Research across disciplines

At the showcase, Wei Scholars presented their research across chemistry, mathematics, microbiology and statistics, with projects examining disease at the molecular level and modeling health and environmental systems at scale.

Presentations included:

• Paint: A potential source of PFAS in air and urban runoff
  Mitchell Kim-Fu, chemistry, fifth-year Ph.D.
• A clustering method for functional data
  Xinyu “Erica” Li, statistics, second-year Ph.D.
• Investigating lipid alterations in Alzheimer’s disease using MALDI mass spectrometry imaging
  Phoebe Lee, chemistry and mathematics, fourth-year B.S.
• How well can we identify spatial patterns in gene expression within cell types?
  Weiqi “Grace” Li, statistics, second-year M.S.
• Exploring the myxozoan sensing and signaling mechanism
  Laila Brubaker, microbiology, fourth-year M.S.
• Introduction to the volume conjecture for knots
  Hsiang Thum, mathematics, fourth-year Ph.D.
• An introduction to persistent homology transform
  Zejing Wang, mathematics, second-year Ph.D.
• Measuring intrinsic vaccine protection across time and space
  Zhuoya “Joya” He, statistics, fourth-year Ph.D.
• Glowing from invisible: Photon upconversion and its applications
  Mingcan Huang, chemistry, first-year Ph.D.
• Making cheaper batteries by letting salts store energy
  Ziang Jiang, chemistry, second-year Ph.D.
• Application of statistics in social science
  Jingtian Yu, chemistry, fifth-year Ph.D.

Additional Wei Scholars attended the showcase to support their peers, reflecting the strong sense of community within the program.

A community of scholars

For many students, the impact of the Wei Scholarship extends well beyond financial support.

“The Wei Scholarship has been instrumental in my graduate career by reducing financial stress and allowing me to focus on my academics,” said Mitchell Kim-Fu, a Ph.D. student in chemistry. “It has provided me with access to a network among the scholars and trustees. I’m impressed by the Wei Board of Trustee’s commitment to us because they foster a supportive and engaged relationship.”

Scholars also pointed to the relationships built through the program — with one another and with the foundation’s trustees.

“Their belief that we can contribute work that makes a meaningful impact on the world is especially inspiring,” said Ziang Jiang, a Ph.D. student in chemistry.

“I value the Wei Scholarship’s impact on my undergraduate career with gratitude and appreciation. This scholarship greatly supports my studies at OSU and inspires me to pursue graduate school. The Board made sure to connect with each of the scholars individually and showed interest in our research and academics,” said Phoebe Lee, a fourth-year student in a dual-degree bachelor’s program in mathematics and chemistry.

Others described the sense of connection and continuity that has developed around the program.

“The Wei Board has been nothing but kind to me and I sense that we are all immensely appreciative. I really like the annual dinner and appreciate them taking the time to come out to visit the scholars,” said Hsiang Thum, a fourth-year Ph.D. student in mathematics.

“It reminds me that there are people who truly believe in advancing science and supporting the next generation of researchers, and I feel very grateful and honored to be a Wei scholar. What stands out most to me is how genuine and caring the Trustees are. They travel from the East Coast each year to spend time with us, listen to our research and build personal connections that create a strong sense of support and belonging,” said Zhuoya He, a fourth-year Ph.D. student in statistics.

Loyd F. Carter Award for Outstanding and Inspirational Teaching in Science (Undergraduate)

Matt Waterhouse, from the Department of Integrative Biology, received the Loyd F. Carter Award for Outstanding and Inspirational Undergraduate Teaching in Science.

Waterhouse is known for creating an engaging, supportive and inclusive learning environment where students feel both challenged and genuinely cared for. Students consistently describe his teaching as passionate, thoughtful and deeply invested in their success. His courses emphasize real-world applications of ecology, helping students move beyond memorization and toward long-term understanding, critical thinking and practical skills they can carry into their future careers.

Students also highlighted Waterhouse’s responsiveness to feedback and his commitment to continuously improving his courses. From revising course structure after exams to building assignments that scaffold skills over time, he makes learning feel achievable without lowering expectations. His lectures are carefully organized, visually engaging and often infused with humor, creating a classroom atmosphere that is both welcoming and motivating.

