Research news
Four Oregon State University students honored by Barry M. Goldwater Foundation
CORVALLIS, Ore. — Three Oregon State University students have been awarded the prestigious Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship, an annual award given to the nation’s top undergraduate student research scholars in science, math and engineering by the federally endowed Goldwater Foundation.
A fourth student has received an honorable mention, making this OSU’s most successful year ever in the annual competition.
“Each campus is allowed to nominate four students for the award and for the first time, all four students nominated by OSU were recognized by the national Goldwater selection committee,” said Kevin Ahern, director of undergraduate research at Oregon State.
The one- and two-year scholarships cover the cost of tuition, fees, books and room and board up to $7,500 per year.
The four awardees are all students in the University Honors College and the College of Science.
Helen Hobbs, a junior from Butte, Mont., is majoring in biochemistry/biophysics. She is a two-time participant in the Howard Hughes Medical Institute program and is researching the molecular basis of aging with professor Tory Hagen. She aspires to a research career.
Thomas Pitts, a junior from Ontario, Ore., is a math major conducting research in mathematics education and theoretical mathematics, with an emphasis on algebra and number theory. He has worked in OSU’s Research Experiences for Undergraduates Program and studies under professor Tevian Dray. His goal is research and teaching at the university level.
Justin Zhang, a junior from Beaverton, is majoring in biochemistry/biophysics. He has worked with associate professor Jeffrey Greenwood since his freshman year studying glioblastoma, a type of malignant brain cancer. Zhang has done internships at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Sloan-Kettering. He is looking forward to a research career in human health.
James Rekow, a sophomore majoring in biochemistry/biophysics from Portland, works with associate professor Andrew Buermeyer on mechanisms of DNA repair and mutation relating to colon cancer. He has been involved in undergraduate research since his freshman year, including an internship at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. After attaining his Ph.D. in Environmental and Molecular Toxicology, Rekow plans to conduct research in genetic toxicology and teach at the university level.
The Scholarship Program honoring Senator Barry Goldwater was designed to foster and encourage outstanding students to pursue careers in the fields of mathematics, the natural sciences and engineering, according to Peggy Goldwater Clay, who chairs the foundation’s board of trustees.
University Honors College Media Contact: Lee Sherman Source:Kevin Ahern, 541-737-2305
Promote to OSU home page: Not Promote to the OSU home pageFour Oregon State University students honored by Barry M. Goldwater Foundation
CORVALLIS, Ore. — Three Oregon State University students have been awarded the prestigious Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship, an annual award given to the nation’s top undergraduate student research scholars in science, math and engineering by the federally endowed Goldwater Foundation.
A fourth student has received an honorable mention, making this OSU’s most successful year ever in the annual competition.
“Each campus is allowed to nominate four students for the award and for the first time, all four students nominated by OSU were recognized by the national Goldwater selection committee,” said Kevin Ahern, director of undergraduate research at Oregon State.
The one- and two-year scholarships cover the cost of tuition, fees, books and room and board up to $7,500 per year.
The four awardees are all students in the University Honors College and the College of Science.
Helen Hobbs, a junior from Butte, Mont., is majoring in biochemistry/biophysics. She is a two-time participant in the Howard Hughes Medical Institute program and is researching the molecular basis of aging with professor Tory Hagen. She aspires to a research career.
Thomas Pitts, a junior from Ontario, Ore., is a math major conducting research in mathematics education and theoretical mathematics, with an emphasis on algebra and number theory. He has worked in OSU’s Research Experiences for Undergraduates Program and studies under professor Tevian Dray. His goal is research and teaching at the university level.
Justin Zhang, a junior from Beaverton, is majoring in biochemistry/biophysics. He has worked with associate professor Jeffrey Greenwood since his freshman year studying glioblastoma, a type of malignant brain cancer. Zhang has done internships at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Sloan-Kettering. He is looking forward to a research career in human health.
James Rekow, a sophomore majoring in biochemistry/biophysics from Portland, works with associate professor Andrew Buermeyer on mechanisms of DNA repair and mutation relating to colon cancer. He has been involved in undergraduate research since his freshman year, including an internship at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. After attaining his Ph.D. in Environmental and Molecular Toxicology, Rekow plans to conduct research in genetic toxicology and teach at the university level.
The Scholarship Program honoring Senator Barry Goldwater was designed to foster and encourage outstanding students to pursue careers in the fields of mathematics, the natural sciences and engineering, according to Peggy Goldwater Clay, who chairs the foundation’s board of trustees.
University Honors College Media Contact: Lee Sherman Source:Kevin Ahern, 541-737-2305
Promote to OSU home page: Not Promote to the OSU home pageCEO Summit to be held May 7 in Portland
PORTLAND, Ore. – Six Oregon leaders in business, technology and education will gather to discuss how to turn innovations into companies and jobs at the fourth annual CEO Summit, held Tuesday, May 7, at the Portland Marriott Downtown Waterfront.
Presented by Oregon State University Advantage and the OSU College of Business, the event — “Taking Innovation to Market: Cultivating Ideas and Community” — begins at 7:30 a.m. with a keynote address by Dennis E. Hruby, chief scientific officer and vice president of SIGA Technologies Inc.
Following the keynote, a panel featuring entrepreneurs, industry leaders and Oregon State Venture Accelerator co-directors will discuss industry forming partnerships with universities to turn ideas into profitable companies, create jobs and have an impact on Oregon’s economy.
Panelists include:
- Ryan Kirkpatrick, chief executive officer, Shwood, Ltd.
- Mark Lieberman, chief startup officer and co-director, Office of Commercialization and Development and Oregon State Venture Accelerator
- John Turner, co-director, Oregon State Venture Accelerator
- Tim Weber, vice president and general manager, Printing Technology Development Operation, Hewlett-Packard
Mary Coucher, vice president of IP engineering, operations and geography licensing for IBM Corporation, will serve as the moderator for the discussion.
The Portland Marriott Downtown Waterfront is located at 1401 S.W. Naito Parkway. For more information and to register, go to http://business.oregonstate.edu/CEOSummit
College of Business Media Contact: Angela Yeager Source:Jenn Casey, 541-737-0695
Multimedia: Promote to OSU home page: Not Promote to the OSU home pageCEO Summit to be held May 7 in Portland
PORTLAND, Ore. – Six Oregon leaders in business, technology and education will gather to discuss how to turn innovations into companies and jobs at the fourth annual CEO Summit, held Tuesday, May 7, at the Portland Marriott Downtown Waterfront.
