Research funding propels Team Science forward

Oregon State University is focused on big discoveries that drive big solutions. Many science faculty received grants last year in support of discovery-driven science, applied and transdisciplinary research science education and innovation in OSU’s priority research areas of integrated health and biotechnology, climate science and solutions, robotics, data science and AI, and clean energy and solutions. Below are some of the highlights—not including multi-year projects started before 2023.

Faculty honors

Astrophysicist Jeff Hazboun received a $73K Faculty Early Career Development award from the National Science Foundation. This prestigious NSF early career award is highly coveted by faculty! Hazboun’s project includes curriculum development and the implementation of a summer workshop in astrophysics-themed data analysis designed to foster inspired teaching, stimulate excitement in pulsar timing array research, facilitate the learning goals of undergraduate and graduate students, and support the community college students’ transition into four-year schools.

Mathematician Christine Escher received a $50,397 award from the NSF to host the Pacific Northwest Geometry Seminar series over three years at various Pacific Northwest universities. Escher is the principal organizer of the conference. This award supports meetings of the Pacific Northwest Geometry Seminar (PNGS), a regional meeting for researchers and educators of geometry, to be held at the University of British Columbia (2025), Seattle University (2026) and Lewis & Clark College (2027).

Integrated health & biotechnology

Materials scientist Kyriakos Stylianou, along with members of the College of Pharmacy and the College of Agricultural Science, received $2 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to develop improved ways of preventing stored potatoes from sprouting, particularly in the organic sector. Stylianou’s team studied nearly 200 different plant essential oils for their anti-sprouting effects. Oregon, Washington and Idaho produce more than 60% of the potatoes grown in the United States, and Pacific Northwest potato cultivation is a $2.2 billion industry.

Microbiologist Maude David is part of a multi-institution research team to receive a $4.3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to study European foulbrood disease (EFD) in honey bees. The group is investigating the factors contributing to the high incidence of infection, and will then share their findings with local beekeepers and growers to improve mitigation efforts. Beekeepers in Oregon typically pollinate about five different crops annually. If the colonies are weakened by EFD, this results in less pollination, which is a concern for blueberry and almond growers.

Evolutionary biologist Michael Blouin was awarded $1.86M over five years ($371K per year) from the National Institutes of Health for his project entitled, “Genetic mechanisms of snail/schistosome compatibility.” Schistosomes are water-borne blood-flukes transmitted by snails, which infect over 250 million people in more than 70 countries and cause severe and chronic disability. A debilitating helminth parasitic disease of humans, vaccines are available for schistosomiasis. This project will identify new genes that make some snails naturally resistant to infection by schistosomes, revealing potential new ways to reduce parasite transmission at the snail stage.

Statistician Robert Trangucci received $164K from the University of Michigan for his project entitled, “Data driven transmission models to optimize influenza vaccination and pandemic mitigation strategies.” Selection bias is common in infectious disease datasets due to complex observational and biological processes, and bias can arise from covariate data which is missing due to analytical limitations. The research team is addressing the concern by extending existing models to accommodate risk and data gaps over time for application in vaccination and other novel datasets.

Chemist Dipankar Koley received $542K from the National Institutes of Health for his project entitled, “Microenvironmental characterization and manipulation to prevent secondary caries.” A common reason for dental replacement is a recurrence of caries around existing restorations caused by microbial activity. The project seeks development of new and innovative materials to bias this microbial environment toward improved dental health, and the researchers are investigating the use of cations of magnesium and zinc applied with specialized release platforms.

Collaborative research at the interface of robotics, computer vision and AI

Statistician Yanming Di received $249K from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for a project entitled, “DeepSeed: A computer-vision network for onsite, real-time seed analysis.” The Willamette Valley is considered the “grass seed capital of the world.” Seed testing, used for determining seed lot quality and establishing seed value, is a fundamental phase of the agricultural marketing system. With recent advances in robotics, computer vision, and AI, an opportunity presents itself for a new wave of innovations. This project utilizes AI and robotics to innovate devices and protocols for sampling grass seeds and a computer vision system for automated seed analysis. The investigators consist of experts in seed services, computer vision, statistics, and mechanical engineering.

Climate science and related solutions

Materials scientist Kyriakos Stylianou received $689K from Saudi Aramco for a project entitled “New Generation of CO2 Capture Adsorbents: Synthesis, Performance under Humid Conditions, and Scaleup.” In this project, the Stylianou group aims to discover novel adsorbents for the selective capture of CO2 from diluted sources. Successful materials will undergo scaling up and evaluation for their efficacy in removing CO2 from air.

