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July - 2021

July - 2021
	Roadless forests see more blazes and greater severity, but fire resilience is the result	CORVALLIS, Ore. – Roadless national forests in the American West burn more often and at a slightly higher severity than national forests without roads, but the end result for the roadless forests is greater fire resilience, Oregon State University researchers say.
	How to care for heat-damaged plants	Go ahead and cut off dead flowers on heat-burned plants, but try to resist the urge to remove partially dead leaves.
	Recess quality influences student behavior, social-emotional development, OSU study finds	Recess quality, not just the amount of time spent away from the classroom, plays a major role in whether children experience the full physical, mental and social-emotional benefits of recess, a new study from Oregon State University found.
	Marine education center in Newport to reopen Aug. 1; now selling tickets online	The Visitor Center at the Hatfield Marine Science Center in Newport plans to reopen on Aug. 1 after a nearly 17-month closure due to COVID-19.
	OSU chief diversity officer to return to Ball State University for new opportunity	Charlene Alexander, Oregon State University vice president and chief diversity officer, has announced she will leave OSU to return to Ball State University to help guide the university’s strategic initiatives.
	OSU College of Engineering research will save Port of Portland millions on runway work	PORTLAND, Ore. – Research by the Oregon State University College of Engineering will help the Port of Portland save as much as $35 million on work to ensure a Portland International Airport runway can survive an expected magnitude 8.0 to 9.0 Cascadia subduction zone earthquake.
	Invasive jumping worms leap into Oregon	Jumping worms stay in the debris on top and eat two to three times the amount of leaf litter as the other worms.

June - 2021

June - 2021
	Legislature funds Oregon State statewide programs, key building projects in Corvallis, Bend	The Oregon Legislature’s 2021 session provided increased funding for student financial aid and Oregon State University programs serving student success, research, OSU Extension and outreach programs statewide, and bonding for key building projects at OSU’s Corvallis and Bend campuses.
	OSU professor joins call for broader, more equitable recognition of scholarship in academia	The current metrics for success in science perpetuate inequity by disproportionately penalizing women and people of color, whose broader contributions to the field often go unrecognized, argues a new paper written by a team of scientists, including an Oregon State University professor.
	Oregon State graduate student sheds light on better way to study reputedly secretive toad	CORVALLIS, Ore. – Research by a graduate student in Oregon State University’s College of Science has upended the conventional wisdom that for a century has incorrectly guided the study of a toad listed as endangered in part of its range.
	Tips for gardening in extreme heat	Keep hydrated. Carry a water bottle – and use it! You need water as much as your plants do.
	Don’t worry, birds won’t become dependent on you feeding them, OSU study suggests	CORVALLIS, Ore. – Oregon State University researchers have some good news for the well-meaning masses who place bird feeders in their yards: The small songbirds who visit the feeders seem unlikely to develop an unhealthy reliance on them.
	OSU’s Spinrad confirmed as NOAA Administrator	Richard “Rick” Spinrad, an Oregon State University professor and former OSU vice president for research, has been confirmed by the U.S. Senate to serve as undersecretary of the U.S. Department of Commerce and administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
	Low-flow research on Colorado River sheds light on eventual new normal for Grand Canyon	CORVALLIS, Ore. – Researchers from Oregon State University say ecological data gathered during a recent low-flow experiment in the Grand Canyon is a key step toward understanding Colorado River ecosystems as the amount of water in the river continues to decline.
	OSU College of Liberal Arts appoints executive director of arts and education	Peter Betjemann, a national expert on the history of art, design and literature, has been named the inaugural director of arts and education for Oregon State University’s College of Liberal Arts.
	Seventh round of Corvallis TRACE-COVID-19 sampling suggests three people in 1,000 have virus	CORVALLIS, Ore. – Oregon State University’s seventh round of door-to-door sampling throughout Corvallis by TRACE-COVID-19 field workers on June 5 and 6 suggested three people per 1,000 in the community carried the coronavirus on those days.
