Research news
OSU to celebrate Austin Hall construction on April 19
CORVALLIS, Ore. – Oregon State University will celebrate the construction launch of Austin Hall, the new home for the university’s College of Business, on Friday, April 19.
A public ceremony and reception will begin at 4 p.m. on Jefferson Way between S.W. 26th and S.W. 30th streets.
The building, named in honor of Joan and Ken Austin, of Newberg, Ore., for their $10-million commitment, is a $55-million project. Longtime donors to the university, the Austins are co-founders and owners of A-dec, Inc., a world-renowned dental equipment manufacturer. Joan Austin also is president of Springbrook Properties, developer of the acclaimed The Allison Inn & Spa. Ken Austin, graduated from OSU in 1954 with a degree in industrial and manufacturing engineering.
The late Al Reser, his wife Pat and their family, committed an additional $6 million to the project. The Austin and Reser lead gifts have been combined with gifts from additional donors and $25 million in matching state bonds.
“Austin Hall is an incredible milestone in the history of the College of Business. It will allow us to better meet the changing needs for business education and better prepare profession-ready students for the workplace,” said Ilene Kleinsorge, dean and Sara Hart Kimball Chair of the College of Business. “We are forever grateful to the Austins and Resers for their leadership, and for inspiring so many more to generously support the building.”
The 100,000-square-foot facility, scheduled to open in fall 2014, will include 10 classrooms, a 250-seat auditorium, a Career Success Center, an MBA suite, a research lab, collaborative team rooms, more than 70 faculty offices, staff and program offices, a café and event space.
Founded in 1908 as one of the nation’s first 12 schools of commerce, the college offers 10 undergraduate degrees and graduate programs that include an MBA degree with eight different track options including an executive leadership track offered in a hybrid format, an accountancy-MBA, and graduate design degrees. Today, more than 5,000 students—nearly 25 percent of all OSU students—major, minor, or seek specialized coursework within the college.
OSU Foundation Media Contact: Angela Yeager Source:Jenn Casey, 541-737-0695
Multimedia:OSU to celebrate Austin Hall construction on April 19
CORVALLIS, Ore. – Oregon State University will celebrate the construction launch of Austin Hall, the new home for the university’s College of Business, on Friday, April 19.
A public ceremony and reception will begin at 4 p.m. on Jefferson Way between S.W. 26th and S.W. 30th streets.
The building, named in honor of Joan and Ken Austin, of Newberg, Ore., for their $10-million commitment, is a $55-million project. Longtime donors to the university, the Austins are co-founders and owners of A-dec, Inc., a world-renowned dental equipment manufacturer. Joan Austin also is president of Springbrook Properties, developer of the acclaimed The Allison Inn & Spa. Ken Austin, graduated from OSU in 1954 with a degree in industrial and manufacturing engineering.
The late Al Reser, his wife Pat and their family, committed an additional $6 million to the project. The Austin and Reser lead gifts have been combined with gifts from additional donors and $25 million in matching state bonds.
“Austin Hall is an incredible milestone in the history of the College of Business. It will allow us to better meet the changing needs for business education and better prepare profession-ready students for the workplace,” said Ilene Kleinsorge, dean and Sara Hart Kimball Chair of the College of Business. “We are forever grateful to the Austins and Resers for their leadership, and for inspiring so many more to generously support the building.”
The 100,000-square-foot facility, scheduled to open in fall 2014, will include 10 classrooms, a 250-seat auditorium, a Career Success Center, an MBA suite, a research lab, collaborative team rooms, more than 70 faculty offices, staff and program offices, a café and event space.
Founded in 1908 as one of the nation’s first 12 schools of commerce, the college offers 10 undergraduate degrees and graduate programs that include an MBA degree with eight different track options including an executive leadership track offered in a hybrid format, an accountancy-MBA, and graduate design degrees. Today, more than 5,000 students—nearly 25 percent of all OSU students—major, minor, or seek specialized coursework within the college.
OSU Foundation Media Contact: Angela Yeager Source:Jenn Casey, 541-737-0695
Multimedia:German a capella group Vocaldente returns to OSU on April 25
CORVALLIS, Ore. – German a cappella ensemble Vocaldente will visit Corvallis on Thursday, April 25, for a free concert at the Whiteside Theatre at 6 p.m. Doors open at 5:30 p.m.
