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COVID-19 website: To facilitate the ongoing sharing of information about the virus, Oregon State University has added a link on the OSU homepage to a page that provides detailed and up-to-date COVID-19 information; links to OSU, local, state and federal resources; and updates on the latest federal travel restrictions.
TRACE OSU testing: For the first week of winter term starting Jan. 4, testing will be offered to all OSU faculty, staff and students in the Corvallis, Bend and Newport areas who are enrolled in TRACE OSU. Here is a link to enroll. All students living in university residence halls will be required to participate in testing through TRACE OSU within three days of the start of the term.
NEW! Timely Teaching Tips: Looking for inspiration as you build your Winter 2021 Canvas course sites? Wondering how to engage students and assess their learning using Canvas? Come to tomorrow’s workshop to hear from five top faculty experienced in remote teaching! The 90-minute session is designed for basic and intermediate Canvas users. Tuesday, Dec. 15, at 2 p.m. Register: https://beav.es/oDs
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. Content appearing includes timely news and feature stories from broadcast, print and online sources. Occasionally, opinion pieces and first-person columns appearing in mainstream media outlets that are written by faculty members and pertain to their academic or professional expertise may be included based on their unique, informative value, timeliness and space constraints. It is not the policy of OSU Today to include Letters to the Editor.
The iconic sunflower sea star has been listed as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature following a ground-breaking population study led by Oregon State University and The Nature Conservancy.
Joseph Orosco is a professor of philosophy at Oregon State University, and he teaches a class in the College of Liberal Arts called “Star Trek and Philosophy.” We spoke with Orosco about about Star Trek’s treatment of a virus outbreak in an episode called “Miri” and what it can teach us about humanity during a pandemic.
A piece co-written by Scott Akins, Oregon State University.
Scientists think the trees evolved these synchronous mast-crop cycles in order to limit the food supply for seed-eating squirrels, preventing their populations from growing too large and eating all of the seeds, explains Jamie Cornelius, an assistant professor at Oregon State University who studies crossbills and is a member of the Finch Research Network.
The Oregon Health Authority is tentatively working towards a January statewide launch of its version of the exposure notification app. Thousands of students and staffers at Oregon State University are currently giving the app a local test run. State officials have emphasized the smartphone tool is additive, not a replacement for traditional contact tracing.
Students in the Oregon State University College of Engineering have helped the trucking industry get a handle on a longstanding safety problem: drivers slipping and falling while exiting or entering their cab.
Melissa Cheyney, associate professor of anthropology at Oregon State University, midwife, and director of the Community Doula Project, said that the local community is considered quite lucky in regard to reproductive health rights and access.
We’re heading quickly into winter, but there are gardening issues you’re still wondering about. If you’ve got questions, turn to Ask an Expert, an online question-and-answer tool from Oregon State University’s Extension Service.
Today's workspace: Julie Adams, professor of computer science, says, “Working out, specifically CrossFit, is vital to managing my stress level and physical health. The pandemic resulted in gym class schedules that do not work with my schedule. I began building up my garage gym, aka 'Smada Fit,' in late February. The time I spend at 'Smada Fit' on a regular basis has created a sense of normalcy during these challenging times.” Now it's time to show us what you're doing to help cope with daily life and work in 2020. Take a photo and send it to osutoday@oregonstate.edu. Follow OSU Today on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/osutoday1/ and catch up on any photos you might have missed so far.
Do you prefer to make a Charitable Fund Drive donation by personal check? No problem! Click here for the pledge form. For the complete list of all the Charitable Fund Drive organizations, click here. Once you’ve completed the pledge form, mail it and your personal check to the Portland address located at the top of the form. Your donation, in whatever form works best for you, is much needed and appreciated! For online pledges: https://www.ipledgeonline.org/_cfduniversities/.
PFLA: Please join us for this month’s event hosted by the Professional Faculty Leadership Association. Professional Faculty Ad Hoc Committee Overview, Monday, Dec. 14, 10-11 a.m. via Zoom. Learn more about how this committee, appointed by the Faculty Senate, is supporting OSU’s professional faculty (presented by Jeff Sherman, Extension Office). For more information about the event and how to register CLICK HERE.
Indigenous academia and advocacy: A four-time Beaver and Coastal Band Chumash member, Luhui Whitebear has held an important community role as assistant director of the Native American Longhouse Eena Haws since 2013. Hear about her extensive work supporting Indigenous communities, from student leadership to political advocacy, in the OSU Changemakers series presented by the College of Liberal Arts and the OSU Alumni Association. Monday, Dec. 14, 5 p.m. Register and watch previous episodes.
