One question: Where the heck ARE you?

O R E G O N S TAT E R
Spring 2014, Vol. 99, No. 2
Publisher:
OSU Alumni Association
Kathy Bickel, executive director,
vice president for alumni relations
Linda Hirneise, ’75, president of
the OSUAA
Editor:
Kevin Miller, ’78
Contributors:
Class notes, history and traditions
editor: Ann Cassinelli Kinkley, ’77
Design editor: Teresa Hall, ’06
Chief photographer: Hannah
O’Leary, ’13
Sports: Kip Carlson
Preproduction support: Dennis
Wolverton, ’66, ’93
Bookkeeper and main proofreader:
Janet McKensey, ’79
One question: Where the heck ARE you?
T
rue confession: When I came to work for the OSU Alumni Association to edit the
Stater back in 2006, I loved my alma mater and knew that the experiences I had here
were almost wholly responsible for the writing and editing career I loved, and continue
to love.
But I wasn’t very good at showing it. I wasn’t even a member of the association,
which was disconcerting during the interview process and downright embarrassing
once I got the job and saw how hard my colleagues here work to leverage something
worthwhile out of every cent of membership dues.
Don’t get me wrong. I had proudly worn an OSU sweatshirt around Eugene — where
I still live and was then senior editor of the daily newspaper, The Register-Guard — for
three decades. I followed Beaver sports. Often — when driving between Eugene and
points north — I made up an excuse to get off Interstate 5 and cruise downtown Corvallis
and the campus.
STATER ADVERTISING AND
OSUAA SPONSORSHIP SALES
Ben Danley, ’94
OSUAA marketing director
204 CH2M HILL Alumni Center
Corvallis, OR 97331-6303
541-737-2755
[email protected]
ADDRESS CHANGES, LETTERS,
OTHER STATER MATTERS
Please send them to
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ONLINE
Available at
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Copyright 2014 by the OSUAA, 204
CH2M HILL Alumni Center, Corvallis,
OR 97331-6303.
Oregon Stater (ISSN 0885-3258)
is a publication of the OSUAA. It appears in fall, winter and spring.
Postage paid at Corvallis, OR 97333
and additional locations.
CONTACT OSUAA
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osualum.com
Printed with ink containing soy at
Journal Graphics in Portland.
2
But ours was mostly an “I love you; don’t ever call me” kind of relationship. Like many
of my fellow alumni, I had moved enough times over the years that the OSU database
minders had lost track of me and had neither a current email address nor a home mailing
address nor a personal phone number for me. This Beaver was so far off the university’s
radar that I only heard about the Stater job — which might be the best I’ve ever had —
because acquaintances on campus knew where I worked.
So maybe it’s appropriate that I’m on the other side of the problem now. My
business card tells me I’m not only editor of the magazine, but also “manager of alumni
communications.” And that’s a tough deal when it comes to the digital world.
We send the Stater to about 190,000 addressed individuals in about 160,000
households (there are a lot of couples in Beaver Nation). We do OK with mailing
addresses; just be sure to tell us when you move, at [email protected].
But email addresses? My colleagues across campus have recently debated the exact
numbers, but I think it’s safe to say we have good ones — where the messages don’t
bounce and a live human occasionally opens one — for about one-third of our alumni.
And those much-coveted “likes” for our alumni association Facebook page? As I write
this we’re growing steadily but oh-so-slowly past the 2,400 mark. You can see the top
of that page above. What’s not to like?
So we’re doing an experiment with this issue of the Stater. On the back of the
magazine — assuming it came via mail and things worked as planned — there’s a
message either thanking you for being a member or asking you to join, with a web
address to follow. If you’re not a member, please consider joining. If you are a member,
please ask a Beaver friend to join. If that’s too much, here are a couple of other options:
If we don’t have your email address, email it and your name and the 10-digit number on
your Stater mailing label to [email protected]. Also, the next time you’re using
Facebook, go to facebook.com/oregonstatealum and “like” (or follow) us.
Because we already like you. A lot. q
— Kevin Miller, ’78, editor, proud member of the OSUAA
O R E G O N S TAT E R
18
MORE THAN SWEATERS
The Beaver-owned Imperial
Stock Ranch helped clothe
U.S. Olympians in Russia, but
that’s just a tiny bit of what’s
important about the Carvers’
massive high-desert spread.
(Photo by Hannah O’Leary)
42 LET’S B-O-W-L!!!
We admit it: A lot of us found it by accident while
wandering the MU as puzzled freshmen, but the
alley down below is still how many Beavers roll.
50 ATHLETICS’ BIG BOSS
Bob De Carolis gets an earful about pretty much
everything that happens in OSU sports, but he’s
still lovin’ the job.
AND SO MUCH MORE ...
C A M PA I G N AT B I L L I O N — 9
M O R E T H A N S W E AT E R S — 1 8
BREWING SUCCESS — 30
RILEY’S ASSESSMENT — 52
THE MAGAZINE OF THE OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
OREGON STATER
OSU ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
SPRING 2014
OSU-trained fermentation scientists Eryn Bottens,
’13, Annette Fritsch, ’07, and Jeb Hollabaugh, ’12, take
a break in the tasting room at the Massachusetts
headquarters of The Boston Beer Company, brewer of
Samuel Adams and several other brands, and the largest and most successful American craft beer maker.
Fritsch is Boston Beer’s top brewing scientist; Bottens
operates the company’s small-scale test brewery and
Hollabaugh works in the
brewing laboratory. They
and a growing group of
well-trained food scientists with a passion for
making the perfect brew
are why beer-makers
large and small, around
the world, seek out
A well-crafted brew
Oregon State graduates.
of science & passion
Story on page 30. (Photo
by Hannah O’Leary)
SPRING 2014
SPRING 2014
4 Letters, campus news: Beavers have their say; President
Ray says be smart, not scared; new engineering dean
10 Mourning our first lady: Celebration of Beth Ray’s life
scheduled for June 2
16 Pop Quiz: How much do you know about these women
who made university history?
24Alumni of note: Five alumni honored with top awards
from university, foundation, alumni association
29Crane-ing for attention: Construction equipment or social
media celebrity?
36New home in Bend: A look at the proposed site of the
four-year campus for OSU-Cascades
44Alumni association news: Director’s letter; events calendar; new regional staff and a Day of Service reminder
50Sports: De Carolis & Riley, plus three projects in the works
56Class notes: New life members; Beavers to remember;
two alumni profiles; Pop Quiz answers (no cheating)
ON THE COVER:
Fermentation alums land jobs across the nation
3
Letters
Tasty memories
Regarding the “Back in the Day” feature
in the winter issue: In the fall of 1965 we
used to go to Pizza Joe’s in downtown
Corvallis to play Foosball and drink beer.
Of course the Beaver Hut was the big hot
spot for games and drinks. Lots of late
night action at the Chat & Chew.
Steve Brewer, ’67
Winlock, Wash.
Bemoaning co-op fate
It is very sad to hear that the 75-year
history of co-op living organizations at
Oregon State is coming to an end. I was a
member of Campus Club, one of the first
men’s co-op houses, from the fall of 1948
to spring 1952. Since 1992 I have arranged
an annual reunion of Campus Club alumni
in the Portland area. Most of this group of
alumni lived in Campus Club prior to about
1960, with a few from the 1961 to 1966
era. In 1966 Campus Club was renamed
Avery Lodge when the members moved
into the new house on Madison Street,
built by the university.
Men’s co-op living organizations, such
as Kupono, the first men’s co-op (1939 to
1943), Campus Club (1940 to 1966), Beaver
Lodge and Davenport House, and several women’s co-ops — Heather Rae, The
Pines, Jameson House — to mention a few,
made campus housing more affordable,
and enjoyable, for some 10,000 to 15,000
Oregon State students over the last 75
years. Room and board costs were held
to a minimum as the members joined
together to rent a house, hire a cook,
purchase all of their food and other supplies, pay their utilities and other costs of
operating the house. The members did all
of their own housekeeping, food service
and other chores related to the operation
of the house.
The members became a family, with the
older members assisting younger members with studies and other life problems.
Even now, as the alumni gather, 40 to 70
years after graduation, they continually
comment on how important co-op living
was to their maturing and developing into
responsible adults. Most of them, like me,
entered as freshman or lower classmen,
then grew and matured to seniors and
graduation. It gave the members all of
the advantages of a fraternity or sorority,
4
without the national affiliation. It provided
members a much more family-like group
than students living in one of the dormitories.
Over the past 20 to 30 years I have
interacted with members of Avery Lodge
and have found the same family-like bond,
the formation of life-long friendships and
strongly developed camaraderie between
members. It is hard to understand why
the university would want to end this
important part of a college student’s development. And hard to understand why
they seem to be pushing the students into
more expensive facilities, when the cost of
education is continuing to escalate.
Robert E. “Bob” McDole, ’52
Tacoma, Wash.
More on eateries
Just finished your great “Back in the Day”
article in the winter 2014 Stater. My mind
was flooded with many wonderful memories from 40-plus years ago. I managed
The Oregon Museum in 1970-71. Although
no longer a viable business nearly a half
century later, The Museum is still fondly
remembered. WOW!