Vocaldente performs popular music from the past several decades in classical a cappella style, without microphones but with entertaining choreography. Its repertoire covers songs of every decade, including 1920s Charleston tunes, popular German styles from the 1950s, 1970s disco and recent pop songs and chart hits.
In addition to the concert, the group plans to do a “mobile workshop,” moving around the Oregon State University campus singing and interacting with students, starting at noon on April 25.
The event is organized by the German program in OSU’s School of Language, Culture and Society.
College of Liberal Arts Media Contact: Angela Yeager Source:Sebastian Heiduschke, 541-737-3957
German a capella group Vocaldente returns to OSU on April 25
CORVALLIS, Ore. – German a cappella ensemble Vocaldente will visit Corvallis on Thursday, April 25, for a free concert at the Whiteside Theatre at 6 p.m. Doors open at 5:30 p.m.
Vocaldente performs popular music from the past several decades in classical a cappella style, without microphones but with entertaining choreography. Its repertoire covers songs of every decade, including 1920s Charleston tunes, popular German styles from the 1950s, 1970s disco and recent pop songs and chart hits.
In addition to the concert, the group plans to do a “mobile workshop,” moving around the Oregon State University campus singing and interacting with students, starting at noon on April 25.
The event is organized by the German program in OSU’s School of Language, Culture and Society.
College of Liberal Arts Media Contact: Angela Yeager Source:Sebastian Heiduschke, 541-737-3957
Oregon State University featured in The Princeton Review’s Guide to Green Colleges
Oregon State University received 98 points out of a possible 99 as a ‘green’ school in the latest edition of “The Princeton Review’s Guide to 322 Green Colleges: 2013 Edition.”
CORVALLIS, Ore. – Oregon State University received 98 points out of a possible 99 as a ‘green’ school in the latest edition of “The Princeton Review’s Guide to 322 Green Colleges: 2013 Edition.” The schools are chosen based on a 50-question survey conducted at hundreds of four-year colleges.
The Princeton Review analyzes data from the survey about the schools' course offerings, campus infrastructure, activities and career preparation to measure their commitment to the environment and to sustainability.
“The OSU community has once again demonstrated a high level of interest in and competency around sustainability,” said Brandon Trelstad, OSU’s sustainability coordinator.
The 215-page guide is the only free comprehensive resource of its kind. It can be downloaded at www.princetonreview.com/green-guide and www.centerforgreenschools.org/greenguide. It does not rank schools hierarchically, but each school’s green score can be found in their school profile on the main site (http://www.princetonreview.com/).
The 322 school profiles in the guide feature essential information for applicants – facts and stats on school demographics, admission, financial aid – plus write-ups on the schools' specific sustainability initiatives. A "Green Facts" sidebar reports on a wide range of topics from the school's use of renewable energy sources, recycling and conservation programs to the availability of environmental studies and career guidance for green jobs.
“The volume and breadth of sustainability related work at this institution is amazing, and fascinatingly diverse,” Trelstad said. “I think what continually sets OSU apart is its broad spectrum of sustainability expertise. This is supported by students who care about global issues and come to OSU to build on that interest.”
Among OSU’s green highlights were an overall waste diversion rate of 42 percent, its numerous sustainability awards, its annual Nonprofit Career Day, and a building policy that ensures students will typically walk no further than 10 minutes across campus for class.
“OSU has a history of creating innovative projects to reduce energy use and meet its goal of climate neutrality by 2024,” the guide states.
The Princeton Review created its "Guide to 322 Green Colleges" in partnership with the Center for Green Schools (www.usgbc.org) at the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC)), with generous support from United Technologies Corp. (www.utc.com), founding sponsor of the Center for Green Schools.
Generic OSU Media Contact: Theresa Hogue Source:
Brandon Trelstad, 541-737-3307
Oregon State University featured in The Princeton Review’s Guide to Green Colleges
Oregon State University received 98 points out of a possible 99 as a ‘green’ school in the latest edition of “The Princeton Review’s Guide to 322 Green Colleges: 2013 Edition.”
CORVALLIS, Ore. – Oregon State University received 98 points out of a possible 99 as a ‘green’ school in the latest edition of “The Princeton Review’s Guide to 322 Green Colleges: 2013 Edition.” The schools are chosen based on a 50-question survey conducted at hundreds of four-year colleges.
The Princeton Review analyzes data from the survey about the schools' course offerings, campus infrastructure, activities and career preparation to measure their commitment to the environment and to sustainability.
“The OSU community has once again demonstrated a high level of interest in and competency around sustainability,” said Brandon Trelstad, OSU’s sustainability coordinator.
