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.
NEW! Teaching Principle: Have students submit assignments through Canvas whenever possible and provide learners with timely feedback through the Canvas gradebook to enable them to track their learning progress. See all the Remote and Blended Course Design and Teaching Principles.
NEW! Help sought for Reser Stadium evacuation support: Oregon State Corvallis employees, including student workers and professional and classified workers, are invited by the Oregon State University Incident Management Team to greet evacuees from Linn, Lincoln and other counties and provide support. Employees will be paid their regular wage for participating. Participants will collect demographic information, and guide them through staged parking areas as they wait for Red Cross and County Managers to place them in waiting shelters throughout the community. Masks will be provided. Work will take place outdoors in the Reser Parking Lot. Help will only be needed if primary Benton County resources become exhausted. The team will schedule staff for shifts through the weekend, and hold them on standby until the shelter lot opens. To participate, check with your supervisor for approval and then register here: https://signup.com/go/gBSMsoc
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 landscape on which those fuels sit looks different than it ever has in recent history, said John Bailey, a forestry professor at Oregon State University. Fire has always played a role in the natural cycle of forests with low intensity blazes burning through woodlands at regular intervals. That all began to change in the early 1900s, after a summer of massive blazes, when the federal government adopted a zero-tolerance policy for wildfires.
Prescribed burns account for another difference between the states, says Larry O’Neil, an associate professor at the College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences at Oregon State University. Oregon may be doing a better job at conducting these burns, he said.
Erica McKenzie, a large-animal veterinarian with Oregon State University, says the same smoke that’s unhealthy for humans can make large animals sick too. McKenzie says the stress of moving, being exposed to new animals, new people and new food can be dangerous.
OSU-Cascades officials and contractors met with reporters Wednesday afternoon to show and discuss the progress so far and what's still to come in their campus expansion project.
Katherine McAlvage, assistant director of course development and training at Oregon State University’s Ecampus in Corvallis, Oregon, suggests educators actually start by thinking of how students will need to access material they’re using before they send it out. As part of a four-person team with the Ecampus, McAlvage is not only helping educators at the university adapt to remote teaching, she is also in close contact with local school districts in the area to support their efforts as well, she said.
In recent years, leasable farmland has been harder to come by “because cannabis farmers could pay so much more,” said Maud Powell, an associate professor in the Small Farms Program at Oregon State University.
Oregon State University is closing Wednesday afternoon many of its facilities statewide until further notice due to prolonged smoke and ash conditions from numerous wildfires in the Pacific Northwest.
Agricultural economist Clark Seavert of Oregon State University said pear growers are right to seek solutions in better marketing of their product to drive up prices.
Today’s workspace: Carrie Burkholder, regulatory and safety compliance officer with Oregon Agricultural Experiment Station, says, “Big Boy always wants to be in the middle of things. One time I was working and I saw him jump to try to grab a bird and he went over the edge and was hanging on the gutter by his claws. He had pulled himself halfway back up by the time I got out there to help him. No birds or cats were hurt in this story.” We've seen lots of your workspaces. Now it's time to see the view from your windows (or decks or balconies). Submit photos of your view (please don't include photos of people without their permission) and send it in an email to osutoday@oregonstate.edu. Follow OSU Today on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/osutoday1/ and catch up on any workspace photos you might have missed so far.
Samuel Mawutor M.S. defense: Samuel Mawutor is presenting his thesis, titled: “Forest Decentralization in Ghana: Examining Empowerment of local institutions." Mawutor is earning his M.S. in Forest Ecosystems and Society with Reem Hajjar. Sept. 11, 10 a.m. via Zoom. To RSVP and for Zoom info, email Mawutor at Samuel.Mawutor@oregonstate.edu. Please contact Michelle Greene at michelle.greene@oregonstate.edu with questions or for accommodations for disabilities.
University Day awards: Join President F. King Alexander for the University Day Virtual Awards Celebration on Mon., Sep. 14 from 2 to 3 p.m. to celebrate the accomplishments and to offer congratulations to the recipients of these prestigious university awards. Registration is required. For a full list of award recipients and more info about University Day activities, visit universityday.oregonstate.edu. For questions or accommodations for disabilities, contact Mealoha McFadden at mealoha.mcfadden@oregonstate.edu or 541-231-2585.
