Research news
Study finds sexual health services for rural Latino men could be improved
A new study based on interviews of rural Latino men in Oregon found these men need sexual health services designed for them, including more male health providers, convenient clinic hours, and Spanish-speaking doctors.
CORVALLIS, Ore. – A new study based on in-depth interviews of rural Latino men in western Oregon finds that these men need sexual health services designed for their needs, including more male health providers, more convenient clinic hours, and Spanish-speaking doctors.
Researchers at Oregon State University conducted interviews with young Latino men from rural backgrounds and asked them questions related to sexual health and use of sexual health services. The results are published in the March issue of the American Journal of Men’s Health.
Marie Harvey, the study’s lead author, and associate dean of research in OSU’s College of Public Health and Human Sciences, has studied women’s reproductive health issues for more than 25 years. Recently, she has focused on the role of partners in sexual and reproductive health, or what she likes to call the “it takes two to tango” angle.
“We put women in the awkward position of trying to convince their partners to be active participants in pregnancy prevention and contraceptive planning,” Harvey said. “Increasingly, I think it’s crucial to talk to men and engage them on these issues.”
Latinos in the United State experience disproportionately high rates of unintended pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and HIV/AIDS. These sexual health disparities have the potential to grow as Latinos continue to be the largest and fastest growing minority in the United States.
Harvey’s research team interviewed 49 Latino men who have immigrated to the United States within the last 10 years. The average age was 24. The majority of the men came from rural areas of Mexico. More than half had never seen a health care provider, and 88 percent had never seen a provider specifically for sexual and reproductive health services.
Harvey said this research is important because the men not only gave reasons why they did, or did not, utilize sexual health services, but they gave context linked to their cultural background, beliefs, and experiences. Almost half of the men reported they never discussed sexual and reproductive health topics with their parents. As one man explained, “Unfortunately, we come from a country that, I don’t know, they never want to talk about that. They keep it quiet and one grows up ignorant about that subject.”
“Almost every man we talked with stated they didn’t have enough information or knowledge about how to prevent unintended pregnancies and STIs,” Harvey said. “But they very clearly stated that they wanted this information and would like to be better informed.”
Many of the men suggested making informational pamphlets about sexual health services and clinics available in places they frequent, such as local laundromats or Latino grocery stores, as well as airing public service announcements on Latino radio or television stations. Men also emphasized the importance of providing information in Spanish.
In addition, terminology sometimes was confusing. In the United States, the term “family planning” is often used, but many of these single men said they had no need for such a service since they weren’t planning to have a family right now.
“It's important to define terminology because we have cultural assumptions around ‘family planning’ that not everyone shares,” Harvey said. “When we used terms like birth control, or HIV testing, it became much clearer.”
Harvey said that “confianza,” a Spanish word that means trust, confidence and respect, came up frequently as a need for all the men in the study.
“Privacy was very important to them, but it goes beyond that,” she said. “This ability to trust their provider, and know that their information won’t be shared and they would not be judged when they talk openly about their sexual behavior, all of this was crucial.”
In addition, the men expressed a preference for male providers and a need for bilingual providers. Language can be a barrier. At many community clinics, the study participants said the providers did not speak Spanish and translators were sometimes offered.
“Having a third party in the room can be a barrier to trust and honesty,” Harvey said. “In addition, the translators were often women, making it even more difficult to discuss sexual topics. And because these are smaller communities, the translators could even be someone they knew. ”
Clinic-related factors also affected access to services. Men reported that having convenient clinic hours, reduced waiting time and living or working in close proximity to a clinic would make it easier to receive services.
Harvey said as the Latino population grows in places like Oregon, understanding factors that affect their use of the health care system will become even more critical. It is essential to begin overcoming these cultural and structural barriers, Harvey said. Communities need to come together to help prevent STIs and HIV, as well as have a better informed public.
OSU research assistants Meredith Branch and Deanne Hudson, and OSU alumnus Antonio Torres, assisted on this study, which was funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Population Affairs.
Boiler Plate: College of Public Health and Human Sciences Media Contact: Angela Yeager Source:Marie Harvey, 541-737-3824
Promote to OSU home page: Promote to the OSU home pageStudy finds sexual health services for rural Latino men could be improved
A new study based on interviews of rural Latino men in Oregon found these men need sexual health services designed for them, including more male health providers, convenient clinic hours, and Spanish-speaking doctors.
CORVALLIS, Ore. – A new study based on in-depth interviews of rural Latino men in western Oregon finds that these men need sexual health services designed for their needs, including more male health providers, more convenient clinic hours, and Spanish-speaking doctors.
Researchers at Oregon State University conducted interviews with young Latino men from rural backgrounds and asked them questions related to sexual health and use of sexual health services. The results are published in the March issue of the American Journal of Men’s Health.
Marie Harvey, the study’s lead author, and associate dean of research in OSU’s College of Public Health and Human Sciences, has studied women’s reproductive health issues for more than 25 years. Recently, she has focused on the role of partners in sexual and reproductive health, or what she likes to call the “it takes two to tango” angle.
“We put women in the awkward position of trying to convince their partners to be active participants in pregnancy prevention and contraceptive planning,” Harvey said. “Increasingly, I think it’s crucial to talk to men and engage them on these issues.”
Latinos in the United State experience disproportionately high rates of unintended pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and HIV/AIDS. These sexual health disparities have the potential to grow as Latinos continue to be the largest and fastest growing minority in the United States.
Harvey’s research team interviewed 49 Latino men who have immigrated to the United States within the last 10 years. The average age was 24. The majority of the men came from rural areas of Mexico. More than half had never seen a health care provider, and 88 percent had never seen a provider specifically for sexual and reproductive health services.
Harvey said this research is important because the men not only gave reasons why they did, or did not, utilize sexual health services, but they gave context linked to their cultural background, beliefs, and experiences. Almost half of the men reported they never discussed sexual and reproductive health topics with their parents. As one man explained, “Unfortunately, we come from a country that, I don’t know, they never want to talk about that. They keep it quiet and one grows up ignorant about that subject.”
“Almost every man we talked with stated they didn’t have enough information or knowledge about how to prevent unintended pregnancies and STIs,” Harvey said. “But they very clearly stated that they wanted this information and would like to be better informed.”
Many of the men suggested making informational pamphlets about sexual health services and clinics available in places they frequent, such as local laundromats or Latino grocery stores, as well as airing public service announcements on Latino radio or television stations. Men also emphasized the importance of providing information in Spanish.
In addition, terminology sometimes was confusing. In the United States, the term “family planning” is often used, but many of these single men said they had no need for such a service since they weren’t planning to have a family right now.
“It's important to define terminology because we have cultural assumptions around ‘family planning’ that not everyone shares,” Harvey said. “When we used terms like birth control, or HIV testing, it became much clearer.”
Harvey said that “confianza,” a Spanish word that means trust, confidence and respect, came up frequently as a need for all the men in the study.