The 215-page guide is the only free comprehensive resource of its kind. It can be downloaded at www.princetonreview.com/green-guide and www.centerforgreenschools.org/greenguide. It does not rank schools hierarchically, but each school’s green score can be found in their school profile on the main site (http://www.princetonreview.com/).
The 322 school profiles in the guide feature essential information for applicants – facts and stats on school demographics, admission, financial aid – plus write-ups on the schools' specific sustainability initiatives. A "Green Facts" sidebar reports on a wide range of topics from the school's use of renewable energy sources, recycling and conservation programs to the availability of environmental studies and career guidance for green jobs.
“The volume and breadth of sustainability related work at this institution is amazing, and fascinatingly diverse,” Trelstad said. “I think what continually sets OSU apart is its broad spectrum of sustainability expertise. This is supported by students who care about global issues and come to OSU to build on that interest.”
Among OSU’s green highlights were an overall waste diversion rate of 42 percent, its numerous sustainability awards, its annual Nonprofit Career Day, and a building policy that ensures students will typically walk no further than 10 minutes across campus for class.
“OSU has a history of creating innovative projects to reduce energy use and meet its goal of climate neutrality by 2024,” the guide states.
The Princeton Review created its "Guide to 322 Green Colleges" in partnership with the Center for Green Schools (www.usgbc.org) at the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC)), with generous support from United Technologies Corp. (www.utc.com), founding sponsor of the Center for Green Schools.
Generic OSU Media Contact: Theresa Hogue Source:
Brandon Trelstad, 541-737-3307
Essayist and pianist join on May 1 to explore words and music
CORVALLIS, Ore. – Naturalist, philosopher and essayist Kathleen Dean Moore of Oregon State University will join OSU concert pianist Rachelle McCabe in a celebration of the music of words and the words of music on Wednesday, May 1, at the Corvallis-Benton County Public Library,
The free, public presentation begins at 7 p.m., with a book signing to follow. The event marks the publication of a new edition of Moore’s collection of essays, Holdfast: At Home in the Natural World.
Moore and McCabe will mix it up with Simon and Garfunkel. They’ll explore what it means to love a child through music, words, and an old lullaby. Moore will read old favorites like “Howling with Strangers” and “The Song of the Canyon Wren,” and new works about such things as the best songs to sing to bears.
The re-issue of Holdfast, which includes a new afterword by the author, is part of the OSU Press’ Northwest Reprints series. The series was established to keep classic works of fiction and nonfiction in print.
The event is supported by Grass Roots Books & Music, The Friends of the Corvallis-Benton County Library, The Spring Creek Project, and OSU Press.
More information about Holdfast is available at: http://osupress.oregonstate.edu/book/holdfast
Generic OSU Media Contact: Mark Floyd Source:Micki Reaman, 541-737-4620
Essayist and pianist join on May 1 to explore words and music
CORVALLIS, Ore. – Naturalist, philosopher and essayist Kathleen Dean Moore of Oregon State University will join OSU concert pianist Rachelle McCabe in a celebration of the music of words and the words of music on Wednesday, May 1, at the Corvallis-Benton County Public Library,
The free, public presentation begins at 7 p.m., with a book signing to follow. The event marks the publication of a new edition of Moore’s collection of essays, Holdfast: At Home in the Natural World.
Moore and McCabe will mix it up with Simon and Garfunkel. They’ll explore what it means to love a child through music, words, and an old lullaby. Moore will read old favorites like “Howling with Strangers” and “The Song of the Canyon Wren,” and new works about such things as the best songs to sing to bears.
The re-issue of Holdfast, which includes a new afterword by the author, is part of the OSU Press’ Northwest Reprints series. The series was established to keep classic works of fiction and nonfiction in print.
The event is supported by Grass Roots Books & Music, The Friends of the Corvallis-Benton County Library, The Spring Creek Project, and OSU Press.
More information about Holdfast is available at: http://osupress.oregonstate.edu/book/holdfast
Generic OSU Media Contact: Mark Floyd Source:Micki Reaman, 541-737-4620
Soil parasite costs Northwest wheat growers $51 million in lost revenue, says OSU
CORVALLIS, Ore. – A microscopic parasitic roundworm is costing Pacific Northwest wheat growers $51 million in lost revenue each year because it's cutting grain yields by an average of about 5 percent, according to estimates by Oregon State University researchers.