Seed and nursery catalog history: Alice Formiga, Assistant Professor of Practice in the Department of Horticulture will present "A Short History of Seed and Nursery Catalogues" as part of the Clackamas County Master Gardeners Lecture Series on Dec. 14, 7 p.m. Examples from the collection of c. 2,000 seed and nursery catalogues in the Oregon State University Valley Library will be provided. Find more information and register here.
MS Defense: Zoe Rosenblum will defend her dissertation, "Transboundary wetlands: formal mechanisms for cooperation” on Tuesday, Dec. 15, starting at 10:30 a.m. Rosenblum is advised under the guidance of major professor Susanne Schmeier of IHE-Delft. Meeting ID: 689 909 2694. Password: 43934371.
NEW! Retirement Readiness for PERS Tier 1 & Tier 2 Members Webinar: Wednesday, Dec. 16, from 8:30 a.m.-12:15 p.m. PERS online webinar geared toward faculty and staff who are PERS Tier 1 and Tier 2 members retiring within three years. Topics covered: Individual Account Program, retirement eligibility, calculating the retirement benefit, review of benefit estimate, retirement option choices, variable account after retirement, work after retirement limitations, health insurance, cost-of-living adjustments, taxes and review of retirement application forms. To register, visit the PERS website here. Questions? Contact Retirement@oregonstate.edu.
Preventing Burnout During This Challenging Time – Hosted by Care.com: Executive Coach Lisa Abramson will teach you how to develop a more resilient mindset through five key strategies. She’ll share actionable strategies you can start using immediately to avoid burnout, “reset” and better cope with the stress of the holidays in the time of COVID-19. During this session, we’ll also actively practice some proven stress management techniques to help you re-center, refocus, and be more productive. Dec. 16, 9-10 a.m. Register here today. A recording and a PDF of the presentation will be shared with registrants following the webinar. If you are unable to attend at the scheduled time you can register and receive the PDF presentation and a recording to watch later. Questions? Please contact employee.benefits@oregonstate.edu.
NEW! Women Talk Money – Conversations with Fidelity and Friends: Weekly on Wednesdays now through March 2021, 9 a.m. To help you with your top money questions and the impact of COVID-19 on our lives and finances, this online Fidelity event gives you the opportunity to ask questions to the panelists and they will share ideas on how to get or stay on track with your financial goals. Everyone can benefit from these less-than-30-minute Zoom sessions. To register, visit Fidelity’s website here. Unable to join? Don’t worry. You can listen on demand via www.fidelity.com/wtm at any time. Questions? Contact Retirement@oregonstate.edu.
NEW! Get to Know Zoom with Media Services: Branding and Registration: We will explore the Zoom registration tool for webinars and meetings and the ability to brand your webinar. Dec. 18 from 2-3 p.m. via Zoom. To register, go to https://beav.es/oFq. For more Zoom information from Media Services, including upcoming Zoom webinars, go to https://uit-at.oregonstate.edu/media-services-zoom/
OSU Library Faculty Seminar Series virtual presentation: “Partnerships for remote support of students” delivered by Nicole Hindes, OSU HSRC, and Beth Filar Williams and Sagan Wallace of OSU Libraries & Press. The sudden pandemic closure in March meant the library and HSRC had to switch gears and service students remotely by leaning on the previous relationship established between the two. Though the HSRC usually supports about 10% of the student body, with the campus closure suddenly all students became HSRC students. Dec. 18, 10-11 a.m. Register in advance for this seminar: https://oregonstate.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_RmwNPzrJR-6bq7uweqY_2g
Retirement Celebration: Mary Dobie, Student Employment Specialist with University Human Resources is retiring after 21 years of service at the end of the year. Please join us in a virtual celebration that will be held on Friday, Dec. 18 from 3-4 p.m. Meeting link: https://oregonstate.zoom.us/j/99104755603?pwd=dXo4SXhuTmIzTDRuK0tqcFJmVmhrZz09 Password: 225864.
Retirement celebration: A virtual retirement celebration will be held for Lisa Bogosian (Gillis), ECTU Buyer for OSU Extension, on Dec. 18, 4 p.m. Meeting link: https://oregonstate.zoom.us/j/92168040856?pwd=UmgwV2EyM3hiVDVQemY3VWFGQ3VwUT09 Password: 546920.