Marine ecologist Bruce Menge received $200K from the National Science Foundation for his project entitled, “RAPID: A subtle epidemic: unique mortality of Mytilus californianus on the Oregon coast.”

The research team is investigating the major changes occurring in the Pacific Northwest marine ecosystems, with evidence these communities exhibit low resilience to climate change. For example, sessile invertebrates (mussels, barnacles, etc) become more abundant while seaweed species (kelp, etc) decline.

Evolutionary biologist Kathryn Everson received two awards for $276K from the University of Kentucky Research Foundation for a project entitled, “The role of hybridization in generating biodiversity: Insights from genomics of Madagascar’s true lemurs (Eulemur).” This project is funded by the NSF to understand how new species form in the context of complex gene flow and to expose the genomic signatures of evolutionary processes. The researchers will characterize patterns of gene flow, selection, and genome architecture for a species of lemur to gain a genomic perspective on the evolution of species boundaries. In addition, the team will construct a hybridization model using data on geographic range, diet, and social behavior for this lemur.

Clean energy and related solutions

Aerosol chemist Alison Bain received $284K from McGill University for her project entitled, “Single particle measurements.” This research aims to understand the optical properties of stratospheric aerosols. Using single particle experiments under environmentally relevant temperatures and humidities, the team will extend a wavelength-dependent refractive index model to include these conditions. They are also looking at how atmospheric aging impacts the optical properties of these materials.

Chemist Wei Kong received $110K from the American Chemical Society for her project entitled, “Superfluid helium droplets as microreactors for studies of photochemistry of fossil fuel hydrocarbons: polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and the corresponding endoperoxides.” The project will use superfluid helium droplets as microreactors to investigate the kinetics of the photooxidation process of a major component of petroleum (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, PAH). Using several analytical techniques, the team will test the hypothesis that supercooling the helium droplets will stabilize an excited state of the oxygen molecule and prevent further reactions.

Collaborative partnerships to fuel a thriving world

Biochemist Ryan Mehl received $234K from the NobleReach Foundation in partnership with the National Science Foundation. The project “Ideal eukaryotic tetrazine ligations for imaging protein dynamics in live cells” was selected as one of the first set of 11 national pilot projects to receive $234K from the NobleReach Foundation.The partnership seeks to identify and accelerate the translation of NSF-funded research into biotechnologies and bio-inspired designs with commercial and societal impacts. This pilot will help inform future translational funding opportunities along with enabling Professor Mehl and the other selected principal investigators to accelerate bringing their research to the market and society.

Biochemist Patrick Reardon received $500K from the National Science Foundation (NSF) Research Instrumentation Program for his project entitled, “MRI: Acquisition of Helium Recovery Equipment: An integrated system for helium capture and recovery for the OSU NMR facility.” This award supports the acquisition and installation of an integrated system for helium capture and recovery for the nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) facility. Helium is in high demand and is used for a wide variety of industrial and research applications, and it is a non-renewable resource which highlights the need for laboratories to capture and recycle this important gas. The NMR lab is supported by funding from the National Institutes of Health, NSF, M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust, and OSU, and it is a core facility and cornerstone for groundbreaking research in interdisciplinary science and engineering, chemistry, biochemistry, and biophysics at OSU, throughout the Pacific Northwest, and beyond. The facility continually strives to enhance its state-of-the-art instrumentation for the highest levels of analytical performance.

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.”

SciRIS Stage 1

Professor Claudia Maier, alongside a multidisciplinary team including researchers from the Colleges of Engineering and Agricultural Science, received a SciRIS Stage 1 award to study on triple-negative breast cancer.

Maier’s team includes two other College of Science researchers, Yanming Di from the Department of Statistics and Chad Giusti from the Department of Mathematics.

In biology, cells exhibit a range of diverse characteristics known as cellular heterogeneity, regardless if the overall biology appears uniform. This diversity influences disease progression, treatment outcomes and the likelihood of disease recurrence. Single-cell proteomics is an emerging technique that allows researchers to study these differences at the individual cell level.

Collaborating with faculty from the College of Engineering and the College of Agricultural Science, the team aims to refine a single-cell mass spectrometry workflow focusing on triple-negative breast cancer and specifically targeting therapy-induced senescent cells. Senescent cells eventually stop multiplying but don’t die off, leading to the continued release of chemicals that can trigger inflammation and damage healthy cells. This research builds upon previous work and collaboration, moving from technology development to practical application in biomedicine.

