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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.
UPDATED! TRACE OSU testing: During Finals Week, beginning Dec. 7, testing will be offered to a subset of students, by invitation only, at the Corvallis and OSU-Cascades campuses. Testing will not be offered at the Hatfield Marine Science Center that week. For hours and locations, see: https://trace.oregonstate.edu/osu. All testing will conclude Dec. 11 and resume on Jan. 4. 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: Grappling with grading of group work? Join the Center for Teaching and Learning’s Sparkshop on Friday, Dec. 11, at noon, on Assessing Collaborative Group Work/Projects for a facilitated discussion of effective strategies for using confidential peer-evaluations to grade group work fairly and equitably.
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.
And a wider range of tree species can come into play. “What would really move the dial is to use [wood] fiber that doesn’t have much commercial value for standard uses,” says Iain Macdonald, director of the TallWood Design Institute at Oregon State University. Initial research has been encouraging: Studies of glued laminate timber (glulam) and cross-laminated timber (CLT) made from “low-value” small-diameter Ponderosa pine show that they perform as well as products made from larger-diameter trees of traditional lumber species..
The first deep-dive analysis of how well the network of marine protected areas (MPAs) ringing the Channel Islands guards against poaching has delivered decisively positive results. Illegal takings within the boundaries of the MPAs, established in 2003 after a series of long and bruising negotiations between fisherman, conservationists, and scientists, are essentially zero, the study spearheaded by Oregon State University found.
Oregon State University’s bid to manage the Elliott State Forest took a huge step forward Tuesday. The State Land Board, meeting remotely, approved the transfer of the massive forest property in southwest Oregon to OSU to manage as a research forest. (see also OPB)
The Oregon State University researchers behind the project believe it is a “major breakthrough” for fields such as image recognition, robotics and artificial intelligence.
“Our findings will reduce the overall input costs of strawberry production,” said Babu Panthi, a former doctoral student in entomology and nematology at the UF/IFAS College of Agricultural and Life Sciences and now a Postdoctoral Researcher at Oregon State University.
American Strings Series webcast with Dave Alvin, hosted by Bob Santelli of Oregon State University and the Grammy Museum.
Today's workspace: Peter Eschbach, facility director of the Electron Microscopy Facility, says, “As much as I would love to stay home all the time with my cute pets, there is work to be done. I come in Monday-Thursday, 1-6 p.m. and then 9-5 on Friday. I look forward to Fridays as nobody is here in the morning and I get time to do instrument calibrations and maintenance.” 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.
NEW! Why should I give via the Charitable Fund Drive? When you give through the CFD, 100% of your donation goes to the organization(s) you designate. All CFD costs — less than 10% of funds raised — are paid by the participating charities. And by giving during this OSU campaign, you help boost OSU’s reputation for being a kind, generous neighbor, all while making a positive impact in Oregon. It’s easy with online pledging and payroll deduction: https://www.ipledgeonline.org/_cfduniversities/
NEW! Investment webinars: The Maps Credit Union CFS investment team is conducting a Weekly Webinar Series on a variety of investment topics that include current market updates. Wednesday, Dec. 9, noon, ABC + D of Medicare. This is one way to educate yourself without leaving the comfort and safety of your own home. These are not OSU events but are tailored to OSU clients and during normal circumstances are held on campus. There is no charge.
American Strings (remote): An Evening with Dave Alvin. Grammy-winning singer, songwriter and guitarist, Dave Alvin is one of the pivotal pioneers of Americana music. Hosted by OSU Director of Popular Music and Performing Arts Bob Santelli, each segment of American Strings is comprised of a conversation and solo performance by successful artists from a variety of genres, making for a one of a kind opportunity to appreciate and know better the great American music tradition. Wednesday, Dec. 9 at 5 p.m. Free. Register for link to view.
2020 Oregon Stater Awards: Please join Oregon State University's College of Engineering for the 22nd anniversary of the Oregon Stater Awards to celebrate achievement at the frontiers of engineering and its profound impact on the profession and our world: Wednesday, Dec. 9, 5:30-6:30 p.m. The 2020 Oregon Stater Awards program will honor the Engineering Hall of Fame Award recipient: Anton Thomas Skoro, ’81 B.S. Construction Engineering Management. Skoro is receiving the Engineering Hall of Fame Award posthumously. Joan Skoro will be accepting the award on behalf of her late husband. Remarks provided by Scott A. Ashford, Kearney Dean of Engineering. Free and open to the public. Register here.