Called the root-lesion nematode, the transparent, eel-shaped roundworm lives in the soil and feeds on the roots of wheat, barley, oats and many other crops. This limits the crops' ability to take up nutrients and water, leaving plants with smaller heads and yellowed leaves.
"The presence of nematodes is usually confused with root rot, viruses or lack of nutrition because the effect on crops looks the same," said Dick Smiley, a plant pathologist at OSU's Columbia Basin Agricultural Research Center in Pendleton. “But nematodes often go undetected because they're not well-known, and they're transparent and thinner than a human hair.”
Researchers have detected the root-lesion nematode in about 90 percent of fields sampled in Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington, according to Smiley, who has studied the pest since 1999. Population densities of nematodes high enough to reduce yields have been detected in 60 percent of fields sampled in Oregon and Washington. The roundworm wreaks the most havoc in drier areas where wheat and barley grow.
Most nematodes are beneficial to agriculture by helping decompose organic matter. Some, however, are parasitic to plants or animals. They spread easily, hitchhiking to new locations via the wind, animals, farm equipment and boots. It's nearly impossible to eradicate them once they're established.
Another harmful roundworm, the cereal cyst nematode, is also damaging wheat, barley and oats in the Pacific Northwest. First identified in western Oregon in 1974, it is now found in eight western states.
Wheat farmers in Idaho, Oregon and Washington are estimated to lose $3.4 million in revenue each year to cereal cyst nematodes, according to OSU calculations. Researchers arrived at the figure by considering a range of factors, including the percentage of fields infested with damaging densities of nematodes, as well as the yields and farmgate value for crops in these infested areas.
OSU scientists are studying crop management strategies to mitigate the worms' impact. The most effective tactic they've found is a three-year crop rotation where farmers skip two years between wheat plantings.
Rotations vary depending upon which nematode is causing problems. Root-lesion nematodes are well-managed by planting winter wheat the first year and spring barley the second year and then letting the field go fallow the third year. Cereal cyst nematodes are best-managed by rotating wheat or barley with broadleaf crops.
Crop damage can also be alleviated to a limited extent by applying extra fertilizer and water. There are no chemicals legally available for wheat and barley growers to kill the two types of nematodes.
OSU researchers have also tested more than 20 wheat, barley and oat cultivars to determine how badly yields are reduced. Most Pacific Northwest wheat varieties don't resist harmful nematodes.
In OSU's tests, nearly every variety suffered severe root injury. Only the hard red spring wheat WB-Rockland prevented cereal cyst nematodes from reproducing while also maintaining consistent yields. UI Stone, a soft white spring wheat, and Buck Pronto, a hard red spring wheat, allowed nematode populations to thrive but still produced a steady crop.
Additionally, University of Idaho, Washington State University, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and commercial wheat breeders are crossing sources of resistance with a number of wheat varieties to create new cultivars that can potentially stand up to the cereal cyst and root-lesion nematodes.
OSU researchers recommend growers have their soil tested for nematodes. Addresses for testing labs, as well as information about management strategies for farmers, are available in two OSU Extension factsheets at http://bit.ly/OSU_ExtBulletin3 and http://bit.ly/OSU_ExtBulletin2.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington State University and the University of Idaho are collaborators with OSU on its cereal cyst nematode research.
Generic OSU Media Contact: Daniel Robison Source:Richard Smiley, 541-278-4397
Multimedia:
Dick Smiley, a plant pathologist at Oregon State University, examines the roots of young wheat plants. (Photo by Lynn Ketchum.)
Soil parasite costs Northwest wheat growers $51 million in lost revenue, says OSU
CORVALLIS, Ore. – A microscopic parasitic roundworm is costing Pacific Northwest wheat growers $51 million in lost revenue each year because it's cutting grain yields by an average of about 5 percent, according to estimates by Oregon State University researchers.
Called the root-lesion nematode, the transparent, eel-shaped roundworm lives in the soil and feeds on the roots of wheat, barley, oats and many other crops. This limits the crops' ability to take up nutrients and water, leaving plants with smaller heads and yellowed leaves.
"The presence of nematodes is usually confused with root rot, viruses or lack of nutrition because the effect on crops looks the same," said Dick Smiley, a plant pathologist at OSU's Columbia Basin Agricultural Research Center in Pendleton. “But nematodes often go undetected because they're not well-known, and they're transparent and thinner than a human hair.”