“No instructor has put effort in like Matt to make the course as approachable, flexible and achievable,” one student wrote. “His flexibility when I was sick for much of the term and his compassion for other students has been nothing short of saintly. He stands as a model for excellent teaching to human beings, not just the empty vessels older generations believed students to be. Not once did he fail what we expected of him.”

Loyd F. Carter Award for Outstanding and Inspirational Teaching in Science (Graduate)

Elaine Cozzi, from the Department of Mathematics, received the Loyd F. Carter Award for Outstanding and Inspirational Teaching in Science (Graduate).

Students describe Cozzi’s classroom as a place where open inquiry is not only welcomed but expected. She encourages students to seek their own understanding, collaborate thoughtfully and speak up to check their reasoning. Her passion for mathematics is evident in every lecture, and students note how she brings them into the process through questions, discussions and creating an environment where everyone feels included in the intellectual conversation.

Her teaching style is grounded in clarity and accessibility. Students appreciate her straightforward notes, her use of the whiteboard to build ideas step by step and her ability to make challenging material feel approachable without sacrificing rigor. Beyond the classroom, she is known for being warm, supportive and exceptionally approachable during office hours.

For some students, her influence extends even further. “As someone who aspires to be a math educator one day, I see a lot of teaching habits in Elaine that I want to emulate,” one student shared.

Olaf Boedtker Award for Excellence in Academic Advising

Kari Van Zee, from the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, received the Olaf Boedtker Award for Excellence in Academic Advising.

Students describe Van Zee as a compassionate, dedicated and deeply impactful presence in their academic journeys, often from the very beginning of their time at Oregon State. For many, she is the first person who helped them see what was possible for their future, and she continues to provide that same encouragement and guidance throughout their degrees. Known for her accessibility, organization and unwavering commitment to student success, Van Zee routinely goes above and beyond to support students, often working evening and weekend to ensure they have the tools and confidence they need to thrive.

“Kari has been my advisor since my first year at Oregon State; in fact, she was the first faculty member I spoke with when I reached out as a high school senior,” one student wrote. “Her intelligence, compassion and integrity stood out to me even in our initial conversations and she helped me realize that I could accomplish virtually anything I set my mind to at Oregon State.”

Students also credit Van Zee with fostering a culture of support and belonging within the biochemistry program. Whether helping students navigate degree planning, meeting important deadlines or simply feel seen and supported, her influence is felt across undergraduate, post baccalaureate and graduate communities.

Fred Horne Award for Excellence in Teaching Science

Devon Quick, from the Department of Integrative Biology, received the Fred Horne Award for Excellence in Teaching Science.

For more than 15 years, Quick has demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to teaching excellence at Oregon State, with a lasting impact on both her students and the broader teaching community. Her courses in Human Anatomy and Physiology are known for their rigor, clarity and deep engagement, consistently earning outstanding student evaluations and maintaining remarkably low DFW rates.

Quick’s teaching is distinguished by her commitment to active learning, inclusive pedagogy and real-world application. She integrates case-based assessments, collaborative problem solving and diverse instructional media to support students in mastering complex material. Her thoughtful use of tools such as TopHat and CATME ensures that all students can participate meaningfully, while her extensive office hours, review sessions and open door policy create a welcoming environment where students feel supported both academically and professionally. Each year, she mentors 25-30 learning assistants and teaching interns, transforming students into partners in the teaching process.

Her impact extends far beyond her own classroom. Quick co‑founded the College of Science Learning Assistant Program in 2014, which now supports more than 25,000 student enrollments annually and has become a cornerstone of active learning across the college. She has played major leadership roles in InclusiveExcellence@OSU, ESTEEME, SUMMIT‑P, and other faculty development initiatives, championing evidence‑based and equity‑focused teaching practices that have influenced dozens of instructors and tens of thousands of students.

Students consistently describe her as an advocate, mentor and source of unwavering encouragement. As one student nominator wrote, “Her passion for teaching, her ability to foster deep connections, and her commitment to creating an open and inclusive learning environment have profoundly shaped my academic journey and personal growth in a way no other professor has.”

“Research helps drive a field forward, and it’s really at the forefront of giving better patient care or improving medications,” she said. “The Honors College really helped give me opportunities and gave me a structure because I knew we had to do a thesis.”

