OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY
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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: TRACE OSU is providing random COVID-19 testing by invitation at its Corvallis and Bend campuses and at the Hatfield Marine Science Center in Newport. All faculty, staff and students, regardless of vaccination status, should continue with testing participation in TRACE. Testing will take place in Corvallis in the Memorial Union Ballroom and at Reser ticket booths, Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. In Newport, testing will be provided every other week, Monday through Wednesday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. and Thursday 9 a.m.-2 p.m. At OSU-Cascades, testing is provided only to students living and working on campus, and employees working on campus. Testing takes place Tuesdays, 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., and Wednesdays, 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Visit the OSU-Cascades Safety and Success website to learn more about testing schedules. Please join the effort to build a safer and healthier Oregon State University community. To enroll and for more information: https://trace.oregonstate.edu/osu.
Timely Teaching Tips: Searching for teaching-related professional development? Join CTL each Tuesday at 10 a.m. for the Tuesday Teaching + Tech Talks (T4) virtual workshop series. T4 is a certificated program introducing a wide range of pedagogical techniques and educational technology. T4 is open to all; no registration required. Session recordings are available if you cannot attend synchronously.
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.
Esera Tuaolo, who played for OSU in the '80s, made national headlines in 2002 when he came out as gay. His nonprofit, Hate is Wrong, aims to end homophobic bullying.
To track its spread, scientists at Oregon Health & Science University, Oregon State University and the University of Oregon have been analyzing the genome of samples. That tells scientists whether the virus has mutated and lets them track variants. But the three universities only sequencing about 500 samples a week. OHSU and OSU, which have been sequencing the longest have only analyzed about 3,850 samples between February 2020 and March 2021. The public health lab also recently started performing the analysis. It's not clear how many it is handling, however. As a whole, the United States has been slow to conduct genetic analysis of coronavirus samples compared with many other states.
Cases in college students are a clear contributing factor, said Dr. Chunhuei Chi, professor of international health at Oregon State University and director of its Center for Global Health. OSU saw a substantial rise in COVID cases on its Corvallis campus in February, although the numbers have fallen in recent weeks.
To delve into the nuances of what this all means, KATU’s Assistant News Director Brian Anslinger chatted with two Oregon State University physicists over Zoom on Wednesday, experimental particle physicist Heidi Schellman and theoretical physicist David Craig.
Oregon State University’s Steve Strauss led an international collaboration that showed the CRISPR Cas9 gene editing technique could be used with nearly 100% efficiency to knock out LEAFY, the master gene behind flower formation.
A 2020 study examined the annual appearance of phytoplankton - the spring bloom - and found that large ones, which are the most effective at taking in CO2, were far less common than previously believed. "This will definitely impact the model of carbon flows," said Oregon State University microbiologist Steve Giovannoni.
This week on the Peak Northwest podcast, we interview a pair of Oregon State University researchers about the Community Snow Observations project, which encourages backcountry users such as skiers, snowmobilers and snowshoers to submit snow depth measurements using a mobile app.
Get ready to spend a Saturday at the Oregon Coast from the dry vantage of the High Desert. You won’t get the salty sea air in your lungs, but you also won’t have to make a long drive, get wet or spend any money. The virtual trip (look, you knew there had to be a catch) is all-free and rides the digital waves to your home courtesy of Marine Science Day from Oregon State University’s Hatfield Marine Science Center.
Another recent study from Oregon State University found that targeted exercise programs should take place between ages 9 and 13, to help kids maintain physical activity. That's when kids show the biggest decline in active time, according to the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM).
Caballero: This South American gaucho was photographed circa 1915. OSU Special Collections & Archives doesn't just have photos from Oregon, but has many images from around the world.
Friday Remote Teaching Forums: Faculty and GTAs are invited to join the CLA Remote Teaching Team for a series of 1-hour workshops and conversations geared towards cultivating and sharing successful pedagogical strategies, fostering inclusive learning spaces and supporting students in remote and multi-modality environments. The first, "Strategies for Student Success," will take place on Friday, April 9 at 10 a.m. View the forums.