ADA30 Celebratory Symposium — Deadline Extended: The OSU Americans with Disabilities Act 30th (ADA30) Anniversary Committee is presently accepting proposals for the ADA30 Celebratory Symposium to be held remotely in May 2021. Campus and community members are encouraged to submit proposals for workshops, posters, artist talks and other session types on a wide array of disability-related topics by Jan. 15, 2021. For more information about ADA30 and the Symposium, including proposal submission details, please visit https://blogs.oregonstate.edu/ada30/.
NEW! PERS - All about OPSRP Webinar: Monday, Dec. 21, from 1-4:45 p.m. PERS online webinar geared toward faculty and staff who are PERS OPSRP members at any point in their career. Topics covered: OPSRP membership details and benefits, retirement eligibility, OPSRP benefit estimate, retirement processes, the Individual Account Program and member resources. To register, visit the PERS website here. Questions? Contact Retirement@oregonstate.edu.
NEW! “Taking it to the streets: Wildfire in the 21st Century" with John Bailey, Professor in Forest Engineering, Resources & Management. Prof. John Bailey will be talking to members of the OSU Retirement Association about what he has learned about how Oregonians can manage their environments to reduce the risk of fires as our habitats and environment change. The art and science of forest management have not fundamentally changed in the last decade, but the objectives have broadened and become more controversial. Thursday, Jan. 14 at 4 p.m. via Zoom. Register today.
Angela Davis at OSU: Angela Davis, American political activist, philosopher, academic and author is the 2021 Keynote Speaker for the 39th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Virtual Keynote and Awards Celebration. The event is on Monday, Jan. 18 from 9:30-10:30 a.m. via Zoom. Registration is free and required. For a schedule of all celebration events, visit the celebration website. For more info, contact events@oregonstate.edu or Mealoha McFadden at 541-231-2585.
NEW! Order Wrapping Paper from Printing & Mailing Services: Choose from our selection of OSU-themed designs, add your department's logo, or upload your own design! For questions or help creating your design, contact us at digital.printing@oregonstate.edu. For more information, visit: https://printmail.oregonstate.edu/wrapping-paper
NEW! Mid-Month Emergency Preparedness Topic: Preparedness Planning — Make a plan today. Your family may not be together if a disaster strikes, so it is important to know which types of disasters could affect your area. Consider specific needs in your household, know how you will contact one another and practice your plan. https://www.ready.gov/plan. This month’s poster can be downloaded at https://emergency.oregonstate.edu/emergency-preparedness/preparedness-topics/preparedness-planning
NEW! Momentum: Among the goals of research performed by the faculty, staff and students at the College of Engineering is improving the lives and livelihoods of Oregonians. In the Winter 2021 issue of Momentum, we’re shining a spotlight on what a handful of our research teams are doing to make Oregon’s population safer, its environment cleaner, its children better educated and its economy more prosperous.
Winter safety: Leave the fire in the fireplace. Burn only dry, seasoned wood in your wood stove or fireplace. Speaking of fireplaces, have chimneys cleaned and inspected by a qualified professional at least once a year. Water your tree daily. Make sure your tree is three feet away from any heat source. Unplug for the night. Use decorative lights that are UL/ETL Listed, and don’t forget to unplug them when you’re not around. For more information: https://www.oregon.gov/osp/programs/sfm/Pages/default.aspx
In Memoriam, a new event for OSU, will annually honor those from our community that passed away in the previous academic year. The Inaugural event is planned for Thursday, Jan. 28 at 5:30 p.m. and will honor those members of our OSU community (students, staff, faculty, alumni and others who made an impact at OSU) that died during the 2019-20 academic year. This year the event will take place as a livestream broadcast via live.oregonstate.edu and will feature poetry, live music and activities for reflection and healing along with guest speakers and representatives from each community to read the names of the deceased. Additional information will be shared as details are finalized. Please visit https://oregonstate.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_beAI0KM3JbZ0iep to share information about an OSU community member that passed away last year that you would like honored at the event or to sign up for more information. You may also email jon.dorbolo@oregonstate.edu for more information or to learn how to get involved with planning the event.
START is recruiting new START Leaders for the 2021 summer. Please visit this link to nominate a student to apply before Friday, Jan. 8; visit this site to learn more about the job; or refer students to our posting on OSU jobs here. The posting opened today and the first consideration deadline is Jan. 15. Any questions or inquiries can be directed to newstudents@oregonstate.edu.
