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On OPB this week
- Our listeners support OPB and so does OSU, where researchers have found hundreds of thousands of years of climate history recorded in a Nevada cave.
- Our listeners support OPB and so does OSU, where we provide disease diagnostic services to veterinarians, livestock producers and pet owners.
Campus News
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Photo of the Day
Beauty doubled: Sara Monk with the College of Agricultural Sciences took this photo from her home in Deer Island. We are accepting photo submissions at [email protected]. To view past submissions, visit us on Instagram at @osutoday1.
Take Note
NEW! Make generosity your holiday tradition: Looking for a meaningful holiday gift? Consider giving the gift of generosity. A tax-deductible donation through Oregon State University’s Charitable Fund Drive supports worthy organizations doing good in our communities. With hundreds of charities to choose from, you can find a cause that reflects your values. Give today and make charitable giving part of your holiday tradition.
NEW! Reminder: Apply for funding. The OSU Women's Giving Circle is excited to announce the opening of grant applications for OSU programs and student groups to fund innovative projects with funding needs up to $10,000. It is easy to apply: Learn more about the grant application process and eligibility criteria on our website or contact Celina Anderson at the OSU Foundation for details. Apply for a WGC grant by Jan. 9.
NEW! OSU designated as Best Place for Working Parents by national research group: The Office of Human Resources recently announced that OSU has received special recognition from The Best Place for Working Parents, a national research group. The group offers assessments that identify parent-friendly policies within an organization that increase employee satisfaction and productivity. OSU will be listed as one of the best places for working parents in Linn, Benton and Lincoln Counties.
NEW! Support for Equity, Access, and Opportunity at OSU — Apply today:The President’s Commission on the Status of Women (PCOSW) is dedicated to advocating for a campus community where all women and gender-diverse individuals can thrive. Through our Scholarships & Awards committee, we provide funding for professional development, research and projects that advance gender equity at Oregon State University. Students, faculty and staff are invited to apply. Application deadline Jan. 26. Learn more here.
NEW! Oregon/Baden-Württemberg Faculty Mobility Grant: The Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Science, Research and Arts’ Faculty Mobility Grant program is intended to help seed research collaborations between faculty in participating Oregon and Baden-Württemberg universities, strengthen relationships and expand partnership activity. The award covers travel costs for a visit of up to one week to a partner institution. Application closes Jan. 30. More information.
Timely Teaching Tips: Looking for thought-provoking reading and discussion? Join the Inclusive Pedagogies Book Club facilitated by CTL and the Difference, Power, and Oppression Program. OSU faculty and Graduate Teaching Assistants in the book club will consider how educators can bring their full selves to their teaching, build meaningful connections with students, and create spaces for growth and belonging.
Write on Site: A Winter Writing Group. Work on your writing and research in a supportive group that will meet each Friday in winter term from 10 a.m. to noon. Sponsored by Center for the Humanities and open to all humanities faculty. Coffee and snacks provided. Register by Dec. 12. Learn more and register.
Marigold $50 membership intro offer for yoga classes & more: Membership includes access to our entire weekly drop-in class schedule and special monthly classes like Yoga Nidra, Beats ‘n Breath, DanceLab and the Advanced Yoga Asana Workshop. This is available once per person, per lifetime, no commitment required, and available to current members and class pass holders. Sign up here. Contact us with questions.
Charitable Drive: Oregon State University’s Charitable Fund Drive is in full swing. With more than 800 charities to choose from, your contribution has the power to create real change. Every dollar you give goes directly to the organizations you choose—administrative costs are covered by participating charities. Make your tax-deductible gift today. Log in to repeat last year’s donation or start a new one. Your compassion creates hope.
Show your Oregon pride through giving: As an Oregon State University employee, you have the power to change lives right here in your community. The Charitable Fund Drive runs through Dec. 31—an opportunity to show your compassion in action. When you give, you strengthen OSU’s reputation as a caring and generous community partner while supporting those who need it most. Visit the website to easily give or repeat your previous donation. Make your pledge today and show your Oregon pride through giving.
Mobile App: The OSU Mobile App will be retired on Jan 1, 2026: Services previously provided through the OSU Mobile app are now supported by modern, mobile-friendly tools such as Beaver Hub and the new campus map. Learn more about this change.
Kids Gift Closet open: The Kids Gift Closet (KGC), is a long-standing initiative of the Family Resource Center to help OSU parenting student and employee families provide gifts for their children throughout the year….birthdays, religious and cultural holidays and festivities, family celebrations, etc. Want to shop for gifts for you child(ren)? Contact the Family Resource Center at [email protected] or 541-737-4906 to set up a time to shop. All gifts in the KGC have been generously donated, so are free to you, when you shop. Want to donate gifts? Shop the Amazon Wishlist “Kids Gift Closet Wish List- Family Resource Center” and have the gifts shipped directly to the FRC or go shopping for gifts and contact the FRC to set-up a time to drop off donations, [email protected] or 541-737-4906
Faculty Staff Fitness: Registration for Winter Faculty Staff Fitness is open. Classes start Monday, Jan. 5. You can take classes on campus or online to meet your health and wellness needs. Check out our winter term class schedule so you can reserve time on your calendar to take care of you! FSF programming is open to all faculty, staff, GTAs/GRAs, spouses/partners of faculty and staff, OSU retirees, and OSU affiliates. Have questions? Call the Physical Activity Office at (541) 737-3222.
Monthly Emergency Preparedness Topic: Workplace Violence: Be prepared to handle a wide range of incidents in the workplace by making a plan. Learn active shooter protocols and be ready to Run. Hide. Fight. English and Spanish versions of this bulletin can be found here.
PRISM submission deadline: The deadline closes Friday for submissions to PRISM, the arts and literature magazine of Oregon State University, for the 2026 publication. Students across campus are invited to share their creative work. PRISM accepts all forms of art, including painting, drawing, photography, music, dance, ceramics, fashion, nail art, makeup art and more. This year's theme is "Visions," Questions can be emailed to [email protected] or [email protected].
Timely Teaching Tips: Looking for a supportive environment for developing and refining effective teaching strategies to meet the educational challenges and potentials of generative AI? Apply by Dec. 10 to join the Winter ’26 Teaching and AI Faculty Learning Community. Funding is provided.
Nominations open for OSU Safety Award: Environmental Health & Safety is accepting nominations for the OSU Safety Award, a peer recognition program that recognizes outstanding efforts to improve and encourage safety at OSU. Nominees must be student employees or OSU staff members. Employees from all units are eligible, as long as they are not safety professionals. The program includes an individual award and a team award. Winners will be announced in April. Click here to submit a nomination.
Calendar
Around Campus
OSU in the News
The three types of Santa Claus revealed (Newsweek)
“There are pretty strong societal expectations around what Santa looks like, but we found that most anybody can be Santa if their heart desires it,” paper author and management professor Borbala Csillag of Oregon State University said in a statement.
When a humpback whale got stranded in Oregon, a Native community turned the tragedy into a revival of a traditional practice (Smithsonian)
When it became clear they could not save the whale and that the creature was suffering, veterinarians made the “very difficult decision” to euthanize it on November 17, said Jim Rice, program director of Oregon State University’s Oregon Marine Mammal Stranding Network, to Oregon Public Broadcasting’s Courtney Sherwood.
Next-gen food waste-busting tech targets household discards (Waste360)
Researchers at Oregon State University are working on a multi-pronged, high-tech approach aiming to drive the numbers down. They developed a smart compost bin that automatically measures and records what’s chucked into it. A connected artificial intelligence (AI)-powered camera will go a step further, identifying exactly what gets tossed, down to a bread crumb mixed with a heap of other scraps.
Celebrating the MacGyver spirit: Hacking, tinkering, scavenging and crowdsourcing (Eos)
This year, there are five MacGyver sessions, encompassing space weather, ocean environments, the geosphere, and crowdsourced science—the biggest program yet, said Chet Udell of Oregon State University, an electrical engineer and musical composer who is convening the geosphere session.
Oregon remains top Christmas tree producer by adapting (Farm Progress)
In her Extension role and as an assistant professor in the College of Forestry, Rajarapu, who earned her doctorate in entomology, is studying how to keep Oregon’s holiday industry thriving as the climate changes.
Map shows where Oregon kids will get $250 gift from billionaires (Oregonian)
David Rothwell, an associate professor at Oregon State University who studies poverty and inequality, said the idea that the Dells are acting upon has been talked about for the past few decades. It’s also been rolled out on much smaller scales and studied.
Oregon tribe harvests its first whale in generations (Washington Post)
Local authorities, Oregon State University scientists and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration officials spent two days trying to get the whale back in the ocean. Thousands watched online, hoping for the mammal’s recovery.
Climate shifts could shake Oregon’s Christmas tree crown (Axios)
Priya Rajarapu, a Christmas tree expert with Oregon State University's Extension Service, works with those growers to keep their trees healthy as extreme weather becomes more common.
Getting to know the western spotted skunk (High Country News)
Marie Tosa knows more about the western spotted skunk than almost anyone on Earth. Between 2017 and 2019, as a Ph.D. student at Oregon State University, Tosa trekked all over the H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest in Oregon’s Cascade Range, capturing, collaring and following spotted skunks through dense forests and rolling valleys. In the process, she put 300,000 miles on two research trucks and got sprayed anywhere between 50 and 100 times.
Puma DNA found deep in Guatemalan rainforest. Analysis reveals the cats are eating something unexpected (Discover Wildlife)
Combining trail camera footage with DNA analysis, researchers from Oregon State University and the Wildlife Conservation Society of Guatemala were able to figure out exactly what the animals were eating.
Cutworm, cudweed emerging as threats to Eastern Oregon farmers (East Oregonian)
One such big problem that is beginning to cause issues for farmers is the winter cutworm. Jacob Powell of Oregon State University on Thursday, Dec. 4, during the Hermiston Farm Fair highlighted the risks to growers from the winter cutworm that is no bigger than a quarter in size.
Roots of the matter (Oregon Wine Press)
At the Oregon Wine Research Institute, a partnership between Oregon State University and the wine industry, professor and viticulture extension specialist, Patricia Skinkis, Ph.D., studies soil and canopy management. She reports that while winter may look like a dormant season, it is when much of the soil renewal actually occurs.
Oregon winter gardening: Your December checklist (Oregonian)
It’s time to prepare for an Oregon winter. Here’s timely advice on garden chores, fertilizing, pest control, and more from OSU Extension.
OSU 3-D printing researchers develop fast-curing, environmentally friendly concrete substitute (KTVZ)
The new clay-based material developed by Devin Roach, Nicolas Gonsalves and collaborators at Oregon State cures as it’s being extruded from the printer, thanks to its acrylamide-based binding agent, which undergoes a chemical reaction known as frontal polymerization. The material can even be printed across unsupported gaps, such as the top edge of an opening for a door or window.
OSU-Cascades and PRAx bring global and Grammy-winning artist to Tower Theatre (KTVZ)
Oregon State University – Cascades and OSU’s Patricia Valian Reser Center for the Creative Arts are launching a new concert series at Bend’s Tower Theatre that will debut in January 2026.
Hurricane vs. Tiny House (Practical Engineering)
A visit to OSU’s Hinsdale Wave Lab to learn about how hurricanes affect coastal structures.
OSU’s Doyle takes team approach to improving ag systems (Capital Press)
The Oregon State University Extension Service Malheur County agronomist, who started his job March 31 after moving from Colorado, could include in his work other people who are new to the sizable and diverse agriculture sector of southeast Oregon and southwest Idaho.
Where the waters are rough, a fishing town confronts Trump’s priorities (New York Times)
“Bar crossings are the most dangerous portion of operating a fishing vessel,” said Amelia Vaughan, a commercial fishing safety expert with Oregon State University and a board member of the Newport Fishermen’s Wives. “Having close, easy response times from the Newport air facility can be the difference between life and death.”
‘An honor and such a blessing’: People come together to mourn and learn from beached whale in Oregon (OPB News)
Jim Rice, program manager of the Oregon Marine Mammal Stranding Network, choreographed a somber dance as veterinary students worked alongside state park staff and tribal members to conduct a necropsy and disassemble the whale.
Oregon State names Alabama assistant JaMarcus Shephard head coach (ESPN)
Oregon State has named Alabama co-offensive coordinator JaMarcus Shephard as the school's next head coach, the school announced Friday. The deal is for five years, per ESPN sources. (see also Oregonian, KGW, CBS Sports)
Oregon researchers look for ways to make Christmas trees more climate resilient (KGW)
As Oregonians begin choosing their Christmas trees for the season, Oregon State University (OSU) researchers are looking for ways to make the popular holiday crop more resilient.
3D printing researchers develop fast-curing, environmentally friendly concrete substitute (Design and Development Today)
Researchers at Oregon State University have developed a quick-setting, environmentally friendly alternative to concrete they hope can one day be used to rapidly 3D print homes and infrastructure.
Benton, Yamhill County launch pilot program connecting rural communities (KEZI)
“I think that's great,” Justin Hurtado, Oregon State University student, said. “I think for a lot of kids, they're not wanting to spend their money or not making enough money, where the free bus ride for them is going to be super helpful, especially around times of the holidays.”
OSU study: Floating solar could power millions, but with ecological trade-offs (OPB)
Floating solar panels haven’t gained much traction in the United States, but they’re becoming more common in places like China and South Korea. A new study from Oregon State University suggests they could play a much larger role in the United States. (see also Capital Press)
Blueberry Farms Search for Answer to Labor Problem (Iowa PBS)
Oregon State horticulture professor Wei Yang is developing a blueberry tree at the school’s North Willamette Research and Extension Center.
Kids raised this way struggle less as parents (Newsweek)
Researchers at Oregon State University and Utrecht University analyzed 24 longitudinal datasets encompassing more than 12,000 families, found that parenting experienced in early childhood plays a more powerful role in shaping later parenting behavior than parenting experienced during adolescence.
Traffic and Maintenance
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NEW! 26th Street: Due to ongoing renovation work at Dixon Recreation Center, SW 26th St. will be fully closed in both directions between Washington Way and Intramural Lane starting on Tuesday, Dec. 16 through Wednesday, Dec. 17. A crane will be working in the area during this time frame. No vehicle travel through this section of SW 26th St. will be permitted. The east sidewalk on SW 26th St. will be closed. The west sidewalk will remain open for pedestrians. The walkway on the north side of Dixon will be closed as well as the walkway around the sand volleyball courts. A second closure will occur in the parking area between Dixon and Goss Stadium. Parking spaces and sidewalks in this area will be closed. The sidewalks and cycle track on Washington Way will remain open.
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