WIC workshop: WIC will present “The art of asking questions: How to prime stronger student engagement.” Online discussions enhance student learning, but only when the prompts are designed to encourage energizing and meaningful conversation. This workshop will show you how to write questions that maximize student engagement and that create meaningful experiences for your students. It will include opportunities to refine discussion questions, assignment prompts and other materials. April 9 at 10 a.m. Registration and list of upcoming WIC spring events.
Social Media for Professional Development and Networking: Join us for an overview of how to use social media and build your professional network online. This session is geared toward faculty and staff looking to learn more about how to use social media professionally. Part of the Spring 2021 FYI Friday series; Friday, April 9, 11-11:30 a.m. via Zoom. Registration required.
Applied Economics Seminar: Dan Kaffine, professor, Department of Economics at the University of Colorado Boulder will present "The Distributional Benefits of Emission Reductions from Renewable Energy" via Zoom. Friday, April 9 from 2:30-4 p.m. Details, including dial-in information, here.
University Budget Committee: The University Budget Committee (UBC) will meet Friday, April 9 from 2:-3:30 p.m. via Zoom. The UBC is OSU’s advisory body to the Provost for recommendations on tuition rates, budget priorities, and budget policies. The committee will discuss projections and planning relevant to developing budget recommendations for 2021-22. Members of the university community are welcome to join the meetings as observers. If you are interested in joining as an observer you may register via Zoom. More information and future meeting times can be found at https://fa.oregonstate.edu/budget/university-budget-committee.
The Virtual Reading Room: Poetry Read Aloud is an event sponsored by the Valley Library, INTO OSU and the Corvallis Multicultural Literacy Center that aims to connect native and non-native English speakers through reading the Poetry Foundation’s Spring Collection. Together, we will popcorn-read these poems, build community and practice reading out loud. This is a low-pressure, fun way to engage with people from the Corvallis community through the shared love of reading. This event will take place April 9 from 3-7 p.m. via Zoom. This event is open to the public. Register here. Volunteers can sign up by registering here.
Disabled Students Union Spring 2021 First General Meeting: Friday, April 9, 5 p.m. Meetings are recurring weekly. Please contact disabledstudentsunionatos@gmail.com for more details and accommodations. https://oregonstate.zoom.us/j/97075862306?pwd=eDQyRGhwQWUycTFPdG5mTnVCVU11dz09. Password: 817487.
HMSC Virtual Marine Science Day: Join us for this Choose Your Own Adventure-style event and see the Hatfield Marine Science Center in a new way. We are so excited to share with you what all our researchers and educators have been working on this year. On the Marine Science Day webpage, you will have the choice to explore 5 different themed areas: the Main Stage, Tours, Kid Zone, Exhibit Hall and the Community Art Gallery. This is an asynchronous event so there are things going on in all these areas at the same time – from on-your-own activities to live Zoom events. April 10 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Join in all the fun at: https://hmsc.oregonstate.edu/marine-science-day.
Religion, Reality, Resistance: Spring 2021 Religious Studies Conference. This annual conference hosted by students in the OSU religious studies program, features undergraduate presentations of research from the past year. Saturday, April 10, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. This year the conference is virtual. Schedule. Any and all interested members of the CLA community are invited to join the conversation with this access link: https://oregonstate.zoom.us/j/91832141756pwd=K1ZjSEErak1lbE5SV3JhS2ZlZTJvUT09 Password: 299528.
Oregon Spring Career Fair: Register today to meet with employers from a variety of industries. Hershey Co., Nortek, Amazon, Collabera, Greenberry and nearly 100 more great employers will be in attendance. April 15, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. in Handshake. This virtual fair is hosted in conjunction with the University of Oregon. For more information and how to prepare for a virtual career fair, please visit: career.oregonstate.edu/virtual-fairs.
Beyond Earth Day: Join Community Engagement & Leadership and the Corvallis community in celebration of the 51st anniversary of Earth Day. Events and activities run from Saturday, April 17 through Friday, April 23, and are focused on adopting sustainable practices that challenge people to take on a greater role in their individual and institutional lives. Questions? Contact cel.event@oregonstate.edu.