The business was about 50/50 students
and townies. This was a result of a bangup staff. We always had time for anyone
who walked through our doors. Of course,
the employment helped us all pay the outrageous quarterly tuition of $238 or so, as
I remember.
I hope to get to Corvallis this year and
spend a little time in the next set of fondly
remembered “Hangouts.”
Thank you for the wonderful memories.
Ron Blasing
Seattle, Wash.
Campus Inn recalled
Consider adding the Campus Inn to the
list of “And More” eateries (“Back in the
Day,” winter Stater) from the long ago
past. It was located on Monroe, east of the
old Oregon State bookstore. The manager’s name was Shirley, I believe. She
was always very welcoming and greeted
us with a smile. Many of us were housed
in off-campus sleeping rooms without
kitchen facilities. The Campus Inn was just
what we needed. Your article on hangouts
and eateries was appreciated.
Dave Martinez, ’60, ’67
Portland
Dr. Bob checks in
I wish to thank our editor for all the nice
things that he said about me in the last is-
sue, but most of all for pointing out to me
and also many others in his editorial that
we do have an electronic version of the
Stater. It will help many of our older alums
with vision problems to keep in touch with
all the great things that are going on at
Oregon State. Thanks Kevin.
Bob Loomis, ’56
(AKA Dr. Bob, OSUBOB, Beaver Bob)
Eugene
Time to think, question
Regarding the winter Stater article on
page 22, “See, do, learn”:
I am pleased with the opportunities
now afforded OSU students. I could whine
and wish they were available in ’64-’68
when I was there, but I won’t. In reference
to “An observer’s quoted comment that it
seemed like ‘a waste of intellectual ability
to have our best & brightest students
simply engage in menial labor,’” what is
more menial, pounding away for hours
on a treadmill in a posh gym, or pounding
nails while volunteering for Habitat for
Humanity? A person does not learn people
skills on a treadmill listening to his iPod
play list. He/she learns social skills, purpose, teamwork, culture, satisfaction and
other stuff while volunteering.
Regarding the article on page 11 ,“OSU
creates new center to support food
systems,” this triggered a thought: Is
there OSU research to improve a plant’s
photosynthesis, thus reducing the amount
of CO2 in the atmosphere? It seems to me
that an improved tree or bush might be a
useful product for our planet.
My BS in math from OSU in 1968 has
allowed me to work successfully as a
mathematician for the Navy, and now after 41 years, I’ve retired with time to think
and ask questions.
James Hochstein, ’68
Bremerton, Wash.
TOL Program changed
Cascades student’s life
I am a student at OSU-Cascades, just
finishing up my Tourism and Outdoor
Leadership international internship.
I just wanted to take a few minutes
to talk about how the TOL program has
benefited me in my life.
As with many of the students at
OSU-Cascades, I am non-traditional. At
the age of 27 I decided it was time to
get a college degree and I found the TOL
program through Internet research on a
degree in ecotourism.
O R E G O N S TAT E R
After looking through the course listings
and doing some research about Bend, I
decided that the program would be a perfect fit. I lived in Portland at the time, so I
did my first two years at Portland Community College and transfered to OSU-Cascades as a junior.
As I worked through the TOL program,
I changed my major from International
Ecotourism to Eco and Adventure Tourism,
due to the fact that I wanted to move to
Asia but the only language classes that
OSU-Cascades offered were Spanish.
I found the Eco and Adventure Tourism
option to be very interesting, covering
topics in ecotourism, experiential education and the risk/rewards of outdoor
recreation. The teachers at OSU-Cascades
were passionate about the outdoors,
education and enlightening their students.
Most of my classes were taught by Mike
Gassner, ’85, Kreg Lindberg, ’96, and
Matt Shinderman. All three teachers left a
lasting impression on me.
During my education at OSU-Cascades,
I became involved in multiple student
organizations. In the Cascades Adventures outdoor club I led canoe trips on
the Deschutes River every week. On the
student government team I was the 20122013 activities coordinator. Both of these
extracurricular activities helped me use
what I was learning in the TOL program
and I gained first-hand experience before I
even left campus!
As part of the TOL program, students
are required to complete an internship
related to their studies. Dr. Gassner helped
me to secure an internship at an experiential education company in Hong Kong and
I have been here working since September. I love this city and I especially love
introducing the youth of Hong Kong to
the outdoors. We take them rock climbing,
abseiling, gorge trekking and kayaking.
We deliver educational programs on wilderness survival as well as team-building
exercises.
I would not be here today if it were not
for the TOL program and I am convinced
that it is a unique and beneficial study
option for Bend!
Victoria Odinet
Hong Kong
Send us letters
We love your letters. We might edit them
for clarity, brevity or factual accuracy.
Email to [email protected] or mail
to Letters to the Editor, Oregon Stater,
OSUAA, 204 CH2M HILL Alumni Center,
Corvallis, OR 97331-6303.
Corrections
Mrs. Judith Pittam Hunt, ’62, Hillsborough,
Calif., is alive and well, despite being
listed in the obituaries in the winter 2014
Oregon Stater.
We apologize for the mistake and
extend our gratitude to our victim for
being so gracious about it.
Our investigation into the error turned
up a perfect storm of mistaken identities,
so perfect that our living alumnus and the
woman who had died — although they
weren’t related or closely acquainted —
had met at one point in their lives.
Also, an item in Not-so-small-talk in
the winter issue mistakenly said a record
number of student veterans are receiving
government benefits. We should have
qualified that with the phrase, “since the
post-Vietnam War era.”
Report errors at stater@oregonstate.
edu or at Corrections, Oregon Stater, 204
CH2M HILL Alumni Center, Corvallis, OR
97331-6303.
$25,000
SAVE THE DATE,
$18,000
’  
June 6-7, 2014
Join 1964, 1959, 1954, 1949 and 1944 graduates for a reunion of the ages, and see how
your ever-growing campus has evolved over the years.
Enjoy tours, lectures, the medallion ceremony and dinner — complete with dancing —
all with your classmates.
Members of the Class of 1964
are creating a scholarship
endowment to support
hardworking Oregon State
students. Our goal is to raise
$25,000 before June 30,
2014, and you’ll be pleased
to know that $18,000 has
already been raised.
For more details, visit osualum.com/reunions, or call 877-678-2837.
SPRING 2014
5
Ed Said: How scared should we be?
When we heard that OSU President Ed Ray had
enthusiastically invited higher education writer Jeff
Selingo, author of College (Un)Bound:
The Future of Higher Education
and What it Means for Students,
to speak at the fall 2014 University
Day gathering, the topic for this
issue’s “Ed Said” was set. A former
editor at The Chronicle of Higher
Education, Selingo pleads with
people inside and outside the higher
education establishment to question
everything about the future of
colleges and universities.
He argues that a massive and — in
many cases — devastating shakeout is
“Education is like any market. When
there’s a paradigm shift, there’s a shakeout. When there’s an economic downturn,
there’s a shakeout. Those who are barely
getting by under the best of circumstances will not survive under the pressure of
changing market realities and economic
hardship.
“We have many, many small colleges
and universities with niche markets and
boutique appeal, that cost a great deal of
money to attend and operate, and they
are the ones that need to be thinking
about whether they want to be in the boat
when the flood comes, or in the ocean.
How effectively they meet the challenges
and opportunities posed by new learning
technologies and adapt to the changing
economics of higher education will determine their long-term viability.
“But the top couple hundred colleges
and universities — which would include
Oregon State University — could actually
fail to seize the moment and still persist,
if not flourish as institutions of higher
learning.
“So the first big message is that the sea
changes we are seeing in the economics
and technology of learning in higher education are not going to kill us even if we’re
not smart enough to do all the things we
ought to do to assume a leadership role
among the universities of the future.
“And the next obvious question is, ‘Why
is that true? Why won’t it kill us?’
“Part of the answer is that while virtual
learning, or, hybrid learning — virtual
mixed with in-person learning — can
6
coming, and he says many institutions won’t survive because they can’t or won’t orient themselves
to a new reality. As contributing problems he
cites the massive student loan debt, bleak
hiring prospects for many new graduates,
the ever-increasing impact of technology on
how people learn, and many other factors.
It turns out that OSU’s chief executive is one
of Selingo’s biggest fans, so much so that
he regularly presents copies of College (Un)
Bound to people involved in planning for
OSU’s future.
Given the gravity of Selingo’s warnings, we asked President Ray how worried
the OSU faithful should be.
outperform traditional learning models
in many respects ... there is something
that cannot be replicated in the virtual
realm that is associated with going away
to college and creating the person you are
going to be for the rest of your life.
“The overall model for higher education is no longer that most students
are 18 to 22 — it’s much more complex
than that — but there is a large cohort of
18- to 22-year-olds that come to college
every year, who want to be immersed in
a four- to six-year college experience as
a prelude to getting out and developing
careers, having families and seeking community engagement opportunities.
“Many of them — although this current
generation seems to be more focused
— have literally no idea what they want
to do with their lives when they get to
college. College is where they figure
out not what the one thing is, but what
something is that they’re actually pretty
good at and they have some passion for
and they probably could pursue successfully as a career.
