The rededication ceremony, which honors all students, faculty and staff who have served their country, takes place at on Friday, Nov. 13, at 4 p.m. in the MU Concourse. It is hosted by the Memorial Union and the ASOSU Veteran Affairs offices.

Michael Henthorne, director of the Memorial Union, said it is appropriate that one of OSU’s most beautiful and iconic buildings was developed to commemorate the sacrifices of life during World War I.

“Knowing the background of the MU helps students understand that society places its hopes and dreams for a better future in the hands of those who are pursuing higher education,” Henthorne said. “When that hope is cut short by sacrificing your life for your country, we should always remember and show our appreciation for that sacrifice…for that promise left unfulfilled.”

Students Warren Daigh and Tony Schille – at what was then called Oregon Agricultural College – came up with the original idea of creating a student center that would double as a memorial for fallen soldiers connected with the institution. The men were veterans of the World War I, and their idea gained support from the student body in 1920.

Fundraising began at that time and continued through the 1920s. Actual construction didn’t begin until 1927, and the building was completed in fall 1928, although donations for building construction continued rolling in for the next several decades. It was the first student union in the state.

World War I did not, as some had hoped, end all wars, and the Memorial Union’s purpose expanded as OSU servicemen and women fought in World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and the Gulf War. Today, former and current OSU students continue to be involved in active combat in Iraq and Afghanistan, making it apt that students be reminded that the MU is more than just a student center, Henthorne said.

Katherine Canja, a member of the ASOSU Veteran’s Affairs Task Force, said she feels that the MU is a sacred space that honors sacrifice, but is also a focal point for countless clubs and organizations.

“It is a place that joins all of us….just as we see when we walk past the flags of the world,” she said.

For Canja, the rededication of the MU brings new attention, and new focus, to the student union.

“The MU may have been dedicated to service members from certain wars, but as of this Friday, the MU will be rededicated to encompass all service members who have, are or will be serving and for those who have sacrificed their life,” she said. “The MU will be a memorial for them, not any war. It is to remember the people who have done so much for our country, regardless or in the absence of any war.”

“I would imagine that there are great differences in attitudes about war and military service today than in the period after World War I,” Henthorne said. “The sense of pride and jubilation that was present in the country after “the war to end all wars” had been fought could not possibly be compared to the wars and conflicts of the current generation.

“Despite all that, the proposal to rededicate the MU came from the ASOSU Veteran’s Affairs Task Force and our all-student board of directors responded by approving the request to rededicate the MU,” he added. “I think that says something about where students today are on the issue of acknowledging service and sacrifice.”

Henthorne said he’d like students who visit the war memorial to consider what it really means to be of service to your country.

“Options are not limited to military service. There are many other ways to serve your country, but military service is a major way in which people serve their country and it is the type of service that often asks for the greatest levels of sacrifice and accounts for the largest loss of life,” he said. “We owe a huge debt of gratitude to those who’ve chosen this type of service to their country, as well as to others who served in other programs.”

In addition to the rededication ceremony, OSU will be hosting a Veterans Day Ceremony Friday, Nov. 13, from 11 a.m. to noon, which will be held in the Memorial Union Quad.

The ceremony, sponsored by OSU’s ROTC Units and the ASOSU Veteran Affairs Committee, will include a keynote address by retired Army Technical Sgt. Don Malarkey of the 101st Airborne ‘Easy’ Company. Also featured at the ceremony will be a POW/MIA name reading, a 12-hour POW/MIA flag walk, a 24-hour POW/MIA vigil, and an F-15 Strike Eagle fly-over by the Klamath Falls National Guard.

Oregon State University freshmen Katlyn Taylor, left, and Roopa Sriram, right, test the phages they've been researching in a special biology lab, supported by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. The freshmen have the unique opportunity to do research that will be published. (photo by Theresa Hogue)

Magnified, they look a bit like robots that NASA would send to explore distant planets, but phages – also known as bacteriophages – are actually tiny viruses that infect and destroy bacteria. For the last two years, Oregon State University freshmen in a unique biology lab have been researching and documenting phages, and their work is contributing to a Howard Hughes Medical Institute project.