“Privacy was very important to them, but it goes beyond that,” she said. “This ability to trust their provider, and know that their information won’t be shared and they would not be judged when they talk openly about their sexual behavior, all of this was crucial.”
In addition, the men expressed a preference for male providers and a need for bilingual providers. Language can be a barrier. At many community clinics, the study participants said the providers did not speak Spanish and translators were sometimes offered.
“Having a third party in the room can be a barrier to trust and honesty,” Harvey said. “In addition, the translators were often women, making it even more difficult to discuss sexual topics. And because these are smaller communities, the translators could even be someone they knew. ”
Clinic-related factors also affected access to services. Men reported that having convenient clinic hours, reduced waiting time and living or working in close proximity to a clinic would make it easier to receive services.
Harvey said as the Latino population grows in places like Oregon, understanding factors that affect their use of the health care system will become even more critical. It is essential to begin overcoming these cultural and structural barriers, Harvey said. Communities need to come together to help prevent STIs and HIV, as well as have a better informed public.
OSU research assistants Meredith Branch and Deanne Hudson, and OSU alumnus Antonio Torres, assisted on this study, which was funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Population Affairs.
Boiler Plate: College of Public Health and Human Sciences Media Contact: Angela Yeager Source:Marie Harvey, 541-737-3824
Promote to OSU home page: Promote to the OSU home pageOSU collecting electronics and plastics for recycling competition March 6-13
Oregon State University is competing in the national RecycleMania competition and invites the public to contribute by recycling their electronics and film plastic during March 6-13.
CORVALLIS, Ore. – Oregon State University is competing in the national RecycleMania competition and invites the public to contribute by recycling their electronics and film plastic during March 6-13.
Last year the university garnered a fifth place national ranking in the electronics category. The film plastic category is new this year.
On weekdays from Wednesday, March 6, through the following Wednesday, March 13, Campus Recycling will accept broken and unwanted electronics, as well as film plastics (such as plastic bags and wrap) from the public for free recycling, at their building at 644 S.W. 13th St.
The public is invited to bring items on the first day, Wednesday, March 6, any time between 9 a.m. and 7:30 p.m., or drop by on the following weekdays, Thursday-Wednesday, March 7-8 and 11-13, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Electronics accepted include televisions, computer monitors, computers (laptops, CPUs), computer parts (hard drives, circuit boards, CD-roms, etc.), computer accessories (keyboards, mice, printers, modems, etc.), data/power cords and wire, cell phones and telephones, consumer electronics (radios, VCRs, projectors, MP3 players, speakers, etc.) and small appliances (toasters, microwaves, etc.).
Film plastics accepted include clean grocery bags, retail bags, shrink wrap, and other clean sort plastics coded #2 or #4.
Items not accepted include refrigerators and non-electric hazardous waste such as batteries, light bulbs, paint, chemicals and motor oil. Contact Republic Services of Corvallis regarding proper disposal of these items (http://www.corvallis.disposal.com). Plastics not accepted are rigid plastics, mylar (metallic-like), biodegradable/compostable bags, frozen food bags, prewashed salad bags or any plastic with food contamination.
E-waste items will be responsibly recycled (or wiped and refurnished) in Cornelius, Ore., by Computer Drive Connection, or locally by OSU Surplus Property. Plastics will be processed by Garten in Salem. Full details are available at http://tiny.cc/ewaste2013.
The event is part of RecycleMania, a 10-week national recycling competition between universities, taking place through March 30. OSU is competing nationally and in a civil war competition with the University of Oregon, and hosting various events throughout the competition.
Boiler Plate: Campus Recycling Media Contact: Theresa Hogue Source:Andrea Norris, 541-737-5398
OSU collecting electronics and plastics for recycling competition March 6-13
Oregon State University is competing in the national RecycleMania competition and invites the public to contribute by recycling their electronics and film plastic during March 6-13.
CORVALLIS, Ore. – Oregon State University is competing in the national RecycleMania competition and invites the public to contribute by recycling their electronics and film plastic during March 6-13.
Last year the university garnered a fifth place national ranking in the electronics category. The film plastic category is new this year.
On weekdays from Wednesday, March 6, through the following Wednesday, March 13, Campus Recycling will accept broken and unwanted electronics, as well as film plastics (such as plastic bags and wrap) from the public for free recycling, at their building at 644 S.W. 13th St.
The public is invited to bring items on the first day, Wednesday, March 6, any time between 9 a.m. and 7:30 p.m., or drop by on the following weekdays, Thursday-Wednesday, March 7-8 and 11-13, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Electronics accepted include televisions, computer monitors, computers (laptops, CPUs), computer parts (hard drives, circuit boards, CD-roms, etc.), computer accessories (keyboards, mice, printers, modems, etc.), data/power cords and wire, cell phones and telephones, consumer electronics (radios, VCRs, projectors, MP3 players, speakers, etc.) and small appliances (toasters, microwaves, etc.).
Film plastics accepted include clean grocery bags, retail bags, shrink wrap, and other clean sort plastics coded #2 or #4.
Items not accepted include refrigerators and non-electric hazardous waste such as batteries, light bulbs, paint, chemicals and motor oil. Contact Republic Services of Corvallis regarding proper disposal of these items (http://www.corvallis.disposal.com). Plastics not accepted are rigid plastics, mylar (metallic-like), biodegradable/compostable bags, frozen food bags, prewashed salad bags or any plastic with food contamination.
E-waste items will be responsibly recycled (or wiped and refurnished) in Cornelius, Ore., by Computer Drive Connection, or locally by OSU Surplus Property. Plastics will be processed by Garten in Salem. Full details are available at http://tiny.cc/ewaste2013.
The event is part of RecycleMania, a 10-week national recycling competition between universities, taking place through March 30. OSU is competing nationally and in a civil war competition with the University of Oregon, and hosting various events throughout the competition.
Boiler Plate: Campus Recycling Media Contact: Theresa Hogue Source:Andrea Norris, 541-737-5398
Harvard expert on happiness to speak at OSU on March 14
CORVALLIS, Ore. – Dan Gilbert, a professor of psychology at Harvard University and a best-selling author on the subject of happiness, will speak at Oregon State University on Thursday, March 14.
His free public lecture, “Happiness: What Your Mother Didn’t Tell You,” begins at 4:30 p.m. in Peavy Hall Room 130, located at 3100 Jefferson Way in Corvallis.
Gilbert’s 2007 book, “Stumbling on Happiness,” is based largely on his own research, and deals with the conflict over what people believe will make them happy versus what actually does result in happiness. It spent six months on the New York Times bestseller list, has been translated into 25 languages, and won the 2007 Royal Society Winton Prize for Science Books.
Malcolm Gladwell said of the book, “This is a psychological detective story about one of the great mysteries of our lives. If you have even the slightest curiosity about the human condition, you ought to read it. Trust me.”
Gilbert is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and has been the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship as well as the American Psychological Association’s Distinguished Scientific Award for Early Career Contribution to Psychology. His TED talk is one of the most watched, with more than 4.6 million views.
