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Events

Celebrating inclusive excellence, administration, service and performance: 2024 College of Science Awards

The College of Science gathered on Feb. 29 to recognize and celebrate our high achieving faculty and staff at the 2024 Combined Awards Ceremony.

The following faculty and staff received awards in the categories of Inclusive Excellence, Administration, Service and Performance.

Congratulations to all the awardees!

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Chemistry

Researchers make key advance toward removing pesticide from groundwater

Scientists led by an Oregon State University chemistry researcher are closing in on a new tool for tackling the global problem of weedkiller-tainted groundwater.

Kyriakos Stylianou of the OSU College of Science led an international team that identified a material known as a metal-organic framework, or MOF, that showed an ability to completely remove, and also break down, the oft-used herbicide glyphosate.

Carley Beeman stands in an OSU leotard after finishing a bar routine.
Student Success

Balancing Acts: Carley Beeman, chemistry award-winner, dazzles in Pac-12 gymnastics

Carley Beeman’s resume is impressive. Studying Honors chemistry with a focus on advanced biochemistry and a minor in biology, she has been a consistent figure on the Oregon State University Honor Roll. In January, she was announced the chemistry undergraduate of the quarter.

The element vanadium displays a deep purple hue.
Chemistry

Research led by chemistry professor makes key advance for carbon capture

A chemical element so visually striking it was named for a goddess shows a “Goldilocks” level of reactivity – neither too much nor too little – that makes it a strong candidate as a carbon scrubbing tool.

Wei Kong and graduate students work in the lab on a huge machine with wires.
Chemistry

Revolutionary imaging research reshaping drug development and disease understanding

One project keeps chemist Wei Kong awake at night, and it started as an idea nearly two decades ago. Now, after being awarded nearly $2 million for four years by the National Institutes of Health, the goal is to create a groundbreaking new tool with the potential to revolutionize drug development and enhance our understanding of disease mechanisms.

Alumni awards
Alumni and Friends

Alumni Awards celebrates exceptional achievements

The College of Science community recently gathered to celebrate this year’s Alumni Award recipients. These alumni distinguished themselves through their groundbreaking research, strong leadership and efforts to enhance equity, access and inclusion.

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Chemistry

Researchers receive $2M to look for new ways to prevent organic potatoes from spoiling

Oregon State University researchers have been awarded $2 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to develop improved ways of preventing stored potatoes from sprouting, particularly in the organic sector.

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Alumni and Friends

Chemistry alum wins Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award

Rather than being swayed by conventional markers of success such as titles and salaries, Parisa Khosropour (B.S., ‘89) advocates for the relentless pursuit of personal excellence. Khosropour is the recipient of the 2023 Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award for her professional accomplishments and mentorship that has brought honor, distinction and visibility to the College of Science.

Abdikani Omar Farah stands in front of a wall in a black and white image.
Graduate students

Treating everyone: Martin O’Neill fellow aims to improve drug accessibility

Shaping challenges into opportunities is what chemistry Ph.D. student Abdikani Omar Farah has done nearly all of his life. After growing up in East Africa and experiencing firsthand what it meant to lack access to medicine, Farah now wants to use his career to fill this drug scarcity and give back to his communities.

A visual representation of a nanomaterial.
Materials Science

College of Science researchers find a better way to capture carbon from industrial emissions

Researchers in the College of Science have demonstrated the potential of an inexpensive nanomaterial to scrub carbon dioxide from industrial emissions. The findings, published in Cell Reports Physical Science, are important because improved carbon capture methods are key to addressing climate change, said Oregon State's Kyriakos Stylianou, who led the study.

Jessica Etter standing outside near a tree.
Students

Brussels sprouts and Parkinson's push chemistry senior toward Ph.D. at Oregon State

Graduating high school at 16 is no easy feat. For Jessica Etter, it also meant the additional challenge of starting college at 17. Etter started her journey as an Oregon State University chemistry student with the goal of becoming a forensic scientist, however, she has since found a passion for research and will be starting a Ph.D. at Oregon State this fall.