“They learn a lot by being with their
peers. We listen a lot more to our peers
than we listen to our elders, which probably is a mistake, but every generation
does it.
“And they also have mentors within the
faculty and professional staff who really
can influence the paths they take in life.
“College gives them a chance to experiment and try a wide array of activities, and to observe themselves in new
circumstances, and hopefully discover
something they’re quite good at, that
they love to do, that they had never even
considered doing for a living.
“There will always be a need for this
kind of a learning environment, so
colleges and universities that provide
those interactions, those opportunities, that menu of possibilities in a safe
environment in which young people can
explore alternative paths for their lives,
will always be needed. But, even in these
circumstances, colleges and universities
that use technology to improve learning
at the individual level and manage costs
more efficiently will prosper relative to
those who fail to adapt.
“This country excels at providing broad
and deep and flexible learning opportunities through programs that are more
porous, more fluid than any higher education system in the world. People can drop
in and out and back into their education
during their lives. That is a remarkable
comparative advantage for the United
States, and those who presume that we
will lose our leadership position in higher
education in the world underestimate the
strengths of our system.
“So what about Oregon State? Should
we seize our opportunities or should we
just sit back secure in the knowledge that
the shakeout will not close our doors?
“My message goes beyond cautioning
us not to overreact to the challenges we
face. We’re going to survive. But let’s
have a conversation about who we are
and what we want to be and focus on the
opportunities before us.
O R E G O N S TAT E R
“Yes we are traditional. But traditional in our values. We care
about honesty, integrity, commitment to others, hard work,
making a difference in the world, and leading when we need to
lead.
“That doesn’t mean we have to be traditional in how we do
things. From the moment I got here, one of the things I loved
about this place was that no one ever told me, ‘That’s not the
way we do things at Oregon State.’
“That’s wonderful. It says we’re not rigid, we’re open to doing
things a different way. We can seize opportunities to improve the
learning experience of our students.
“Maybe some people here had the sense that good was good
enough at the turn of the century, but I think we’ve gotten away
from that over the last 10 or 11 years. I sense that colleagues
genuinely believe that we are ready to assert ourselves as a
world leader in higher education.”
Here he pointed to several examples of Oregon State innovating with outside-the-box thinking, such as the success of the
Open Source Lab, where computer programming and software
innovations are created, hosted and set free in the world. He
also noted that OSU’s Ecampus program is ranked fourth in the
nation among online learning offerings at research universities.
“We’re already a leader in a lot of these new approaches to
learning. So why, for heaven’s sake, if change is coming and
opportunities exist, shouldn’t we be eager to be part of and even
lead that change?
“I invited Jeff Selingo to visit with us because I want us to look
at his ideas, to mull it all over and decide what does and doesn’t
work for us, and then determine how we want to position ourselves as a learning community in the 21st century.
“I believe one should always want to be on the leading edge
of change rather than holding onto the past and hoping that ignoring opportunities and challenges around us will work out. We
are better than that at OSU. We have wonderful faculty and I am
confident that with their leadership we can weigh and balance
the pluses and minuses of changes in the way we create and
share content for our students, and set an exciting agenda to
improve this university for those we serve.” q
Ashford new dean of engineering
Scott Ashford, ’83, faces his duties as new
dean of the College of Engineering with a
smile, a ton of global experience in business and academia, and a firm conviction
that the work of engineers is noble and
important.
Sabah Randhawa, ’81, OSU provost and
executive vice president, announced the
leadership transition in which former dean
Sandra Wood stepped down but remained
a tenured professor. Randhawa said he
was certain Ashford’s appointment would
end a period of internal power struggles
that had begun to attract attention off
campus. Ashford has worked at OSU since
2007, and he served as interim dean of
engineering in 2011-12.
“Oregon State University is fully com-
SPRING 2014
mitted to the success of the College of
Engineering, its faculty, staff and students, and to building upon the excellent
teaching, research and industry collaborations for which the college has long
been recognized,” Randhawa said. “I am
confident that Scott Ashford will provide
the leadership needed to advance the
strategic direction and priorities of the
college. Going forward, it is essential to
build a leadership team within the college
that shares a sense of direction and
purpose.”
Ashford said he wholeheartedly agrees
that it’s time to focus forward. His college,
he said, is in great shape to continue
solving problems in the public and private
sectors, and to produce future generations of engineers who can do the same.
“Our fundamentals are strong,” he
noted.
Prospective students flock to OSU’s
engineering programs while the college’s
teaching and research ranks grow each
year with highly respected new faculty;
the college blew past its fundraising goal
in The Campaign for OSU, with yet another
new, largely donor-funded engineering
building on the horizon; and OSU engineering grads are a hot commodity in the
job market.
Ashford is the Kearney Professor of
Engineering and had been head of OSU’s
School of Civil and Construction Engineering. His specialty is engineering
ways to mitigate effects of catastrophic
earthquakes, especially the big one that
is geologically overdue to hit the Pacific
Northwest. Internationally recognized
for his expertise, he helped create the
Cascadia Lifeline Program to help Oregon
businesses, governments and utilities
prepare for a major quake and possible
tsunami.
“I’m going to continue that work,” he
said.
Ashford earned a BS in civil engineering
at OSU in 1983. After working in private
industry for seven years — mostly with
CH2M HILL — he earned his master’s in
1986 and his Ph.D. in 1994, both from the
University of California-Berkeley.
He was on the faculties of the Asian
Institute of Technology in Thailand for two
years and the University of California-San
Diego for 11 years before returning to OSU.
Ashford said he steps into his new
position with a willingness to lead and a
commitment to shared governance within
the college.
“I respect everybody who works here,”
he said. “But I’m also willing to make
tough decisions.”
He said he had received nothing but
good wishes from the college’s constituents on and off campus. q
7
Not-so-small talk
(Humility is great, but we need to spread the word about this!)
As part of an ongoing effort to get alumni and other friends to help share the OSU story,
Steve Clark, ’75, vice president for university relations and marketing, joins the Oregon Stater in
presenting another batch of talking points for not-so-bashful Beavers:
Doctoral, other programs among elite
White House turns to Oregon State
Nineteen OSU doctoral programs are in QS World University
Rankings’ top 10 in their specialties for 2014. QS World also
recently ranked OSU as the world’s seventh best university in
academic teaching and research in agriculture and forestry; in
the top 100 universities in environmental studies; and in the top
150 in earth and marine sciences. The high-ranking doctoral programs include forest ecosystems and society; fisheries science;
mathematics education; wildlife science; geography; science
education; applied economics; zoology; public health; pharmacy;
wood science; public policy; nutrition; ocean, earth and atmospheric sciences; radiation health physics; environmental and
molecular toxicology; human development and family studies;
medical physics; and design and human environment.
OSU is a key partner in a $320 million White House initiative to
advance America’s global competitiveness in manufacturing.
With additional support announced in late February by President
Barack Obama, scientists at OSU and other universities across
the nation will try to revolutionize how things are built in the
U.S., making American manufacturers more competitive globally, creating new jobs and lowering costs of consumer products.
Small-reactor spinoff gets federal help
An OSU-born proposal to safely generate electricity from smallsized nuclear plants has a commitment of $226 million in research support from the U.S. Department of Energy. The money
will go to NuScale Power. With offices in Corvallis and Portland, it
is an international leader in developing small modular reactors.
OSU professor Jose Reyes, the Henry W. and Janice J. Schuette
Chair of the Department of Nuclear Engineering, helped launch
the concept that NuScale is exploring. The university benefits
from licensing fees paid by the company and OSU nuclear engineering researchers and students get access to the newest ideas
in nuclear power generation.
Walk this way? OSU knows how, why
Humans have been walking for more than a million years, and
scientists in OSU’s College of Engineering made some important
discoveries about how we do it with grace and a modest use
of energy. Researchers will incorporate some of what comes
naturally to humans into designing more functional robots that
might take on dangerous tasks, or perhaps aid people who have
physical disabilities. Meanwhile, researchers in the College of
Public Health and Human Sciences recently captured national
attention by showing how even relatively modest physical activity — especially walking — can have a more powerful impact on
human health than had previously been understood.
8
The voices of Beaver Nation ring out
OSU’s women’s choir, Bella Voce, will perform this July at the
prestigious International Society for Music Education in Porto
Alegre, Brazil. This is the first time an OSU choir has been selected through a rigorous audition process to represent the United
States at this international showcase. Bella Voce includes 40 to
50 singers and is a part of OSU’s music programs in the College
of Liberal Arts.
A nation of Oregon State believers
More than 102,000 donors — including alumni and friends from
all 50 states — have contributed to The Campaign for OSU and
helped the fundraising effort blow past its $1 billion goal with 11
months to go before its Dec. 31 conclusion. See more on page 9.
Changing how high-rises are built
OSU’s College of Forestry will lead a new national effort to use
wood in the construction of taller, multi-story and environmentally friendly buildings. This public-private partnership
could create new markets for high-value wood products that
can be manufactured in Oregon and elsewhere, returning some
high-paying jobs to the nation’s rural communities. q
O R E G O N S TAT E R
Campaign passes $1 billion
The Campaign for OSU — the first such campaign in university
history — has passed its $1 billion goal and continues to draw
support as it rolls toward a Dec. 31 conclusion.