In fact, a phage discovered at OSU – and named “Colbert,” after Comedy Central satirist Stephen Colbert – could hold the key to treating tuberculosis. That phage, along with others with names like Noggin and Ostrich, are being archived for later use by scientists with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

Phages are the perfect research subject. Not only are they incredibly common and easy to find, but some of them may help battle bacteria that sicken and kill humans. OSU is one of 12 universities around the country selected by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute to create an undergraduate genomics lab for freshmen and sophomore students that specifically researches and catalogues phage DNA. This three-year genome research project provides undergraduates with the opportunity to do research that is published and could be used by other researchers to develop treatments for tuberculosis.

“This is one of the first national projects to change the way undergraduates experience biology labs,” said co-instructor Barbara Taylor, a professor of zoology, who co-leads the lab along with Dee Denver, an associate professor of zoology, and graduate teaching assistant Christine Schnitzler. Students are taking the phage lab in place of a traditional lab associated with an introductory biology course, and must apply to be in the special lab.

“This is inquiry-based learning, and it has really positive outcomes in terms of grades,” Denver said. Not only do the students score better in their regular biology courses after participating in the lab, but they are more likely to view a career in science as a positive possibility.

“It has a big effect on confidence,” Denver said. The students are in charge of their research, he added, and although they have the support of their co-instructors and several undergraduate helpers, they are expected to work fairly independently.

While each student gathers, identifies and researches their own phage, they also work in teams, meaning that there is a lot of interaction and cooperation in the lab, an important skill set to have if they pursue work in labs later. Several of last year’s students, like Daryl Khaw of Portland, have found work in OSU labs, based in part on their experience in the biology lab.

“It’s a great experience you can’t get in a regular lab,” Khaw said. He enjoyed his time so much that he’s returned to help out this year’s crop of students. “I know last year was a big learning experience and I needed a lot of help,” so he decided he’d be part of the support staff for this year’s group of students.

Freshman Katlyn Taylor decided to apply for the special lab because she felt it would be challenging, and wouldn’t repeat the information she’d already learned in her high school advanced placement science courses in Oregon City.

“I like that (the lab) is small and the teachers are excited about what we’re learning,” Taylor said. “And you get to be a published scientist.”

Taylor has named her phage “Darth Phager.” Her teammate, Roopa Sriram, is an Honors College freshman from Beaverton, who also feels the lab provides an exciting challenge.

“Initially I thought this was going to be awesome and it’s turning out to be exactly that,” she said. She likes how the research keeps students thinking on their feet, and how much of their work is done independently.

“There’s a certain amount of autonomy,” in the lab, she said. And working with “Phagebacca” as she’s named her phage, has given her the chance to work in a lab setting not unlike she’d experience as a medical student.

“I want to be a doctor,” she said, “and research is a huge part of that.”

Once the phage-sequencing project is complete, the Joint Genome Institute will examine the student’s work, and the most promising of the complete samples will be sequenced and then sent on for research purposes. Last year’s selected phage was Colbert, but this year’s most successful phage has yet to be determined.

To view the lab Web site, see http://biology.science.oregonstate.edu/courses/genomics-lab/

To see the 2007-2008 student blog, go here http://osugenomicslaboratory.blogspot.com/

Craig Iseli

Craig Iseli
Alum, Class of 2006, Exercise & Sports Science, studying for a physical therapy exam

Shorts: JC Penney
Shirt: Nike (from friends who work there)
Flip-flops: Wife bought them

“My style is relaxed, comfortable, casual.” “I like to shop at Ross and TJ Maxx.”
Iseli is shifting from his casual style to a more business casual with polos and khakis for work.

Last year, three College of Engineering students from OSU took a sponsored Road Trip to the Bay Area to interview folks from Nvidia, Wired Magazine and Google, and blogged about their trip on the Road Trip Nation web site. Footage from that team’s trip will be debuted during the bus’s visit to OSU, and pizza and live music will be provided.

The bus will be parked in the Memorial Union Quad between 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 9. The video debut will take place between 11:30 p.m. and 1 p.m.

A few hours before the main event, Carl Thomas, associate director of the Admissions Office, performed a solo Thriller dance in the lobby of Kerr Admin.

Here’s the final Thriller performance at Reser Stadium:

The announcement of the deans is the first step in implementation of a division structure that university leaders believe will create coalitions with the “necessary assets” to advance OSU’s strategic plan and move the institution closer to its goal of becoming one of America’s leading land-grant universities. The divisional change is part of OSU’s Strategic Alignment and Budget Reduction Implementation Plan.