Karlapati ended up in Alicia Vrailas-Mortimer's lab, a fly lab that focuses on Alzheimer’s research. This became the cornerstone of her thesis, which examines different mutations that can accelerate the development of Alzheimer’s in flies and lead to neuron death.

When science students reach out to faculty, she said, being in honors signals commitment.

“Professors know you have to do your thesis and you’re willing to put in that extra mile,” she said.

For students eyeing medical, dental or graduate school, the thesis shows a level of scholarly ability that stands out. Every honors thesis is published on OSU’s open-access ScholarArchive, meaning each undergraduate has contributed to a global body of knowledge.

“It is a pathway that sets them apart… they’re making their contribution available to the entire world,” said Honors College Dean Toni Doolen.

A unique honors framework

Unlike many universities where honors is a transcript note or participation program, OSU stands apart as one of the only institutions in the country where honors is its own degree.

Students graduate with an Honors Baccalaureate degree, which is simultaneously conferred with their major. A biochemistry major, for example, graduates with an Honors Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry, a title that signals not just engagement in honors coursework, but academic rigor backed by measurable learning outcomes attached to the honors coursework.

“Our program isn’t just about participation or just taking honors sections of classes that you might normally take a non-honors section of. We have learning outcomes specific to the Honors College, including scholarly inquiry and engaged inquiry,” Doolen emphasized.

The scholarly inquiry learning outcome is fulfilled primarily through students doing independent research or scholarly work under the advisement of a faculty member and a committee that culminates in their honors thesis.

“This helps them grow their writing and oral communication skills. For many students, it also gives them a chance to do a really deep dive into what it looks like to be a scholar and to make a contribution to a body of knowledge,” Doolen said.

The engaged inquiry learning outcome coincides with the Honors College’s belief that students need to be able to communicate outside of their area of expertise. All students are required to complete unique classes to the Honors College called seminars. These courses offer students the opportunity to explore cross-disciplinary spaces that they might not otherwise be comfortable in. Seminars are taught pass or no pass so there is no risk to a student’s GPA.

Karlapati said those courses broadened her academic world.

“They give you an opportunity to learn about subjects in a different way,” she said. “They offer a low-stress environment to learn more and they’re also really fun.”

She took classes on leadership, astronomy, fashion and even a course built around board games that examined the history of finance.

For science students accustomed to lab reports and problem sets, that variety is often refreshing and useful.

Building relationships in a big university

Many students said one of the strongest Honors College benefits is the highly engaged class environment, especially early on in demanding science sequences like chemistry, biology and genetics.

Courcelle said this makes first-year classes less daunting.

“The core honors classes were a lot smaller,” she said. “It made a big difference when I was applying to outside opportunities my first year …. professors knew me well.”

Karlapati agreed. “Especially if you’re just starting out, it can be an easier path to get the help you need,” she said. “It’s a really big help to have that personalized attention.”

Dean Doolen emphasized that while some honors courses are small, others are intentionally large, but use an “engaged pedagogy” marked by interaction, discussion and experiential learning.

Another benefit is community-building opportunities outside the classroom.

Karlapati lived in West Hall, parton of the honors living and learning community, and she said the friendships she made there shaped her entire OSU experience.

“I have suitemates who are going to be my lifelong friends,” she said. “Most of them are the ones going to class with you…it’s great to go into the study room and you’re seeing all your classmates.”

The SLUG — the Honors College student learning space on the Corvallis campus — is another space that supports honors students. "SLUG" stands for Students Learning UnderGround and dates back to the Honors College's early days in Strand Agricultural Hall, when the student learning space was in the basement.

“It’s a great study spot, and the best part is the food,” Karlapati said. “There’s always a meal in there you can take whenever you need.” The Honors College supports students through its Forgot Your Lunch program, which provides food in the SLUG for anyone who forgot their meal or needs a little extra help.

The Honors College provides community for students who might otherwise feel overwhelmed.

“OSU is a big place now,” Dean Doolen said. “For a lot of students, the Honors College is a way of creating a smaller community of like-minded folks.”

A good fit for curious, driven scientists

Both Courcelle and Karlapati say the benefits of honors stack up, academically, personally and professionally.

