IMPACT

Riding on the back of a camel while circling the Great Pyramids was not where Anthony Winchell would have guessed their Ph.D. program would land them, but that’s exactly where they found themselves this June.

Audrey Bivens combined lab work, language immersion, and cultural exploration in Spain, gaining hands-on experience in crystallography while building confidence and career skills.

Nathan Clay-Ehart (‘24) had just graduated with a zoology degree when he boarded a plane to Aruba. The nine-day study abroad opportunity was his first chance to meet Oregon State classmates face-to-face after earning his degree entirely online.

When she returned to college, senior zoology student Cierra Freese never expected she would feed a nocturnal kiwi chick in New Zealand or a barred owl in northern Michigan.

With a meaningful summer abroad and years of undergraduate research under his belt, chemistry senior Mitchell Kenny is heading into his Ph.D. with a strong foundation from Oregon State.

At Oregon State, Roan Luikart was able to bring his passion for math to life. He studied abroad in England, conducted two undergraduate research projects, served as a resident assistant and helped grow the Math Club.

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.

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.

Heading to college can feel like moving to a whole new world. For chemistry senior Marua Bekbossyn, this rang even more true. Her move from Almaty, Kazakhstan to the U.S. had its challenges, but the resources and genuine connections she discovered at Oregon State made all the difference.

When physics senior Phia Morton flew to Italy to do research, she couldn’t have imagined what she’d find hidden in the stars: the first strong candidate of a black hole merger emitting light. This discovery deepens knowledge on the cosmic structures and may even give a new opinion on how quickly the universe is expanding.

Students from Oregon State University along with thousands of other attendees from across the nation were welcomed to the National Diversity in STEM (NDiSTEM) Conference Oct. 27, 2022. The event was built to serve as a reminder that culture and science are not mutually exclusive or contradictory. NDiSTEM asserted that science is not a place to shed culture, but a place where it should thrive.

Stan Cates worked full-time to earn his degree, becoming the first person in his immediate family to graduate from college. He reflects on OSU's strengths and weaknesses in supporting non-traditional students.