Researchers have detected the root-lesion nematode in about 90 percent of fields sampled in Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington, according to Smiley, who has studied the pest since 1999. Population densities of nematodes high enough to reduce yields have been detected in 60 percent of fields sampled in Oregon and Washington. The roundworm wreaks the most havoc in drier areas where wheat and barley grow.
Most nematodes are beneficial to agriculture by helping decompose organic matter. Some, however, are parasitic to plants or animals. They spread easily, hitchhiking to new locations via the wind, animals, farm equipment and boots. It's nearly impossible to eradicate them once they're established.
Another harmful roundworm, the cereal cyst nematode, is also damaging wheat, barley and oats in the Pacific Northwest. First identified in western Oregon in 1974, it is now found in eight western states.
Wheat farmers in Idaho, Oregon and Washington are estimated to lose $3.4 million in revenue each year to cereal cyst nematodes, according to OSU calculations. Researchers arrived at the figure by considering a range of factors, including the percentage of fields infested with damaging densities of nematodes, as well as the yields and farmgate value for crops in these infested areas.
OSU scientists are studying crop management strategies to mitigate the worms' impact. The most effective tactic they've found is a three-year crop rotation where farmers skip two years between wheat plantings.
Rotations vary depending upon which nematode is causing problems. Root-lesion nematodes are well-managed by planting winter wheat the first year and spring barley the second year and then letting the field go fallow the third year. Cereal cyst nematodes are best-managed by rotating wheat or barley with broadleaf crops.
Crop damage can also be alleviated to a limited extent by applying extra fertilizer and water. There are no chemicals legally available for wheat and barley growers to kill the two types of nematodes.
OSU researchers have also tested more than 20 wheat, barley and oat cultivars to determine how badly yields are reduced. Most Pacific Northwest wheat varieties don't resist harmful nematodes.
In OSU's tests, nearly every variety suffered severe root injury. Only the hard red spring wheat WB-Rockland prevented cereal cyst nematodes from reproducing while also maintaining consistent yields. UI Stone, a soft white spring wheat, and Buck Pronto, a hard red spring wheat, allowed nematode populations to thrive but still produced a steady crop.
Additionally, University of Idaho, Washington State University, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and commercial wheat breeders are crossing sources of resistance with a number of wheat varieties to create new cultivars that can potentially stand up to the cereal cyst and root-lesion nematodes.
OSU researchers recommend growers have their soil tested for nematodes. Addresses for testing labs, as well as information about management strategies for farmers, are available in two OSU Extension factsheets at http://bit.ly/OSU_ExtBulletin3 and http://bit.ly/OSU_ExtBulletin2.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington State University and the University of Idaho are collaborators with OSU on its cereal cyst nematode research.
Generic OSU Media Contact: Daniel Robison Source:Richard Smiley, 541-278-4397
Multimedia:
Dick Smiley, a plant pathologist at Oregon State University, examines the roots of young wheat plants. (Photo by Lynn Ketchum.)
Veteran and activist Bolger to give Pauling peace lecture on April 30
Leah Bolger, former national president of Veterans for Peace, will give the annual Ava Helen and Linus Pauling Memorial Lecture for World Peace at Oregon State University on Tuesday, April 30.
Her talk, “Waging Peace,” begins at 7:30 p.m. in LaSells Stewart Center's Austin Auditorium. It is free and open to the public.
Bolger served more than 20 years in the United States Navy, with tours of duty across the world. She received her master’s degree in national security and strategic affairs from the Naval War College in 1994 and was a military fellow at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1997. Since her retirement in 2000 with the rank of commander, she has dedicated herself to being a full-time peace activist.
After moving to Oregon in 2004, she formed the Linus Pauling Chapter of Veterans for Peace and served as its president for three years. In 2012 she became the first female president of the national Veterans for Peace.
Bolger has organized numerous public events, spoken before audiences large and small, presented workshops and served on panel discussions. She has testified before the Oregon Legislature, and has lobbied both state and federal officials. She has also been arrested numerous times for acts of civil disobedience.
The OSU lectureship honors Linus Pauling, an OSU graduate and two-time Nobel Prize laureate, and his wife, Ava Helen Pauling, a noted peace activist. It is sponsored by the College of Liberal Arts.
College of Liberal Arts Media Contact: Angela Yeager Source:Richard Clinton, 541-737-6246
Multimedia:Veteran and activist Bolger to give Pauling peace lecture on April 30
Leah Bolger, former national president of Veterans for Peace, will give the annual Ava Helen and Linus Pauling Memorial Lecture for World Peace at Oregon State University on Tuesday, April 30.