In their first year, the executive deans will collaborate with academic deans to create a vision and goals for each division, as well as plans for modification, consolidation, elimination, creation or realignment of degree programs, departments, centers and institutes. Decisions regarding all of the above, with the exception of degree programs, are targeted for implementation beginning in July 2010. Degree program implementation will begin in September.

OSU’s seven-member Advisory Council on Budget and Strategic Priorities, created last year to make critical recommendations on financial and organizational matters in light of ongoing public funding challenges that have cut deeply into the university’s operating budget, recommended the divisions last spring, and President Ed Ray approved them in October.  All of OSU’s college deans, who will continue to administer their colleges under the division plan, support the new structure.

“Our strategic planning processes over the past year have led us to this place, and because of that, our academic leaders are well prepared to move into this exciting new phase of our work,” said Ray. “We believe the new division framework will not only encourage even deeper collaboration than the cross-disciplinary work for which our faculty is already well known, but guide us in making decisions during the current budget challenges that will both address current realities and serve us well over the long term.

“The executive deans we’re announcing today will be chiefly responsible for marshalling these transformational efforts.”

The new divisions, included in each and respective executive deans are:

·         Division of Arts and Science – colleges of Education, Liberal Arts, Science; Executive Dean Lawrence Rodgers (dean of the College of Liberal Arts);

·         Division of Earth Systems Science – colleges of Agricultural  Sciences, Forestry, Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences;  Executive Dean Hal Salwasser (dean of the College of Forestry);

·         Division of Health Sciences – colleges of Health and Human Sciences,  Pharmacy, Veterinary Medicine; Executive Dean Tammy Bray (dean of the College of Health and Human Sciences); and

·         Division of Business and Engineering – Executive Dean Ron Adams (dean of the College of Engineering).

Rodgers, Salwasser, Bray and Adams have 30 years between them in academic leadership at OSU. They also bring to their new duties considerable experience from other universities, government agencies and private industry. While their appointments to the new positions are effective immediately, each will continue to serve as leader of his/her respective college.

Provost/Executive Vice President Sabah Randhawa praised them for their willingness to serve and provide leadership on “the University’s most pressing needs and opportunities.” But he also cautioned that meeting those challenges may uncover new issues to address along the way.

“Implementation of the divisional model is a significant departure from the college-based leadership model used in the past,” said Randhawa. “Because this is a new direction for the University, it is recognized that ideas, relationships and leadership will evolve, necessitating that goals and processes will be adjusted as learning occurs.”

Randhawa added that while collaboration within and between divisions will be the hallmark characteristic of the new structures, it is hoped that college identities, missions and visions will be maintained within the divisions.

More information on the Advisory Council on Budgets and Strategic Priorities and the Strategic Alignment and Budget Reduction Implementation Plan for 2009-2011 is available online .

Additional background: Executive Deans

Ron Adams

Division of Business and Engineering – Executive Dean Ron Adams
An OSU alumnus with a doctorate in mechanical engineering earned in 1977, Adams has been dean of the College of Engineering at OSU since 1998. An expert in fluid mechanics, aerodynamics and fluidized bed heat transfer, he has held a number of positions in academia and private industry, including work with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and U.S. Air Force. Adams worked in various positions at Oregon-based Tektronix, Inc., first leading their jet physics group and eventually becoming vice president of technology and a senior Tektronix fellow.

Tammy Bray

Division of Health Sciences – Executive Dean Tammy Bray
Bray was named dean of the College of Health and Human Sciences in March 2002 after having served as an associate dean and department chair at The Ohio State University for the previous seven years. During her career, she has attracted more than $8 million in research funding from the National Institutes of Health, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and other sources and has published more than 100 articles in peer-reviewed journals and written two books, including a food guide for cancer patients, “Champions in the Kitchen – Good Food for Healthful Living.” She holds a Ph.D. in nutrition and biochemistry from Washington State University.

Lawrence Rodgers

Division of Arts and Science – Executive Dean Lawrence Rodgers
A former associate dean at Kansas State University, Rodgers was named dean of the OSU College of Liberal Arts in 2008. Rodgers was a faculty member, department head and administrator in Kansas State’s College of Arts and Sciences over the prior two decades. He holds a Ph.D. in English from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Liberal Arts at OSU has more than 200 faculty members in 13 departments, and more than 3,000 students pursue one of the 19 majors offered by the college.