The talk is sponsored by OSU’s School of Psychological Science.
Boiler Plate: College of Liberal Arts Media Contact:Celene Carillo, 541-737-2137
Source:Frank Bernieri, 541-737-1373
Multimedia: Promote to OSU home page: Not Promote to the OSU home pageHarvard expert on happiness to speak at OSU on March 14
CORVALLIS, Ore. – Dan Gilbert, a professor of psychology at Harvard University and a best-selling author on the subject of happiness, will speak at Oregon State University on Thursday, March 14.
His free public lecture, “Happiness: What Your Mother Didn’t Tell You,” begins at 4:30 p.m. in Peavy Hall Room 130, located at 3100 Jefferson Way in Corvallis.
Gilbert’s 2007 book, “Stumbling on Happiness,” is based largely on his own research, and deals with the conflict over what people believe will make them happy versus what actually does result in happiness. It spent six months on the New York Times bestseller list, has been translated into 25 languages, and won the 2007 Royal Society Winton Prize for Science Books.
Malcolm Gladwell said of the book, “This is a psychological detective story about one of the great mysteries of our lives. If you have even the slightest curiosity about the human condition, you ought to read it. Trust me.”
Gilbert is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and has been the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship as well as the American Psychological Association’s Distinguished Scientific Award for Early Career Contribution to Psychology. His TED talk is one of the most watched, with more than 4.6 million views.
The talk is sponsored by OSU’s School of Psychological Science.
Boiler Plate: College of Liberal Arts Media Contact:Celene Carillo, 541-737-2137
Source:Frank Bernieri, 541-737-1373
Multimedia: Promote to OSU home page: Not Promote to the OSU home pageFukushima cleanup continues, many areas restored
After two years of cleanup, some areas near the damaged nuclear power plants at Fukushima, Japan, have made signficant progress, and OSU researchers say decisions will need to be made about how much more work needs done.
CORVALLIS, Ore. – The Japanese response to the Fukushima nuclear accident was heroic at first and energetic in the two years since then, experts say, and is now reaching a point in many areas where science and social concerns may diverge – the question becomes, how clean is clean enough?
Considerable work still remains to be done at and near the reactor complex where the most serious damage and radioactive contamination took place, following the tsunami and reactor accident that began on March 11, 2011.
But through sustained and well-managed cleanup efforts in many other areas, enormous progress has been made in the past two years, said Kathryn Higley, professor and head of the Department of Nuclear Engineering and Radiation Health Physics at Oregon State University.
“I was recently standing on top of one of the heavily damaged reactors at the Dai-ichi nuclear power station, and even there it was surprising how moderate the radiation levels are now,” said Higley, who toured the region last month. She also met with local experts and has been involved in international efforts to assist in the response to the accident since it occurred.
“This incident occurred in the midst of an enormous geological disaster and the response to contain it was heroic from the beginning,” Higley said. “And in the aggressive cleanup efforts afterward, they’ve made tremendous strides and have learned a lot about what decontamination procedures are most effective. Certainly challenges remain, but they are working through them.”
Many of the approaches have been basic, Higley said, like removing grass and vegetation, sometimes a little topsoil, washing buildings, carefully measuring the levels of cesium and other radioactive contaminants to ensure they are at safe levels. Radiation can be monitored by sophisticated instruments at levels that are far below anything that will pose a health threat. It’s considerably higher, for instance, across many areas of the Rocky Mountains than in other parts of North America.
The government is subcontracting cleanup in some of the less-affected areas and handling the most heavily contaminated sections itself. And higher levels of radioactive contaminants have been detected in some nearby fish and other marine species that tend to bioaccumulate the toxins. But the dose implications are modest, Higley said.
A question that local Japanese residents and policy makers are already confronting, Higley said, is at what point to conclude that any remaining contaminants or radiation no longer pose a health threat, what areas still need more work, and how much more expenditure of money and resources is warranted. In many places this gets to a discussion of natural background levels of radiation, and what constitutes safe versus risky levels.
“In science we have a pretty good understanding of when radiation exposure is too high,” Higley said. “It’s much more difficult to say how low is low enough. We live in a world of radiation that comes naturally from the sun, our food, soils, rocks, and the foundations of our homes. We also receive it from industrial activities and medical tests.
“The issue of how low is low enough that people in Japan are facing right now often becomes more of a social and political question than a scientific one,” she said.
Most researchers have already concluded that the health impacts from the Fukushima incident will be modest, with the greatest potential for effects on power plant employees who directly worked to contain the accident. Those workers will have a higher chance of getting cancer, but even that might not be detectable, studies suggest.
There continue to be wide areas near Fukushima with minute levels of contamination and higher radiation levels than they used to have. But at the same time, those levels are less than some other areas of the world with naturally high radiation levels due to local geology, such as Kerala, India, home to millions of people.
Higley said it’s also worth noting that in this cleanup effort the Japanese are learning a great deal about how to most effectively decontaminate buildings and urban areas. It’s information that could be of considerable value if any place in the world were ever attacked with a “dirty bomb” by terrorists, she said.
“We’re also going to be learning things for years about the environmental cycling of radioactive contaminants,” Higley said. “Near Fukushima we have an entire landscape that has been affected, and studies of it in the future will help us better understand movement of radioactive materials in the world we live in.”
Boiler Plate: About the OSU College of Engineering: The OSU College of Engineering is among the nation’s largest and most productive engineering programs. In the past six years, the College has more than doubled its research expenditures to $27.5 million by emphasizing highly collaborative research that solves global problems, spins out new companies, and produces opportunity for students through hands-on learning. Media Contact: David Stauth Source:Kathy Higley, 541-737-0675
Multimedia: Promote to OSU home page: Not Promote to the OSU home pageFukushima cleanup continues, many areas restored
After two years of cleanup, some areas near the damaged nuclear power plants at Fukushima, Japan, have made signficant progress, and OSU researchers say decisions will need to be made about how much more work needs done.
CORVALLIS, Ore. – The Japanese response to the Fukushima nuclear accident was heroic at first and energetic in the two years since then, experts say, and is now reaching a point in many areas where science and social concerns may diverge – the question becomes, how clean is clean enough?
Considerable work still remains to be done at and near the reactor complex where the most serious damage and radioactive contamination took place, following the tsunami and reactor accident that began on March 11, 2011.
But through sustained and well-managed cleanup efforts in many other areas, enormous progress has been made in the past two years, said Kathryn Higley, professor and head of the Department of Nuclear Engineering and Radiation Health Physics at Oregon State University.
“I was recently standing on top of one of the heavily damaged reactors at the Dai-ichi nuclear power station, and even there it was surprising how moderate the radiation levels are now,” said Higley, who toured the region last month. She also met with local experts and has been involved in international efforts to assist in the response to the accident since it occurred.