By understanding the heterogeneity within breast cancer and the role of senescent cells in treatment resistance, the researchers aim to develop methods for detecting and characterizing TIS cells from tissue samples. This information will be crucial for developing treatments that target these cells, potentially improving outcomes for TNBC patients.

SciRIS-ii (Individual Investigator)

The following three scientists received SciRIS-ii awards: Kyriakos Stylianou, Christine Escher and Xueying Yu.

Materials scientist Kyriakos Stylianou will use his SciRISii award to study a new, more efficient way to diagnose and treat cancer using advanced technology that combines imaging and therapy in one tiny package.

Theranostics is a novel cancer approach that uses radiotracers, compounds made of radiation and chemicals that selectively bind to a specific target in the body. The tracers identify and then deliver radioactive drug therapy to the tumor, resulting in better outcomes and personalized treatments.

Stylianou will explore using metal-organic frameworks to build the nanoparticles. His research will also look at utilizing boron neutron capture therapy, a promising approach to cancer treatment that results in minimal consequences to normal cells.

By combining gadolinium for imagining and carborane-based ligands—which include boron—for therapy, the MOF would be able to diagnose and treat cancer after being activated specifically in tumor microenvironments.

The successful demonstration of the theranostic capabilities of the MOFs in lab settings will mark the initial phase towards more complex studies conducted in living organisms.

Mathematics Professor Christine Escher will use her SciRISii award to delve into Global Riemannian geometry, a field studying the relationship between local and global geometric properties of space. Specifically, the focus is on understanding manifolds with lower curvature bounds by exploring symmetries.

Escher will be continuing to collaborate with Catherine Searle from Wichita State University, to achieve a comprehensive classification of such manifolds, contributing to a deeper understanding of Riemannian geometry.

Escher will be attending a semester-long program at the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute in Berkeley entitled, “New Frontiers in Curvature: Flows, General Relativity, Minimal Submanifolds and Symmetry.” This opportunity facilitates collaboration and provides access to specialized resources. One of Escher’s Ph.D. students, Augustin Bosgraaf, will also participate in the program, further enhancing the mentorship and educational aspects of this research endeavor.

Assistant Professor of Mathematics Xueying Yu received a SciRISii grant to understand the behavior of dispersive equations, which are fundamental in describing various natural phenomena such as light transmission, charge transport in DNA and particle interaction in atoms. While these equations are widely used across physics and biology, their long-term behavior remains largely unexplored.

Collaborating with researchers at the University of Bologna in Italy, the University of New York at Binghamton and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Yu will focus on equations with variable coefficients which are more complex to analyze. The project aims to develop theories and tools to understand the long-term behavior of these variable coefficient dispersive equations, focusing on aspects like global well-posedness, scattering effects and unique continuation of solutions.

This project will not only contribute to advancing mathematical understanding but also have practical implications in various fields such as numerical simulations, optics, condensed matter, fluid mechanics and biology.

You apply TDA to current problems and systems that arise in biology and medicine. Can you elaborate more on those applications and what got you interested in pursuing them?

When I think about my applied work, I usually place it in the field of theoretical neuroscience, in the context of developing a theory of how neural populations encode information and perform computations. It turns out that many of the models that neuroscientists have developed to describe these phenomena “look” topological in the sense that it’s easy (for an applied topologist like me) to imagine formalizing them using language from TDA.

In fact, this is how I first got started in the area. As a graduate student, I worked in pure algebraic and geometric topology studying spaces of knots, though my projects always had a computational bent. One year on the job market, I had two offers: one to go to Belgium and work on this very theoretical type of mathematics, and another to go to Lincoln, Nebraska and try to apply topology to the study of neural codes. The PIs on that project, Vladimir Itskov and Carina Curto, showed me some pictures of place fields, which diagram how individual neurons in the hippocampus respond to an animal’s location in its environment.

These look a great deal like the topological notion of a “cover” of a space, which is one of our fundamental tools for studying shape. Their notion, which turned out to be an excellent one, was that we should be able to use tools from TDA to study this structure in neural activity, providing a platform for mathematically formalizing some of these informal models. The idea of developing an entirely new way of studying how the brain works—and doing it using all of the abstract math I’d fallen in love with in graduate school—was a very compelling offer.

