OSU News Releases
OSU choirs, alumni soloists to sing at Lincoln Center
Three Oregon State University choirs will give a concert at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City on Sunday, May 12, and travel packages have been developed for those who wish to attend.
NEW YORK – Three Oregon State University choirs will give a concert at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City on Sunday, May 12, and travel packages have been developed for those who wish to attend.
The OSU Chamber Choir, directed by Steven Zielke; Bella Voce, directed by Tina Bull; and the OSU Meistersingers, directed by Russell Christensen, will participate in the performance, which begins at 5 p.m. in Alice Tully Hall.
Following the performance, the Oregon State University Alumni Association is hosting a reception in Avery Fisher Hall at the Lincoln Center that will feature guest performances, food and beverages. The Alumni Association is also offering lodging and flight packages. For information, go to http://osualum.com.
In addition to performing at the Lincoln Center, the choirs will give a free public concert on Friday, May 10, at 8 p.m. at the Church of St. Paul the Apostle, 405 W. 59th St.
The tour is being coordinated by the School of Arts & Communication in the College of Liberal Arts, and Music Celebrations International. Information is available at http://osunyc.com.
In the first half of the concert, the three choirs will together perform Ralph Vaughan Williams’ epic work, “Dona Nobis Pacem,” with orchestra accompaniment, and featuring two OSU alumni soloists: Mari Stoner, soprano, a 2011 graduate in vocal performance; and Nickoli Strommer, baritone, a 2010 graduate in vocal performance.
The performance will also feature an innovative multi-media creation of Oregon State music technology professor, Kevin Patton, providing an experience of sight and sound.
In the second half of the concert, the choirs will each perform individually. There will also be a special guest performance by OSU alumnus Roosevelt Credit, baritone. Credit has appeared on Broadway in the Tony Award winning productions of “The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess,” and Harold Prince’s revival of “Show Boat,” and has performed in venues such as Carnegie Hall and the Lincoln Center.
College of Liberal Arts Media Contact: Erin Sneller Source:School of Arts and Communication: music, 541-737-4061
OSU to host conference on military and diplomacy May 7
CORVALLIS, Ore. – A conference exploring American military and diplomatic history will take place at Oregon State University on Tuesday, May 7.
The American Military and Diplomatic History Conference features a keynote panel on “American Power in Historical Perspective.” It begins at 7 p.m. in LaSells Stewart Center’s Construction & Engineering Auditorium and is free and open to the public.
The panel includes:
- Ben Mutschler, director of OSU’s School of History, Philosophy, and Religion;
- Timothy Lynch, associate professor at the University of Melbourne and author of “After the Cold War: American Foreign Policy in a New World” (2014);
- David Milne, senior lecturer at the University of East Anglia and author of “America's Rasputin: Walt Rostow and the Vietnam War” (2008);
- Christopher McKnight Nichols, assistant professor at Oregon State University and author of “Promise and Peril: America at the Dawn of a Global Age” (2011).
The conference coincides with the publication and launch of “The Oxford Encyclopedia of American Military and Diplomatic History,” a major two-volume encyclopedia that will be discussed at the panel by its main editors: Lynch, Milne, and Nichols. During the panel, they will talk about the insights drawn from their study of American military and diplomatic history since the 18th century and will put American power in a global and historical perspective.
For more information on the other talks at the conference, which take place at OSU’s Memorial Union Journey Room, go to: http://oregonstate.edu/cla/shpr/american-military-and-diplomatic-history-conference
The conference is sponsored by OSU Office of International Programs, the School of History, Philosophy, and Religion, the Hundere Endowment for Religion and Culture, Oxford University Press, and the College of Liberal Arts.
College of Liberal Arts Media Contact: Angela Yeager Source:Christopher Nichols, 541-737-8910
OSU to hold 58th annual Luau this Saturday
CORVALLIS, Ore. – Oregon State University will host its 58th annual Luau this Saturday, April 27, at Gill Coliseum – an event that includes an authentic Hawaiian dinner, a concert and show, and performances by a fire dancer and an Elvis impersonator.
The luau, which has the theme, “Journey through Polynesia,” is sponsored by OSU’s Hui O Hawaii with the Polynesian Cultural Club. Doors open at 4:30 p.m. and dinner begins at 5 p.m. The show begins at 6 p.m.; the concert at 8;30 p.m.
Advance tickets are priced at $25 for the dinner, show and concert; or $15 for the show and concert. They are available through April 26 in the Memorial Union quad from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tickets sold at the door will be $5 more.
The dinner features Kalua pig, chicken long rice, shoyu chicken, lomi salmon, rice, poi, poke, haupia, and tofu stir fry.
The concert artist is Spawnbreezie. In addition to the fire dancer from Hawaii, 16 dances from throughout Polynesian Islands will be performed, and children from the Boys & Girls Club will participate in a dance taught by OSU students.
Media Contact: Mark Floyd Source:Sandy Tsuneyoshi, 541-737-9033
Documentary explores students bringing water to Kenyan community
CORVALLIS, Ore. In July of 2012, a group of Oregon State University students traveled to the small village of Lela, Kenya, to help the community gain access to safe water.