Her talk, “Waging Peace,” begins at 7:30 p.m. in LaSells Stewart Center's Austin Auditorium. It is free and open to the public.
Bolger served more than 20 years in the United States Navy, with tours of duty across the world. She received her master’s degree in national security and strategic affairs from the Naval War College in 1994 and was a military fellow at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1997. Since her retirement in 2000 with the rank of commander, she has dedicated herself to being a full-time peace activist.
After moving to Oregon in 2004, she formed the Linus Pauling Chapter of Veterans for Peace and served as its president for three years. In 2012 she became the first female president of the national Veterans for Peace.
Bolger has organized numerous public events, spoken before audiences large and small, presented workshops and served on panel discussions. She has testified before the Oregon Legislature, and has lobbied both state and federal officials. She has also been arrested numerous times for acts of civil disobedience.
The OSU lectureship honors Linus Pauling, an OSU graduate and two-time Nobel Prize laureate, and his wife, Ava Helen Pauling, a noted peace activist. It is sponsored by the College of Liberal Arts.
College of Liberal Arts Media Contact: Angela Yeager Source:Richard Clinton, 541-737-6246
Multimedia:Excess vitamin E intake not a health concern
A review of mechanisms the body uses to excrete excess vitamin E make it clear that it's almost impossible to take toxic levels of this nutrient. Deficiency is a much more important concern.
CORVALLIS, Ore. – Despite concerns that have been expressed about possible health risks from high intake of vitamin E, a new review concludes that biological mechanisms exist to routinely eliminate excess levels of the vitamin, and they make it almost impossible to take a harmful amount.
No level of vitamin E in the diet or from any normal use of supplements should be a concern, according to an expert from the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University. The review was just published in the Journal of Lipid Research.
“I believe that past studies which have alleged adverse consequences from vitamin E have misinterpreted the data,” said Maret Traber, an internationally recognized expert on this micronutrient and professor in the OSU College of Public Health and Human Sciences.
“Taking too much vitamin E is not the real concern,” Traber said. “A much more important issue is that more than 90 percent of people in the U.S. have inadequate levels of vitamin E in their diet.”
Vitamin E is an antioxidant and a very important nutrient for proper function of many organs, nerves and muscles, and is also an anticoagulant that can reduce blood clotting. It can be found in oils, meat and some other foods, but is often consumed at inadequate dietary levels, especially with increasing emphasis on low-fat diets.
In the review of how vitamin E is metabolized, researchers have found that two major systems in the liver work to control the level of vitamin E in the body, and they routinely excrete excessive amounts. Very high intakes achieved with supplementation only succeed in doubling the tissue levels of vitamin E, which is not harmful.
“Toxic levels of vitamin E in the body simply do not occur,” Traber said. “Unlike some other fat-soluble vitamins such as vitamins A and D, it’s not possible for toxic levels of vitamin E to accumulate in the liver or other tissues.”
Vitamin E, because of its interaction with vitamin K, can cause some increase in bleeding, research has shown. But no research has found this poses a health risk.
On the other hand, vitamin E performs many critical roles in optimum health. It protects polyunsaturated fatty acids from oxidizing, may help protect other essential lipids, and has been studied for possible value in many degenerative diseases. Higher than normal intake levels may be needed for some people who have certain health problems, and smoking has also been shown to deplete vitamin E levels.
Traber said she recommends taking a daily multivitamin that has the full RDA of vitamin E, along with consuming a healthy and balanced diet.
College of Public Health and Human Sciences Media Contact: David Stauth Source:Maret Traber, 541-737-7977
Excess vitamin E intake not a health concern
A review of mechanisms the body uses to excrete excess vitamin E make it clear that it's almost impossible to take toxic levels of this nutrient. Deficiency is a much more important concern.
CORVALLIS, Ore. – Despite concerns that have been expressed about possible health risks from high intake of vitamin E, a new review concludes that biological mechanisms exist to routinely eliminate excess levels of the vitamin, and they make it almost impossible to take a harmful amount.
No level of vitamin E in the diet or from any normal use of supplements should be a concern, according to an expert from the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University. The review was just published in the Journal of Lipid Research.
“I believe that past studies which have alleged adverse consequences from vitamin E have misinterpreted the data,” said Maret Traber, an internationally recognized expert on this micronutrient and professor in the OSU College of Public Health and Human Sciences.