The college becomes not just an academic distinction, but a launchpad. A hub for friends, mentors, engagement in research and personal and professional growth. A smaller, tighter world inside OSU’s expansive scientific ecosystem.

And for students like Courcelle and Karlalpati, it’s hard to imagine their scientific journey without it.

College of Science Inclusive Excellence Award

Hannah Stuwe, graduate student in the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, received the Inclusive Excellence Award.

Department Head Elisar Barbar, who nominated Stuwe, said she has engaged in a wide-ranging set of service, outreach and training that is truly impressive. First, Stuwe conducted a GFP protein purification activity for middle and high school students from the Chemawa Indian School, Jewell High School (Seaside), and visited groups of black and Latinx students from the Portland area.

She planned, wrote and edited a handbook of science experiments geared towards middle school aged students, their parents, and teachers to fill the void of not having a BB summer camp. This handbook now serves as a free and open access resource for community members.

Stuwe is the founder of the non-profit organization Corvallis Music Collective. They have engaged in community service and activism by providing live music for events and rallies. Recent events include the Basic Needs Center Fall Welcome Party, the Disabled Students Union Disability Justice Rally and Jackson Street Youth Services National Runaway Prevention Month “Skate Park After Dark” Show.

Gladys Valley Award for Exemplary Administrative Support

Amy Timshel, assistant head to the department head in the Department of Microbiology, received the Gladys Valley Award for Exemplary Administrative Support.

Her colleagues describe her as proactive, always seeking ways to improve processes and deeply committed to making the department a better place for everyone. She is highly regarded by students, faculty and staff for her professionalism, broad knowledge and ability to get things done. In fact, Department Head Anne Dunn noted that when she polled faculty on department strengths during strategic planning exercises, Timshel's critical role in the department was consistently highlighted.

She has a deep understanding of university policies and constantly looks for ways to improve them. She listens, advocates for students and colleagues, and takes initiative to make the department more inclusive and equitable. For example, her work on the Core Values Committee led to the addition of gender-neutral restrooms in Nash Hall and improvements to scholarship and travel fund policies.

Beyond her administrative role, Timshel actively fosters a sense of community within the department. She organizes fundraisers and charity events and regularly attends student events to show her support.

Distinguished Service Award

Elaine Cozzi, assistant head and associate professor in the Department of Mathematics, received the Distinguished Service Award for her impactful service to her department, the College and the broader mathematics community.

Cozzi served as interim associate dean of academic and student affairs for the College in Spring of 2024, managing various projects, including the university’s revision of its undergraduate advising system, assessing teaching resources and addressing countless student issues. She was overwhelmingly generous with her time in responding to the many challenges and the needs of her colleagues.

Before and after serving as associate dean, Cozzi served as assistant department head for mathematics, responsible for scheduling upper-level courses and ensuring adequate staffing for the Department’s teaching mission. This affects the hiring of instructors, graduate students, and undergraduate graders.

Jon Kujawa, Department of Mathematics head and Cozzi’s nominator, noted, “It is hard to overestimate the impact of Elaine’s planning on the smooth operation of the teaching side of the department. And she readily pivots when unexpected events disrupt the plans.” Additionally, Elaine led the assessment of the Mathematics undergraduate program for several years, playing a crucial role in student success, he shared.

Cozzi also contributes significantly to the mathematics profession as Associate Editor for the American Mathematical Monthly – the most widely read mathematics journal in the world. She is also an active member of SIAM, a professional society for applied mathematics, where she helps organize meetings and contributes to administrative efforts and regularly serves as a grant evaluator for the NSF and the Simons Foundation, helping to shape the future of mathematical research.

Virginia Lesser, Department of Statistics Head, received the Champion of Science award for her significant contributions to the field of statistics and to Oregon State University throughout her distinguished career. After earning her PhD in Biostatistics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, she joined OSU’s Department of Statistics in 1992.

A year later, she became Director of the Survey Research Center, a role she held until her retirement in December 2024. Lesser's expertise in probability sampling, survey design, and data collection methods ensured that the center upheld the highest standards. Under her leadership, the center became a premier institution, offering expertise in survey methodology, sampling and data analysis – supporting projects that inform policy, environmental monitoring, economic studies and public opinion research. Its work has helped agencies such as the Oregon Department of Transportation, the Oregon State Marine Board, and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife make data-driven decisions, not to mention numerous initiatives within the University.

