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. Additionally CDC information (including Spanish resources) can be found here: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/communication/factsheets.html  

BEaver STRONG: When times are tough, Beavers Unite. Oregon State students who are transitioning to a temporary new lifestyle need the support and encouragement of their community more than ever before. We invite you to join together with your OSU alumni family to send a short, encouraging note to students reminding them to #BEaverSTRONG, and that together, we can move beyond this — and any — obstacle. Share your message of hope, see others and support students at osualum.com/YouAreStrong.

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. 
 

New COVID-19 model predicts better outcomes for Oregon (KPTV)

Chunhuei Chi, Director of the Center for Global Health at Oregon State University, said Oregon has positioned itself to follow the path of Taiwan, where the virus has been largely contained, although that depends on Oregonians continuing to honor social distancing guidelines.
 

Oregon State University names new Linus Pauling Institute director (Lund Report)

Emily Ho, the leader of Oregon State University’s Moore Family Center for Whole Grain Foods, Nutrition and Preventive Health and an internationally recognized expert in the study of nutrients and chronic disease, has been named the next endowed chair and director of the university’s Linus Pauling Institute. (see also Democrat-Herald)
 

Oregon State University offers online lectures series through College of Forestry (News-Review)

The Oregon State University College of Forestry will start a weekly Stay at Home Lecture Series starting Thursday that features a variety of presenters talking about everything from recreation in national parks to a secretive seabird. 
 

Researchers are closing in on a treatment for endometriosis using nanotechnology (IFL Science)

“The challenge has been to find the right type of nanoparticles,” Olena Taratula, one of the lead researchers from the Oregon State University College of Pharmacy, said in a statement. “Ones that can predominantly accumulate in endometriotic lesions without toxic effect on the body, while preserving their imaging and heating properties.”
 

Pets don't understand why we're so stressed while working from home, say animal experts (Daily Mai)

The issue might be more complicated for cats, according to Kristyn Vitale, a researcher at Oregon State University's Human-Animal Interaction Lab. 'I think the importance of social interaction in the lives of cats has been underestimated,' Vitale told Vice.
 

Can pets get COVID-19? The risk is extremely low (KGW)

Heather Broughton is a doctor of veterinary medicine with a Ph.D. in infectious disease ecology at Oregon State University. She said the risk of your pet getting the virus is extremely low and there is no risk of you getting it from them.
 

Oregon State University offers big helping hand for COVID-19 testing (KCBY)

Oregon State University is helping to expand testing in a big way by providing a critical piece to the Coronavirus testing process, that they're now sending out to hospitals.
 

Oregon State University to start own police force (Campus Safety Magazine)

Oregon State University (OSU) will establish its own police department within the school’s Department of Public Safety, the Board of Trustees unanimously voted Friday.
 

For deaf Oregonians, COVID-19 is compounding existing challenges (Portland Mercury)

The CDC is now recommending that people wear face masks whenever they leave their homes. David Baldridge, an Oregon State University professor and research assistant with the National Technical Institute for the Deaf, said that the increasing prevalence of face masks will present “a new barrier for many DHH persons who rely on speechreading and facial cues.”
 

Today's photo


Today’s workspace: When William Jaeger, professor of applied economics, looks up from his desk, he now sometimes has company like this fawn, which enjoys peeking into his sunroom. Send your home workspace photos to [email protected]. Follow OSU Today on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/osutoday1/ and catch up on any workspace photos you might have missed so far.

Today

NEW! Web literacy program: Oregon State University’s Web and Mobile Services is happy to announce the official release of its Web Literacy Program beginning April 8. This training opportunity, located at https://oregonstate.bridgeapp.com/learner/programs/b7d79d4c/enroll, is a six-part, self-guided program using Bridge. The following topics are presented: Web Literacy: Foundations; Web Literacy: Media Development and Integration; Web Literacy: Search Engine Optimization; Web Literacy: Security; Web Literacy: OSU Brand Standards; and Web Literacy: Resources. Please note that this program is not intended to be comprehensive. It’s geared for the typical, non-technical OSU employee or student. The intention is to raise awareness of some important elements related to the web and to provide starting points of thought for those people who will find themselves working on the web as a regular part of their job or education.

Bioinformatics Users Group (BUG): "Using Deep Learning and Cloud Computation to Answer Research Questions, i.e. An Undergrad's Journey Through Scientific Computing at the CGRB" - Michaela Buchanan (Undergraduate, Center for Genome Research & Biocomputing), Wednesday, April 8 from noon to 1 p.m. in the remote broadcast Zoom room https://oregonstate.zoom.us/j/344627115. BUG consists of life scientists, bioinformaticians, computer scientists, mathematicians, engineers, statisticians, and researchers of all types who meet to discuss topics related to these fields of study. Meetings are generally informal, consisting of discussions, interactive talks, or short workshops. All are welcome. No experience needed to participate. For additional information, see https://cgrb.oregonstate.edu/bug.