	Mushroom growing out of fossilized ant reveals new genus and species of fungal parasite	CORVALLIS, Ore. – Oregon State University research has identified the oldest known specimen of a fungus parasitizing an ant, and the fossil also represents a new fungal genus and species.
	Oregon State leading $17M effort to understand universe via low-frequency gravitational waves	CORVALLIS, Ore. – Oregon State University is the lead institution for a $17 million National Science Foundation center devoted to pushing the boundaries of physics knowledge by studying the universe through low-frequency gravitational waves, ripples in the fabric of time-space.
	Oregon State closed Friday to commemorate Juneteenth	Oregon State University will be closed Friday, June 18, in recognition of Juneteenth.
	OSU accelerates local efforts to improve Latinx vaccine confidence and uptake	Oregon's Latinx population has been disproportionately affected by the pandemic and whose vaccination rate lags behind other races and ethnicities.
	New models predict fewer lightning-caused ignitions but bigger wildfires by mid century	CORVALLIS, Ore. – Human-caused wildfire ignitions in Central Oregon are expected to remain steady over the next four decades and lightning-caused ignitions are expected to decline, but the average size of a blaze from either cause is expected to rise, Oregon State University modeling suggests.
	Quality supervision, coworker support key to child welfare caseworker retention, OSU study finds	Instead of looking at the reasons child welfare caseworkers leave their jobs, Oregon State University researchers examined the common factors among workers who stay in the field, and what makes them feel most satisfied in their work.
	Compounds derived from hops show promise as treatment for common liver disease	CORVALLIS, Ore. – Research by Oregon State University suggests a pair of compounds originating from hops can help thwart a dangerous buildup of fat in the liver known as hepatic steatosis.
	Oregon State names new business school dean	Tim Carroll, who prioritized superior, student-centered learning as dean of the Eberhardt School of Business at the University of the Pacific, will become Sara Hart Kimball Dean of Oregon State University’s College of Business effective July 30.
	Oregon State part of national consortium of universities that has outpaced its graduation goals	As part of a national consortium focused on increasing the number of low-income college graduates, Oregon State University graduated 45% more students in 2020 than in 2013, with low-income graduates increasing 17% during those years and the number of students of color graduating increasing 117%.
	Oregon State selected to lead NOAA institute for marine research	Oregon State University has been selected to host a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration institute focused on collaborative study of the rapidly changing ocean and expanded demands on its use.
	Peace accord in Colombia has increased deforestation of biologically-diverse rainforest	Since the end of the long-running conflict in Colombia, large areas of forest have been rapidly converted to agricultural uses, suggesting the peace agreement presents a threat to conservation the country’s rainforest, a new study from Oregon State University shows.
	New $20 million dairy processing facility announced at Oregon State University	Investments by private industry coupled with university funding will propel Oregon State University’s College of Agricultural Sciences to build a $20 million state-of-the-art dairy processing facility that will further advance the university and Oregon’s dairy industry as national leaders in dairy quality, innovation and sustainability.
	Oregon State will graduate a record number of students on June 12	Oregon State University will graduate a record 7,391 students during a virtual commencement event at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, June 12.
	Southern Oregon wine grapes may need less water, OSU Extension study shows	Levin estimated annual wine grape needs at 11.4 inches annually, depending on time of year – a vast difference for water-starved southern Oregon, which is already bracing for another drought.
	Vaccinations to be offered during Corvallis TRACE-COVID-19 sampling June 5 and 6	CORVALLIS, Ore. – The TRACE-COVID-19 program at Oregon State University is partnering with Samaritan Health Services this weekend to offer door-to-door vaccinations as TRACE conducts its seventh community survey in Corvallis for the coronavirus.
	Antarctica wasn’t quite as cold during the last ice age as previously thought, new study shows	A study of two methods for reconstructing ancient temperatures has given climate researchers a better understanding of just how cold it was in Antarctica during the last ice age around 20,000 years ago.
	Central Oregon bat survey shows value and scale-up potential of citizen science	BEND, Ore. – Bat researchers say a project in Central Oregon shows citizen science’s strong potential for helping ecologists learn more about one of the least understood groups of mammals.