OSU President Ed Ray announced the passing of the milestone
Jan. 31 at his annual State of the University address in Portland.
He encouraged contributions through the remainder of the year.
“While this is a remarkable milestone, this campaign has never
been about the big number,” Ray said. “Our generous donors are
committed, as is the university, to transforming Oregon State
into a top-10 land grant research university to significantly advance the health of the Earth, its people and our economy.”
Donors have brought private support for Oregon State to an
all-time high, with annual totals exceeding $100 million for the
last three years. More than 102,000 donors have:
»» Created more than 600 new scholarship and fellowship funds
— a 30 percent increase — with gifts for student support
exceeding $170 million;
»» Contributed more than $100 million to help attract and retain
leading professors and researchers, including funding for 77
of Oregon State’s 124 endowed faculty positions;
»» Supported construction or renovation of more than two
dozen campus facilities, including Austin Hall in the College of
Business, the Linus Pauling Science Center, new cultural centers, and the OSU Basketball Center. Bonding support from
the state was critical to many of these projects.
Business leaders Pat Reser, ’60; Patrick Stone, ’74; and Jim
Rudd, ’07(H), have co-chaired the campaign since its public
launch in 2007. All three have been trustees of the OSU Foundation, and Reser, board chair of Reser’s Fine Foods, also serves as
chair of Oregon State’s new Board of Trustees, appointed by Gov.
John Kitzhaber.
“Our donor community is growing because people are deepening their ties to Oregon State — and that helps make us a
better university,” said Mike Goodwin, CEO and president of the
OSU Foundation, the nonprofit organization charged with raising,
administering and stewarding private gifts to the university.
“This broad base of support positions Oregon State well for
future philanthropic support and engagement from our alumni,
parents and friends.”
Donors from every state and more than 50 nations have
invested in OSU as part of the campaign. Almost 40 percent of
these campaign donors are first-time donors to the university.
More than 1,000 donors have made campaign gifts of more than
$100,000, including 177 donors who have made gifts of $1 million
or more. Only 34 other public universities in the country have
crossed the billion-dollar mark in a campaign.
“The campaign is about developing and energizing a community of dedicated advocates, people who share our vision of what
Oregon State can accomplish,” Ray said.
“The best is yet to come.” q
Oregon State University
Transformed
Through the generosity of more than
102,000 donors, Oregon State University
has surpassed $1 billion in its first
campus-wide fundraising campaign.
The result has been simply amazing:
600 new scholarship and fellowship
funds, 77 new endowed faculty positions,
and 27 new or renovated facilities.
There is still time for you to be a
part of this historic effort. Join us at
campaignforosu.org.
SPRING 2014
9
Her battle with cancer caused Beth Ray to get creative with head coverings and she took to the challenge — in typical fashion — with enthusiasm and a sense of humor. One of her favorite rides was in a carriage
through campus in the Homecoming parade — such as this one in 2007.
OSU mourns
beloved first
lady, Beth Ray
O
SU first lady Beth P. Ray died March 21 of lung cancer. She
was 67.
After working as a business law professor, academic
counselor and assistant dean for academic advising, she arrived
at OSU in 2003 when her husband, Edward J. Ray, became the
university’s 14th president. She suspended her career to help
him lead what has become a historic period of growth and
transformation for the university.
In addition to supporting her husband and the rest of the OSU
leadership team, she became a fixture at campus celebrations
and other events, a mentor to many students and a devoted fan
of OSU athletics. In an August 2013 interview, Ed Ray said his
work at Oregon State would have been impossible without her
steadfast support.
“She has as much of a right to feel proud as anyone,” he added.
“It’s her legacy too.”
That legacy was memorialized in January of this year when
students who knew first-hand of her support for students led a
successful effort to get OSU’s new academic tutoring and advising
center renamed the Beth Ray Center for Academic Support.
The Rays, whose courtship started when they playfully tossed
ice at each other during a picnic while they were students at
Stanford, were married 44 years. She is survived by their three
children: Michael Ray, Katherine Hall and Stephanie Pritchard.
10
The Ray family and Beaver Nation, Beth Ray’s broadly extended
second family, will celebrate her life at a memorial service June 2
at the LaSells Stewart Conference Center.
The family requests no flowers but suggests those wishing
to honor her consider a gift to the Ed and Beth Ray Choral
Leadership Endowment or the Ed and Beth Ray Scholarship
Endowment at the OSU Foundation, or a gift to the Good
Samaritan Hospital Foundation to support programs treating
childhood cancer.
OSU graduate Bridget Burns, ’04, ’11, said she considered Beth
Ray a surrogate parent.
“She was always so incredibly supportive, kind, and always
honest and frank when I needed it,” Burns said.
Kathy Bickel, executive director of the OSU Alumni Association
and vice president of alumni relations, said Beavers everywhere
would mourn the first lady, but that it would be worthwhile to
remember what Beth Ray told her husband when he offered to
step down as president after hearing of her diagnosis.
Recollecting the conversation in the fall 2013 Oregon Stater,
Beth Ray said she told him he had to keep working.
“I told him there are things that are not finished here, that he
has to get done,” she said. “We’re a team; he can’t stop because
we still have too much to do here.”
“That gives us clear guidance about what Beth would want us
to do now,” Bickel said.
For updates, including specifics of the June 2 celebration of life,
visit the OSU home page at oregonstate.edu. q
O R E G O N S TAT E R
BOOK NOTES
A Scripture of Crows (Silverfish Review
Press) by Charles Goodrich, ’02, is a
collection of poems by the director of the
Spring Creek Project for Ideas, Nature, and
the Written Word at OSU.
Meaningful Places: Landscape Photographers in the Nineteenth-Century
American West (University of New Mexico
Press) by Rachel McLean Sailor, ’92.
This well-illustrated book examines the
cultural complexity of regional landscape
photography, western places, and local
sociopolitical concerns.
The Thing with Feathers (Riverhead Books)
by Noah Strycker, ’08. Drawing from personal experience, cutting-edge science
and colorful history, Strycker, associate
editor of Birding magazine, looks at the
lives of birds and their deep connection to
humanity.
Malamud: Novels and Stories of the 1940s
& 50s, and Malamud: Novels and Stories
of the 1960s (Library of America). This
two-volume collection of former Oregon State professor Bernard Malamud’s
novels and stories has been reprinted by
a nationally funded nonprofit, dedicated
to preserving America’s best and most
significant writings. Included is A New
Life, Malamud’s pseudo-fictitious account
of his years in Corvallis.
SPRING 2014
11
Endowments grow faculty
While graduates have always been OSU’s greatest contribution
to the world, the university also serves Oregonians of all ages
through a wide variety of research and outreach programs.
Three of the new endowed faculty positions created through The
Campaign for OSU demonstrate the breadth of Oregon State’s
impact, today and for generations to come.
MAGGIE LIVESAY
Emily Rynerson Cosci Benton County
Professor for Environmental Education
Oregon 4-H
BRIAN CHARLTON, ’94
Klamath Basin Potato Endowed Faculty
Scholar
College of Agricultural Sciences
BACKGROUND:
Livesay is a
native of Colorado, where
she earned a
bachelor’s degree
in geology from
Fort Lewis College. She worked
as an exploration geologist before coming
to OSU in 1998.
BACKGROUND:
Charlton received
his bachelor’s
degree in crop
and soil sciences
from OSU before
going to Iowa
State for his
master’s degree
in agronomy. He returned to OSU 20 years
ago as a faculty member.
MAKING A DIFFERENCE: Part of OSU
Extension, Livesay is a Benton County
4-H youth development faculty member
whose work focuses on giving youth and
families a foundation for gaining knowledge of their local environment. She
works with teachers and volunteers
to provide programs that give youth
opportunities for research and community service while getting them outside
and connected to science and nature.
MAKING A DIFFERENCE: Based at the OSU
Klamath Basin Research and Extension
Center in Klamath Falls, Charlton develops
new varieties of potatoes, a process that
can take 10 to 14 years. He also works
with the Tri-State Potato Breeding Program, a joint initiative of OSU, Washington
State University, the University of Idaho
and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Among the program’s accomplishments is
the development of two of the four varieties generally used by fast food restaurants for their French fries.
OFF THE CLOCK: Being in the outdoors
is vital to Livesay’s personal as well as
professional life. She makes sure to spend
time outside every day and particularly
enjoys hiking and cross-country skiing
with her family.
SHE SAID IT: “Most of my career with Extension has been funded through grants.
This amazing gift will give our program the
stability to focus on developing long-term
programs that help develop youth as
leaders and environmentally responsible
citizens.”
ABOUT THE DONOR: Mary Rynerson,
founder of Pacific Interpreters, which specializes in medical translation, created the
endowed professorship in memory of her
daughter, Emily Rynerson Cosci, ’96, ’03,
who earned her bachelor’s and master’s
degrees from OSU, and then was an adjunct faculty member in natural resources
education for 10 years.
12
OFF THE CLOCK: Charlton likes yellow
and red potatoes for eating, preferably
mashed or in potato salad. While he works
daily with potatoes, he and his family
have them at meals only once or twice a
week.
