For our graduates, an Oregon State science education opens doors to many opportunities to protect the planet and improve society. At OSU, they sought out experiences, career training and connections that would help them prepare for a rewarding job and a meaningful future.
Below are just some of their accomplishments.
Science alumna Giulia Wood selected for 2026 Marshall Scholarship. Giulia Wood (Biochemistry and molecular biology & environmental sciences, ’23 ) earned dual degrees before completing a master’s in ocean sciences. She was named a Marshall Scholar — the first student from OSU to earn the achievement) and in pursuit of a Ph.D. in marine science at the University of Liverpool, building on her Antarctic krill research that began at OSU. The prestigious Marshall Scholarship gives U.S. college students the chance to study any academic subject at UK universities of their choice for up to three years.
Leader in data science curricula development wins Early Career Alumni Award. Heather Kitada Smalley (Ph.D., ’18), a statistics alumna, leads data science curriculum development as an associate professor at Willamette University. She earned the College of Science Early Career Alumni Award for her innovative teaching and outreach, including hands-on learning at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry.
Meet Scott Clark, an OSU science alum who built a $30M AI startup. Scott Clark (Mathematics, ’08) combined math, physics and computational skills at OSU to launch SigOpt, an AI optimization startup later acquired by Intel. Today, he heads Distributional Inc., a company advancing trustworthy AI and recently raised $30 million to accelerate its mission.
Chemistry alumna strides from ROTC to regulatory consultant. Chemistry alum Lia Murty (B.S. ’08, M.S. ’12) transitioned from ROTC and chemistry studies at OSU to a career in regulatory consulting. As a senior consultant at Compliance Services International, she helps guide biotech and biopesticide products through complex approval processes.
“Take the initiative, even if you’re wrong, even if it ends up failing,” she advised. “You might start a bunch of stuff that doesn’t work, but you’ll start something. Whatever you’re thinking about, I’d say just do it.”
What do mathematicians do? This mathematics grad began a technical writing career at Amazon. Megan Tucker (Mathematics, ’20) turned her mathematics degree into a technical writing career at Amazon Web Services. She now translates complex STEM concepts into clear documentation and is pursuing graduate studies in writing to deepen her craft.
“It felt great to graduate knowing I could continue to learn and write about science and become an expert in fields I wouldn’t have known existed until someone said, ‘We need a tech writer.’”
Biochemistry and biophysics alumnus gives undergrads unexpected career advice. Kyle Ireton (Biochemistry and biophysics, ’12), earned a Ph.D. in neuroscience and now works as a senior statistical programmer at Syneos Health. He manages clinical data for nerve-stimulation devices and encourages students to explore diverse career paths.
"Figure out how to connect with people along many different career paths and hear from them what their career paths have been and how they got there," he said. "This can really help you decide what path you want to go down and the concrete steps you have to take."
How Peggy Cherng used her analytical know-how to help build a restaurant empire. Peggy Cherng (Mathematics, ’71) studied applied mathematics at OSU, co-founded Panda Express and helped transform it into a global restaurant empire. Her analytical skills shaped the company’s technology and operations, and she continues to champion education and philanthropy.
Young Alumni Award: Excellence in neuroscience education. With her College of Science degree, Tari Tan (Biochemistry and biophysics, ’08) entered Harvard University, graduating with her Ph.D. in Neurobiology in 2016. She then began teaching an upper-division undergraduate course she created.
Alumni Awards: Raising the bar for diversity in the legal profession. Although at first glance the law and science are quite different, Román Hernández says they require many of the same skills. “I fall back on that methodical way of thinking and critical reasoning skills. Those are applicable in what I do day-to-day,” he said. “I think it prepared me well.”
Mathematics alum uses disease modeling to help keep OSU community safe. Peter Banwarth (M.S. mathematics ’12) is an epidemiologist and public health data scientist with the Benton County Health Department in Oregon. He has developed models to guide county health policies on testing, safety and health measures for employees and the public to minimize infections and deaths in Corvallis and nearby areas.
“A lot of what I do is really collaborative learning. I learn from the folks I work with, their side of things, and then I help them learn the mathematical and the data side of the work that they're doing,” he said.
Biology alumna at the forefront of migrant healthcare in Oregon during the Covid-19 pandemic. Dr. Eva Galvez’s (Biology, ’99) family background and passion for holistic care have led her into migrant labor camps, radio stations, mobile clinics, and the world of public policy, but as a member of underrepresented groups, she wasn’t always sure these things would be possible for her.
While at OSU, she says she felt supported in her challenging courses, especially by her pre-medicine advisor who preached tough love and maintained high expectations that she knew Galvez could fulfill.
“I didn't have a lot of confidence in my math and my science abilities, but I had the desire. I had the drive, I had the passion, and I also had a lot of people along the way supporting me.”
Oregon State alum plays integral role in Perseverance landing on Mars. Planetary geologist Briony Horgan's (Physics, ’05) research was key to determining the location on Mars for the Perseverance rover to explore.
Native to Portland, Oregon, Horgan fostered a passion for geology from an early age, surrounded by the unique geography of the Pacific Northwest throughout her childhood and undergraduate studies.
“Geology was something I absolutely loved because it explains how the world around us came to be over millions and billions of years,” Horgan said. “Doing that in space is even more interesting because the time scales are even more crazy. On Mars, we’re talking about 4 billion years of evolution that produced the rocks we see.”
Marine biology alumna develops tool to improve care for the giant Pacific octopus. Meghan Holst (Biology, ’14), a biologist at the Aquarium of the Bay in San Francisco, co-developed a tool to help aquarists make difficult end-of-life decisions for giant Pacific octopuses, a popular species in aquariums across the U.S. Her experiences with the resident giant Pacific octopus at Oregon State’s Hatfield Marine Science Center was the catalyst for her eventual research impacting thousands of aquarists and the species they care for.
A passion for wildlife conservation: Zoologist takes care of a little bit of Africa. A zoology graduate from Oregon State University, Molly Cordell (Zoology, ’16) landed an internship at Safari West in Santa Rosa, California after graduation and was hired at the end of the internship.
The journey there was full of experiences, clubs and undergrad internships as she explored in which capacity she wanted to work with animals. Throughout those experiences, Jennifer Olarra, science advisor, was her constant encourager. “I swear that woman is a big part of me getting through college,” Cordell says. “She was always available to help. She would listen to what I was interested in and help me figure it out. She didn’t ever make me feel like I couldn’t do what I wanted to do.”
As scientists, we are driven to understand the world around us, and it’s not always clear what that looks like in terms of a career.
But the best part about science? The major you choose does not limit your career options. It opens doors to satisfying careers in science, art, business, education, politics and beyond that you may not even be aware of. Our science career advisor can help you clarify your interests, skills and values, and connect them to possible majors or careers. Our Science Success Center team can also help you set goals, access helpful resources and develop a career plan.
You won’t know what you love to do unless you experiment a bit. So, whether you take a small step like signing up for a class or you dive head-first into an internship at a medical clinic in Spain, take a deep breath, roll up your sleeves and reach out!
Oregon State is 31,000+ alumni strong. Leverage that network by searching for a mentor, an internship or employment connections with these tools:
Are you ready to get started? Science students are leading the way in solving some of the most pressing societal and global challenges. Getting hands-on experience can be key to getting your foot in the door and exploring the career of your dreams.
Whether you are working for a private firm, a research lab or a government organization, an internship offers invaluable experience that complements classroom learning and provides you with practical skills and field-specific knowledge essential for success in your future career. Through internships, you’ll have opportunities to apply knowledge from the classroom to real-world problems, gaining hands-on experience and building professional networks within your chosen field. Internships are also key in setting up for success in the competitive job market upon graduation. Employers look at internships as one of the main recruiting tools to recruit entry-level college graduates.
"An internship is a form of experiential learning that integrates knowledge and theory learned in the classroom with practical application and skills development in a professional workplace setting." - National Association of Colleges and Employers
Studies show that post-college candidates are much more likely to land a full-time, rewarding career after completing an internship. Want more info about finding internships as an OSU student? Check out our Find an Internship page.
Employers and hiring managers tend to look more favorably on job candidates boasting internship experience. If you want to make the best possible leap from college to career, internships are crucial.
Get the preparation you need to obtain an internship by visiting the Career Development Center at OSU.
