{"id":1087,"date":"2021-11-08T23:39:00","date_gmt":"2021-11-08T23:39:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/science\/?p=1087"},"modified":"2024-02-06T23:02:13","modified_gmt":"2024-02-06T23:02:13","slug":"november-2021","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/science\/newsletter\/november-2021\/","title":{"rendered":"November 2021"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

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Research<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Honors<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Visibility<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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News<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Events<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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

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

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

I hope you all will join me at the College of Science Distinguished Lecture featuring Dr. Michael Waterman (Mathematics \u201964, \u201966) next week. One of the most brilliant thinkers in the field of computational biology and bioinformatics, he will present the lecture at 5:30 p.m., Wednesday, November 10 (details below). Register here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Waterman is a superb example of the best of Oregon State University. A first-generation college student from an isolated livestock ranch on the south coast of Oregon, he heartily supports OSU\u2019s mission, which is rooted in our land-grant tradition of commitment to engaging in exceptional research, education, innovation and engagement. Starting at OSU, he is now an elected member of both the U.S. National Academy of Sciences and of Engineering, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and both the French and Chinese Academies of Sciences. He has received the William Benter Prize in Applied Mathematics, the Gairdner Foundation International Award in Biomedical Sciences, the Dan David Future Prize in Bioinformatics and a Guggenheim Fellowship. He is also one of our most generous donors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Upon entering Oregon State, Dr. Waterman remembered being awestruck by the educational opportunities before him, including a library filled with so many books that he thought he was in heaven. At OSU, a \u201cdoorway to the rest of the world,\u201d he earned bachelor\u2019s and master\u2019s degrees in mathematics, and then earned a Ph.D. in statistics and probability at Michigan State University. He then worked at Los Alamos National Laboratory where his reputation grew as he worked with prominent mathematicians.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Waterman, now known as the \u201cfather of computational biology,\u201d went on to make an international impact as a renowned scientist at the convergence of mathematics and biology. His work formed one of the theoretical cornerstones for many DNA mapping and sequencing projects, including the Human Genome Project, and has contributed to some of the most widely used tools in the field.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reflecting on his own journey, Dr. Waterman considered ways he might impact future generations of scientists, especially first-generation students from rural, less privileged communities like his own. This inspired him to establish an endowed scholarship for science students. His legacy gift, the Michael and Tracey Waterman Scholarship, is the second largest in the College\u2019s history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I am eager to hear more about his experiences at OSU and Oregon and his insights into the integration of mathematics and the life sciences at his upcoming lecture. I am also delighted to share that Dr. Waterman is receiving the College of Science’s 2021 Lifetime Achievement in Science Award for his remarkable accomplishments that have brought honor, distinction and visibility to the University. He is a very worthy recipient and I am looking forward to his Distinguished Lecture.<\/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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Sun and collaborators in the College used a type of artificial intelligence known as computer vision to track a cell’s migration program based on its shape<\/small><\/small><\/small><\/small><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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

Research from physicist Bo Sun<\/strong> has shed new light on the way malignant cells change their shape and migration techniques to invade different types of tissue. The findings, published in Scientific Reports<\/strong><\/a>, are a key step toward understanding and preventing cancer metastasis<\/a>, the internal spreading of the disease that’s responsible for 95% of all cancer deaths.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Physicist Heidi Schellman<\/strong> is leading an international experiment to study neutrinos and their anti-matter counterparts, antineutrinos, that could reveal the secret of how the universe exists<\/a>. The project, titled “Essential Computing and Software Development for the DUNE experiment,” has received a $3M grant from the Department of Energy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A study led by microbiologist Ryan Mueller <\/strong>sheds new light on the mechanisms of carbon cycling in the ocean, using a novel approach to track which microbes are consuming different types of organic carbon produced by common phytoplankton species. The research is an important step toward forecasting how much carbon will leave the ocean<\/a> for the atmosphere as greenhouse gas carbon dioxide and how much will end up entombed in marine sediments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Amber research from the Department of Integrative Biology’s George Poinar Jr. <\/strong>has produced the first definite identification of grass in fossilized tree resin<\/a> from the Baltic region, home to the world’s most well-known amber deposits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A new study led by epidemiologist Anna Jolles<\/strong> on foot-and-mouth disease among buffalo in South Africa could help explain how certain extremely contagious pathogens are able to persist<\/a> and reach endemic stage in a population, long after they’ve burned through their initial pool of susceptible hosts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Biologist Kirsten Grorud-Colvert<\/strong> received $364K from the National Philanthropic Trust for a project entitled “Achieving effective ocean protection: Using the MPA guide to advance global commitments.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chemist May Nyman <\/strong>received $954K from the U.S. Department of Energy for a project entitled “Passive and enhanced capture and conversion of CO2 by d\/f0 molecules and materials.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Microbiologist Christopher Suffridge<\/strong> received $143K  from the University of California – Davis for a project entitled “Rapid response to understanding causes, impacts, and treatments of thiamine deficiency in California Salmon.”<\/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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University and College Honors<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

We are very proud of all the graduate students who received awards, fellowships & honors<\/a> this year. These range from prestigious National Science Foundation fellowships, ARCS Foundation-Oregon chapter awards to the Provost’s Graduate Fellowships and several donor-supported research awards. Congratulations to all who were recognized for their accomplishments at the College’s Graduate Student Appreciation Night event October 14, 2021.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The recently concluded Scholarship Dessert celebrated 248 recipients who received $863K in scholarships. An inspiring video<\/a> shown at the event and featuring our students attests to the powerful impact of philanthropy and scholarships on their education and careers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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