Oregon State University Out of the Darkness: The OSU community recognizes the importance of mental health. Suicide prevention is vital for our community; we need your help to save lives and bring hope to those affected by suicide. This year’s event puts a virtual twist on the classic Campus Walk. Join us Saturday, April 17 at noon for the livestreamed ceremony with community speakers, an Honor Bead Ceremony, and memorial submissions. Stick around afterwards for our virtual resource fair – guided meditation sessions, community partners, OSU clubs, and more! Contact Tessie Webster-Henry at tess.websterhenry@oregonstate.edu for more information. Afsp.org/OregonState
START orientation: START New Student Orientation will occur virtually this summer, but with significant changes from summer 2020. Come to our webinar to learn about the overall structure and the experience will be like for our incoming class. Join us on Zoom for the event, which will take place on April 27 from 2:30-3:30 p.m.
NEW! Department of Horticulture Seminar: The Horticulture Spring 2021 Seminar Series will take place Monday, April 12, at noon. The seminar is accessible through a Zoom webinar at https://oregonstate.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJYlceqgrDssG9f6WTby4qwcbMLd5aSAjScr. The event is free and open to the public. Bri Price, MS student, Department of Horticulture, Oregon State University, will present, “Non-nutritive sugars, a new management tactic for Drosophila suzukii management and prospective non-target effects.”
NEW! Public Health Webcast April 12 | Back to school expectations, transitions and challenges: What will a return to in-person learning look like for students, educators and families? Learn what to expect from the transition and explore impacts for mental and emotional health and childhood development. College of Public Health and Human Sciences faculty lead the discussion in a Public Health Insider webcast on April 12 at 4 p.m. PT. Register and explore the series.
NEW! Care.com Webinar: Removing the “man-can’t” myth: Moms and dads have been struggling during the COVID-19 pandemic, experiencing equal amounts of stress, despite stereotypes. Dads today are “all in” and more emotionally and physically involved at home than ever before. Josh Levs, an expert on modern dads in the workplace, will share how men can engage on issues of gender equality and diversity, how they can become co-champions for change, and strategies to offer work-life balance for both women and men. Tuesday, April 13, 9-10 a.m. Register today.
NEW! CTL Tuesday Teaching + Tech Talks — Advancing Social Justice Education: Integrating Critical and Inclusive Pedagogies. Jeff Kenney, director of Institutional Education for Diversity, Equity + Inclusion, will speak on “What does it mean to practice social justice education? Interact with peers and experts to explore the distinctions and tensions between critical and inclusive pedagogies and imagine ways to grow your praxis.” This workshop will be facilitated on April 13 at 10 a.m. via Zoom: beav.es/ZOOMT4 *Password: CTL. Handouts, materials and resources: beav.es/BOXT4. Additional info: Tuesday Teaching + Tech Talks.
NEW! People and Nature Lunch Series is back for Spring Term: Join us on Tuesday, April 13, from noon to 12:50 p.m. as Steven Johnson (Geography) presents “Novel ocean futures: anticipating great change in the world’s marine protected areas.” The lecture is free and open to all. To join the meeting, register at https://peopleandnatureosu.weebly.com/schedule.html. Sponsored by the Department of Fisheries & Wildlife’s Human Dimensions Lab.
NEW! OMSI-OSU Virtual Workshops: The College of Science and OMSI offer opportunities for members of the OSU community (OSU faculty, staff, graduate and undergraduate students engaged in research) to build and hone their science communication skills. We are offering a workshop on April 15 from 3-4:30 p.m., "Virtual Science Demonstrations." Over the past year, many of us have communicated in a virtual format much more than ever before. In this workshop we will emphasize and practice facilitation strategies unique to the virtual format that still allow for making meaningful connections. Registration ($25) closes April 13. Register/learn more at: https://omsi.edu/science-communication-services.