Lesser's groundbreaking research in survey methodology, environmental statistics, applied statistics and ecological monitoring has advanced the field and influenced practice. She has authored over 55 journal articles and conference proceedings, earning national and international recognition – including being named a Fellow of the American Statistical Association and an elected member of the International Statistical Institute.

Lesser's leadership also transformed the statistics department and elevated Oregon State University’s role in the field as department head from 2011 to 2018.

Lesser has also been a dedicated mentor and advocate for students and colleagues. Over the course of her career, she guided more than 220 graduate students and fostered a welcoming, supportive community within the department. Her colleagues regard her as an exceptional mentor and an inspiring leader, someone who consistently goes above and beyond – whether leading major academic initiatives or simply making sure the department potluck had a home-cooked turkey.

She is currently a co-editor in chief of the International Journal of Research in Undergraduate Mathematics Education. She is also an academic staff member of the Center for Computing in Science Education at the University of Oslo, Norway.

From 2021 to 2024, Lockwood served as a program officer at the National Science Foundation in the Division of Undergraduate Education, where she was involved in overseeing and managing NSF-funded projects aimed at improving undergraduate STEM education. This role further informed her research on effective teaching practices, and she influenced broader policies and practices in STEM education.

In 2019, she was part of a $141K, one-year grant from Google to enhance and increase integration between computer science education and mathematics teacher education curriculum. The project was aimed at better equipping teachers to teach computational concepts and practices in Oregon high schools.

In 2017, Lockwood received a $800K five-year NSF CAREER Award to study how computational tools and activities, specifically introductory Python programming, can aid students in solving complex combinatorial problems. Her published research on using basic Python programming for undergraduate combinatorics problem solving paves the way for novel and creative methods of using computing to support students’ mathematical reasoning.

In addition to her PECASE award, Lockwood has received the John and Annie Selden Prize for Research in Undergraduate Mathematics Education, the Promising Scholar Award from Oregon State and a Fulbright award. Her work has already influenced the field of mathematics teaching and curriculum development, enabling students to gain a deeper, more intuitive grasp of combinatorial concepts — skills that are critical for careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

A mathematical odyssey in energy and climate

Peszyńska specializes in modeling, analysis, and numerical analysis of models, a discipline that seeks to describe real-world systems mathematically, so they can be simulated, analyzed predicted and — when there are problems — solved.

With expertise that spans disciplines, Peszynska primarily works to mathematically solve problems related to environment and, recently, climate change. Her modeling of mass and energy flow and transport includes porous media phenomena in aquifers, oil and gas reserves, carbon sequestration, solar cells and the effect of permafrost warming. Perhaps most notable is her work on phase transitions in methane hydrate transfer and evolution, as well as in using computational mathematics to study complex pore-scale environments. This work aims to understand and predict the presence and behavior of fluids in nature to mitigate potential disasters, like hazardous explosions or methane emissions contributing to global warming and addressing challenges in climate science and geophysics.

In her recent NSF-supported work on studying permafrost changes, Peszyńska seeks to predict and mitigate potential large-scale events such as building collapses and coastal erosion, highlighting the urgency for more modeling in this area.

Her research team employs computers to approximate solutions, striving for accuracy even when the true solution is unknown, she explained. Ultimately, they contemplate how computational algorithms can approximate truth without certainty, exploring the mysteries of mathematics.

"There's so much about the methods themselves that intrigue us in this mystery," she said. "How do you achieve that? How can you anticipate whether your computational algorithm will yield a prediction close enough to the true solution, regardless of what that true solution might be, without actually having knowledge of it?"

Peszyńska will explore this and other questions in her public lecture. She will also “delve into how her research team explores multi-scale multi-physics systems using complex computational mathematics, inspired by real-life applications. She will discuss their investigation of porous media at nano-, pore-, lab-, and field scales, predicting their responses to environmental changes. She will also emphasize the importance of fostering interdisciplinary collaborations within Oregon State University and with external partners to encourage students to embrace complexity over simplicity.”

