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Photo of Sara Seager wearing a brown leather jacket, pink sweater and colored scarf. In the background is a graphic illustration of a large red planet and two small exoplanets.
Physics

Yunker Lecture 2026: 'Three Frontiers in the Search for Signs of Life Beyond Earth’

MIT astrophysicist Sara Seager, a pioneer in exoplanet discovery and the search for life beyond Earth, will discuss how new discoveries are transforming scientists' understanding of where life may exist in the universe.

From left are a rattlesnake, gopher snake, jay, cowbird and sparrow.
Integrative Biology

Unfamiliar with rattlesnakes, blackbirds still avoided striking them while defending nests

The predators in the study were inanimate but lifelike facsimiles placed on platforms a few meters from the nests of blackbirds, known to be aggressive nest defenders.

Oregon Wildfire Smoke
Integrative Biology

Robin study suggests fleeing isn’t necessarily wildlife’s first response to wildfire smoke

The study of American robins led by Jamie Cornelius is one of the few to examine how wildfire smoke, an increasingly common phenomenon as annual fire seasons become longer and more intense, affects animal behavior.

TRACE staff wearing face masks and face shields brief community volunteers before COVID-19 testing outside near two white vans.
Health and Biotechnology

OSU's TRACE initiative to become part of the nation's historical record

The StoryCorps recordings highlight how Oregon State researchers built a statewide partnership that helped communities track COVID-19 and make informed public health decisions through innovative data and wastewater surveillance.

An illustration of cosmic objects and gravitational waves surrounding earth
Data, AI and Robotics

College of Science AI Showcase: From classrooms to cosmos

The second day of Oregon State's AI Showcase highlighted new approaches to scientific discovery, with faculty demonstrating how machine learning is reshaping research across the College of Science.

An illustration showing a single research article compared to a large stack of research articles
Data, AI and Robotics

College of Science AI showcase: From proteins to predators

The first day of Oregon State's AI Showcase featured researchers using artificial intelligence to investigate everything from protein behavior and animal decision-making to ecosystem change and drug discovery.

A man in a hat poses while riding a camel.
Physics

A physics student's journey from the lab to the Great Pyramids

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.

A man stands in front of a waterfall.
Integrative Biology

Biology senior earns Fulbright for Antarctic krill research

The biology senior will spend nine months in Chile investigating how ocean currents shape krill distribution and support the predators that depend on them across the Southern Ocean.

Lazers shine in mirrors.
Chemistry

Beaver-inspired journal cover art showcases Oregon State chemistry research

A study from Chong Fang's laboratory introduces a new statistical framework for quantifying uncertainty in ultrafast spectroscopy data analysis.

Maria Ruiz Cortes smiles for the camera in front of a green bush.
Integrative Biology

Maria Ruiz Cortes, Class of ‘26: First generation biology senior shadows medical doctors and leads student organizations

Maria Ruiz Cortes thought she wanted to be a dermatologist. But after she landed a two-week shadow experience offered by the MedStaircase program, everything changed when she stepped foot in the operating room.

A man in a grey shirt and black coat poses for a photo in front of trees.
Physics

Kieran King, Class of '26: Preparing for a physics Ph.D. in organic semiconductor research

Undergraduate research transformed Kieran King from a student interested in space into an aspiring physicist advancing clean-energy technology. He will continue studying organic semiconductors this fall as a Ph.D. student at Wake Forest University.

A woman in shorts and a hat poses for a photo near the ocean.
Biochemistry & Biophysics

McKenna Crise, Class of ’26: From Muppet genetics to a career in genetic counseling

McKenna Crise graduated from Oregon State in winter term with a degree in biochemistry and molecular biology and a minor in chemistry. She is now beginning her career at CCRM Fertility in Denver, where she hopes to make the world of genetics less intimidating and more approachable for patients and families.