Climate

Photo: The main plaza in Yauyos. In the evening, the plaza is crowded with locals talking to each other and enjoying a small snack or coffee, Cardenas said. 

Lorena Cardenas is a second-year Ph.D. student in OSU’s College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences, studying human-environmental geography. Her research focuses on the impact of climate change on small villages in Peru and how people from varying backgrounds experience climate change differently.

The Oregon State University Sustainability Office recently released its FY2024 greenhouse gas report, showing that the university reduced its total gross emissions statewide by 0.98% from the previous year. The university has reduced its per-square-foot emissions by nearly half since 2008, including a drop of 6.5% per 1,000 square feet of building space from FY23 to FY24.

Taylor Hersh taking a photo while doing field work on an unrelated project near Dominica. Photo by Ellen Jacobs. 

Oregon State University researcher Taylor Hersh has been named one of five women in science awardees by L’Oreal USA for 2024, a recognition that also comes with a $60,000 grant to pursue further research and public engagement.

Students in the Gorongosa Master's in Conservation Biology program taught local children about the value of forests when the team planted a reforestation experiment. They invited kids for an environmental education day and got them involved in planting some of the seedlings. 

Tara Massad is an instructor in the College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences, where she teaches tropical ecology, conservation and restoration ecology. She also spends several months of the year in Mozambique. 

Plastic microfibers visible to the naked eye. Photo by Anna Bolm.

Susanne Brander is an ecotoxicologist and associate professor in the College of Agricultural Sciences, where her research examines how wildlife is affected by microplastics and other environmental pollutants, and how microplastics accumulate in the environment.