Hal Salwasser

Division of Earth Systems Science – Executive Dean Hal Salwasser
Salwasser was named dean of the OSU College of Forestry in 2000 and is also director of the Oregon Forest Research Laboratory. He received his doctorate in wildland resource science from the University of California, has published more than 80 professional papers and co-edited two books on natural resource issues and currently serves on the National Commission on Science for Sustainable Forestry. Salwasser has held numerous career positions with the U.S. Forest Service, including service as the regional forester in the Northern Rockies and research station director in California in the 1990s.

From left, Angela Maxwell from Admissions and Kathy Walker from the Registrar's Office model classic Halloween attire. (photo: Theresa Hogue)

From left, Janet Knudson makes a striking Vampiress and Erin Van Ausdal models her Velma look. Both work in Admissions. (photo: Theresa Hogue)

Oregon State University President Ed Ray has been named chair of the NCAA Executive Committee, effective immediately.

In his new role, Ray also will chair the Executive Committee’s Administrative Subcommittee, which will oversee the search for a new NCAA president.

Ray, who previously chaired the Executive Committee’s finance subcommittee, has been a member of the Executive Committee and the Division I Board of Directors since April 2007.

He replaces University of Georgia President Michael Adams, who announced he is stepping down from the Executive Committee with six months remaining on his term.

Adams, who completed his initial term on the committee last April but was given a one-year extension as chair to provide continuity in leadership during NCAA President Myles Brand’s illness, said he is leaving to ensure a similar continuity during the search for Brand’s successor.

Adams said he would prefer to avoid a change in Executive Committee leadership as the process likely evolves beyond when his extended term would have ended in April.

Adams also said that staying on as chair of the Executive Committee would be an unnecessary distraction since he has been mentioned as a possible successor to Brand.

“My name already has been and most likely will continue to be connected to the search – no matter how vigorously I will try to state my intentions to continue as president of the University of Georgia,” Adams said. “The fact is that my name has simply too often been mentioned in connection with the search to not run the risk of compromising the integrity of the effort by staying even until my extended term is completed.”

Adams has chaired the Executive Committee since becoming a member in April 2007. He also serves on the Division I Board of Directors and will continue to do so through January to ensure that the Southeastern Conference has representation on that body through the NCAA Convention.

“Like all of my colleagues on the Executive Committee and Board of Directors, I have a day job,” Adams said. “And after four and a half years on these two bodies – and a year longer than I intended – it is time for me to give my full attention to what are some critical future decisions for the University of Georgia.”

Before Ray became president at Oregon State in 2003, he was executive vice president and provost at The Ohio State University and a member of the economics faculty, including as chair of the economics department from 1976-92.

He received his undergraduate degree in mathematics from Queens College (New York) and his master’s in economics from Stanford University in 1969. He received his doctorate in economics from Stanford in June 1971.

(See also Sports Illustrated)

Capt. Michael Batchelor

Oregon State University Air Force ROTC Assistant Professor of Aerospace Studies, Capt., Mike Batchelor, has been named the Air Education and Training Command (AETC) Educator of the Year for 2008-2009.

The AETC Educator of the Year award recognizes individual faculty members who have made outstanding contributions to AETC’s education mission during the academic year of July 1 through June 30.  An educator or faculty member is generally recognized as the subject matter expert who develops or teaches formal educational courses or composes research and educational publications.

Batchelor helped to transform Reserve Officer Training Corps leadership laboratory, practical military training and field training programs to improve preparation of more than 1800 officers entering active duty annually.  Specifically, he enhanced problem solving and functions of management education, by adding defined leadership competency evaluation criteria, project management conceptual tools and requirements based budgeting process in Leadership Laboratory and practical military training at the Detachment level.

Additionally, Batchelor was instrumental in transforming over 400 hours of summer field training from a garrison to expeditionary and airman’s manual based training experience, recognized as the most significant change to officer accession education in 60 years.

His student experiential education programs incorporated at Oregon State University that supported this award include two regional Air Force base visits, 10 guest speakers, over 50 students experiencing real and simulated military aircraft flights, embedding 80 students in real Air Force training exercises, establishing a model student leadership laboratory competency feedback process, and mentoring over 1500 volunteer hours of community relations and service projects.