Investment and PERS webinars: The Maps Credit Union CFS investment team is conducting a Weekly Wednesday Webinar Series on a variety of investment topics that include current market updates. This is one way to educate yourself without leaving the comfort and safety of your own home. Wednesday, April 8 – Market Update; Keeping More of What You Earn - An Introduction to Tax-Free Investing, by Darren Kinney, Franklin TempletonWednesday, April 15 – Market Update; Investing in Tax-Free Municipal Bonds by Christine Neimeth, AquilaWednesday, April 29– Market Update; Perspective by Andrew Opdyke, First Trust. PERS Related Webinars: Wednesday, April 8 – PERS and Retirement Planning (OPSRP)Wednesday, April 15 – PERS and Retirement Planning (Tiers 1 & 2)Wednesday, April 22 – Retirement Planning as a PERS Member (This is not an OSU event but is tailored to OSU clients and during normal circumstances are held on campus. There is no charge.)

BEavers HERE NOW Drop-In Meditation via Zoom: Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 3 p.m. visit https://oregonstate.zoom.us/j/207246816 to access each session. No experience necessary. All are welcome. Enjoy a different 15 minute guided meditation each week. Benefits of mediation include: Stress reduction, better sleep, sharper concentration, anxiety management and happier relationships. Contact [email protected] to coordinate extra credit for student attendance. Faculty and staff are welcome too.

Events

NEW! University Budget Conversation: On Thursday, April 9, from noon to 1 p.m., the Office of Budget and Resource Planning will hold a Zoom webinar to discuss Budget Planning in Uncertain Times—an overview and Q&A about budget planning for the balance of the current year and for 2020. The Budget Conversation sessions are limited to 60 minutes with the initial 15-20 minutes spent on presentation of the topic, leaving time for discussion and Q&A. More information about University Budget Conversations is located on the Office of Budget and Resource Planning website. If you have questions, contact Sherm Bloomer for more information.

NEW! Music à la Carte (Facebook Live): Alicia Jo Straka. The Music à la Carte concert series continues with a series of Facebook Live events on Fridays, keeping alive the decades-long tradition while following Oregon State University’s commitment to help reduce the risk and spread of COVID-19. Next up is Alicia Jo Straka (formerly Alicia Baker) a 2013 graduate of OSU (B.S. vocal performance, piano and music education) who went on to complete her master’s degree at the University of Colorado. She works for instrument manufacturer Roland Corporation and continues to compose and perform. On Friday, April 10 at noon, Straka will perform a wide variety of joyful music on an instrument that is full of surprises. The program will featuring her accordion and voice, and will including jazz, French café, pop, polka and opera. To watch and listen, go to the Music à la Carte Facebook page. A list of the other upcoming performers can be found here.

Free Virtual Nutrition Counseling: Help the OSU dietetic interns get their internship hours so they can stay on track to graduate and join the healthcare workforce as Registered Dietitians. We’re offering 1:1 virtual counseling sessions over Zoom for OSU faculty/staff/alumni. Contact Michelle Bump at [email protected] if you’re interested.  

Online Weekend Meditation Retreat: OSU's Contemplative Studies Initiative is hosting teacher, author, hospice chaplain, counselor and five-year retreatant Amita Lhamo April 17-19. The program begins Friday at 7 p.m. and is titled The Healing Nature of Presence. Screen time will be minimized and instruction/guidance maximized. Free and open to all; some meditation/centering experience recommended. Register by emailing [email protected].

Lectures, Workshops, Webinars

NEW! Nationally Competitive Scholarships: Live Virtual Q&A Session: On Thursday, April 9 at 6 p.m., tune in for a virtual information session about applying to nationally competitive scholarships and opportunities abroad. This event will be hosted by LeAnn Adam from the OSU Prestigious Scholarships Office and a panel of recent scholarship recipients including Fulbright, Goldwater, Critical Language Scholarship and the Stanford Knight Hennessy Scholars Program. Please register for the meeting here: https://oregonstate.zoom.us/meeting/register/uZclde-trjwuzEPZsbWBLAGnE11qnpyMww
 If you are unable to attend and would like to view a recording of the event, please contact: [email protected]

Strategies for Being Effective in Times of Uncertainty: Uncertainty in organizations will affect each of us differently. Some thrive in ambiguity, while others are dominated by feelings of anxiety, fear and doubt that negatively affect productivity. This class will provide eight strategies with practical ideas to increase effectiveness in challenging, uncertain times. Zoom session, April 9, 8:30-9:30 a.m. Registration required.
 
