IMPACT

Faculty, staff and graduate students from the College of Science won nine awards at University Day, the celebratory kickoff to the academic year featuring an annual awards ceremony. These awards highlight excellence in teaching, advising, research and diversity advocacy, showing the College as a leader across the university.

Physics student Diego Menendez will begin classes for his final year at Oregon State during Hispanic Heritage Month 2024, right after his last LSAMP bridges experience as a program mentor. When asked what Hispanic Heritage Month means to him, he said, “I feel like during that month and other identity-based celebration months, people are just so proud of where they come from, who they are, and their lineage, their people, their families. I love that. I'm a very proud Cuban all the time.”

The Oregon State University Alumni Association will honor Joel Peterson, a renowned winemaker and 1969 graduate of the College of Science, as one of the Alumni Fellows during the 2024 Black and Orange Awards Celebration.

College of Science researchers received $18.5 million in research grants to support groundbreaking science between July 2023 and June 2024.

The College of Science invites all new and returning science students to our annual Fall Welcome Social on Tuesday, Sept. 24, from 1 to 2 p.m. on the Valley Library Quad outside of Kidder Hall.

The American Chemical Society has announced that Mas Subramanian, a university distinguished professor of chemistry and Milton Harris chair of materials science, will receive the 2025 American Chemical Society National Award in Inorganic Chemistry.

Physicist Ethan Minot and his laboratory are unlocking the potential of quantum materials to revolutionize technology. Their groundbreaking research is not only pushing the boundaries of science but also paving the way for student careers in the tech industry.

When homelessness and poverty strike, dental care often becomes a distant priority, leading many to resort to desperate measures like pulling their own teeth. Anika Phuvasate and her fellow Oregon State University Pre-Dental Club members are changing that narrative by organizing free clinics that offer compassionate, judgment-free dental services. These efforts not only restore smiles but also dignity, proving that everyone deserves access to essential care.

Researchers from the College of Science, including graduate students, have developed a material that shows a remarkable ability to convert sunlight and water into clean energy.

Honors biochemistry and molecular biology student AJ Damiana recently finished a year-long fellowship through the new PRAx Center. Her experience culminated in a piece of art depicting the hallmarks of cellular aging. She was also honored to accept the assistant editorship at Beaver’s Digest at the same time.

For five days, the students participated in the Ignite inSTEM summer camp, a groundbreaking initiative to diversify the biomedical workforce by engaging underrepresented youth in hands-on science for the first time and improving their retention in STEM.

For billions of years, all life on Earth, from tadpoles to humans, have relied on the same 20 amino acids to build proteins — the fundamental building blocks of life. But what if that list of fundamental amino acids was expanded to include any chemical ability of our choosing? What new potential could be unlocked?