NEW! Combating bullying and anti-LGBTQ attitudes in sports | April 21 Webcast: Former Beaver, NFL defensive tackle and LGBTQ advocate Esera Tuaolo believes in a more inclusive and diverse world of sports — from pro football to youth athletics programs. Hear about his personal challenges during a successful nine-season NFL career and about his anti-bullying work and education delivered through his nonprofit, Hate is Wrong. Join College of Liberal Arts Professor Susan Shaw in conversation with Tuaolo on April 21 at 5 p.m. PT. Register at osualum.com/Changemakers.
UPDATED! Professional Faculty transition to continuous employment: The Professional Faculty transition to continuous employment is slated to take effect on July 1. Additional information for professional faculty is available in Zoom sessions on Tuesday, April 13 from 1-1:45 p.m. or Friday, April 16 from 11-11:45 a.m. Supervisors of professional faculty can learn more by attending an information session on Thursday, April 15 from 9-9:45 a.m. The supervisor session for Friday, April 9 from 1-1:45 p.m. has been canceled in order to better accommodate supervisor availability, but will be rescheduled. Sessions are being recorded and will be published to the transition webpage for those unable to attend in real time. Questions about the change are welcome and may be sent to proffactransition@oregonstate.edu.
Science Pub: Vitamin C facts and fiction will be the topic of the April 12 Oregon State University Science Pub. The virtual event will feature a talk by Alexander Michels, a research associate and communications officer for Oregon State’s Linus Pauling Institute. His presentation, a joint effort of Oregon State University in Corvallis and OSU-Cascades in Bend, is called: “Vitamin C and Health: Fact versus Fiction.” The free Science Pub will run from 6-7:30 p.m. The event will be broadcast on YouTube Live. Registration is required and can be completed at: https://beav.es/Jyo.
How to Manage Startup Teams — OSU Advantage Speaker Series: When you're launching a new business, it's easy to be so focused on your product and finding funding that you forget about your most important asset — your team. As any seasoned CEO will attest, your team is your lifeblood — with a good one, a mediocre product can still find success, and with a bad one, the best, well-funded innovation can die. But with the limited resources of a startup, how do you navigate stewarding your team well and providing the environment and resources they need to thrive? Join the OSU Advantage Accelerator on Wednesday, April 14 from noon to 1 p.m., as we dive into these questions with experienced CEO Rita Hansen and learn what tactics, strategies and advice she has for the budding entrepreneur. Register here: https://events.oregonstate.edu/event/how_to_manage_startup_teams#.YG5aXuhKhyw
Best Practices for Stewarding Scholarship Donors: Philanthropy and stewardship are increasingly important to ensuring student access and success at OSU. Faculty and staff involved in scholarship management and donor engagement are invited to a virtual workshop that will share the best practices for stewarding scholarship donors developed by OSU and the OSU Foundation. Tuesday, April 13 at 3 p.m. Visit Scholarship Resources for Zoom informatio
PFLA Zoom event: Career Development Tools, presented by Karla Rockhold, assistant director of career development, Wednesday, April 14, noon to 1 p.m. Learn more about the many tools and resources that can help you achieve your career goals. For more information about the event and how to register, click here.
BIPOC in STEM Career Conversation: The College of Science BIPOC student group is hosting a discussion with BIPOC STEM professionals on Tuesday, April 13 at 5 p.m. Kim Tran from Integrity Bio, Dawn Wright from Esri, Jacob Benson III from Innovator Semiconductor Solutions and Shaznin Daruwalla from CAPS join us for a 30-minute student Q&A followed by breakout sessions. Register here.
OSU Science on Tap | Wine Off the Vine in Oregon and Italy: The OSU Alumni Association is pairing two popular programs for one splendid evening. Learn about the sensory science of wine from OSU Fermentation Science program’s Elizabeth Tomasino at Wine Off the Vine in Oregon and Italy Thursday, April 15, at 5:30 p.m. Be part of the live virtual tasting and discussion of wine from Oregon and Italy. Then hear how you can experience the region on Alumni Group Travel’s upcoming tour, Flavors of Northern Italy, departing September 2021. To receive a recommended wine list, register for free at osualum.com/SOTwine.
