The Oregon State University Honors College has named Oksana Ostroverkhova, professor of physics, as the 2025 Margaret and Thomas Meehan Honors College Eminent Mentor and Courtney S. Campbell, Hundere Professor of Religion and Culture in the School of History, Philosophy and Religion and director of the Program in Medical Humanities, as the 2025 Margaret and Thomas Meehan Honors College Eminent Professor.
“Dr. Ostroverkhova and Dr. Campbell are true leaders in creating transformative opportunities for honors students, in the classroom and beyond,” says Honors College Associate Dean Troy Hall. "Their commitment to mentoring and inclusive, interdisciplinary teaching is an inspiration and model for all of us who support honors student success and development.”
Current Honors College students and recent alumni nominate faculty members for the eminent mentor award, and a panel of distinguished Honors College instructors and mentors select the eminent professor and mentor each year. These awards, which include a cash prize, are supported by contributions from the Margaret and Thomas Meehan Estate.
2025 Margaret and Thomas Meehan Honors College Eminent Mentor Oksana Ostroverkhova
Professor Oksana Ostroverkhova has been a faculty member in the Oregon State University College of Science’s Department of Physics for 20 years. In that time, 56 undergraduate students from a wide range of disciplines have participated in her Organic Photonics and Electronics Lab, including students studying physics, chemistry, nuclear engineering, electrical engineering, computer science and forestry. This collaborative work has resulted in 36 senior theses and seven Honors College theses, along with 26 co-authored publications — nine of them with honors students. “Four out of the seven honors theses from my group were nominated by the Physics Department for the American Physical Society Leroy Apker Award,” she says, “which is a nationwide competition of undergraduate theses.” Two of her Honors College mentees have gone on to receive the prestigious Goldwater Scholarship, and she has served on three additional Honors College thesis committees in the past five years.
“I am very honored to be recognized at the university level,” Ostroverkhova says. “There is so much amazing undergraduate research happening on campus and so many OSU faculty across disciplines who are committed to providing high-quality research opportunities for students.”
In her lab, Ostroverkhova strives to create an environment that emphasizes growth, collaboration and independence. She encourages students to take ownership of their work while offering guidance and structure. “Over the years, I’ve learned how to adapt my mentoring strategies to recognize and build on individual strengths and train people to become professionals,” she says.
One of Ostroverkhova’s recent mentees, Honors College student and 2024 Goldwater Scholar Madalyn Gragg, who nominated Ostroverkhova for the Eminent Mentor award, says the experience was transformational. “From the moment I joined her lab, she encouraged me to explore complex scientific concepts, always providing guidance that pushed me to think critically and creatively,” Gragg shares. “Dr. Ostroverkhova’s mentorship extended far beyond the lab. She encouraged me to pursue leadership and outreach opportunities, supported my development as a scientist and helped me envision myself as a future mentor.”
All of Ostroverkhova’s Honors College graduates have gone on to graduate school, pursuing Ph.D. programs at universities including Arizona State, the University of Washington, UC Berkeley, the University of Michigan, and the University of Texas in Austin, and Applied Physics M.S. program at the University of Oregon. In the coming year, she looks forward to continuing to support a new group of undergraduate researchers. “I’m excited to see them grow and to provide all kinds of opportunities for that,” she says.
