IMPACT

Microbiologist Jo-Ann Leong never imagined that her quest for a new vaccine would ultimately change the world we live in today.

Rather than being swayed by conventional markers of success such as titles and salaries, Parisa Khosropour (B.S., ‘89) advocates for the relentless pursuit of personal excellence. Khosropour is the recipient of the 2023 Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award for her professional accomplishments and mentorship that has brought honor, distinction and visibility to the College of Science.

Eleanor Feingold joins the College of Science with almost two decades of leadership experience and a commitment to advancing science for the well-being of all. Her people-centered leadership approach and dedication to social justice align with the university's vision of shared prosperity, making her a catalyst for positive change. Read about her vision to extend the reach of science towards a more inclusive and equitable future.

Biochemistry & biophysics Ph.D. student Sarah Louie has been selected as this year's Mathews Fellow. Louie is working with Professor Rick Cooley of the Center for Genetic Code Expansion.

Congratulations to three Department of Chemistry faculty members awarded endowed positions, recognizing their exceptional contributions to solving major challenges in material science currently facing humankind. May Nyman is the Terrence Bradshaw Chemistry Professor; David Ji is the Bert and Emelyn Christensen Professor; and Chong Fang is the Patricia Valian Reser Endowed Faculty Scholar.

College of Science faculty, staff, and graduate students have earned a record-breaking number of honors at University Day, a celebratory launch to the academic year featuring an annual awards ceremony. Science winners amassed an impressive 12 awards, beating the previous record of seven and garnering the most of any college across Oregon State.

The College of Science is excited to announce Professor Jonathan Kujawa as Department Head of Mathematics following a competitive national search, effective January 1, 2024. Kujawa brings expertise in departmental leadership as associate chair of the Department of Mathematics at the University of Oklahoma, as well as extensive research experience and undergraduate, graduate student and postdoctoral mentorship.

Following a competitive national search, the College of Science and the College of Agricultural Sciences is excited to announce Professor Anne Dunn as Department Head of Microbiology, effective January 1, 2024. Dunn brings expertise in departmental leadership from the Department of Microbiology and Plant Biology at the University of Oklahoma, as well as extensive research experience and undergraduate and graduate student mentorship.

Over the 2022-2023 fiscal year, College of Science researchers received $24.2 million in research grants to support groundbreaking science, up 31% from the previous year.

Researchers at Oregon State University have developed a new way to monitor the danger associated with algae blooms: “sniffing” the water for gases associated with toxins.

Researchers in the College of Science have demonstrated the potential of an inexpensive nanomaterial to scrub carbon dioxide from industrial emissions. The findings, published in Cell Reports Physical Science, are important because improved carbon capture methods are key to addressing climate change, said Oregon State's Kyriakos Stylianou, who led the study.

The detection of gravitational waves opens a whole new window onto supermassive black holes – a vitally important step in advancing human knowledge and helping to unlock the mysteries of how structures are formed in the cosmos.