American Strings Webcast: An Evening with Rosanne Cash: Truly one of the preeminent singer-songwriters of our time, Rosanne Cash has released 15 albums of extraordinary songs that have earned her four Grammy awards. She is also a successful essayist and author. Get comfy at home, turn up your sound system and join host Bob Santelli as we get to know this Americana superstar, the eldest daughter of country music legend Johnny Cash, a little better through an intimate conversation and some great live music. Co-presented by the College of Liberal Arts and the OSU Alumni Association on Tuesday, Sept. 15 at 5 p.m. Register for link to view.
2020 University Day Keynote Session and Expo registration is now open. Register for the virtual keynote session with Freeman Hrabowski, President of University of Maryland, Baltimore County, on Tuesday, Sept. 15, from 10-11:30 a.m. Watch the live or recorded keynote session and be entered into daily prize drawings (through Sept. 25). Also register your unit to present in the virtual expo and showcase your unit’s work and opportunities to fellow staff and faculty. Register today at universityday.oregonstate.edu. For more info, contact Mealoha McFadden at Mealoha.mcfadden@oregonstate.edu or 541-231-2585.
Board of Trustees: The OSU Board of Trustees will meet from 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 17, to consider the issuance of OSU revenue bonds and an adjustment to the Cordley Hall capital project budget. The board also will receive updates on the university’s COVID-19 response, budget and public safety program. Given current COVID-19 guidance from the Governor’s Office, as well as university and county health officials, the meeting will be hosted through a remote conferencing service. The meeting is open to the public. The meeting agenda, options for joining the meeting and instructions for providing comment during the board meeting’s general comment period and in a testimony period held before the board votes on each action item are located at this webpage. Meeting materials will also be posted on this webpage as they are available. If special accommodations are required, please contact (541) 737-3449 or lauren.skousen@oregonstate.edu at least 48 hours in advance.
Beaver Community Fair: Annually the Beaver Community Fair draws together the OSU and greater Corvallis communities to celebrate the start of the academic year. The fair will be held online this year on Friday, Oct. 2. There will be two 2-hour time slots and registrants can choose which time they would prefer. If you would like to be one of the OSU departments or student organizations with a dedicated virtual space, please sign up at our website by Sept. 18 at 5 p.m: https://clubs.oregonstate.edu/bcf
Engineering Student Council: The Engineering Student Council is introducing ENGINEERING+ Launch. Tune in and learn about clubs, programs, and resources in the College of Engineering from Sept. 22, 1-3 p.m. You can check out pages and chat with representatives live in Zoom rooms. Any questions? Contact ESC.VPEvents@oregonstate.edu.
NEW! M.S. defense: The defense of Jasmine K. Brown’s thesis takes place Monday, Sept. 14, 12:15-1:15 p.m. via Zoom. The thesis is titled “Unpacking Demographic Diversity in Natural Resources Literature: A Multi-Methods Qualitative Study.” Brown is earning her M.S. in Forest Ecosystems and Society with Brenda McComb and Dana Sanchez. Please contact the FES Grad Coordinator at michelle.greene@oregonstate.edu for Zoom details or for accommodations for disabilities.
NEW! Jen Gorksi, M.F. defense: Jen Gorski is presenting her Master’s project, titled: “Riparian Forest Management Planning for Ram's Dell Forest, an Oregon State University Research Forest in West Cascades Foothills," on Sept. 15, 2 p.m. via Zoom. Gorski is earning her M.F. in Sustainable Forest Management with Jon Souder in the Department of Forest Engineering, Resources and Management. To RSVP and for Zoom info, please contact Jen Gorksi at jennifer.gorski@oregonstate.edu.
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. This is one way to educate yourself without leaving the comfort and safety of your own home. Wednesday, Sept. 16, noon, PERS and Retirement Planning (Tier 1 & 2); Wednesday, Sept 16, 3 p.m., Long-Term Care Solutions; Thursday, Sept. 17, noon, Investing With Social Responsibility. These are not OSU events but are tailored to OSU clients and during normal circumstances are held on campus. There is no charge.
