CORVALLIS - Oregon State University has named biologist Daniel Arp and oceanographer Dudley Chelton, Jr. "distinguished professors" - titles they will carry as long as they remain at OSU. It is the highest honor the university gives to its faculty.

Arp is recognized as one of the world's leading authorities on the molecular and biochemical mechanisms involved in nitrogen cycling, and he is an active proponent of better science and math education at the K-12 level. Chelton's use of satellite imagery to analyze the world's oceans has brought him international acclaim and helped OSU land the new Cooperative Institute for Oceanographic Satellite Science, funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

"Both of these extraordinary OSU faculty members are multi-faceted in what they bring to the university - and to the state of Oregon and the world beyond," said Tim White, provost and executive vice president. "They are outstanding teachers, researchers and innovators whose involvement outside the campus has enriched the lives of many."

The two OSU distinguished professors will be honored at a public reception on Friday, June 11, from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. in Memorial Union Room 109.

Arp is a professor and chair of the Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, who has written more than 100 scientific publications and brought in more than $6 million in research funding. Many of those grants support a research team that has investigated the roles soil bacteria play in ecologically significant processes through nitrogen cycling and bioremediation.

Last year, his research team completed the genome sequencing of an ammonia-oxidizing bacterium, Nitrosomonas europaea. The team is working on sequencing five other microorganisms involved in nitrification.

He also has attracted more than $1 million in funding from the Howard Hughes Foundation and elsewhere to establish and maintain the Science Education Partnerships (SEPS) program that links OSU to K-12 science education efforts in Portland and throughout the state.

The winner of numerous awards, Arp has been on the OSU faculty since 1990.

Chelton helped revolutionize the study of oceans through the use of satellite data and he is a principal architect of the U.S. microwave ocean observing satellite constellation. Working closely with NASA and, more recently, NOAA, he has secured more than $12 million in competitive grant funding, including more than $10 million as principal investigator.

His studies focus primarily on air-sea interactions and his models and multi-satellite assessment techniques are widely used by scientists throughout the world. He was instrumental in launching the World Ocean Circulation Experiment, and has chaired or served on two dozen working groups involving WOCE and NASA scientists.

Active in public outreach, Chelton designed and oversaw implementation of a major exhibit on satellites and El Nino that has been displayed at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, and duplicated for the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the California Museum of Science and Industry. They have been seen by more than 1 million people annually.

The winner of the Patullo Award for Excellence in Teaching and the prestigious NASA Public Service Medal and several other awards, Chelton has been on the OSU faculty since 1983.

Source: 

Tim White, 541-737-0733

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