For Dale Comstock ( Ph.D. M.A. mathematics ’64) mathematics has been a passport — taking him from classrooms in Corvallis to night classes in postwar Europe, emerging universities in India and policy rooms in Washington, D.C.

Throughout a career that has spanned research and academic leadership, Comstock has traveled to more than 70 countries. Now, he is helping ensure Oregon State students have the support to build distinguished careers of their own.

Comstock recently established an endowed graduate dissertation award in the Department of Mathematics, designed to recognize and reward exceptional doctoral research.

“The idea is to encourage students to stick it out,” he said. “Sometimes it becomes a very hard path to go through. The demands at that level can be high. So I want to encourage them to hang in there.”

Comstock’s own path through mathematics was anything but linear. After earning his undergraduate degree at Central Washington University, he began his career teaching high school math and physics.

In 1957, a few months after marrying his wife, he was drafted by the Army to serve in West Germany. His role was a fire direction control officer for the atomic artillery unit he was in.

It just so happened there was an extension service there from the University of Maryland, allowing Comstock to continue teaching mathematics in the evenings.

When he returned to the U.S., he made a pivotal decision to pursue graduate study at Oregon State. That choice shaped the rest of his career.

Encouraged by OSU faculty members, Comstock continued on to complete both his master’s degree and Ph.D. in mathematics, turning down a job offer along the way to stay on track academically. His research ranged from Boolean matrices to Turing machines — theoretical models of computation that manipulate symbols on an infinite tape according to a set of rules to simulate any algorithm.

“It had a tremendous effect,” he said of his time at Oregon State. “That’s what started me on the route to higher mathematics.”

After briefly working in industry, Comstock returned to academia, joining the faculty at Central Washington University, where he would spend the bulk of his career. He later became dean of the graduate school and dean of research, roles that extended his impact beyond the classroom and into shaping academic programs and research initiatives.

This Fall, the Mathematics Department welcomed 12 new graduate students. One of which entered with a Masters, and 11 with a Bachelors. Three were awarded scholarships and two were awarded a fellowship!

Lucas Allen - Bachelor’s from University of Wisconsin

Sage Bothwell - Bachelor’s from Oregon State University

Libbie Clevette - Bachelor’s from Doane College

Jackson Dube - Bachelor’s from Oregon State University

Marian Frick – Bachelor’s from University of Kansas

Quinn Keeler - Bachelor’s and Master’s from Queens University

Aidan Lincicum – Bachelor’s from Macalester College

Oscar Murillo-Espinoza - Bachelor’s from Cal State University Monterey Bay

Emily Payne – Bachelor’s from University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

Brendan Perez – Bachelor’s from Linfield University

Haidee Ruvalcaba – Bachelor’s from Cal State University Northridge

Sumi Vora – Bachelor’s from Pomona College

Graduate Research Showcase

The College of Science gathered on Feb. 26 to recognize and celebrate our high achieving faculty and staff at the 2025 Combined Awards Ceremony. The evening celebrated the very best in the College, from teaching, advising and research to inclusive excellence, administration and service.

The following faculty and staff received awards in Inclusive Excellence, Administration, Service and Performance.

Congratulations to all the awardees!

As a land grant institution committed to teaching, research, and outreach and engagement, Oregon State University promotes economic, social, cultural, and environmental progress for the people of Oregon, the nation, and the world. Oregon State University is deeply committed to the principle that every student we admit — in person or online — should achieve their goal to graduate, and awards of Scholarships and Fellowships contribute to this goal in an impactful way. The College of Science invests in the success of our graduate scholars by providing financial support to students that we recruit and students that are currently enrolled among other ways of supporting their development, progress and growth.

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. Below, we highlight some of these noteworthy Graduate School Awards. From state specific honors like the ARCS Foundation Scholarship to institutional support through the Provost’s Distinguished Fellowship, these awards recognize graduate students who embody the values of Team Science.

ARCS Foundation Awards

ARCS (Achievement Rewards for College Scientists) Foundation, Oregon Chapter seeks to advance science and technology in the United States by providing financial awards to academically outstanding students who are U.S. students studying to complete Ph.D. degrees in science, engineering, mathematics, technology and medical research at Oregon Health & Science University, Oregon State University and the University of Oregon.

