Stay informed about COVID-19

COVID-19 website: To facilitate the ongoing sharing of information about the virus, Oregon State University has added a link on the OSU homepage to a new page that provides detailed and up-to-date COVID-19 information; links to OSU, local, state and federal resources; updates on the latest federal travel restrictions; and previous university communications about the virus and other information. 
 

Today in the News Media

Today in the News Media is a synopsis of some of the most prominent coverage of OSU people and programs. Inclusion of any item constitutes neither an endorsement nor a critique, but rather is intended only to make the OSU community aware of significant items in the media. Content appearing includes timely news and feature stories from broadcast, print and online sources. Occasionally, opinion pieces and first-person columns appearing in mainstream media outlets that are written by faculty members and pertain to their academic or professional expertise may be included based on their unique, informative value, timeliness and space constraints. It is not the policy of OSU Today to include Letters to the Editor. 
 

OSU Chemistry Department makes sanitizer for university community (LIFE@OSU)

In response to a shortage of hand sanitizer and surface sanitizer due to the new coronavirus, the Oregon State Department of Chemistry is producing the products and making them available to the university community. The products are free to all departments within the College of Science and available for purchase to other university units.
 

Oregon's healthcare system braces for the coronavirus surge (KGW)

“I’m concerned our hospitals are not ready, and many of them don’t have a strategy how to deal with this pandemic, when there are more patients,” said Chunhuei Chi, the director of the Center for Global Health at Oregon State University. (see also OPBFortuneOregonian)

COVID-19 in our region (Jefferson Public Radio)

We invited several guests familiar with the situation to join us on The Exchange. Chunhuei Chi runs the Center for Global Health at Oregon State University.
 

Are suburbs safer from coronavirus? Probably not (Citylab)

New pathogens tend to arrive sooner in global hubs, but that doesn’t mean they can’t quickly reach rural locales and proliferate from there, says Benjamin Dalziel, a professor of mathematics at Oregon State University who studies population dynamics.

From cast-off to startup: Using the waste stream in the classroom (Venture Well)

Consider Dale McCauley, VentureWell OPEN presenter and principal investigator for teams participating in the E-Team Grants program. He teaches and manages the makerspace used by the business and engineering schools at Oregon State University. A couple years ago, McCauley heard about a large supply of surplus athletic uniforms that the university was about to discard, a requirement of NCAA rules that prohibited their sale or distribution.
 

OSU Sea Grant awards $1.15 million for five coastal research projects (Yachats News)

Oregon Sea Grant, the marine research, public engagement and education program at Oregon State University, has awarded $1.15 million to five OSU scientists to study beach grass, groundfish trawling, sea lions and oysters over the next two years.
 

Native plants are essential to an Oregon garden: Here's how to help them thrive (Oregonian)

According to an Oregon State University study, the No. 1 native pollinator plant — in terms of insect visits — is a native annual, Gilia capitata (globe or bluefields gilia).
 

Martin Storksdieck - Visionary of lifelong learning (Origins Podcast)

Chances are you have inadvertently been impacted by the brilliant work of Dr. Martin Storksdieck. Martin is currently the Director of Oregon State University’s Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) Research Center, but has held positions across the educational research domain, including multiple roles at the Institute for Learning Innovation and the Director of the Board on Science Education and the Roundtable on Climate Change Education at the U.S. National Academy of Sciences.
 

Baidu's AI technology being used to combat coronavirus (Unite.AI)

Back in 2019, Baidu developed its Linearfold algorithm and published in partnership with Oregon State University and the University of Rochester. The company has now made it available to scientific and medical teams in order to help fight against the virus. 
 

What we know about colour: Recharge by Rachel Lopez (Hindustan Times)

A Chennai-born chemist invented the first new blue in 200 years, in 2009. YInMn, created by professor Mas Subramanian’s materials science lab at Oregon State University, is a vivid cobalt, but unlike cobalt, it’s not poisonous, doesn’t fade with age, resists oil, water, and sunlight, and might have heat-resistant properties too.
 