Developing High Performing Teams: Why do some teams consistently produce outstanding results and other teams perform moderately at best? Distinguishing characteristics of high performing teams with practical tools and principles will be shared. Tips for implementing these practices with virtual teams will be included. Zoom session, April 9, 10-11:30 a.m. Registration required.
 
Managing People Through Change: If progress requires change, why can change be so difficult? Understanding how the change process impacts us is important to directing change efforts. You will learn what to expect in the cycle of change and how to work with each phase to ease transitions for yourself and others. Zoom session, April 9, 1-3 p.m. Registration required.

Writing Intensive Curriculum Program/”Teaching Peer Review Online: Tools, Resources, Strategies: To facilitate ongoing sharing about best practices for WIC as well as spring term migration of WIC courses online, the WIC Program will conduct its next scheduled lunch session by Zoom on Friday April 10, noon to 1 p.m. The April 10 session will feature digital interface resources and strategies for peer review online (Canvas, Eli Review) and will include time for discussion of effective peer review strategies and faculty interests as we migrate our lunches online through spring term. The session is designed for faculty who are currently teaching online, as well as for faculty who anticipate teaching face-to-face courses with online components. Register here. See also WIC “Migrating WIC Courses Online.”

Search Advocate Workshops: All OSU Search Advocate workshops will be offered via Zoom for the next 2+ months. Search advocates are outside process advisors who participate on employee search committees; their goal is to encourage culture and practices that favor equity, validity, and diversity. Search advocacy offers faculty and staff an opportunity to work with colleagues in other parts of the university, build new skills and perspectives, and contribute to the university’s progress towards inclusive excellence. The initial workshop series is a full two-day sequence. Those who complete the series may choose to have their names added to the Search Advocate Directory and will be eligible to serve as advocates until September 2021. Three-hour continuing education workshops for current advocates are also available. To register, go to the Professional Development website. Questions? Contact Anne Gillies at [email protected] or 541-760-6160.

Kognito: Recognizing and Supporting Students in Distress Training: College can be stressful at times and especially now! Build the confidence to talk with a student whom you’re concerned about. Be prepared to lead real-life conversations with students that build resilience, strengthen relationships and connect them with support. Visit beav.es/Zzp to access the faculty/staff online training so you can recognize and support OSU students in distress. To access the student version visit: beav.es/ZD3 For questions contact Tessie Webster-Henry: [email protected]

Take Note

NEW! Beaver Lodge newsletter: Get the latest information from the OSU Alumni Association by checking out the Beaver Lodge newsletter.

NEW! OSU Press Books featured in social distancing collaboration: OSU Press has several titles featured in the new University Press Social Distancing Collaboration at https://covid19.up.hcommons.org/. This site collects and organizes for easy browsing and reference. Categories include “Escape the news,” “Get informed” and “Open UP.”

NEW! Beavers Read: During social isolation, it can help to have good things to read -- to pass the time, to calm your mind, to help you keep learning. OSU Libraries is here to help you find your next good read -- and make sure it is something you can read safely from home. Just fill out this survey to get an email with personalized recommendations: https://oregonstate.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_4GHk9YYcjKaHSfz

NEW! ARIS Fellows namedOSU faculty Sophie Pierszalowski, Thaddaeus Buser, and Susan Rowe are ARIS 2020 Fellowship Award Recipients. The Advancing Research Impact in Society (ARIS) Center works with U.S. and international scientists and engagement practitioners to build capacity, advance scholarship, grow partnerships and provide resources to help them engage with and demonstrate the impact of research in their communities and society. The ARIS Center emphasizes support for serving traditionally underserved populations while providing inclusive public engagement to ensure a diverse science workforce. The 2020 Fellows will conduct collaborative research and synthesize available evidence to create tools and resources that support the research community to advance the quality of their research impacts work. The ARIS Fellows Program is led out of the STEM Research Center at Oregon State University by ARIS Co-Investigator Julie Risien. More info about all of the 2020 Fellows and their projects can be found here.

NEW!  Today’s Timely Teaching Tip:  Wondering what opportunities you can provide for students to engage with course content, with their classmates, and with you? Read OSU Online Education Tips for Student-Centered Remote Teaching for ideas. Visit Keep Teaching for all the Week 2 and 3 Timely Teaching Tips. 

Outdoor burning alert: OSU Fire Prevention Officer Jim Patton is sharing this information for OSU employees. State agencies ask Oregonians to voluntarily refrain from outdoor burning while communities respond to COVID-19.

Join Our Conversation on Student Success: The Academic Success Center (ASC) is developing an informal publication to share with colleagues across campus and would like to invite you to sign up if interested. Signing up means that you’ll receive one or two emails each term. Possible content includes spotlights on ASC collaborations with campus partners, success strategies and tools, ASC resource updates, and more. Sign up by Thursday, April 9 to receive our first issue.