Batchelor was selected among officer faculty members from 30 Air Force Educational Institutions.  Commander of Air University, Lieutenant General Allen Peck, will present this award at a ceremony on Nov. 16 at Air University, Maxwell Air Force Base, in Montgomery Alabama.

Batchelor isn’t the only Oregon State person to be recognized by the Air Force ROTC this year. Earlier this year, Dennis Bennett of the OSU Center for Writing and Learning was selected and participated in the Air Force ROTC Distinguished Educator program which consists of approx 40 educators nationwide selected to participate in a four-day visit to learn more about the U.S. Air Force and the Air Force ROTC. He met with educators, received tours of the base and education facilities and interacted with cadets.

Jungin Chang
Senior, graphic design

Top: TJ Maxx
Shorts: Banana Republic
Shoes: Etienne Aigner

“Today I was going for marine style. I’m pretty casual. TJ Maxx is a favorite.”

Joe Hendricks has been designated Professor Emeritus of Sociology and Dean Emeritus of the University Honors College, effective Nov. 30, 2009. He has been identified as one who has earned distinction and respect through years of dedicated and effective service.

Mina McDaniel has been designated Professor Emeritus of Food Science and Technology, effective Dec. 1, 2008. She is now assured of life membership on the university faculty with associated rights and privileges.

Paper receives international recognition

Mario E. Magana’s paper titled “Partial Network Coding with Cooperation: A Cross-layer Design for Multi-hop Wireless Networks,” was selected as the best paper at the 2009  International Conference on Ultra Modern Telecommunications (ICUMT) in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Magana is an associate professor with the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. The paper was co-authored with his doctoral students Panupat Poocharoen and Eduardo X. Alban.

Mellinger named Fellow

David Mellinger has been elected as a Fellow of the Acoustical Society of America. He was awarded the honor at the association’s annual meeting in San Antonio on Oct. 28.

Doolen honored by Society of Women Engineers

Toni Doolen, an associate professor in the School of Mechanical, Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering at Oregon State University, has been named a 2009 fellow of the Society of Women Engineers. Doolen has a doctorate in industrial engineering from OSU, has published nearly 20 journal articles and a book chapter, been awarded numerous grants, and is an active teacher and student adviser.  The Society of Women Engineers, founded in 1950, is a not-for-profit educational and service organization.

OSU has a host of resources for parents on campus. (photo: Theresa Hogue)

Many of the faculty and staff, and a number of students on campus, are parents in addition to the myriad of other ways they define themselves. The Childcare and Family Resources office at Oregon State University works to provide information and support to those parents, and as part of their work, they are offering a series of lunchtime workshops designed for parents.

“We were recognizing that a lot of parents don’t have a place to get together and interact,” said Kristi King, who runs the drop-off childcare center for student parents in the Valley Library.

The workshops last an hour and take place on the second Wednesday of each month, most of them held in Memorial Union 109A. The topics range from healthy cooking for kids to childcare options to pregnancy and birthing options for expectant parents. Experts are brought in to cover each topic.

“We want it to be a worthwhile time that offers some good information to parents,” King said.

The series kicked off in October with a session on maternity leave. While most sessions are open to students and staff, the first session was just for OSU employees. A number of representatives from the Office of Human Resources provided a variety of helpful hints and resources for expectant mothers or those simply looking to have children in the future.

The maternity leave discussion included information on FMLA (Family and Medical Leave Act), how to make leave requests, and how mothers can use sick, vacation and personal time off during their leave. They also explained how signing up for short-term disability could help supplement income during maternity leave. Staff and faculty members had a lot of questions for the employees, who helped them prepare to navigate the labyrinth of leave options.

The next workshop takes place from noon to 1 p.m., Nov. 11, in MU 109A. The topic is breastfeeding and working/studying. Guest speakers include members from La Leche League.

For more information on parenting resources on campus, see http://oregonstate.edu/childcare/ Click on events to see times and locations for the workshops.

President Ed Ray

A message from President Ed Ray:

As we approach the mid-point of the quarter, I want to take a moment to reflect on a number of challenges and opportunities facing OSU in the coming months and through the 2009-2010 academic year. Our enrollment for the school year will be nearly 22,000, with additional enrollment at OSU-Cascades surpassing 600. Because our students and their success are among our top priorities, we have met the increased demand for access to courses through increased financial aid and by adding course sections in high-demand areas. Compared to last year, we disbursed an additional $13 million in financial aid through tuition reimbursements to help students significantly affected by the economic downturn. And thanks to your efforts we have been able to create much-needed capacity in foundational courses for first-year students, enabling them to successfully start their studies at OSU.

