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Portrait of Dr. Nathanial Whitaker: An African American male professor sitting in front of his classroom, folding his arms and smiling.
Mathematics

A Mathematical Journey through Segregation and Hidden Figures: Fall 2024 Mathematics Lecture

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.

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Research

Extending the reach and impact of science through signature research and innovation

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

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Faculty and Staff

Celebrating a legacy of excellence: An endowed scholarship for future mathematicians

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

Joey Takach posing with a smile in front of leafy green bushes.
Physics

Edtech-inspired physics and mathematics senior lands a spot at top-tier university

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.

Michael Waterman teaching
Mathematics

College of Science alumnus to be presented with honorary doctorate

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.

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Students

Turning a talent for numbers into a career in finance

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.

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Events

College of Science hosts Inaugural Research Showcase

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.

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Mathematics

'Inverse problems and Harry Potter's Cloak': Lonseth Lecture 2024

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.

A woman in a multi-colored blouse poses for a headshot to celebrate being announced as a Distinguished Professor.
Mathematics

Malgorzata Peszynska named a University Distinguished Professor

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.

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Alumni and Friends

What do mathematicians do? This mathematics grad began a technical writing career at Amazon

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.

Cancer cells
Research

Innovation in cancer treatment and mathematics: SciRIS awardees lead the way

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.

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Alumni and Friends

Mathematics graduate thrives with simple philosophy: ‘Why not?’

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 headshot.
Mathematics

Precision Problem Solving: Topological Data Analysis Driving Advances in Medicine and Biology

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.

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Mathematics

Classroom puzzles to cosmic insights: Students and professor demystify mathematical theorem

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.

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Faculty and Staff

New Faculty Hires 2023-2024

The math department welcomes three new faculty hires

The Memorial Union building at night.
Graduate students

New Graduate Students 2023-2024

The Mathematics department welcomes 15 new graduate students this fall.

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College of Science

College of Science faculty break down barriers in STEM education through Inclusive Excellence grant

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.

Professor Jon Kujawa stands in a suit coat and smiles in his headshot outdoors surrounded by greenery.
Mathematics

College of Science welcomes new Hartmann Faculty Scholar as incoming Department Head of Mathematics

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.

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Faculty and Staff

Oregon State names new College of Science dean

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.

Peggy Cherng sits in a suit on stage giving a talk at an OSU event.
Alumni and Friends

How Peggy Cherng used her analytical know-how to help build a restaurant empire

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.

Sullivan Bailey-Darland in front of an urban backdrop.
Students

A ‘limitless degree’: Physics senior pushes the boundaries of his field

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.

Madison Collins stands in front of a grey background.
Students

Mathematics senior finds effective teaching strategies on her path to a graduate degree

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.

Memorial Union
Graduate students

New Graduate Students 2022-2023

The Mathematics department welcomed 13 new graduate students this fall.

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Faculty and Staff

New Faculty Hires 2022-2023

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

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Faculty and Staff

Faculty excellence: Promotions and tenure 2023

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

Kimberly Truong
Mathematics

College of Science student selected as Goldwater Scholar

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

A group of individuals stand on a staircase for a photo during a mathematics conference.
Mathematics

Making math inclusive: 2023 Math For All satellite conference

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.

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Alumni and Friends

Meet a Science Grad: Justin Ihara

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

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Research

New grants to support breakthrough discoveries

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.

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Events

Celebrating excellence in teaching and advising: 2023 College of Science Awards

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.

Fernando Angulo Barba stands in a blue shirt and khaki pants in front of Kidder Hall.
Graduate students

GEM Fellowship allows parent Ph.D. student space to thrive

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.

Ben Dalziel
Research

Preparing for the next pandemic: $1M grant to create interdisciplinary research center

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.

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Alumni and Friends

Alumni Awards: Raising the bar for diversity in the legal profession

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.

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Faculty and Staff

Meet the eight new faculty members bringing their expertise to OSU

The College of Science is excited to welcome eight new faculty members this fall. They bring diverse expertise in gravitational wave astronomy, applied topology, organometallic compounds, age-dependent diseases and more.

Malgo Peszynska headshot.
Faculty and Staff

New endowed faculty scholar position honors late professor

Mathematics Professor Malgorzata Peszynska has been named the inaugural Joel Davis Endowed Faculty Scholar.