CORVALLIS, Ore. – These are the formative years of a West Coast wave energy industry, and scientists are working with businesses, communities and policymakers to gather environmental data, test new technologies and consider options — all of which will be explored June 11 at the Corvallis Science Pub.

Belinda Batten, director of the Northwest National Marine Renewable Energy Center, will describe projects under way, including one that will be visible from Newport this summer.

The presentation will begin at 6 p.m. at the Old World Deli, 341 S.W. Second St., in Corvallis. It is free and open to the public.

“We’ve got the technical side, the environmental side and the outreach to communities through Oregon Sea Grant,” Batten said. “You don’t have that everywhere.”

Wave-energy systems, she said, will need to survive extreme ocean conditions and minimize impact on the environment and traditional ocean uses.

OSU engineers are testing wave-energy devices and working with AXYS Technologies, Inc., of Vancouver, B.C., to deploy a new offshore moored test buoy this summer. Developers will be able to attach their prototypes to the buoy and monitor power production and other functions. A search is also under way for an additional ocean test site that can be connected to the nation’s power grid.

Companies such as Columbia Power Technologies of Corvallis, Neptune Wave Power and Northwest Wave Energy Innovations have been discussing plans for testing prototypes. A fourth company, Ocean Power Technologies, has already received permits for a small commercial-scale device near Reedsport, Ore.

To add a new wrinkle to ocean energy, scientists are also investigating the potential to capture energy from sea winds. With a U.S. Department of Energy grant, Rob Suryan, a sea bird expert at OSU, will lead a team to develop remote monitoring technologies that can assess potential wind turbine impacts on sea birds and bats.

Since its establishment in 2008, NNMREC has attracted nearly $20 million in private, state and federal support. It’s a collaboration between Oregon State University and the University of Washington.

Sponsors of Science Pub include Terra magazine at OSU, the Downtown Corvallis Association and the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry.

CORVALLIS, Ore. – A recent study of the impact of climate change on butterflies suggests that some species might adapt much better than others, with implications for the pollination and herbivory associated with these and other insect species.

The research, published in Ecological Entomology, examined changes in the life cycles of butterflies at different elevations of a mountain range in central Spain. They served as a model for some of the changes expected to come with warming temperatures, particularly in mountain landscapes.

The researchers found that butterfly species which already tend to emerge later in the year or fly higher in the mountains have evolved to deal with a shorter window of opportunity to reproduce, and as a result may fare worse in a warming climate, compared to those that emerge over a longer time period.

“Insects and plants are at the base of the food pyramid and are extremely important, but they often get less attention when we are studying the ecological impacts of climate change,” said Javier G. Illan, with the Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society at Oregon State University.

“We’re already expecting localized extinctions of about one third of butterfly species, so we need to understand how climate change will affect those that survive,” he said. “This research makes it clear that some will do a lot better than others.”

Butterflies may be particularly sensitive to a changing climate, Illan said, and make a good model to study the broader range of ecological effects linked to insects. Their flight dates are a relevant indicator of future responses to climate change.

The research was done by Illan’s group in the Rey Juan Carlos University in Madrid. It examined 32 butterfly species for five years at various elevations in a Mediterranean mountain range, and the delays in flight dates that occurred as a result of elevation change.

CORVALLIS, Ore. – A new type of durable, environmentally-benign blue pigment discovered at Oregon State University has also been found to have unusual characteristics in reflecting heat – it’s a “cool blue” compound that could become important in new approaches to saving energy in buildings.

The compound, which has now received patent approval, was discovered about three years ago almost by chance, as OSU scientists were studying some materials for their electrical properties.

Its potential use to help reduce heat absorption on the roofs and walls of buildings – which is an evolving field of considerable interest in warm regions where cooling is a major expense – adds another role for the material, which is now being considered for various commercial applications.

“This pigment has infrared heat reflectivity of about 40 percent, which is significantly higher than most blue pigments now being used,” said Mas Subramanian, an OSU professor of chemistry who discovered the compound.

“The more we discover about the pigment, the more interesting it gets,” Subramanian said. “We already knew it had advantages of being more durable, safe and fairly easy to produce. Now it also appears to be a new candidate for energy efficiency.”

“Cool roofing,” in which paints are used to reflect significant portions of the sun’s heat and thereby reduce cooling costs, is an important new trend in “green” construction and energy efficiency, experts say. Such reflective coatings also are more aesthetically pleasing, have less thermal degradation, reduce the “heat island” effect in cities, lower peak energy demand, and reduce air pollution due to lower energy use and power plant emissions.

“We’re seeking licensing partners for this invention right now,” said Mary Phillips, associate director of the Office for Commercialization and Corporate Development at OSU. “We believe it can contribute to new energy efficiency solutions around the world.”

In general, any darker color of the type often used for roofs, houses, automobiles or other applications will tend to absorb more heat. But some compounds, like the one discovered at OSU, have dark tones but also the ability to reflect heat in the infrared spectrum, which is responsible for most of the heat energy absorbed from sunlight.

The material created at OSU, researchers say, is probably the best blue pigment humans have produced since ancient times – going back to efforts by the Egyptians, the Han dynasty in China and Mayan cultures. Blue pigments have been sought through history but often had serious drawbacks, such as decaying quickly, being toxic, costly or carcinogenic.

In research funded by the National Science Foundation, OSU scientists discovered this material by coincidence while they were looking for something else.

Some manganese compounds came out of a 2,000 degree Fahrenheit oven transformed into a beautiful blue, which researchers later determined was due to an unusual “trigonal bipyramidal coordination” of their molecules that changed when exposed to extreme heat.

Research will continue at OSU on the heat reflectance capabilities of the new compound and the underlying molecular structure responsible for it, scientists said.

CORVALLIS, Ore. – Oregon State University will provide 1,000 tickets to the general public for its 143rd annual commencement ceremony on Sunday, June 17, which will feature an address by First Lady Michelle Obama.

Mrs. Obama, a national champion of childhood nutrition, exercise and healthy communities, will deliver the commencement address at this year’s graduation ceremony. The ceremony will begin at 3:30 p.m. in Reser Stadium.

Gates will open at noon and OSU officials encourage audience members to arrive early because of anticipated traffic concerns and security measures.

Tickets can be reserved online at Oregon State’s commencement website: http://oregonstate.edu/commencement. A maximum of two general admission tickets will be allowed per person.

Tickets will be available for pickup on Tuesday, June 12, and Wednesday, June 13, from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Reser Stadium ticket window. Photo identification is required for pickup of tickets.

NEWPORT, Ore. – When debris from the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan began making its way toward the West Coast of the United States, there were fears of possible radiation and chemical contamination as well as costly cleanup.

But a floating dock that unexpectedly washed ashore in Newport this week and has been traced back to the Japanese disaster has brought with it a completely different threat – invasive species.

Scientists at Oregon State University’s Hatfield Marine Science Center said the cement float contains about 13 pounds of organisms per square foot. Already they have gathered samples of 4-6 species of barnacles, starfish, urchins, anemones, amphipods, worms, mussels, limpets, snails, solitary tunicates and algae – and there are dozens of species overall.

“This float is an island unlike any transoceanic debris we have ever seen,” said John Chapman, an OSU marine invasive species specialist. “Drifting boats lack such dense fouling communities, and few of these species are already on this coast. Nearly all of the species we’ve looked at were established on the float before the tsunami; few came after it was at sea.”

Chapman said it was “mind-boggling” how these organisms survived their trek across the Pacific Ocean. The low productivity of open-ocean waters should have starved at least some of the organisms, he said.

“It is as if the float drifted over here by hugging the coasts, but that is of course impossible,” Chapman said. “Life on the open ocean, while drifting, may be more gentle for these organisms than we initially suspected. Invertebrates can survive for months without food and the most abundant algae species may not have had the normal compliment of herbivores. Still, it is surprising.”

Jessica Miller, an Oregon State University marine ecologist, said that a brown algae (Undaria pinnatifida), commonly called wakame, was present across most of the dock – and plainly stood out when she examined it in the fading evening light. She said the algae is native to the western Pacific Ocean in Asia, and has invaded several regions including southern California. The species identification was confirmed by OSU phycologist Gayle Hansen.