The story of their journey will be told in Kel Wer ("to bring song" in the native Dholuo language), a documentary that will debut at Kearney Hall, Room 112 on the Oregon State University campus in a free public screening on Tuesday, April 30. It will explore the challenges the students faced and the welcoming and resilient people they met along the way.
Doors will open to the public at 6 p.m., a photography exhibit of the people of Lela will be available for viewing in the lobby, and the 30-minute documentary will start at 6:30 p.m.
Following the screening, members of Oregon State's chapter of Engineers Without Borders will share their personal experiences and answer questions. Seating is limited and available on a first-come basis.
EWB-USA is a non-profit humanitarian organization that works with developing communities world-wide to improve their quality of life through environmentally and economically sustainable engineering projects, while developing internationally responsible engineering students.
More information about the project is available online at http://groups.engr.oregonstate.edu/ewb/projects/kenya_project. A Facebook event link is at https://www.facebook.com/events/187735174708820/, and the documentary trailer can be viewed at http://poweredbyorange.com/kelwer/.
The documentary was directed by Justin Smith. The project is a collaboration between the OSU College of Engineering and OSU University Relations and Marketing.
College of Engineering Media Contact: David Stauth Source:Thuy Tran, 541-737-6020
Multimedia Downloads Photo Download: Kel Wer Screening Video Download: Kel Wer (full length)OSU to host popular Pet Day on Saturday, May 4
Oregon State University will hold its 26th annual Pet Day on Saturday, May 4, when the College of Veterinary Medicine opens its doors for tours, displays and a number of family-oriented events.
CORVALLIS, Ore. – Oregon State University will hold its 26th annual Pet Day on Saturday, May 4, when the College of Veterinary Medicine opens its doors for tours, displays and a number of family-oriented events.
Pet Day is created, organized, and staffed by students in the College of Veterinary Medicine. It is their way of giving back to the community and continuing a legacy of public service, college officials say.
The event draws 3,000 to 4,000 visitors annually, many of whom bring their pets. Event organizers ask visitors to keep their pets on a leash.
“Pet Day is a child-friendly, educational, colorful and furry way for the veterinary college to interact with the community,” said Kim Bruce, a second-year OSU veterinary medicine student and co-chair for the event. “It is easily my favorite event of the year - Pet Day is literally a "tail-wagging" good time.”
Pet Day runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Magruder Hall, located on 30th Street in Corvallis just south of Washington Way, and adjacent to the athletic department’s Truax Indoor Center. Admittance and most events are free; however there is a small charge for a handful of the events.
The college will have new events this year, including a “cow pie” throwing contest, dog nail trims and massages, a pet costume contest (all species welcome), and many new rescue groups with adoptable pets. Benny the Beaver will also make an appearance.
The OSU College of Pharmacy will join the event this year, representing the “One Health, One World” philosophy by offering free blood pressure and diabetes screenings to Pet Day visitors. The college will also have educational information on the importance of immunizations and hygiene in preventing zoonotic disease that people can acquire from their pets.
Other activities offered at Pet Day include dog agility demonstrations, live reptiles, a petting zoo, tours of the Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Wonders of Anatomy displays, dog Frisbee show, cat photo contest, and more.
Many organizations and vendors will have booths providing free samples, information, or other resources spanning the four-legged gamut from pet food to shelter medicine.
Pet Day is sponsored by the College of Veterinary Medicine, and supported by Banfield Pet Hospital, Hill’s Pet Nutrition, Zoetis, Bayer Animal Health, Nestle Purina PetCare Co., the Oregon Animal Health Foundation, and the Student Chapter of the American Veterinary Medical Association (SCAVMA).
College of Veterinary Medicine Media Contact: Mark Floyd Source:Lyn Smith-Gloria, 541-737-3844
Multimedia Downloads Multimedia:Screening of documentary film held May 2-3
CORVALLIS, Ore. — An award-winning documentary on journalist Damian Trujillo will be shown at various locations in Corvallis on Thursday, May 2, and Friday, May 3, and followed by a question and answer session with the director.
The screenings are sponsored by several departments, schools and colleges at Oregon State University.
The film, “From the Fields: An American Journey,” chronicles the life of NBC news anchor Trujillo, who came to the United States from Mexico with his family in 1972. Trujillo worked in the agricultural fields of the Salinas Valley before becoming the first in his family to graduate from college.
Following the 30-minute documentary, director Carolyn Brown, an assistant professor of journalism at American University, will answer questions about the film. Brown says one goal in making “From the Fields” was to debunk common stereotypes about Latinos and immigrants, and to explore what it means to work, support a family and contribute to American society. For more information on the screenings, go to: http://oregonstate.edu/urm/events/education
The screening schedule is as follows:
May 2
- 10 a.m.: Darkside Cinema, 215 S.W. 4th St., Corvallis.
- 6:30 p.m.: Corvallis Public Library, 645 N.W. Monroe Ave. (A Q&A session will be followed by a public reception)
May 3
- 3 p.m.: Joyce Collin Furman Hall, OSU campus, 200 S.W. 15th St.