“Taking too much vitamin E is not the real concern,” Traber said. “A much more important issue is that more than 90 percent of people in the U.S. have inadequate levels of vitamin E in their diet.”
Vitamin E is an antioxidant and a very important nutrient for proper function of many organs, nerves and muscles, and is also an anticoagulant that can reduce blood clotting. It can be found in oils, meat and some other foods, but is often consumed at inadequate dietary levels, especially with increasing emphasis on low-fat diets.
In the review of how vitamin E is metabolized, researchers have found that two major systems in the liver work to control the level of vitamin E in the body, and they routinely excrete excessive amounts. Very high intakes achieved with supplementation only succeed in doubling the tissue levels of vitamin E, which is not harmful.
“Toxic levels of vitamin E in the body simply do not occur,” Traber said. “Unlike some other fat-soluble vitamins such as vitamins A and D, it’s not possible for toxic levels of vitamin E to accumulate in the liver or other tissues.”
Vitamin E, because of its interaction with vitamin K, can cause some increase in bleeding, research has shown. But no research has found this poses a health risk.
On the other hand, vitamin E performs many critical roles in optimum health. It protects polyunsaturated fatty acids from oxidizing, may help protect other essential lipids, and has been studied for possible value in many degenerative diseases. Higher than normal intake levels may be needed for some people who have certain health problems, and smoking has also been shown to deplete vitamin E levels.
Traber said she recommends taking a daily multivitamin that has the full RDA of vitamin E, along with consuming a healthy and balanced diet.
College of Public Health and Human Sciences Media Contact: David Stauth Source:Maret Traber, 541-737-7977
Memoirist Dawn Raffel to read at OSU April 19
CORVALLIS, Ore. – Dawn Raffel will read from her illustrated memoir “The Secret Life of Objects” on Friday, April 19, beginning at 7:30 p.m. in the rotunda of the Valley Library at Oregon State University.
The reading is free and open to the public, and a book signing will follow.
“The Secret Life of Objects” was on Oprah's Summer Reading List and Best Memoir List for 2012. Raffel’s stories have appeared in O, The Oprah Magazine, BOMB, Conjunctions, and numerous other periodicals and anthologies. She is now editor-at-large for the book section of “Readers Digest.”
Jane Ciabattari of the Chicago Tribune wrote of “The Secret Life of Objects”: “Her gift for capturing the nugget of a relationship in a single backward glance works beautifully in this illustrated memoir.”
Raffel’s appearance in Corvallis is part of the OSU School of Writing, Literature, and Film’s Visiting Writers Series, and is sponsored by The Valley Library, the Office of the Provost, the College of Liberal Arts, Kathy Brisker and Tim Steele, and the OSU Beaver Store.
College of Liberal Arts Media Contact: Angela Yeager Source: Multimedia: Promote to OSU home page: Not Promote to the OSU home pageMemoirist Dawn Raffel to read at OSU April 19
CORVALLIS, Ore. – Dawn Raffel will read from her illustrated memoir “The Secret Life of Objects” on Friday, April 19, beginning at 7:30 p.m. in the rotunda of the Valley Library at Oregon State University.
The reading is free and open to the public, and a book signing will follow.
“The Secret Life of Objects” was on Oprah's Summer Reading List and Best Memoir List for 2012. Raffel’s stories have appeared in O, The Oprah Magazine, BOMB, Conjunctions, and numerous other periodicals and anthologies. She is now editor-at-large for the book section of “Readers Digest.”
Jane Ciabattari of the Chicago Tribune wrote of “The Secret Life of Objects”: “Her gift for capturing the nugget of a relationship in a single backward glance works beautifully in this illustrated memoir.”
Raffel’s appearance in Corvallis is part of the OSU School of Writing, Literature, and Film’s Visiting Writers Series, and is sponsored by The Valley Library, the Office of the Provost, the College of Liberal Arts, Kathy Brisker and Tim Steele, and the OSU Beaver Store.
College of Liberal Arts Media Contact: Angela Yeager Source: Multimedia: Promote to OSU home page: Not Promote to the OSU home pageOSU faculty member honored in first Trans 100 list
CORVALLIS, Ore. – Qwo-Li Driskill of Oregon State University is an honoree of Trans 100, an inaugural overview of the breadth and diversity of work being done in, by and for the transgender community across the United States.