In 2023-2024, two College of Science graduate students were awarded ARCS scholarships. Karlie Wiese, doctoral student in Chemistry, received the ARCS Oregon 10th Anniversary OSU Scholar Award. Lucas Kolanz, doctoral student in Physics, received the Beth Ray ARCS Foundation Scholar Award. This award is funded through ARCS, the OSU Graduate School and by contributions from past OSU President Ed Ray in memory of his wife Beth.

Delson Bridge to the Future Fund

Pritha Biswas, doctoral student in Physics, is the recipient of the Delson Bridge to the Future Fund, designed to assist graduate students who are facing critical financial emergencies that could impede degree completion.

Dissertation Completion Award

Two doctoral students were awarded the Dissertation Completion Award. This award supports outstanding doctoral students who are in their final stages of their dissertations by offering an award to cover the cost of three graduate credits of tuition and mandatory fees for one academic term. The recipients are Adaline De Chenne from Mathematics and Njesa Totty from Statistics.

Graduate Dean’s Catalyst Fellowship

Two doctoral students, Theodore Bambakidis (Microbiology) and Jesse Howe (Biochemistry and Biophysics) were awarded the Graduate Dean’s Catalyst Fellowship. This award is a pilot program launched for the 2023-24 academic year to support graduate students nearing completion of their doctoral degrees.

Herbert F. Frolander Graduate Teaching Assistant Award

Steven Tran (Chemistry) received the Herbert F. Frolander Graduate Teaching Assistant Award, which recognizes outstanding and professional involvement with both faculty and students by a graduate teaching assistant at Oregon State University. This award is presented to one graduate student from across the entire university during University Day in the fall. Hear from faculty and staff who nominated Tran here.

Laurels Block Grant Program

The purpose of Laurels funding is to provide financial support to academic units so they may diversify and strengthen their graduate programs. This is achieved by providing tuition support to assist with the recruitment of new graduate students to OSU. Two College of Science students received funding in 2023-24, masters student Bailey Sharon (Mathematics) and doctoral student Courtney Clement (Microbiology).

Oregon Lottery Graduate Scholarship

Three doctoral students received funding from the Oregon Lottery Graduate Scholarship. Funds for this scholarship are provided through the Oregon State Lottery and are awarded on the basis of academic merit and financial need. The 2023-24 recipients are Matthew Nguyen (Chemistry), Steven Tran (Chemistry) and Kaitlin McHugh (Integrative Biology).

P.F. and Nellie Buck Yerex Graduate Scholarship

Nilanjana Das, masters student in Microbiology, is the recipient of the P.F. and Nellie Buck Yerex Graduate Scholarship. This scholarship is awarded to graduate students who are pursuing study in a scientific or technological field. It is awarded on the basis of academic achievement and promise for the future.

Prestigious Diversity Fellowship

Two doctoral students received the Prestigious Diversity Fellowship, intended to support the recruitment and retention of graduate students from historically underrepresented backgrounds who demonstrate scholarly promise at Oregon State. The recipients are Hallee Boyd (Chemistry) and Nyazia Sajdah-Bey (Integrative Biology).

Professional Development Award

The purpose of the Professional Development Award is to help cover costs for qualifying training, resources and activities that contribute to professional skills development. In 2023-24, the Graduate School funded the following students:

Alice Welch (Integrative Biology)

Olivia Burleigh (Integrative Biology)

Emily Taylor (Integrative Biology)

Pritha Biswas (Physics)

Kevin Dimmitt (Physics)

Provost’s Distinguished Graduate Fellowships and Scholarships

The purpose of the Provost’s Distinguished Fellowship and Scholarship program is to support programs in the recruitment of Oregon State’s most meritorious graduate students.Ian Clifford (Integrative biology) and Ben Daniels (Microbiology) received the distinguished Provost Fellowship award.