“From the Fields” won the 2013 Gracie Award for outstanding director, and was the 2012 Orson Welles Grand Winner at the California Film Awards.
Brown’s visit is sponsored by the OSU colleges of Education and Liberal Arts, the Center for Latin@ Studies, the School of Language, Culture and Society, the College Assistant Migrant Program, Student Affairs and the Office of Equity and Inclusion.
Generic OSU Media Contact:Celene Carillo, 541-737-2137
Source:Kathryn Ciechanowski, 541-737-8585
Multimedia Downloads Multimedia:OSU names NC State scholar, NSF division director as science dean
CORVALLIS, Ore. – Oregon State University has named Sastry Pantula, a statistics professor at North Carolina State University who since 2010 has served as director of the National Science Foundation’s Division of Mathematical Sciences, as dean of OSU’s College of Science.
Pantula, who will begin his new duties on Aug. 30, succeeds interim dean Vince Remcho.
A fellow of the American Statistical Association, he served as president of that organization in 2010. He also is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
“Sastry Pantula has a distinguished career during which he consistently has demonstrated his ability to help develop outstanding opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students and collaborative research, as well as build strong and diverse faculty,” said Sabah Randhawa, OSU provost and executive vice president. “The College of Science, and Oregon State University, will benefit from his excellent organizational and leadership skills.”
Pantula has been on the North Carolina State faculty since 1982. He headed the statistics department there for eight years, and also directed the university’s Institute of Statistics. During his tenure, he worked with his dean and the college foundation to create three $1 million endowments for distinguished professors. Since 1999, working with colleagues and alumni, he also has secured more than $7 million in funding from the National Science Foundation and other agencies and industries to promote graduate student training and mentorship.
His own research focuses on time series analysis and econometric modeling, with a broad range of applications. He has worked with the National Science Foundation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and U.S. Bureau of Census on projects ranging from population estimates to detecting trends in global temperature.
As dean of OSU’s College of Science, Pantula will provide leadership for some of OSU’s most recognized disciplines, including nationally noted programs in physics, ecosystem informatics, water resources, environmental health science and more. The college is a major reason that OSU has gained the top ranking in the United States for conservation biology in recent years, and two other departments have been ranked in the top 10 by the Chronicle of Higher Education – zoology and science education.
Diversity of sciences in the college, including mathematical and statistical sciences, provide innovative opportunities for fundamental and multidisciplinary research collaborations across the campus and around the globe.
Pantula has bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the Indian Statistical Institute in Kolkata, India, and a Ph.D. in statistics from Iowa State University.
College of Science Media Contact: Mark Floyd Source:Sabah Randhawa, 541-737-2111
Multimedia Downloads Multimedia:Fruit-damaging fly could hit record population in Northwest this year
The spotted wing drosophila fly, which lays its eggs in fruit and makes it unmarketable, could reach record population levels in the Pacific Northwest this year, according to OSU researchers.
CORVALLIS, Ore. – The spotted wing drosophila fly, which lays its eggs in fruit and makes it unmarketable, could reach record population levels in the Pacific Northwest this year, according to Oregon State University researchers.
"All indications estimate this season will be similar or worse than 2012, which was the worst on record," said Vaughn Walton, an entomologist with the OSU Extension Service. “Winter and spring temperatures in the Pacific Northwest have been warmer than last year, and heat equals larger populations of spotted wing drosophila.”
Originally from Asia, the spotted wing drosophila was first found stateside in California in 2008 and has since spread across the continent. The insect lays its eggs in ripe and ripening small and stone fruits, and its developing larvae eat the fruit. The cosmetic imperfections caused by the larvae make the fruit undesirable to most consumers.
The fly's favorite fruits include blueberries, cherries, blackberries, raspberries, peaches and plums. The pest has not impacted wine grapes so far, Walton added.
Walton expects spotted wing drosophila populations in the Pacific Northwest to rapidly build through July and August when most susceptible fruits ripen.
The economic stakes are high. In Oregon alone, farmers grew $198 million of berries in 2012, with blueberries accounting for $108 million of that, according to a report by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Growers also sold $74 million of sweet cherries that year, the report said.
In the absence of detection and control measures, Oregon's small and stone fruit industry could lose $31 million per year, according to a report by the Giannini Foundation of Agricultural Economics at the University of California.
Since the discovery of the pest in Oregon, OSU has been collaborating with scientists in California and Washington to better understand it and help growers deal with it. For example, researchers at OSU are seeing if a parasitic wasp that is native to the United States, known as Pachycrepoides vindemmiae, can be used to control the spotted wing drosophila. It lays its eggs in the fly's pupae, thus killing them.
OSU will also lead a trip to South Korea in August to search for and collect other similar wasps, including one known as Asobara japonica that lays its eggs in the spotted wing drosophila's larvae. Over the next few years, researchers will study these wasps in quarantine to determine if it attacks only the fly's larvae. If tests show the wasp does not harm other insects, Asobara japonica and others could be released in the U.S. in three to five years.