NEW! Faculty Staff Fitness: The OSU Faculty Staff Fitness program will be offering both in-person and online fitness options fall term and winter break 2020. Registration for both opens Sept. 1. In-person, on-campus classes will be 9 weeks from Sept. 23 through Nov. 25. The schedule can be found at: https://health.oregonstate.edu/fsf/schedule/fall. Our on-campus safety procedures can be found at: https://health.oregonstate.edu/fsf/policies/covid. There will be two sessions of Online Faculty Staff Fitness classes with over 300 pre-recorded fitness classes you can access anytime, anywhere with your internet connection. Fall Online Faculty Staff Fitness will run for 10 weeks Sept. 18-Nov. 30, for $35. Winter Break Online Faculty Staff Fitness will run for 5 weeks Nov. 30-Jan. 4, 2021 for $20. More information about our Online Faculty Staff Fitness classes can be found at: https://health.oregonstate.edu/fsf/online. Contact pac.fsf@oregonstate.edu if you have questions.
Master Recycler class: Would you like to learn all about waste reduction, reuse and recycling to help spread change in our community? Secure your spot in this annual class, now on Zoom. Monday nights, Sept. 28-Dec. 7, plus two Thursday Q&A sessions. Free to residents of Linn and Benton counties who agree to “pay back” what they learned by completing 30 hours of volunteer service. Visit http://tiny.cc/recycclass for more details and to sign up.
Arianna Goodman, M.S. defense: Arianna Goodman is presenting her thesis, titled: “Long-Term Stream Channel Response to a Large Flood in a Forested Mountain Watershed," on Sept. 14, 10 a.m. via Zoom. Goodman is earning her M.S. in Water Resources Science with Catalina Segura in the Department of Forest Engineering, Resources and Management. To RSVP and for Zoom info, please contact Madison Dudley at madison.dudley@oregonstate.edu.
Making Distance Learning Work: Is the kitchen table your child's new classroom? This fall, back-to-school is anything but normal. Distance learning is becoming the norm which is a huge adjustment for everyone. Devorah Heitner, Ph.D., an expert on young people’s relationship with digital media and technology, will join us to share practical advice and tips for how you can help your kids succeed in this new digital classroom. She’ll also discuss how parents can make this all a little easier on ourselves, too. Sept. 15, from 9-10:30 a.m. Register here. The recording/PDF of the presentation will be shared with registrants following the webinar.
Emmanuel Davila-Santiago – Biological & Ecological Engineering MS Defense: Emmanuel will present his dissertation, "Opening Pandora’s Box: Machine learning applications for chemical forensics and non-target chemical analyses” on Tuesday, Sept. 15, 1 p.m. Emmanuel is advised under the guidance of major professor Gerrad Jones. Meeting ID: 994 2821 9451 Password: 285491. Please log in with your OSU account in order to enter meeting.
DFA Risk Appetite and Risk Assessment Tools: Train the Trainer: Insurance and Risk Management Services will facilitate a workshop for unit leaders and supervisors to provide exposure to the DFA Risk Appetite Statements and Risk Assessment Tools. Attendees will gain hands-on practice and develop the skills necessary to assist other employees in understanding and incorporating the DFA Risk Appetite Statements and Risk Assessment Tools into their work. Zoom session, Sept. 22, 2 – 3:30 p.m. Registration required.
“Laughter is Timeless:” September’s Beyond Benefits Employee Assistance Program (EAP) webinar focuses on stress reduction related to laughter, humor and play. Professional comedians shouldn’t be the only people to use smiling, laughter, humor and play as part of their daily routine. These skills are valuable for everyone. A good smile has long been a key tool for anyone who needs to influence others. Laughter is now shown to improve our pain tolerance. Humor and play can be the building blocks of problem-solving. Together they can improve our happiness and effectiveness. Sept. 29, 10 a.m. To register: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/263915487100012929
Back to School & Distance Learning Support: This webinar was delivered to the OSU community on Monday Aug. 31, and was recorded. It is designed to provide helpful information for parents and caregivers as they look for resources for child care and back-to-school care. It covers how to use Care.com to find resources for back-to-school care, child care, distance learning support, nanny share, learning pods and more. It also covers how to use your OSU employee Care.com benefits to locate elder, pet or home care. The PPT and webinar are posted here. Questions? Contact Employee Benefits at employee.benefits@oregonstate.edu or 541-737-2805.