I think it’s important to note that, as compelling as the offer was, pursuing this route was a risky decision. Novel applications of mathematics, particularly areas of math that aren’t well established for applications, very often don’t gain traction or take many years to do so, and a postdoc project that doesn’t go anywhere usually doesn’t lead to further employment. I had the privilege to be able to take that risk in large part because I had a strong economic and personal support system, including skills that would allow me to seek alternative employment if the project didn’t work out. It would behoove us to provide more support to early career academics so it’s easier to take these big risks.

Lastly, I should note that my own narrow conception of my work is not exactly accurate: I’ve done or supervised projects in human neuroscience/neurology, physics of granular media, plant/pollinator networks, collective behavior of swarms, and elsewhere. I’m currently working with researchers on problems in climate science and cancer genetics. I suppose the point is that it doesn’t take a lot of persuasion to get me interested in a good problem.

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John Musgrove, ‘20, and Tyler Schimleck, ‘21, heard about the theorem in De Leenheer’s Vector Calculus 2 course and approached him after class. He enthusiastically brought them on board what turned into a five-year project.

“For me, it was my first time jumping into real mathematical literature. Reading papers by other mathematicians working on the same problem and diving into their research was super exciting for me,” Musgrove said.

Having access to undergraduate research helped both of them successfully pursue a postgraduate degree.

Musgrove graduated from Columbia University with his MS in Operations Research and Schimleck is currently a graduate student at UC Santa Barbara in the Department of Mathematics. Schimleck is interested in differential geometry and mathematical physics.

“It can be so scary at first if you try to read mathematical literature. There is a huge gap between a lot of high-level research and what you learn in undergrad,” Schimleck said. “Doing undergraduate research was a massive confidence boost that helps me say, ‘No, it’s okay, I can do this. I may not understand it at first but eventually, I’ll figure it out and it’ll be okay.’”

Working with a faculty member can be equally terrifying but Musgrove and Schimleck said De Lehneer helped every step of the way.

“One of my favorite things about working with Patrick, would be sitting there in the room and we’re staring at equations on the blackboard in silence for a few minutes and then we will have an “Aha” moment and Patrick will actually say “Aha” and go run to the blackboard with the solution,” Musgrove said. “It's labor. Math doesn’t look appetizing but once you are in it, the energy and emotions sustain the whole thing.”

He said that in a typical undergraduate classroom, students don’t get to experience facing a wall because everything is set up with an answer already.

“That’s the difference with doing research, there is nobody who will tell you the answer. You just have to keep looking at it and thinking about it. There are no shortcuts,” he said.

De Leenheer said it feels like serendipity that a question he had as a young adult, he was able to answer years later.

“I got to know two guys here in class and they showed excitement and they had the dedication, they never quit. Even today I am still thinking about it and it baffles me when I talk to people about this result. All together it was very rewarding,” he said.

Ali Ahammad Mozumder

Ali Ahammed Mozumder received his M.S. and Ph.D. in Mathematics from the University of Texas at Dallas in 2021 and 2022, respectively, under the supervision of Prof. Susan Minkoff and John Zweck. Dr. Ali's research interests include mathematical modeling and numerical simulation of photoacoustic trace gas sensors, sensitivity analysis, and scientific computing. He spent 11 years teaching various levels of mathematics across multiple public and private colleges in Bangladesh after receiving his B.Sc. and M.S. in Mathematics from the University of Dhaka.

“To me, teaching mathematics entails establishing a friendly academic relationship with students so that they feel comfortable asking questions and motivated to put in the extra effort required to succeed in the course. I don't want my students to believe what I tell them without questioning what, how, when, and why. When I see my students' sparkling eyes, glowing faces, and priceless smiles as they learn from me, it gives me a heavenly feeling.” - Ali Ahammed Mozumder

In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his family and watching television news.

Derek Eby

Derek Eby earned a B.S. in Mathematics and a B.A. in Spanish from the University of Indianapolis in 2009, and an M.A. in Mathematics from the University of Colorado, Boulder in 2012. His research was in the probability and statistics field developing a method to fractionally difference autoregressive integrated moving average time series. He has spent 11 years teaching math, most of that full-time at as an assistant professor at the University of Alaska Southeast in Juneau and back at his alma-mater CU Boulder as a lecturer. In between those stints, he also ran a private consulting business for data analysis in the natural science and educational fields as well as translating projects for various universities.