Presented by Oregon State University Advantage and the OSU College of Business, the event — “Taking Innovation to Market: Cultivating Ideas and Community” — begins at 7:30 a.m. with a keynote address by Dennis E. Hruby, chief scientific officer and vice president of SIGA Technologies Inc.
Following the keynote, a panel featuring entrepreneurs, industry leaders and Oregon State Venture Accelerator co-directors will discuss industry forming partnerships with universities to turn ideas into profitable companies, create jobs and have an impact on Oregon’s economy.
Panelists include:
- Ryan Kirkpatrick, chief executive officer, Shwood, Ltd.
- Mark Lieberman, chief startup officer and co-director, Office of Commercialization and Development and Oregon State Venture Accelerator
- John Turner, co-director, Oregon State Venture Accelerator
- Tim Weber, vice president and general manager, Printing Technology Development Operation, Hewlett-Packard
Mary Coucher, vice president of IP engineering, operations and geography licensing for IBM Corporation, will serve as the moderator for the discussion.
The Portland Marriott Downtown Waterfront is located at 1401 S.W. Naito Parkway. For more information and to register, go to http://business.oregonstate.edu/CEOSummit
College of Business Media Contact: Angela Yeager Source:Jenn Casey, 541-737-0695
Multimedia: Promote to OSU home page: Not Promote to the OSU home pageOSU aims for 1,000 Lane County 4-H'ers
EUGENE, Ore. – In three to five years, the Oregon State University Extension Service aims to get more than 1,000 youth enrolled in its 4-H clubs in Lane County, which are returning after a two-year absence.
"Our goal is to grow our enrollment back to and even exceed what we historically had in the past," said John Punches, a regional Extension administrator. "I think we will grow much bigger over time."
The 4-H youth development program closed in 2010, when about 400 youth were members of clubs, because the county's government withdrew its funding for Extension. But thanks to donations, Extension in Lane County has been training club leaders and recruiting students since October 2012.
"4-H is back," Punches said. "It’s in a new format that will allow young people to get hands-on experience in everything from animals to art and marine science to machinery and food to photography – all while developing leadership skills and doing great things for the communities where they live."
Six general interest community 4-H clubs for students in grades 4-12 are open for enrollment in Eugene, Springfield and other parts of Lane County. Extension has trained 45 adult volunteers to lead the clubs and serve as mentors.
Annalisa Linn, 13, of Veneta, participated in 4-H two years ago. She signed up for the 4-H club in western Lane County in February and is looking forward to learning about photography, cake decorating and art. Two years ago, her family had to drive nearly two hours to Corvallis to participate in the 4-H program in Benton County.
"I'm just really happy it's back and I don't have to drive all the way to Benton," she said.
Members of each club will be able to decide what skills they want to learn. For example, one student could learn to show horses while another pupil in that same club learns to raise a puppy as a guide dog. Other topics could include woodworking, leather craft, public speaking, rocketry, crocheting, entomology and leadership development.
OSU Extension is also recruiting adult leaders with the aim of creating groups for Cloverbuds, a 4-H program for youth in kindergarten through third grade.
To lead 4-H in Lane County, Extension hired Kate Hammarback of Eugene, who comes with extensive experience in education and community organizing. Hammarback, who started Feb. 8, previously worked as a children's program teacher for the Oregon Research Institute. She will develop and establish clubs, recruit and train leaders, develop activities, collaborate with 4-H officials in neighboring counties and encourage kids to sign up for the clubs.
In the past several months, Extension officials and volunteers have raised more than $50,000 in donations and grants, which will fund the 4-H program in Lane County for its first year, Punches said. Retailer Coastal Farm and Ranch has pledged $100,000 in seed money for the first three years.
"Coastal's support has been instrumental in getting the 4-H program restarted in Lane County," Punches said.
In the long run, the Extension Service aims to sustain the program through enrollment fees, grants and more donations, Punches said.
For information about enrolling in 4-H as a student or volunteering as an adult, go to http://bit.ly/11DgZuK or call the OSU Extension Service in Lane County at 541-344-5043.
4-H is the largest out-of-school youth development program nationwide. Thousands of young people in kindergarten through 12th grade participate in OSU Extension's 4-H program each year in a variety of hands-on activities. The return of 4-H to Lane County means that OSU Extension now has a 4-H presence in every one of Oregon's 36 counties.
The following is a schedule of club meetings open to parents and youth:
- West Lane Community Club: April 10 at 6 p.m., Veneta Fire Station, 88050 Territorial Hwy., Veneta
- Eugene Community Club: April 15 at 6:30 p.m., Willakenzie Grange, 3055 Willakenzie Rd., Eugene
- Springfield Community Club: April 18 at 6 p.m., Trinity Baptist Church, 1162 B St., Springfield
John Punches, 541-602-4689
Kate Hammarback, (541) 344-5043
Multimedia:
Kate Hammarback is the new 4-H coordinator for the Oregon State University Extension Service in Lane County. (Photo by Patty Driscoll.)
Children participate in a parachute activity at a 4-H summer camp in Lane County in 2006. New 4-H clubs are returning to Lane County after a funding shortfall ended the Oregon State University Extension Service's 4-H program there in 2010. (Photo by OSU's EESC.)
OSU aims for 1,000 Lane County 4-H'ers
EUGENE, Ore. – In three to five years, the Oregon State University Extension Service aims to get more than 1,000 youth enrolled in its 4-H clubs in Lane County, which are returning after a two-year absence.
"Our goal is to grow our enrollment back to and even exceed what we historically had in the past," said John Punches, a regional Extension administrator. "I think we will grow much bigger over time."
The 4-H youth development program closed in 2010, when about 400 youth were members of clubs, because the county's government withdrew its funding for Extension. But thanks to donations, Extension in Lane County has been training club leaders and recruiting students since October 2012.
"4-H is back," Punches said. "It’s in a new format that will allow young people to get hands-on experience in everything from animals to art and marine science to machinery and food to photography – all while developing leadership skills and doing great things for the communities where they live."
Six general interest community 4-H clubs for students in grades 4-12 are open for enrollment in Eugene, Springfield and other parts of Lane County. Extension has trained 45 adult volunteers to lead the clubs and serve as mentors.
Annalisa Linn, 13, of Veneta, participated in 4-H two years ago. She signed up for the 4-H club in western Lane County in February and is looking forward to learning about photography, cake decorating and art. Two years ago, her family had to drive nearly two hours to Corvallis to participate in the 4-H program in Benton County.
"I'm just really happy it's back and I don't have to drive all the way to Benton," she said.