Visualize Your Bibliography Competition: The OSU Libraries and Press invite currently enrolled graduate students to enter this year’s Visualize Your Bibliography Competition. Submissions should creatively display 20+ sources used in a thesis, dissertation, or other scholarly work. Displays might range from a series of erasure poems made for each source to a multimedia timeline of your sources. Prizes: 1st: $750, 2nd: $500, 3rd: $250. Deadline EXTENDED TO April 13. For questions, contact [email protected].  

Working with Students in Distress: Faculty and staff may be the first to notice a student is struggling and may be in the best position to reach out with care and concern. The CARE Folder is now updated for remote delivery of services and will provide you with resources and referral information. Visit https://beav.es/ZUi to login to Box and access these resources. Please bookmark this link for easy access on your phone, laptop or tablet.

Undergrad Research & Writing Studio is open: The Undergrad Research & Writing Studio remains open through our new online feature, Studio Live. Our hours are Monday-Friday, noon to 5 p.m., Week 2 of the term through finals week. Support is available via chat, Zoom, telephone or email. Visit our website for more information: http://writingcenter.oregonstate.edu/undergrad-writing-studio 

Remote Advising Office Hours: To support the current transition to remote advising facing academic advisors and academic counselors, Jenesis Long is offering Remote Advising Consultations via Zoom. Bring your questions or specific situations for in-the-moment problem-solving now through April 17: Monday, Tuesday, and Friday 10 a.m. to noon. Join here. Additional resources for remote advising available in Canvas for Advisors

Online Professional Development Workshops for OSU Employees Now Open for Registration: UHR Learning and Organizational Development presents a variety of online professional development workshops this spring, including: Strategies for Being Effective in Times of Uncertainty, Developing High Performing Teams, Managing People Through Change, and Core Curriculum for Current OSU Supervisors and Managers. View and register for upcoming workshops here. Is there a topic you’d like us to cover this term? Email [email protected] with your request.

Pew Scholars Program in the Biomedical Sciences: Provides funding to young investigators of outstanding promise in science relevant to the advancement of human health. The current grant level is $300,000; $75,000 per year for four years. For the 2020 award, one nomination will be invited from each of the participating institutions The internal deadline for submitting a letter of recommendation for a nominee is Monday, April 27. https://research.oregonstate.edu/program/pew-scholars-program-biomedical-sciences

Facilities Services: Facilities Services continues to work hard to maintain, preserve and protect the Corvallis campus, including working with our custodial partner ABM on developing a specialized cleaning protocol for our campus facilities. The Work Coordination Center is open and up-to-date information on services, resources and access during the COVID-19 response is available on the Facilities Services website.

University Ombuds Office Offers Remote Consultations to Staff, Faculty and Students: Finding the transition from on-site work and study to telecommuting challenging? The University Ombuds Office is available for the university community during this time of transition. Whether addressing ongoing conflict that has become more complex, or new issues that are arising, the Ombuds are available to listen to your concerns and help you explore options for addressing them. All consultations are confidential and informal. Ombuds are available Monday-Friday from 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m., via phone or Zoom. To schedule an appointment, call 541-737-4537 or email [email protected]. (Confidentiality cannot be promised in matters relating to threats of public safety, child abuse, or when there is imminent risk of serious harm.)

OSU Homecoming Court 2020: Encouraging all OSU students to apply to represent Oregon State as a member of the 2020 Homecoming Court. Members are honored with a one-time $500 scholarship and opportunities to voice their ideas to distinguished university leaders, partners and alumni throughout the year. Applications will be open through April 20.

Fiscal policy feedback: In accordance with the fiscal policy program, the Fiscal Policy Committee is soliciting your feedback on new fiscal policy drafts for Cash Out and for Gift Funds. For more information and instructions on how to provide your valued feedback, please visit Policy Under Review on the Fiscal Policy Program website.

Annual Program Assessment Reports, New Due Date: As many faculty are adjusting their courses and student advising to remote delivery, we are extending the due date for undergraduate Annual Program Assessment reports, and Graduate Learning Outcome (GLO) reporting. The new due date is Monday, June 1. Please reach out to Tam Belknap or Heath Henry for questions about undergraduate reporting, or to Steph Bernell or Maureen Childers for questions about GLO reporting. Visit https://apa.oregonstate.edu/assessment-resources for tools and support.

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Weather

"The older you get, of course, the knowingness of the truth - the ownership of knowing - is louder." ~ Robin Wright, who turns 54 today.

Corvallis: Sunny today, high of 70, low of 40. Sunny tomorrow.

Central Oregon: Sunny today, high of 62, low of 36. Sunny tomorrow.

Newport: Sunny today, high of 57, low of 42. Sunny and breezy tomorrow.

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