“To my knowledge it has not been reported north of Monterey, Calif., so this is something we need to watch out for,” Miller said.

Miller said the plan developed by the state through the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and Oregon State Parks is to scrape the dock and to bag all of the biological material to minimize potential spread of non-native species. But there is no way of telling if any of the organisms that hitchhiked aboard the float from Japan have already disembarked in nearshore waters.

“We have no evidence so far that anything from this float has established on our shores,” said Chapman. “That will take time. However, we are vulnerable. One new introduced species is discovered in Yaquina Bay, only two miles away, every year. We hope that none of these species we are finding on this float will be among the new discoveries in years to come.”

The possibilities are many, according to Miller.

“Among the organisms we found are small shore crabs similar to our Hemigrapsus that look like the same genus, but may be a different species,” Miller said. “There were also one or more species of oysters and small clam chitons, as well as limpets, small snails, numerous mussels, a sea star, and an assortment of worms.”

Invasive marine species are a problem on the West Coast, where they usually are introduced via ballast water from ships. OSU’s Chapman is well aware of the issue; for several years he has studied a parasitic isopod called Griffen’s isopod that has infested mud shrimp in estuaries from California to Vancouver Island, decimating their populations.

In 2010, an aggressive invasive tunicate was found in Winchester Bay and Coos Bay along the southern Oregon coast. Known as Didemnum vexillum, the tunicate is on the state’s most dangerous species list and is both an ecological and economic threat because of its ability to spread and choke out native marine communities, according to OSU’s Sam Chan, who chairs the Oregon Invasive Species Council.

It is difficult to assess how much of a threat the organisms on the newly arrived float may present, the researchers say. As future debris arrives, it may carry additional species, they point out. However, this dock may be unique in that it represents debris that has been submerged in Japan and had a well-developed subtidal community. This may be relatively rare, given the amount of debris that entered the ocean, the researchers say.

“Floating objects from near Sendai can drift around that coast for a while before getting into the Kuroshio current and then getting transported to the eastern Pacific,” Chapman said. The researchers hope to secure funding to go to Japan and sample similar floats and compare the biological life on them with that on the transoceanic dock.

The scientists say the arrival of the dock is also a sobering reminder of the tragedy that occurred last year, which cost thousands of lives.

“We have to remember that this dock, and the organisms that arrived on it, are here as a result of a great human tragedy,” Miller said. “We respect that and have profound sympathy for those who have suffered, and are still suffering.”

NEWPORT, Ore. – A team of scientists that last year created waves by correctly forecasting the 2011 eruption of Axial Seamount years in advance now says that the undersea volcano located some 250 miles off the Oregon coast gave off clear signals just hours before its impending eruption.

The researchers’ documentation of inflation of the undersea volcano from gradual magma intrusion over a period of years led to the long-term eruption forecast. But new analyses using data from underwater hydrophones also show an abrupt spike in seismic energy about 2.6 hours before the eruption started, which the scientists say could lead to short-term forecasting of undersea volcanoes in the future.

They also say that Axial could erupt again – as soon as 2018 – based on the cyclic pattern of ground deformation measurements from bottom pressure recorders.

Results of the research, which was funded by the National Science Foundation, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI), are being published this week in three separate articles in the journal Nature Geoscience.

Bill Chadwick, an Oregon State University geologist and lead author on one of the papers, said the link between seismicity, seafloor deformation and the intrusion of magma has never been demonstrated at a submarine volcano, and the multiple methods of observation provide fascinating new insights.

“Axial Seamount is unique in that it is one of the few places in the world where a long-term monitoring record exists at an undersea volcano – and we can now make sense of its patterns,” said Chadwick, who works out of Oregon State’s Hatfield Marine Science Center in Newport, Ore. “We’ve been studying the site for years and the uplift of the seafloor has been gradual and steady beginning in about 2000, two years after it last erupted.

“But the rate of inflation from magma went from gradual to rapid about 4-5 months before the eruption,” added Chadwick. “It expanded at roughly triple the rate, giving a clue that the next eruption was coming.”

Bob Dziak, an Oregon State University marine geologist, had previously deployed hydrophones on Axial that monitor sound waves for seismic activity. During a four-year period prior to the 2011 eruption, there was a gradual buildup in the number of small earthquakes (roughly magnitude 2.0), but little increase in the overall “seismic energy” resulting from those earthquakes.

That began to change a few hours before the April 6, 2011, eruption, said Dziak, who also is lead author on one of the Nature Geoscience articles.

“The hydrophones picked up the signal of literally thousands of small earthquakes within a few minutes, which we traced to magma rising from within the volcano and breaking through the crust,” Dziak said. “As the magma ascends, it forces its way through cracks and creates a burst of earthquake activity that intensifies as it gets closer to the surface.

“Using seismic analysis, we were able to clearly see how the magma ascends within the volcano about two hours before the eruption,” Dziak said. “Whether the seismic energy signal preceding the eruption is unique to Axial or may be replicated at other volcanoes isn’t yet clear – but it gives scientists an excellent base from which to begin.”

The researchers also used a one-of-a-kind robotic submersible to bounce sound waves off the seafloor from an altitude of 50 meters, mapping the topography of Axial Seamount both before and after the 2011 eruption at a one-meter horizontal resolution. These before-and-after surveys allowed geologists to clearly distinguish the 2011 lava flows from the many previous flows in the area.

MBARI researchers used three kinds of sonar to map the seafloor around Axial, and the detailed images show lava flows as thin as eight inches, and as thick as 450 feet.

“These autonomous underwater vehicle-generated maps allowed us, for the first time, to comprehensively map the thickness and extent of lava flows from a deep-ocean submarine in high resolution,” said David Caress, an MBARI engineer and lead author on one of the Nature Geoscience articles. “These new observations allow us to unambiguously differentiate between old and new lava flows, locate fissures from which these flows emerged, and identify fine-scale features formed as the lava flowed and cooled.”

The researchers also used shipboard sonar data to map a second, thicker lava flow about 30 kilometers south of the main flow – also a likely result of the 2011 eruption.

Knowing the events leading up to the eruption – and the extent of the lava flows – is important because over the next few years researchers will be installing many new instruments and underwater cables around Axial Seamount as part of the Ocean Observatories Initiative. These new instruments will greatly increase scientists’ ability to monitor the ocean and seafloor off of the Pacific Northwest.

“Now that we know some of the long-term and short-term signals that precede eruptions at Axial, we can monitor the seamount for accelerated seismicity and inflation,” said OSU’s Dziak. “The entire suite of instruments will be deployed as part of the Ocean Observatories Initiative in the next few years – including new sensors, samplers and cameras – and next time they will be able to catch the volcano in the act.”

The scientists also observed and documented newly formed hydrothermal vents with associated biological activity, Chadwick said. 

“We saw snowblower vents that were spewing out nutrients so fast that the microbes were going crazy,” he pointed out. “Combining these biological observations with our knowledge of the ground deformation, seismicity and lava distribution from the 2011 eruption will further help us connect underwater volcanic activity with the life it supports.”

Scientists from Columbia University, the University of Washington, North Carolina State University, and the University of California at Santa Cruz also participated in the project and were co-authors on the Nature Geoscience articles.

CORVALLIS, Ore. – Oregon State University has launched what it believes is the nation's first online bachelor's degree in German, designed to give distance students a fully interactive experience.

Using an array of Internet technologies, the German program – delivered online by OSU Ecampus – will significantly increase the amount of time students spend communicating with and learning from their instructors. Each course taught in German will feature a weekly one-on-one video chat with an instructor that lasts 20 to 30 minutes.

Program coordinator Sebastian Heiduschke, an assistant professor of German at OSU, said he believes it will give the online students a better grasp of the German culture and language.

“Students need to practice speaking and hearing a new language in order to learn it, and that can only be done with a partner,” said Heiduschke, who grew up in Bamberg, Germany. “We interact easily with Skype, Google Hangouts and other online programs. It’s all very effective.

“I was shocked to hear there was no full degree German program offered online in the U.S., and now we’ve developed one that gives students valuable learning opportunities.”