In the depths of the recession last school year, we engaged in formal and informal conversations to consider and address questions about how OSU can continue its upward trajectory toward our goal of being a top 10 land grant university. Given the near-term challenges presented by state budget cuts, and the potential for additional reductions early next year, we also discussed changes that will allow us to emerge from this period more focused, more strategically aligned and better prepared for the future. Ignoring the problem and doing nothing would serve OSU and its students badly and is not an option.

I addressed these matters earlier this month when I spoke to the Faculty Senate regarding the state of the university. I described an “OSU 2025” profile, a vision to provide clarity about how current efforts to achieve strategic alignment and investments and budget reductions can ensure progress toward our longer-term aspirations, even in these toughest of times. Since the Senate session, I’ve heard from some who are energized and enthusiastic about this discussion. Others have wondered whether OSU 2025 is more about quantity than quality. Some have questioned how a statement about 2025 is connected to current budget realities.

To be clear, I intended “OSU 2025” discussion to do two things: 1) to provide a clear picture of the gaps we have to continue to close to reach our top 10 land grant goal; 2) to challenge the state and others to step up and join us in this effort going forward by conveying in substantive terms the proven value and future promise of investing in OSU. Our progress is contingent on securing resources to enable growth in faculty and infrastructure to support increases in our teaching, research and service capacities.

I have a very clear understanding of our current budget situation and the difficult decisions we must make during this biennium to ensure that we sustain the current impact and future potential of this great university. I commissioned the Advisory Council on Budgets and Strategic Priorities earlier this year to recommend areas where costs can be reduced and ways in which we can position the university for future growth in signature areas outlined in our Strategic Plan. Based on the council’s recommendations and the subsequent campus-wide discussions, I made a number of decisions that are posted at http://oregonstate.edu/leadership/budget/implementation.html . I shared some of the more important strategic and policy decisions with you via e-mail in July and during my recent address at the Faculty Senate.

We are undertaking cost-reduction activities in earnest, and recognize that because of the timing of the legislative cycle and subsequent decisions from the State Board, many activities cannot be stopped in mid-stream during the first year. Consequently, our focus for cost reductions in 2009-10 will be on streamlining and consolidating administrative services and reducing course offerings in low-demand areas to meet approved course guidelines. These transitional changes will also gives us time to plan transformational changes in academic programs and units that conform with divisional structures, consistent with approved academic system guidelines. This will allow for faculty engagement in shaping the university’s future consistent with our commitment to collaboration and shared governance.

The decisions that I have approved so far create a much-needed framework to make relevant decisions during the rest of this academic year. The description of Oregon State University in 2025 that I shared with you provides a long-term context within which to assess the appropriateness of short-term actions. In the Implementation Plan released by Provost Randhawa, a clear process and timeline has been defined for implementing decisions regarding programs, departments and colleges within each division. We will ensure that we stay with the implementation milestones that we have established. A set of dashboard indicators will be posted shortly online and updated regularly to clearly demonstrate the progress we are making toward cost-reduction goals. A Strategic Alignment/Budget Reduction Review Committee will provide oversight to the budget-reduction process, including validating and adjusting reduction targets associated with specific actions.

We will continue to make as strong a case as we possibly can with state elected officials and the Board of Higher Education for increased state support for OSU programs. While we implement actions to align programs and reduce costs, I will continue to work with you in advocating for the revenue base that we need to make substantial progress toward our collective vision.

The challenges we face in the coming year are momentous. I sincerely hope that by working together we can weather the near-term hardships in a way that prepares us for a much better future.

I encourage you to provide your perspective directly to me via e-mail or through the LIFE@OSU comments function.  Following my senate speech, which is posted online as streaming video and text, there were a number of thoughtful questions from faculty and staff; these questions and my responses are also posted.

College of Business student Monica Truax models a skirt suit as part of a career event on campus. (photo: Theresa Hogue)

For years, Oregon State students have been learning the ins and outs of landing and keeping a good job through the annual career symposium. This year, organizers took a different approach to strengthening career-building skills. Creating Career Confidence took place on Oct. 16, and combined a number of interactive and engaging events to drive home the skills essential to getting a good job.