For now, OSU has found that insecticides are the best way to control the pest. OSU pesticide evaluator Joe DeFrancesco tested various compounds for use on strawberries, blueberries and caneberries to see which are most effective. OSU entomologist Peter Shearer has conducted similar work on cherries. The top-performing pesticides are on OSU's website at http://bit.ly/SWD_GrowerInfoOSU.
"To protect against severe economic damage, we've seen farmers spraying more than usual – and this year will probably be no exception," said Shearer. "If farmers use proper sprays at proper times, they should be able to prevent the flies from damaging fruit."
Last year, farmers in the Willamette Valley and Oregon's Mid-Columbia Basin sprayed an average of five to nine times to control spotted wing drosophila at an average cost of $169 an acre, said Walton. Before the fly landed in Oregon, the state's small fruit growers typically sprayed only twice a year to manage other pests, Shearer said. Oregon's blueberry growers alone spent $6 million last year to manage the spotted wing drosophila, Walton estimates.
OSU is also investigating the impact of cold weather on the insect's survival. Early data suggest that some adults can survive fluctuating conditions and can live for 150 days in the winter. Low humidity appears to negatively impact the fly's survival and reproduction, but tests are still ongoing to confirm these findings.
Additionally, OSU researchers have also helped develop an interactive map that estimates the fly's population throughout the U.S. based on temperature and weather conditions. In the mid-Willamette Valley, data suggest that three to five generations of the pest emerge during each growing season.
OSU is also advising growers to monitor for the fly by hanging homemade traps containing apple cider vinegar in plastic cups punctured with small holes that lure in the insect. Amy Dreves, an entomologist with OSU Extension, explains how to make them in a video at http://bit.ly/OSU_SWDtrap. Researchers are working to develop better baits and traps that catch the spotted wing drosophila earlier in the ripening season to help growers determine when to treat for the pest.
In addition, Bernadine Strik, a berry crops specialist with the OSU Extension Service, is monitoring the presence of the pest in an organic research plot and using organically-approved methods to control the fly.
More information on the fly is on OSU's website at www.spottedwing.org. The site features guides to identify the fly, advice for gardeners and commercial growers, and updates on OSU's research. It also contains links to the following guides published by the OSU Extension Service:
- Recognize Fruit Damage from Spotted Wing Drosophila (http://bit.ly/SWD_Bulletin1)
- A New Pest Attacking Healthy Ripening Fruit in Oregon (http://bit.ly/SWD_Bulletin2)
- Protecting Garden Fruits from Spotted Wing Drosophila (http://bit.ly/SWD_Bulletin3)
OSU's partners in the spotted wing drosophila project include the Oregon Department of Agriculture, Washington State University and the University of California, Davis. The work is funded by a $5.8 million grant from the USDA.
Generic OSU Media Contact: Daniel Robison Source:Vaughn Walton, 541-737-3485;
Peter Shearer, 541-386-2030 ext. 215;
Amy Dreves, 541-737-5576;
Bernadine Strik, 541-737-5434
Multimedia Downloads Multimedia:
Small and stone fruits are preferred foods of the spotted wing drosophila, an invasive pest that first arrived in the U.S. in 2008. (Photo by Vaughn Walton.)
Earth Week at OSU offers sustainable events, opportunities
Oregon State University is promoting sustainability and awareness with an array of events during Earth Week, which begins Saturday, April 20.
CORVALLIS, Ore. – Oregon State University is promoting sustainability and awareness with an array of events during Earth Week, which begins Saturday, April 20.
Several new events this year include Campus Creature Census, in which community members are invited to contribute a creative work inspired by the various plants and animals that inhabit OSU. Participants may submit an entry in prose, field guide, artistic, or poetry form, which may be added to a compilation.
Returning events include the Hoo-Haa Earth Day Celebration, hosted by the Organic Grower’s Club at their farm on April 22. From 3-7 p.m., guests may enjoy free food and live music, watch a bubble artist in action, learn about soil, and discover how chickens may be used to till the earth. A shuttle bus will leave campus every 15 minutes from outside the OSU Beaver Store.
The 13th annual Earth Week Community Fair will be April 23. About 50 groups, both on and off of campus, will offer activities and environmental information. Students may also bring styrofoam for free recycling. Acceptable items include foam sheets and wraps, as well as bendable and rigid blocks. However, food packaging and expanding foam will not be accepted.
OSU Surplus Property will host the OSUsed Store Earth Week sale on April 24. Furniture, computers, electronics, housewares, and more will be on sale to students and community members from noon to 3 p.m.
This year also marks the 100-year anniversary of the planting of the elm trees that stand in the library quad. A celebration will be held from noon to 1 p.m. on April 26, as an additional tree is planted to commemorate the next 100 years.
A more detailed list of events may be found at: (http://tiny.cc/earth-calendar).
Campus Recycling Media Contact: Theresa Hogue Source:Andrea Norris, 541-737-5398
OSU to shut down some buildings Sunday for electrical work
CORVALLIS, Ore. – Several buildings on the Oregon State University campus will be without power this weekend to allow Pacific Power & Light to replace some of the older switches that bring electricity to the buildings from outside lines.
The work is part of a long-term plan to modernize the university’s power grid, according to Brian Thorsness, executive director of campus operations for OSU.