OSU Ecampus will launch the program this fall, and students may apply and find more information online.

According to Heiduschke, the German language plays a powerful role in the world, with more than 200 million speakers. Other than English, it is used more widely than any language on the Internet.

Germany also boasts the world’s fourth largest economy, and Heiduschke said earning a Bachelor of Arts in German from OSU online would give students a leg up in the international job market.

“This is great opportunity for students who have a degree in engineering, for example, to go to Germany where there is a shortage of engineers,” he said.

Majors will also take courses that focus on German literature, culture and cinema.

CORVALLIS, Ore. – Toni Doolen, an Oregon State University engineering professor who has been associate dean of the University Honors College since September 2010, was named by OSU to head the nationally recognized honors program.

Doolen succeeds Dan Arp, who recently was named dean of OSU’s College of Agricultural Sciences.

The University Honors College has become a national model for honors programs. It has been a magnet for high-achieving students, particularly from Oregon high schools. The OSU program also draws some of the university’s top faculty to teach the small, interactive classes, and to mentor students one-on-one during their thesis experience.

“The University Honors College has enjoyed great success and applications are at an all-time high,” said Sabah Randhawa, OSU provost and executive vice president. “Toni Doolen has played a role in that recent success and she will help us continue the momentum as we seek to increase our enrollment of high-achieving students in the college and at OSU, and continue to improve the impact of the program on our teaching and learning environment.”

Doolen has been on the faculty at Oregon State since 2001, and is a professor in the School of Mechanical, Industrial & Manufacturing Engineering, where she also has been associate head for undergraduate programs.

Prior to joining the OSU faculty, she had a successful career in private industry, working as a process engineer, a manufacturing systems engineer, and a manager with Hewlett-Packard – with the Optical Communications Division in San Jose, Calif.,  and the Inkjet Supplies Business Unit in Corvallis.

She earned her Ph.D. in industrial and manufacturing engineering at OSU in 2001, just before joining the faculty. Doolen has two bachelor’s degrees from Cornell University, and a master’s degree from Stanford.

The University Honors College was established at Oregon State in 1995 by the Oregon State Board of Education. It enrolls about 800 students, many of whom were valedictorians or salutatorians at their high schools.

CORVALLIS, Ore. — Google has made a $300,000 donation to the Oregon State University Open Source Lab, increasing its cumulative support of academia's premiere open source development and hosting operation to nearly $1.9 million.

The new funds will continue Google’s support of the lab’s effort to provide hosting services used by many of today’s most recognized open source projects and communities.

Open source creates software licensing and distribution designed to be used and improved by developers around the world. Anyone can copy the source code and modify it.

“Google’s global leadership in the open source community is unquestioned,” said OSU President Ed Ray. “For more than nine years, OSU has benefited from Google’s generous corporate philanthropy that allows our Open Source Lab to move forward its mission of supporting, through technology, many under-served populations around the world, while also creating new industries and products at home.”

The lab offers students, faculty, and staff an open, diverse environment for development and collaboration, as well as a professional hosting environment for the open source community and software development services to industry.

“Oregon State’s Open Source Lab provides world-class services that enable collaboration among millions of users globally,” said Chris DiBona, Google’s Open Source Programs manager. “Google is proud to continue its support of such an innovative program.”

The latest contribution from Google is part of The Campaign for OSU, the university’s first comprehensive fundraising campaign. Guided by OSU’s strategic plan, the campaign has raised more than $825 million to provide opportunities for students, strengthen Oregon communities, and conduct research that changes the world.

CORVALLIS, Ore. – Oregon State University has announced the recipients of its outstanding student awards for the 2011-12 academic year. These awards honor students who have shown superior academic and community involvement throughout the school year.

Award recipients include:

Oregon

ALBANY: Carley Alderman, sophomore in liberal studies, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award; Maria Ballard, senior in psychology, Clara H. Waldo and E.A. Cummings Outstanding Student Award; Brianna Crisman, junior in general science, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award; Riley Kinser, sophomore in business, Clara H. Waldo and E.A. Cummings Outstanding Student Award; Danielle McNaughton, senior in nutrition, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award; Eric Sloss, senior in agricultural sciences, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award; Jeremy Spencer, senior computer engineering, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award; Heather Wilson, senior in physics, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award; Katherine Yde, junior in human development and family sciences, Clara H. Waldo and E.A. Cummings Outstanding Student Award Honorable Mention.

BEAVER CREEK: Jonathan Carlson, senior in natural resources, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award

BEAVERTON: Laura Bass, sophomore in pre-interior design, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award;  Jordan Belisle, freshman in pre-electrical engineering and computer engineering, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award; Ryan Derrah, senior in biochemistry and biophysics, Graduating Presidential Scholar; Christopher Eastwood, junior in pre-electrical engineering and computer engineering, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award; Jacob Hartung, freshman in pre-business, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award; Jessica Hua, junior in public health, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award; Colleen Johnson, freshman in pre-engineering and pre-bioengineering, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award; Jennifer Kwon, sophomore in mathematics, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award; Katherine Lanfri, freshman in pre-environmental engineering, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award; Will Later, senior in speech communications, Michael J. Palmer Award; Connie Lee, senior in microbiology, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award; Samantha Place, junior in psychology, Clara H. Waldo and E.A. Cummings Outstanding Student Award; John Richter, sophomore in pre-mechanical engineering, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award; Mishaun Sahebi, senior in general science, Clara H. Waldo and E.A. Cummings Outstanding Student Award; Victor Tran, junior in general science, Clara H. Waldo and E.A. Cummings Outstanding Student Award Honorable Mention.

BELLEVUE, WASH.: Rebecca West, junior in general science, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award

BEND: Kevin, Barnett, senior in energy engineering management, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award; Timothy Blikstad, sophomore in pre-electrical & computer engineering, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award; Connie Booster, freshman in university exploratory studies, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award; Jessica Dunaway, senior in human development and family sciences, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award; Inti Duran, senior in liberal studies, Clara H. Waldo and E.A. Cummings Outstanding Student Award; Brent Landels, senior in liberal studies, Clara H. Waldo and E.A. Cummings Outstanding Student Award; Alden Lorimor, junior in natural resources, Natural Resources, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award; Katherine Low, sophomore in zoology, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award; Shanti Murphy, senior in natural resources, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award; Vanessa Ragsdale, senior in American studies, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award; Dusty Stewart, junior in energy engineering management, Clara H. Waldo and E.A. Cummings Outstanding Student Award Honorable Mention.

BLODGETT: Keri Bennett, senior in human development and family sciences, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award

BROWNSVILLE: Elaine Pyle, senior in public health, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award

CASCADE LOCKS: Kaitlyn Traynor, junior in general science, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award & Clara H. Waldo and E.A. Cummings Outstanding Student Award Honorable Mention.

CENTRAL POINT: Emily Ironside, sophomore in university exploratory study, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award

COOS BAY: Maegan Childs, senior in exercise and sport science, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award

CORNELIUS: Emily Hepler, freshman in Fisheries and Wildlife Science, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award

