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.

Four College of Science graduate students were selected for the prestigious NSF Graduate Student Research Fellowship Program in the 2022-23 school year. The program recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students in STEM who are pursuing research-based master’s and doctoral degrees in the U.S.

The College of Science is pleased to announce that five incoming graduate students were awarded 2021-2022 ARCS (Achievement Rewards for College Scientists) Foundation, Oregon Chapter scholarships. ARCS Foundation Oregon seeks to advance science and technology in the United States by funding graduate students. The scholarship provides $18,000 in financial support, payable over three years, to academically outstanding students who are U.S. citizens 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.

Through its efforts, ARCS Oregon has supported 301 young scientists with over five million dollars in scholarship funding and encouraged them to follow their scientific passions, earn their doctorates and further scientific knowledge. Funding is made possible through endowed funds, donors and chapter fundraising.

This year, ARCS Oregon is supporting a record number of 79 scholars: 25 at OHSU, 44 at OSU and 10 at UO. The scholars are chosen from selection committees at each institution.

This year’s new Oregon State College of Science ARCS scholars include:

Gabriela Cortes Cortes is proud not to have let any obstacle, including a pandemic or the challenges of a first-generation student, hold her back from earning a four-year degree in the College of Science.

She remembers feeling shy and lonely when she first arrived in Oregon from Mexico in seventh grade, knowing very little English and feeling lost in the classroom. A bilingual teacher came alongside her, helping her feel more welcome and connecting her with resources.

“By the end of the year, I was able to comprehend almost everything that was said by the teachers, and I knew what to expect from my classes and what to do – even though I still wasn’t confident enough to speak in English,” she said. “In my freshman year of high school, students were given Chromebook laptops, which enabled me to use Google Translate to help learn English.”

This spring, Cortes graduates from OSU with a major in BioHealth Sciences, a minor in chemistry and an option in pre-dentistry. Along the way, she’s placed on the OSU honor roll three times and was awarded two grants and three scholarships for her two years at OSU and her previous two years at Chemeketa Community College.

“My parents are always reminding me that I am capable of achieving my goals – even though sometimes subjects are really hard since English is my second language.”

Cortes is especially grateful to her Oregon State advisors and her Ford Family peer mentor for their encouragement and support. Reed Davis, an academic counselor for first-generation TRIO program students, referred her to many helpful resources on campus such as academic counseling, tutoring and mentoring programs, assistance with financial aid and scholarship application, and student success workshops.

Tiffany Bolman, her BioHealth Science advisor, coached her about the process of applying to dental school, offering to be an ongoing resource after graduation. And she encouraged Cortes to focus on her strengths and accomplishments, rather than on her disappointment at not moving forward faster.

“Tiffany really supported me, saying, ‘You came this far, and you should be proud of yourself.’ She told me that she also was a first-generation student and said, ‘I understand you, and know it's hard. I was myself in the same position.’ She identified with me, and I identify with her because she knows all the obstacles I've been through, like needing to learn English and being a first-generation student from a low-income family,” Cortes said.

Because of Covid, Cortes spent only two terms on campus in Corvallis before returning home to live with her family in Mount Angel. While she is sad that her on-campus experience was short-lived, she relished the time she lived with other students in university housing. “I am so glad I had that experience. I will never forget that,” she said.

After graduation, Cortes plans to take two gap years during which time she plans to enroll in a dental assisting program and apply to dental schools, including Oregon Health Sciences University.

The College of Science is proud to announce that 41 science students – a record number – have received summer undergraduate research awards that will provide the opportunity and funding to pursue their research ambitions.

Undergraduate research often plays an instrumental role in developing student-faculty relationships that help students learn and grow beyond the scope of the classroom. For many OSU students, these awards provide the financial leverage to work in the field they are passionate about without being constrained to jobs that simply pay the bills.

The Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) award is available to all science students who meet the academic requirements. Participants are paid for 11 weeks of full-time research, or 440 hours, for a maximum of $5060. Awardees also receive an additional $500 for research expenses, including travel costs, materials or equipment rental.

This is also the second year that the Department of Integrative Biology offered the Alexei Lubchenco Menge Fellowship, which was awarded to Lily Miksell to support her research examining the interactions of dominant foundation species in Oregon rocky intertidal communities under the guidance of integrative biology professor Sally Hacker. The fellowship was established in memory of Alexei Lubchenco Menge, who died at age 27 in 2005. The award seeks to help one student each year within the department who exemplifies the deep love of the ocean that Lubchenco Menge personified.