Members of each club will be able to decide what skills they want to learn. For example, one student could learn to show horses while another pupil in that same club learns to raise a puppy as a guide dog. Other topics could include woodworking, leather craft, public speaking, rocketry, crocheting, entomology and leadership development.
OSU Extension is also recruiting adult leaders with the aim of creating groups for Cloverbuds, a 4-H program for youth in kindergarten through third grade.
To lead 4-H in Lane County, Extension hired Kate Hammarback of Eugene, who comes with extensive experience in education and community organizing. Hammarback, who started Feb. 8, previously worked as a children's program teacher for the Oregon Research Institute. She will develop and establish clubs, recruit and train leaders, develop activities, collaborate with 4-H officials in neighboring counties and encourage kids to sign up for the clubs.
In the past several months, Extension officials and volunteers have raised more than $50,000 in donations and grants, which will fund the 4-H program in Lane County for its first year, Punches said. Retailer Coastal Farm and Ranch has pledged $100,000 in seed money for the first three years.
"Coastal's support has been instrumental in getting the 4-H program restarted in Lane County," Punches said.
In the long run, the Extension Service aims to sustain the program through enrollment fees, grants and more donations, Punches said.
For information about enrolling in 4-H as a student or volunteering as an adult, go to http://bit.ly/11DgZuK or call the OSU Extension Service in Lane County at 541-344-5043.
4-H is the largest out-of-school youth development program nationwide. Thousands of young people in kindergarten through 12th grade participate in OSU Extension's 4-H program each year in a variety of hands-on activities. The return of 4-H to Lane County means that OSU Extension now has a 4-H presence in every one of Oregon's 36 counties.
The following is a schedule of club meetings open to parents and youth:
- West Lane Community Club: April 10 at 6 p.m., Veneta Fire Station, 88050 Territorial Hwy., Veneta
- Eugene Community Club: April 15 at 6:30 p.m., Willakenzie Grange, 3055 Willakenzie Rd., Eugene
- Springfield Community Club: April 18 at 6 p.m., Trinity Baptist Church, 1162 B St., Springfield
John Punches, 541-602-4689
Kate Hammarback, (541) 344-5043
Multimedia:
Kate Hammarback is the new 4-H coordinator for the Oregon State University Extension Service in Lane County. (Photo by Patty Driscoll.)
Children participate in a parachute activity at a 4-H summer camp in Lane County in 2006. New 4-H clubs are returning to Lane County after a funding shortfall ended the Oregon State University Extension Service's 4-H program there in 2010. (Photo by OSU's EESC.)
Co-Q10 deficiency may relate to statin drugs, diabetes risk
OSU pharmacy researchers have discovered that co-enzyme Q10 appears in laboratory tests to offset a serious side effect of statin drugs - an increase in adult onset diabetes.
CORVALLIS, Ore. – A laboratory study has shown for the first time that coenzyme Q10 offsets cellular changes that may be linked to a side-effect of some statin drugs - an increased risk of adult-onset diabetes.
Statins are some of the most widely prescribed drugs in the world, able to reduce LDL, or “bad” cholesterol levels, and the risk of heart attacks or other cardiovascular events. However, their role in raising the risk of diabetes has only been observed and studied in recent years.
The possibility of thousands of statin-induced diabetics is a growing concern, and led last year to new labeling and warnings by the Food and Drug Administration about the drugs, especially when taken at higher dosage levels.
The findings of the new research were published as a rapid communication in Metabolic Syndrome and Related Disorders, and offer another clue to a possible causative mechanism of this problem.
Pharmacy researchers at Oregon State University who authored the study said the findings were made only in laboratory analysis of cells, and more work needs to be done with animal and ultimately human studies before recommending the use of coenzyme Q10 to help address this concern.
“A number of large, randomized clinical trials have now shown that use of statins can increase the risk of developing type-2 diabetes by about 9 percent,” said Matthew K. Ito, an OSU professor of pharmacy and president-elect of the National Lipid Association.
“This is fairly serious, especially if you are in the large group of patients who have not yet had a cardiovascular event, but just take statin drugs to lower your risks of heart disease,” Ito said.
A suspect in this issue has been altered levels of a protein called GLUT4, which is part of the cellular response mechanism, along with insulin, that helps to control blood sugar levels. A reduced expression of GLUT4 contributes to insulin resistance and the onset of type-2 diabetes, and can be caused by the use of some statin drugs.
The statins that reduce cholesterol production also reduce levels of coenzyme Q10, research has shown. Coenzyme Q10 is needed in cells to help create energy and perform other important functions. And this study showed in laboratory analysis that if coenzyme Q10 is supplemented to cells, it prevents the reduction in GLUT4 induced by the statins.
Not all statin drugs, however, appear to cause a reduction in GLUT4.
The problems were found with one statin, simvastatin, that is “lipophilic,” which means it can more easily move through the cell membrane. Some of the most commonly used statins are lipophilic, including simvastatin, atorvastatin, and lovastatin. All of these statins are now available as generic drugs, and high dosage levels have been most often linked with the increase in diabetes.
Tests in the new study done with a “hydrophilic” statin, in this case pravastatin, did not cause reduced levels of GLUT4. Pravastatin is also available as a generic drug.
“The concern about increasing levels of diabetes is important,” Ito said. “We need to better understand why this is happening. There’s no doubt that statins can reduce cardiovascular events, from 25-45 percent, and are very valuable drugs in the battle against heart disease. It would be significant if it turns out that use of coenzyme Q10 can help offset the concerns about statin use and diabetes.”
Before that conclusion can be reached, the researchers said, additional studies are needed on coenzyme Q10 supplementation and the pathogenesis of statin-induced diabetes.
College of Pharmacy Media Contact: David Stauth Source:Matthew K. Ito, 503-494-3657
Promote to OSU home page: Not Promote to the OSU home pageCo-Q10 deficiency may relate to statin drugs, diabetes risk
OSU pharmacy researchers have discovered that co-enzyme Q10 appears in laboratory tests to offset a serious side effect of statin drugs - an increase in adult onset diabetes.
CORVALLIS, Ore. – A laboratory study has shown for the first time that coenzyme Q10 offsets cellular changes that may be linked to a side-effect of some statin drugs - an increased risk of adult-onset diabetes.
Statins are some of the most widely prescribed drugs in the world, able to reduce LDL, or “bad” cholesterol levels, and the risk of heart attacks or other cardiovascular events. However, their role in raising the risk of diabetes has only been observed and studied in recent years.