CORVALLIS: Nicklaus Abdou, freshman in pre-civil engineering, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award; Marilyn “Jeannie” Allen, senior in nutrition, Clara H. Waldo and E.A. Cummings Outstanding Student Award; Mark Alward, junior in computer science, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award; Ilwaad Aman, freshman in pre-business, Clara H. Waldo and E.A. Cummings Outstanding Student Award Honorable Mention; Anthony Amsberry, senior in bioengineering  , Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award & Clara H. Waldo and E.A. Cummings Outstanding Student Award; Awbrey Anderson, senior in general science, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award; John Baglien, senior in university exploratory studies, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award; Keely Bertak, junior in nutrition, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award; Sheena Bettis, freshman in microbiology, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award; Michael Brydone-Jack    , senior in biology, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award; Karin Bucht, senior in environmental Science, Clara H. Waldo and E.A. Cummings Outstanding Student Award Honorable Mention; Sarani Chatterjee, sophomore in pre-bioengineering, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award; Jamie Cheung, senior in apparel design, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award & Clara H. Waldo and E.A. Cummings Outstanding Student Award Honorable Mention; Jordan Clark, senior in psychology, Clara H. Waldo and E.A. Cummings Outstanding Student Award Honorable Mention; Karin Collins, sophomore in biology, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award; Natalie Danielson, senior in geography, Graduating Presidential Scholar; Christina Dodini-Marquez, senior in exercise and sport science, Clara H. Waldo and E.A. Cummings Outstanding Student Award Honorable Mention; Erik Dove, sophomore in biology, Clara H. Waldo and E.A. Cummings Outstanding Student Award; Nova Elwood, junior in nutrition, Clara H. Waldo and E.A. Cummings Outstanding Student Award; Kelli Ennis, senior in biology, Graduating Presidential Scholar; Lucas Estabrook, junior in mathematics, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award; Christopher Fenrick, senior in computer science, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award; Amanda Frohlich, freshman in psychology, Clara H. Waldo and E.A. Cummings Outstanding Student Award; Christina Garrett, senior in civil engineering, Graduating Presidential Scholar; Matthew Glaus, senior in general science, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award; Ali Godil, senior in apparel design, Clara L. Simerville Award; Shannon Goff, senior in microbiology, Graduating Presidential Scholar; Xiao-Yue Han, senior in bioengineering, Clara H. Waldo and E.A. Cummings Outstanding Student Award Honorable Mention; Michelle Happenny, senior in biology, Clara H. Waldo and E.A. Cummings Outstanding Student Award Honorable Mention; Kayla Harr, junior in English, Provosts Literary Prize; Stephanie Haupt, senior in animal sciences, Graduating Presidential Scholar; Maria Herbison, sophomore in general science, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award; Timothy “Tyler” Hogan, junior in political science, E.C. Allworth Cultural Awareness Leadership Award; Maya Holmes, senior in liberal studies, Clara H. Waldo and E.A. Cummings Outstanding Student Award; Jacob Huegel, sophomore in biochemistry and biophysics, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award & Clara H. Waldo and E.A. Cummings Outstanding Student Award Honorable Mention; Kyle Ireton, senior in biochemistry and biophysics, Clara H. Waldo and E.A. Cummings Outstanding Student Award & Graduating Presidential Scholar; Lynette Iseli, senior in nutrition, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award; Aaron Johnson, junior in computer science, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award; Kelsie Jordan, sophomore in exercise and sport science, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award, Adeline Junker, freshman in human development and family sciences, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award; Nicole Kandra, sophomore in pre-athletic training; Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award; Mary Kohl, senior in horticulture, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award; Mikkel Kringelbach, freshman in mathematics, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award; Kyla Krueger, junior in human development and family sciences, Clara H. Waldo and E.A. Cummings Outstanding Student Award; Marsha Lampi, senior in bioengineering, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award; Margaret-Rose “Rosie” Leung, senior in mathematics, Clara H. Waldo and E.A. Cummings Outstanding Student Award Honorable Mention; Scott Lindbloom, freshman in pre-manufacturing engineering, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award, Nicholas Lowery, senior in microbiology, Graduating Presidential Scholar; Alejandra Marquez Loza, junior in bioresource research, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award & The National Barry M. Goldwater Scholarhip and Excellence in Education Program; Rachel Maurer, senior in biology, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award; Dalton McCuen, sophomore in physics, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award; Leslie McNally, senior in public health, Graduating Presidential Scholar, Michael Mendes, senior in computer science, Graduating Presidential Scholar; Maria Meza Ramirez, senior in human development and family sciences, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award; Daniel Miller, junior in pre-mechanical engineering, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award; Lisa Neyman, senior in biology, Graduating Presidential Scholar; Alyssa Nielson      Alyssa, sophomore in pre-bioengineering, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award; Alexa Ortiz, junior in zoology, Clara H. Waldo and E.A. Cummings Outstanding Student Award; Chelsea Parker, senior in biochemistry and biophysics, Grace Wu Memorial Award; Kelci Pauk, sophomore in agricultural sciences, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award; Michael Perlin, sophomore in pre-nuclear engineering, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award; Thomas Pitts, senior in mathematics, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award; Magdalena Pope, junior in animal sciences, Clara H. Waldo and E.A. Cummings Outstanding Student Award; Eric Post, senior in fisheries and wildlife science, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award; Elizabeth Ragan, senior in public health, Clara H. Waldo and E.A. Cummings Outstanding Student Award; Natalie Rich, senior in philosophy, Mortar Board Kate Jameson Award; Jenna Richardson, sophomore in exercise and sport science, Clara H. Waldo and E.A. Cummings Outstanding Student Award Honorable Mention; Jessica Rist, senior in human development and family sciences, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award; Sydney Rivero, senior in psychology, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award; Ayla Rogers, junior in philosophy, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award; Nick Rosoff, junior in political science, Clara H. Waldo and E.A. Cummings Outstanding Student Award Honorable Mention; Katherine Rudie, junior in biology, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award, Minhazur Sarker, junior in microbiology, Clara H. Waldo and E.A. Cummings Outstanding Student Award, Connie Shen, senior in biology, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award; David Shumway, junior in biology, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award, Zyan Silver, senior in zoology, Graduating Presidential Scholar, Stacy Sim, junior in bioresource research, Clara H. Waldo and E.A. Cummings Outstanding Student Award; Annie Spiegelberg, sophomore in human development and family sciences, Clara H. Waldo and E.A. Cummings Outstanding Student Award Honorable Mention; Nicole Steigerwald, senior in animal sciences, Graduating Presidential Scholar; Allison Stringer, senior in biology, The National Udall Scholarship; Michelle Tan, junior in biochemistry and biophysics, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award; Laurel Thompson, junior in merchandising management, E.C. Allworth Leadership Award; Oresta Tolmach, senior in biochemistry and Biophysics, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award & Clara H. Waldo and E.A. Cummings Outstanding Student Award; Tri Tran, sophomore in general science, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award; Caitlin Tucker, junior in interior design, Clara H. Waldo and E.A. Cummings Outstanding Student Award Honorable Mention; Robin Wagner, senior in bioengineering, Graduating Presidential Scholar; Korinda Wallace, junior in horticulture, Clara H. Waldo and E.A. Cummings Outstanding Student Award Honorable Mention; Shireen Weik, junior in sociology, Clara H. Waldo and E.A. Cummings Outstanding Student Award; Nick West, sophomore in bioresource research, Clara H. Waldo and E.A. Cummings Outstanding Student Award; Jian Zhao, senior in general science, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award.

COTTAGE GROVE: Nicole Chappelle, senior in speech communication, Graduating Presidential Scholar

DAMASCUS: Shumin Lu, freshman in pre-chemical engineering, H. Waldo and E.A. Cummings Outstanding Student Award

EUGENE: Tracy Beckmann, senior in nutrition, Clara H. Waldo and E.A. Cummings Outstanding Student Award Honorable Mention; Alexander Boyd, junior in general science, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award; Brandilyn Coker, senior in electrical & computer engineering, Graduating Presidential Scholar; Josie Dietel, sophomore in biology, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award; Nathan Hanson, sophomore in athletic training, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award; Eugenia Su, senior in general science, Graduating Presidential Scholar; Taylor Thompson, senior in biology, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award.

FAIRVIEW: Alexa Johnson, senior in bioengineering, Graduating Presidential Scholar

GLADSTONE: Kevin Zerzan, sophomore in mathematics, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award

GRANTS PASS: Erin Bayliss, senior in general agriculture, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award

GRASS VALLEY: Jana Von Borstel, senior in animal sciences, Graduating Presidential Scholar

GRESHAM: Kelly Gutierrez, junior in pre-chemical engineering, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award; Michael Heath, senior in biology, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award; James Mal, freshman in pre-bioengineering, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award; Karl Moser, sophomore in biochemistry and biophysics, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award; Addison Pang, sophomore in general science, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award.

HILLSBORO: Mackenzie Curren, senior in exercise and sport science, Clara H. Waldo and E.A. Cummings Outstanding Student Award; Brian Schiffer, senior in natural resources, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award

HOOD RIVER: Jackson Olson Dougan, sophomore in chemistry, Clara H. Waldo and E.A. Cummings Outstanding Student Award Honorable Mention.

