The Giovannoni lab works with OSU's SMILE (Science and Math Investigative Learning Experiences) Program to enhance science education for elementary through high school students. The SMILE Program targets schools serving minority, low-income, historically underrepresented, and other educationally underserved populations. SMILE uses an experience-based learning model to engage and inspire students with the ultimate goal of increasing success in higher education and participation in STEM careers.

Our lab developed a SMILE instructional unit, Carbon Cycling by Marine Microorganisms, to introduce students to the importance of marine systems in the global carbon cycle. This unit includes a hands-on laboratory activity designed to study the impacts of nutrient limitation by stimulating a phytoplankton "Bloom in a Bottle." Students must use scientific methods, from making an initial observation to the development of testable hypothesis to find a solution. Following this exercise, they use smartphone-aided observations of their experiments to make conclusions and generate additional hypotheses. This active learning model is intended to inspire curiosity of the natural world, and to demonstrate how science is largely based on investigation. The Bloom in a Bottle exercise, as well as additional associated instruction material (handouts, lectures) are available on the SMILE Program website.

New this year, graduate student Quinn Washburn has developed an instructional board game called Oligotrophic. Oligotrophs are organisms that thrive in an environment that offers very low levels of nutrients. They are characterized by slow growth, low rates of metabolism, and generally low population density. Oligotrophic environments include deep oceanic sediments, caves, glacial and polar ice, deep subsurface soil, aquifers, ocean waters, and leached soils as well as subtropical ocean gyres that cover a substantial portion of the Earth's surface. Marine microbes in these environments form the basis of life in the ocean and perform 50 percent of Earth's primary production.

Knowledge is only as good as our ability to share it, and innovative science requires innovative communication strategies. Some of our students and faculty have danced their Ph.D. research, been featured in documentary films and created board games about ocean microbe ecology. The College of Science is full of creative researchers who explore how different media can help tell the stories they care about, convey the relevance of science to the public and foster engagement from diverse audiences.

Microbiologist Jerri Bartholomew epitomizes what it means to be a scientist-artist. For the last 25 years, the director of the J.L. Fryer Aquatic Animal Health Laboratory has created glass art inspired by her research on parasites that live in salmonids — fish within the salmon family.

“As a microbiologist and artist, I am fascinated by what occurs at the intersection between these disciplines,” said Bartholomew. “I use glass as a medium to express the beauty of the natural world I study, and through collaborations with other artists and scientists, I explore ways to encourage that curiosity and wonder in others.”

A new curation of Bartholomew’s work is on exhibition in The Little Gallery in Kidder Hall from March 7 to April 8, 2022. “Abstracted: Where Science Meets Art and Music” contrasts the scientific abstract with the artistic concept of abstraction. Collaboration with faculty from the College of Liberal Arts made this rich, dynamic show possible: Dr. Jason Fick, assistant professor and coordinator of music technology; Andrew Myers, instructor of fine arts, and Dr. Dana Reason, assistant professor of music. Bartholomew’s previous interdisciplinary collaborations have been covered by SciArt Magazine and MIT News.

On February 22, the College of Science gathered to recognize excellence at the 2021-22 Teaching and Advising Awards. Driven almost exclusively by students’ nominations, these awards are an opportunity for our community to express gratitude and appreciation for each other.

The College celebrates the Teaching and Advising Awards winners below for their deep commitment to engaging with the student experience and application of mentoring and advising expertise to ensure student learning and success within and beyond the classroom. Effective teaching, advising and mentorship are the very heart of the College of Science’s identity as a robust and thriving community of students and scholars.

2022 Teaching, Advising and Mentoring Award Winners

Olaf Boedtker Award for Excellence in Academic Advising

The ocean’s most abundant life form, a type of bacteria discovered by the Department of Microbiology, consumes an organic compound commonly found in solvents like paint remover, a new study shows.

The research led by Associate Professor of Microbiology Kimberly Halsey and then-Ph.D. student Eric Moore revealed that SAR11 bacteria consume acetone, adding evidence to suggest that aspects of the marine carbon cycle, which pulls atmospheric carbon into the sea, are not being considered in the study of the cycle and its ability to buffer climate change.

Acetone and other volatile organic compound (VOCs) are produced by phytoplankton, microscopic marine algae, and are abundant in the surface ocean, from which they can move into the atmosphere and influence climate.