The possibility of thousands of statin-induced diabetics is a growing concern, and led last year to new labeling and warnings by the Food and Drug Administration about the drugs, especially when taken at higher dosage levels.
The findings of the new research were published as a rapid communication in Metabolic Syndrome and Related Disorders, and offer another clue to a possible causative mechanism of this problem.
Pharmacy researchers at Oregon State University who authored the study said the findings were made only in laboratory analysis of cells, and more work needs to be done with animal and ultimately human studies before recommending the use of coenzyme Q10 to help address this concern.
“A number of large, randomized clinical trials have now shown that use of statins can increase the risk of developing type-2 diabetes by about 9 percent,” said Matthew K. Ito, an OSU professor of pharmacy and president-elect of the National Lipid Association.
“This is fairly serious, especially if you are in the large group of patients who have not yet had a cardiovascular event, but just take statin drugs to lower your risks of heart disease,” Ito said.
A suspect in this issue has been altered levels of a protein called GLUT4, which is part of the cellular response mechanism, along with insulin, that helps to control blood sugar levels. A reduced expression of GLUT4 contributes to insulin resistance and the onset of type-2 diabetes, and can be caused by the use of some statin drugs.
The statins that reduce cholesterol production also reduce levels of coenzyme Q10, research has shown. Coenzyme Q10 is needed in cells to help create energy and perform other important functions. And this study showed in laboratory analysis that if coenzyme Q10 is supplemented to cells, it prevents the reduction in GLUT4 induced by the statins.
Not all statin drugs, however, appear to cause a reduction in GLUT4.
The problems were found with one statin, simvastatin, that is “lipophilic,” which means it can more easily move through the cell membrane. Some of the most commonly used statins are lipophilic, including simvastatin, atorvastatin, and lovastatin. All of these statins are now available as generic drugs, and high dosage levels have been most often linked with the increase in diabetes.
Tests in the new study done with a “hydrophilic” statin, in this case pravastatin, did not cause reduced levels of GLUT4. Pravastatin is also available as a generic drug.
“The concern about increasing levels of diabetes is important,” Ito said. “We need to better understand why this is happening. There’s no doubt that statins can reduce cardiovascular events, from 25-45 percent, and are very valuable drugs in the battle against heart disease. It would be significant if it turns out that use of coenzyme Q10 can help offset the concerns about statin use and diabetes.”
Before that conclusion can be reached, the researchers said, additional studies are needed on coenzyme Q10 supplementation and the pathogenesis of statin-induced diabetes.
College of Pharmacy Media Contact: David Stauth Source:Matthew K. Ito, 503-494-3657
Promote to OSU home page: Not Promote to the OSU home pageOSU Choirs “Sing Out!” in Portland
PORTLAND, Ore. - Oregon State University will bring an annual event, “Sing Out: The Orange & Black Choral and Vocal Scholarship Concert,” to Portland on Sunday, April 21.
The concert, previously held only in Corvallis, benefits the Orange & Black Scholarship Fund, which helps OSU music programs attract and maintain talented singers to study vocal performance and choral music education.
It features the best that the award winning OSU vocal program has to offer, including performances by OSU Meistersingers, Bella Voce, and Chamber Choir, with instrumental accompaniment and soloists.
The event will be at 4 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church, 1200 S.W. Alder St. Admission is $10 in advance, $12 at the door. Advance tickets are available for purchase at TicketTomato.com. A limited number of free student tickets will be available at the door while seats last.
“This concert features Oregon State’s three premier choral ensembles in a performance to raise funds for scholarships that assist talented singers, many who come from Portland area high schools,” said Steven Zielke, director of choral studies. “It’s a great opportunity for us to share the quality of our program with our friends in Portland, and for our friends and alumni there to support a great cause.
“For Beaver fans in the Portland metro area who love singing, this is the ‘can’t miss’ concert of the year,” he said.
Highlights will include the OSU women’s choir, Bella Voce, performing the premiere of “Viva Sweet Love,” by Joan Szymko. The piece was commissioned for Bella Voce with funding from the Oregon State University Women’s Giving Circle. The choir will also perform “Wedding Qawwalli” by Ethan Sperry, with choreography by OSU student Daniel Fridley, a senior in music education and assistant conductor of the OSU Meistersingers. Bella Voce, directed by Tina Bull, is a select, 50-member chorus that performs each term and tours regionally and internationally.
The OSU Meistersingers, a 50-member, auditioned men’s ensemble, will perform “Dies Irae,” by Z. Randall Stroope, conducted by Fridley; the beautiful “Lux Aurumque,” by Eric Whitacre; and the traditional Celtic folk piece, “Loch Lomond,” featuring soloist Rich Meier, a senior in electrical engineering. The popular choir is conducted by Russell Christensen and performs in concert each term, tours regionally, and frequently entertains at community and campus sporting and special events.
Chamber Choir, OSU’s preeminent vocal ensemble, is a mixed voice choir comprised of 47 carefully selected singers, directed by Zielke. The choir will perform Movement One (“O Come, Let Us Worship”) of Sergei Rachmaninoff’s “All Night Vigil,” as well as Morten Lauridsen’s “Sure on this Shining Night,” and a Mark Butler arrangement of the traditional spiritual, “Signs of the Judgment.” The Chamber Choir performs on campus each term and tours regionally or internationally each spring.
As is tradition at many Oregon State University choral events, the audience will have an opportunity to sing along with the choirs on “Carry Me Back,” the OSU alma mater song.
In May, all three choirs will head to New York for a tour that includes a performance in Alice Tully Hall at the Lincoln Center. That concert will feature three OSU alumni soloists who have launched professional singing careers.
College of Liberal Arts Media Contact: Erin Sneller Promote to OSU home page: Not Promote to the OSU home pageOSU Choirs “Sing Out!” in Portland
PORTLAND, Ore. - Oregon State University will bring an annual event, “Sing Out: The Orange & Black Choral and Vocal Scholarship Concert,” to Portland on Sunday, April 21.
The concert, previously held only in Corvallis, benefits the Orange & Black Scholarship Fund, which helps OSU music programs attract and maintain talented singers to study vocal performance and choral music education.
It features the best that the award winning OSU vocal program has to offer, including performances by OSU Meistersingers, Bella Voce, and Chamber Choir, with instrumental accompaniment and soloists.
The event will be at 4 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church, 1200 S.W. Alder St. Admission is $10 in advance, $12 at the door. Advance tickets are available for purchase at TicketTomato.com. A limited number of free student tickets will be available at the door while seats last.