IMBLER: Reva West, freshman in agricultural sciences, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award

LAKE OSWEGO: Denis Lemeshchenko, senior in marketing, Graduating Presidential Scholar; Stephanie Long, sophomore in general science, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award; Valerie Mullen, senior in microbiology, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award; Ingrid Ockert, senior in liberal studies, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award, Navid Ziaie, sophomore in microbiology, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award.

LINCOLN CITY: Gabrielle Westerfield, sophomore in pre-chemical engineering, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award

LOSTINE: Ian Wilson, junior in fisheries and wildlife, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award

LYONS: Ashley Burns, freshman in animal sciences, Clara H. Waldo and E.A. Cummings Outstanding Student Award

MCMINNVILLE: Brandie Lund Dickey, junior in human development and family sciences, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award

MILTON FREEWATER: Stefanie Baker, sophomore in pre-chemical engineering, Clara H. Waldo and E.A. Cummings Outstanding Student Award Honorable Mention

MOLALLA: Jared Schaefer, junior in general science, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award

NEWPORT: Amanda McKay, senior in general science, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award

PENDLETON: Shawn Bell, freshman in fisheries and wildlife science, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award; David Imhoff, senior in mechanical engineering, Graduating Presidential Scholar

PHILOMATH: Kimberly Daeschel, senior in industrial engineering, Graduating Presidential Scholar

PORTLAND: Kayla Bird, sophomore in biology, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award; Jenny Chau, sophomore in biology, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award; Tyler Howe, senior in electrical & computer engineering, Graduating Presidential Scholar; Khanh Huynh, freshman in general science, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award; Alexander Lafranchi, freshman in pre-mechanical engineering, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award; Jordana Lewis, freshman in English, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award; Linda Nguyen, senior in pharmacy, Graduating Presidential Scholar; Claire Ostertag-Hill, sophomore in biology, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award & Clara H. Waldo and E.A. Cummings Outstanding Student Award; James Rekow, junior in biochemistry and biophysics, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award, Cooper Roberts, sophomore in nutrition, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award; Rachel Rosenbaum, sophomore in political science, Clara H. Waldo and E.A. Cummings Outstanding Student Award Honorable Mention; Molly Ross, junior in pre-apparel, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award; Emily Sauter, sophomore in pre-communication, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award, Allison Schue, freshman in microbiology, Clara H. Waldo and E.A. Cummings Outstanding Student Award Honorable Mention; Lauren Shin, senior in microbiology, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award; Maanas Tripathi, junior in history, Clara H. Waldo and E.A. Cummings Outstanding Student Award Honorable Mention; Christina Truong, sophomore in general science, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award & Clara H. Waldo and E.A. Cummings Outstanding Student Award Honorable Mention; Sophie Wilson, senior in human development and family sciences, Clara H. Waldo and E.A. Cummings Outstanding Student Award.

REDMOND: Rachel Mayhill, senior in liberal studies, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award

SAINT JOSEPH, MO: Matt Nelson, sophomore in pre-industrial engineering, H. Waldo and E.A. Cummings Outstanding Student Award Honorable Mention.

SALEM: Mandy Allen, senior in political science, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award; Ellen Dow, junior in biology, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award; Alyssa Ekdahl, sophomore in pre-bioengineering, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award; Matthew Emery, freshman in pre-business, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award; Laura Hale, sophomore in chemistry, Shepard Smith Scholastic Award; Bryant Hayes, sophomore in pre-electrical & computer engineering, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award; Joshua Heater, sophomore in pre-mechanical engineering, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award; Kelsey Lance, senior in zoology, Graduating Presidential Scholar; Braden Mattison, sophomore in biology, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award; Parisah Moghaddampour, junior in biology, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award; Andrew Pearson, senior in chemical engineering, Graduating Presidential Scholar; Erica Puopolo, senior in biology, Graduating Presidential Scholar; Laura Tanner, senior in Women Studies , Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award; Philip Tolley, junior in athletic training, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award; Mai-Yee Yuan, sophomore in undeclared science major, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award.

SHERWOOD: Charles Baugh, junior in nutrition, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award; Brayden Johnson, sophomore in pre-mechanical engineering, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award; Kyle Watt, sophomore in pre-business, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award

SISTERS: Katherine Nordquist, senior in Human Development and Family Science, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award; Thomas Shepherd, senior in electrical & computer engineering, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award

SUMMERVILLE: Ariana Meltvedt Snow, sophomore in biology, Clara H. Waldo and E.A. Cummings Outstanding Student Award

SWEET HOME: Paige Niemi, junior in exercise and sport science, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award; Traci Porter, senior in liberal studies, Provosts Literary Prize

TALENT: Arianna Shroyer, senior in business administration, The International Fulbright Scholarship

THE DALLES: Makenzie Ellett , sophomore in pre-bioengineering, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award

TIGARD: Sean Belding, senior in nuclear engineering, Clara H. Waldo and E.A. Cummings Outstanding Student Award Honorable Mention; Haley Hunt, freshman in pre-mechanical engineering      , Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award; James Leathers, sophomore in microbiology, Clara H. Waldo and E.A. Cummings Outstanding Student Award; Jennifer Lee, senior in microbiology, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award.

TUALATIN: Krista Collins, freshman in public health, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award; Cameron France, freshman in pre-mechanical engineering, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award; Andrew MacMillan, freshman in university exploratory study, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award

WARREN: Abigail Dahl, freshman in pre-business, Clara H. Waldo and E.A. Cummings Outstanding Student Award

WEST LINN: Haley Epperly, sophomore in biology, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award; Olivia Mahnic, junior in animal sciences, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award; Scott Schaub, junior in pre-business, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award; Travis Stout, senior in business administration, Graduating Presidential Scholar; Kelli Walters, senior in civil engineering, Graduating Presidential Scholar

WHEELER: Samantha Ferber, senior in biology, Graduating Presidential Scholar

WILSONVILLE: Emma Davis, senior in general science            , Mortar Board Robert MacVicar Exceptional Service Award; Johanna Doty, sophomore in mathematics, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award

Satta Jivagunchainan, senior in general science, Clara H. Waldo and E.A. Cummings Outstanding Student Award Honorable Mention; Brian Morgan, freshman in psychology, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award

WINCHESTER: Anantnoor Brar, junior in biochemistry and biophysics, Clara H. Waldo and E.A. Cummings Outstanding Student Award

Washington

FEDERAL WAY: Joshua Smith, junior in pre-chemical engineering, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award

FRIDAY HARBOR: Robert Walters, junior in natural resources, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award

MONTESANO: Michaela Hliboki, junior in pre-business, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award

PORT ORCHARD: Kaela Smith, sophomore in pre-business, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award

Smith & Clara H. Waldo and E.A. Cummings Outstanding Student Award - Honorable Mention

PUYALLUP: Geoffrey Sasaki, sophomore in exercise and sport science, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award

SEATTLE: Mike Ryan, senior in environmental science, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award

SPOKANE: Annika Swanson, sophomore in biochemistry and biophysics, National Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Program

Other

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.: Anna Koch, electrical and computer engineering, Clara H. Waldo and E.A. Cummings Outstanding Student Award Honorable Mention.

CLIFFSIDE PARK, N.J.: Adino Barbarito, senior in liberal studies, Liberal Studies, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award

BOONE, IOWA: Kara Fiedler, senior in agricultural sciences, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award

LIVINGSTON, CALIF.: Elizabeth Paben, senior in economics, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award

PALM DESERT, CALIF.: Megan Mueller, freshman in pre-interiors, Clara H. Waldo and E.A. Cummings Outstanding Student Award Honorable Mention

POWAY, CALIF.: Emily Cade, sophomore in biochemistry and biophysics, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award

SAN DIEGO: Katherine Eskridge, sophomore in biology, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award

SOOKE, BRITISH COLUMBIA: Christopher Fragassi, sophomore in natural resources, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award

TROY, MONT.: Susan Mendive, senior in liberal studies, Drucilla Shepard Smith Scholastic Award

WAILUKU, HAWAII: Kasey Munetake, freshman in pre-electrical & computer engineering, Clara H. Waldo and E.A. Cummings Outstanding Student Award

CORVALLIS, Ore. – A huge audience for Michelle Obama's keynote address isn't the only record-breaker expected for Oregon State University’s graduation ceremony Sunday - for the seventh straight year, OSU will confer a record number of degrees to its online students studying around the world.