Faculty Staff Fitness: OSU Faculty Staff Fitness has fitness offerings to keep you moving Spring 2021 and registration is open. Check out our in-person, remote synchronous and remote asynchronous offerings at https://health.oregonstate.edu/fsf/schedule/spring. Our in-person offerings will be via Zoom or meet with the 6-person maximum until we can return to campus with the OHA Risk Designation changes. Zoom synchronous class options will be Tuesday/Thursday 7 a.m. and noon. Weight Training and a 100% Zoom Cardio Intervals 30-minute class Monday/Wednesday at noon for a midday boost. We also have our Online FSF program with more than 300 classes and 20 styles in a completely online, asynchronous format (https://health.oregonstate.edu/fsf/online) for $35 for 12 weeks.
NEW! Event Co-Sponsorship Opportunity: The Speaker Series committee of the President’s Commission on the Status of Women is accepting applications for funding from OSU staff and students interested in hosting speaker events in Spring term. Funding averages $500 and applicants must provide a clear explanation of the event and its alignment with the PCOSW mission. To learn more and apply online, see the PCOSW Funding Opportunities page.
NEW! Nominations deadline extended: The President’s Commission on the Status of Women, Office of Institutional Diversity, Office of the Provost and OSU Athletics are accepting nominations for the Breaking Barriers awards. All OSU community members whose work advances gender equity in alignment with the award categories are eligible. Categories include Breaking Barriers in Education, Breaking Barriers in Research, Breaking Barriers in Athletics, the PCOSW Community Builder and the Harriet "Hattie" Redmond awards. Learn more and submit nominations at beav.es/Jby. Nominations close Sunday, April 18. For questions, contact pcosw@oregonstate.edu.
Pew Scholars Program in the Biomedical Sciences: Provides funding to young investigators of outstanding promise in science relevant to the advancement of human health. The current grant level is $300,000; $75,000 per year for four years. For the 2022 award, one nomination will be invited from each of the participating institutions. The internal deadline for submitting a letter of recommendation for a nominee is Monday, April 12. https://research.oregonstate.edu/program/pew-scholars-program-biomedical-sciences.
The Full Collection of Animal Interlude Tiny Concerts: This week, Spring Creek Project released the final Animal Interludes in the collection. You can now watch all the short videos — each an original composition of words and music featuring a beloved animal — on their YouTube channel. The latest Interludes include the wolf, raven, sidewinder rattlesnake, humpback whale and spadefoot toad. Learn more about the collection and contributors.
Celebrating Undergraduate Excellence (CUE) registration open: CUE is an annual showcase for undergraduates from all disciplines, all years of study and all stages of research to present to the OSU community. Please encourage students to present lightning talks during this two-day virtual research symposium, which will be held on May 27-28. The deadline for students to register is May 7. View details at communications.oregonstate.edu/events/cue. For more info, contact OfficeofURSA@oregonstate.edu.
Learn Mindfulness for Science: The Edwards Social Cognition Lab is looking for volunteers to take a no-cost, Zoom-based meditation program starting April 26. Zoom sessions are 45 minutes at 8 a.m. or 7 p.m., Monday-Friday, for 3 weeks. Volunteers can receive a $20 Amazon Gift Card for completing the study. IRB#2020-0906. Learn more at: https://scl.liberalarts.oregonstate.edu/content/current-projects.
Participants wanted for a short-term vegetable sprout research study (Corvallis): If you are healthy, age 18-60, non-smoking, not pregnant or breastfeeding, without diabetes, heart disease or stroke, bariatric surgery, kidney, thyroid or intestinal problems, you may qualify. The study lasts 72 hours. Volunteers will receive $150. PI: Emily Ho, Ph.D. Title: "Discovery of Biological Signatures for Cruciferous Vegetable Intake." Contact us at MFCResearch@oregonstate.edu, 541-737-5049 or visit https://tinyurl.com/y7437mo4 for information and online screener.
IRS warns of impersonation email scam targeting university staff and students: The IRS recently warned of impersonation email scams targeting people with .edu email addresses. The scammers lure their targets with the IRS logo and email subject lines related to tax refunds. Please find out how to protect yourself here: https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-warns-university-students-and-staff-of-impersonation-email-scam. This message brought to you by the OSU Office of Information Security.
