IMPACT

Graduate students in the College of Science earned notable recognition during the 2023-24 academic year, receiving a range of awards which highlight their achievements and contributions to Oregon State.

Whether fostering curiosity in local classrooms, providing resources for underserved communities or translating cutting-edge discoveries for the general public, our outreach bridges the gap between science and society, elevating both. Here are some examples from across our departments during 2023-2024.

Join us on October 15 for a special public lecture by Nathaniel Whitaker, a distinguished professor and head of the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at UMass Amherst.

College of Science researchers received $18.5 million in research grants to support groundbreaking science between July 2023 and June 2024.

The mathematics department has created an endowed scholarship in honor of Professor Thomas Dick for his lifelong dedication to educating and mentoring students.

A long time ago in a galaxy not so far away — in Lake Oswego, Oregon — Joey Takach ordered a bunch of soundboards, accelerometers and other metal parts online.

College of Science alumnus Michael S. Waterman (Mathematics '64, '66) will be presented with an honorary doctorate at this year's university-wide commencement ceremony in Corvallis.

Ryan Holzschuh liked math as a teenager. He was even one of the top mathematics students at Cleveland High School in inner southeast Portland and took a year's worth of college-level math classes during his senior year in 2022. However, it took going to Oregon State University for Holzschuh to truly fall in love with numbers.

The College of Science is hosting the inaugural research showcase on Tuesday, May 21, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Oregon State Memorial Union Room 13.

Esteemed mathematician Gunther Uhlmann will present the 39th Lonseth Lecture on Tuesday, May 14. In his talk, he will explore various inverse problems encountered across scientific disciplines.

As a nationally and internationally recognized leader in mathematical and computational modeling of complex processes, Malgorzata Peszyńska is newly honored as a University Distinguished Professor at Oregon State University. With expertise that spans disciplines, Peszynska primarily works to mathematically solve problems related to environment and, recently, climate change.

Collaborative science has the power to change the world. The 2024 College of Science Research and Innovation Seed (SciRIS) award recipients aim to use that power to develop better treatments for cancer and unlock the mysteries of complex mathematical equations.

Mathematics alumna Megan Tucker navigated clouds with a pen. After jumpstarting her technical writing career at Amazon Web Services, she's found her voice answering the unspoken questions.

In the intricate languages of mathematics and biology, alumna Rachel Sousa, ‘20, is multilingual. Since graduating from Oregon State, she has bridged the disciplines through several prestigious research experiences and credits her success to seizing opportunities no matter the odds.

Chad Giusti is an assistant professor of mathematics at Oregon State University. He works in pure and applied topology, with applications principally in neuroscience and complex systems. Here, we learn about the fascinating work Chad has done in applying the tools of topological data analysis to problems in medicine and biology.

More than 150 years ago, Joseph Bertrand stated a mathematical theorem. Proving why this theorem is true hasn’t been a simple endeavor. Two College of Science alumni, along with professor Patrick De Leenheer, recently published a paper in the SIAM Review pulling back the curtain on Bertrand’s Theorem. Together, they wrote a proof that is accessible to undergraduate mathematics or physics students.

The math department welcomes three new faculty hires

The Mathematics department welcomes 15 new graduate students this fall.

Teaching faculty in the College of Science working to increase access, equity and inclusion in STEM education can create change by collaborating with a supportive community. The the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Inclusive Excellence grant creates a resource for enhancing STEM pedagogy.

The College of Science is excited to announce Professor Jonathan Kujawa as Department Head of Mathematics following a competitive national search, effective January 1, 2024. Kujawa brings expertise in departmental leadership as associate chair of the Department of Mathematics at the University of Oklahoma, as well as extensive research experience and undergraduate, graduate student and postdoctoral mentorship.

Eleanor Feingold, a statistical geneticist and associate dean with nearly 20 years of leadership experience at the University of Pittsburgh, has been named dean of Oregon State University’s College of Science. She will start Oct. 31.

The three years Peggy Cherng, ’71, spent in Corvallis powering through a four-year program in applied mathematics are a bit of a blur. A rainy, green blur.

How does DNA move? How do cells communicate with each other? When it comes to these questions, it’s easy to think of molecular biologists behind the words. But as physics and mathematics senior Sullivan “Sully” Bailey-Darland knows, there are many more voices asking.

Even though 1+2 will always be equal to 3, Madison Collins strives to teach math differently so that students can learn better and discover something new along the way.

The Mathematics department welcomed 13 new graduate students this fall.

The Mathematics Department is pleased to welcome new faculty hires for the 2022-2023 AY.

The College of Science congratulates 17 faculty on receiving promotions and/or tenure this year.

A third-year mathematics student has been named a 2023 Goldwater Scholar by the Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation.

Three years ago, current Oregon State University Assistant Professor Swati Patel and two colleagues wanted to do something to counter systemic racism and inequities in mathematics. In response, they founded the Math For All conference at Tulane University in New Orleans. Math For All is now a national conference that hosts annual local programs throughout the country. In late February, about 40 people attended the Math For All satellite conference in Corvallis for free.

Meet Justin, 2009 Mathematics and Computer Science graduate, now an MES architect at Axonics Inc.

Four-dimensional tissue self-assembly, integrated river health and ultra-tiny spectrometers: The 2022 College of Science Research and Innovation Seed (SciRIS) award recipients will use collaboration to fill critical knowledge gaps across numerous scientific disciplines to drive real-world impact.

The College of Science gathered on Feb. 22 to recognize and celebrate our high-achieving faculty and staff at the 2023 Combined Awards Ceremony. The evening celebrates the best in the college, from excellence in teaching and advising, service and administration to inclusive excellence, to outstanding achievements in research. During the teaching, advising and mentoring portion of the evening, many of the awards were determined based on student nominations.

Wanting to spend more time with his partner and one-year-old son, Angulo Barba applied for the Graduate Degrees for Minorities in Engineering and Science (GEM) Fellowship, a national program that promotes the participation of underrepresented groups in post-graduate science and engineering education and the technical workforce.

A team of Oregon State University researchers have received a $1 million grant from the National Science Foundation to identify, model, predict, track and mitigate the effects of future pandemics.

Only 1.7% of attorneys in Oregon identified as Hispanic or Latino/a in 2020.

College of Science alumni Román Hernández (‘92) is not only part of that 1.7%, but he has dedicated his time to making sure that number grows.