As the head of the Department of Statistics, Lan Xue is steering a major expansion with the department’s first undergraduate degree, while also prioritizing mentorship and research.
This round of funding supports biologist Mark Novak and biochemist Adrian Gombart, whose work addresses urgent global questions from climate-driven shifts in marine food webs to the genetic underpinnings of immune system function.
A College of Science alumna and a Ph.D. student have been awarded 2025–26 Fulbright U.S. Student Program grants to conduct research abroad. They join 17 College of Science students and alumni who have earned Fulbright honors over the past decade.
Kelly Shannon, a Ph.D. student in the College of Science’s Department of Microbiology, was awarded a transformative educational award from the U.S. Department of Energy.
Maude David’s research sits at the crossroads of microbiology, neuroscience and artificial intelligence — an intersection that may hold the key to understanding some of the most complex disorders affecting the human brain and unlocking the secrets of deep-sea ecosystems.
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.
Light is more than just illumination – it’s the energy that makes life possible. Physical chemist Tim Zuehlsdorff is using his coveted National Science Foundation Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) award to study what happens when molecules interact with light in dynamic environments, such as solvents or proteins.
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?
Cities are like organisms — they need immune systems. Viruses can reproduce rapidly, taking over cells and turning them into viral factories within hours. Individuals' immune systems need to rise to the challenge, but what happens when they can't, and a whole population gets sick?
Wei Kong enjoys taking the road less traveled, and she is not timid in making bold decisions to get oriented and reoriented. On May 13, 2024, she will present the 2024 F.A. Gilfillan Memorial Lecture, titled “Which way up: Using field orientation to see the unseen.”
One project keeps chemist Wei Kong awake at night, and it started as an idea nearly two decades ago. Now, after being awarded nearly $2 million for four years by the National Institutes of Health, the goal is to create a groundbreaking new tool with the potential to revolutionize drug development and enhance our understanding of disease mechanisms.