In 2023-24, the College of Science awarded Provost Scholarships to the following students:

Joline Nguyen (Biochemistry and Biophysics)

Emily Hiatt (Chemistry)

Sanpreet Hira (Chemistry)

Jack McLaughlin (Chemistry)

Gage Rios (Chemistry)

Rodrigo De Almeida Alves (Integrative Biology)

Brysyn Goodson (Integrative Biology)

Olivia Noonan (Integrative Biology)

Stefanie Fazekas (Mathematics)

Heather Fogarty (Mathematics)

Mansi Sanjay Mahajan (Mathematics)

Courtney Clement (Microbiology)

Lynn Kaneko (Microbiology)

Katelyn Spadavecchia (Physics)

Kalista Wayt (Physics)

Ian Moran (Statistics)

Scholarly Presentation Award

The Graduate School offers the Scholarly Presentation Award to provide graduate students with financial support to assist with certain costs associated with presenting their scholarly work at academic conferences and meetings. In 2023-24, the following College of Science students received this award:

Mona Khorani (Chemistry)

Nan-Chieh Chiu (Chemistry)

Anshika Nagar (Chemistry)

Ankit Yadav (Chemistry)

Jesse Laney (Integrative Biology)

Angelika Kurthen (Integrative Biology)

Jun Cai (Integrative Biology)

Erick White (Integrative Biology)

Jalyn Devereaux (Integrative Biology)

Jared Freedman (Integrative Biology)

Jesse Fritz (Integrative Biology)

Dorothy Zahor (Integrative Biology)

Jessica Karr (Integrative Biology)

Giovanni Crestani (Integrative Biology)

Kaitlin McHugh (Integrative Biology)

Kenneth Glynn (Integrative Biology)

Jazlee Joon Crowley (Integrative Biology)

Brenna Prevelige (Integrative Biology)

Jeremy Lilly (Mathematics)

Måns Mattsson (Physics)

Thurgood Marshall Graduate Fellowship

The Thurgood Marshall Graduate Fellowship is intended to support the retention of meritorious graduate students whose accomplishments and activities demonstrate leadership, service and commitment to fostering a just and equitable community. Val Sawiccy (Integrative Biology), currently an instructor at the University of Oregon, is this year’s recipient.

Wei Family Private Foundation Scholarship

The Wei Family Private Foundation, a non-profit organization, was established to honor the memory of Dr. (Mrs.) Chung Kwai Lui Wei and Mr. Hsin Hsu Wei. Its purpose is to award scholarship grants to graduate students with high academic credentials in science and math, with a preference for those who have lived in or are related to persons born in China. In 2023-2024, the College of Science awarded one Wei Family scholarships to Lemeng Li (Statistics).

Mark and Vicki Hehnen Veterans Science Scholarship

The Mark and Vicki Hehnen Veterans Science Scholarship supports science students who are veterans and provides financial support other than tuition. This award was established by Mark Hehnen (’78 Ph.D.). In 2023-2024, the College of Science awarded two scholarships to Ebony Stretch (Microbiology) and Angela Mellisa Thompson (Zoology).

Jesse A Hanson General Science Scholarship

The Jesse A Hanson General Science Scholarship is awarded to students who show high scholarship, potential for success, unimpeachable character and service to the university. Jesse Hanson was an OSU professor of poultry science from 1911-66. The following four students received this scholarship during the 2023-2024 academic year: Joshua Byrnes (Statistics), Jessica Etter (Chemistry), Elena Gasiorowski (Integrative Biology), and Mikaela Lee (Microbiology).

Fred W. Durbin and Helen E. Bette Pierce Durbin Endowment

Created by Fred and Helen “Bette” Durbin, this endowment supports graduate fellowships as determined by the Dean. Fred received a bachelor’s in general science from OSU and Bette graduated with a bachelor’s in home economics (now the College of Health). The College of Science awarded two Fred and Helen Durbin Scholarships to Ameh Benson Agi (Chemistry) and Jonathan Dutra (Biochemistry/Biophysics).

Science Graduate Fellowship

The Science Graduate Fellowship is to be used to support students enrolled in the College of Science with a preference for students in chemistry, biochemistry and the life sciences. The College of Science awarded one Science Graduate Fellowship during the 2023-2024 academic year to Emily Parker (Integrative Biology).