“This is an early step in an ongoing effort to provide greater power system stability on campus,” Thorsness said.
OSU has experienced several power outages over the past 2-3 years due to the antiquated system. An electrical fire in the steam tunnels underneath the campus caused an outage throughout much of the campus two years ago and a power outage last year prevented alarms from going off and alerting campus officials to flooding at the new Linus Pauling Science Center.
During the work this weekend, Pacific Power & Light will have trucks and equipment staged along Campus Way between 14th Street and Waldo Place. Buildings that will be without power this Sunday, April 21 (from roughly 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.), are as follows:
- Covell Hall
- Merryfield Hall (west end)
- Graf Hall
- Batcheller Hall
- Benton Hall
Several other buildings will be without power from 8 to 10 a.m., and from 5 to 6 p.m. They are:
- Milam Hall
- Bexell Hall
- Kidder Hall
- Milne Computer Center
- Gleeson Hall
- Gilkey Hall
- Gilbert addition
- Shepard Hall
- Dearborn Hall
- Rogers Hall
Two other dates have been scheduled for building shutdowns, campus officials say. On Sunday, April 28, these buildings will be without power from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.: Withycombe, Nash, Gilmore, Ballard Extension and the Women’s Building.
On Sunday, June 16, these buildings will be affected by power shutdowns: Withycombe, McNary, Wilson, Callahan, Nash, Gilmore, Ballard Extension, Women’s Building, Snell, McAlexander Fieldhouse, Gladys Valley Gymnastics Center, Pharmacy, Women’s Center, Education and Kerr Administration.
Generic OSU Media Contact: Mark Floyd Source:Brian Thorsness, 541-737-7344
Outpatients, hospital patients face different problems with antibiotic resistance
Antibiotic resistance is now as bad in some outpatient, community settings as it is in hospitals, and researchers say more needs to be done to study the issue.
CORVALLIS, Ore. – A new study concludes that problems with antibiotic resistance faced by outpatients may be as bad as those in hospitalized patients, and that more studies of outpatients are needed – both to protect their health and to avoid inappropriate or unnecessary drug use.
Antibiotic resistance is a huge and growing problem in both hospital and outpatient settings. Failure to select an effective antibiotic, without appropriate consideration for this resistance, can increase the risk of continued illness or death.
While 126 million prescriptions a year for antimicrobial drugs are given to people outside of hospitals, less has been done with them, compared to inpatients, to monitor their levels of antibiotic resistance.
The new analysis examined more than 16,000 cultures for resistance to some commonly used antibiotics. It found that outpatients can face resistance issues that sometimes are similar to those of people in hospitals – but that these problems can also be either more or less severe.
The findings were reported in Diagnostic Microbiology and Infectious Disease by researchers from Oregon State University, Oregon Health and Science University, and Kaiser Permanente Northwest.
“Hospitals for some time have been producing what are called antibiograms, a compilation of data to provide insights into local problems with antibiotic resistance,” said Jessina McGregor, assistant professor in the OSU College of Pharmacy, who is an expert in antibiotic resistance issues and lead author on this study.
“Traditionally these findings have been shared with doctors to help them select the best antibiotics for their patients’ infections,” she said. “However, in many outpatient settings this same level of information has not been available. We found there are enough differences that we need to start doing more studies with the outpatient groups, in order to help doctors provide patients with the best possible care for their infections, and prevent the spread of resistance.”
The researchers also noted that more than half of all antibiotics prescribed to outpatients for acute respiratory infections are unnecessary. This can speed the resistance of bacteria to antibiotic treatment.
Antibiotic resistance historically began to show up in hospitals before it was found in the larger community, researchers say. Because of this, hospitals have been more aggressive in working to monitor, understand and prevent unnecessary antibiotic use.
As patient records increasingly become electronic, both in the hospital and in outpatient clinics, it will be possible for more health care systems to produce outpatient antibiograms, McGregor said, and that will be “a step in the right direction.”
College of Pharmacy Media Contact: David Stauth Source:Jessina McGregor, 503-494-4722
OSU to celebrate Austin Hall construction on April 19
CORVALLIS, Ore. – Oregon State University will celebrate the construction launch of Austin Hall, the new home for the university’s College of Business, on Friday, April 19.
A public ceremony and reception will begin at 4 p.m. on Jefferson Way between S.W. 26th and S.W. 30th streets.
The building, named in honor of Joan and Ken Austin, of Newberg, Ore., for their $10-million commitment, is a $55-million project. Longtime donors to the university, the Austins are co-founders and owners of A-dec, Inc., a world-renowned dental equipment manufacturer. Joan Austin also is president of Springbrook Properties, developer of the acclaimed The Allison Inn & Spa. Ken Austin, graduated from OSU in 1954 with a degree in industrial and manufacturing engineering.
The late Al Reser, his wife Pat and their family, committed an additional $6 million to the project. The Austin and Reser lead gifts have been combined with gifts from additional donors and $25 million in matching state bonds.