“This incident occurred in the midst of an enormous geological disaster and the response to contain it was heroic from the beginning,” Higley said. “And in the aggressive cleanup efforts afterward, they’ve made tremendous strides and have learned a lot about what decontamination procedures are most effective. Certainly challenges remain, but they are working through them.”
Many of the approaches have been basic, Higley said, like removing grass and vegetation, sometimes a little topsoil, washing buildings, carefully measuring the levels of cesium and other radioactive contaminants to ensure they are at safe levels. Radiation can be monitored by sophisticated instruments at levels that are far below anything that will pose a health threat. It’s considerably higher, for instance, across many areas of the Rocky Mountains than in other parts of North America.
The government is subcontracting cleanup in some of the less-affected areas and handling the most heavily contaminated sections itself. And higher levels of radioactive contaminants have been detected in some nearby fish and other marine species that tend to bioaccumulate the toxins. But the dose implications are modest, Higley said.
A question that local Japanese residents and policy makers are already confronting, Higley said, is at what point to conclude that any remaining contaminants or radiation no longer pose a health threat, what areas still need more work, and how much more expenditure of money and resources is warranted. In many places this gets to a discussion of natural background levels of radiation, and what constitutes safe versus risky levels.
“In science we have a pretty good understanding of when radiation exposure is too high,” Higley said. “It’s much more difficult to say how low is low enough. We live in a world of radiation that comes naturally from the sun, our food, soils, rocks, and the foundations of our homes. We also receive it from industrial activities and medical tests.
“The issue of how low is low enough that people in Japan are facing right now often becomes more of a social and political question than a scientific one,” she said.
Most researchers have already concluded that the health impacts from the Fukushima incident will be modest, with the greatest potential for effects on power plant employees who directly worked to contain the accident. Those workers will have a higher chance of getting cancer, but even that might not be detectable, studies suggest.
There continue to be wide areas near Fukushima with minute levels of contamination and higher radiation levels than they used to have. But at the same time, those levels are less than some other areas of the world with naturally high radiation levels due to local geology, such as Kerala, India, home to millions of people.
Higley said it’s also worth noting that in this cleanup effort the Japanese are learning a great deal about how to most effectively decontaminate buildings and urban areas. It’s information that could be of considerable value if any place in the world were ever attacked with a “dirty bomb” by terrorists, she said.
“We’re also going to be learning things for years about the environmental cycling of radioactive contaminants,” Higley said. “Near Fukushima we have an entire landscape that has been affected, and studies of it in the future will help us better understand movement of radioactive materials in the world we live in.”
Boiler Plate: About the OSU College of Engineering: The OSU College of Engineering is among the nation’s largest and most productive engineering programs. In the past six years, the College has more than doubled its research expenditures to $27.5 million by emphasizing highly collaborative research that solves global problems, spins out new companies, and produces opportunity for students through hands-on learning. Media Contact: David Stauth Source:Kathy Higley, 541-737-0675
Multimedia: Promote to OSU home page: Not Promote to the OSU home pageInvasive species danger from tsunami may not be known for years
OSU scientists who have examined more than three dozen pieces of debris from the Japanese tsunami say the potential damage from invasive species may not be known for years.
NEWPORT, Ore. – Scientists from Oregon State University, who have examined more than three dozen pieces of debris from the 2011 Japanese tsunami that have washed ashore on the Northwest coast, say the potential damage from invasive species may not be known for years.
The researchers say some of the pieces of debris they’ve examined have included algae, barnacles, mussels, starfish, snails and other organisms that are found only in Asia. While few species on the floating debris are native exclusively to the West Coast of the United States, several of the species they examined can be found in both locations.
Which of the species originating in Asia, if any, gains a toehold in the Pacific Northwest – and what potential damage there may be ecologically and economically – is nearly impossible to anticipate, they say.
“Ecologists have a terrible track record of predicting what introduced species will survive and where,” acknowledged John Chapman, a marine invasive species specialist at OSU’s Hatfield Marine Science Center in Newport, Ore. “The real question for scientists who study these species is the big picture view – how do things get introduced into a new location and move around the world?
“The Japanese tsunami was a terrible tragedy and the debris that is arriving is certainly an unintended consequence,” he added. “But it is providing us with an unprecedented experiment on species introduction.”
Chapman and OSU colleague Jessica Miller were among the first scientists to examine the huge dock that washed ashore in June of 2012 near Newport. Ripped from its moorings in Misawa, Japan, it floated across the Pacific Ocean for 15 months, arriving near Agate Beach covered in seaweed, barnacles, mussels and other organisms.
Since then, they have examined another Misawa dock that beached in northwest Washington, as well as numerous boats and other large pieces of debris. Models produced by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration suggest that another peak of debris will arrive on the West Coast between now and June, as favorable winds and currents drive floating objects ashore.
It should subside during the late spring and summer, Miller noted, but some debris is projected to arrive over the next five years.
“We’re observing more ‘settlement’ on these debris items that appears to have occurred soon after the tsunami,” said Miller, an OSU marine ecologist at the Hatfield Marine Science Center. “Recently, we have sampled several boats that were clearly colonized by animals, such as the blue mussel, after the tsunami.
“We are trying to improve our understanding of the mechanisms that allow organisms to disperse across the ocean,” she added.
The researchers say that some of the Asian aquatic species that “hitchhiked” aboard the tsunami debris may have reproduced during their trans-Pacific journey, and it is possible they could have released gametes into local coastal waters. This increases the chance that these non-native organisms may become established and turn into invasive species.
Once established, these species also have the potential to breed with similar local species and create hybrid organisms, the researchers noted. “Certainly there is precedent for that in the invasive species world,” Chapman pointed out. “Just look at kudzu, Himalayan blackberry and English ivy – they’re all hybrids. So the potential exists.”
The OSU scientists and three other researchers have received a grant from the National Science Foundation to quantify the species arriving on tsunami debris, assess their abundance, and characterize the organisms morphologically and genetically. They also are examining the species’ reproductive state and looking for parasites on host organisms.
Other researchers involved in the project include Jim Carlton of Williams College, who is one of the leading experts in the world on marine invasive species; Gregory Ruiz of the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center and Portland State University (who studies parasites and pathogens); and Jon Geller of Moss Landing Marine Laboratories (who studies genetics).
As the two-year anniversary of the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami approaches, the OSU scientists say the risk of non-native species aboard the debris becoming invasive is still very real.
“From day one, we’ve been asked which species we should be worried about,” Chapman said, “and the answer is just not that simple. We cannot predict which starfish or algae species poses the biggest threat – but we know that invasions in general are bad. We just don’t know which of them, if any, will turn out to be a problem five, 10 or 20 years down the road.
“And we do know that the rate of new, introduced species discoveries has increased exponentially over the last hundred years,” Chapman added. “More are coming.”
Miller concurs, saying the threat from the tsunami debris may not be known for years.
“I think it is safe to say that we are still concerned that some of these non-native species could establish themselves along our West Coast,” she said. “And the potential ecological impacts could be significant.”