*When possible, links to students' directory profiles are included.

This Fall, the Mathematics Department welcomes 15 new graduate students. Five of which enter with a Masters, and ten with a Bachelors. Four were awarded scholarships.

Seth Alderman – Bachelors from Oregon State University

Christopher Cericola – Bachelors from Seattle University and Master’s from Louisiana State University A&M

Madison Collins – Bachelors from Oregon State University

Stefanie Fazekas – International student from Austria, Bachelors from National University Ireland Maynooth, and Masters from National University Ireland Maynooth

Heather Fogarty – Bachelors from UC Davis

Keith Gallegos – Bachelors from Olivet Nazarene University

Aren Lampman – Bachelors from University of Arizona

Mansi Sanjay Mahajan – International student from India, Bachelors from St. Xavier’s College and Masters from University of Delhi

Emmanuel Oguadimma – International student from Nigeria, Bachelors from Nnamdi Azikiwe University

Adefisayo Ojo – International student from Nigeria, Bachelors from University of Lagos, Masters from Washington State University

Oluwabusayo Oni – International student from Nigeria, Bachelors from Lagos State University, Masters from University of Lagos

Noah Prentice – Bachelors from Kalamazoo College

Logan Richard – Bachelors from University of Louisiana Lafayette

Bailey Sharon – Bachelors from Western Colorado University

Emerson Worrell – Bachelors from Colorado College

The Mathematics department welcomed 13 new graduate students this fall, two enter with a Masters, eleven with a Bachelors; four were awarded scholarships; one was awarded a fellowship!

• Camden Collins – Bachelors from Humboldt State University
• Addison Day – Masters from University of of California-Santa Cruz
• Nikolaus Elsaesser – Bachelors from Santa Clara University
• Cameron Fish – Masters from Portland State University
• Rebekah Kuss – Bachelors from Saint Martin
• Raven McCoy – Bachelors from Oklahoma State University
• Victory Obieke – International Student from Nigeria - Bachelors from Nnamdi Azikiwe University
• Connor Progin – Bachelors from University of Portland
• Kaitlynn Spiker – Bachelors from West Virginia University
• Hsiang Thum – Bachelors from University of Oregon
• Wyatt Whiting – Bachelors from Oregon State University
• Calvin Woods – Bachelors from Amherst College
• Jacob Yadush – Bachelors from Penn State University

The Math department is pleased to announce graduate students who received awards for the 22/23 academic year.

The Math department had 3 students who had their Wei Scholarships renewed for the 22/23 year. These scholarships are from the Wei Family Private Foundation. This foundation is a non-profit organization, established to honor the memory of Dr. (Mrs.) Chung Kwai Lui Wei and Mr. Hsin Hsu Wei. The purpose of this foundation is to award scholarship grants to students of Chinese heritage with high academic credentials. Fifth year students Chifan Leung and Nachuan Zhang, along with third year student Peter Cowal received their renewals of this award.

First year graduate student Hsiang Thum was also awarded the Wei Scholarship.

Oregon State University Assistant Professor Swati Patel and two colleagues, Padi Fuster and Robyn Brooks, wanted to do something to counter systemic inequities in mathematics. In response, they founded the Math For All conference at Tulane University in New Orleans in 2020.

“We created this conference to try to build a more positive and welcoming culture in mathematics,” Patel said. “We thought of a conference that would be an open and friendly space for people to gather and talk about math, math education and how it relates to diversity, justice and inequity.”

Math For All is now a national conference that hosts regional programs annually throughout the country, including a satellite location at Oregon State where 40-60 people attend in Corvallis for free, thanks to generous donor support and scholarships. Attendees learn how mathematics applies to everyday life and experience a sense of belonging to a powerful scientific community. Talks and discussions tend to cover everything from human rights in data science to the mathematics of paper folding.

OSU's satellite conference often welcomes people from local community colleges and other universities, drawing mathematicians from undergraduates to instructors and faculty members.