A total of 402 distance students who completed their coursework online through OSU Ecampus will receive their diplomas, an increase from last year’s previous high of 386. This year’s group represents 39 states and five countries, including South Korea, China and Taiwan.

The rise in the number of graduates is evidence that students worldwide increasingly view online learning as a viable way to earn an education, officials said.

“We measure our success based on the achievements of our students, and this year’s graduating class is a testament to their incredible dedication and the quality of our programs,” said Ecampus executive director Lisa L. Templeton. “Ecampus is proud to play an integral role in providing learners with access to an OSU education no matter where they live.”

Ecampus has steadily expanded the quality and breadth of its program offerings. More than 11,400 students enrolled in Ecampus courses during the 2011-12 school year, up from 7,400 just three years ago.

Ecampus students earn the same OSU diploma as the one awarded to on-campus students, and they say their growing interest in learning online is due as much to the quality of the education they receive as it is to the convenience factor.

“Oregon State has a great reputation and is one of the most progressive universities when it comes to teaching scientific courses online,” said Jeff McPherson, a natural resources graduate from Golden, Colo. “I also enjoyed the many discussions I had with students throughout the world. The diversity of students and their different backgrounds created a unique learning environment that is not found in a traditional classroom.”

Organizers expect a record crowd of about 34,000 to attend commencement exercises on campus. Nearly 150 Ecampus graduates will travel to Corvallis for the ceremony and bring with them more than 1,000 guests.

For many of Ecampus’ nontraditional students, it’s the culmination of a process that required years of dedication and overcoming hardships.

“I worked for a transportation engineering firm for 12 years and was planning to retire, but then I was laid off,” said Florida resident Debora Williams, who will graduate from OSU with honors in environmental science. “I saw this as a turning point in my life. Now I’m 50, and receiving my degree through Ecampus has given me a newfound confidence in myself.”

CORVALLIS, Ore. – Michelle Obama will address the 2012 graduates of Oregon State University this Sunday, June 17, during the university’s 143rd annual commencement ceremony – and it will be a record number of graduates that will hear the First Lady speak.

The Oregon State commencement ceremony begins at 3:30 p.m. at Reser Stadium in Corvallis, and will be broadcast live on Oregon Public Broadcasting beginning at 4 p.m.

An estimated 4,979 students are graduating this June from Oregon State and OSU-Cascades, earning a total of 5,236 degrees. Both totals are records for the university, as is the number of graduates who will be attending commencement at the main campus on Sunday – an estimated 3,473. As many as 33,000 people are expected to attend commencement, which is being streamed online at: http://oregonstate.edu/events/commencement/streaming-video

An advocate for better childhood nutrition and healthy communities, Michelle Obama will receive an honorary doctorate from Oregon State in recognition of her work. Oregon State President Ed Ray extended the invitation to the First Lady to speak at the university’s commencement.

“Mrs. Obama’s leadership to improve the health of our nation’s communities and reduce obesity among young people is outstanding,” Ray said. “And her efforts are very much in keeping with Oregon State’s overall mission. During her campaign for better childhood nutrition for improved community health, the First Lady has gained national insights, community perspectives and a passion for improved health that few can match.”

Of the nearly 5,000 graduates, the oldest member of the class of 2012 is 76 years old; the youngest is just 18. The average age of the class is 25, and the graduates come from 48 states, one U.S. territory, five overseas military addresses, Washington, D.C., and 54 countries.

OSU is one of the few institutions of its size in the country where the graduating students will receive their actual diploma during commencement – not just a generic certificate.

There are many different stories among this year’s graduates.

Alisha Reynaldo has many thanks to give for getting her to commencement. A speech communications major with a minor in business and entrepreneurship, Reynaldo credits her mentor, Judi Bowker, her family, her friends and her 11 year-old-daughter for pushing her success. As a mentor and coach herself, she focused her efforts in sports and following graduation, Reynaldo will be moving to Atlanta, Ga., where she has accepted a job offer from the NBA's Atlanta Hawks to be a group sales executive.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RwY5TJcFwNw

OSU Students in Free Enterprise is more than just a student group, it has become a way of life for its members. Seniors Jennifer Villalobos, Drew Anderson and Kim Pendergrass are graduating and leaving this nationally recognized and organization they helped build. SIFE went from being unknown to attracting attention from the First Lady herself for its efforts in hunger issues and the OSU students’  nationwide hunger awareness road trip they inaugurated in 2009.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5UHQCUlC8XY

Returning to school after a 14-month deployment in Iraq, Corp. William Jordan joins this year's class after gaining a unique perspective of the world. A mathematical economics major, Jordan was determined to graduate and continue his military career despite struggling with readjusting back to student life. Jordan was active with the Associated Students of OSU, of which he said, “if you're willing to put forth the effort, you can matter."  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0AQjaA89KQ

For more information on commencement, go online to: http://oregonstate.edu/events/commencement/

CORVALLIS, Ore. – A crowd of more than 30,000 people is expected this Sunday, June 17, when Oregon State University holds its 2012 commencement ceremony, which will feature an address by First Lady Michelle Obama.

The ceremony begins at 3:30 p.m. in Reser Stadium and OSU officials are urging people to arrive early because of security checks, traffic and parking. Gates open at noon.

“There will be airport-style security in place and it will take time to get that many people through the scanners,” said Steve Clark, OSU’s vice president for University Relations and Marketing. Spectators are encouraged to refrain from bringing excess bags into the stadium that will have to be checked.

Graduating students will gather in the Merritt Truax Indoor Practice Facility before commencement and then proceed down 30th Street before entering the stadium. Both 30th Street and 26th Street will be closed to traffic during part of commencement.

OSU officials also warn that there will be a military flyover during the ceremony to acknowledge newly commissioned ROTC students during commencement, and to honor veterans of U.S. military service who are attending the ceremony.

All people attending commencement must have tickets, most of which already have been distributed. A limited number of general admission tickets will be available on Sunday, June 17, beginning at 11 a.m. at the will call ticket booth at Reser Stadium, located in the parking lot at the corner of 26th Street and Western Boulevard.

The ceremony will be broadcast live on Oregon Public Broadcasting, or can be streamed online at: http://oregonstate.edu/events/commencement/streaming-video

CORVALLIS, Ore. – Oregon State University is helping schools comply with a state law that requires them to have a plan in place by July 1 to reduce pesticide use.

As part of that mandate, the Oregon legislature charged the OSU Extension Service with drawing up at least one model plan for the state's public and private schools from kindergarten through 12th grade as well as its community colleges.

Two plans – one for large school districts and one for small districts – are now online at http://bit.ly/L7MJOc. Districts can customize the plans or use others as long as they comply with the state law.

OSU's plans assign responsibilities to teachers, custodians, cooks and grounds crews and describe how to watch for and report pests. They also include guidelines for keeping records of pesticide use and posting warning signs around areas where pesticides will be applied.

"I'm thankful that OSU is doing this. Had it not been for their assistance it would have been a burden for us in terms of drafting all the documentation to implement this program," said Jim Peterson, the facilities coordinator for the Hillsboro School District, which has adopted the plan for large districts.

Tim Stock, a pesticide educator in OSU’s Integrated Plant Protection Center (IPPC), created the plans after piloting programs in schools in Beaverton, Salem and Eugene to see what worked and to get feedback from staff.

"He has just been a wealth of information," said Ken Anderson, who is in charge of maintenance services for the Beaverton School District. "He and his staff came out, walked the sites, made recommendations and helped us put our plan together."

The plans use what's called integrated pest management (IPM), which employs chemicals only as a last resort. Instead, IPM focuses on eliminating the conditions – like a torn window screen or crumbs under a microwave – that attract or let in pests like mice or yellow jackets. The goal is to reduce pests, decrease the use of pesticides, cut costs for schools and create a healthier environment for students and staff, said Stock, a faculty member with the OSU Extension Service.