HE SAID IT: “Potatoes are the single-most
important non-grain food crop worldwide. The endowment of this position
speaks volumes to me how the state of
Oregon values its potato industry. It’s
gratifying to know that we make that kind
of impact.”
ABOUT THE DONORS: Last year the Oregon Potato Commission teamed up with
Klamath Basin potato growers to create
an endowment so there will always be a
potato expert in their region. The Oregon
Potato Commission previously created
another endowment to help fund a plant
breeder to lead OSU’s potato development
efforts.
RENEE CARR
Moore Family Center Endowed Outreach
Coordinator
College of Public Health and Human
Sciences
BACKGROUND:
Carr has a bachelor’s degree
in educational
administration
from Concordia
University in
Portland and a
master’s degree
in health-care administration from
Portland State. She was managing the
nutrition programs for a series of fitness
centers when she started volunteering
with OSU Extension Services in 1992.
Five years later, she was hired as a staff
member.
MAKING A DIFFERENCE: Building on
education and advocacy efforts she has
been doing through OSU Extension, Carr
partners with Oregon schools, food pantries, health clinics, 4-H programs, health
departments and other organizations
to promote the consumption of whole
grains. Recent federal nutrition guidelines
emphasize eating more whole grains,
such as rice, wheat, oats and quinoa.
OFF THE CLOCK: As Carr tries to encourage healthier eating, she gets to explore
new grains for her own meals. She is
experimenting with recipes using quinoa,
a crop of Latin American origin that is enjoying a surge in popularity in the United
States and Canada.
SHE SAID IT: “Because of the Moore
family, we can reach more youth than we
have before. In the coming year we expect to add nutrition programs for about
15,000 students in Oregon.”
ABOUT THE DONORS: In 2010, Bob and
Charlee Moore, founders of Bob’s Red Mill
Natural Foods, gave $5 million to establish the Moore Family Center for Whole
Grains, Nutrition and Preventive Health
at Oregon State. The gift included funding
for the outreach coordinator and director
positions.
O R E G O N S TAT E R
Mennonite
Village
Picture yourself living here...
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Mennonite Village considers and admits people age 55
and older without regard to race, color, national origin,
religion, gender, sexual orientation, or disability.
A 275-acre community in a rural setting, Mennonite Village provides living
spaces for all levels of retirement – just a short drive from Corvallis. With
an award-winning chef and beautifully landscaped grounds, Mennonite
Village is an inclusive, all-faith community of amazing people.
5353 Columbus St. S.E., Albany, Oregon
www.mennonitevillage.org
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541-928-7232
Co-ops fade away on campus
Oregon State’s once-robust collection of cooperatives will be
part of history come fall, as Avery Lodge, Azalea House, Dixon
Lodge and Oxford House are set to close in June.
OSU announced last year that it would close the cooperatives,
which collectively house about 200 students, at the end of the
2013-2014 school year.
The university has offered to help current co-op residents
set up similar living arrangements off campus and outside the
auspices of OSU, but so far nothing definite has come of that,
according to Jennifer Viña, associate director of marketing &
communications for University Housing and Dining Services
(UHDS).
Meanwhile, a group of co-op residents has organized a May 17
party titled “This is it!” to mark the end of the cooperative option
on campus. To be hosted by the four co-ops on the east side of
Lower Campus, it is open to all.
“It’s amazing that the rich tradition that makes up this living
experience has survived and thrived for so long, and we really
appreciate having gotten to be a part of it,” event organizers said
in announcing the party, which will run from noon until 5 p.m.
“As much as we’re sad to see these houses go, at least as we’ve
known them. We’re grateful for the memories we’ve made and
how this community has made us better people through the
process.”
OSU’s cooperatives have typically operated with much independence, with their main links to the university being that the
buildings are owned by OSU and space in the co-ops is booked
through UHDS. Co-op residents organize themselves in separate
limited liability corporations to handle the chores, hire their own
cooks and create meal plans. Students living in cooperatives can
14
From left, Avery Lodge, Azalea House and Dixon Lodge are among
four OSU cooperatives to close at school year’s end. (Photo by Hannah
O’Leary)
save $2,000 to $3,000 a year, compared to living in a traditional
residence hall with a meal plan.
Viña said OSU housing officials don’t deny that the cooperatives provide great experiences and good value for many of their
residents. However, the aging buildings are increasingly difficult
to maintain, and the co-ops’ organizational independence presents increasing governance challenges as the university tries to
maintain consistent standards in its housing.
For example, co-op members might decide it’s fine to save
money by hiring a cook using craigslist and maybe look the
other way if he or she doesn’t have a food handler’s license, and
co-op residents routinely work in the kitchens without such
permits. The university can’t afford the liability of that approach
and would never intentionally let it happen in one of its dining
halls, Viña said.
She characterized the closure as a tough but necessary business decision, and said she and her colleagues acknowledge the
sadness of seeing the co-ops shut down. Viña recalled meeting
a woman whose mother had lived in Azalea House, and then she
had lived there, and then three of her four daughters had lived
there.
“She was devastated that her fourth daughter would not be
able to live there and continue the tradition,” she said.
To RSVP or find out more about the May 17 party to say goodbye to the cooperatives, contact George Peterson, cooperative
director at Avery Lodge, at [email protected].
O R E G O N S TAT E R
Study: Home births comparatively safe
for women with low-risk pregnancies
The largest study of planned home births
ever conducted in the United States found
that 93.6 percent of the 16,924 women in
the study had spontaneous vaginal births,
and only 5.2 percent required a cesarean
section for delivery.
Both mortality figures and the cesarean
rate are lower than those reported at U.S.
hospitals, which is to be expected, the
researchers say, because the women in
the study were primarily healthy and the
pregnancies low-risk. Importantly, however, the numbers reported in this study
are consistent with other large home birth
studies conducted in Canada and Europe.
Results of the study were published in
the January/February issue of the Journal
of Midwifery and Women’s Health,with a
companion article.
“Given our findings, especially in light
of other observational studies published
in the last decade, I think it’s time to start
shifting the discourse around home birth
in this country,” said Melissa Cheyney, a
medical anthropologist at OSU and lead
author on the study. “We need to start
focusing on who might be a good candidate for a home or birth center birth and
stop debating whether women should be
allowed to choose these options.
“Home birth is not for every woman
and risk factors need to be weighed,”
she added. “But the evidence strongly
suggests that a healthy woman with an
uncomplicated delivery and a single, term
baby in a head-down position can safely
give birth outside the hospital.”
Home births are on the rise in the United States — up about 40 percent in the
last nine years — but still constitute only
1.2 percent of all deliveries. In contrast, 8
percent of women in Great Britain and 29
percent of women in the Netherlands give
birth outside of an obstetric unit.
The study resulted from an analysis of
data collected by the Midwives Alliance of
North America Statistics Project, commonly referred to as MANA Stats. Most
of the nearly 17,000 women in the study
were attended by Certified Professional
Midwives, who provided detailed reports
on outcomes.
Among the findings:
»» Of the 1,054 women who had previously given birth by cesarean section,
SPRING 2014
87 percent had a successful vaginal
birth;
»» More than 89 percent of the women
successfully gave birth at home, while
only 11 percent of them required transport for medical treatment. Of those
receiving additional medical care, the
majority were for “failure to progress,”
usually indicating that labor was proceeding slowly and that augmentation
of the labor may have been needed;
»» Only 1.5 percent of the babies had a
low Apgar score, a measure of how
healthy the newborn is in the first five
minutes following birth.
“One of the biggest risk factors we did
find is with breech births, which have a
higher mortality rate than do head-down
babies,” said Cheyney, an associate professor in OSU’s College of Liberal Arts who
also is a practicing certified professional
midwife. “Most breeches are known prior
to birth, and many breech babies may
successfully be turned to a head-down
position prior to delivery.
“But this kind of information is important for mothers, physicians and midwives
to discuss as they engage in shared decision-making.”
Women in this nationwide study were
predominately white and married, and 58
percent were college-educated, according
to Marit Bovbjerg, a postdoctoral research
associate in epidemiology in Oregon
State’s College of Public Health and Human
Sciences and a co-author on the study.
The study also found that 98 percent
of the newborns were breastfeeding six
weeks after birth, and 86 percent exclusively so — one of the strongest measures
of future health and at a rate much higher
than the national average.
The study was supported by the Foundation for the Advancement of Midwifery,
the Transforming Birth Fund, and the
MANA Board of Directors. Other authors on
the paper include Courtney Everson, ’09,
a doctoral student at OSU; Wendy Gordon,
a faculty member in the Bastyr University
Midwifery Department; Darcy Hannibal,
a research associate at the University of
California, Davis; and Saraswathi Vedam,
an associate professor in the University of
British Columbia Faculty of Medicine.
My name is Bill Dion-Watson
and I’m an account
representative for
Peterson Cat.
I consult with government
agencies on large
equipment purchases.
Traveling is very important
to maintain exceptional
customer service
throughout my sales
territory, so I'm out of town
quite a bit.
I use the Eugene Airport
because it's just so
convenient. After a long trip
it's nice to just walk off the
plane, get into my car, and
in 10 minutes I'm home.
