tribe, genus and species of weevil. The findings were published in Fungal Biology and Cretaceous Research, respectively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Biologist David Lytle<\/strong> and Ph.D. students Angelika Kurthen<\/strong> and Jared Freedman<\/strong> worked with the U.S. Geological Survey in March to examine the quantity and diversity of invertebrates in the Grand Canyon<\/a> to better understand Colorado River ecosystems as the river continues to decline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Integrative biology Ph.D. student Anne Devan-Song’s<\/strong> research on the eastern spadefoot toad has upended the conventional wisdom<\/a> that for a century has incorrectly guided its study. Her study illustrates how confirmation bias can hamper discovery and the development of better theories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    New NSF Center<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Astrophysicist Xavier Siemens<\/strong> will lead the new $17M National Science Foundation NANOGrav Physics Frontier Center at OSU<\/a>. The quest for new knowledge about the universe and gravitational waves will include 200 astrophysicists at 18 universities and 20 graduate and undergraduate students at OSU.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

    Biologist Felipe Barreto <\/strong>received $598K from the National Science Foundation for a project entitled “Evolutionary genetics of an alternative molecular mechanism of hypoxia response in metazoans.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Biochemist Michael Freitag<\/strong> received $63K from the University of Georgia for a project entitled “Transcriptional repression by Polycomb Repressive Complex 2.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Microbiologist Stephen Giovannoni<\/strong> received $95K from NSF for a project entitled “Dimensions: Collaborative Research: Functional and genomic diversity in vitamin B1 metabolism and impacts on plankton networks and productivity.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Chemist Dipankar Koley <\/strong>received $423K from the National Institutes of Health \u2013 Dental & Craniofacial Research for a project entitled “Manipulation of Bacterial Metabolism: A New Approach to Develop Smart Dental Composites.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Biologist David Lytle<\/strong> received $90K from the USDA Forest Service for a project entitled “Wilderness canyon ecosystems: from streamflow to bugs to birds.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Biochemist Ryan Mehl <\/strong>has received multiple federal grants to carry forward his research on genetic code expansion:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    1. He received $1.21M from NSF for a project entitled “Ideal Eukaryotic Tetrazine Ligations For Imaging Protein Dynamics in Live Cells.”<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    2. Mehl was awarded $1.145M by NIH for his project entitled “Defining Roles of NitroTyrosine in Disease Via Genetic Code Expansion.”<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    3. Mehl and biochemist Rick Cooley received $1.65M from Amgen for projects on the engineering of antibodies as therapeutics using genetic code expansion.

      Read more<\/a> about his work and the grants.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

      Physicist Heidi Schellman<\/strong> received $100K from NSF for a project entitled “Experimental Neutrino Physics.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Microbiologist Martin Schuster<\/strong> received $711K from NSF for a project entitled “Self versus group-sensing in bacteria.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Microbiologist Chris Suffridge<\/strong> received $200K from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife for a project in collaboration with UC Davis entitled “Rapid response to understanding causes, impacts and treatments of thiamine deficiency in California salmon.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Mathematician Holly Swisher<\/strong> received $212K from NSF for a project entitled “Modular forms, combinatorial generating functions, and hypergeometric functions.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Biologist Virginia Weis <\/strong>received $598K from NSF for a project entitled “Collaborative Research: Cell biology of cnidarian-dinoflagellate symbiosis: Signaling, regulation and host response pathways.”<\/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>.<\/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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      University Honors<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

      Congratulations to microbiologist Maude David<\/strong> for receiving the 2020 Breaking Barriers Award in Education<\/a> for her excellent and high impact teaching and mentoring that has paved the way for gender equity in higher education.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      College Honors<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

      Congratulations to microbiology Ph.D. student Christine Tataru<\/a><\/strong>, the 2021-22 Larry W. Martin & Joyce B. O’Neill Fellow. Christine uses computational modeling to understand how gut microbiomes impact their human hosts’ health. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      The 2020-21 Larry Martin and Joyce B. O’Neill Fellow was Bryan K. Lynn<\/a><\/strong>, a Ph.D. student in integrative biology. Lynn is a dedicated activist and co-founder of OSU’s first Out in STEM chapter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      The Martin-O’Neill Fellowship<\/a> is awarded to a graduate student from any department in the College of Science whose research involves computational modeling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Student Honors<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

      Nine 2021 SURE scholars and their summer research projects were recently featured on College of Science social media platforms. Check them out on Instagram<\/a>, Facebook<\/a>, Twitter<\/a> and LinkedIn<\/a>. Congratulations to these students who are among 41 SURE scholars this year:<\/p>\n\n\n\n