The 2013 Trans 100 list was created by We Happy Trans, a website that celebrates the positive experiences of transgender people, and This is H.O.W., a Phoenix-based nonprofit organization dedicated to the betterment of the lives of trans people. The first effort of its kind, the list intends to shift the coverage of trans issues by focusing on the positive work being accomplished, and providing visibility to those often underrepresented.
Driskill is an assistant professor of Women, Gender & Sexuality Studies, as well as a poet, performer, activist and scholar, who is developing new curriculum in Queer Studies at OSU. Driskill is a multiracial Cherokee Two-Spirit, an umbrella term used by indigenous North Americans for people outside of established gender binaries.
The project received more than 500 nominations in December 2012.
College of Liberal Arts Media Contact: Angela Yeager Source: Promote to OSU home page: Not Promote to the OSU home pageOSU faculty member honored in first Trans 100 list
CORVALLIS, Ore. – Qwo-Li Driskill of Oregon State University is an honoree of Trans 100, an inaugural overview of the breadth and diversity of work being done in, by and for the transgender community across the United States.
The 2013 Trans 100 list was created by We Happy Trans, a website that celebrates the positive experiences of transgender people, and This is H.O.W., a Phoenix-based nonprofit organization dedicated to the betterment of the lives of trans people. The first effort of its kind, the list intends to shift the coverage of trans issues by focusing on the positive work being accomplished, and providing visibility to those often underrepresented.
Driskill is an assistant professor of Women, Gender & Sexuality Studies, as well as a poet, performer, activist and scholar, who is developing new curriculum in Queer Studies at OSU. Driskill is a multiracial Cherokee Two-Spirit, an umbrella term used by indigenous North Americans for people outside of established gender binaries.
The project received more than 500 nominations in December 2012.
College of Liberal Arts Media Contact: Angela Yeager Source: Promote to OSU home page: Not Promote to the OSU home pageClassic play by Sartre presented by OSU Theatre beginning April 18
CORVALLIS, Ore. – Oregon State University Theatre will present Jean-Paul Sartre’s classic existentialist comedy, “No Exit,” April 18-20 beginning at 7:30 p.m. A matinee performance will be held on April 21 beginning at 2 p.m.
This darkly funny play, directed by OSU student Abbey Pasquini, will appear in the lab theater in Withycombe Hall, 30th and Campus Way, Corvallis.
“No Exit” was written in 1944 during the German occupation of France and deals with what happens after death, and the punishment that might be waiting for the damned. There are no torture devices in this version of hell, just an uncomfortable room and two other people. As one of the characters in the play states, “Hell is other people.”
Director and designer Pasquini said she is eager to share this complex and philosophical work with audiences. “This play is a wonderful learning experience that is full of laughter, while also working through heavy, sometimes downright uncomfortable, philosophies,” she said.
The production features a cast of OSU students including seniors Claire Bryggman and Alycia Olivar and juniors Sam Thompson and Joseph Workman.
Tickets are on sale at the door only and are $6 for general admission, $5 for seniors, $4 for students/youth and $3 for OSU students.
For more information contact OSU Theatre Box Office 541-737-2784 or visit http://oregonstate.edu/dept/theatre/
College of Liberal Arts Media Contact: Angela Yeager Source:Classic play by Sartre presented by OSU Theatre beginning April 18
CORVALLIS, Ore. – Oregon State University Theatre will present Jean-Paul Sartre’s classic existentialist comedy, “No Exit,” April 18-20 beginning at 7:30 p.m. A matinee performance will be held on April 21 beginning at 2 p.m.
This darkly funny play, directed by OSU student Abbey Pasquini, will appear in the lab theater in Withycombe Hall, 30th and Campus Way, Corvallis.
“No Exit” was written in 1944 during the German occupation of France and deals with what happens after death, and the punishment that might be waiting for the damned. There are no torture devices in this version of hell, just an uncomfortable room and two other people. As one of the characters in the play states, “Hell is other people.”
Director and designer Pasquini said she is eager to share this complex and philosophical work with audiences. “This play is a wonderful learning experience that is full of laughter, while also working through heavy, sometimes downright uncomfortable, philosophies,” she said.
The production features a cast of OSU students including seniors Claire Bryggman and Alycia Olivar and juniors Sam Thompson and Joseph Workman.
Tickets are on sale at the door only and are $6 for general admission, $5 for seniors, $4 for students/youth and $3 for OSU students.
For more information contact OSU Theatre Box Office 541-737-2784 or visit http://oregonstate.edu/dept/theatre/
College of Liberal Arts Media Contact: Angela Yeager Source:
