Celebrating College of Science award winners at University Day 2025

Student Learning and Success Teamwork Award

The General Chemistry Team received the Student Learning and Success Teamwork Award. This award recognizes departments or interdisciplinary groups that have demonstrated exceptional teamwork in creating and sustaining an exemplary teaching and learning environment that advances the university’s strategic goal of student success and excellence.

Oregon State’s general chemistry sequence is often a student’s first experience with college-level science. Thousands of students pursuing science degrees, as well as students from every college and Ecampus, complete the sequence.

The General Chemistry Teaching Team has collaborated extensively to improve instructional practices, revamping lectures, labs and exams. In-class peer learning assistants and teaching assistants help students feel like they belong. The team’s faculty nominator notes their efforts “not only help students succeed in these courses but also help students be successful in future science courses.” They have had “a strongly positive, measurable impact” on students, most of whom are in their first year at OSU.

A student nominator says, “Chemistry is a subject that students such as myself are often terrified of.” But she felt “a deep sense of relief” on the first day of class when her professor acknowledged that while chemistry could be challenging, she would always be available for questions and assistance. And she was.

The team consists of the following members: Marita Barth, Michael Burand, Denis Drolet, Margaret Haak, Jun Li, Amila Liyanage, Shrikant Londhe, Richard Nafshun, Cassie Siler, Artiom Skripka, John Terhorst, Paula Weiss, and Lou Wojcinski.

Impact Award for Outstanding Scholarship

Physics Professor Xavier Siemens received the Impact Award for Outstanding Scholarship. This award recognizes faculty who have demonstrated outstanding scholarship in a specific project or activity resulting in substantial impact beyond the university setting.

Xavier Siemens is director of the NSF-funded North American Nanohertz Observatory for Gravitational Waves, an international collaboration of more than 200 astrophysicists at more than 90 institutions. In this 15-year study, the NANOGrav team presented evidence of a chorus of low-frequency gravitational waves, which is key to understanding how structures form in the universe.

The NANOGrav discovery was featured in media outlets worldwide, including the New York Times, Nature, Reuters, AP News, The Guardian, The Washington Post, BBC and NPR. It was also named among the top 11 most astonishing scientific discoveries of 2023 by National Geographic.

Siemens’ faculty nominators note he is the most cited faculty member at Oregon State with 110,563 citations. “His groundbreaking contributions have deepened our collective understanding of the universe, inspiring curiosity and wonder on a global scale.” Siemens also developed a popular Ecampus course introducing modern astronomy research, has taught upper-division and graduate courses and has mentored numerous students pursuing research in astrophysics.

Elizabeth P. Ritchie Distinguished Professor Award

Mathematics Professor Mary Beisiegel received the Elizabeth P. Richie Distinguished Professor Award. This award recognizes an OSU faculty member for outstanding undergraduate teaching and research focused on the improvement of instruction and professional leadership.

Mary Beisiegel has consistently earned excellent teaching evaluations — especially for the instructor’s contribution — from students across a range of courses. A leader in mathematics education at Oregon State and nationally, Beisiegel has worked on collaborative projects to redesign undergraduate math courses and has published 40 refereed articles in journals and conference proceedings. In 2023, she was awarded the College of Science Fred Horne Award for her exceptional and sustained instructional achievements and high student praise.

One faculty nominator calls Beisiegel “a masterful, passionate teacher” who sets high expectations for her students while supporting and connecting with them on a human level. Another highlights her expertise in professional development, particularly in transforming the fall TA workshop into a practical, research-based introduction to teaching for new graduate teaching assistants.

An undergraduate who has taken four classes with Beisiegel notes how she helps students develop “an individualized, deep understanding” of course material and make connections to real-world applications. She creates “a brave and safe learning environment for all” and enables students to showcase their knowledge in ways other than written exams, in his case with an oral presentation.

Faculty Teaching Excellence Award

Associate Professor Adam Chouinard, from the Department of Integrative Biology, received the Faculty Teaching Excellence Award. This award honors unusually significant and meritorious achievement in teaching and scholarship that enhances effective instruction.

Chouinard teaches several large-enrollment biology classes and central majors courses for the zoology degree. He also teaches a capstone seminar for the Graduate Certificate for College and University Teaching program and a professional development class for all graduate teaching assistants in integrative biology.

One faculty nominator describes Chouinard as “an engaging, enthusiastic and very knowledgeable instructor” who combines mini-lectures, group discussions and problem-solving to highlight the scientific process rather than direct right and wrong answers. Another notes that Chouinard continually improves his courses based on current research and literature, “showing students that our discipline is vibrant and ever advancing.” Chouinard’s student evaluation of teaching scores are consistently high.

A former student acknowledges that Chouinard’s class was not easy, “but the environment that Adam cultivated was welcoming and engaging, which made me excited to be there every day.” Chouinard’s lectures, a mix of storytelling, questions and discussion, and relevant examples, work together to help students make sense of complex processes and mechanisms.

Faculty Affordability Award

Senior Instructor Lauren Dalton, from the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, received the Faculty Affordability Award. This award recognizes a demonstrated commitment to providing affordable course learning materials to students, using no-cost or low-cost course materials in their classes.

Lauren Dalton coauthored an open-access textbook, Fundamentals of Cell Biology, for a class required in many science majors that enrolls more than 900 students each year in Corvallis, OSU-Cascades and Ecampus. Replacing a commercial textbook costing around $75 per copy has saved OSU students more than $60,000 to date. Five other universities have adopted the textbook so far, with more under consideration.

Dalton’s faculty nominator says she has “demonstrated exceptional commitment to reducing the cost of course materials while maintaining high educational standards.” She also notes that Dalton’s involvement in fundraising campaigns, such as Dam Proud Day, has raised significant funds for scholarships, as well as for paid research and conference attendance.

Beyond the open-source textbook, two of Dalton’s students appreciate other free resources, including YouTube videos and other links that students can access outside class. This approach “enhances the visualization of complex processes, making abstract concepts more tangible.” Students can “explore topics in greater depth without the barrier of paywalls.”

Excellence in Postdoctoral Mentoring Award

Associate Professor Molly Burke, from the Department of Integrative Biology, received the Excellence in Postdoctoral Mentoring Award.

Over the last eight years, Molly Burke has successfully recruited and mentored three postdoctoral scholars, two of whom have earned fellowships from the National Science Foundation. Her postdocs have played critical roles in advancing the understanding of fundamental evolutionary processes with ties to human health.

One former postdoc, now a faculty colleague, describes her mentoring style as “based squarely on trust, open dialogue and mutual respect.” She always welcomed thoughtful discussion and when they disagreed on project design or data interpretation, “she listened carefully, challenged me when necessary and encouraged me to refine my thinking.”

A current postdoctoral fellow who wants to pursue a career in industry says Burke has helped her build skills that are valuable both within and outside academia. Burke’s approach to mentorship goes beyond the lab, showing “a genuine investment and a sincere commitment to the growth of those she mentors. I already feel more confident as a scientist thanks to the opportunities she has provided me.”

Postdoctoral Excellence Award

Megan Sandoval-Powers, postdoctoral scholar in the Department of Integrative Biology, received the Postdoctoral Excellence Award. This award recognizes exceptional postdoctoral scholars, fellows or research associates for their exceptional contributions to their research field, OSU and the greater postdoctoral community.

Sandoval-Powers’ dissertation research focused on microbial ecology and natural product biosynthesis, but at Oregon State, she has pivoted to evolutionary genomics. Having earned an NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship, she is investigating the genetics and evolutionary dynamics of adaptation to complex environmental stressors, with a focus on antifungal drug resistance. She is also a science communication fellow for the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry.

Sandoval-Powers’ faculty nominators highlight her “talent, work ethic and willingness to contribute.” In taking on a new discipline, “what would be a steep learning curve for most was one she navigated with intellectual agility, curiosity and speed.” Within weeks of joining the project, she began making contributions to data collection, analysis and interpretation.

Sandoval-Powers is the backbone of the lab’s mentorship ecosystem, supporting nearly every aspect of lab operations and academic development for both undergraduates and graduate students. “She is generous with her time, very effective in her communication and deeply respected as a result.”

Excellence in Undergraduate Research Mentoring by a Faculty Member

Kenton Hokanson received the Excellence in Undergraduate Research Mentoring by a Faculty Member Award. Hokanson is an assistant professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics. This award recognizes an OSU faculty member who has provided significant research-related mentoring to undergraduate students within the past three years.

Kenton Hokanson uses electrophysiology to investigate the creation and maintenance of functional neural circuits. Over the past seven years, he has mentored 18 undergraduates, including a current team of six.

A faculty nominator says Hokanson “is excited to take on first-year undergraduates with no formal experience in research. He then invests his all in guiding them to become independent, confident research scientists.” Hokanson builds a welcoming and respectful environment, encourages students to design and execute their own experiments and finds “genuine joy in the role of mentor.”

One former student says the Hokanson laboratory “was the first place where I truly felt my opinions were heard and valued, an experience that has had a remarkable influence on my confidence and identity as a scientist.” Another found a strong sense of community in the lab, which “became my anchor at OSU.” Hokanson’s patience, clarity and “understanding that failure is an unavoidable component of eventual success inspire perseverance.”

Excellence in Undergraduate Research Mentoring by a Graduate Student

Jessica (Jessie) Karr, Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Integrative Biology, received the Excellence in Undergraduate Research Mentoring by a Graduate Student Award. This award celebrates an OSU graduate student who has provided significant research-related mentoring to undergraduate students within the past three years.

Jessie Karr is a fifth-year Ph.D. candidate studying the effects of unpredictable weather and climate change on the metabolic strategies of birds. She has mentored six undergraduate students, helping them develop their proposals, hypotheses, study designs, and statistical approaches, and then generate final reports, theses and posters.

Karr’s faculty mentors say she encourages students to do their own thinking and take ownership of their research projects. She challenges them and holds high expectations, but does so “with a positive, approachable and fun attitude. She makes science accessible and rewarding.”

One mentee says Karr is “incredibly kind and encouraging, but also makes sure she pushes me,” which has been imperative to her growth as a scientist. Karr has helped her develop several projects and grants, gather data and ensure questions and predictions are thoughtful and backed by research. Another mentee says Karr constantly looked for opportunities for her to be involved in research projects, experiences that will better prepare her for veterinary school.