As part of the law, each school district must designate an IPM coordinator to oversee its pest prevention efforts. The law requires that person to spend six hours each year learning about IPM principles and the law itself. To help, Stock said that he and his assistant, entomologist Jennifer Snyder, have trained coordinators from 100 school districts at workshops in Portland, Eugene, Corvallis and other locations. They will offer trainings later this year in Pendleton, Grants Pass, Coos Bay and other places.

Don Barney completed the training earlier this year. He's the lead groundskeeper for the Crook County School District, which has adopted one of Stock's plans.

"You start out with information on IPM," Barney said of the training for IPM coordinators. "They tell you how to install door sweeps and caulk cracks, monitor and identify pests, and how to come up with a solution for getting rid of the pests with a low-impact product."

To help draw up his model plans, Stock surveyed Oregon's 197 school districts in 2010 and received responses from 184. Twenty-six said they already had adopted IPM plans. His survey found that 104 districts reported mice as one of their top three pests. That's problematic, Stock said, because mice can carry diseases and trigger asthma, which can cause students to miss class. Stock intends to survey districts again next year to measure their progress in implementing IPM and help refine his program’s outreach.

More information on the IPPC's integrated pest management program for schools is at http://bit.ly/KdXivM.

CORVALLIS, Ore. – One of the nation’s most popular summer fairs, the National Folklife Festival in Washington, D.C., will feature hands-on exhibits created by Oregon State University.

Oregon State is one of 28 land grant universities whose accomplishments will be celebrated at the festival from June 27 to July 1 and from July 4 to 8 on the National Mall. More than 1 million people are expected to attend.

Participants will have a chance to learn how OSU research has turned surimi seafood into a $2.1 billion industry. Students and 4-H faculty will demonstrate robotics and information technologies through Tech Wizards, an after-school mentoring program. And festival-goers can test their engineering skills against crashing ocean waves in a mini-flume designed by OSU’s Hinsdale Wave Research Laboratory.

These activities complement gatherings among OSU alumni and faculty, U.S. senators and representatives, Capitol Hill staffers and representatives of the Smithsonian Institution, prime sponsor of the Folklife Festival. The OSU Alumni Association will also host a gathering at the headquarters of the National Geographic Society, where two OSU graduates (Chris Johns, editor in chief; Dennis Dimick, executive environment editor) hold leadership positions with the magazine.

On the Smithsonian University Stage, three OSU faculty members (Robin Rosetta, Sam Chan and Jae Park) will give repeated 15-minute presentations during the festival on integrated pest management, aquatic invasive species and seafood.

This year’s festival honors the 150th anniversary of the Morrill Act, which created the land grant university system. Signed by President Abraham Lincoln in 1862, the act made grants of federal land available to states for the development of colleges and universities to teach agriculture, engineering and military skills. Subsequent revisions extended the benefits to black and Native American institutions.

The Smithsonian Institution has created an online schedule of events and exhibitors.

-30-

CORVALLIS, Ore. – The Oregon State University Extension Service is being inundated with questions – electronically, that is. Since its debut on the OSU Extension website in March of 2011, Ask An Expert has fielded 3,425 questions from across the state and country and even from overseas.

"That's a lot of questions, and the number is growing every day," said coordinator Jeff Hino. "Answers come within two working days from OSU's 131 faculty experts and more than 30 Extension-trained Master Gardener volunteers."

Although OSU's Ask An Expert began only about a year ago, it is already the fourth busiest in the national program for that time period. Ask an Expert was orchestrated by Cooperative Extension System, a partnership of 74 universities in the United States.

What questions do people ask?

"Just about everything you can think of," Hino said, although the majority relate to gardening. "More than half of the questions are about horticulture, a quarter about agriculture and everything else from 4-H to forestry."

All questions are answered anonymously, and often contain references to additional materials. "Ask an Expert answers have science inside," Hino said. "We view it as a first step in lifelong learning. It's just-in-time information that can lead to new knowledge."

 The Extension website also features Questions of the Week, chosen for their relevance, interest and quality of the answer. Among some recent queries:

• "How can I get rid of moles in my backyard?"
• "Are Twinkies good for me?"
• "I am interested in starting and working a small farm with seven other people. Insight or suggestions on where to start would be most appreciated."
• What is the life span of a hummingbird?

Some of the answers can be reassuring. One expert agreed with a housing association that its decision to pull out 500 azaleas infested with the azalea lace bug was both financially prudent and sensitive to the environment.

"This expert joins others in his field by giving immediate answers supported by science research and not just reference to a link," Hino said. "And, if you ask a question, you can feel secure that the answer you get will be credible."

See more Ask an Expert questions and their answers at http://extension.oregonstate.edu/extension-ask-an-expert/archive

CORVALLIS, Ore. – Researchers at Oregon State University have for the first time traced the actions of a known carcinogen in cooked meat to its complex biological effects on microRNA and cancer stem cells.

The findings are part of a growing awareness of the role of epigenetics in cancer, or the ways in which gene expression and cell behavior can be changed even though DNA sequence information is unaltered.

The scientists also found that consumption of spinach can partially offset the damaging effects of the carcinogen. In tests with laboratory animals, it cut the incidence of colon tumors almost in half, from 58 percent to 32 percent.

The research at OSU’s Linus Pauling Institute was recently reported in the journal Molecular Nutrition and Food Research, in work supported by the National Institutes of Health.

“Cancer development is a complex, multi-step process, with damaged cells arising through various means,” said Mansi Parasramka, a postdoctoral scholar with LPI.  “This study showed that alterations of microRNAs affect cancer stem cell markers in colon cancer formation.

“MicroRNAs are very small factors that do very big things in cells,” she said.

Traditionally, cancer was thought to be caused by changes in DNA sequence, or mutations, that allowed for uncontrolled cell growth. That’s still true. However, there’s also increasing interest in the role played by epigenetics, in which such factors as diet, environmental toxins, and lifestyle affect the expression of genes – not just in cancer, but also cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and neurological disorders.

Included in this epigenetic equation is the formation of microRNAs – once thought to be “junk DNA” - which researchers were at a loss to understand. It’s now known that they influence which areas of DNA get expressed or silenced.

There are hundreds of microRNAs, and the OSU scientists monitored 679 in their experiments. When they don’t work right, bad things can happen, including abnormal gene expression leading to cancer.

“Recent research is showing that microRNAs are one of the key epigenetic mechanisms regulating cellular functions in normal and diseased tissues,” said Rod Dashwood, the Helen P. Rumbel Professor for Cancer Prevention and director of LPI’s Cancer Chemoprotection Program.

“But unlike mutations which are permanent genetic changes in DNA,” he said, “the good news about epigenetics and microRNA alterations is that we may be able to restore normal cell function, via diet and healthy life style choices, or even drug treatments.”

Epigenetics essentially makes every person biologically unique, Dashwood said, a product of both their genetics and their environment. That includes even identical twins.

The findings of the new study should lead to advances in understanding microRNAs, their effects on cancer stem cells, and the regulatory processes disrupted in disease development, the OSU scientists said. This might lead one day to tailored or “patient specific” therapies for cancer, Dashwood said.

CORVALLIS, Ore. – The remarkable story of scientific illustrator Roger Hayward's life and work is the subject of Oregon State University Special Collections & Archives Research Center's newest web release, “Roger Hayward: Renaissance Man.”

Hayward collaborated for many years with both Linus Pauling and Scientific American magazine.

Born in New England in 1899, Hayward attended the Masschusetts Institute of Technology, where he graduated with honors in architecture. In the late 1920s he became chief designer at the Los Angeles-based Cram & Ferguson architecture firm. When the Great Depression hit, Hayward was forced to expand his skill set in order to make ends meet. His solutions to this dilemma ranged from crafting puppets and performing puppet shows in his home to building looms for his wife, who then sold her textiles at local markets.

Hayward worked on behalf of the United States government during World War II and became an expert on the subject of optics. He is now believed to have been a key contributor to the development of the Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope.