Boiler Plate: Hatfield Marine Science Center Media Contact: Mark Floyd Source:John Chapman, 541-867-0235
Jessica Miller, 541-867-0381
Multimedia:
Boat from Japan
at Gleneden Beach
Invasive species danger from tsunami may not be known for years
OSU scientists who have examined more than three dozen pieces of debris from the Japanese tsunami say the potential damage from invasive species may not be known for years.
NEWPORT, Ore. – Scientists from Oregon State University, who have examined more than three dozen pieces of debris from the 2011 Japanese tsunami that have washed ashore on the Northwest coast, say the potential damage from invasive species may not be known for years.
The researchers say some of the pieces of debris they’ve examined have included algae, barnacles, mussels, starfish, snails and other organisms that are found only in Asia. While few species on the floating debris are native exclusively to the West Coast of the United States, several of the species they examined can be found in both locations.
Which of the species originating in Asia, if any, gains a toehold in the Pacific Northwest – and what potential damage there may be ecologically and economically – is nearly impossible to anticipate, they say.
“Ecologists have a terrible track record of predicting what introduced species will survive and where,” acknowledged John Chapman, a marine invasive species specialist at OSU’s Hatfield Marine Science Center in Newport, Ore. “The real question for scientists who study these species is the big picture view – how do things get introduced into a new location and move around the world?
“The Japanese tsunami was a terrible tragedy and the debris that is arriving is certainly an unintended consequence,” he added. “But it is providing us with an unprecedented experiment on species introduction.”
Chapman and OSU colleague Jessica Miller were among the first scientists to examine the huge dock that washed ashore in June of 2012 near Newport. Ripped from its moorings in Misawa, Japan, it floated across the Pacific Ocean for 15 months, arriving near Agate Beach covered in seaweed, barnacles, mussels and other organisms.
Since then, they have examined another Misawa dock that beached in northwest Washington, as well as numerous boats and other large pieces of debris. Models produced by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration suggest that another peak of debris will arrive on the West Coast between now and June, as favorable winds and currents drive floating objects ashore.
It should subside during the late spring and summer, Miller noted, but some debris is projected to arrive over the next five years.
“We’re observing more ‘settlement’ on these debris items that appears to have occurred soon after the tsunami,” said Miller, an OSU marine ecologist at the Hatfield Marine Science Center. “Recently, we have sampled several boats that were clearly colonized by animals, such as the blue mussel, after the tsunami.
“We are trying to improve our understanding of the mechanisms that allow organisms to disperse across the ocean,” she added.
The researchers say that some of the Asian aquatic species that “hitchhiked” aboard the tsunami debris may have reproduced during their trans-Pacific journey, and it is possible they could have released gametes into local coastal waters. This increases the chance that these non-native organisms may become established and turn into invasive species.
Once established, these species also have the potential to breed with similar local species and create hybrid organisms, the researchers noted. “Certainly there is precedent for that in the invasive species world,” Chapman pointed out. “Just look at kudzu, Himalayan blackberry and English ivy – they’re all hybrids. So the potential exists.”
The OSU scientists and three other researchers have received a grant from the National Science Foundation to quantify the species arriving on tsunami debris, assess their abundance, and characterize the organisms morphologically and genetically. They also are examining the species’ reproductive state and looking for parasites on host organisms.
Other researchers involved in the project include Jim Carlton of Williams College, who is one of the leading experts in the world on marine invasive species; Gregory Ruiz of the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center and Portland State University (who studies parasites and pathogens); and Jon Geller of Moss Landing Marine Laboratories (who studies genetics).
As the two-year anniversary of the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami approaches, the OSU scientists say the risk of non-native species aboard the debris becoming invasive is still very real.
“From day one, we’ve been asked which species we should be worried about,” Chapman said, “and the answer is just not that simple. We cannot predict which starfish or algae species poses the biggest threat – but we know that invasions in general are bad. We just don’t know which of them, if any, will turn out to be a problem five, 10 or 20 years down the road.
“And we do know that the rate of new, introduced species discoveries has increased exponentially over the last hundred years,” Chapman added. “More are coming.”
Miller concurs, saying the threat from the tsunami debris may not be known for years.
“I think it is safe to say that we are still concerned that some of these non-native species could establish themselves along our West Coast,” she said. “And the potential ecological impacts could be significant.”
Boiler Plate: Hatfield Marine Science Center Media Contact: Mark Floyd Source:John Chapman, 541-867-0235
Jessica Miller, 541-867-0381
Multimedia:
Boat from Japan
at Gleneden Beach
OSU lifts quarantine for equine influenza, cites swift biosecurity as key to halt outbreak
CORVALLIS, Ore. – A horse treated for equine influenza at Oregon State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine earlier this month has fully recovered, and the large animal hospital there is once again accepting equine patients.
The horse, which recently arrived in Oregon from Texas, was quarantined at the hospital for 10 days.
“We chose to temporarily close the hospital to equine patients with non-emergency symptoms for a week as an added precaution because equine influenza can spread rapidly among horses and other equines,” said Keith Poulsen, an internal medicine specialist at the Lois Bate Acheson Veterinary Hospital. “Everything is back to normal now, and the horse has returned to its home in eastern Oregon.”
Equine influenza is the most common contagious respiratory pathogen for horses, though it is not transferable to humans or other animal species. Most animals that contact the disease fully recover.
The Large Animal Internal Medicine and Surgery Services program at OSU’s College of Veterinary Medicine worked closely with the state veterinarian’s office to inform veterinarians and horse owners about the disease. Several horses from the sale in Hermiston, Ore., contracted respiratory disease consistent with equine influenza, Poulsen said, but no hospitalized horses at the OSU Veterinary Hospital developed respiratory disease.
Poulsen and his colleagues suggest that horse owners use caution when traveling with their horses and to contact their veterinarian or the OSU College of Veterinary Medicine with questions about equine influenza or any infectious disease.
Boiler Plate: College of Veterinary Medicine Media Contact: Mark Floyd Source:Keith Poulsen, 541-737-2858
Promote to OSU home page: Not Promote to the OSU home pageOSU lifts quarantine for equine influenza, cites swift biosecurity as key to halt outbreak
CORVALLIS, Ore. – A horse treated for equine influenza at Oregon State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine earlier this month has fully recovered, and the large animal hospital there is once again accepting equine patients.
The horse, which recently arrived in Oregon from Texas, was quarantined at the hospital for 10 days.
“We chose to temporarily close the hospital to equine patients with non-emergency symptoms for a week as an added precaution because equine influenza can spread rapidly among horses and other equines,” said Keith Poulsen, an internal medicine specialist at the Lois Bate Acheson Veterinary Hospital. “Everything is back to normal now, and the horse has returned to its home in eastern Oregon.”
Equine influenza is the most common contagious respiratory pathogen for horses, though it is not transferable to humans or other animal species. Most animals that contact the disease fully recover.
