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Today in the News Media is a synopsis of some of the most prominent coverage of OSU people and programs. Inclusion of any item constitutes neither an endorsement nor a critique, but rather is intended only to make the OSU community aware of significant items in the media. For more about this section, see: https://today.oregonstate.edu/email/submission-guidelines
Eduardo Cotilla-Sanchez, an Oregon State University professor of electrical and computer engineering, said grid resilience is a combination of many factors, from mechanical, electrical and human. Those factors, he said, need to be balanced for Oregonians to receive electricity reliably, especially as the state moves towards more renewable energy.
Non-native grasses and shrubs currently grow on nearly 25% of Hawaii’s surface area. Part of what makes them so pervasive and such a peril is their life-cycle. “They tend to dry out very early in the season,” says Erica Fleishman, director of the Oregon Climate Change Research Institute and professor in the College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences at Oregon State University. “They also … decompose less quickly than other types of plants and so you wind up with a lot of dry, standing, dead plants and those can burn really easily.”
Oregon State may soon have an answer as to where it is headed in conference alignment. (see also Sports Illustrated)
Inara Scott, an associate dean at Oregon State University’s College of Business and a leading voice for adapting higher education to AI, says the technology encourages creativity by forcing students to be unique and original if they want to stand out. “You have to ask yourself, ‘What am I bringing to the world? Can a computer do this just as well as me?’ And if the answer is ‘yes,’ we’ve got a problem,” she says.
OPB’s “All Things Considered” host Tiffany Camhi talked with Oregon’s state climatologist, Larry O’Neill, to learn more about why we’re experiencing more of this extreme weather.
New research from Oregon State University’s Marine Mammal Institute shows Males are about a foot and a half shorter, females three feet smaller. We talked to lead author, K.C. Bierlich.
OSU Professor Julia Bradshaw cuts pieces of specialty solar film, usually made of black polymer, to make DIY custom solar filters for each of the attendees individual cameras.
Christopher Dunn, an Oregon State University assistant professor of wildfire risk science, offered a similar assessment of the Maui visuals showing trees and poles still standing amid fire-ravaged landscape: “No, that’s not unusual.” Dunn provided photos from a 2020 fire in southern Oregon in which homes were destroyed while neighboring trees remained upright, despite some charring. While small pieces of wood burn easily, the sheer size of large trees, some protection from their bark and the water they contain make it so they don’t simply vaporize during a fire, he said — which explains the fact that some salvage trees for lumber after a forest fire.
Researchers at Oregon State University (OSU) have developed a new way to monitor the danger associated with algae blooms — “sniffing” the water for gases associated with toxins.
When AI began making its photo-realistic waves earlier this year, the OSU's Center for Teaching and Learning, along with other partners, spearheaded a taskforce to draft guidelines for faculty.
“When those strong winds hit, if you already have the heat and the dryness and if you have a spark, a wildfire becomes more likely to grow rapidly,” Erica Fleishman, director of the Oregon Climate Change Research Institute at Oregon State University, told CNN.
"The wildfire smoke can severely impact wine quality,” Cody Copp, an Oregon State University assistant professor and horticulturist said. “And for a lot of vineyards and wineries it can make fruit unmarketable."
First Meal, a collaboration between the late Oregon State University art professor Julie Green (1961–2021) and Kirk Johnson, an award-winning correspondent with the New York Times, will be published by OSU Press in October.
"OSU leadership is most focused on the impacts to all of our student-athletes. The Pac12 departures impact everyone from OSU Olympic gold medalists to kids who come from places like Happy Valley and Astoria and Pendleton who come to OSU to become the best at their sports in the country. They chose OSU because it is a wonderful environment, and their friends and family can watch them compete without a transcontinental flight.
In fact, there's enough dam removal history around the country to be able to calculate the cost of any single dam project. That's what a group of scientists figured out, after analyzing the past 55 years of dam removals. The scientists come from a handful of federal agencies, Oregon State University, and the University of Georgia.
One sports team from Eugene is looking to make a splash and help science on the Oregon coast by using the name Exploding Whales and fundraising for Oregon State University's Marine Mammal Institute. (see also KPIC)
Smoke-tainted grapes and AI-operated tractors — these were some of the topics discussed at a recent roundtable hosted by U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden and the Oregon Business Council this week at Oregon State University.