Following the war, Hayward built a reputation as a scientific illustrator of great importance, providing visuals for Scientific American's "Amateur Scientist" column for nearly 25 years and collaborating with Pauling on numerous publications including 1964's The Architecture of Molecules, for which Hayward served as co-author.

Roger Hayward: Renaissance Man recounts Hayward's story through a detailed narrative and more than 450 illustrations. A number of students worked to bring Hayward’s journey to life, including Christy Turner, Regina Pimental and recent alum Will Clark. The process not only gave them experience in documenting an important university collection, but also provided insight into a unique life.

“When you read about or research the life of Roger Hayward and others from the era, you learn that average struggles from a century ago are fundamentally similar to the struggles we experience today,” said Clark. “Seeing how real people successfully dealt with these struggles not only connects one more intimately to the formative past, but provides a sort of guidebook for approaching such difficulties in the present and future."

Turner, a fine arts major, was inspired by Hayward’s work.

“As an art student, it was deeply inspiring to me to see Hayward utilizing his artistic talent in so many aspects of professional life,” she said. “His success seems due in part to his refusal to limit himself to a single field or specialty--he used his talents to create opportunities for himself in a wide range of fields both artistic and technical, and the sheer scope of his career is astounding.

It was Hayward’s flexibility in the face of adversity that most impressed Pimental.

“(Hayward’s) unrelenting motivation provides us with a resolve to reach out of our comfort zone and explore something new whenever opportunity presents itself,” she said.

Included on the new site are two galleries of original pastel drawings created by Hayward for use in The Architecture of Molecules. Most of the pastels presented on the website were not used in the book and are now freely available for the first time.

Roger Hayward: Renaissance Man relies heavily upon materials held in the Roger Hayward Papers, one of the center's many history of science collections. The site is available at http://osulibrary.oregonstate.edu/specialcollections/omeka/exhibits/show/hayward

CORVALLIS, Ore. – Researchers at Oregon State University have confirmed what we knew all along – children in this country are increasingly sedentary, spending too much time sitting and looking at electronic screens.

But it’s not necessarily because of the newest gee-whiz gadgets – parents play a major factor in whether young children are on the move.

In two studies out online today in a special issue of the journal Early Child Development and Care devoted to “Parental Influences of Childhood Obesity,” OSU researchers examined how parenting style – whether a strict but loving parent or a less-involved and more permissive parent – was associated with sedentary behavior.

Overall, they found that children who had “neglectful” parents, or ones who weren’t home often and self-reported spending less time with their kids, were getting 30 minutes more screen time on an average each week day.

More disturbing to lead author David Schary – all of the children ages 2 to 4 were sitting more than several hours per day.

“Across all parenting styles, we saw anywhere from four to five hours a day of sedentary activity,” he said. “This is waking hours not including naps or feeding. Some parents counted quiet play – sitting and coloring, working on a puzzle, etc. – as a positive activity, but this is an age where movement is essential.”

Schary, a doctoral student in the College of Public Health and Human Sciences at OSU, said parents were grouped into four commonly used scientific categories – authoritative (high warmth and control), authoritarian (controlling, less warm), permissive (warm, low control), and neglectful (low control and warmth).

While all the children in the sample of about 200 families were sitting four to five hours in a typical day, parents in the more neglectful category had children who were spending up to 30 additional minutes a day watching television, playing a video game or being engaged in some other form of “screen time.”

“A half an hour each day may not seem like much, but add that up over a week, then a month, and then a year and you have a big impact,” Schary said. “One child may be getting up to four hours more active play every week, and this sets the stage for the rest of their life.”

Some might wonder whether parents who were less participatory during the week days made up for it during the weekends. Actually, just the opposite happened. Sedentary time increased nearly one hour each weekend day.

Bradley Cardinal, a professor of social psychology of physical activity at OSU, co-authored both papers with Schary. Cardinal said sedentary behavior goes against the natural tendencies of most preschool-age children.

“Toddlers and preschool-age children are spontaneous movers, so it is natural for them to have bursts of activity many minutes per hour,” he said. “We find that when kids enter school, their levels of physical activity decrease and overall, it continues to decline throughout their life. Early life movement is imperative for establishing healthy, active lifestyle patterns, self-awareness, social acceptance, and even brain and cognitive development.”

In a separate study, Schary and Cardinal looked at the same group of participants and asked about ways parent support and promote active play. They found that parents who actively played with their kids had the most impact, but that any level of encouragement, even just watching their child play or driving them to an activity – made a difference.

“When children are very young, playing is the main thing they do during waking hours, so parental support and encouragement is crucial,” Schary said. “So when we see preschool children not going outside much and sitting while playing with a cell phone or watching TV, we need to help parents counteract that behavior.”

Paul Loprinzi, who completed his doctorate at OSU and is now at Bellarmine University in Kentucky, contributed to this study.

CORVALLIS, Ore. – A new study of  lake sediment cores from Sanak Island in the western Gulf of Alaska suggests that deglaciation there from the last Ice Age took place as much as1,500 to 2,000 years earlier than previously thought, opening the door for earlier coastal migration models for the Americas.

The Sanak Island Biocomplexity Project, funded by the National Science Foundation, also concluded that the maximum thickness of the ice sheet in the Sanak Island region during the last glacial maximum was 70 meters – or about half that previously projected – suggesting that deglaciation could have happened more rapidly than earlier models predicted.

Results of the study were just published in the professional journal, Quaternary Science Reviews.

The study, led by Nicole Misarti of Oregon State University, is important because it suggests that the possible coastal migration of people from Asia into North America and South America – popularly known as “First Americans” studies – could have begun as much as two millennia earlier than the generally accepted date of ice retreat in this area, which was 15,000 years before present.

Well-established archaeology sites at Monte Verde, Chile, and Huaca Prieta, Peru, date back 14,000 to 14,200 years ago, giving little time for expansion if humans had not come to the Americas until 15,000 years before present – as many models suggest.

The massive ice sheets that covered this part of the Earth during the last Ice Age would have prevented widespread migration into the Americas, most archaeologists believe.

“It is important to note that we did not find any archaeological evidence documenting earlier entrance into the continent,” said Misarti, a post-doctoral researcher in Oregon State’s College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences. “But we did collect cores from widespread places on the island and determined the lake’s age of origin based on 22 radiocarbon dates that clearly document that the retreat of the Alaska Peninsula Glacier Complex was earlier than previously thought.”

“Glaciers would have retreated sufficiently so as to not hinder the movement of humans along the southern edge of the Bering land bridge as early as almost 17,000 years ago,” added Misarti, who recently accepted a faculty position at the University of Alaska at Fairbanks.

Interestingly, the study began as a way to examine the abundance of ancient salmon runs in the region. As the researchers began examining core samples from Sanak Island lakes looking for evidence of salmon remains, however, they began getting radiocarbon dates much earlier than they had expected. These dates were based on the organic material in the sediments, which was from terrestrial plant macrofossils indicating the region was ice-free earlier than believed.

The researchers were surprised to find the lakes ranged in age from 16,500 to 17,000 years ago.

A third factor influencing the find came from pollen, Misarti said.

“We found a full contingent of pollen that indicated dry tundra vegetation by 16,300 years ago,” she said. “That would have been a viable landscape for people to survive on, or move through. It wasn’t just bare ice and rock.”

The Sanak Island site is remote, about 700 miles from Anchorage, Alaska, and about 40 miles from the coast of the western Alaska Peninsula, where the ice sheets may have been thicker and longer lasting, Misarti pointed out. “The region wasn’t one big glacial complex,” she said. “The ice was thinner and the glaciers retreated earlier.”

Other studies have shown that warmer sea surface temperatures may have preceded the early retreat of the Alaska Peninsula Glacier Complex (APGC), which may have supported productive coastal ecosystems.

Wrote the researchers in their article: “While not proving that first Americans migrated along this corridor, these latest data from Sanak Island show that human migration across this portion of the coastal landscape was unimpeded by the APGC after 17 (thousand years before present), with a viable terrestrial landscape in place by 16.3 (thousand years before present), well before the earliest accepted sites in the Americas were inhabited.”