New technology from OSU-Cascades and community partners is aimed at reducing food waste (KTVZ)

OSU-Cascades students in Hospitality Management and Engineering have been working together since 2018, hoping to better understand and reduce food waste. With the help of new technology and crucial community partners, they are doing just that — and even more.

Outdoor recreation key to mental health during crises, OSU-led survey concludes (OPB News)

Outdoor recreation played a key factor in improving people’s mental health during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a survey led by Oregon State University researchers and published this spring by a major scientific journal.

Students show off innovative new foods at Chicago’s ‘Show and Taste’ (Good Day Chicago)

Oregon State students compete in a national food science competition.

Policy success: Fees and bans on plastic bags reduce beach trash (Eos)

“In some ways it’s like, well, of course, if you use fewer plastic bags, you’re going to find fewer plastic bags on the beach, but it’s good that [researchers] documented that in a quantitative way,” said Susanne Brander, an ecotoxicologist at Oregon State University who was not involved in the study. “We need those data in order to convince additional lawmakers and agencies to take this seriously and to think not just about plastic bags, but about other single-use items as well.”

Oregon has a massive new wave energy testing facility. But who is going to use it? (OPB News)

Construction on Oregon State University’s $80 million PacWave South near Newport wrapped up this spring. But uncertainty around federal funding for the research and technology development threatens to derail plans to use the facility for testing wave energy converters. At least one wave energy developer initially slated to deploy its technology at PacWave has canceled its testing plans because it lost a federal grant.

A fire charred this research forest. What happened next dazzled (Seattle Times)

“People say, ‘Oh the forest was lost.’ It’s not lost. It’s changed,” said Mark Harmon, a forest decomposition expert and professor emeritus at Oregon State University. Half of his research plots at the Andrews burned. The experiment may now be more exciting than ever. There is so much to be learned, Harmon said, “as long as you throw out everything you think you knew about fire.”

Oregon leaders, anti-hunger advocates warn of ‘deeply alarming’ SNAP cuts in GOP megabill (Oregon Capital Chronicle)

The bill also ends the Nutrition Education and Obesity Prevention Grant Program, more commonly known as SNAP-Ed, that funds nutrition and public health education programs run by state agencies and partner organizations for SNAP recipients. More than 95 Oregon State University extension staff who work with the state on nutrition education initiates funded by the program could be laid off, according to the Portland-based Partners for a Hunger-Free Oregon

OSU-Cascades puts Graduate & Research Center up for sale for $8.2 million, will consolidate Bend campus operations (KTVZ)

Planners at Oregon State University-Cascades said Monday they are seeking to sell the Graduate & Research Center as they prepare for the consolidation of academic and other operations onto the university campus on Chandler Avenue in Bend.

Inside the Oregon lab trying to change people’s minds about sharks (CBS News)

Pulling a seven-foot shark out of the water to flush its stomach is just another day at the office for marine scientists at Oregon State University, who have spent years trying to change public perception about the sea creatures.

Iran struck five IDF bases with six missiles during war - report (Jerusalem Post)

This radar data was shared with The Telegraph by US academics at Oregon State University, who specialise in using satellite radar data to detect bomb damage in war zones.

Oregon Coast’s blue tiny visitors spark a son’s memory of his late father’s sailboat (OPB News)

Oregon State University’s Hatfield Visitor Center advises caution. While touching Velella velella generally isn’t dangerous, people should avoid rubbing their eyes or putting their hands in their mouths afterward, as it could cause pain or more serious issues. The center also recommends not walking barefoot through freshly stranded Velellas.

Where there’s smoke, there’s… wine? (Slate)

The good news is that smoke-impacted grapes aren’t any more dangerous than a nice smoked lox bagel, but the 2020 vintage still raised a lot of questions. Following the statewide wildfires that year, a team of researchers at Oregon State University received a $7.65 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to explore smoke’s impact on wine. As part of their research, OSU scientists have honed in on the specific compounds that cause smoky or ashy flavor.

Oregon State’s lowest-tech endeavor: book-making (Gazette-Times)

Beyond an inconspicuous garage door on the side of an otherwise conspicuous Snell Hall is the home of a student-staffed book press, joining other Oregon State University artistic endeavors, including studio art classes and the theater program.

How cuts to federal research funding are impacting Oregon academics (Think Out Loud)

We’ll hear from three researchers whose federal grants were cancelled: Marguerita Lightfoot is a professor at the OHSU-PSU School of Public Health. Lauren Forrest is an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Oregon. Tala Navab-Daneshmand is an associate professor of environmental engineering at Oregon State University. They join us to talk about the negative impact the cuts will have on efforts to address health disparities in the U.S.

Hermiston Potato Field Day, addressing the news of growers (Pacific Northwest Ag Network)

“This gives [growers] an opportunity to see how their money is being effectively spent," said Sagar Sathuvalli, OSU potato breeder. "So, that's the main thing, or one of the things, is you are giving us money, we want you to see what we are doing. And it takes a lot of time and effort, so it's an opportunity for them to see money well spent.”

1 in 10 Oregon schools operate 4 days a week. This schedule may harm students, review finds (Oregonian)

About 130 Oregon schools across at least 70 school districts run on a four-day schedule, according to Paul Thompson, an Oregon State University professor who conducts research as part of the Four-Day School Week Policy group. That means that more than 35% of Oregon districts have schools that operate on a four-day week.

Oregon awards $2.15M to boost local food supply infrastructure (KEZI)

Oregon State University’s Food Science Pilot Plant in Corvallis will use received funding to renovate its facility, purchase a canning line and washing station, build food ingredient storage, and acquire new packaging materials.

Pat Casey earns spot in ABCA Hall of Fame class of 2026 (KLCC)

Pat Casey, the former head baseball coach at Oregon State, is set to be inducted into the American Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2026. The honor marks his second college baseball hall of fame recognition, following his 2024 induction into the College Baseball Hall of Fame.

Dixon: Due to construction and roofing work happening at Dixon Recreation Center, the ADA accessible path that runs along the north and east sides of Dixon will be closed starting on Monday, March 24. This will be a long-term closure which is scheduled to end on Friday, Oct. 10. Bike parking on the east side of Dixon will be closed for the duration of this project. All bikes must be removed from the bike racks before Monday, March 24. Any remaining bikes will be removed by the OSU Department of Public Safety. The east entrance to Dixon Rec Center will be closed.

Use extra caution & avoid construction zones on Washington Way: Infrastructure along SW Washington Way is currently undergoing improvements and the area around SW Washington Way and SW 17th St. is an active construction site. For your safety, please detour around work zones (marked with barriers). We recommend allowing more time to travel around campus as this project continues. For more information about construction work on SW Washington Way and the current closure schedule, click here. If you require accommodations or assistance crossing the SW Washington Way construction zone, please contact [email protected].