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Eleanor Ford stands on a stone pathway with palm trees in Okinawa, Japan in 1981.
Microbiology

Science and legacy: This 1962 alumna did it all

Eleanor Ford (62’, Microbiology) was six feet tall. Not literally, but when she shared her passion for laboratory safety, her personality could fill a room. Despite being only four feet, eleven inches, and a woman in a male-dominated field in the 1960s, when she talked, people listened.

A male college student engages with children during Discovery Days
College of Science

Empowering communities: Highlights from the College of Science’s 2023-24 outreach

Whether fostering curiosity in local classrooms, providing resources for underserved communities or translating cutting-edge discoveries for the general public, our outreach bridges the gap between science and society, elevating both. Here are some examples from across our departments during 2023-2024.

Image of Oregon State University Corvallis campus in spring.
College of Science

College of Science shines with nine awards at University Day

Faculty, staff and graduate students from the College of Science won nine awards at University Day, the celebratory kickoff to the academic year featuring an annual awards ceremony. These awards highlight excellence in teaching, advising, research and diversity advocacy, showing the College as a leader across the university.

Students help a community member receive dental care.
Events

Oregon State students provide free dental care to those in need

When homelessness and poverty strike, dental care often becomes a distant priority, leading many to resort to desperate measures like pulling their own teeth. Anika Phuvasate and her fellow Oregon State University Pre-Dental Club members are changing that narrative by organizing free clinics that offer compassionate, judgment-free dental services. These efforts not only restore smiles but also dignity, proving that everyone deserves access to essential care.

Students and staff clad in lab coats and glasses surround a lab table conducting experiments with pipettes, test tubes, beakers and other chemistry instruments in a lab at Oregon State University.
Diversity in Science

Ignite inSTEM summer camp mentors underrepresented students in chemistry

For five days, the students participated in the Ignite inSTEM summer camp, a groundbreaking initiative to diversify the biomedical workforce by engaging underrepresented youth in hands-on science for the first time and improving their retention in STEM.

Students in lab coats pose for a group photo.
Diversity in Science

Leidholdt Microbiology Summer Camp seeks support to sustain STEM opportunities

When an autistic high-school student meets an autistic science mentor, a whole new world of possibilities opens. When a shy high-school student is encouraged to embrace curiosity and ask questions, their path to college gets easier to navigate. And when an underrepresented high-school student is given a scholarship to attend a microbiology STEM camp, it can change their world.

A young student peers into a microscope surrounded by the bustle of Discovery Days.
Events

Discovery Days excites with science outreach for young students

For two days, Oregon State welcomed over 1,000 elementary students to experience the thrills of science outside the classroom. Discovery Days, a biannual outreach event sponsored by the College of Science, brimmed with activities for kids to enjoy while they met graduate and undergraduate students eager to share their enthusiasm for the inspiring field.

A kid stands in the water holding wildlife.
College of Science

Building bridges: College of Science outreach fosters science literacy and inclusion

The College of Science is dedicated to enriching our community and promoting science literacy. Our recently launched Strategic Plan emphasizes making meaningful contributions on local, national, and global scales.

High school students stand around a microscope in a lab wearing lab coats.
Diversity in Science

Breaking down barriers to a future in science

This past summer, Ph.D. student Savanah Leidholt set out to create a summer “bootcamp” for area high school students to draw more students from BIPOC, LGBTQ+, low-income and other diverse backgrounds to the study of microbiology.

Elementary students participate in the Discovery Days event.
Events

Discovery Days inspires curiosity and a passion for science

Polar bears have black skin, and all the ants in the world would weigh more than all the people.

Elementary school students were shocked to learn these true science fun facts while participating in the fall 2022 Discovery Days outreach program.

Juntos Chemistry Overnight Camp group picture.
Diversity in Science

Youth explore, investigate and discover at fun-filled annual Juntos Chemistry Camp

On a sunny June afternoon, 20 high school students from across Oregon stood in a college chemistry laboratory watching a balloon. Their eyes widened as it began to shrink and turn into a wrinkled but rigid ball of rubber. No magic was involved — just liquid nitrogen.

photo of Klamath river basin
OSU Press Releases

Oregon State partnering with Yurok Tribe to envision Klamath River after dam removal

Oregon State University researchers will embark in July on a 3½-year partnership with the Yurok Tribe to study what the connections between river quality, water use and the aquatic food web will look like after four Klamath River dams are dismantled.