Aurora borealis: Dudley Shelton says, “In early July, the University of Alaska Geophysical Institute in Fairbanks issued a forecast for the possibility that the aurora borealis would be viewable on the night of July 13 in 17 states, including Oregon. I did an overnight hike to the summit of a peak with an open view to the north. Although only marginally visible with the naked eye, a camera with a 30-second exposure, a wide-open aperture and a high ISO setting had enough light-gathering capability to see the aurora clearly. The mountain in the lower right corner is Mt. Jefferson. Aurora sightings from Oregon will likely become more likely over the next year as the 11-year sunspot cycle approaches its maximum during 2024.” We are accepting photo submissions at osutoday@oregonstate.edu.
NEW! Timely Teaching Tips: Do students sometimes have difficulty understanding why you give them particular assignments? Is it clear how the assignments align with the course learning outcomes? A learning activity can be more meaningful and engaging if the purpose is clear to learners. See The Power of an Assignment’s Purpose Statement for guidance on writing strong purpose statements.
Thesis defense: Lena Wang (M.S. Water Resources Sciences) will defend her thesis, titled, “Identifying Controls on Soil Organic Carbon and Chemical Weathering Dynamics in a Montane Ecosystem (Crested Butte, CO),” at 10 a.m. Aug. 21, in Wilkinson 203 or over Zoom. Pamela Sullivan of Earth, Ocean, & Atmospheric Sciences advises Wang. Contact Sam.Christopher@oregonstate.edu for Zoom details.
Core Curriculum for OSU managers and supervisors: Managers and supervisors at OSU play a key role in enabling employees to do their best work. The Core Curriculum for Managers and Supervisors is a training program for all Oregon State University managers, supervisors, and lead workers. Learners will: have a solid understanding about the principles and policies that apply to our employees; know how to navigate within the space of talent management activities; recognize when, and how, to provide equal opportunity & access to employees. Summer 2023 program: 8:15 a.m. to noon, Tuesdays & Thursdays Aug. 15-24, via Zoom. Fall 2023 program: 8:15 a.m. to noon, Tuesday-Friday Nov. 14-17, via Zoom. Learn more and register.
NEW! Soil nitrate seminar: Ryan Auld, Honors BRR environmental chemistry, chemistry minor, will give a seminar titled, “Opportunities and Limitations In Achieving Real-Time Observation of Soil Nitrate,” 9 a.m., Aug. 22, Strand Agricultural Sciences 162. Faculty mentor John Selker. Join Zoom Meeting https://oregonstate.zoom.us/j/96670292664?pwd=M1hhREhydDFBVHptcy9rUzNWdGxpUT09.
NEW! MS Thesis Defense in Animal Science: Gracia Maria Puerto Hernandez, MS candidate in animal science, will defend her thesis at 9 a.m., Aug. 22, in Oldfield 102. The title of her thesis is “Nutritional and Management Strategies of Trace Mineral Supplementation for Beef Cattle.” She is mentored by Juliana Ranches. Also available via Zoom: https://oregonstate.zoom.us/s/9791231595.
OSU Employee Parent Connections: 1-2 p.m., Tuesdays during summer term. An opportunity for OSU’s parenting employees to come together through Zoom and talk about anything related to parenting and working. Share resources with each other, ask questions of each other, celebrate milestones, share successes and challenges and more. Email Kristi King, kristi.king@oregonstate.edu, with the Family Resource Center for the Zoom link.
OSUsed Store Public Sales: The OSUsed Store carries furniture, computers, household items, office supplies and more, at 644 SW 13th St. Public sales are open to all shoppers 5:30-7:30 p.m.Tuesdays and noon to 3 p.m. Fridays; details here. Staff may shop for their department Mondays through Thursdays, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.; details here
Care Talks, Confident Parenting: Success in School. Parents will learn which healthy habits are important to school success, how to help teens deal with teachers and academics, how to help teens get organized, deal with peer pressure and handle discipline. 10 a.m., Aug. 23. Register today.