	Construction set to begin this month on Oregon State’s wave energy testing facility	After nearly a decade of work to obtain regulatory approval, Oregon State University is set to begin construction this month on a wave energy testing facility to be located about seven miles off the coast near Newport.

May - 2021

May - 2021
	Manipulating gut microbes to improve human health topic of next Oregon State Science Pub	The Oregon State University Science Pub on June 7 will focus on how insights from the field of restoration ecology, which was designed to heal natural ecosystems, may help health practitioners to manipulate the gut microbiome in ways that improve human health.
	Save money and help the planet with sustainable garden practices	We can all do our part to help by changing our practices – often just by a bit, depending on the methods you’ve already put in place.
	New OSU Center for the Outdoor Recreation Economy will support $788 billion U.S. industry	Based in OSU’s Division of Extension and Engagement, partners in the center are the College of Forestry and OSU-Cascades in Bend.
	‘Shortcuts’ to increase female enrollment in economics may backfire, OSU study cautions	Current best practices for encouraging more female students to pursue degrees in economics may actually have the opposite effect and worsen gender disparities in the field, a recent study from Oregon State University found.
	Master Recyclers, OSU organizations combine efforts for The Great Move-Out	Master Recyclers and Oregon State University are teaming up for The Great Move-Out
	Corvallis TRACE-COVID-19 sampling June 5 and 6 to include saliva testing for antibodies	CORVALLIS, Ore. – Oregon State University will conduct its seventh round of TRACE-COVID-19 door-to-door sampling throughout Corvallis the weekend of June 5 and 6 for the coronavirus that causes COVID-19.
	Oregon State Corvallis campus to hold in-person graduation event	Oregon State University will hold an in-person celebratory event June 11 for 2020 and 2021 Corvallis campus graduates, the day before the university holds its formal virtual 2021 Commencement ceremony.
	With a few tips and patience, gardeners can grow melons	If you’re choosing varieties for western Oregon, look for melons that require a shorter season.
	Pre-pandemic, Oregon child care was already scarce, new OSU report says	A new report from Oregon State University shows that as of March 2020, all 36 counties in Oregon qualify as child care “deserts” for infants and toddlers — meaning that there are at least three children under the age of 2 for every available child care slot in the county.
	Oregon State University research shows two invasive beachgrasses are hybridizing	Two species of sand-stabilizing beachgrasses introduced to the Pacific Northwest starting in the early 1900s are hybridizing, raising new questions about impacts to the coastal ecosystems the non-native plants have been engineering for more than a century.
	Oregon State Board of Trustees approves fall resumption plan, Reser Stadium renovation	The Oregon State University Board of Trustees Friday approved plans for returning to on-site learning and employment this fall and the renovation of Reser Stadium.
	Oregon Secretary of State Shemia Fagan to discuss voting rights in OSU McCall Lecture May 27	Oregon Secretary of State Shemia Fagan will speak on Oregon’s voting system and ongoing efforts to establish fair, accessible elections for this year’s Governor Tom McCall Memorial Lecture at Oregon State University.
	White shark population is small but healthy off the coast of Central California, study finds	The population of white sharks that call the Central California coast their primary home is holding steady at about 300 animals and shows some signs of growth, a new long-term study of the species has shown.
	Researchers get closer to gene therapy that would restore hearing for the congenitally deaf	CORVALLIS, Ore. – Researchers at Oregon State University have found a key new piece of the puzzle in the quest to use gene therapy to enable people born deaf to hear.
	First Latina in space to deliver keynote at Engineering Virtual Expo 2021	CORVALLIS, Ore. – Ellen Ochoa, the first Latina to journey to space and the former director of NASA’s Johnson Space Center, will deliver the keynote lecture next month at Engineering Virtual Expo 2021, an event organized by the Oregon State University College of Engineering that showcases undergraduate student design projects.
	Oregon State student-driven lab creates environmental sensing tools for landslides, vineyards	A student-driven lab at Oregon State University is celebrating its fifth anniversary with the development of environmental sensing devices that aid a variety of groups, including vineyard managers, agencies that monitor landslides and scientists focused on fish conservation.
