Douglas fir trees produce more embers that can spark new fires, study shows (iFiber One)

New research conducted by Oregon State University scientists indicates fir trees create more flying embers that can spark new fires.
 

Put some wine on it: Specialty license plates in the Pacific Northwest are growing (Jefferson Public Radio)

A new gray whale license plate to benefit the Oregon State University Marine Mammal Institute launched just last month.
 

Peter, Paul and Mary veteran Stookey plans Corvallis conversation (Democrat-Herald)

Stookey, the next guest in Bob Santelli's "American Strings" series of musical conversations, will share stories and songs of the past — as well as offer updates about what he's up to these days — Wednesday at 7 p.m. at the Majestic. (See the related story for event details.) Santelli, the director of popular music and performing arts at Oregon State University, will share the stage and guide the conversation.
 

Today's photo


Stone Award: American novelist and Pulitzer Prize-winner Colson Whitehead will visit Oregon State University April 1 to accept the 2019 Stone Award for Literary Achievement and read from his work. The Stone Award is presented to an American author who has created a body of critically acclaimed work and has mentored young writers. The event is at 7:30 p.m. in the LaSells Stewart Center. For more information: http://bit.ly/2CkHyMF

Today 

Cheese sales: Time to restock your fridge and your bellies with Beaver Classic Cheese. Friday Sales begin today, 11 a.m.-1 p.m., at the Creamery. Come try five cheddars, two Swiss, two Provolones and cheese curds. The Creamery is at 159 Withycombe Hall.
 
Meat Center: The Clark Meat Science Center retail store will be open Friday from noon to 5:30 p.m. Products include fresh and cooked/smoked sausages, bacon, retail cuts, jerky, snack sticks, and Beaver Classic cheese. The store is located at 3260 SW Campus Way, next to the Motor Pool. Contact [email protected] for questions regarding the store.

OSUsed Store Public Sales: The OSUsed Store is open for its weekly public sales Friday noon to 3 p.m. at 644 S.W. 13th. Personal purchases must be made during public sales. Staff may shop for their department 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays. More information on our website.

OSU Anthropology Lecture Series: Christina Package-Ward, an anthropologist in the Fisheries Social Science Branch of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, will give a lecture titled, "Working as an Applied Anthropologist in Fisheries Policy: Social Impact Assessment, Oral Histories, and A Smidge of Fieldwork."  Package-Ward will speak on March 15 from noon to 12:50 p.m. in LINC Room 302. This event is part of the OSU Anthropology Program's Lecture Series. Questions? Contact: Joan Gross at [email protected].

Youth Climate Strike Planned for MU Quad on March 15: A Youth Climate Strike is planned for noon, March 15, on the Memorial Union Quad. The event is aimed at inspiring the community to take action to reverse the climate crisis. The local chapter of the Sunrise Movement chapter is also helping organize. Several OSU students are leading the charge. The Corvallis event is one of thousands of student walkouts planned worldwide on Friday. A gathering to make posters and signs for the Corvallis strike will take place on Thursday, March 14, at 7:30 p.m. at The Interzone coffee shop at 1563 NW Monroe Ave. in Corvallis. Bring supplies. For more information: https://www.facebook.com/events/367415990516647.

Gymnastics: OSU vs. Iowa, North Carolina & Seattle Pacific, March 15, 7 p.m., Gill Coliseum. Friday’s meet is a Faculty/Staff Friday event with $5 tickets for OSU staff and faculty with a valid OSU ID. It is also Inclusion Night, an opportunity for students and the campus community to learn about and engage with leaders from Oregon State’s seven cultural centers.

OSU Bassoon Ensemble: directed by Ann Kosanovic-Brown. Friday, March 15 at 7 p.m. Community Hall 303, free.

Saturday

Buffalo Wild Wings Fundraiser: Come to BWW (1820 NW Ninth St.) from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. March 16-17 to support  the OSU Food Science and Technology graduate students as they raise money to put on their event, Taste of Research: The Sensible Science! Show the ticket photo at checkout to help them earn 15 percent of the proceeds.