“Austin Hall is an incredible milestone in the history of the College of Business. It will allow us to better meet the changing needs for business education and better prepare profession-ready students for the workplace,” said Ilene Kleinsorge, dean and Sara Hart Kimball Chair of the College of Business. “We are forever grateful to the Austins and Resers for their leadership, and for inspiring so many more to generously support the building.”
The 100,000-square-foot facility, scheduled to open in fall 2014, will include 10 classrooms, a 250-seat auditorium, a Career Success Center, an MBA suite, a research lab, collaborative team rooms, more than 70 faculty offices, staff and program offices, a café and event space.
Founded in 1908 as one of the nation’s first 12 schools of commerce, the college offers 10 undergraduate degrees and graduate programs that include an MBA degree with eight different track options including an executive leadership track offered in a hybrid format, an accountancy-MBA, and graduate design degrees. Today, more than 5,000 students—nearly 25 percent of all OSU students—major, minor, or seek specialized coursework within the college.
OSU Foundation Media Contact: Angela Yeager Source:Jenn Casey, 541-737-0695
Multimedia:German a capella group Vocaldente returns to OSU on April 25
CORVALLIS, Ore. – German a cappella ensemble Vocaldente will visit Corvallis on Thursday, April 25, for a free concert at the Whiteside Theatre at 6 p.m. Doors open at 5:30 p.m.
Vocaldente performs popular music from the past several decades in classical a cappella style, without microphones but with entertaining choreography. Its repertoire covers songs of every decade, including 1920s Charleston tunes, popular German styles from the 1950s, 1970s disco and recent pop songs and chart hits.
In addition to the concert, the group plans to do a “mobile workshop,” moving around the Oregon State University campus singing and interacting with students, starting at noon on April 25.
The event is organized by the German program in OSU’s School of Language, Culture and Society.
College of Liberal Arts Media Contact: Angela Yeager Source:Sebastian Heiduschke, 541-737-3957
Oregon State University featured in The Princeton Review’s Guide to Green Colleges
Oregon State University received 98 points out of a possible 99 as a ‘green’ school in the latest edition of “The Princeton Review’s Guide to 322 Green Colleges: 2013 Edition.”
CORVALLIS, Ore. – Oregon State University received 98 points out of a possible 99 as a ‘green’ school in the latest edition of “The Princeton Review’s Guide to 322 Green Colleges: 2013 Edition.” The schools are chosen based on a 50-question survey conducted at hundreds of four-year colleges.
The Princeton Review analyzes data from the survey about the schools' course offerings, campus infrastructure, activities and career preparation to measure their commitment to the environment and to sustainability.
“The OSU community has once again demonstrated a high level of interest in and competency around sustainability,” said Brandon Trelstad, OSU’s sustainability coordinator.
The 215-page guide is the only free comprehensive resource of its kind. It can be downloaded at www.princetonreview.com/green-guide and www.centerforgreenschools.org/greenguide. It does not rank schools hierarchically, but each school’s green score can be found in their school profile on the main site (http://www.princetonreview.com/).
The 322 school profiles in the guide feature essential information for applicants – facts and stats on school demographics, admission, financial aid – plus write-ups on the schools' specific sustainability initiatives. A "Green Facts" sidebar reports on a wide range of topics from the school's use of renewable energy sources, recycling and conservation programs to the availability of environmental studies and career guidance for green jobs.
“The volume and breadth of sustainability related work at this institution is amazing, and fascinatingly diverse,” Trelstad said. “I think what continually sets OSU apart is its broad spectrum of sustainability expertise. This is supported by students who care about global issues and come to OSU to build on that interest.”
Among OSU’s green highlights were an overall waste diversion rate of 42 percent, its numerous sustainability awards, its annual Nonprofit Career Day, and a building policy that ensures students will typically walk no further than 10 minutes across campus for class.
“OSU has a history of creating innovative projects to reduce energy use and meet its goal of climate neutrality by 2024,” the guide states.
The Princeton Review created its "Guide to 322 Green Colleges" in partnership with the Center for Green Schools (www.usgbc.org) at the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC)), with generous support from United Technologies Corp. (www.utc.com), founding sponsor of the Center for Green Schools.
Generic OSU Media Contact: Theresa Hogue Source:
Brandon Trelstad, 541-737-3307
Essayist and pianist join on May 1 to explore words and music
CORVALLIS, Ore. – Naturalist, philosopher and essayist Kathleen Dean Moore of Oregon State University will join OSU concert pianist Rachelle McCabe in a celebration of the music of words and the words of music on Wednesday, May 1, at the Corvallis-Benton County Public Library,
The free, public presentation begins at 7 p.m., with a book signing to follow. The event marks the publication of a new edition of Moore’s collection of essays, Holdfast: At Home in the Natural World.
Moore and McCabe will mix it up with Simon and Garfunkel. They’ll explore what it means to love a child through music, words, and an old lullaby. Moore will read old favorites like “Howling with Strangers” and “The Song of the Canyon Wren,” and new works about such things as the best songs to sing to bears.
The re-issue of Holdfast, which includes a new afterword by the author, is part of the OSU Press’ Northwest Reprints series. The series was established to keep classic works of fiction and nonfiction in print.