Essential tips for better videos: Everything you want to know about creating video but were afraid to ask. Have you ever shot a video with your phone or hosted a virtual meeting and wondered if there was anything you could do to make it look better? Or perhaps even more importantly – have you ever felt intimidated to start? If yes, then this essential guide on video is for you. Short summary blog post: https://blogs.oregonstate.edu/extensionweb/2020/11/12/essential-tips-for-better-videos/ Full in-depth guide: https://employee.extension.oregonstate.edu/ve/essential-tips-better-video-recordings-virtual-meetings
Printing and Mailing: In conjunction with the University’s request for reduced operations, Printing and Mailing Services will be closed the week of Dec. 28 through Jan. 1 to accommodate for our staff to take some time to relax with family over the holidays. While some essential staff and operations will continue during this reduction period, we will not be open to clients for mail distribution, shipping or printing services. If you have questions and/or concerns please email digital.printing@oregonstate.edu.
OSU Today: Starting Monday, Dec. 14, OSU Today will only publish on Mondays, with no OSU Today during the week of Dec. 28 through Jan. 1. OSU Today will return to daily publication on Monday, Jan. 4, 2021.
Faculty Senate Elections: Following are candidates for Faculty Senate elected positions: President-Elect – John Bailey and Erika McCalpine; Interinstitutional Faculty Senate – John Edwards; Executive Committee – Peter Betjemann, Nicholas Dahl, Vicki Ebbeck, Justin Fleming, Anne Gillies and Dorian Smith. Candidate materials are online at https://senate.oregonstate.edu/2020-elections.
Keck Foundation – Call for concept Papers: The deadline is Dec. 21 to email papers to research.development@oregonstate.edu. The Keck Foundation funds promising projects likely to lead to new models and/or breakthroughs in fundamental science, engineering and medical science. For detailed concept paper guidelines, click on this website link.
Deadline Extended to Dec. 16: Join a supportive faculty cohort to boost your teaching skills. The Winter ’21 Blended Faculty Learning Community will focus on applying effective practices for blended learning – in flipped, hybrid, remote or blended courses – and skillful use of educational technology. Participants will explore and develop solutions to self-identified teaching challenges. See call for proposals.
Women’s Giving Circle: The OSU Women’s Giving Circle is inviting you to submit a grant proposal to be awarded in May 2021. Proposals must enhance the OSU undergraduate student experience and improve student retention and directly impact as many OSU students as possible. The average grant amount awarded is $5,000-$10,000. Deadline for submitting proposals is Monday, Jan. 11, 2021 at 9 a.m. Please see our website for further information and email womensgivingcircle@osufoundation.org or call 541-223-3389 with any questions
Share OSU snapshots for a virtual New Year community celebration: Even while we are apart, we can still bring the Beaver community together. Share your favorite OSU-related photos — campus life, game day fun, or simply sporting your Beaver gear from home — to be included in the OSU Alumni Association New Year’s celebratory video for the whole Beaver family to revisit treasured memories. Deadline to submit is Dec. 14 at 9 p.m.
Carbon Neutral OSU: What you can do? Did you know that OSU made a commitment in 2009 to be carbon neutral by 2025? Want to help achieve that goal? Please save the date of Jan. 12 from 10-11 a.m. You’ll learn about OSU’s efforts toward carbon neutrality, how progress is tracked and what you can do. Register for this webinar today.
Next Great Startup 2021 Competition Application is open now: NGSU is a campus-wide, virtual competition beginning in January where student-led teams compete to win cash prizes, in-kind services and the chance to turn a startup idea into a real company. Open to all teams lead by a currently enrolled OSU student. More information and application available here: http://nextgreatstartup.oregonstate.edu/
Repair Fair Virtual Edition - Archive: Did you miss our virtual Repair Fair demos? Find our collection of videos here and learn some new skills. The Waste Watchers Club hosted its second virtual Repair Fair demo series, and now you can watch all of the videos on our website, Instagram @osusustainable, or our Facebook page (Sustainability at OSU).
Faculty-Senate Student Reps: Applications for Faculty Senate Student Representatives are now open. This is an initiative that enables students to participate in leadership roles by serving on faculty senate committees, while receiving training along the way. The position also provides one with the opportunity to develop skills in research, collaboration and critical thinking. The best part: Students will be paid for their time. Apply at https://asosu.oregonstate.edu/advocacy/join-up or contact Molly Chambers at molly.chambers@oregonstate.edu for questions.