From Warsaw to worldwide impact: A wholehearted journey

Born and raised in Warsaw, Poland, Peszynska discovered her passion for mathematics at a young age. Encouraged by her family, she cultivated that passion alongside her love for the natural world, leading her to study mathematics in the context of physical phenomena and ultimately specialize in mathematical modeling and computational solution of flows through porous media and their geological applications.

She earned a master’s degree in applied mathematics from the Warsaw University of Technology and a Ph.D. in mathematics from the University of Augsburg in Germany. She also holds a habilitation degree from the Warsaw University of Technology.

Her interest in real-life applications is driven, in part, by a personal passion for the natural environment and outdoor activities. And she commits fully to her pursuits, whether tackling complex equations, building interdisciplinary teams, or enjoying leisure activities like skiing and sailing. Embracing her mantra to "Make your own kind of music," she consistently tries to choose the complex and challenging path over the simple and easy.

Reflecting on the most meaningful milestones and accomplishments that led to this recognition, Peszynska shared that it's not about one single thing but rather a tapestry of efforts woven from countless interesting problems and diverse potential directions.

“At every fork in the road, we are choosing a path and sometimes we succeed in making progress,” she said. “At times, the most cited papers are the easiest for us, and sometimes those least noticed are the hardest but might make an impact much later. This may be scary when looking ahead, but it gets easier over time.”

She likens her role as a mathematician to that of a translator, bridging gaps between disciplines and applying mathematical rigor. Collaborating with colleagues from within mathematics and across other fields has empowered her to tackle real-world modeling projects with significant practical implications, even in the absence of a clear existing mathematical framework for analysis. From exploring multi-scale modeling techniques to navigating complex algorithms, these partnerships have broadened her perspective and fueled innovation.

As a mentor, she encourages students to discover their passions and gently nudges them to work diligently towards their goals, knowing they might change their minds along the way. But, she said, “There's no substitute for hard work. Sometimes, it's not just about assignments or tasks; it's about doing repetitive steps and finding the discipline to keep going. One of my past mentors said, ‘All you can do is work.’ And that's true. It means showing up every day, putting in your hours, and eventually, things will click. In turn, mentoring isn't easy. You offer advice, but ultimately, it's up to them to decide what works best for them. It's not unique—I don't have all the answers. Live and let live, I suppose—that's another principle I try to uphold.”

One of her former students, Scott Clark ('08), listed in Forbes Magazine’s 30 under 30, shared, “Dr. Peszyńska’s guidance led me down the interdisciplinary path that would become the foundation of my later graduate and professional work. ... She had a direct, positive impact on my career trajectory, and I would not be where I am today without her.”

At that, she humbly replied, “We have a lot of brilliant undergraduate students, and they just need an opportunity to fly. And so we should be accommodating them, I think. Yeah, let them fly."

She has also found leading the community in various professional circumstances gratifying—“building one connection at a time and not letting go.” Peszyńska has served as a program director for computational mathematics for the NSF and in multiple roles for the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics. Additionally, she organizes conferences, serves on editorial boards, and participates in review panels for prestigious institutions.

Challenges and rewards: Bridging disciplinary divides

Peszynska’s success in bridging complex mathematics and diverse real world disciplines has much to do with her independent and joyful spirit.

She describes her atypical view of computational and applied math as an "attitude," rather than a discipline. “My work leans closer to art in its abstract form, or closer to science and engineering in its useful side. This dichotomy is not always understood or appreciated, and it feels funny and sometimes tedious that we may have to prove ourselves over and over. Doesn't everyone want to have clean air, enough food, exciting and intellectually stimulating complex work and stability of life? Live and let live!

“But my strategy is to not try to win anyone over to interdisciplinary work but rather to enjoy the intellectual and emotional joy of learning the new language while appreciating the cultural differences. The reward is that you build the bridges rather than straddle the fence.”

To apply her discipline and contribute wholly to critical concerns is very hard work, and she competes mostly with herself, harnessing discipline if ever enthusiasm wanes. Just as she advises her students: Do the work.

“On the lighter side, most days I wake up happy in the morning to continue doing this work,” she said. “It's fun, more fun than video games because I can make my own with the simulations. So that's exactly what I hope for others, especially students, that they will find fun in it—potentially even more, making a difference, one step closer to a better world.”