Master Recycler class: Would you like to learn all about waste reduction, reuse and recycling to help spread change in our community? Secure your spot in this annual class, now on Zoom. Monday nights, Sept. 28-Dec. 7, plus two Thursday Q&A sessions. Free to residents of Linn and Benton counties who agree to “pay back” what they learned by completing 30 hours of volunteer service. Visit http://tiny.cc/recycclass for more details and to sign up.
A more inclusive world by design: Join Oregon State alumni and industry leaders who are advancing inclusivity and accessibility in the design field and learn how you can make a difference in your own field. In the “Creating Accessibilities Across Industries” webcast panel at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 8, learn about adaptive and inclusive designs that impact everyday life. This free live event is hosted by the OSU Design Network and OSU Alumni Association. Register at osualum.com/inclusivedesign.
Faculty Staff Fitness: The OSU Faculty Staff Fitness program will be offering both in person and online fitness options fall term and winter break 2020. Registration for both opens Sept. 1. In person, on campus classes will be 9 weeks from Sept. 23 through Nov. 25. The schedule can be found at: https://health.oregonstate.edu/fsf/schedule/fall. Our on-campus safety procedures can be found at: https://health.oregonstate.edu/fsf/policies/covid. There will be two sessions of Online Faculty Staff Fitness classes with over 300 pre-recorded fitness classes you can access anytime, anywhere with your internet connection. Fall Online Faculty Staff Fitness will run for 10 weeks Sept. 18-Nov. 30 for $35. Winter Break Online Faculty Staff Fitness will run for 5 weeks Nov. 30-Jan. 4, for $20. More information about our Online Faculty Staff Fitness classes can be found at: https://health.oregonstate.edu/fsf/online. Contact pac.fsf@oregonstate.edu if you have questions.
Free Webinars: Professional Development for Business, Leadership, and Communication: Join Continuing and Professional Education and the College of Business for topics delivered online to help navigate your professional life. This fall, join industry experts for free one-hour webinars that cover topics including project management, negotiation, leadership, human resources, nonprofit management, and others. Call 541-737-1500 for more information: https://business.oregonstate.edu/programs/continuing-and-professional-education/free-webinars
NEW! Apply now for the Ecampus Research Fellows Program: If you are interested in conducting research about online teaching and learning, the Ecampus Research Unit will help you plan your proposal for the Ecampus Research Fellows Program. The Ecampus Research Unit annually funds up to five faculty and/or department projects -- $20,000 each -- to support research in the areas of distance and online education, including hybrid delivery. Info sessions will be held Sept. 29 at 1 p.m. and Oct. 2 at 11 a.m. via Zoom. Applications are due Nov. 1. To register for one of the info sessions, contact Mary Ellen Dello Stritto, MaryEllen.DelloStritto@oregonstate.edu.
Chew on This: OSU Beavers are debuting "Chew on This" - our new show with @Coach_Smith. Coach will interview a trio of players, look back at the Fiesta Bowl and we'll be joined by special guest @aleahgoodman. Listen here: https://www.facebook.com/events/357821608720482. For more information: https://osubeavers.com/news/2020/9/1/football-fiesta-bowl-flashback-a-20-year-anniversary.aspx’
Kognito: Recognizing and Supporting Students in Distress Training for Staff, Faculty and Student Assistants: OSU students today face increasing pressures that can lead to emotional distress, depression, anxiety, substance abuse and even thoughts of suicide. This is never more true than now with the additional stressors of police brutality, racism and a global pandemic. Faculty, staff and the student assistants we employ may be in the best position to notice when a student needs additional support. Visit beav.es/Zzp to access the faculty/staff online training so you can recognize and support OSU students in distress. Student assistants should visit: beav.es/ZD3 For questions contact Tessie Webster-Henry: tess.websterhenry@oregonstate.edu.
Extended Deadline - Sept. 15: Join a faculty learning community to explore educational technology and blended learning. Academic Technology and CTL invite all instructors and tenured/tenure-track faculty who teach credit-based Corvallis and Cascades campus courses to apply. Instructors with limited experience using blended teaching approaches or ed tech are particularly encouraged to apply. Funding provided. Space limited. See Call for Proposals for streamlined proposal process.