“This concert features Oregon State’s three premier choral ensembles in a performance to raise funds for scholarships that assist talented singers, many who come from Portland area high schools,” said Steven Zielke, director of choral studies. “It’s a great opportunity for us to share the quality of our program with our friends in Portland, and for our friends and alumni there to support a great cause.
“For Beaver fans in the Portland metro area who love singing, this is the ‘can’t miss’ concert of the year,” he said.
Highlights will include the OSU women’s choir, Bella Voce, performing the premiere of “Viva Sweet Love,” by Joan Szymko. The piece was commissioned for Bella Voce with funding from the Oregon State University Women’s Giving Circle. The choir will also perform “Wedding Qawwalli” by Ethan Sperry, with choreography by OSU student Daniel Fridley, a senior in music education and assistant conductor of the OSU Meistersingers. Bella Voce, directed by Tina Bull, is a select, 50-member chorus that performs each term and tours regionally and internationally.
The OSU Meistersingers, a 50-member, auditioned men’s ensemble, will perform “Dies Irae,” by Z. Randall Stroope, conducted by Fridley; the beautiful “Lux Aurumque,” by Eric Whitacre; and the traditional Celtic folk piece, “Loch Lomond,” featuring soloist Rich Meier, a senior in electrical engineering. The popular choir is conducted by Russell Christensen and performs in concert each term, tours regionally, and frequently entertains at community and campus sporting and special events.
Chamber Choir, OSU’s preeminent vocal ensemble, is a mixed voice choir comprised of 47 carefully selected singers, directed by Zielke. The choir will perform Movement One (“O Come, Let Us Worship”) of Sergei Rachmaninoff’s “All Night Vigil,” as well as Morten Lauridsen’s “Sure on this Shining Night,” and a Mark Butler arrangement of the traditional spiritual, “Signs of the Judgment.” The Chamber Choir performs on campus each term and tours regionally or internationally each spring.
As is tradition at many Oregon State University choral events, the audience will have an opportunity to sing along with the choirs on “Carry Me Back,” the OSU alma mater song.
In May, all three choirs will head to New York for a tour that includes a performance in Alice Tully Hall at the Lincoln Center. That concert will feature three OSU alumni soloists who have launched professional singing careers.
College of Liberal Arts Media Contact: Erin Sneller Promote to OSU home page: Not Promote to the OSU home pageRemote-controlled aircraft to fly near Hermiston for potato research
HERMISTON, Ore. – Two small, remote-controlled aircraft are expected to start flying over potato fields in the Hermiston area this month as part of Oregon State University's efforts to help farmers more efficiently use water, fertilizers and pesticides to bolster yields and cut costs.
While taking photographs, the aircraft will fly over 50 acres of OSU's 300-acre Hermiston Agricultural Research and Extension Center (HAREC), as well as several crop circles totaling about 1,000 acres at a research cooperative farm west of Boardman. The flights will take place at least three times a week until the potatoes are harvested in the fall, beginning with a test run Wednesday at the Boardman farm.
OSU researchers will use various cameras on the aircraft to photograph the potato plants. The cameras will include ones that detect different wavelengths of light. One of these wavelengths, infrared, is reflected by plants, but unhealthy plants reflect less of it, and in infrared photographs sick plants are much darker. Researchers will also explore using other wavelengths of light to determine which ones will be most helpful in identifying troubled plants.
Researchers aim to see if the cameras, which are capable of zooming in on a leaf, can detect plants that aren't getting enough fertilizer and water. They'll purposely reduce irrigation and fertilizer on some plants and will then see how quickly, if at all, the equipment detects the stressed plants. If it works, the scientists hope that the project will continue in subsequent years so they can test the cameras to also find plants that are plagued by insects and diseases. The idea is to help farmers take action before larger crop losses occur and it becomes more difficult and expensive to control the problem.
"The key is to pick up plants that are just beginning to show stress so you can find a solution quickly, so the grower doesn’t have any reduced yield or quality issues," said Phil Hamm, the director of HAREC. "This in turn can save money. It's an early warning system for plants with issues as well as an opportunity for growers to reduce costs by being more efficient in water and fertilizer use."
Potatoes were chosen as the focus of the research because they're a high-valued crop, expensive to raise and must be carefully managed to reduce internal and external blemishes and irregular growth spurts, said Don Horneck, an agronomist with the OSU Extension Service. One of Oregon's leading crops, the state's farmers sold $173 million of potatoes in 2012, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. But spuds are prone to devastating problems caused by diseases and insects, said Horneck, who is the lead researcher from OSU on the project.
"They are one of the most difficult and expensive crops to grow," he said, adding that it typically costs Hermiston farmers $4,000 or more per acre to grow them. That equates to about $500,000 for the average size of field in the area.
OSU hopes that the aircraft it tests will reduce these costs. The aircraft that will fly over OSU's land is called a HawkEye and is sold by a company called Tetracam. About the size of a suitcase and weighing only 8 pounds, its maximum flight time is 10-30 minutes. The hull-less, battery-operated machine is easy to operate and was made for farmers with plots of land that are less than one square mile. A motor and propeller allow it to take off on four wheels. A parachute keeps it in the air. Photos and videos of it are at http://bit.ly/10LDbjt.
A delta-winged aircraft made of plastic foam will fly over the private farm. Made by Procerus Technologies and called a Unicorn, it has a wingspan of no more than 6 feet and weighs less than 6 pounds. A bungee cord launches it like a slingshot. A factsheet on it is at http://bit.ly/XTqioS.
OSU is inviting the public to see the HawkEye fly during its potato field day at its Hermiston research center on June 26.
Allaying concerns about privacy, Hamm said, "These unmanned aircraft are for agricultural research only and will be used to do nothing more than that. This is about helping our local growers do a better job of growing crops, something HAREC has been doing for the past 102 years."
The Federal Aviation Administration has authorized the flights of the aircraft, which aren't allowed to fly higher than 400 feet and must stay within sight of the operator, typically less than a mile away.
OSU is leasing the aircraft from Boeing Research & Technology. n-Link, an information technology firm in Bend, is also a partner in the project. Ray Hunt, a plant physiologist with the USDA in Beltsville, Md., will collaborate with OSU's Horneck on the data analysis.
OSU aims to become one of the nation's premiere universities using unmanned aircraft for research. It is using or has plans to use them in studies on natural resources, wildlife, land-use management, forestry, oceanography and engineering.