SURE science awards are made possible by generous donations of College of Science alumni, faculty and supporters.

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to come changes in the SURE science program in 2020. Due to COVID-19 restrictions limiting access to laboratory space at Oregon State University, the deadline for completing SURE scholar research projects was extended to May 2021. Some students have projects that can be done entirely remotely and will complete and present their findings by the end of the summer. Some of the students below are able to work on their projects in OSU labs this summer, following OSU and Oregon Health Authority safety guidelines. For the majority of this year's awardees, the extended timeframe will allow them an opportunity to continue their research safely throughout the school year while gaining research experience.

SURE Science Scholars

Juan Altamira | Chemistry | Vince Remcho

Analysis of Explosive Compounds via Paper Microfluidic Device

Roy Anderson | Biology | Bruce Menge

Examining the Effects of Upwelling Intensity and Recruitment Limitation on Successional Trajectories in the California Current Large Marine Ecosystem

Thao Mi Anthony | BioHealth Sciences | Kyriakos Stylianou

Implication of Metal Organic Framework with Nanoparticle Composites to Deliver Medication

John Barnes | Biology | Felipe Barreto

Quantity and Quality of DNA extracted from dry vs. alcohol preserved samples of China rockfish

Elizaveta ‘Leeza’ Bliznyuk | BioHealth Sciences | Dylan Nelson

Targeting Mycobacterium abscessus pre-existing biofilms

Madeline Bloom | Chemistry | Claudia Maier

Microchip-MS Optimization of Oxylipins Analysis as a Biomarker for Cardiovascular Disease

Elizabeth Brennan | Microbiology | Stephen Giovannoni

Plankton Need Their Vitamins: Vitamin B1 Excretion by Marine Synechecoccus

Russell Campbell | Zoology | Robert Mason

Integrative Biology Collections Management

Dustin Campbell | Zoology | Robert Mason

Sexual Dimorphic growth of Harderian glands in Thamnophis sirtalis

Emily Gemmill | Biochemistry & Molecular Biology | Weihong Qiu

Keeping up with the kinesins: analyzing regulatory proteins and their effects on the motility of KlpA, a kinesin-14 motor protein

Jessica Giulietti | Biology | Patrick Chappell

Exploring regulation of osteosarcoma in vitro: Mechanisms of RANKL production by autocrine neuropeptides

Dylan Gregory | Biology | Virginia Weis

Using the Split Luciferase Complementation Assay to Identify Protein-Protein Interactions In Cnidarian-Algal Symbiosis

Joshua Griffis | Biochemistry & Molecular Biology | Richard Cooley

Optimized Phosphoserine tRNA Selection

Shelby Hansen | Biology | Brittany Poirson

How is a young mussel's life affected by coastal water conditions?

Joshua Havelind | Biology | Francis Chan

Effect of rising temperature in the ocean on Dungeness Crabs

Toren Ikea-Mario | Biochemistry & Molecular Biology | Tory Hagen

Glutathiones effect on Mitochondrial Decay

Rohal Kakepoto | Physics | Janet Tate

Hall Measurements of TiO2 Polymorphs

Rony Koluda | Chemistry | Claudia Maier

Low Dose Radiation Effect on Myelination -Associated Proteins in Mice

Chapman Kuykendall | Biochemistry & Molecular Biology | Colin Johnson

Characterizing the Biophysical Interactions between Dysferlin C2A and the H3 Helix of Syntaxin-4

Dustin Campbell | Biochemistry & Molecular Biology | Massimo Bionaz

In vivo-in vitro dose-effect response of bovine liver to rumen-protected fatty acids: implementation of a nutrigenomic approach in dairy cows

Jessica Li | Chemistry | Jan Stevens

The effects of xanthohumol on gut microbial metabolism

Maya Livni | Biochemistry & Molecular Biology | Maude David

Unraveling the impact of the gut microbiota metabolites on intestinal sensory neuronal cells and how EECs transduce signals to the brain by forming a synapse with the vagus nerve

Ruben Lopez | BioHealth Sciences | Bo Sun

Quantifying ECM Remodeling by Invasive Tumors

Christopher Markgraf | Biochemistry & Molecular Biology | Susanne Brander

Immortalization and Validation of Inland Silverside Cardiomyocytes, Hepatocytes, and Osteoblasts

Saki Nakai | Mathematics | Vrushali Bokil

Mathematical Modeling of Bipolar Disorder

Hunter Nelson | Physics | Tuan Pham

Blowup of Reaction Diffusion Equations

Jacob North | Biochemistry |Victor Hsu

Elucidating binding features of drug targets to Farnesoid X receptor by unsupervised machine learning of molecular dynamics trajectories

Sarah Olson | Microbiology | Frederick Colwell

Investigating Changes in the Microbiome of North Creek

Reina Paez | Biochemistry & Molecular Biology | Lia Danelishvili

Identifying and Purifying Non-Tuberculosis Mycobacterial Surface Antigens for the Purpose of Inducing Trained Immune Responses in Macrophages

Aneila Parra | Biology | Jiraporn Lueangsakulthai and David Dallas

Premature vs. Term Infant Milk Protein Digestome

Jacob Rauenhorst | Chemistry | Kathy Magnusson

Effects of ibuprofen on NMDA receptor expression and contribution

Alan Schultz | Physics |Hoewoon Kim

The Linearized Navier-Stokes Equations Solved on the Sphere by Fourier Transform Method

Rhea Sellitto | Biology | James Rivers

Evaluating the nutritional landscape for wild bees in managed conifer forests

Anna Sung |BioHealth Sciences| Maria Franco

Role of Redox Signaling in Development and Growth of Tumors of the Nervous System

Savannah Taggard | Biology | Molly Burke

The evolution of RoundUp resistance in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Jessica Waymire | Physics | Matt Graham

Hyperspectral Fluorescence Imaging of Twisted Bilayer Graphene

Kaytlin Wearne | Biochemistry & Molecular Biology | Kenton Hokanson

The Effects of hsp90 on p2x7 on Human ALS Neurons

Devin Wright | Biochemistry & Molecular Biology | Michael Freitag

Zymoseptoria Tritici Mutation Accumulation Experiment

Elizaveta "Lisa" Zhivaya | Biochemistry & Biophysics | Maude David

Impact of the gut microbiota metabolites on the autism phenotype modulation

The College of Science awarded more than $700,000 in scholarships and awards to 275 current science students for merit, need and undergraduate research experiences for the 2015-16 academic year. The university awarded $1.43 million to 403 incoming freshmen in the College of Science. In aggregate, 678 science students received more than $2.16 million in scholarship awards.

The College of Science warmly congratulates our 2019 SURE Science scholars!

Oregon State University and the College of Science have made it their mission to help students prepare for a bright future by providing potentially life-changing summer research opportunities.

This year, contributions from generous donors have helped more than 50 science students win competitive summer research awards, including the college-wide SURE Science Award (Summer Undergraduate Research Experience) as well as several department-specific awards.

Undergraduate research often plays a key role in developing student-faculty relationships, and gives students hands-on learning experiences that help them grasp the practical applications of science beyond the scope of the classroom.

“For me, a lot of it is about the students who wouldn’t be able to do research if they weren’t getting paid,” program coordinator Gabs James explains.

By providing fellowships to the greatest possible number of students, these awards give many undergraduate students the financial leverage to pursue career goals that would otherwise be unattainable.

The SURE Science Program is available to all full-time science students who meet the academic requirements. The scholarship provides the opportunity to conduct paid research for up to 440 hours over the summer. The scholarship includes a stipend of $5060 and an additional amount of $500 stipend that can be used as funding for activities that support their research. This year, greater donor support has made it possible for 40 students to receive the award — an unprecedented number with the award money totaling more than $220,000!

In addition to SURE Science, there are also several awards which may be received by high achieving students within a department.

New this year in Integrative Biology is the Alexei Lubchenco Menge Fellowship, which was awarded to Kris Bauer to support his research under the guidance of Postdoctoral Scholar Sarah Gravem and Professor Bruce Menge. The fellowship was established in memory of Alexei Lubchenco Menge, who died at age 27 in 2005. Like his biologist parents, Lubchenco Menge was deeply passionate about the ocean and the life it contains. The award seeks to help a student within the department who exemplifies these values.

Also receiving awards this summer are Ryley Tishendorf, who received a Special Integrative Biology Award, and Jiadi He, who received a Special Physics Award. Tishendorf will perform research in biologist Rebecca Terry’s lab, and He will be mentored by biophysicist Weihong Qiu.

In the biochemistry and biophysics department, students applying for the SURE Award are also eligible to apply for the CURE Fellowship. CURE is sponsored by the Ray and Frances Cripps Education Endowment, as well as by faculty mentors who match the awarded funds. This year, eleven biochemistry students received the award, in addition to eight other students from the department who received the SURE Award.

Congratulations to the inspiring next generation of scholars!

SURE Science awardees:

CURE Foundation Awardees: