Summer, 2007

update! RESEARCH NEWSLETTER

 

	Featuring OSU research and scholarship in all disciplines
	Climate Change Impacts Group Interview in the Elevator: Technology Transfer Staff Environmental Protection The NEW Offices of the Research Office Faculty Champs Funds: Q & A Oregon Explorer Markham Marine Science Research Symposium Ocean Renewable Energy Conference Links to Resources

Climate Change Impacts

 

"We're not trying to detect whether Earth is experiencing a change in its climate. That's already accepted by the majority of scientists," said Nick Pisias, a researcher in the College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences [COAS]. "We are studying the processes and impacts of climate change. OSU has a unique community of expertise on this topic. By coming together we can increase our understanding and can address those impacts on the environment and on humans."

Oceanographers, foresters, biologists — and even philosophers and anthropologists — are among the researchers exploring key questions related to climate change. For a University-wide workshop in June, 125 OSU faculty contributed to a breadth of approaches, findings, and ideas for forging interdisciplinary collaborations.

"If climate change will cause there to be no water in Arizona, and more flooding in New Orleans, and so if people decide to move away to the Pacific Northwest — how will that impact Oregonians?," Pisias asked. "What do the sociologists say? What do agriculturalists see about implications for resources, right here and also globally? That's a type of discussion we're having."

The strength of OSU's contribution, Pisias said, is in collaboration. He points to COAS, one of the major oceanographic institutions in the world."Two things make it unique,"said Pisias."It is oceanographic science with atmospheric science fully integrated into it. And it has a College of Forestry right down the road. There's a growing vision of multidisciplinary research, and I hope to see OSU continue to enhance such opportunities. We're facing complicated issues, and we need to combine to understand the oceanic systems, the impact on land, the human responses . . . "

"I've even proposed a new college, for Earth and Biological Systems Science. It would be a funny marriage of different fields, for research and also a new curriculum for students," said Pisias. "COAS has been successful doing multidisciplinary research in ocean sciences. This new college would expand such studies to the entire Earth."

At the Climate Change Workshop, OSU scientists presented multiple perspectives. They are exploring mountain forests; arctic glaciers; coastal zones; ice sheets from space; and rural communities. They gather data from deposits in caves; ice core gas; and satellite views of the color of the oceans. They are making discoveries about fish diseases; carbon and nitrogen dynamics; the adaptations of landscape plants. They want to know what's changing for forest birds - as related to shifts in abundance of insects - and shore birds, as indicators of change. And as a result of the changes they track, we might learn how many afternoons in the future we'd better apply sunscreen.

Pisias himself measures deep-sea sediments, to better understand ocean-climate systems, which in turn shed light on the nature of global climate change.

Some researchers are most interested in the responses of humans:

• Carly Johnson, an OSU graduate student, focuses on climate change as it relates to ethics. "Adapting to and attempting to mitigate climate change is dependent on people's willingness to alter their behaviors," she said. "This depends in part on personal ethics." Through the Climate Ambassadors Program, she hopes to prepare the next generation of researchers to develop strategies responding to "the complex environmental and social issues inherent in global climate change."
• Denise Lach, a sociologist, investigates how climate science is perceived by policy-makers. She wants to help figure out how groups and individuals can best use scientific information in making decisions.

Deanna Kingston, an anthropologist, listens to Inupiaq walrus hunters in the Arctic. She is discovering how traditional wisdom and modern science can supplement each other in observing, predicting, and responding to changes that impact all.

 

Group Interview in the Elevator: Technology Transfer Staff

	Update:OSU's Technology Transfer team has expanded. Brian Wall, Interim Director: Yes, we've added staff, and we continue to update our processes, in order to best serve OSU faculty. For instance, one of our staff is dedicated to the intellectual property management for each OSU college, negotiating non-disclosure, material transfer, and license agreements.
The staff of the Office of Technology Transfer: Denis Sather, Mary Foley, Mitra Kiani, Brian Wall, Jane Gutter, Sarah Mabee.

Update: How about letting faculty publish?

Denis Sather, Licensing Assistant: We realize publishing is a key component for faculty success: it can occur together with protecting intellectual property . We're here to help faculty through the process.

Update: Why bother patenting?

Mary Foley, Interim Assistant Director: The patenting process has allowed some basic university research discoveries and inventions to be developed into drugs, diagnostics, devices, and other things we find valuable in everyday life. Recent OSU examples include formaldehyde-free adhesives; the Clearfield variety of wheat; and applications of mass spectrometry to the study of proteins.

Mitra Kiani, Licensing Associate: Without patenting, such examples of research would not have transferred into products. The risk for a company to further develop research into products is too great without appropriate protection.

Update: How is the money distributed?

Jane Gutter, Fiscal and Administrative Manager: Approximately one third of licensing revenue comes directly to you, the inventor. One third benefits your department, for infrastructure, equipment, a general fund, a lab . . .. And one third goes into the Research Office to help support our efforts.

Update: How is it to deal with Technology Transfer?

Sarah Mabee, Licensing Associate: We're truly here to make it easy, to take the burden off of you. Among us, we have a variety of experience and unique skills to navigate through the processes and meet your needs.

Update: You seem accessible.

Brian Wall: And friendly to work with. Our team gets along well, even in a crowded elevator!
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See more about the services of the Office of Technology Transfer

Environmental Protection

Nanotechnology has been called a revolution. OSU scientists are leaders in research to assure that nanotechnology will be safe for humans and the environment.

The United States Environmental Protection Agency recently showed its support for this proactive approach, awarding Oregon State University two grants to study the effects of nanoparticles. One is a three-year, $400,000 grant to develop a system capable of rapidly assessing the biological interactions of manmade nanomaterials. The other is a $200,000, three-year grant to determine how manufactured nanomaterials damage or kill cells.

	Robert Tanguay is the lead on the first grant. He is in the Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology, and also a researcher in the Oregon Nanoscience and Microtechnologies Institute (ONAMI) and director of the Sinnhuber Aquatic Research Laboratory. see press release
Alan Bakalinsky of the College of Agricultural Sciences, the lead scientist on the second grant, is studying the relationship between specific characteristics of nanoparticles, like shape and structure, and their effects on cells. see press release

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The NEW Offices of the Research Office

As the Research Office has added more staff to better serve the needs of faculty and the University, it's outgrown its space. And it was high time for an upgrade to reflect the quality of OSU's research enterprise.

So, we were fortunate enough to remodel, and we survived the process! Now even as the dust is still settling, and we are still unpacking boxes, rearranging desks, and thinking of hanging art — we offer a sneak peek of our brightly colored, light-filled areas. Features include a reception counter that is accessible for people in wheelchairs. We hope to host a reception once we get more settled in our beautiful new spaces. Meanwhile, please feel free to visit in-person — we are open for business!

The new entry to the Research Office, with the VP for Research

NOTE: The Research Office is now in two separate locations, yet all on the third floor of Kerr Administration Building. Directions: As you get off the elevator or leave the stairwell, turn left to get to the main suite, 312. There you'll find the offices of the Vice President for Research, Incentive Programs, and administrative and support personnel. Or, turn around and go across the skybridge and to the right, to enter 308, the suite which houses the Offices of Sponsored Programs, Research Compliance, and Technology Transfer.

 

The skybridge between the suites	Entry for matters related to grants, forms, licensing, and mor.

We invite you to view more photos of the remodeled areas of the Research Office.

ROY G. ARNOLD	WARREN E. KRONSTAD
WILLIAM M. BAIRD	JANE LUBCHENCO*
C. J. BAYNE	CHRISTOPHER K. MATHEWS
ANDREW R BLAUSTEIN	BRUCE MENGE
L. BOERSMA	FRANK L. MOORE
JOHN V. BYRNE	CHRISTOPHER C. MUNDT
JAMES CARRINGTON	MARY J. NYE
JOHN M. CASSADY	MINOCHER C. REPORTER
KENTON LEE CHAMBERS	PHILIP J. SIEMENS
JAMES A. COAKLEY, JR.	COURTLAND SMITH
JAMES W. DEARDORFF	ROBERT LLOYD SMITH
JOHN B. HAYS	T. DARRAH THOMAS
KENNETH HEDBERG	K. VAN HOLDE
GEORGE H. KELLER	ROBERT S. YEATS

* served as AAAS President