Floor Monitor Training: Training for Floor Monitors and Building Managers on roles and responsibilities when evacuating their building. Training is the 2nd Wednesday of every month via Zoom. Sign up for Zoom Floor Monitor Training at: https://oregonstate.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_1ZhCgowN8AukjPf
NEW! Christmas music conversation: Corvallis Repertory Singers "Maestro Moments" online conversation with composer Dan Forrest, Sunday, Dec. 13 at 3 p.m. Steven Zielke, the director of choral studies at OSU, will interview Forrest, who recently released an album of his arrangements of Christmas carols. This Zoom event is free, but registration is required. Attendees can register at the Repertory Singers website: https://repsing.org/
Retirement celebration: Carol Thurber, Office Specialist 2 with the Auxiliaries and Activities Business Center, is retiring after 16 years of service to OSU. A virtual celebration will be held on Dec. 10 from 2-3 p.m. Meeting link: https://oregonstate.zoom.us/j/98436006273?pwd=SXV3ekRPNnMzVjJvTmhsYXIzU3J0Zz09 Password: 154028.
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.
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.
NEW! MS Defense: Theresa Keith will defend her dissertation, “Academic Discourse and Practitioner Perspectives: gendered climate adaptation strategies for water resources” on Friday, Dec. 11, starting at 7 a.m. Keith is co-advised under the guidance of major professors Lynette de Silva and Mary Santelmann. Meeting ID: 967 0149 5003|. Password is 398392.
NEW! Introduction to Retirement PERS Tier 1 & Tier 2 Webinar: Saturday, Dec. 12, 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 planning to retire in more than three years. Topics covered: Individual Account Program, regular and variable accounts, retirement benefit information and work after retirement limitations. To register, visit the PERS website here. Questions? Contact Retirement@oregonstate.edu.
NEW! 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.
NEW! 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! 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
Hospice talk: Join the Eldercare Connections support group on Thursday, Dec, 10, from noon to 1 p.m., when Kelly Sautel from Evergreen Hospice and Supportive Services, Samaritan Health Services, will present, “Is Hospice Right for Me?” This event is sponsored by the Family Resource Center. For more information contact Robynn Pease at robynn.pease@oregonstate.edu. Join our Zoom meeting at https://oregonstate.zoom.us/j/94050565483?pwd=dGFhNkFhYVFkeGtNcWZZamRrUjBXUT09
Demystifying Your Obligations as a Mandatory Reporter and Responsible Employees: OSU employees have obligations as both Mandatory Reporters and Responsible Employees. Those designations may be intimidating and confusing. The office of Equal Opportunity and Access (EOA) will provide information about the difference and your requirements for both. Part of the Fall 2020 FYI Friday series, Dec. 11, 9-10 a.m. via Zoom. Registration required.
The Center for Teaching & Learning’s Sparkshop: Assessing Collaborative Group Work/Projects: Have your students ever expressed concerns about free-riding by some group members in a group project? We will discuss effective strategies for using confidential peer evaluations to grade group work fairly and equitably. Facilitator: Funmi Amobi, CTL Instructional Consultant. Dec. 11, noon to 12:45 p.m. Zoom access: https://oregonstate.zoom.us/my/sparkshop Password: CTL.
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.
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.
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 Mon., 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! 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
NEW! 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
Faculty senate reminder: Reminder: Balloting for Faculty Senate President-Elect and Interinstitutional Faculty Senate Senator candidates ends at Noon on December 9. Ballots were distributed via email from the faculty.senate@oregonstate.edu mailbox on Nov. 25.
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).
Naval ROTC Toys for Tots Drive: Final week to donate, ending Dec. 11. The Marine Toys for Tots Foundation leads communities in collecting and distributing toys for children in need. Unfortunately, NROTC will NOT be collecting donations this year due to current restrictions, but you can still help bring joy and hope to less fortunate children this Christmas season by donating through this link. Thank you.
Beavers Read: OSU Libraries is here to help you find your next good read as you gear up for winter break -- and make sure it is something you can read safely from home. Just fill out this survey to get an email with personalized recommendations: https://beav.es/4m9
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.
Monthly Emergency Preparedness Topic — Flooding: Flooding occurs in Oregon due to our seasonal rainfall, summer fires, melting snow, new development and levee/dams. All influence how water is absorbed or directed downstream. Areas that have not flooded in the past may flood now due to changes that occurred somewhere else and caused a change in how the ground interacts with the water. This month’s poster can be downloaded at https://emergency.oregonstate.edu/emergency-preparedness/preparedness-topics/flood
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.
Orchard Avenue: As part of the Cordley Hall Renovation project, NW Orchard Avenue will change to one-way traffic eastbound, between NW 30th Street and NW 27th Street, beginning on Thursday, Dec. 3 (view map). This change will be in place for the duration of the Cordley Hall Renovation through 2024. For questions or comments on this closure, contact Construction Manager Jason Lundy at 541-270-0193.
"Will love be true as December frost, or fickle and fall like the rose in June? ~Clement Scott
Corvallis: Chance of rain then partly sunny, high of 52, low of 32. Showers likely Thursday.
Central Oregon: Partly sunny Wednesday, high of 46, low of 26. Partly sunny Thursday.
Newport: Mostly cloudy, high of 51, low of 35. Showers likely tomorrow.
Statewide: For OSU employees around the state, find your local forecast here: http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/pqr/