The Large Animal Internal Medicine and Surgery Services program at OSU’s College of Veterinary Medicine worked closely with the state veterinarian’s office to inform veterinarians and horse owners about the disease. Several horses from the sale in Hermiston, Ore., contracted respiratory disease consistent with equine influenza, Poulsen said, but no hospitalized horses at the OSU Veterinary Hospital developed respiratory disease.
Poulsen and his colleagues suggest that horse owners use caution when traveling with their horses and to contact their veterinarian or the OSU College of Veterinary Medicine with questions about equine influenza or any infectious disease.
Boiler Plate: College of Veterinary Medicine Media Contact: Mark Floyd Source:Keith Poulsen, 541-737-2858
Promote to OSU home page: Not Promote to the OSU home pageOSU alum overcomes poverty to win national student award
An OSU student worked her way past poverty and other obstacles to win recognition as the nation's Outstanding Continuing Education Student. She is a recent graduate from OSU Ecampus.
Body:CORVALLIS, Ore. – Homeless and malnourished as a child, Sarah Price set her sights on the one thing she knew would reverse her fortune – an education.
Pregnancy and more poverty awaited her as a teenager, but Price never abandoned hope, enrolling at Oregon State University in 2005 before earning her degree online through OSU Ecampus last June.
Nine months later, Price is still reaping the rewards of her perseverance and academic success. This month she was named the nation’s Outstanding Continuing Education Student by the University Professional and Continuing Education Association (UPCEA), which serves more than 350 institutions in North America.
“I definitely wasn’t expecting them to pick me, so it was a big surprise,” said Price, 27. “It was unexpected, but it was also motivational because it reminded me of what I’ve accomplished and that there are people who recognize me for what I’ve overcome.”
Price’s childhood was beset by poverty and food insecurity, but she always saw a college education as her ticket to a better future. She graduated from West Albany High School in Oregon in 2003, one year ahead of schedule while she was five months pregnant and living on her own at age 17.
She had some difficulties as a campus-based student, but her grades soared at Ecampus. Her determination impressed the OSU community – so much so that she was one of five students who were selected to meet Michelle Obama when the first lady gave OSU’s commencement address last spring.
“Sarah’s story is an inspirational reminder of the obstacles many of our adult learners face on their way to earning their degrees,” said Ecampus executive director Lisa L. Templeton. “Getting to know Sarah has been a very meaningful experience, and it reinforces why we're here and why we do what we do.”
“I don’t think my story will affect a lot of people,” Price said, “but even if one person, one teen mom reads about it and feels inspired, then it’s made a difference. All you need is one example that it can be done. That’s what got me here today.”
Price lives in San Diego with her husband, Andrew, who is a Marine, and their three children. She will travel to Boston in April to receive the award at UPCEA’s annual national conference.
Boiler Plate: Ecampus Media Contact:Tyler Hansen
Source:Lisa L. Templeton, 541-737-1279
Multimedia:Companion video: http://bit.ly/ZqmCvI
Promote to OSU home page: Not Promote to the OSU home pageOSU alum overcomes poverty to win national student award
An OSU student worked her way past poverty and other obstacles to win recognition as the nation's Outstanding Continuing Education Student. She is a recent graduate from OSU Ecampus.
Body:CORVALLIS, Ore. – Homeless and malnourished as a child, Sarah Price set her sights on the one thing she knew would reverse her fortune – an education.
Pregnancy and more poverty awaited her as a teenager, but Price never abandoned hope, enrolling at Oregon State University in 2005 before earning her degree online through OSU Ecampus last June.
Nine months later, Price is still reaping the rewards of her perseverance and academic success. This month she was named the nation’s Outstanding Continuing Education Student by the University Professional and Continuing Education Association (UPCEA), which serves more than 350 institutions in North America.
“I definitely wasn’t expecting them to pick me, so it was a big surprise,” said Price, 27. “It was unexpected, but it was also motivational because it reminded me of what I’ve accomplished and that there are people who recognize me for what I’ve overcome.”
Price’s childhood was beset by poverty and food insecurity, but she always saw a college education as her ticket to a better future. She graduated from West Albany High School in Oregon in 2003, one year ahead of schedule while she was five months pregnant and living on her own at age 17.
She had some difficulties as a campus-based student, but her grades soared at Ecampus. Her determination impressed the OSU community – so much so that she was one of five students who were selected to meet Michelle Obama when the first lady gave OSU’s commencement address last spring.
“Sarah’s story is an inspirational reminder of the obstacles many of our adult learners face on their way to earning their degrees,” said Ecampus executive director Lisa L. Templeton. “Getting to know Sarah has been a very meaningful experience, and it reinforces why we're here and why we do what we do.”
“I don’t think my story will affect a lot of people,” Price said, “but even if one person, one teen mom reads about it and feels inspired, then it’s made a difference. All you need is one example that it can be done. That’s what got me here today.”
Price lives in San Diego with her husband, Andrew, who is a Marine, and their three children. She will travel to Boston in April to receive the award at UPCEA’s annual national conference.
Boiler Plate: Ecampus Media Contact:Tyler Hansen
Source:Lisa L. Templeton, 541-737-1279
Multimedia:Companion video: http://bit.ly/ZqmCvI
Promote to OSU home page: Not Promote to the OSU home pageMoral issues of climate change discussed at Science Pub
Moral issues of climate change discussed at Science Pub
CORVALLIS, Ore. – Climate change to some is more than an environmental science issue. At heart, says Kathleen Dean Moore, Oregon State University distinguished professor of philosophy, it is about ethics, morality and the choices we face.
At the Corvallis Science Pub on March 11, Moore will discuss climate change as a moral crisis. Her presentation begins at 6 p.m. at the Old World Deli, 341 S.W. Second St. in Corvallis. It is free and open to the public.
Moore is co-editor of the award-winning book, “Moral Ground: Ethical Action for a Planet in Peril” (foreword by Desmond Tutu). Among the challenges posed by climate change, she says, are human rights, social justice, reverence for the natural world and love for our descendants.
“These fundamentally moral crises undermine systems that support human lives, liberty and security,” Moore said. “They are a crisis of justice, as the hardships caused by profligate use of fossil fuels come to rest on the shoulders of the poor and voiceless.”
Sponsors of Science Pub include Terra magazine at OSU, the Downtown Corvallis Association and the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry.
Boiler Plate: Generic OSU Boiler Plate Media Contact: Nick Houtman Source:Kathleen Dean Moore, 541-737-5652
Promote to OSU home page: Not Promote to the OSU home pageMoral issues of climate change discussed at Science Pub
Moral issues of climate change discussed at Science Pub
CORVALLIS, Ore. – Climate change to some is more than an environmental science issue. At heart, says Kathleen Dean Moore, Oregon State University distinguished professor of philosophy, it is about ethics, morality and the choices we face.
At the Corvallis Science Pub on March 11, Moore will discuss climate change as a moral crisis. Her presentation begins at 6 p.m. at the Old World Deli, 341 S.W. Second St. in Corvallis. It is free and open to the public.