“It’s important to understand SAR11 and other bacteria’s potential to control the emission of climate-active gases because it helps our overall understanding of climate change and stability,” said Halsey.

Finding that SAR11 consume the gas is particularly significant due to the bacteria species’ massive abundance. “A single milliliter of ocean water might contain a half-million SAR11 cells,” said Distinguished Professor of Microbiology Stephen Giovannoni, who discovered the bacteria in 1990. SAR11 comprise 25% of all ocean plankton, and their combined weight exceeds that of all the ocean’s fish.

Find the full story here.

The College of Science is thrilled to announce that Associate Professor of Microbiology Kimberly Halsey has been appointed as the inaugural Excellence in Microbiology Faculty Scholar. With this new endowed position, Halsey will advance excellence in her research and teaching at Oregon State for a term of five years, through November 11, 2026. A generous sequence of donations from an anonymous donor enables the appointment of this inaugural faculty scholar.

Halsey has a strong, highly visible and well-funded research program focused on understanding the processes that control the flow of carbon and energy through the marine carbon cycle. She has co-discovered the keys to diatom sexuality, predicted how phytoplankton will respond to climate change and developed methods to detect toxic algal blooms before they become harmful to humans and ecosystems.

“Dr Halsey’s cutting-edge research of the potential for real-time, automated volatile organic compound detection as early-warning signals of toxic harmful algal blooms in freshwater and marine ecosystems will help agencies and scientists prepare and protect the public," said Roy Haggerty, dean of the College of Science.

“In addition to her research accomplishments, she is a dedicated and passionate teacher who has introduced the unseen world of microbes to some 1,500 total students over the years, using creative teaching methods and an empathic approach to earn high student ratings, even in large foundational classes. She is an excellent choice to receive this position,” he added.

At the height of the pandemic, Halsey actually increased student engagement, implementing “Meet a Microbiologist” interviews to fill 10 minutes before every Zoom class. Faculty, alumni and graduate students joined these sessions, talking about their research and experiences in the field of microbiology. “Students in droves tuned in early” to catch the interviews, she said.

Halsey has also proven her interest and concern for the growth of the College and its Diversity Action Plan through impressive committee work. She has led the graduate admissions committee for the Department of Microbiology for the last six years, implementing a holistic application review process that increased minority representation in the program from 8.5 to 23.5%. Reviewing 70-100 applications each year and writing grants to obtain fellowships and scholarships for minority graduate students, Halsey demonstrated her “commitment to OSU’s growth and success, which is rooted in prioritizing education and training for all students,” she said.

Researchers from the Department of Microbiology have shed new light on the mechanisms of carbon cycling in the ocean, using a novel approach to track which microbes are consuming different types of organic carbon produced by common phytoplankton species.

The research is an important step toward forecasting how much carbon will leave the ocean for the atmosphere as greenhouse gas carbon dioxide and how much will end up entombed in marine sediments, said Ryan Mueller, associate professor of microbiology and the leader of the study.

Findings were published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

“Our research shows that different species of microbes in the ocean are very particular yet predictable in the food sources they prefer to eat,” said first author Brandon Kieft (Ph.D. Microbiology '14), currently a postdoctoral researcher at the University of British Columbia. “As global climate change continues to alter oceanic environments at a rapid pace, the availability of food sources for microbes will also change, ultimately favoring certain types over others.”

The research was funded by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation Marine Biology Initiative and the U.S. Department of Energy.

Read the full story here.

The inner workings of a cell, more powerful mass spectrometry and building a tropical reef at Oregon State: The 2021 College of Science Research and Innovation Seed (SciRIS) awards are empowering initiatives that will open fresh pathways in science.

The SciRIS program funds projects based on collaborative research within the College of Science community and beyond. There are two tracks through the program: SciRIS (Stages 1-3) and the SciRIS individual investigator award (SciRIS-ii). SciRIS Stages 1-3 funds teams in three stages to support training, research and capacity-building, accelerating work toward external funding opportunities. SciRIS-ii funds individual faculty to establish research relationships with external partners, enabling them to demonstrate the feasibility of their ideas and quickening the pace of scientific discovery.

The newly-established College of Science Innovation Award provides critical resources for projects that take a new direction, utilize a new technology or are in the “proof-of-concept” phase.

Three groups of scientists received SciRIS Stage 1 awards, two at $10K each and one at $20K. One group received the Innovation Award at $10K.