Thesis defense: Ian Whidden (M.S Water Resources Science) will defend his thesis, titled, “Forest effects on accumulation, ablation, and snow water storage of a seasonal snowpack in Lookout Creek drainage basin, Oregon,” noon Aug. 23, in Burt Hall 193 and on Zoom. Julia Jones of the Geography Department advises Whidden. Reach out to Sam.Christopher@oregonstate.edu for Zoom details.
Care Talks, Your Healthy Lifestyle: Eating Right on the Run. We all make excuses for eating junk or fast food. We’ll review strategies for quick, inexpensive meals that are good choices. Learn the basics of eating healthy within your financial means. 10 a.m., Aug. 24. Register today.
NEW! Board of Trustees: The Oregon State University Board of Trustees will hold a special meeting at 2 p.m. Friday, Aug. 25, remotely via Zoom, to consider next steps for two capital projects and hear updates on university athletics and the Elliott State Research Forest. The webinar link and instructions for providing public comment in writing or virtually during a testimony period before the board votes on each action item are located on the board’s website here.
OSUsed Store Public Sales: The OSUsed Store carries furniture, computers, household items, office supplies and more, at 644 SW 13th St. Public sales are open to all shoppers 5:30-7:30 p.m.Tuesdays and noon to 3 p.m. Fridays; details here. Staff may shop for their department Mondays through Thursdays, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.; details here.
Saturday sale: OSUsed Store will be open from 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Aug. 26, for a public sale. Great time to pick up furniture, household goods, computers, and a variety of new and used items at a very reasonable price. OSU Surplus sells items no longer needed by the university and other public agencies. Reuse is saves on your budget and the environment.
Colegio César Chávez 50th Anniversary Celebration: Join us for this free and family-friendly event to celebrate the history and legacy of the Colegio César Chávez. An exhibit curated by the OSU Special Collections and Archives Research Center will be featured. Noon to 5 p.m., Aug. 26, in Mt. Angel, Oregon. See the Colegio César Chavez 50th Anniversary website for more details.
NEW! Away vs. San Jose State football meetup: An exciting football season is about to begin. Join fellow fans and pump up your Beaver spirit before the OSU vs. San Jose State game. Register for a free pregame meetup on Sunday, Sept. 3. Meetup begins 10:30 a.m. at Stanley’s Sports Bar on the San Jose State campus. Kickoff at 12:30 p.m.
NEW! There is still time to sign up to table at the University Day Expo: From noon to 2 p.m. Sept. 19, gather with 40+ units and over 1,000 OSU faculty and staff to celebrate the OSU community, learn about resources on campus and network with your colleagues. Register for a booth by Sept. 12. Don’t want to table but would like to donate items for the University Day prize drawing? Contact events@oregonstate.edu.
NEW! Football tickets: Oregon State Athletics is offering a ticket opportunity for OSU faculty and staff for the Sept. 29 game against Utah (a 6 p.m. kickoff). To purchase tickets for $20, click here.
Digital Detox Retreat: The Contemplative Studies annual summer retreat will be held Sept. 1-3 at the new OSU Contemplative Practice Center at 648 SW Second St. in downtown Corvallis. 6-9 p.m. Friday; 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Guided by Hemant Bhanoo and Kate Gallagher. Public: $220; Faculty/Staff: $200; Students $120. Scholarship funds available for undergraduate students. Pre-registration required.
NEW! Small Farm School: Small Farm School, an educational program for small-acreage farmers, is accepting registrations for its Sept. 13 event at Clackamas Community College in Oregon City. Small Farm School is designed for beginning and experienced small-scale commercial farmers in the Willamette Valley. Early bird registration is now open, with late registration starting Aug. 30. There is an $80 registration fee for adults, reduced registration for college students and scholarships are available for veteran farmers and Black, Indigenous and farmers of color. Registration covers class materials, morning refreshments, and lunch. Pre-registration is required. Class offerings and registration details can be found at: https://beav.es/TgR.