Climbing club popular among OSU-Cascades students (Bend Bulletin)

The OSU-Cascades Rock Climbing Club was founded in early 2018 and is backed by student fees, covering outings and equipment rentals at the Bend Rock Gym in southeast Bend. “We were just looking for a cheap way to climb, and some snacks in between,” McFarlane said. “But now we are no longer buying snacks. It’s too big.
 

Can ashes from a wood-burning stove be used as fertilizer? Ask an expert (Oregonian)

It feels like spring and our thoughts are turning to gardening. Turn to Ask an Expert, an online question-and-answer tool from Oregon State University’s Extension Service. 
 

Oregon State suspends all athletics activity (24/7 Sports)

Oregon State University has suspended all athletic-related activity until March 29. In a statement from the Oregon State Athletic Department, released Friday afternoon, the Beavers have suspended all events and activities, including practices. 

 

Today's photo


Library hours reduced: The Valley Library on Corvallis campus is moving to reduced hours for Finals Week in response to the evolving COVID-19 situation. Please look at their website for a complete list of the changes.
 

Today

Please be aware that in this quickly shifting environment, some events may be cancelled at the last minute and updates may not have been provided to OSU Today in time. 

End of Term Sale: The OSU Beaver Store will have its End of Term sale starting Monday, March 16. Big discounts on Beaver Gear, while supplies last. Sale goes through Friday, March 20.

Do you have a business idea but need some help? The OSU Advantage Accelerator is offering Iterate, a free class for entrepreneurs and wanna-be entrepreneurs who have a business idea but just aren't sure what to do next. Come learn how to create a value proposition, find and understand your market and more. Iterate consists of four workshops that build on each other: March 16 and 18, all from 4-5:30 p.m. Learn more and register: https://advantage.oregonstate.edu/advantage-accelerator/programs/iterate

Lectures, Workshops, Webinars

NEW! STEM Academy: Stem Academy is hosting a broad range of STEM Summer Day Camps from mid-June through early-August for students who will be entering 3rd-12th grades in the Fall of 2020. Registration for the summer program is open. Topics include: Transportation, Color Innovation, Coding, iINVENT, Web Design, Engineering, Computer Graphics, Cybersecurity, Biochemistry, Sketch Up, Computational Biology, Drones, Powered Machines, Science Exploration, Lego Robotics, Wildlife Science, and Computational Mystery of Board Games. For more information, or to register online, please visit http://stemacademy.oregonstate.edu. For questions, call 541-737-8139 or email [email protected]. Scholarships available for many camps.

UPDATED! Ph.D. defense: Estefania Elorriaga will present her Ph.D. dissertation, titled: “Functional Characterization of Reproductive Development Genes in Populus and Eucalyptus.” Tuesday, March 17, 9 a.m., Richardson 243. Elorriaga is pursuing her doctorate in Molecular and Cellular Biology with Steven Strauss. Contact the FES Department at (541) 737-2244 with questions or for accommodations for disabilities.

UPDATED! 2020-21 tuition rate recommendation discussions: The University Budget Committee has made recommendations to President Ray for tuition rates for the 2020-21 academic year. The recommendations are posted at https://fa.oregonstate.edu/budget/tuition-fees. The Office of Budget and Resource Planning is hosting two more open forums to answer questions about the recommendations and hear comments from the university community. Due to precautionary measures surrounding COVID-19, remaining tuition forums on March 17, 2-3 p.m., and March 19, 4-5 p.m. will be offered via Zoom. To join by phone please dial +1 669 900 6833 or 888 475 4499 (Toll Free); Meeting ID: 838 667 083. Comments and questions can also be sent to [email protected].

UPDATED! Working in a Changing Environment: Cascade EAP has asked to move the workshop on Working in a Changing Environment on March 18, 2020 from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. to a webinar format that they are hosting remotely.  This is due to COVID-19 concerns as the University seeks to reduce the frequency of interactions throughout all campuses, centers, facilities and operations. To access the new webinar interested employees will need to register at this link: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/6624683307212817675. The Zoom link that was provided previously when the workshop was scheduled to happen here at OSU will no longer work. Please contact [email protected] with questions. 