The event is supported by Grass Roots Books & Music, The Friends of the Corvallis-Benton County Library, The Spring Creek Project, and OSU Press.
More information about Holdfast is available at: http://osupress.oregonstate.edu/book/holdfast
Generic OSU Media Contact: Mark Floyd Source:Micki Reaman, 541-737-4620
Soil parasite costs Northwest wheat growers $51 million in lost revenue, says OSU
CORVALLIS, Ore. – A microscopic parasitic roundworm is costing Pacific Northwest wheat growers $51 million in lost revenue each year because it's cutting grain yields by an average of about 5 percent, according to estimates by Oregon State University researchers.
Called the root-lesion nematode, the transparent, eel-shaped roundworm lives in the soil and feeds on the roots of wheat, barley, oats and many other crops. This limits the crops' ability to take up nutrients and water, leaving plants with smaller heads and yellowed leaves.
"The presence of nematodes is usually confused with root rot, viruses or lack of nutrition because the effect on crops looks the same," said Dick Smiley, a plant pathologist at OSU's Columbia Basin Agricultural Research Center in Pendleton. “But nematodes often go undetected because they're not well-known, and they're transparent and thinner than a human hair.”
Researchers have detected the root-lesion nematode in about 90 percent of fields sampled in Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington, according to Smiley, who has studied the pest since 1999. Population densities of nematodes high enough to reduce yields have been detected in 60 percent of fields sampled in Oregon and Washington. The roundworm wreaks the most havoc in drier areas where wheat and barley grow.
Most nematodes are beneficial to agriculture by helping decompose organic matter. Some, however, are parasitic to plants or animals. They spread easily, hitchhiking to new locations via the wind, animals, farm equipment and boots. It's nearly impossible to eradicate them once they're established.
Another harmful roundworm, the cereal cyst nematode, is also damaging wheat, barley and oats in the Pacific Northwest. First identified in western Oregon in 1974, it is now found in eight western states.
Wheat farmers in Idaho, Oregon and Washington are estimated to lose $3.4 million in revenue each year to cereal cyst nematodes, according to OSU calculations. Researchers arrived at the figure by considering a range of factors, including the percentage of fields infested with damaging densities of nematodes, as well as the yields and farmgate value for crops in these infested areas.
OSU scientists are studying crop management strategies to mitigate the worms' impact. The most effective tactic they've found is a three-year crop rotation where farmers skip two years between wheat plantings.
Rotations vary depending upon which nematode is causing problems. Root-lesion nematodes are well-managed by planting winter wheat the first year and spring barley the second year and then letting the field go fallow the third year. Cereal cyst nematodes are best-managed by rotating wheat or barley with broadleaf crops.
Crop damage can also be alleviated to a limited extent by applying extra fertilizer and water. There are no chemicals legally available for wheat and barley growers to kill the two types of nematodes.
OSU researchers have also tested more than 20 wheat, barley and oat cultivars to determine how badly yields are reduced. Most Pacific Northwest wheat varieties don't resist harmful nematodes.
In OSU's tests, nearly every variety suffered severe root injury. Only the hard red spring wheat WB-Rockland prevented cereal cyst nematodes from reproducing while also maintaining consistent yields. UI Stone, a soft white spring wheat, and Buck Pronto, a hard red spring wheat, allowed nematode populations to thrive but still produced a steady crop.
Additionally, University of Idaho, Washington State University, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and commercial wheat breeders are crossing sources of resistance with a number of wheat varieties to create new cultivars that can potentially stand up to the cereal cyst and root-lesion nematodes.
OSU researchers recommend growers have their soil tested for nematodes. Addresses for testing labs, as well as information about management strategies for farmers, are available in two OSU Extension factsheets at http://bit.ly/OSU_ExtBulletin3 and http://bit.ly/OSU_ExtBulletin2.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington State University and the University of Idaho are collaborators with OSU on its cereal cyst nematode research.
Generic OSU Media Contact: Daniel Robison Source:Richard Smiley, 541-278-4397
Multimedia:
Dick Smiley, a plant pathologist at Oregon State University, examines the roots of young wheat plants. (Photo by Lynn Ketchum.)
Veteran and activist Bolger to give Pauling peace lecture on April 30
Leah Bolger, former national president of Veterans for Peace, will give the annual Ava Helen and Linus Pauling Memorial Lecture for World Peace at Oregon State University on Tuesday, April 30.
Her talk, “Waging Peace,” begins at 7:30 p.m. in LaSells Stewart Center's Austin Auditorium. It is free and open to the public.
Bolger served more than 20 years in the United States Navy, with tours of duty across the world. She received her master’s degree in national security and strategic affairs from the Naval War College in 1994 and was a military fellow at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1997. Since her retirement in 2000 with the rank of commander, she has dedicated herself to being a full-time peace activist.
After moving to Oregon in 2004, she formed the Linus Pauling Chapter of Veterans for Peace and served as its president for three years. In 2012 she became the first female president of the national Veterans for Peace.
Bolger has organized numerous public events, spoken before audiences large and small, presented workshops and served on panel discussions. She has testified before the Oregon Legislature, and has lobbied both state and federal officials. She has also been arrested numerous times for acts of civil disobedience.