NEW! Travel Talks: Costa Rica. Discover why Costa Rica is considered a gem of Central America. Join Director of Alumni Group Travel Kate Sanders for a photographic journey of waterfalls, rainforests, volcanoes, beaches, wildlife and vibrant communities — and preview OSUAA Group Travel’s Costa Rica Natural Heritage tour departing February 2024. Join the Travel Talk at 5:30 p.m. Sept. 12: bit.ly/3KyeC6X.
Thesis defense: Laura Duffy (M.S. Water Resources Policy and Management) will defend her thesis, titled, “Engaging Agricultural Landowners in Fish Habitat Restoration on Private Land: The Role of Trust in a ‘Tough’ Case,” at 9 a.m. Aug. 31 in Burt 193 or over Zoom. Hannah Gosnell of Geography advises Duffy. Reach out to Sam.Christopher@oregonstate.edu for Zoom details.
FYI Friday: Office of Human Resources Learning & Development is now accepting FYI Friday presentation proposals for Winter 2024. Does your unit have a new or existing service, process, system, policy or research you want to share with the campus community? Consider FYI Friday as your venue. FYI Friday is a program where campus partners are invited to present what they’re working on to a broad audience of professional faculty, academic faculty and classified staff. Presentations can be anywhere from 30 minutes to two hours in length; it’s up to you. Learn more about the requirements and application process. Contact hr.training@oregonstate.edu for information.
OSU Engagement Conference registration and awards: Register by Aug. 21 for the inaugural OSU Engagement Conference, Sept. 5-6 at the CH2M Hill Alumni Center. This event is designed to increase awareness of engagement and engaged scholarship efforts across the university. It also includes the OSU Engagement Awards, which recognize efforts to develop programs or projects that adhere to the principles of community engagement and engaged scholarship.
Search Advocate Foundations workshop series: July through December 2023 options are now open for registration. Search Advocates are content-neutral external process advisors who work with search committees to enhance equity, validity, and diversity (the role is mostly facilitative—not the compliance police) The full series is four 4-hour sessions; please go to SA Workshops for the cohort schedule and a link to the registration system. For questions, please contact Anne Gillies, program director (anne.gillies@oregonstate.edu or 541-760-6160).
FourSight Mindset Reveal Workshop: How do you approach a challenge? FourSight Mindset Reveal is a new workshop presented by University Human Resources that dives deep into the way that we solve problems together. This engaging workshop helps people learn more about their own mindset, learn appreciation for how colleagues work and together be able create a stronger team environment and reach more creative solutions. In the spirit of professional development, University Human Resources is excited to offer this new two-hour workshop to OSU employees on a monthly basis starting this Spring! View upcoming workshops and enroll here. A $40 fee covers materials. Hurry – seats are limited.
Social Justice Education: Social Justice Education Initiative workshops are open for registration through Fall 23. The SJEI is a foundational professional development program for all faculty, staff and graduate students. Join your colleagues to begin, or expand, your equity and inclusion journey. Learn more, see the schedule and register for remote Tier One Platform and Tier Two Next Level workshops here. Interested in this development for your unit? Contact SJEI director Jane Waite for further information: jane.waite@oregonstate.edu.
Crucial Conversations for Mastering Dialogue: Learn skills for creating alignment and agreement by fostering open dialogue around high-stakes, emotional, or risky topics. Discover how to speak and be heard (and how to encourage others to do the same), surface the best ideas, make the highest-quality decisions and act on your decisions with unity and commitment. View dates for the Summer 2023 and Fall 2023 courses and register here. There is a $100 fee to attend this workshop.
NEW! Mid-Month Emergency Preparedness Topic: Water in disaster; stay hydrated. Humans are made up of 65% water and need water after three days or we will perish. Water flows through the blood, carrying oxygen and nutrients to cells and flushing wastes out of our bodies. It cushions our joints and soft tissues. Without water as a routine part of our intake, we cannot digest or absorb food. English and Spanish versions of this bulletin can be found here: https://emergency.oregonstate.edu/emergency-preparedness/preparedness-topics/water-disasters.
Human-robot interaction: The Human-Machine Teaming Laboratory in OSU's Collaborative Robotics and Intelligent Systems Institute is conducting a research experiment to study human-robot interaction for peer-based environments. Participants will be trained as first responders and complete a series of disaster-response tasks with a robot teammate and will complete anonymous questionnaires. The experiment requires participants to complete two separate two-hour sessions. Participants who complete the entire evaluation will receive $60. Contact HMTLabOSU+PHRT@gmail.com to schedule your experiment time.