Professor of Microbiology Rebecca Vega Thurber and her colleagues will use their award to develop a model tropical reef facility within Oregon State’s world-renowned John Fryer Aquatic Animal Health Lab.

The model will allow College of Science researchers across biology, chemistry and ecology to perform highly controlled, repeatable experiments on reef ecosystems, which are under increasing threats from climate change, pollution, habitat destruction and disease. By bringing the reef to researchers, carbon emissions associated with travel are also reduced.

The facility will also serve as an outreach platform, bringing awareness of far-off ecosystems to the local community. By interacting with the lab, citizens will learn about how humans affect these fragile habitats and how they personally can potentially mitigate and reverse reef decline.

Chemistry Professor Wei Kong and Statistics Professor Lan Xue will use their SciRIS grant to develop more effective mass spectrometry through inclusion of electron diffraction. With this addition, future mass spectrometers will be able to reveal not only the mass composition of an unknown species, but also the three-dimensional arrangement of the constituent atoms. This capability can change the paradigm of nanomaterial synthesis, allowing intelligent design and quality control of custom-made materials applicable in medical diagnostics and therapeutics, in energy harvesting and storage, and in catalysis.

Biochemistry and Biophysics Professor Elisar Barbar and collaborators received a SciRIS award to integrate structural biology with cell and organismal biology. Capitalizing on Oregon State’s high concentration of expertise and resources for studying dynamic protein complexes across scales, the team aims to establish new technologies to investigate cancer related complexes and host-parasite interactions. Their eventual goal is to submit a proposal to the NSF Biology Integration Institute, which supports interdisciplinary projects that translate discoveries from the molecular scale to the cellular level of organisms and vice versa.

Associate Professor of Physics Matt Graham and colleagues received the College of Science Innovation Award support their work converting waste heat to electricity, contributing to a more sustainable world through the recovery of energy losses and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The team will develop a prototype of an ultralow bandgap semiconductor device that converts residual waste heat to electricity. The award will support their work optimizing the efficiency of the device’s waste heat to energy conversion and validating the current extraction model related to the device prototype.

Román D. Hernández (’92), an alumnus of the College of Science, received the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Alumni Legacy Award on the occasion of the 39^th annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration on Monday, January 18, 2021 at Oregon State University. A nationally recognized attorney specializing in labor and employment law and commercial litigation, Hernández is the Office Managing Partner at Troutman Pepper’s Portland office.

The award recognizes alumni who have demonstrated a deep and abiding commitment to causes of social justice, diversity, equity and inclusion and who exemplify and enrich OSU’s values of community, diversity, respect and social responsibility in their broader community or organization.

“I am deeply honored to have received this award from OSU, an institution that I love. And to have received it during OSU’s Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration, makes it that much more meaningful,” said Hernández.

Hernández’s award citation commends his commitment to the values of diversity, equity and social justice throughout his career as an attorney. His nomination states, “Over the years, Román has reached out to young racial and ethnic minority students from middle school to high school to encourage them to pursue their education, including pursuing a legal education. By recalling his own background of socioeconomic disadvantage and hardship, he inspires them to achieve their educational goals and to know that nothing is beyond their grasp.”

“I am deeply honored to have received this award from OSU, an institution that I love. And to have received it during OSU’s Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration, makes it that much more meaningful."

Hernández graduated from OSU with a co-major in general science, emphasizing biological sciences, and aerospace studies. Before taking up law studies at Lewis and Clark Law School (Portland), Hernández, who attended OSU on an ROTC scholarship, served for nearly five years in the Air Force. He was honorably discharged at the rank of Captain. Inspired by a JAG officer, the first Latino lawyer he had known, Hernández decided to pursue a degree in law.

Hernández successfully battled tremendous challenges on his journey towards an outstanding legal career. He is the youngest of eight children of migrant farm workers from Mexico who worked in Michigan and Ohio before settling in Oregon. Hernández and his siblings grew up near Ontario, a city in far eastern Oregon bordering Idaho. Although his mother and father had no formal education, they inspired all their children to study and go to college.

Hernández’s rise to the top ranks of his profession is a testament to his courage, determination and perseverance. An American Bar Association profile of Hernández notes, “He would spend 10 hours a day harvesting onion – a labor-intensive task that involves bending over or kneeling and using sharp knives to cut the leafy tops from the onions. The intense summer heat could reach 110 degrees Fahrenheit, and Román’s hands still bear the scars from the knives used in the harvest. It was “piece work” and he was paid as little as 10 cents a bushel for his work.”

