
Science receives record-breaking 11 awards at University Day
College of Science faculty, staff, and graduate students have earned a record-breaking number of honors at University Day, a celebratory launch to the academic year featuring an annual awards ceremony. Science winners amassed an impressive 11 awards, beating the previous record of seven and garnering the most of any college across Oregon State.

Announcing new Gorman Faculty Scholar as incoming Department Head of Microbiology
Following a competitive national search, the College of Science and the College of Agricultural Sciences is excited to announce Professor Anne Dunn as Department Head of Microbiology, effective January 1, 2024. Dunn brings expertise in departmental leadership from the Department of Microbiology and Plant Biology at the University of Oklahoma, as well as extensive research experience and undergraduate and graduate student mentorship.

Microbiology professor leads novel technique development for sniffing out algae blooms
Researchers at Oregon State University have developed a new way to monitor the danger associated with algae blooms: “sniffing” the water for gases associated with toxins.

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.

Esteemed coral scientist to help identify sites for restoration in South Pacific
Sometimes knowing where not to deploy conservation efforts is the most valuable information. Oregon State Pernot Distinguished Professor of Microbiology Rebecca Vega Thurber and her team have received a half million-dollar grant to help grass roots conservation groups in French Polynesia identify ideal sites for coral restoration.

Faculty excellence: Promotions and tenure 2023
The College of Science congratulates 17 faculty on receiving promotions and/or tenure this year.

Breaking down barriers to a future in science
This past summer, Ph.D. student Savanah Leidholt set out to create a summer “bootcamp” for area high school students to draw more students from BIPOC, LGBTQ+, low-income and other diverse backgrounds to the study of microbiology.

OSU research discovers probiotic combination drastically improves oyster larvae survival
Oyster larvae survival rates were significantly boosted by treating them with specific combinations of probiotics, Oregon State University researchers found in a recent study.

Grant Awarded to Study Low Oxygen Environments in Oregon Coastal Waters
Drs. Stephen Giovannoni and Francis Chan were awarded a SciRIS Phase II grant for their proposal, “Hypoxic Barrier: Oxygenase Enzyme Kinetics and Ocean Health”. They are excited about receiving College of Science support to extend their research, which started with a SciRIS Phase I proposal.

Oregon State partnering with Yurok Tribe to envision Klamath River after dam removal
Oregon State University researchers will embark in July on a 3½-year partnership with the Yurok Tribe to study what the connections between river quality, water use and the aquatic food web will look like after four Klamath River dams are dismantled.

Microbiology research clarifies hazards posed by harmful algal blooms
Research by Oregon State University has shed new light on the hazards associated with harmful algal blooms such as one four years ago that fouled drinking water in Oregon’s capital city of Salem.