Health and Safety: The University Health & Safety Committee wants to promote health and safety by reminding employees to report all work-related accidents and near miss/near-hits (almost accidents) to your supervisor to ensure incidents are investigated to eliminate hazards and improve safety. Supervisors should complete the HR Advocate Public Incident Reporting form online at http://risk.oregonstate.edu/workerscomp/forms to document this process. You can also access OSU’s University Health & Safety Committee online at http://ehs.oregonstate.edu/uhsc, including past meeting minutes, information on how to contact a committee member and a link to report safety concerns online.
Mid-Month Emergency Preparedness Topic: Waste. Natural and man-made disasters such as floods, hurricanes or warfare that flood the sewer system can cause additional personal and community disasters. You may be unable to flush the toilets or run water for weeks or even months. Failure to properly dispose of human waste can lead to epidemics. English and Spanish versions of this bulletin can be found here: https://emergency.oregonstate.edu/emergency-preparedness/preparedness-topics/water-disasters.
Study on relationships after cancer: A research team at Oregon State University is enrolling young adult survivors of breast/gynecologic cancer and their partners to participate in “Opening the Conversation” intervention to improve coping and communication for young couples after cancer. The eligibility criteria for this study are that the survivor had a breast or gynecologic cancer diagnosis at age 18-39, survivor was diagnosed between six months and five years ago, survivor has a partner, partner is age 18 or older, and both partners must agree to participate. This study is open to all couples, regardless of gender identity. For more information, contact principal investigator Jessica.Gorman@oregonstate.edu.
Anytime Anywhere Mental Health Support App Rebranding: The Anytime Anywhere mental health support app for students has a new name and logo. The MySSP app is now TELUS Health Student Support. No action is required to continue using the app. Students will see some visual changes on the app, but the mental health and well-being support services offered will stay exactly the same. Marketing materials featuring the new app name and logo will roll out soon and departments are asked to update the posters displayed. Questions about this transition or the program may be directed to Bonnie.Hemrick@oregonstate.edu.
University Day Expo Registration is now open: From noon to 2 p.m., Sept. 19, gather with 40+ units and over 1,000 OSU faculty and staff to celebrate the OSU community, learn about resources on campus and network with your colleagues. Reserve your spot today. Register by Sept. 12. Questions? Contact events@oregonstate.edu.
NEW! Richardson Hall chiller: The Richardson Hall chiller and chilled water system will be shut down from 5 a.m. Aug. 21 until 9 a.m. Aug. 22 for repairs to keep the system operational for the duration of the cooling season. Building occupants will notice warmer than normal air temperatures during this time. This will not affect temperatures in the server rooms. For questions or comments contact Sean Olsen at 541-737-2969.
NEW! SW 15th Street: As part of the Kerr South Parking Lot project, SW 15th Street will be closed in both directions between SW Washington Avenue and SW Jefferson Way. This closure will be in effect from Aug. 22-Sept. 5. The crosswalk at 15th Street and Washington Avenue will also be closed along with the east sidewalk between Washington Avenue and SW Adams Avenue.
NEW! Kidder Hall water: As part of the Kidder Hall Hot Water Replacement project, water service will be shut down in Kidder Hall from 6 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday, Aug. 25. Water will be shut off for the entire building. For questions or comments on this project, contact Project Manager Ryan Wilson at 503-779-3488.
SW Campus Way: As part of the West Greenhouse Complex project, SW Campus Way will be closed to traffic between the Seed Lab and the west side of the West Greenhouses Aug. 10-22 to build a new access driveway for the West Greenhouses. In addition, the sidewalk on the north side of SW Campus way in this area will be closed. The south sidewalk will remain open for pedestrians. (View map)
Washington Way: As part of the Washington Way Improvement project, SW Washington Way between SW 15th and SW 26th streets will be closed to vehicle traffic from Aug. 7-Sept. 7. This is an update to the existing Washington Way closure. In addition, the intersection and crosswalks at Washington Way and SW 17th Street will be closed. The sidewalk on the north side of Washington Way between 15th Street and SW Benton Place will also be closed. The multi-use path on the south side of Washington Way will remain open as a pedestrian detour.