Generic OSU Media Contact: Tiffany Woods Source:Phil Hamm, 541-567-8321
Promote to OSU home page: Not Promote to the OSU home pageRemote-controlled aircraft to fly near Hermiston for potato research
HERMISTON, Ore. – Two small, remote-controlled aircraft are expected to start flying over potato fields in the Hermiston area this month as part of Oregon State University's efforts to help farmers more efficiently use water, fertilizers and pesticides to bolster yields and cut costs.
While taking photographs, the aircraft will fly over 50 acres of OSU's 300-acre Hermiston Agricultural Research and Extension Center (HAREC), as well as several crop circles totaling about 1,000 acres at a research cooperative farm west of Boardman. The flights will take place at least three times a week until the potatoes are harvested in the fall, beginning with a test run Wednesday at the Boardman farm.
OSU researchers will use various cameras on the aircraft to photograph the potato plants. The cameras will include ones that detect different wavelengths of light. One of these wavelengths, infrared, is reflected by plants, but unhealthy plants reflect less of it, and in infrared photographs sick plants are much darker. Researchers will also explore using other wavelengths of light to determine which ones will be most helpful in identifying troubled plants.
Researchers aim to see if the cameras, which are capable of zooming in on a leaf, can detect plants that aren't getting enough fertilizer and water. They'll purposely reduce irrigation and fertilizer on some plants and will then see how quickly, if at all, the equipment detects the stressed plants. If it works, the scientists hope that the project will continue in subsequent years so they can test the cameras to also find plants that are plagued by insects and diseases. The idea is to help farmers take action before larger crop losses occur and it becomes more difficult and expensive to control the problem.
"The key is to pick up plants that are just beginning to show stress so you can find a solution quickly, so the grower doesn’t have any reduced yield or quality issues," said Phil Hamm, the director of HAREC. "This in turn can save money. It's an early warning system for plants with issues as well as an opportunity for growers to reduce costs by being more efficient in water and fertilizer use."
Potatoes were chosen as the focus of the research because they're a high-valued crop, expensive to raise and must be carefully managed to reduce internal and external blemishes and irregular growth spurts, said Don Horneck, an agronomist with the OSU Extension Service. One of Oregon's leading crops, the state's farmers sold $173 million of potatoes in 2012, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. But spuds are prone to devastating problems caused by diseases and insects, said Horneck, who is the lead researcher from OSU on the project.
"They are one of the most difficult and expensive crops to grow," he said, adding that it typically costs Hermiston farmers $4,000 or more per acre to grow them. That equates to about $500,000 for the average size of field in the area.
OSU hopes that the aircraft it tests will reduce these costs. The aircraft that will fly over OSU's land is called a HawkEye and is sold by a company called Tetracam. About the size of a suitcase and weighing only 8 pounds, its maximum flight time is 10-30 minutes. The hull-less, battery-operated machine is easy to operate and was made for farmers with plots of land that are less than one square mile. A motor and propeller allow it to take off on four wheels. A parachute keeps it in the air. Photos and videos of it are at http://bit.ly/10LDbjt.
A delta-winged aircraft made of plastic foam will fly over the private farm. Made by Procerus Technologies and called a Unicorn, it has a wingspan of no more than 6 feet and weighs less than 6 pounds. A bungee cord launches it like a slingshot. A factsheet on it is at http://bit.ly/XTqioS.
OSU is inviting the public to see the HawkEye fly during its potato field day at its Hermiston research center on June 26.
Allaying concerns about privacy, Hamm said, "These unmanned aircraft are for agricultural research only and will be used to do nothing more than that. This is about helping our local growers do a better job of growing crops, something HAREC has been doing for the past 102 years."
The Federal Aviation Administration has authorized the flights of the aircraft, which aren't allowed to fly higher than 400 feet and must stay within sight of the operator, typically less than a mile away.
OSU is leasing the aircraft from Boeing Research & Technology. n-Link, an information technology firm in Bend, is also a partner in the project. Ray Hunt, a plant physiologist with the USDA in Beltsville, Md., will collaborate with OSU's Horneck on the data analysis.
OSU aims to become one of the nation's premiere universities using unmanned aircraft for research. It is using or has plans to use them in studies on natural resources, wildlife, land-use management, forestry, oceanography and engineering.
Generic OSU Media Contact: Tiffany Woods Source:Phil Hamm, 541-567-8321
Promote to OSU home page: Not Promote to the OSU home pageOSU creates new health promotion program, seeks participants
A new health promotion program aimed at people with physical mobility issues seeks participants from the Corvallis area.
CORVALLIS, Ore. – A new health promotion program aimed at people with physical mobility issues seeks participants from the Corvallis area.
Simon Driver, an associate professor in exercise and sport science at Oregon State University, is creating the program based on a successful model he created at a medical facility in Texas. The eight-week program is aimed at people ages 18 to 75 who have limited mobility – defined as having difficulty walking one block, or using an assistive device such as a walker, cane or wheelchair.
In addition, participants must be able to communicate in English.
The eight-week program is part of a research project by Driver to determine the effectiveness of the program on increasing physical activity for people with a mobility disability. The program will take place in the Health Promotion for People with Disabilities Lab in the Women’s Building on the OSU campus. Participants must be able to attend the program once a week for 90 minutes during an eight-week period.
The program helps people learn social and behavioral skills to become healthier. Participants will learn about setting goals, rewarding themselves for making their goals, and overcoming barriers to being healthy and active.
To learn more information on qualifications for the program and to sign up to participate, email health.disability@oregonstate.edu or call 541-737-5927.
College of Public Health and Human Sciences Media Contact: Angela Yeager Source:Simon Driver, 541-737-3263
Promote to OSU home page: Not Promote to the OSU home pageOSU creates new health promotion program, seeks participants
A new health promotion program aimed at people with physical mobility issues seeks participants from the Corvallis area.
CORVALLIS, Ore. – A new health promotion program aimed at people with physical mobility issues seeks participants from the Corvallis area.
Simon Driver, an associate professor in exercise and sport science at Oregon State University, is creating the program based on a successful model he created at a medical facility in Texas. The eight-week program is aimed at people ages 18 to 75 who have limited mobility – defined as having difficulty walking one block, or using an assistive device such as a walker, cane or wheelchair.
In addition, participants must be able to communicate in English.
The eight-week program is part of a research project by Driver to determine the effectiveness of the program on increasing physical activity for people with a mobility disability. The program will take place in the Health Promotion for People with Disabilities Lab in the Women’s Building on the OSU campus. Participants must be able to attend the program once a week for 90 minutes during an eight-week period.