NEW! Site of Sound Series: Intermedia, video and sound artist and composer Dan Senn (Prague/US) will be at the Site of Sound Series Saturday March 16, 3 p.m. Series curated by OSU Coordinator of Contemporary Music and Research, Dana Reason and is jointly produced by the Truckenbrod Gallery, OSU: SAC and Boxwood Labs LLC. Truckenbrod Gallery, 517 SW Second St., Corvallis. Free for students. Adults: $15 at the door. https://www.facebook.com/events/2102615530028794/

OSU Choirs – Orange & Black Concert: Featuring the OSU Chamber Choir, Bella Voce and the OSU Meistersingers. Saturday, March 16, at 7:30 p.m. First United Methodist Church, 1165 N.W. Monroe. Advance tickets $10, $15 door. OSU students and K-12 youth free. CAFA discounts apply. Advance tickets online at: liberalarts.oregonstate.edu/sacevents.

Lectures, Workshops, Webinars

NEW! Tuesday Teaching Talks: Portfolios to Celebrate Success & Survival: Join colleagues and the Center for Teaching and Learning in a certificated series of teaching workshops. The workshops are every Tuesday. Attend one, some, or all. On March 19, join Brooke Howland to apply reflective practices as a catalyst to advance teaching and learning while celebrating our success and survival. This two-hour workshop will be facilitated twice in Milam 215 at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. No need to register – just come on by. Learn more here. Contact us here

Andrew Russo – Sustainable Forest Management M.F. Presentation: Andrew Russo will present his project, “Spread of Swiss Needle Cast in the Oregon Coast Range,” on Wednesday, March 20, at 12:30 p.m. in 115 Richardson Hall. Russo is advised by professor David Shaw in the Department of Forest Engineering, Resources & Management. Free and open to the public.

The College of Education presents Vasti Torres: Torres is a professor in the Center for the Study of Higher and Postsecondary Education and an associate faculty member of Latina/o Studies at University of Michigan. Torres will be speaking twice on March 21. She’ll speak on, “The link between identity and learning for Latino Students” at 10 a.m. in Kidder Hall 202. She’ll also speak on, "Organizing for Student Success in Higher Education” at 4 p.m in Kearney Hall 112.

Social justice education: The Social Justice Education Initiativefrom Faculty Affairs is a foundational professional development program for all faculty, staff and graduate students. SJEI offers a varied schedule of Tier One and Tier Two workshops, all open now for registration. Join your colleagues to begin, or expand, your equity and inclusion journey in this well-reviewed program. Interested in this work for your unit? Contact SJEI Director Jane Waite for further information: [email protected]

OMSI Science Pub: Local Scientists on the Global Climate Stage: Stories from the IPCC. Four Oregon State faculty members from the College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences will discuss their experiences with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Thursday, April 4, 7 p.m., McMenamins Mission Theater, 1624 N.W. Glisan, Portland. $5 in advance, $5 suggested donation at the door. Preregistration recommended.

This April, it’s time to ACCELERATE your startup: In just 10 weeks, streamline your value proposition, get to market faster, and validate your product-market fit. The Accelerate program is open to OSU researchers, students, and staff, and the Corvallis community who intend to start or grow an entrepreneurial venture, and can qualify teams to receive NSF iCorp funds. It all starts April 2. Learn more and apply here: https://tinyurl.com/advantageacc01219.

Water research: Registration is now open for the Pacific N.W. Water Research Symposium on April 8-9 at the CH2M Hill Alumni Center. Come present your research and/or artwork, participate in workshops, listen to keynote speakers, network with environmental professionals, attend the film screening, and eat lots of free food. Register by March 15 at http://hydrophilesresearchsymposium.org.

Ecampus Faculty Forum: Take part in a showcase of excellence in online teaching and discover techniques you can use to improve your online courses at the Ecampus Faculty Forum. This year’s event at the CH2M HILL Alumni Center features pre-conference workshops on the afternoon of April 30, followed by a traditional series of interactive presentations on May 1 from 8 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. Come as your OSU colleagues share innovative teaching methods and course development best practices. The May 1 main conference includes breakfast and lunch with a keynote address by Michelle Pacansky-Brock, faculty mentor of digital innovation for the California Community Colleges system, about humanizing online learning. Register by April 26.