Hernández was able to realize his college dreams when he was awarded financial aid to attend Treasure Valley Community College. He was on the Dean’s List multiple times at TVCC before transferring to OSU. His Air Force ROTC scholarship from OSU enabled him to attend university where he did well academically. Hernandez was the only Hispanic-American ROTC cadet at OSU in the Professional Officer Corps (the upper division cadets).

Hernández was named to the Lawyers of Color Nation’s Best List in recognition of his career accomplishments and commitment to diversity and inclusion in the legal profession. He was also recognized in The Best Lawyers in America in the categories of employment-law management and for litigation-labor and employment law.

Hernández has garnered several accolades and awards for his professional achievements, service, leadership and lifetime commitment to social justice and civil rights in Oregon and beyond.

He received the American Bar Association’s 2021 Spirit of Excellence Award, which honors those who have achieved excellence and supported others within their legal careers. He also received the Distinguished Business Law Graduate Award from his alma mater, Lewis and Clark Law School; the Diversity and Inclusion Champion Award from Oregon State Bar; the Civil Rights Champion Award from the Oregon League of Minority Voters; among other honors.

He served as the Oregon Community Foundation’s (OCF) Board of Directors and was named the Hispanic National Bar Association’s 2017 Latino Lawyer of the Year. Hernández has spearheaded equity and inclusion reforms in several Oregon organizations and foundations. He served as the first-ever Chair of OCF’s Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Board Committee which developed and assisted the organization in applying an “equity lens” to its work.

Hernández has been selected to serve in influential and high-profile positions during his career. He is a former Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Portland Branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, one of the 12 banks that comprise the central banking system of the United States. Through his six-year Federal Reserve service, Hernández helped develop the nation’s monetary policy. He served as the National President of the Hispanic National Bar Association that represents the interests of 100,000 Hispanic attorneys, judges, law students, and paralegals throughout the United States.

Steve Giovannoni, distinguished professor of microbiology and post-doctoral fellow Veronika Kivenson have found that a type of common gut bacteria sometimes associated with inflammation, abscesses, bowel disease and cancer has a major silver lining: It seems to help prevent cardiovascular disease.

The findings suggest the possibility of probiotic treatments for atherosclerosis, the dangerous buildup of fats, cholesterol and other substances in arteries that cause strokes and heart attacks and is linked to smoking, diet, age and a range of genetic causes.

Diets heavy in animal-based foods have long been considered a risk factor for cardiovascular disease as such diets are a major source of TMA – trimethylamine – which is converted by the liver to another compound, TMAO, that promotes the buildup of fatty plaque in arteries. TMAO is short for trimethylamine-N-oxide.

Recent microbiology master’s program graduate Elizanette ‘Nette’ Lopez was selected to participate in the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) Fellowship program. Lopez was offered a position at the Centers for Disease and Control and Prevention (CDC) Biorepository in Lawrenceville, Georgia.

Lopez, who hails from Texas, successfully defended her thesis, “Effects of elevated temperature on Mycobacterium chelonae growth and mycobacteriosis in zebrafish (Danio rerio)” this summer.

Her interest in science began at a young age with her fascination in the practice of curanderismo, a folk healing tradition deeply ingrained in her culture. She wanted to understand how the rituals of curanderismo worked and, as she put it, “why the women in my life were always smearing oils and eggs on me.”

After conducting an ethnobotanical study of curanderismo across West Texas as an undergraduate at Angelo State University, she saw how research could improve the lives of underrepresented groups. She was particularly interested in infectious diseases, which led her to Oregon State where she worked with advisors Michael Kent and Justin Sanders studying infectious diseases of zebrafish.

Her graduate studies were partly funded by a diversity grant from the NIH. During her time at OSU, Lopez advocated for underrepresented minorities and was an active member of the Microbiology Graduate Student Association, Ethnic Minorities United in STEM and a founding member of the Women of Color Caucus. Toward the end of her graduate studies, the COVID-19 pandemic caused widespread disruptions globally. However, the crisis also provided an opportunity for Lopez to gain experience in public health microbiology as a volunteer for the TRACE-COVID-19 project.

As a volunteer, Lopez helped process thousands of swab samples collected from participants in the field. As a ORISE Fellowship recipient, Lopez will soon process SARS-CoV-2 samples and help organize other collections in the biorepository in Atlanta, Georgia.