Moore is co-editor of the award-winning book, “Moral Ground: Ethical Action for a Planet in Peril” (foreword by Desmond Tutu). Among the challenges posed by climate change, she says, are human rights, social justice, reverence for the natural world and love for our descendants.
“These fundamentally moral crises undermine systems that support human lives, liberty and security,” Moore said. “They are a crisis of justice, as the hardships caused by profligate use of fossil fuels come to rest on the shoulders of the poor and voiceless.”
Sponsors of Science Pub include Terra magazine at OSU, the Downtown Corvallis Association and the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry.
Boiler Plate: Generic OSU Boiler Plate Media Contact: Nick Houtman Source:Kathleen Dean Moore, 541-737-5652
Promote to OSU home page: Not Promote to the OSU home pageDiscovery opens door to new drug options for serious diseases
OSU researchers have explained a process that leads to the death of motor neurons, and could provide an avenue to new treatments for a range of degenerative diseases, including heart disease and cancer.
Body:CORVALLIS, Ore. – Researchers have discovered how oxidative stress can turn to the dark side a cellular protein that’s usually benign, and make it become a powerful, unwanted accomplice in neuronal death.
This finding, reported today in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, could ultimately lead to new therapeutic approaches to many of the world’s debilitating or fatal diseases.
The research explains how one form of oxidative stress called tyrosine nitration can lead to cell death. Through the common link of inflammation, this may relate to health problems ranging from heart disease to chronic pain, spinal injury, cancer, aging, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig’s disease.
As part of the work, the scientists also identified a specific “chaperone” protein damaged by oxidants, which is getting activated in this spiral of cellular decline and death. This insight will provide a new approach to design therapeutic drugs.
The findings were published by scientists from the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University; Maria Clara Franco and Alvaro Estevez, now at the University of Central Florida; and researchers from several other institutions. They culminate a decade of work.
“These are very exciting results and could begin a major shift in medicine,” said Joseph Beckman.
Beckman is an LPI principal investigator, distinguished professor of biochemistry, and director of the OSU Environmental Health Sciences Center. He also last year received the Discovery Award from the Medical Research Foundation of Oregon, given to the leading medical scientist in the state.
“Preventing this process of tyrosine nitration may protect against a wide range of degenerative diseases,” Beckman said. “The study shows that drugs could effectively target oxidatively damaged proteins.”
Scientists have known for decades about the general concept of oxidative damage to cells, resulting in neurodegeneration, inflammation and aging. But the latest findings prove that some molecules in a cell are thousands of times more sensitive to attack.
In this case, heat shock protein 90, or HSP90, helps monitor and chaperone as many as 200 necessary cell functions. But it can acquire a toxic function after nitration of a single tyrosine residue.
“It was difficult to believe that adding one nitro group to one protein will make it toxic enough to kill a motor neuron,” Beckman said. “But nitration of HSP90 was shown to activate a pro-inflammatory receptor called P2X7. This begins a dangerous spiral that eventually leads to the death of motor neurons.”
The very specificity of this attack, however, is part of what makes the new findings important. Drugs that could prevent or reduce oxidative attack on these most vulnerable sites in a cell might have value against a wide range of diseases.
“Most people think of things like heart disease, cancer, aging, liver disease, even the damage from spinal injury as completely different medical issues,” Beckman said. “To the extent they can often be traced back to inflammatory processes that are caused by oxidative attack and cellular damage, they can be more similar than different.
“It could be possible to develop therapies with value against many seemingly different health problems,” Beckman added.
Beckman has spent much of his career studying the causes of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and this study suggested the processes outlined in this study might be relevant both to that disease and spinal cord injury.
One key to this research involved new methods that allowed researchers to genetically engineer nitrotyrosine into HSP90. This allowed scientists to pin down the exact areas of damage, which may be important in the identification of drugs that could affect this process, the researchers said.
This work was supported by the National Institutes of Health, Burke Medical Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medical College, the ALS Association and other agencies.
Boiler Plate: Linus Pauling Institute Media Contact: David Stauth Source:Joseph Beckman, 541-737-8867
Multimedia: Promote to OSU home page: Not Promote to the OSU home pageDiscovery opens door to new drug options for serious diseases
OSU researchers have explained a process that leads to the death of motor neurons, and could provide an avenue to new treatments for a range of degenerative diseases, including heart disease and cancer.
Body:CORVALLIS, Ore. – Researchers have discovered how oxidative stress can turn to the dark side a cellular protein that’s usually benign, and make it become a powerful, unwanted accomplice in neuronal death.
This finding, reported today in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, could ultimately lead to new therapeutic approaches to many of the world’s debilitating or fatal diseases.
The research explains how one form of oxidative stress called tyrosine nitration can lead to cell death. Through the common link of inflammation, this may relate to health problems ranging from heart disease to chronic pain, spinal injury, cancer, aging, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig’s disease.
As part of the work, the scientists also identified a specific “chaperone” protein damaged by oxidants, which is getting activated in this spiral of cellular decline and death. This insight will provide a new approach to design therapeutic drugs.
The findings were published by scientists from the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University; Maria Clara Franco and Alvaro Estevez, now at the University of Central Florida; and researchers from several other institutions. They culminate a decade of work.
“These are very exciting results and could begin a major shift in medicine,” said Joseph Beckman.
Beckman is an LPI principal investigator, distinguished professor of biochemistry, and director of the OSU Environmental Health Sciences Center. He also last year received the Discovery Award from the Medical Research Foundation of Oregon, given to the leading medical scientist in the state.
“Preventing this process of tyrosine nitration may protect against a wide range of degenerative diseases,” Beckman said. “The study shows that drugs could effectively target oxidatively damaged proteins.”
Scientists have known for decades about the general concept of oxidative damage to cells, resulting in neurodegeneration, inflammation and aging. But the latest findings prove that some molecules in a cell are thousands of times more sensitive to attack.
In this case, heat shock protein 90, or HSP90, helps monitor and chaperone as many as 200 necessary cell functions. But it can acquire a toxic function after nitration of a single tyrosine residue.
“It was difficult to believe that adding one nitro group to one protein will make it toxic enough to kill a motor neuron,” Beckman said. “But nitration of HSP90 was shown to activate a pro-inflammatory receptor called P2X7. This begins a dangerous spiral that eventually leads to the death of motor neurons.”
The very specificity of this attack, however, is part of what makes the new findings important. Drugs that could prevent or reduce oxidative attack on these most vulnerable sites in a cell might have value against a wide range of diseases.
“Most people think of things like heart disease, cancer, aging, liver disease, even the damage from spinal injury as completely different medical issues,” Beckman said. “To the extent they can often be traced back to inflammatory processes that are caused by oxidative attack and cellular damage, they can be more similar than different.
“It could be possible to develop therapies with value against many seemingly different health problems,” Beckman added.