Breaking down barriers in mathematics

Organizers ensure the conference is structured to promote dialogue between attendees, encouraging them to bridge the gap between their mathematical interests and other human interests that may spark commonality between them. One year, attendee nametags sported the person's unique interests like math as art, trivia or social justice.

“It makes me very happy when undergraduates feel comfortable in this space to ask questions. It takes courage to do that,” Patel said. “It’s not easy to raise your hand and ask a question to a speaker.”

Oregon State graduate student and co-organizer Leah Sturman said in 2023, the first guided discussion included an activity where participants matched important mathematical theorems to the actual societal impact.

Participants then split into groups and developed flowcharts that related those theorems to another branch of math they were familiar with. The activity asked the question, “What does my math mean for people around me?” Some groups decided to relate the theorem to a tool they use themselves, such as illustrating how the Pythagorean Theorem relates to GPS.

“Mathematics is far more doable than a lot of people think,” Sturman said. “It is not nearly as impenetrable or scary as people’s guts tell them. I’ve seen people who think they are bad at math actually be really good at it.”

After the activity, co-organizers posted these flowcharts on the wall for other people to see throughout the day.

“In the second session, we had a little bit more discussion around the thought behind the flowchart activity,” Sturman said. “You know, how can we be conscientious and choose to do mathematics that has a positive impact on society?”

The topics discussed are always varied, so attendees can see how mathematics impacts society as a whole, including the communities they are a part of. This enables everyone to bring their own experiences to the table, as the organizers intend.

"When I went to college, I don't ever remember having a space when I was an undergrad where the conversations like this were being facilitated and were encouraged."

Fernando Angulo Barba’s love of mathematics involves grocery stores.

“When we went shopping when I was younger, my dad would always ask me what the change would be as he was handing it over, and I would try to race the cashier before they said it. I was pretty good at it,” he said.

Years later, Angulo Barba earned his master’s in applied and interdisciplinary mathematics from the University of Michigan and decided to continue his education with a Ph.D. at Oregon State University.

“My parents came from Mexico, they both moved in their twenties. Education is kind of the pipeline to have an easier life than they had. And I’ve really taken that to heart,” he said.

When he first started his Ph.D. program in 2021, he also worked as a graduate teaching assistant for three undergraduate mathematics classes. This allowed him to receive a salary and have his tuition fully paid for, but it also took up a lot of his time.

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

Founded in 1976 at the University of Notre Dame, the fellowship supports students pursuing doctoral degrees in the natural science disciplines — chemistry, physics, earth sciences, mathematics, biological sciences and computer science.

The program covers full tuition, fees and an annual stipend in collaboration with a sponsoring GEM university. Fellows also participate in a minimum of one paid summer internship.

Angulo Barba spent nearly three months in Idaho Falls, Idaho, working with Idaho National Laboratory computational mechanics and materials group.

The company developed MOOSE, an open-source finite element-based platform for solving multi-physics problems, and BISON, a program used to study nuclear fuels. His role was running sensitivity analyses to figure out which input parameters, such as temperature or fission rate based on different models, affect the output the most.

In addition to strengthening his programming skills, Angulo Barba was able to create connections.

“They encouraged asking questions, which made it easy to learn and network and find out what other people are doing, where they came from and their experiences,” he said.

The internship also cemented his desire to become a professor or work in a laboratory.

“I’ve been lucky and fortunate enough to get support while being a minority in STEM, so being a professor or someone who works in a lab would allow me to pay it forward,” he said.

On campus he will be working with Mathematician and Interim Dean Vrushali Bokil, studying computational mathematics and the virtual element method.

“Before I came here I met current students and they said it was a ‘family vibe’ where everyone looks out for each other, and I would definitely say that’s true.”

The College of Science and more specifically the Department of Mathematics have been behind him both inside and outside of the classroom.

Earlier this year Angulo Barba was struggling with a bad living situation. He ended up running into a professor from his first-year seminar course who took the time to connect him to a landlord and find better housing.

“It meant a lot to me,” he said. “Before I came here I met current students and they said it was a ‘family vibe’ where everyone looks out for each other, and I would definitely say that’s true.”