IMPACT

An international collaboration that includes a College of Science astrophysicist has identified a phenomenon, likened to the quick-footed movements of an iconic cartoon predator, that proves a 19-year-old theory regarding how solar flares are created.

As the world held its breath, Oregon State alumnus Steve Bjornson waited for results. The VP and COO of Pfizer’s vaccine research and development organization, he successfully led a team of hundreds of scientists in an unprecedented effort to develop a COVID-19 vaccine.

The College of Science honors the extraordinary legacy of Warren Washington (’58, ’60), a pioneering climate scientist and one of the university's most distinguished alumni. Washington, who passed away on October 18, 2024, earned degrees in physics and meteorology from Oregon State, laying the foundation for his groundbreaking career.

The College of Science is proud to announce that Xavier Siemens, a distinguished astrophysicist and renowned leader in the field of gravitational wave research, has been elected a 2024 Fellow of the American Physical Society.

Join us on October 15 for a special public lecture by Nathaniel Whitaker, a distinguished professor and head of the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at UMass Amherst.

In the pursuit of large-scale, reliable, safe, environmentally sustainable and affordable electricity storage, chemist Xiulei “David” Ji is part of a collaborative, interdisciplinary team funded by the U.S. Department of Energy.

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.