The OSU lectureship honors Linus Pauling, an OSU graduate and two-time Nobel Prize laureate, and his wife, Ava Helen Pauling, a noted peace activist. It is sponsored by the College of Liberal Arts.
College of Liberal Arts Media Contact: Angela Yeager Source:Richard Clinton, 541-737-6246
Multimedia:Excess vitamin E intake not a health concern
A review of mechanisms the body uses to excrete excess vitamin E make it clear that it's almost impossible to take toxic levels of this nutrient. Deficiency is a much more important concern.
CORVALLIS, Ore. – Despite concerns that have been expressed about possible health risks from high intake of vitamin E, a new review concludes that biological mechanisms exist to routinely eliminate excess levels of the vitamin, and they make it almost impossible to take a harmful amount.
No level of vitamin E in the diet or from any normal use of supplements should be a concern, according to an expert from the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University. The review was just published in the Journal of Lipid Research.
“I believe that past studies which have alleged adverse consequences from vitamin E have misinterpreted the data,” said Maret Traber, an internationally recognized expert on this micronutrient and professor in the OSU College of Public Health and Human Sciences.
“Taking too much vitamin E is not the real concern,” Traber said. “A much more important issue is that more than 90 percent of people in the U.S. have inadequate levels of vitamin E in their diet.”
Vitamin E is an antioxidant and a very important nutrient for proper function of many organs, nerves and muscles, and is also an anticoagulant that can reduce blood clotting. It can be found in oils, meat and some other foods, but is often consumed at inadequate dietary levels, especially with increasing emphasis on low-fat diets.
In the review of how vitamin E is metabolized, researchers have found that two major systems in the liver work to control the level of vitamin E in the body, and they routinely excrete excessive amounts. Very high intakes achieved with supplementation only succeed in doubling the tissue levels of vitamin E, which is not harmful.
“Toxic levels of vitamin E in the body simply do not occur,” Traber said. “Unlike some other fat-soluble vitamins such as vitamins A and D, it’s not possible for toxic levels of vitamin E to accumulate in the liver or other tissues.”
Vitamin E, because of its interaction with vitamin K, can cause some increase in bleeding, research has shown. But no research has found this poses a health risk.
On the other hand, vitamin E performs many critical roles in optimum health. It protects polyunsaturated fatty acids from oxidizing, may help protect other essential lipids, and has been studied for possible value in many degenerative diseases. Higher than normal intake levels may be needed for some people who have certain health problems, and smoking has also been shown to deplete vitamin E levels.
Traber said she recommends taking a daily multivitamin that has the full RDA of vitamin E, along with consuming a healthy and balanced diet.
College of Public Health and Human Sciences Media Contact: David Stauth Source:Maret Traber, 541-737-7977
Memoirist Dawn Raffel to read at OSU April 19
CORVALLIS, Ore. – Dawn Raffel will read from her illustrated memoir “The Secret Life of Objects” on Friday, April 19, beginning at 7:30 p.m. in the rotunda of the Valley Library at Oregon State University.
The reading is free and open to the public, and a book signing will follow.
“The Secret Life of Objects” was on Oprah's Summer Reading List and Best Memoir List for 2012. Raffel’s stories have appeared in O, The Oprah Magazine, BOMB, Conjunctions, and numerous other periodicals and anthologies. She is now editor-at-large for the book section of “Readers Digest.”
Jane Ciabattari of the Chicago Tribune wrote of “The Secret Life of Objects”: “Her gift for capturing the nugget of a relationship in a single backward glance works beautifully in this illustrated memoir.”
Raffel’s appearance in Corvallis is part of the OSU School of Writing, Literature, and Film’s Visiting Writers Series, and is sponsored by The Valley Library, the Office of the Provost, the College of Liberal Arts, Kathy Brisker and Tim Steele, and the OSU Beaver Store.
College of Liberal Arts Media Contact: Angela Yeager Source: Multimedia: Promote to OSU home page: Not Promote to the OSU home pageOSU faculty member honored in first Trans 100 list
CORVALLIS, Ore. – Qwo-Li Driskill of Oregon State University is an honoree of Trans 100, an inaugural overview of the breadth and diversity of work being done in, by and for the transgender community across the United States.
The 2013 Trans 100 list was created by We Happy Trans, a website that celebrates the positive experiences of transgender people, and This is H.O.W., a Phoenix-based nonprofit organization dedicated to the betterment of the lives of trans people. The first effort of its kind, the list intends to shift the coverage of trans issues by focusing on the positive work being accomplished, and providing visibility to those often underrepresented.
Driskill is an assistant professor of Women, Gender & Sexuality Studies, as well as a poet, performer, activist and scholar, who is developing new curriculum in Queer Studies at OSU. Driskill is a multiracial Cherokee Two-Spirit, an umbrella term used by indigenous North Americans for people outside of established gender binaries.
The project received more than 500 nominations in December 2012.
College of Liberal Arts Media Contact: Angela Yeager Source: Promote to OSU home page: Not Promote to the OSU home page