The program helps people learn social and behavioral skills to become healthier. Participants will learn about setting goals, rewarding themselves for making their goals, and overcoming barriers to being healthy and active.
To learn more information on qualifications for the program and to sign up to participate, email health.disability@oregonstate.edu or call 541-737-5927.
College of Public Health and Human Sciences Media Contact: Angela Yeager Source:Simon Driver, 541-737-3263
Promote to OSU home page: Not Promote to the OSU home pagePlay detailing the life of Frida Kahlo comes to OSU on April 26
“Frida, un Retablo,” a play detailing the creative life of acclaimed Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, will be presented at Oregon State University on Friday, April 26, beginning at 7 p.m.
The performance will take place in the Lab Theatre of Withycombe Hall, 30th and Campus Way, Corvallis. Admission is free. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.; latecomers will not be seated.
Written by Dañel Malán of Portland’s Teatro Milagro (Miracle Theater), the play follows the iconic Kahlo through her life as a visual artist, while intertwining the story of the streetcar accident that left her crippled and her torrid relationship with the muralist Diego Rivera.
The play was initially performed by Teatro Milagro in 2007, and was brought back by the group due to popular demand.
In this newest rendition, three Fridas take the stage: Tricia Castañeda-González as Frida, Dañel Malán as the spirit of Frida, and Oregon State alumnus Ajai Terrazas-Tripathi as Old Frida. Daniel Moreno plays Diego Rivera, and the play is directed by Gabriela Portuguez.
The performance is sponsored by Teatro Milagro in conjunction with OSU’s Center for Latin@ Studies and Oregon State University Theatre.
College of Liberal Arts Source:Susana Rivera-Mills, 541-737-4586
Multimedia:
(left to right) Dañel Malán, Ajai Terrazas-Tripathi, Tricia Castañeda-Gonzáles, and Daniel Moreno in Milagro's production of "Frida, un retablo", a play detailing the creative life of one of Mexico’s most acclaimed artists, Frida Kahlo, will show at Oregon State University on April 26 at 7 p.m. (photo by Russell J. Young)
Play detailing the life of Frida Kahlo comes to OSU on April 26
“Frida, un Retablo,” a play detailing the creative life of acclaimed Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, will be presented at Oregon State University on Friday, April 26, beginning at 7 p.m.
The performance will take place in the Lab Theatre of Withycombe Hall, 30th and Campus Way, Corvallis. Admission is free. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.; latecomers will not be seated.
Written by Dañel Malán of Portland’s Teatro Milagro (Miracle Theater), the play follows the iconic Kahlo through her life as a visual artist, while intertwining the story of the streetcar accident that left her crippled and her torrid relationship with the muralist Diego Rivera.
The play was initially performed by Teatro Milagro in 2007, and was brought back by the group due to popular demand.
In this newest rendition, three Fridas take the stage: Tricia Castañeda-González as Frida, Dañel Malán as the spirit of Frida, and Oregon State alumnus Ajai Terrazas-Tripathi as Old Frida. Daniel Moreno plays Diego Rivera, and the play is directed by Gabriela Portuguez.
The performance is sponsored by Teatro Milagro in conjunction with OSU’s Center for Latin@ Studies and Oregon State University Theatre.
College of Liberal Arts Source:Susana Rivera-Mills, 541-737-4586
Multimedia:
(left to right) Dañel Malán, Ajai Terrazas-Tripathi, Tricia Castañeda-Gonzáles, and Daniel Moreno in Milagro's production of "Frida, un retablo", a play detailing the creative life of one of Mexico’s most acclaimed artists, Frida Kahlo, will show at Oregon State University on April 26 at 7 p.m. (photo by Russell J. Young)
OSU's agricultural art exhibit opens in Corvallis, then Roseburg
CORVALLIS, Ore. – The work of 17 handpicked artists is on display in the 31st year of an Oregon State University exhibit inspired by agriculture and its bounty.
The Art About Agriculture exhibit, sponsored by OSU's College of Agricultural Sciences, runs through April 25 at LaSells Stewart Center on campus in Corvallis. The public is invited to meet the artists at a reception in the center's Giustina Gallery April 19 from 6-8 p.m.
The artwork will then be on tour May 10 to June 30 in Roseburg at the Umpqua Valley Arts Association at 1624 W. Harvard Ave. A public reception will take place there on the opening night from 5-7 p.m.
This year's work explores agricultural bounty and community – from consumers to marketers to farmers – in drawings, paintings, photographs, prints, wood and sculptures. Artists drew inspiration from vineyards, farmers markets and their own vegetable gardens. They hail from Oregon, Washington and Alaska.
One of them, Sally Finch of Portland, created an abstract piece depicting rainfall graphs of dryland farming. She used graphite and acrylic ink. Christine Bourdette of Portland produced six-inch bronze figurines riding potatoes. Lynn Miller of Sisters painted "Corn Shatter – Ditch Parrot's Dream" in oil on canvas.
The College of Agricultural Sciences convened a committee of art professionals to nominate artists to participate in the exhibit. Sally Houck, director of the Newport Visual Arts Center, and Irene Zenev, executive director of the Benton County Historical Society and Museum, judged the artwork. With more than $4,500, from patrons’ annual gifts and program endowment earnings, the judges recommended purchasing some of the works for the college's permanent collection, and awarding Mike Van this year's only cash honorarium for his watercolor-and-charcoal piece, "All Will Be Fed."
"Art About Agriculture was created in response to a need to develop a bridge between rural and urban Oregonians," said OSU Professor Gwil Evans. He wrote the original grant proposal that funded the inaugural exhibit in 1983.
Three decades later, 250 works of art in the exhibit's permanent collection grace the hallways, meeting rooms and offices at OSU, state agencies in Salem and government agencies throughout Oregon year-round, said Shelley Curtis, the directing curator for Art About Agriculture.
Participating artists:
Debra Beers - Portland, Oregon
Christine Bourdette - Portland, Oregon
Harrison Branch - Corvallis, Oregon
Mark Clarke - Eugene, Oregon
Sally Finch - Portland, Oregon
Caryn Friedlander - Bellingham, Washington
Yuji Hiratsuka - Corvallis, Oregon
Tracy Leagjeld - Portland, Oregon
Denise McFadden - Vancouver, Washington
Lynn Miller - Sisters, Oregon
Connie Mueller - Eugene, Oregon
Adam Ottavi - Ester, Alaska
Mike Rangner - Albany, Oregon
Sara Tabbert - Fairbanks, Alaska
Gary Tepfer - Eugene, Oregon
Maurice "Mike" Van - Eugene, Oregon
Jennifer Williams - Ridgefield, Washington
College of Agricultural Sciences Media Contact: Denise Ruttan Source:Shelley Curtis, 541-737-5534
Promote to OSU home page: Not Promote to the OSU home pageOSU's agricultural art exhibit opens in Corvallis, then Roseburg
CORVALLIS, Ore. – The work of 17 handpicked artists is on display in the 31st year of an Oregon State University exhibit inspired by agriculture and its bounty.