SAVE THE DATE! The Center for Teaching & Learning is hosting guest speaker Sarah Rose Cavanagh for a lecture on “The Spark of Learning: Energizing Teachers, Teams, and Leaders with the Science of Emotion.” May 13, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m., MU 13. Lunch served after the lecture. Register here.

Take Note

NEW! Foundation and Alumni Association: All in-person OSU Foundation and OSU Alumni Association events are postponed through April 30. Most Foundation and Alumni Association employees are working remotely through April 30, with minimal staffing at the CH2M HILL Alumni Center, the OSU Foundation office on Research Way, and the OSU Portland Center.  For updates, visit osualum.com/covid19 .

NEW! Employee Online Services will be updated to a new version on March 23. This update contains a new Employee Dashboard landing page. For further details please visit https://hr.oregonstate.edu/banner-9.

Volunteer Opportunity: OSU Commencement is a very special event for our OSU graduates and their friends and family members. Join us in making commencement a joyous and memorable event for all. We need 70 more volunteers to make commencement great. If you are available the morning of June 13, 2020, please sign up and volunteer to help with greeting guests, providing directions, assisting guests with downloading the OSU mobile app, and finding seating in Reser.

CoF International Programs Photo Contest: This spring, CoF International Programs will be holding our first photo contest from March 16 through April 10. Students, staff and faculty can submit their photos of their international research, faculty-led programs, internships, etc. (not vacation) for a chance to win prizes and to display their work to the CoF community. The winners of each category and a selection of nominees for People’s Choice will be printed and displayed during the Spring International Coffee on May 7, 10:30 a.m. in the Peavy atrium, where we will announce the winners and hold voting for People’s Choice. For more information and how to enter, visit forestry.oregonstate.edu/international/photo-contest-2020

Call for nominations: University Mentoring and Professional Development Award: This award recognizes any classified, professional faculty, or faculty member who excels in mentoring, supporting, and encouraging OSU employees, especially women and those from under-represented groups or non-traditional careers, and making available to them opportunities for professional, educational and personal development. The award is presented at University Day. The deadline for nominations is May 1. To access the nomination guidelines and application link, please visit http://leadership.oregonstate.edu/pcosw/awards-scholarships

RecycleMania: This week’s score places OSU in the lead at 6.90 lbs of recycling per person vs. UO at 4.62 lbs. The RecycleMania Oregon Classic competition between OSU and UO will run through March 28. You can help OSU beat UO in this year’s RecycleMania challenge by recycling the most! For more information visit our website at http://tiny.cc/rm-osu.

Upcoming Online Courses in Digital Marketing, Leadership and Human Resource Management: Join the College of Business Continuing and Professional Education for instructor-led, 100% online courses offered in many topics including business strategy, human resource fundamentals, website development, marketing, web graphics and storytelling through social media. Courses take five to seven weeks to complete and you can earn a certificate in as few as nine months. OSU Faculty and Staff can use discount code OSUSTAFF20 to save 20%. Call (541) 737-1500 for more information or browse the upcoming certificate programs and courses: https://business.oregonstate.edu/continuing-and-professional-education/online-certificate-programs.

Updated! Staff Art Show: Share your creativity at the 10th annual Staff Art Show. Registration has been extended through March 17 and you can submit up to three pieces. Help colleagues learn about your interests beyond your usual day-to-day work. While photography is most popular, all arts and crafts can be considered for this exhibit. Contact [email protected] with questions.

Weather

“I happen to believe in the human condition so strongly that I don't have to make up games to play with people. Here's what I think: If it's good, let's go for it. If it needs work to be better, let's work on it." ~ Jerry Lewis, born today in 1926.

Corvallis: Patchy frost and then sunny, high of 57, low of 31. Same for Tuesday.

Central Oregon: Slight chance of snow today, high of 39, low of 22. Partly sunny tomorrow.

Newport: Sunny today, high of 55, low of 34. Partly sunny Tuesday.

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