Fly Easy,
15
Pop
Quiz
Extraordinary women , many of them pioneers in their fields, have
shaped the Oregon State story from the earliest days of Corvallis College, not only as students
but as researchers, professors, administrators and namesakes of campus buildings. Often their
influence has reached far beyond the university. While some of the names are familiar because
they appear on campus, it’s a safe bet that even in some of those cases, casual observers don’t
know it’s a woman being memorialized. Take the quiz to see if you can match the names of some
of these women to their accomplishments. Use each name once. (Answers on page 64; report
your score at facebook.com/oregonstatealum)
A. Carrie B. Halsell Ward
B. Beatrice W. Sackett
C. Clara Humason Waldo
D. Ava Milam Clark
Beatrice W. Sackett
Mercedes A. Bates
Melissa M. Dawes
E. Helen M. Gilkey
6. Lifelong arts advocate, Oregon State
dance instructor from 1927 to 1972
7. Dean of the School of Home Economics
for 33 years
H. Gladys L. Valley
9. First woman to give the commencement address to a graduating class at
Oregon State
I. Ida B. Callahan
10.Taught English at Oregon State for 42
years
L. Melissa M. Dawes
M.Erna M. Plageman
N. Zelta Feike Rodenwold
O. Alice Biddle Moreland
P. Harriet F. Moore
Q. Ellen J. Chamberlin
Ida B. Callahan
4. Known during radio broadcasts as
“Aunt Sammy,” she was an early editor of the Oregon Stater
G. Margaret C. Snell
K. Betty L. Thompson
Erna M. Plageman
3. Curator of the OSU Herbarium for 33
years
8. Medical doctor who established the
department of Household Economy
and Hygiene in 1889
J. Mercedes A. Bates
Ida A. Kidder
2. Established the OSU Archives
5. OAC’s first dean of women
F. Ida A. Kidder
Ava Milam Clark
1. Member of the first graduating class;
organized the first alumni reunion in
1875
11. Oregon State’s first professional
librarian
12.Became known as “Betty Crocker” for
her work as a General Mills executive
13.Chair of the modern language department from 1930 to 1960
14.Namesake of an OSU residence hall,
she was an influential secretary to
three Oregon governors and a member
of the Oregon State Board of Higher
Education
15.Two campus buildings carry her name.
OSU President John Byrne said at her
death that she “took great delight in
convincing people from California how
important OSU was and what a fine
institution it is.”
16.First of her race to graduate from
Oregon State; a residence hall is named
in her honor
17.Helped establish the OSU Student
Health Service
Alice Biddle Moreland
(Photos courtesy OSU Special Collections and Archives)
16
O R E G O N S TAT E R
Dogs bred with predatory tendencies do better
at following humans’ directions by gesture
A dog’s breed can determine how well it
follows human commands, according to a
new OSU study.
The study, which was published in
February in the journal Animal Behaviour,
found that dogs bred for predatory traits
are better at following some human
gestures.
“The more we know about the predatory behavioral tendencies of dogs, the
better we can predict how successful they
might be with humans in different home
and working environments,” said Monique Udell, an animal scientist at OSU and
lead author of the study. “This may allow
us to make better placement, ownership
and training decisions in the future.”
“We can set dogs up to succeed by
capitalizing on each breed’s inherent
strengths instead of treating all dogs as
if they came from the same mold,” she
added.
OSU tested three breeds of dogs used
for specific purposes: hunting, herding
and livestock-guarding. In an experiment,
dogs watched a researcher point to one
of two identical empty cans. If the dog
then approached that same can, food
was placed on it. The test was repeated
10 times.
The researchers believe that when
choosing between the two cans, each
breed drew on its natural predatory tendency to eye, stalk, chase and ultimately
consume food triggered by movement —
a pointing human hand, in this case.
Border collies, the herding dogs used
in the test, chose the correct can more
than 85 percent of the time. Researchers
credit their success to the fact that border
collies have been bred for exaggerated
eye-stalk-chase behavior, hunting traits
which dogs inherited from their wolf
ancestors.
Airedale terriers also performed well,
showing 70 percent success in tests. The
hunting dogs have predatory instincts
most similar to wolves and are extremely
responsive to movement and inclined to
follow it.
“These breeds are perceived to have an
uncanny ability to read people, like when
they anticipate owners taking them for a
walk,” said Udell, who is also the director
of the OSU Human-Animal Interaction
Lab and an assistant professor in OSU’s
College of Agricultural Sciences. “What
people are picking up on is a predisposition in these dogs to watch for movement
and respond accordingly.”
Anatolian shepherds, the livestock
guarding dogs in the tests, initially responded to human gestures less than 50
percent of the time on average — not a
single individual performed above chance.
This finding is consistent with their
breeding, said Udell, because Anatolian
shepherds have been bred for the absence
of predatory traits to encourage them to
protect instead of chase livestock. With
additional training, however, Anatolian
shepherds were able to learn to follow
human pointing.
Although researchers are confident
that breed helps predict the success of
dogs in following human commands, they
also note that it is only one factor among
many.
“Behavior is not fixed,” Udell said. “A
dog’s breed may simply signify a different
starting point. If dog owners want their
pets to behave in a way that is uncharacteristic of their breed, it is often possible,
but may take more training and time. You
can teach dogs — young and old — new
tricks.”
Border collies, which are trained to herd sheep
and other animals, show a strong ability to
follow human commands because of predatory
instincts inherited from wolves. (Photo by Lora
Withnell)
THE GRADUATE SCHOOL
Where have
you been?
Beaver Nation master’s and
doctoral graduates, we’d love
to hear from you! Send an
email or connect on Facebook
or LinkedIn and update us on
what you’re doing.
facebook.com/osu.
graduateschool.page
Search for us with
“Oregon State Graduate
School” on LinkedIn
graduate.school@
oregonstate.edu
gradschool.oregonstate.edu
SPRING 2014
17
High honors granted to five distinguished alumni
At two galas — one held in March in Scottsdale, Ariz., and the other scheduled for April 25 at the CH2M HILL
Alumni Center on campus — OSU Athletics, the OSU Foundation and the OSU Alumni Association are bestowing their highest honors upon five accomplished and dedicated Beavers. The honorees include:
Ken Thrasher,
’71, is this year’s
recipient of
the Dan Poling
Service Award.
Named for an
influential dean
of men who
served OSU for
more than five
decades, it is
presented by
the OSU Alumni Association in recognition
of those who have volunteered a significant amount of time to OSU, carrying
on Poling’s legacy of dedication to the
university.
Thrasher put his OSU business degree
to work in senior management positions
for Fred Meyer and Compli, a Portland
software company where he remains
chairman of the board.
He has given back extensively to the
College of Business, serving on the Dean’s
Circle of Excellence and chairing its campaign cabinet.
His efforts were key to raising support
for the college’s new home, Austin Hall.
Duane McDougall, ’74, is this
year’s recipient of the OSU
Foundation’s
highest honor,
the Lifetime
Trustee Award.
After graduating
from the College
of Business, he
rose through
the ranks to become president and CEO
of Willamette Industries, an international
forest products company, and served as
chairman of the board of Boise Cascade,
one of the nation’s largest private companies.
He was inducted into the OSU College of
Business Hall of Fame in 2006. A highly engaged civic leader, McDougall has
shared his business expertise with OSU
in various roles, including 12 years on the
OSUF Board of Trustees and ongoing service on the Campaign Steering Committee. He received the alumni association’s
E.B. Lemon Distinguished Alumni Award
in 2012.
Penny Yano Atkins, ’79, is this year’s
recipient of the Jean & C.H. “Scram”
Graham Leadership Award, given by
the OSU Alumni Association. Named
for a former alumni director and his
wife — who were lifetime workers and
volunteers on behalf of the association
and OSU — the award honors individuals who give exemplary service to the
alumni association.
Atkins, a member of the OSU Foundation Board of Trustees, is a College
of Business graduate who served on the alumni association’s
board of directors from 2003 until 2013, including terms in the
crucial positions of treasurer and president. Contributing in many
ways — ranging from direct philanthropy to providing leadership
on financial and other matters, to setting up chairs and tables at
away tailgaters — she set a modern-day standard for volunteerism with the OSUAA. She and her husband, Gary Atkins, live in
Caldwell, Idaho.
Thrasher, McDougall and Preece were honored March
2 at a gala during the Destination OSU weekend in
Scottsdale, Ariz.
24
Steve Preece,
’69, is this
year’s recipient
of the Martin
Chaves Lifetime
Achievement
Award. Presented by OSU
Athletics for outstanding lifetime
contributions to
OSU sports, the
award is named for a four-year letterman who captained the 1942 Rose Bowl
team and became president of the Beaver
Athletic Student Fund. Preece gained the
national spotlight as quarterback for the
“Giant Killers” Beaver football teams in
1967 and 1968. The College of Science
graduate went on to play defensive back
in the NFL for nine seasons.
He entered the real estate business in
1971 and has been co-owner of Portland-based Preece & Floberg Brokerage
as well as P&F Properties of the NW. From
1989-2011 he served as a TV analyst for
OSU football, and he is now a radio commentator for the Beavers.