Take Note

NEW! Mid-Monthly Emergency Preparedness Topic – Food in Emergencies: If a disaster strikes your community, you might not have access to food, water, and electricity for days or even weeks. Options for food storage include: Freeze-dried foods, MREs, dehydrated foods and canned foods. This month’s poster can be downloaded https://emergency.oregonstate.edu/files/EP-Bulletin/Monthly/03-15%20Food-portrait.pdf

Deadline for application to the Research Equipment Reserve Fund (RERF): Proposals are due by Friday, March 15, 5 p.m. Firm deadline. Questions: Contact Research Office Incentive Programs at:  [email protected].

STEM summer camps: STEM Academy is hosting a broad range of STEM Summer Day Camps from late June through mid-August for students who will be entering grades 3-12 in Fall 2019. Registration is now open. Topics include: Coding, iINVENT, Web Design, Engineering, Computer Graphics, Cybersecurity, Biochemistry, Sketch Up, Computational Biology, Drones & Legos, Powered Machines, DNA Biology & Bioinformatics, Lego Robotics, ActivityBots, Math, Wildlife Science, and Raspberry Pi. For more information, or to register online, visit http://stemacademy.oregonstate.edu. For questions, call 541-737-8139 or email [email protected]. Scholarships available.

Imitation-Based Dog Training Opportunity for Children and Their Pet Dog: We are recruiting families with a pet dog who have a child between the ages of 8- 17 years (with or without a developmental disability) to take part in a research study evaluating an imitation-based dog training assisted intervention. Spring and summer dates may be available. There is no cost to participate. For more information contact Megan MacDonald at [email protected] or Monique Udell at [email protected].

Volunteer opportunity for Spring 2019 – New International Students Orientation Week: Engage with new international students and help welcome the new beavers from around the world during Spring 2019 orientation week. For more information and to sign up go here. Volunteer training day (required for new volunteers or those who did not participate on Fall 2018 training day): March 22, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at ILLC 350. Volunteering dates: New students move-in day: March 25. Orientation week: March 26-29. Different volunteer shifts available to fit your schedule. For more information or questions, contact Carla Portugal at  [email protected] or go to our website.

Elsevier contract renewal: As OSU Libraries prepares for future negotiations with the global publisher Elsevier, we will be seeking input from the OSU community to inform a possible 2020 contract renewal. To be informed and engaged with this process, look for invitations in OSU Today and on the OSU Libraries’ homepage. If questions or concerns, contact Faye A. Chadwell at [email protected].

Traffic & Maintenance 

Planned Power Outage between March 28 and March 30: In an effort to improve the safety and reliability of the power grid serving the Corvallis campus, there will be a planned power outage Thursday, March 28, beginning at 6 a.m. and lasting through Saturday, March 30, at 6 p.m. Most affected buildings will be on backup power and will experience minimal disruption. Only Joyce Collin Furman Hall will be closed and without power during this time. OSU’s Power Grid Updates website has a list of affected buildings and times of planned outages.

Scheduled: Campus Wide Steam Shutdown: Each year Facilities Services performs necessary maintenance on the university’s steam system, which requires shutting off the steam throughout campus, to complete maintenance services at the plant, throughout the steam tunnels and in each building.  This process affects hot water supply, heating, and all equipment that uses steam, campus wide.  The steam shutdown for 2019 will occur from 6 p.m. on June 16 to 5 p.m. on June 20. For questions or comments on this closure contact Facilities Services at 541-737-2969.

Weather

“Fight for the things that you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you." ~ Ruth Bader Ginsberg, who turns 86 today.

Corvallis: Sunny today, high of 59, low of 37. Mostly cloudy Saturday, mostly sunny Sunday.

Central Oregon: Sunny today, high of 48, low of 29. Sunny this weekend.

Newport: Sunny today, high of 59, low of 42. Mostly cloudy Saturday, mostly sunny Sunday.

Statewide: For OSU employees around the state, find your local forecast here: http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/pqr/