Beaver Beginnings parking lot: As part of the 2023 Parking Lot Improvement Program, the parking lot north of Beaver Beginnings child care center (parking lot #3207) will be closed for improvements for the month of August. These improvements will, at times, cause noise and dust. (view map)
Richardson Hall: As part of the 2023 Parking Lot Improvement Program, the parking lot south of Richardson Hall and west of Dryden Hall (parking lot #3341) will be closed for improvements for the month of August. This closure includes access drives off SW 30th Street and SW Washington Way. These improvements will, at times, cause noise and dust. (view map)
ADA crosswalk ramp: As part of the Cordley Renovation Project, a new ADA crosswalk ramp will be installed at the northeast corner of NW 27th Street and NW Orchard Avenue. A pedestrian and ADA detour will be in place with appropriate signage.
Campus Way: As part of the Withycombe Hall Renovation project, the north sidewalk on SW Campus Way between the East Greenhouses and SW 30th Street will be closed to pedestrian traffic through Aug. 31. Pedestrians may detour across Campus Way at the crosswalk located directly in front of the East Greenhouses or at the intersection with 30th Street and use the south sidewalk.
Kerr south parking lot: As part of the Kerr Administration South Parking Lot Improvement project, the Kerr South parking lot will be closed for construction activities from June 26-Sept. 27. The path running along the west side of the Kerr Administration Building will be closed along with the south entrance/exit to the parking lot and the ADA ramp. Other possible impacts include noise, dust and mud near the construction site.
This email only lists new or recently updated job postings. For a full list of current job postings for OSU Today, go to: http://today.oregonstate.edu/email/jobs To apply for the below positions, visit jobs.oregonstate.edu unless otherwise specified.
NEW! Electrician at Hatfield Marine Science Center in Newport: This full-time, 12-month position maintains electrical systems at Hatfield, including troubleshooting and repairing lighting and lighting control systems, motors/pumps and their controls. A successful applicant will need one of the following: Oregon Electrician’s License appropriate to the work performed; General Supervising Electrician License; General Journeyman Electrician License; Limited Journey Manufacturing Plant License; or Limited Supervising Manufacturing Plant License. Posting #P04259CT. Closes Aug. 30.
NEW! The College of Engineering is seeking multiple Academic Advisors. These are full-time (1.0 FTE), 12-month, professional faculty positions. The Academic Advisors will provide undergraduate students with advising support including but not limited to orientation, academic success strategies, career planning, course programming and degree completion. Posting #P07223UF. Full consideration Sept. 3. Closes Nov. 30.
NEW! Sous Chef: University Housing & Dining Services (UHDS) invites applications for one Sous Chef position. This is a full-time, 12-month, fixed term, professional faculty position, with reappointment at the discretion of the Director. Posting #P07232UF. Closes Sept. 4.
NEW! Statewide Master Gardener Program Manager: OSU College of Agricultural Sciences’ Department of Horticulture and OSU Extension invite applications for a Statewide Master Gardener Program Manager position. This is a 12-month, full-time, professional faculty position based in Corvallis. Apply to posting #P07217UF. Full consideration Sept. 12. Closes Oct. 3.
Landscaping at OSU: Oregon State University is now an internationally accredited arboretum thanks to the 65,000+ trees and shrubs across its 570-acre Corvallis campus. In this video, OSU landscape supervisor Todd Cross shares a little about the history and foresight required to maintain that collection: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0IoVHogT4GY.
"Remember to be gentle with yourself and others. We are all children of chance and none can say why some fields will blossom while others lay brown beneath the August sun." ~ Kent Nerburn
Corvallis: Sunny this week, highs in the mid 80s, lows in the 50s.
Central Oregon: Some showers possible early in the week, with highs in the upper 70s to 80s, lows in the 50s.
Newport: Some fog but otherwise mostly sunny, highs in the 70s, lows in the 50s.
Statewide: For OSU employees around the state, find your local forecast here: http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/pqr