"I believe teaching mathematics is my calling and there is no such thing as ‘not a math person’; it is merely a subject that is understood in widely different ways and at varying levels of mastery. My job and challenge is getting students to the appropriate level of math for use in their careers and teaching them in the way that they learn best." - Derek Eby

As an instructor at Oregon State University, he is excited to join wonderful teams of teachers as well as a large cohort of colleagues that is already impressive. He has now lived in at least six different states, has visited all 50, and enjoys traveling domestically and internationally. He likes music, sports, and outdoor activities wherever he is but especially loves the PNW, nature and disc golf, as well as having his cat and partner in his Corvallis home!

Lee Klingler

Lee Klingler earned a BA in mathematics and philosophy from Lebanon Valley College and an MS and PhD in mathematics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, a long time ago. He spent his professional career at Florida Atlantic University, from which he retired last August. His mathematical research has centered around commutative ring theory and modules over Noetherian rings, but he also has a deep interest in the teaching and learning of mathematics, at all levels. Before his retirement, he helped design Learning Assistant materials for precalculus and calculus classes, and he looks forward to working with students at Oregon State University.

Murat Kol

Murat Kol earned B.Sc. in Mathematics Education, M.Sc. in Secondary Science and Mathematics Education, and Ph.D. in Secondary Science and Mathematics Education in 1999, 2014, and 2022 respectively at Middle East Technical University (METU). After graduation, he worked as a mathematics teacher, textbook author, and administrator at various school levels for 12 years. During this teaching experience, he realized that if technology is used effectively, it can make a significant contribution to mathematics education. By carrying this awareness to the academic field, he decided to carry out his academic studies at the center of technology in mathematics education. In addition to technology, he continues his academic research on teacher education, mathematical modeling, mathematical reasoning, argumentation, and proof. Calculus and discrete mathematics are the subjects he enjoys teaching the most. In addition, mathematics education method lessons, in which he especially enjoys sharing his experiences about classroom dynamics with prospective teachers, are among his favorites.

Gazi Mahmud Alam

Dr. Alam (he/him/his) received his Ph.D. in Mathematics from the University of Alaska Fairbanks in May 2022. His dissertation was related to solving control problems for partial differential equations on quantum graphs. Dr. Alam earned his MS in Applied Mathematics at Stockholm University, Sweden in April 2013. His MS thesis was on the Iterative Solution of Large Scale Statistical Inverse Problems at the Max Planck Institute for Dynamics of Complex Technical Systems, Germany. Before joining as a Ph.D. student at the University of Alaska Fairbanks he worked as an assistant professor at the Military Institute of Science and Technology (MIST), Bangladesh. Previously, he worked as a lecturer and assistant professor at the Bangladesh University of Business and Technology (BUBT), Bangladesh.

I believe that every student has a unique learning style and is well-equipped for learning mathematics. As a teacher, I strive to create an environment that fosters a student-centered learning approach inspired by the famous quote of Benjamin Franklin, "Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn." - Gazi Mahmud Alam

A few of his favorite subjects include Ordinary Differential Equations, Partial Differential Equations, Operations Research, and Numerical Analysis. He enjoys traveling, running, playing badminton, and watching cricket in his free time.

Nina Gydé

Nina Gydé earned a BA in Mathematics at the University of Oregon, and also completed their Secondary Education program for Oregon teaching certification in Advanced Mathematics. She earned her MA in Mathematics at Oregon State University with an emphasis in Applied Mathematics. She has held teaching positions at colleges, community colleges, and K-12 public schools in Oregon and Washington, and is excited to return to Oregon State. In addition to her specialty of Applied Mathematics, Nina's academic interests include Music, Physics, Curriculum & Instruction, Biology, and Engineering.

Christine Hoogendyk

Christine Hoogendyk (she/her/hers) earned her B.S. in Mathematics from Cal Poly Pomona in 2019 and her M.S. in Mathematics from Oregon State University in 2022 under the guidance of Mary Beisiegel. She enjoys learning about mathematics education and enjoys looking for new ways to introduce the topics in the courses she teaches.

“Math classrooms can be a scary place for many students. Making mistakes are a big part of learning anything new, but especially mathematics. However, students often feel as though making mistakes is bad in math because there should be a correct answer. When I teach, I want my students to know that I’m there to help them grow their knowledge and not to judge them for where they started or where they are at.” - Christine Hoogendyk

In her free time, Christine is often swimming, doing ceramics, or playing some video games to wind down.