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Biochemistry & Biophysics

Auria Lee, Class of ’25: Adventure, research and leadership shape future doctor

Auria Lee plans to go to medical school, but her training as a physician truly began as an undergraduate Honors biochemistry major at Oregon State.

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Integrative Biology

Vivian Light, Class of ’25: Senior balances biology and volleyball at Oregon State

If you ask student-athlete and biology senior Vivian Light to share a fun science fact, she will likely tell you something fascinating about fish

A woman leans over seat railing to aid a student, pointing to the student's notebook mid-conversation.
Teaching Innovation

How the Learning Assistant Program transforms big classes — and boosts student success

A decade ago, the College of Science launched the Learning Assistant Program at Oregon State. Students reap the benefits from STEM courses that are increasingly personal, inclusive and effective.

An OSU student smiles widely at the child in front of them. She holds a baggie of yellow liquid that the child is using a syringe to extract and place into a cup in front of her.
Chemistry

Family Science and Engineering Nights ignite STEM passion across Oregon schools

Since the early 2000s, Family Science and Engineering Nights have brought science and discovery to elementary schools across western Oregon. With bubbling beakers, cryogenic demonstrations and gooey gel beads, these interactive evenings make STEM come alive for countless families — thanks in large part to longtime co-organizer Margie Haak.

Two male students sit at a table with notebooks working in a classroom.
Teaching Innovation

Course-based undergraduate research at OSU is is expanding access to hands-on learning

As part of the College of Science's innovative course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs), students aren’t just learning about science — they’re doing authentic science. CUREs are an innovative pedagogical model where students engage in original research within the context of a regular course. This offers a research-intensive learning experience that is more accessible than research opportunities outside the classroom.

Two rhinoceroses striding out of a river.
Integrative Biology

New Nepal Study Abroad: Explore the interweaving of culture and biology

For the second time, a three-week study abroad opportunity in Nepal is available for students to experience. Led by Dee Denver, head of the Department of Integrative Biology, the Intersections of Biodiversity and Buddhist Cultures in Nepal course promises a trek through the Himalayas, excursions in lowland jungles, and time spent in centuries-old monasteries.

A woman holds a shark and shines a flashlight into it in a laboratory.
Students

Goldwater scholar modernizes shark research with digital art

Natalie Donato, a third-year honors biology student, is submerged in the thrilling world of sharks. On a typical day at Oregon State University, this nationally recognized Goldwater scholar can be found creating 3D models of shark heads in a research lab and recently designed Oregon’s new shark license plate.

Sophie Krueger (right) plays on the newly revived women's polo team when she's not studying biohealth.
Students

OSU Polo Club is back in the saddle this year

Sophie Krueger plays on the newly revived women's polo team when she's not studying biohealth. She encourages all undergraduates to find an extracurricular activity to explore during their time at Oregon State.

An undergraduate researcher wears an Oregon State lab coat in the lab, surrounded by equipment including a microscope and vials.
Students

Undergraduate researcher studies autoimmune disease to improve lives

To say the least, Estifanos Berhe knows how to multitask. From working at the Ettihad Cultural Center to researching autoimmune diseases, he juggles dual majors with many extracurriculars. His drive? Uplifting his communities and honoring his family's sacrifices.

A collection of booths at the 2022 Health Professions Fair looking to connect students to medical schools.
Students

Jumpstart your healthcare career at OSU’s Health Professions Fair!

Broaden your network at the Health Professions Fair, Tuesday, April 22, 2025.

Snowy mountain
Students

OSU sophomore ROTC cadet Emily Self survives avalanche and helps four others

One day during winter break, when much of the OSU community was relaxing at home, Army ROTC cadet Emily Self was frantically digging people out of the snow after an avalanche overtook her party while skiing in Canada.

A man in a white button-up gestures to molecular art on a table, explaining it to onlooking students.
Teaching Innovation

Students bake, sculpt and stitch molecular structures to life in Protein Portraits colloquium

Taught by biochemistry and biophysics professor Phil McFadden, the Honors colloquium course Protein Portraits offers a uniquely artistic perspective on biomolecules.