Hawai‘i’s Rockne Freitas, ’68, is this
year’s recipient of the E.B. Lemon Distinguished Alumni Award, named for an
alumnus, teacher, dean and volunteer
leader who gave more than 70 years
of service to the university. The Lemon
award honors those who exemplify the
service, generosity and success epitomized by its namesake.
Freitas is a former Beaver football
and National Football League great who
graduated from the College of Agricultural Sciences. Once his playing and coaching days ended, he
built a distinguished second career as a higher education leader,
and in 2013 became chancellor of the University of Hawai‘i–
West O‘ahu. He also served as chancellor of Hawai‘i Community
College for six years. He has held several other posts in Hawai‘i’s
civic and education institutions. q
Atkins and Freitas will be recognized at the alumni association’s Spring
Awards Celebration April 25 at the CH2M HILL Alumni Center on campus.
Tickets are available at osualum.com/events.
O R E G O N S TAT E R
S P R I N G | 2014
Oregon State University’s Outreach and Engagement
outreach.oregonstate.edu/stater
Engaging in
S T E M E D U C AT I O N
[ S C I EN C E + T ECH N O LO G Y + EN G I N EERI N G + M AT H ]
to prepare all learners
for the challenges and opportunities
in the 21st century economy
SAILING
into
SCIENCE
O R E G O N 4 - H M A R I N E A M B A S S A D O R S C A M P H O O K S YO U T H S ' I N T E R E S T I N S C I E N C E
A
group of Oregon high school-aged youths sailed the seas with
a 64-foot research vessel, Ocean Watch, to dip into a new program
aimed at increasing interest in and awareness of marine science.
4-H Marine Ambassadors Camp participants receive a hands-on
experience at Oregon State, the OSU Hatfield Marine Science Center and
along the Oregon coast, learning about beach ecology, tide pools, fresh
water ecosystems, estuaries, tsunamis — including studying debris
from the 2012 tsunami in Japan — and more.
“The fact that it’s hands-on really drew me to it because it’s something
I wouldn’t get regularly in my high school,” says Kayla Mackie, camp
participant (pictured at right). “I’m glad they’re taking this opportunity
to bring students here.”
The 4-H Marine Ambassadors Camp is conducted by the College of Public
Health and Human Sciences with support from the OSU Extension
Service, National 4-H Council and Samsung Corporation to educate the
public about the health of the ocean and how changes in the waters
impact various ecosystems, human life and Oregon’s climate.
Ninety-eight percent of last year’s participants say they now have an
increased interest in science, 92 percent plan to take care of the ocean
and nearly 75 percent are thinking of pursuing a career in marine science.
Science everywhere
A new collaboration between the OSU Extension Service and
partners aims to empower pre-service teachers to engage
culturally and linguistically diverse students in STEM fields.
The College of Public Health and Human Sciences’ 4-H youth
development program, OSU’s College of Education and
the Science and Math Investigative Learning Experiences
(SMILE) program are working together on the program,
called “Families Involved in Education Sociocultural Teaching
and STEM,” or FIESTAS. It serves youths in 3rd through 5th
grades with after-school 4-H clubs at Lincoln and Garfield elementary schools in Corvallis in
partnership with the Boys & Girls Club.
Through activities such as field trips to the city swimming pool to learn about the chemistry
of chlorination, children learn to see science everywhere, said Ana Lu Fonseca (pictured
above), a 4-H outreach coordinator who helped
develop the curriculum.
For Kyle May, a first-year graduate student at OSU
studying math education, the experience has helped
him adapt better to a multi-lingual classroom.
“The language barriers have been challenging, with
multiple students who speak different languages. I try
to put them in a position so that they are confident
talking in another language,” May said.
In one school year, 56 pre-service teachers engaged
with youth around science and math concepts inside
and outside the classroom, according to Fonseca.
Forty-nine youth, including 29 Latino children,
completed an average of 13.5 hours of experiments,
demonstrations and other experiential learning
activities related to energy use.
OSU is making select online educational materials free
for learners around the world to access. STEM modules, like one
on DNA replication, are currently in development. See an
example at outreach.oregonstate.edu/stater.
For many teachers, this experience is increasingly the norm. Nearly 10 percent of
all K-12 students spoke a first language other than English, according to the 2012-13
Oregon Statewide Report Card. This statistic is similar nationwide.
Through a new open education initiative,
Despite enthusiasm and preparation, any new teacher faces the
challenges of managing a classroom and dealing with the high stakes of testing.
Now imagine teaching science to students whose first language is not English.
Outreach to rural students
Mobile engineering camps deliver STEM
education in communities across Oregon
Middle school is a critical time for students to
develop interest in STEM learning and the perfect
time to begin prepping for college. Oregon State
University’s Mobile Science and Engineering Camps,
or Mobile E-Camps, are offering students and parents
an opportunity to learn about both, and have fun
doing it.
Mobile E-Camps include two days of hands-on
activities where students explore scientific concepts
and sustainable engineering practices, while parents
learn how to facilitate their children’s path toward
higher education.
Serving over 1,000 students in its first four years,
Mobile E-Camps are offered all summer long at 12
locations across the state. These programs reach
2
OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT
ENGAGING MINDS WITH
SCIENCE
ENGINEERING
TECHNOLOGY
M AT H
ct
e
j
M
o
pr STE
e
n
os rest i
r
k
e
rural Oregon communities and allow both
students and parents to feel at home, often
in their own schools. Kyle Cole, Director of
Precollege Programs at OSU, says the camps
ar k int
P
d trac
n
a
l
o
rt ims t
o
P
a
In the Parkrose community, a
promise to engage students with highly relevant
diverse neighborhood in northeast Portland, OSU
STEM activities that bridge the gap between
researchers Lynn Dierking, John Falk and Nancy Staus
school and summer learning.
are in the middle of a study to understand
In efforts to achieve larger gains in college
enrollment in STEM fields, Cole believes parental
how children access and use STEM resources
in their daily lives.
involvement is the cornerstone for success. At
With funding from the Noyce Foundation, OSU’s
the end of each Mobile E-Camp, parents assist
SYNERGIES project has been tracking over 200
students in their final project: to design and race
Parkrose youth from elementary to middle school age,
their own solar-powered car.
their peers, siblings and significant adults in their lives
This summer Cole hopes to spur even more parent
involvement and introduce Adopt-a-Classroom, a
mentoring program where OSU student mentors
reach students via Skype throughout the school
year to discuss topics students are studying in
school and to motivate their college planning.
“Instilling a belief that students can achieve a
higher education and a rewarding career is the
goal,” says Cole.
since 2010. Preliminary findings indicate that youth
entering 7th grade are still interested in pursuing
STEM learning, but research shows this enthusiasm
will taper off in the next two years unless they are
engaged in out-of-school STEM activities.
The long-term project goal is to use
these data to develop specific strategies
and tools to improve STEM learning in
Parkrose that can be broadly applied
to long-term improvements in STEM
public education locally, nationally and
internationally.
One improvement, a weekly afterschool STEM club at
the middle school, a partnership with OSU Extension’s
4-H Metro team, has already seen a turnout of over
40 youth in just two meetings. Researchers hope
that similar efforts might change these youths’ STEM
engagement trajectories.
SPRING 2014
3
What makes people want to learn?
Since 2004, Oregon Sea Grant’s Free-choice Learning program
has been working to understand and support the marine
science learning that happens when people choose to visit
science museums, zoos and aquariums in their leisure time,
making specific and conscious choices about what they learn.
Currently, Oregon Sea Grant is working under a five-year,
$2.6 million grant from the National Science Foundation
to create a new free-choice learning lab at OSU’s Hatfield
Free-choice learning:
All the learning we do outside the classroom!
Marine Science Visitor Center in Newport (pictured at right).
Under the grant, Dr. Shawn Rowe is leading a team
conducting innovative research at the Visitor Center,
collaborating with the public to gain a deeper understanding
When math meets science
of what and how visitors learn.
For more than 25 years, Oregon State’s SMILE (Science
and Math Integrated Learning Experiences) Program has
been working to increase post-secondary enrollment of
underserved populations in the STEM fields. There are over
825 SMILE alumni currently enrolled in college, and College
Connection events, such as the Ocean Science Challenge,
30,000+ contacts
51 courses that apply
are a major component to this success.
with K-12 students through
real-world lessons in the STEM
This year’s Challenge event provided 120 high school
and almost 200,000 hours
academic concepts with
OSU’s STEM outreach
programs
2,900 students
enrolled in 21 Ecampus
undergraduate and
graduate online programs
that prepare students for
areas offered through
SPRING 2014
OSU Professional and
I M PA C T
REPORT
students from 10 statewide SMILE clubs with a real
world opportunity to apply what they had been learning
Continuing Education
about the topic of Marine Resource Management. More
37 precollege
than 15 university and community partners and 20
programs that engage
K-12 students, teachers
and parents in STEM learning
professions in STEM fields
undergraduate mentors guided students as they learned
about Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) off of the Oregon
Coast and then used their knowledge to increase
community awareness of MPAs through the creation of
interpretive signs, a newscast and a final presentation.
“Our STEM-focused outreach and engagement programs are developing continually
to meet the needs of a diverse population of learners. Working with community partners, we seek to engage
people in STEM fields for the lifelong benefit of healthy people, a healthy planet and a healthy economy.”
