Dean's Note

It's been a couple of months since Hurricanes Katrina and Rita hit the Gulf Coast states, and Oregon is thousands of miles from the storm damage. But as distant as it is, the destruction in the Gulf still feels like the backdrop for this fall's Graduate School news.
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Graduate School Orientation
Years ago, orientation was a time for administrators to stand in front of a large group of students and tell them how things are done. But now, most of the program is led by experienced graduate students, sharing their advice on everything from the social life of Corvallis to kick-starting a research project.
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Sloan Professional Master's Degrees
There's a hot job market right now for scientists who also have fundamental business skills, and students in OSU's new Professional Science Master's degree programs are primed for those jobs.
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Erik Muehlenkamp Memorial
The Chemical Engineering department recently lost one of its favorite sons. Erik Muehlenkamp had been a fixture around the department for nearly 10 years, sharing his love of learning, his amazing ideas, and his quirky sense of humor. Devoted professors led an intense effort to help him complete his master's of science degree before he died.
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Ford Foundation Diversity Fellowship Recipient Holly Barnard
Holly Barnard, recipient of the Ford Foundation Diversity Fellowship, says that more diversity in higher education faculty would have an immense impact in the classroom. "The broader the diversity, the more it leads to critical thinking," she says. "That can build problem-solving skills and open people's minds to different viewpoints later in their lives."
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Club Fellowship Recipient Anne Guerry
This year's University Club Fellowship recipient, Anne Guerry, has always felt it was important to balance theoretical research with science that has a more immediate impact. She chose OSU five years ago because she found a Zoology lab where she could create the ideal mix.
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Frolander Award Recipient Leah Bandstra
While serving as a GTA in Chemical Oceanography, Frolander Award winner Leah Bandstra made an important personal discovery. Teaching was not just a step along the path toward her life's work - teaching was her life's work.
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Bridge to the Future Fund
The Graduate School has issued its second award from the Irma Delson Bridge to the Future Fund. D. Erik Ellis, a PhD student in history of science, applied to the fund late last summer when it became clear that he would deplete his finances a few months before finishing his degree.
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