Curious minds may explore Peszyńska’s website for its challenges and interactive learning. Exploring innovative solutions can feel akin to solving puzzles, but even more rewarding.

The lasting impact of her work that she will hold most dear is the enduring value of lifelong learning and the significance of interdisciplinary collaboration—with its potential to shape the future. And she truly hopes that students will experience and appreciate the intrinsic joy and real-world impact that computational and applied mathematics have to offer.

“I am thrilled to see Malgo Peszyńska get this well-deserved recognition,” said Eleanor Feingold, dean of the College of Science. “Her world-class work in mathematical and computational modeling, coupled with her dedication to interdisciplinary collaboration, are instrumental in shaping the future of environmental science.”

Along her journey, Peszyńska has had to choose between many forks in the road. With too many options to follow in one lifetime, she acknowledges the opportunities left behind for future lives.

What might she pursue in her next life? Well, she might need two (or more). “Right now, my count goes into the upper teens.”

Peggy left her engineering career to handle the business and personnel aspects of the company, with Andrew focusing on growth and strategy.

Peggy is credited with creating one of the first purpose-built point-of-sale systems in the fast-food industry, as well as with many continuing innovations in personnel recruiting, training and motivation, including offering profit-sharing to the restaurant’s employees and promoting from within as much as possible.

In 1987, Panda’s chef, Andrew Kao, invented an orange chicken dish, and its popularity helped fuel rapid growth for the company. (The company sells a whopping 110 million pounds of orange chicken each year.)

It’s still Panda’s signature item, and among the places where it is consistently ordered is a Panda Express in the Memorial Union Commons at Oregon State.

What is Peggy’s favorite?

“Well,” she said, “I eat light. Some of the things I like to eat are tofu and eggplant, which are not exactly embraced by everybody who eats at Panda.”

What about orange chicken? She smiled.

“Of course. I do eat orange chicken because it’s our signature dish.”

Really? Like one bite per meal?

“No,” she said, laughing. “Two bites!”

The Cherngs continue to work as co-CEOs and remain active in the business in their mid-70s. Asked how they’ve maintained a successful marriage and a successful business together for so many years, Peggy said it hasn’t always been easy.

“We experience the same challenges as anybody else. You have to learn how to leverage each other’s strengths,” she said.

Part of what held them together during the early days, she said, was their common awareness that they were onto something new and different.

“No one else had a Chinese fast-food restaurant chain,” she said. “So it was all new. We were learning how to do it.”

When she’s not working, her favorite activity is to spend time with her family, especially her five (soon to be six) grandchildren. But work remains central.

Why not retire and kick back? She seems puzzled by the question because she continues to find joy in her job.

“Every single new step the company takes brings new things we must learn: more structures, more challenges, more organization to develop, something new to implement.”

For example, she’s working with others on the Panda team to use data analytics to help improve service and give local Panda managers clearer information on how they might support excellence among the associates (Panda’s term for employees) who work for them.

The Panda organization and the Cherngs as a family are active philanthropists, both through major gifts and via their Panda Cares foundation, which offers help ranging from food donations to college scholarships.

“The mission of the Panda Cares foundation is to support health and education of underserved children,” Peggy said. “To really make a difference, you need a focus.”

Among the Cherngs’ many gifts are support for the Cherng Family West Tower at Huntington Hospital in Pasadena and for OSU’s work promoting healthy children and families.

In addition to the challenges faced across the restaurant industry during the COVID-19 pandemic, Panda Express managers and associates were also subjected to incidents of racism fueled by a rise in anti-Asian sentiment.

“You cannot control other people,” Peggy said. “So, we focus on how we position ourselves. We are productive citizens in the communities we serve. You need a positive approach to hatred.”

No alumni magazine profile of a successful graduate would be complete without advice for those beginning their careers.

“I always say at the start that you have to believe in yourself,” Cherng said. “Also, you need to be curious, because only with curiosity can you learn and elevate and be better.”

She added: “And I believe engineering training and math training help the mind to think, especially when we face something uncertain and unknown to us.”

As for her own continuing education, it seems some friends have been taking her to school as she masters a new pastime.

“Recently I’m learning how to play mahjong,” she said. “But I’m a beginner, and sometimes as a beginner you have to pay what I call tuition. My biggest win is maybe $20, but my biggest loss is $40.”