	Oregon State research shows why some pockets of conifer survive repeated forest fires	CORVALLIS, Ore. – Oregon State University researchers say “topographic templates” can help forest conservation managers develop strategies for protecting and restoring the most fire-resistant parts of vulnerable forests across a range of ecosystems.
	Horticulturist Abra Lee to speak on culture of gardening	Lee plans to discuss how Black woman have, through determination, enthusiasm and willpower, overcome ugliness in America to cultivate beauty in the landscape.
	Species losses on isolated Panamanian island show importance of habitat connectivity	CORVALLIS, Ore. – Free from human disturbance for a century, an inland island in Central America has nevertheless lost more than 25% of its native bird species since its creation as part of the Panama Canal’s construction, and scientists say the losses continue.
	Oregon State, Samaritan Health Services looking to partner on campus wellness clinic	Oregon State University and Samaritan Health Services leaders announced today that they are engaged in discussions to collaborate on a proposed wellness clinic adjacent to Reser Stadium that would serve OSU students, with additional services available for employees as well as Benton County community members.
	Oregon State students test-fire high-altitude rocket motor, reach final eight in $1M challenge	CORVALLIS, Ore. – A team from Oregon State University is the first college student group in Oregon to fire a liquid bipropellant rocket engine and one of eight finalists in a $1 million competition to send a rocket to outer space, 100 kilometers from the Earth.
	Oregon State researchers discover new class of cancer fighting compounds	A team of Oregon State University scientists has discovered a new class of anti-cancer compounds that effectively kill liver and breast cancer cells.
	‘This IS Kalapuyan Land’ exhibition, talks come to Oregon State University starting May 11	An outdoor museum exhibition and series of talks recognizing native Kalapuya history and land stewardship in Oregon is coming to Oregon State University starting May 11.
	OSU Board of Trustees and Committees to meet May 20 – 21	The Oregon State University Board of Trustees will meet Friday, May 21, 2021, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
	Oregon State’s College of Agricultural Sciences opens online store for cheese, honey, jerky	The Oregon State University College of Agricultural Sciences has launched an online retail store to sell cheeses, honey and beef jerky made by its students.
	Rice provost, native Haitian to speak on race, inequities and devastating 2010 earthquake	CORVALLIS, Ore. – Reginald DesRoches, provost of Rice University and a native Haitian, will present this year’s College of Engineering Dean’s Distinguished Lecture, “The 2020 Haiti Earthquake: A Story of History, Race, Inequities, and Natural Hazards.”
	Roundhouse Foundation gift to support learning experiences in marine innovation and technology	The Roundhouse Foundation has awarded more than $500,000 to Oregon State University to support students conducting research and exploring careers in marine technology, innovation and entrepreneurship at the Hatfield Marine Science Center.
	Oregon State University plans to require COVID-19 vaccine for students and employees this fall	Oregon State University announced today that it is planning to require COVID-19 vaccinations beginning fall term 2021 for students and employees who study and work onsite at OSU locations.
	Oregon State’s 24-hour fundraising effort yields more than $1.1 million	A 24-hour fundraising event last week within Oregon State University yielded more than 4,000 gifts totaling more than $1.1 million, the majority of which will directly benefit students.
	Three from OSU College of Engineering win prestigious award from National Science Foundation	CORVALLIS, Ore. – Three early-career faculty in the Oregon State University College of Engineering have received prestigious National Science Foundation grants, one for studying the use of mass timber for building construction, another for researching the safe production of hydrogen gas from seawater, and the third for improving the species distribution models used by ecologists and natural resource managers.
	Becky Johnson now serving as Oregon State’s interim president	Rebecca “Becky” Johnson began her service May 1 as the interim president of Oregon State University.
$Grains, seeds and nuts that have been soaked in cold water. \$	A cold soak lowers the risk of salmonella growth on ‘sprouted’ foods	If the soaking phase happens at ambient temperature, there is a significant food safety problem, study finds.