— Dr. Scott Reed, Vice Provost, University Outreach and Engagement
The Division of University Outreach and Engagement connects Oregon
State University to the rest of the world by making its educational
programs accessible wherever and whenever people need to learn.
The division provides leadership across campus for the outreach and
engagement mission and includes the OSU Extension Service, Extended
Campus and Professional and Continuing Education.
4
Oregon State University
101 Ballard Hall
Corvallis, OR 97331-3606
(541) 737-2713
outreach.oregonstate.edu
Star of social media
With construction cranes looming over the campus
for the past decade, maybe it was inevitable that one
of them — in this case a huge device used to frame
the new Student Experience Center on the east end
of the Memorial Union — would end up with its own
Facebook page at facebook.com/themucrane. There,
students were urged with tongue firmly in cheek:
“Never doubt the MU Crane ... our silent protector in
these uncertain times,” and were offered instructions
on how to greet each other with a crane-inspired
salute. (Photo by Hannah O’Leary)
SPRING 2014
29
Mark McCambridge had a way with numbers and with people
Mark McCambridge, whose patient, steady and straightforward
approach to financial matters helped guide OSU for two decades,
died Jan. 16 of cancer.
He was 62.
As vice president for finance, he was a strong advocate for
openness, transparency and sustainability, and an expert at
getting building projects approved at OSU.
“Mark McCambridge was a very special friend of mine,” OSU
President Ed Ray said. ... “Mark was instrumental in helping to
plan the success that OSU is achieving today, and he championed the highest level of public service and fiscal transparency.”
In 2013, the OSU Alumni Association honored McCambridge
with its Honorary Alumni Award — the highest honor it can
bestow upon a person who is not an OSU graduate — presented
in recognition of his role in reorganizing the university to make
more efficient use of resources and for his advocacy of fiscal
transparency.
McCambridge also was honored with one of OSU’s highest
honors during Commencement in June 2013, when he received
the Distinguished Service Award.
He was born in Seattle and graduated from Santa Clara University in California. He joined OSU in 1994 as director of business
services, and was named vice president in 2001.
He is survived by his wife, Betsy, his son, Mark McCambridge
Jr., his daughter and son-in-law Kelly, ’04, and Jason Hower,
’06, and his grandchildren, Patrick and Molly Hower. q
During Mark McCambridge’s acceptance speech in 2013, after he received
the OSUAA’s Honorary Alumni Award, he urged those in attendance to
make sure that those they love and cherish, know how much they are
loved and cherished. (Photo by Chris Ho)
Zielke named Patricia Valian Reser Professor of Music
Steven M. Zielke, a professor of music
who is widely recognized as a leader in
choral studies, has been appointed the
first Patricia Valian Reser Professor of
Music at OSU.
This endowed professorship was created by Pat Reser, ’60, to advance the
arts at Oregon State. Reser co-chairs The
Campaign for OSU and is a trustee of both
the OSU Foundation and university. The
funds from this endowed professorship
will provide Zielke with recurring discretionary funds to expand his academic
efforts and provide new opportunities for
the choral program and its students.
“Honoring Steven Zielke with this
professorship is a tribute to his nationally
recognized talent as a choral conductor,
as well as his leadership in his profession,” said Lawrence Rodgers, dean of the
College of Liberal Arts. “He is a gift to our
community and the youth in our state.”
Zielke arrived at Oregon State in 1999
with his wife, Nicola, who is a music in-
SPRING 2014
structor at OSU. Director of choral studies
at OSU, he directs the OSU Chamber Choir
and teaches choral conducting and choral
music pedagogy. He earned his doctoral
and master’s degrees in choral conducting from Florida State University.
“I am incredibly honored by this recognition, which represents a new high point
for my career,” said Zielke. “It’s such a
great honor for our arts programs to have
the support of such a visionary philanthropist as Pat Reser.”
Prior to his graduate work, Zielke received a bachelor’s degree in music education from Friends University in Wichita,
Kan., and taught middle and high school
choral music in the Kansas public schools.
Following his graduate work, Zielke was
the associate director of choirs at the
University of Arizona where he conducted
the Symphonic Choir.
Zielke is a frequent clinician and guest
conductor and has recently worked in
Oregon, Washington, Idaho, California,
Nebraska, Missouri, Nevada and Kansas.
He also guest conducted the Academic
Orchestra of the University of Stuttgart
and the University of Tübingen Chamber
Singers in Tübingen, Germany.
Choirs under his direction have appeared at state, regional and national
conferences, as well as the Festival of
Light in Bulgaria and the Prague Musica
Ecumenica concert series.
Zielke has been an officer of the Oregon
chapter of the American Choral Directors
Association and the Oregon Music Educators Association and is a contributing editor to Walton Music, a longtime publisher
of choral music. He is also the founder and
music director of the Corvallis Repertory
Singers, a semi-professional ensemble
devoted to exemplary performances of
the finest in choral literature.
Additionally, he serves as the director
of music at the First Congregational United Church of Christ in Corvallis.
35
Volcanoes, including Mount Hood,
can quickly wake from dormancy
A new study suggests that the magma sitting 4-5 kilometers
beneath the surface of Oregon’s Mount Hood has been stored in
near-solid conditions for thousands of years, but that the time it
takes to liquefy and potentially erupt is surprisingly short — perhaps as little as a couple of months.
The key, scientists say, is to elevate the temperature of the
rock to more than 750 degrees Celsius, which can happen when
hot magma from deep within the Earth’s crust rises to the surface. It is the mixing of the two types of magma that triggered
Mount Hood’s last two eruptions — about 220 and 1,500 years
ago, said Adam Kent, an OSU geologist and co-author of the
study.
Results of the research, which was funded by the National
Science Foundation, were published in February in the journal
Nature.
“If the temperature of the rock is too cold, the magma is like
peanut butter in a refrigerator,” Kent said. “It just isn’t very
mobile. For Mount Hood, the threshold seems to be about 750
38
OSU researchers Tyler Lomax and Alison Koleszar examine
volcanic rock on Mount Hood. (Photo by Jeff Basinger)
degrees (C) — if it warms up just 50 to 75 degrees above that, it
greatly increases the viscosity of the magma and makes it easier
to mobilize.”
Thus the scientists are interested in the temperature at which
magma resides in the crust, they say, since it is likely to have
important influence over the timing and types of eruptions that
could occur. The hotter magma from down deep warms the cooler magma stored at 4-5 kilometers, making it possible for both
magmas to mix and to be transported to the surface to eventually
produce an eruption.
The good news, Kent said, is that Mount Hood’s eruptions are
not particularly violent. Instead of exploding, the magma tends to
ooze out the top of the peak. A previous study by Kent and OSU
postdoctoral researcher Alison Koleszar, ’12, found that the mixing of the two magma sources — which have different composi-
O R E G O N S TAT E R
tions — is both a trigger to an eruption and a constraining factor
which is also sensitive to temperature, helped validate the findon how violent it can be.
ings.
“What happens when they mix is what happens when you
“What we found was that the magma has been stored beneath
squeeze a tube of toothpaste in the middle,” said Kent, a profesMount Hood for at least 20,000 years — and probably more like
sor in OSU’s College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences.
100,000 years,” Kent said. “And during the time it’s been there,
“A big glob kind of plops out the top, but in the case of Mount
it’s been in cold storage — like the peanut butter in the fridge —
Hood — it doesn’t blow the mountain to pieces.”
a minimum of 88 percent of the time, and likely more than 99
The collaborative study between Oregon
percent of the time.”
State and the University of California, Davis
other words — even though
“What happens when they hotInmagma
is important because little was known about
from below can quickly
the physical conditions of magma storage and
mobilize
the
magma chamber at 4-5
mix is what happens when
what it takes to mobilize the magma. Kent and
kilometers below the surface, most
you squeeze a tube of
UC-Davis colleague Kari Cooper, also a coof the time magma is held under
author on the Nature article, set out to find if
conditions that make it difficult for it
toothpaste in the middle.”
they could determine how long Mount Hood’s
to erupt.
magma chamber has been there, and in what
“What is encouraging from anoth-Adam Kent
condition.
er standpoint is that modern techWhen Mount Hood’s magma first rose up
nology should be able to detect when
through the crust into its present-day chammagma is beginning to liquefy, or
ber, it cooled and formed crystals. The researchers were able to
mobilize,” Kent said, “and that may give us warning of a potential
document the age of the crystals by the rate of decay of natueruption. Monitoring gases, utilizing seismic waves and studying
rally occurring radioactive elements. However, the growth of the
ground deformation through GPS are a few of the techniques that
crystals is also dictated by temperature — if the rock is too cold,
could tell us that things are warming.”
they don’t grow as fast.
The researchers hope to apply these techniques to other,
Thus the combination of the crystals’ age and apparent growth
larger volcanoes to see if they can determine their potential for
rate provides a geologic fingerprint for determining the approxishifting from cold storage to potential eruption, a development
mate threshold for making the near-solid rock viscous enough
that might bring scientists a step closer to being able to forecast
to cause an eruption. The diffusion rate of the element strontium,
volcanic activity. q
SPRING 2014
39