Ecampus

OSU Authors: New book from Ecampus researcher explores the psychology of imaginary friends

By Molly Rosbach on Jan. 30, 2025

If you’ve ever had an imaginary friend or engaged in personal banter with an AI chatbot, Oregon State University researcher and author Naomi Aguiar is here to reassure you: You are not weird.

Her book, “Imaginary Friends and the People Who Create Them,” was co-written with University of Oregon professor emerita Marjorie Taylor and recently published by Oxford University Press.

Where in the world is Ecampus student Jo Brunelli? Brazil

By Molly Rosbach on Jan. 14, 2025

Jo Brunelli (in red hoodie) with Brazilian colleagues and volunteers outside the lab at the Instituto de Pesquisas da Biodiversidade in Brazil. 

Jo Brunelli is a senior Ecampus student in Philadelphia completing a bachelor’s degree in natural resources in Oregon State University’s College of Forestry. She hopes to work in hydrology focusing on water conservation, riparian ecosystem health and ensuring equitable access to water. She spent last summer researching fungi in Brazil.