April - 2021

April - 2021
	Choose a lawn mower to fit your needs	How you choose between rotary, reel and electric models has to do with your situation and preferences.
	Andrew Ketsdever named interim vice president of OSU-Cascades	Andrew Ketsdever, chief academic administrator of Oregon State University – Cascades, was named today to serve as interim vice president of the campus.
	OSU’s American Strings presents An Evening with Andrew Bird and Jimbo Mathus	The next installment of Oregon State University’s American Strings series will feature musicians Andrew Bird and Jimbo Mathus at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, May 12.
	Older adults found resilience during pandemic through community, human connection, study finds	Older adults were significantly affected by isolation and stress during Oregon’s initial COVID-19 lockdown last spring, but they were also able to find connection and meaning in community, new hobbies and time for themselves, a recent Oregon State University study found.
	Combining solar panels and lamb grazing increases land productivity, study finds	Land productivity could be greatly increased by combining sheep grazing and solar energy production on the same land, according to new research by Oregon State University scientists.
	Socially just population policies can mitigate climate change while advancing global equity	CORVALLIS, Ore. – Socially just policies aimed at limiting the Earth’s human population hold tremendous potential for advancing equity while simultaneously helping to mitigate the effects of climate change, Oregon State University researchers say.
	Top Oregon family businesses to be honored by OSU College of Business at virtual event May 7	Several Oregon family businesses will be honored at the Oregon State University College of Business’ 2021 Excellence in Family Business Awards ceremony at 11:30 a.m. Friday, May 7. The event, which is free and open to the public, will be held virtually.
	Oregon State University launches graduate program in artificial intelligence	CORVALLIS, Ore. – Oregon State University’s College of Engineering is launching a unique program for graduate study in artificial intelligence, with an initial cohort of about 40 students to be enrolled in fall 2021.
	Plant veggies at the right time to avoid disappointment	One of the biggest mistakes people make is to plant too early.
	Wastewater testing suggests highly contagious South African COVID-19 variant in Albany, Corvallis	Ongoing statewide wastewater testing and genome sequencing through the collaboration of Oregon State University’s TRACE-COVID-19 project and the Oregon Health Authority suggests the South African variant of the COVID-19 virus is present in Albany and Corvallis.
	Oregon State University again ranked in the top 1.4 percent of universities worldwide	Oregon State ranked 89^th in the nation
	Unprecedented combination of weather and drought conditions fueled Oregon’s September wildfires	An unprecedented combination of strong easterly winds and low humidity coupled with prolonged drought conditions drove the spread of catastrophic wildfires in the Oregon Cascades last September, a new study has found.
	OSU TRACE-COVID-19 project tests 60,000 individuals, 3,000 wastewater samples in first year	CORVALLIS, Ore. – Oregon State University’s groundbreaking public health project, TRACE-COVID-19, has conducted more than 60,000 individual tests and more than 3,000 wastewater tests in dozens of Oregon communities as it marks its one-year anniversary.
	Oregon State to recognize Juneteenth as a university holiday	Oregon State University will recognize Juneteenth as a university holiday on June 18, 2021, underscoring the university’s commitment to leading change and dismantling systemic racism.
	Wave energy and its role in the energy sector and Oregon topic of next Oregon State Science Pub	Wave energy and its role in decarbonizing the energy sector in the world, nation and in Oregon will be the focus of the Oregon State University Science Pub on May 10.
	Oregon State’s Spinrad tapped to serve as NOAA administrator	Richard “Rick” Spinrad, an Oregon State University professor and former OSU vice president for research, has been nominated by President Joe Biden to serve as Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
	OSU Cabildos Lecture Series concludes April 28 with political theorist Adom Getachew	Political theorist Adom Getachew will deliver the final lecture of Oregon State University’s 2020-21 Cabildos Lecture Series at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, April 28.
	Monitor to support non-invasive ventilation of COVID-19 patients launches with help from OSU researcher	The Food and Drug Administration just approved a medical monitoring device that could aid patients with COVID-19 and other respiratory ailments that was developed by a team including an Oregon State University researcher.