Faculty Staff Fitness: OSU’s Faculty Staff Fitness is offering a variety of options for you over winter break and winter term. Winter break options are open for registration. Winter term registrations open Dec. 1. Remote, asynchronous Online FSF classes will be available Nov. 30-Jan. 4 for $20 and Jan. 4-March 29 for $35, https://health.oregonstate.edu/fsf/online. Classes in person, on campus will be back in action with distancing and safety measures starting Jan. 4 and can be accessed at https://health.oregonstate.edu/fsf/schedule/winter. You will also find on our winter schedule some synchronous Zoom options this winter. Do you need additional guidance to stay on track for the new year? Join our 6-week RECHARGE wellness challenge. Details can be found at https://health.oregonstate.edu/fsf/recharge.
UPDATED! Affordable learning grant RFP now open: Faculty can now submit proposals for funding to adopt, adapt or author an open textbook through OSU’s Open Educational Resources Unit. This grant supports faculty who make learning more affordable for students by implementing no-cost, high-quality OER in their courses. More information on the grant application and related workshops will be shared soon. The proposal submission deadline is Dec. 16. Questions? Send an email to Stefanie Buck, OER director.
$15K of Funding Available: The OSU Advantage Accelerator is currently seeking proposals that describe technology-based projects in any discipline that will move OSU-owned technologies closer to commercialization. Proposals should describe a project that requires $15,000 or less of funding to achieve an important milestone(s) connected to commercialization. Proposals can include expenses for activities related to customer discovery, prototyping, student time, research, commercialization plan development and more. Each project may be awarded up to $15,000 and should span 9 months or less, beginning in October 2020. Proposals are due no later than 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 16. Read the full RFP here: https://advantage.oregonstate.edu/advantage-accelerator/funding-opportunities/aid-fund
PCOSW scholarships: The President's Commission on the Status of Women (PCOSW) is offering scholarships to cover registration costs for the 2021 Oregon Women in Higher Education (OWHE) virtual conference. OSU faculty, professional faculty, staff, students and OSU community members are eligible to apply. The scholarship application deadline is Dec. 15. NOTE: Please DO NOT register for the OWHE conference if you are applying for a scholarship until you are approved. Once approved, you will be sent a promo code and special registration link to use to register with OWHE. PCOSW cannot reimburse people for registrations that have already been paid. For questions, contact pcosw@oregonstate.edu.
NEW! Planned Power Outage (limited impacts): Dec. 17-19. There will be a planned power outage beginning Thursday, December 17 starting at 5 a.m. and lasting until Saturday, Dec. 19 at 7 a.m. so that Pacific Power can replace switches and cables that feed various buildings along SW Campus Way. Visit powergrid.oregonstate.edu to learn which buildings are affected.
NEW! Road closures: Road closures are scheduled around West Campus residence halls to support work related to the Buxton, Hawley and West roof replacement projects (view map). Work is scheduled to take place from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 14. Work will start at 8 a.m. at SW Intramural Lane south of West Hall. Once complete, work will transition to the west end of Hawley Hall and obstruct SW Sackett Place and the east sidewalk. Then work will shift to the north of Hawley Hall and Buxton Hall, and one lane of SW Jefferson Way will be closed along with the south sidewalk. Next, work will shift to SW Weatherford Place and will close the road as well as the west sidewalk. Each portion of work is anticipated to take approximately two hours to stage and pick the supplies to the roofs of the buildings. Intramural parking lot #3294 will also be impacted while work takes place. For questions or comments on this closure, contact Patrick Robinson with University Housing and Dining Services at 541-737-2428.
Wiegand Hall domestic cold water shut down: Domestic cold water will be shut down to Wiegand Hall on Dec. 15 from 6 a.m. to noon to repair a water line. This will affect all domestic cold water including restrooms. For questions or comments on this closure, contact Craig Watkins Brandt at 541-737-2969. Closures are often subject to changes and delays, so please visit the OSU Campus Closures, Shutdowns and Detours page for updates on this and other campus closures.
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 http://oregonstate.edu/jobs unless otherwise specified.
NEW! Associate Dean of Research: The College of Agricultural Sciences is seeking an Associate Dean of Research. This is a full-time (1.0 FTE), 12-month, Tenured Administrator, professional faculty position. Posting #P04058UF. Full consideration Jan. 31. Closes Feb. 28.
“One kind word can warm three winter months." ~ Japanese proverb.
Corvallis: Rainy all week, lows in the lower 40s, highs in the upper 40s to 50.
Central Oregon: Rainy and snowy all week, lows in the 20s to 30s, highs in the 40s.
Newport: Rainy, lows in the 40s, highs in the 50s.
Statewide: For OSU employees around the state, find your local forecast here: http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/pqr/