Back health video: Learn to mind your back – and your well-being – in this short Synergies video with Jay Kim, assistant professor and expert in occupational ergonomics in the College of Public Health and Human Sciences. Get tips for setting up a home office space and how to avoid body pain and discomfort while working remotely.
Proposed Updates to University Policies & Standards: Visit the University Policy Program’s What’s New page (http://policy.oregonstate.edu/whats-new) to view a pending policy amendment. Proposed University Standard 07-005 Alcohol Service describes the registration and approval process for serving alcohol. This page is updated frequently with new developments, so we encourage you to check back frequently. Comments or questions may be submitted to OSU-Policy@oregonstate.edu.
Email security improvements: To help improve awareness for the OSU Community, starting on Aug. 31, emails appearing to originate from outside of Oregon State will have a notification that looks like this: [This email originated from outside of OSU. Use caution with links and attachments.] The notification is only intended to raise awareness for the OSU community that an email originated from outside OSU. Some email used for business purposes, such as from Zoom or DocuSign, will be marked with the notification. If you have any concern with an email you receive, please contact your IT department or the Service Desk at 7-8787. Additionally, you may contact your IT Department or the Service Desk if you believe an email was not appropriately categorized as external.
OSU Center for Advancing Diversity: The OSU Center for the Advancement of Women in Leadership is expanding and will be re-launching as the OSU Center for Advancing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) in Business at the start of the fall term. Housed in the OSU College of Business, the center provides programs for working professionals as well as OSU students, faculty and staff of any discipline or unit. The new focus for the center will be to accelerate the development of a business community that prioritizes and advances DEI, with a mission to empower students, alumni, business professionals and organizations with education, tools and training to advance DEI in the workplace. The center will continue to offer women's leadership programs and prioritize a gender equity lens with its work. Moving forward, these programs will be under the larger umbrella of efforts to advance diversity, equity and inclusion. For more information, email Audrey.Iffert@oregonstate.edu.
Wanted: Creative, dedicated students: You are invited to nominate engaged, curious, problem-solving students to join Launch Academy, a course for undergraduate and graduate students of all majors who have ideas for services, products or community change. Launch Academy students are eligible to win up to $2,500 in business development funding each term and have access to mentorship, networking, and other resources. Tuition scholarships are available. Nominate students here and contact michelle.marie@oregonstate.edu with questions. Launch Academy is a program of the InnovationX Center of Excellence for Innovation and Entrepreneurship.
Monthly Emergency Preparedness Topic: Mnemonics -- A mnemonic is a device, such as a formula or rhyme, used as an aid in remembering. It is a word or string which is intended to be easier to remember than the thing it stands for. This month’s poster can be downloaded at: https://emergency.oregonstate.edu/emergency-preparedness/preparedness-topics/mnemonics
Parking permit sales: Parking permit sales are now open for customers who want to renew in their current zone. https://transportation.oregonstate.edu/parking/permit-sales
SW Jefferson Way closure: For work related to the Buxton Hall and Hawley Hall roof replacements, both lanes of SW Jefferson Way will be closed between SW Weatherford Place and SW Sackett Place through Sept. 11 (view map). A crane will be on site installing rock ballast on the roofs of Buxton Hall and Hawley Hall. 6 a.m.-5 p.m. daily. For questions or comments on this closure, contact Patrick Robinson with University Housing and Dining Services at 541-737-2428.
Demolition of Naval ROTC Armory: As part of the Washington Way Improvement Project, work related to the demolition of the Quonset Hut that served as the previous home of the Naval ROTC Armory is scheduled to start on Wednesday, Aug. 26 and continue through Thursday, Sept. 17. Abatement is already completed (view map). Work should be visible on the Washington Way webcam: https://webcam.oregonstate.edu/washington.
“Strange as it may seem, I still hope for the best, even though the best, like an interesting piece of mail, so rarely arrives, and even when it does it can be lost so easily.” ~ Lemony Snicket.
Corvallis: Widespread smoke, mainly before 11 a.m. Partly sunny, high of 86, low of 52. Areas of smoke Saturday, partly sunny Sunday.
Central Oregon: Widespread haze and smoke, high of 85, low of 48. Areas of smoke Saturday and Sunday.
Newport: Areas of smoke today, high of 65, low of 49. Mostly cloudy this weekend.
Statewide: For OSU employees around the state, find your local forecast here: http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/pqr/