	After 40 years, new fish species in OSU Ichthyology Collection named by students on Guam	CORVALLIS, Ore. – Four decades after their capture more than a half-mile below the ocean’s surface, three snailfish species have received their scientific names, two of them from school children on Guam in the island’s native Chamorro language.
	Efforts to reduce opioid prescriptions may be hindering end-of-life pain management	PORTLAND, Ore. – Policies designed to prevent the misuse of opioids may have the unintended side effect of limiting access to the pain-relieving drugs by terminally ill patients nearing the end of their life, new research led by the Oregon State University College of Pharmacy suggests.
	Artist, author, teacher and mentor Lynda Barry to receive OSU’s Stone Award April 29	Cartoonist, author and teacher Lynda Barry will deliver a virtual reading at 5 p.m. on Thursday, April 29, as the 2021 recipient of Oregon State University’s Stone Award for Literary Achievement.
	Oregon State Board of Trustees names Becky Johnson interim president	The Oregon State University Board of Trustees on Friday voted unanimously to name Rebecca “Becky” Johnson as the university’s interim president.
	Rural-urban divide compounds racial disparities in COVID-19 deaths, study finds	While Black, Hispanic, Latino, Indigenous, Asian and Pacific Islander people are more likely to die of COVID-19 than white people nationwide, a recent study from Oregon State University found the risk was even greater for racial and ethnic minority groups living in rural areas compared with urban areas.
	OSU Board of Trustees to meet April 16	The Oregon State University Board of Trustees will meet from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. on Friday, April 16, 2021, to consider the appointment of OSU-Cascades Vice President Rebecca “Becky” Johnson as interim president.
	Partial shade from solar panels increase abundance of flowers in late summer	A new study by Oregon State University researchers found that shade provided by solar panels increased the abundance of flowers under the panels and delayed the timing of their bloom, both findings that could aid the agricultural community.
	Oregon State presents lecture by renowned China scholar Andrew Nathan on April 29	One of the world’s leading scholars on China, Andrew J. Nathan, is delivering a free remote lecture on Chinese political strategy as part of an Oregon State University event at noon on Thursday, April 29.
	OSU professor’s new book on U.S. grand strategy appeals to history buffs, global thinkers	A new book from Oregon State University professor Christopher McKnight Nichols aims to expand readers’ understanding of what constitutes U.S. grand strategy — and who has played a role in shaping it over the last century.
	OSU Extension uses statewide network to encourage participation in vaccinations	Efforts include volunteering at mass vaccination clinics, using the OSU Extension website to curate credible vaccine information and provide local access and eligibility details, and working closely with state and local partners to address the challenges of reaching all Oregonians, including vaccine-hesitant populations
	Development policy decisions will affect coastal communities’ risk more than climate change	CORVALLIS, Ore. – Coastal communities face increasing danger from rising water and storms, but the level of risk will be more closely tied to policy decisions regarding development than the varying conditions associated with climate change, new research by Oregon State University suggests.
	OSU releases new, antioxidant-rich purple tomato	“We were selecting for a really dark Indigo-type processing tomato,” Myers said. “Ultimately, we got a really nice one."
	Picking up baby birds can do more harm than good	Identifying the age of a bird is crucial in how you deal with one that's on the ground.
	New Memorial Union art exhibit features OSU pandemic photos	OSU alum has been photographing campus for a year
	Former Oregon State President Edward J. Ray will be the 2021 commencement speaker	Edward J. Ray, who led a dynamic transformation at Oregon State University during 17 years of service as its president, will deliver the commencement address for OSU’s Corvallis campus during the commencement event to be held virtually on June 12 in compliance with current health guidelines.
	Research suggests eucalyptus trees can be genetically modified not to invade native ecosystems	CORVALLIS, Ore. – Eucalyptus, a pest-resistant evergreen valued for its hardy lumber and wellness-promoting oil, can be genetically modified not to reproduce sexually, a key step toward preventing the global tree plantation staple from invading native ecosystems.

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