The Art About Agriculture exhibit, sponsored by OSU's College of Agricultural Sciences, runs through April 25 at LaSells Stewart Center on campus in Corvallis. The public is invited to meet the artists at a reception in the center's Giustina Gallery April 19 from 6-8 p.m.
The artwork will then be on tour May 10 to June 30 in Roseburg at the Umpqua Valley Arts Association at 1624 W. Harvard Ave. A public reception will take place there on the opening night from 5-7 p.m.
This year's work explores agricultural bounty and community – from consumers to marketers to farmers – in drawings, paintings, photographs, prints, wood and sculptures. Artists drew inspiration from vineyards, farmers markets and their own vegetable gardens. They hail from Oregon, Washington and Alaska.
One of them, Sally Finch of Portland, created an abstract piece depicting rainfall graphs of dryland farming. She used graphite and acrylic ink. Christine Bourdette of Portland produced six-inch bronze figurines riding potatoes. Lynn Miller of Sisters painted "Corn Shatter – Ditch Parrot's Dream" in oil on canvas.
The College of Agricultural Sciences convened a committee of art professionals to nominate artists to participate in the exhibit. Sally Houck, director of the Newport Visual Arts Center, and Irene Zenev, executive director of the Benton County Historical Society and Museum, judged the artwork. With more than $4,500, from patrons’ annual gifts and program endowment earnings, the judges recommended purchasing some of the works for the college's permanent collection, and awarding Mike Van this year's only cash honorarium for his watercolor-and-charcoal piece, "All Will Be Fed."
"Art About Agriculture was created in response to a need to develop a bridge between rural and urban Oregonians," said OSU Professor Gwil Evans. He wrote the original grant proposal that funded the inaugural exhibit in 1983.
Three decades later, 250 works of art in the exhibit's permanent collection grace the hallways, meeting rooms and offices at OSU, state agencies in Salem and government agencies throughout Oregon year-round, said Shelley Curtis, the directing curator for Art About Agriculture.
Participating artists:
Debra Beers - Portland, Oregon
Christine Bourdette - Portland, Oregon
Harrison Branch - Corvallis, Oregon
Mark Clarke - Eugene, Oregon
Sally Finch - Portland, Oregon
Caryn Friedlander - Bellingham, Washington
Yuji Hiratsuka - Corvallis, Oregon
Tracy Leagjeld - Portland, Oregon
Denise McFadden - Vancouver, Washington
Lynn Miller - Sisters, Oregon
Connie Mueller - Eugene, Oregon
Adam Ottavi - Ester, Alaska
Mike Rangner - Albany, Oregon
Sara Tabbert - Fairbanks, Alaska
Gary Tepfer - Eugene, Oregon
Maurice "Mike" Van - Eugene, Oregon
Jennifer Williams - Ridgefield, Washington
College of Agricultural Sciences Media Contact: Denise Ruttan Source:Shelley Curtis, 541-737-5534
Promote to OSU home page: Not Promote to the OSU home pageLieberman to help guide OSU Venture Accelerator
Mark Lieberman has been named as the new chief startup officer and co-director of the OSU Venture Accelerator, an initiative to help move university research to commercial success.
CORVALLIS, Ore. – Mark Lieberman, an expert in business commercialization, entrepreneurship and international finance, has been named as the new chief startup officer and co-director of the OSU Venture Accelerator, an initiative to help move university research to commercial success.
The Venture Accelerator and a related effort, the Industry Partnering Program, are two key parts of the Oregon State University Advantage, a major new program to boost the university’s impact on job creation and economic progress in Oregon and the nation. It began this spring.
Lieberman most recently has been executive director of the Business Technology Center of Los Angeles County, and was named one of the 50 “Most Innovative Men for 2012” by THE Magazine. He has taught entrepreneurship programs at various colleges, consulted with several governments, worked in international finance, and served on President Obama’s “Rank Review Committee” for 2010.
“Mark brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in launching new enterprises and in mentoring management teams,” said Ron Adams, executive associate vice president for research at OSU. “His leadership as chief startup officer will help ensure OSU’s success in fostering job creation and in developing Oregon’s future entrepreneurial talent.”
The Venture Accelerator is designed to identify innovation or research findings that might form the basis for profitable companies. It will aid their development with legal, marketing, financial and mentoring assistance to help turn good ideas into real-world businesses.
Generic OSU Media Contact: David Stauth Source:Ron Adams, 541-737-7722
Multimedia: Promote to OSU home page: Not Promote to the OSU home pageLieberman to help guide OSU Venture Accelerator
Mark Lieberman has been named as the new chief startup officer and co-director of the OSU Venture Accelerator, an initiative to help move university research to commercial success.
CORVALLIS, Ore. – Mark Lieberman, an expert in business commercialization, entrepreneurship and international finance, has been named as the new chief startup officer and co-director of the OSU Venture Accelerator, an initiative to help move university research to commercial success.
The Venture Accelerator and a related effort, the Industry Partnering Program, are two key parts of the Oregon State University Advantage, a major new program to boost the university’s impact on job creation and economic progress in Oregon and the nation. It began this spring.
Lieberman most recently has been executive director of the Business Technology Center of Los Angeles County, and was named one of the 50 “Most Innovative Men for 2012” by THE Magazine. He has taught entrepreneurship programs at various colleges, consulted with several governments, worked in international finance, and served on President Obama’s “Rank Review Committee” for 2010.
“Mark brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in launching new enterprises and in mentoring management teams,” said Ron Adams, executive associate vice president for research at OSU. “His leadership as chief startup officer will help ensure OSU’s success in fostering job creation and in developing Oregon’s future entrepreneurial talent.”
The Venture Accelerator is designed to identify innovation or research findings that might form the basis for profitable companies. It will aid their development with legal, marketing, financial and mentoring assistance to help turn good ideas into real-world businesses.
Generic OSU Media Contact: David Stauth Source:Ron Adams, 541-737-7722
Multimedia: Promote to OSU home page: Not Promote to the OSU home page
