{"id":885,"date":"2023-06-15T22:51:44","date_gmt":"2023-06-15T22:51:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/science\/?p=885"},"modified":"2023-09-29T02:00:56","modified_gmt":"2023-09-29T02:00:56","slug":"june-2023","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/science\/newsletter\/june-2023\/","title":{"rendered":"June 2023"},"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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<\/span>\"Dean
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Words from the Dean<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

June 2023<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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

As we head into Summer 2023, I hope you are all able to rejuvenate and take a well-deserved break. I want to express my gratitude for all you have done this year to advance knowledge and transform lives to create a thriving Science community. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to lead our College throughout this academic year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I also want to take a moment to extend my heartfelt congratulations to the 20 College of Science faculty members who have been promoted and\/or received tenure this year (see below). This represents significant milestones in your academic careers, and we are immensely proud of your accomplishments and look forward to your continued success. Thank you also to all of the committee members<\/a> who served on the College of Science Promotions and Tenure Committee this year as well as the members of unit Promotions and Tenure committees who served diligently at the unit level. Moving our colleagues forward in their careers is one of our most important community efforts. Their success is our collective success. Please read on in this newsletter and in Impact-Faculty excellence<\/a> to learn more about them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During this transition year, Our College has achieved significant milestones together. I have been inspired by the tremendous care and investment that each one of you demonstrates in the College. Your dedication to our mission, our students and one another is remarkable, and it has been a privilege to witness how well this team works together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This year, I charged Associate Deans Jessica Siegel and Virginia Weis, Director of Equity, Access and Inclusion Kameron Kadooka, and Project & Events Manager Tze-Yiu Yong, to jointly lead the initiative, Moving Science Forward<\/a>. This initiative is a joint implementation of the College of Science\u2019s two strategic plans developed over two years 2020-2022; Embedding Equity, Access and Inclusion<\/a> and Extending<\/a> the Reach and Impact of Science<\/a>. I am very proud of these plans. They capture our commitments to our community and provide a roadmap for transformation in the college. You can view our progress in the new implementation reporting tool<\/a> that our marketing and communication team has developed this year for transparent communication of our progress. Moving forward, let us collectively commit to continue to work on these plans together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019d like to also note the significant strides we\u2019ve taken in our faculty recruitment process, creating best practices that reflect our values and help in recruiting a pool of strong and diverse candidates to our college. We have also strengthened other processes, such as implementing fair, transparent and just rubrics for awards to improve inclusivity and help ensure opportunities for all to engage in science. Our processes for hiring and dual hires have also seen notable improvements, and we are committed to further enhancing them. You can read about additional progress embedding equity, access and inclusion in our work here<\/a><\/ins>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Working to create more financial stability and transparency in budgeting has also been a high priority for us this year, and we are taking steps to help ensure the fiscal health of the College. As I shared in the last newsletter, we are in the process of hiring a financial planning manager who will play a crucial role in achieving this. I invite you to read our <\/a>FY23 Strategic Financial Report<\/a> for detailed budget information, and to learn more about our new hires aimed to strengthen the College. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Regarding the selection of a new permanent dean, we look to the Provost’s Office for updates. In his June 7 email to our College, Provost Ed Feser shared that \u201cwe are making progress, and I\u2019ll send another update when there is substantive news to share.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once again, thank you for all your hard work throughout this year. It\u2019s been a joy working with you as we harness Team Science for a healthier, more sustainable future. Wishing you a summer filled with adventure, relaxation and joy!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Warm regards,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vrushali Bokil<\/strong>
Interim 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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Malgo Peszynska’s team will develop algorithms for approximations of solutions to the models of coupled processes in the Arctic including the thermal, hydrological, mechanical, and biosphere processes<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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

Microscopic algae that corals need for survival harbors a common and possibly disease-causing virus<\/a> in their genetic material. Kalia Bistolas<\/strong>, a postdoctoral scholar in microbiology, along with Emile F. Pernot Distinguished Professor in Microbiology Rebecca Vega Thurber<\/strong>, co-led the study. Their work sheds light on the threats faced by coral reefs, particularly as the climate continues to change. Findings were published in Communications Biology<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Malgo Peszynska<\/strong> received $388K from the National Science Foundation Computation Mathematics Program for her project entitled, \u201cComputational Mathematics of Arctic Processes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kyriakos Stylianou<\/strong> received $50K from the Medical Research Foundation of Oregon for his project entitled, \u201cIron(III) Chelates Assembled into Hierarchical Metal-Organic Framework Nanoparticles with pH-dependent Theranostic Activity.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sarah Gravem<\/strong> received $33K from The Ocean Foundation for her project entitled, \u201cSubtidal and aerial surveys of Oregon\u2019s kelp forests to inform a status report and kelp forest recovery\/management plan.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Colin Johnson<\/strong> received two grants for his project entitled, “Characterization of the deafness associated hair cell protein otoferlin.” He received $50K from the American Hearing Research Foundation and $50K from the Medical Research Foundation of Oregon.<\/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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<\/span>\"Decorative
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Congratulations<\/h4>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Congratulations, promoted faculty!<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Chemistry Department<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n