Floor Monitor Training: Training for Floor Monitors and Building Managers on roles and responsibilities when evacuating their building. Training is the second Wednesday of every month via Zoom. Sign up for Zoom Floor Monitor Training at: https://oregonstate.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_1ZhCgowN8AukjPf.
Call for Applications – Inclusive Excellence@OSU 2021 Cohort: Each year IE@OSU welcomes STEM faculty from OSU, Linn-Benton and Lane Community Colleges to participate in a yearlong fellowship. Inclusive Excellence@OSU seeks to transform STEM education by creating a thriving community of peers who are invested in inclusive excellence in STEM, challenging fellows to develop equity and justice-oriented mindsets and exploring pedagogical practices that fellows can implement in their own classrooms. Click here for application and more info. Deadline to apply is May 3.
Deadline Extended: Visualize Your Bibliography Competition: The OSU Libraries and Press invite currently enrolled graduate students to enter this year’s Visualize Your Bibliography Competition. Submissions should creatively display 20+ sources used in a thesis, dissertation, or other scholarly work. Displays might range from a series of erasure poems made for each source to a multimedia timeline of your sources. Prizes: 1st: $750, 2nd: $500, 3rd: $250. Deadline extended to April 11. For questions, contact colleen.johnson@oregonstate.edu.
Mindful @ Oregon State University is an e-newsletter that delivers a weekly care package of mindfulness tips, resources and events to your inbox. Curated by CAPS staff, the newsletter features a weekly guided meditation, "learn more" section, mindfulness challenge, OSU mindfulness event calendar and crowd-sourced knowledge and recommendations. Subscribe here: http://bit.ly/mindfulOSU.
Center for Teaching & Learning Consultations: Whether you want to learn more about a core area of pedagogy, discuss a pedagogical challenge or share a classroom victory, our staff are ready for you. To schedule a 1-on-1 teaching consultation contact CTL@oregonstate.edu. All meetings are confidential and formative. While we are ready to help with general course design, and revision of assignments, assessments and syllabi, we are also ready to engage with you on issues that develop during the term and need immediate attention.
Updates to University Policies & Standards: Please visit the University Policy & Standards page to learn about recent policy updates: http://policy.oregonstate.edu/whats-new. This page is updated frequently with new developments, so we encourage you to check back regularly. Also, be sure to subscribe to our newsletter here.
Seeking participants age 30-55 years for a metabolic research study: The Insulin and Muscle Fat Metabolism study is being conducted by Sean Newsom, Ph.D., and Matt Robinson, Ph.D. Participants may receive up to $225 for time committed to the study and information about their health. To learn more about the study and how to get involved, please email us at tmr.lab@oregonstate.edu.
Western Building parking lot: As part of the Campus Operations building project, partial closures are scheduled for the Western Building lot for grading and paving work. Partial lot closures are scheduled to start on Monday, April 5 and continue through Friday, April 23 (view map). Half of the parking lot will remain open at all times. Please note, paving work is weather-dependent and future updates to the schedule may follow this notice.
Campus Way: As part of a construction project at the RAIL 244 facility, this is an informational campus-wide notification to inform pedestrian path users about the potential for increased vehicle traffic along Campus Way between SW 35th Street and SW 53rd Street (view map) from March 4 through June 15. Vehicles will be traveling to and from the RAIL facility and the Building 244 construction site. The general contractor for the project will post signs at key points for the duration of the project. For questions or comments on this closure, please contact Construction Manager Amy Keene at 541-214-1038.
“What is a legacy? It's planting seeds in a garden you never get to see." --Lin-Manuel Miranda
Corvallis: Frost and then sunny today, high of 57, low of 38. Mostly cloudy Saturday, sunny Sunday.
Central Oregon: Sunny, high of 61, low of 29. Mostly sunny Saturday, sunny Sunday.
Newport: Frost and then mostly sunny, high of 50, low of 38. Mostly cloudy Saturday, sunny Sunday.
Statewide: For OSU employees around the state, find your local forecast here: http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/pqr/