Beckman has spent much of his career studying the causes of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and this study suggested the processes outlined in this study might be relevant both to that disease and spinal cord injury.
One key to this research involved new methods that allowed researchers to genetically engineer nitrotyrosine into HSP90. This allowed scientists to pin down the exact areas of damage, which may be important in the identification of drugs that could affect this process, the researchers said.
This work was supported by the National Institutes of Health, Burke Medical Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medical College, the ALS Association and other agencies.
Boiler Plate: Linus Pauling Institute Media Contact: David Stauth Source:Joseph Beckman, 541-737-8867
Multimedia: Promote to OSU home page: Not Promote to the OSU home pageOSU brews up new online, on-site classes for beer makers
CORVALLIS, Ore. – To fill a knowledge gap among both professional and hobbyist beer-makers, Oregon State University has created several online and on-site short courses for brewers who want to refine their technical skills.
On-site offerings will take place this summer in the brewing hotspots of Portland, Bend and Corvallis, allowing students to network with some of the state's leading brewmasters. OSU professor and fermentation scientist Tom Shellhammer, who designed the curricula after consulting with industry leaders, will be the lead instructor for the classes.
"There are plenty of introductory-level brewing related courses and programs for beginners or home brewers to get into the field, but not many options for advanced classes for professional development," said OSU's Marian Ladenburg of University Outreach and Engagement, which developed the courses. “There's a need for them in the industry.”
To register and to see a video about the classes, go to http://bit.ly/13jyA8Z. The registration deadline is April 1.
The first course will begin May 15 with two days of online instruction on microbiology to be completed by June 10. It will be followed by in-class lessons at OSU's brewery June 17-18 in Corvallis. Students will learn how to properly handle yeast and identify and assess organisms that can spoil wort and beer.
The second class, which will focus on beer analysis, also begins May 15. Students must complete online lessons by June 10. Then they can take on-campus instruction at OSU's brewery June 19-20. Participants will learn to calculate and measure different characteristics of beer, including wort gravity, carbohydrates, calories, dissolved oxygen, clarity and color.
In both courses, class size is limited to 24 students and admission determined by experience level.
Students in either of these classes are eligible to enroll in a one-day tour of Willamette Valley farms that produce ingredients for beer, as well as OSU's hops and barley breeding facilities on June 21. The goal of the tour is to help participants develop a quality assurance program for their breweries.
From June 12-14, OSU will offer a sensory testing course at its Food Innovation Center in Portland. Students will learn to collect and analyze brewing data and develop their skills in evaluating beer flavor, clarity, color and foam. Students will also tour the brewery of Widmer Brothers Brewing in Portland.
The sensory testing course will be repeated in Bend from July 31-Aug. 2 at Deschutes Brewery. Class size is limited to 40 students in each location. Registration is open to brewers of any experience level. Applications are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.
For those who want to pursue brewing beyond this summer's short courses, OSU offers a bachelor's degree in food science and technology with an option in fermentation science. To view a video about it, go to http://youtu.be/KYoiqRS-lKM.
"The food science program historically has had 40 to 50 people in it, but since 2001, that's been on a steady climb," said Shellhammer, who holds the Nor'Wester Professorship in Fermentation Science. "We have more than 200 students in the program now. Of those, 60 percent are students interested in becoming brewers or with a strong interest in the brewery science program. People want to start breweries and there's a lot of people interested in working in breweries."
About 2,000 craft breweries operate in the United States, according to the Brewers Association. Oregon is home to 134 brewing companies, according to the Oregon Brewer's Guild.
Boiler Plate: Generic OSU Boiler Plate Media Contact: Denise Ruttan Source:Tom Shellhammer, 541-737-9308
Multimedia:
Fermentation scientist Tom Shellhammer shoulders a beer keg at Oregon State University's brewery. (Photo by Lynn Ketchum.)
OSU brews up new online, on-site classes for beer makers
CORVALLIS, Ore. – To fill a knowledge gap among both professional and hobbyist beer-makers, Oregon State University has created several online and on-site short courses for brewers who want to refine their technical skills.
On-site offerings will take place this summer in the brewing hotspots of Portland, Bend and Corvallis, allowing students to network with some of the state's leading brewmasters. OSU professor and fermentation scientist Tom Shellhammer, who designed the curricula after consulting with industry leaders, will be the lead instructor for the classes.
"There are plenty of introductory-level brewing related courses and programs for beginners or home brewers to get into the field, but not many options for advanced classes for professional development," said OSU's Marian Ladenburg of University Outreach and Engagement, which developed the courses. “There's a need for them in the industry.”
To register and to see a video about the classes, go to http://bit.ly/13jyA8Z. The registration deadline is April 1.
The first course will begin May 15 with two days of online instruction on microbiology to be completed by June 10. It will be followed by in-class lessons at OSU's brewery June 17-18 in Corvallis. Students will learn how to properly handle yeast and identify and assess organisms that can spoil wort and beer.
The second class, which will focus on beer analysis, also begins May 15. Students must complete online lessons by June 10. Then they can take on-campus instruction at OSU's brewery June 19-20. Participants will learn to calculate and measure different characteristics of beer, including wort gravity, carbohydrates, calories, dissolved oxygen, clarity and color.
In both courses, class size is limited to 24 students and admission determined by experience level.
Students in either of these classes are eligible to enroll in a one-day tour of Willamette Valley farms that produce ingredients for beer, as well as OSU's hops and barley breeding facilities on June 21. The goal of the tour is to help participants develop a quality assurance program for their breweries.
From June 12-14, OSU will offer a sensory testing course at its Food Innovation Center in Portland. Students will learn to collect and analyze brewing data and develop their skills in evaluating beer flavor, clarity, color and foam. Students will also tour the brewery of Widmer Brothers Brewing in Portland.
The sensory testing course will be repeated in Bend from July 31-Aug. 2 at Deschutes Brewery. Class size is limited to 40 students in each location. Registration is open to brewers of any experience level. Applications are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.
For those who want to pursue brewing beyond this summer's short courses, OSU offers a bachelor's degree in food science and technology with an option in fermentation science. To view a video about it, go to http://youtu.be/KYoiqRS-lKM.
"The food science program historically has had 40 to 50 people in it, but since 2001, that's been on a steady climb," said Shellhammer, who holds the Nor'Wester Professorship in Fermentation Science. "We have more than 200 students in the program now. Of those, 60 percent are students interested in becoming brewers or with a strong interest in the brewery science program. People want to start breweries and there's a lot of people interested in working in breweries."
About 2,000 craft breweries operate in the United States, according to the Brewers Association. Oregon is home to 134 brewing companies, according to the Oregon Brewer's Guild.
Boiler Plate: Generic OSU Boiler Plate Media Contact: Denise Ruttan Source:Tom Shellhammer, 541-737-9308
Multimedia:
Fermentation scientist Tom Shellhammer shoulders a beer keg at Oregon State University's brewery. (Photo by Lynn Ketchum.)