Probably she can afford it, right?

“Yes,” she said, and then laughed. “I can.”

This story originally appeared in the spring issue of the Oregon Stater.

Building new communities with math

Sometimes, student-athletes struggle with maintaining satisfactory grades while trying to maintain a busy schedule, so Oregon State Athletics has a special tutoring program designed for them. As a tutor, she got these students back on track when they struggled with their college courses.

After a year, she switched to the Supplemental Instruction (SI) program. The program is a free resource that students at Oregon State utilize to learn key concepts in a group environment. Leaders come prepared with a lesson plan full of practice problems and interactive activities and implemented them in peer-led, group study tables.

This was her chance to practice shaking up the curriculum. Collins designed a BINGO activity that aided students with reviewing vocabulary. She also put together problem sets that they solved together at the study table. This way, she was able to not only host student-led lessons but encourage collaboration.

While an employee, she started chatting about what she wanted to research for her honors thesis with SI Coordinator ​​Chris Gasser. He acted as a mentor by encouraging Collins to be resilient while taking tough academic courses. Before long, she stumbled upon her honors topic of choice - analyzing curriculum implementation.

Uncovering how calculus is taught

At the end of her third year, Collins devoted the majority of her time to developing her honors thesis with Oregon State Mathematics Instructor Elizabeth Jones. Collins visited different sections of MTH 252 Integral Calculus at Oregon State and recorded observations.

She sat with the students and jotted down different teaching strategies she saw implemented by a variety of instructors. Using her observations, she developed a framework for analysis in order to find the most effective ways to continue implementing the calculus curriculum in college-level courses.

She enjoyed chatting with Jones about the different classroom, assessment, design and course support strategies she chose to analyze. But occasionally, their math education preferences diverged.

While talking about trigonometry substitution, they discussed different mathematical notations and the confusion that comes with non-standard notations. Variables are written with alphabetical characters. For instance, pertaining to trigonometric substitution, Collins prefers to use a ‘u’ whereas Jones prefers to use an ‘x’.

Sometimes, the same symbol can have different meanings in various areas of math. For example, absolute value bars, IVI, can denote other operations including vector magnitude, IVI. It’s a subtle detail, but can have a major impact on how variables are communicated to the students.

"I hope that by going into teaching, I can help people get through a typically difficult subject and make it more enjoyable for them."

Now that her first thesis is complete, Collins wants to put what she learned into practice by teaching in a college setting that is approachable for students. When students walk into her future office, she wants to address the little questions and not have students be hesitant to ask a question that is ‘too simple’ to answer.

“I get really excited when I am helping someone and can see them putting the pieces together in their head. When they reach the final answer in a ‘lightbulb moment,’ they get super excited,” she said. “I don’t just want to lecture students. I want to teach them how to approach math and build confidence in their skills.”

Being able to learn how to be the teacher she wants to be came at a cost. Luckily, when her academic experience got a little bumpy, she wasn’t alone.

Persevering in the face of failure

For Collins, being a Beaver at Oregon State came with the pressure to succeed. “The biggest challenge I've had growing up through school was that I put a lot of academic pressure on myself,” she said.

After her official advisor left the university, she met Oregon State Mathematics Professor Nathan Gibson who became her advisor, professor and mentor. He taught MTH 323 Mathematical Modeling, which turned out to be a tough class for Collins. She wrote a 10-page report talking about the errors that happen when modeling basic electrical circuits and how the different components differed from each other.

“I ended up using a little bit of electrical engineering from that one class I took in my first year. I’m pretty sure my simulation failed, but I still got an A on the paper,” she said. It takes encouragement to agree to finish a difficult course, especially when it comes to learning how to use differential equation systems in the real world. This was the type of mentorship Gibson provided when Collins needed it most. Now, she can apply what she learned in a classroom setting.

“A lot of people are told they aren’t a math person,” she said. “I totally agree that math is not something many people want to study, but I really enjoy it and the problem-solving aspect of it. I hope that by going into teaching, I can help people get through a typically difficult subject and make it more enjoyable for them.”

Collins is now able to teach others in a way she wishes she was taught – and it all started with math homework at the dinner table.