The event was presented by the College of Business and the Alpha Kappa Psi Business Fraternity, and included a panel of OSU alumni discussing vital employment issues, a speed networking session, and a fashion show featuring Alpha Kappa Psi members wearing business-appropriate attire from local shops.

Organizer Tristen Shay, an academic advisor, said the event was a new take on an old idea, emphasizing not only how to get a job, but what behaviors and attitudes are appropriate in the modern business world.

Advice from professionals was key to the event, especially alumni. On the speakers panel, alums provided their own perspective, including answering questions such as “What advice would you give your 20-year-old self?”

The tough economy makes this kind of information especially relevant, Shay said.

“There’s such a frenzy to get a job that people are not paying attention to ‘How do you get a job.’”

During the speed networking session, professionals such as Kris Cable, a 1997 graduate of the College of Business and current recruiter for Providence Health Care, gave students the chance to practice their networking skills. Cable said she loved giving back to the university, and helping students hone their job finding skills, and even offered to help look over resumes.

Doug Cochran of OSU Career Services gave the students a quick overview of how to work a room during a networking opportunity.

OSU College of Business' Mark Van Patten speaks with COB student Pamela Graham during a networking session held Oct. 16 on campus. (photo: Theresa Hogue)

“During our conversation you may feel a little cheesy,” he warned, but with a honed 30-second elevator speech, approaching a potential employer is a lot less daunting.

“Take your whole life and put it into a 30-second sound bite,” he advised.

Cochran explained to the students how little things mattered as much as a slick speech, including good hygiene, promptness, and considering the details, such as the outgoing message on your cell phone, which could put off a potential employer. Inappropriate Facebook photos, sloppy attire and careless manners also undermine job seekers.

After his pep talk, students circulated through the room, practicing approaching professionals like Cable, and worked the kinks out of issues such as the timing of asking for a business card, and where to hang their nametags.

Finally, the day culminated in a fast-paced fashion show where students saw the kind of attire expected from business casual, formal and even cocktail events. It was the finishing touch on a day meant to help students fulfill Cochran’s advice.

“You need to be on your game.”

Uzo Uba

Sophomore, biomedical engineering

Top: Express

“I like clean aesthetics, bright colors. I sometimes read fashion magazines, GQ, Details.”

OSU sophomores Keegan Warrington, Tate Koenig and Zach Lowry are preparing to participate in the Africa Rally. (photo: Theresa Hogue)

Oregon State University sophomores Keegan Warrington and Tate Koenig are preparing to set out on the biggest adventure of their lives.

This December, they’ll be driving across a quarter of the globe in a 1986 Suzuki Samurai – to raise awareness and donations for three Africa-related charities. Meanwhile, back in Corvallis, fellow OSU sophomore Zach Lowry will keep track of their progress and blog about their adventures to keep fans and potential donors apprised of their trip.

The three make up the members of Team COW, the only student team in this year’s Africa Rally, a charity-based competition that begins Dec. 13 in London, England.

The event has only a few simple rules. Competitors must use vehicles with engines smaller than 1.2 liters, and must end up in Cameroon. Teams receive no support and have no designated route. There are currently 87 teams registered, of which only four are from the United States.

“We’re using the Africa Rally to jumpstart our fundraising,” said Warrington, “and to raise awareness about the three African charities we’re supporting.”

The charities are The Rain Forest Foundation, Ape Action Africa and Send a Cow.

The three students have created their own philanthropic organization, COW (Citizen of the World) because they believe that students should think of themselves in the context of the world, not just as people who have an impact on their local community.

Warrington said he was inspired in part by a backpacking trip he took through Asia, adding that classes he took at Oregon State – including a political philosophy class – got him thinking about his moral obligation to help those in need. He still uses quotes he learned in the class when he talks about COW to potential donors.

Koenig said taking an accounting class has helped him plunge into the world of philanthropy. “That’s helped me with the whole aspect of running a business,” he said.

The team has also relied on advice and support from OSU faculty and other students as they began planning for their African adventure.

In preparation for the trip, the donated Suzuki had to go through a bit of a mechanical overhaul. Any additional problems that may come up on the long trip across the western side of Africa will be taken care of by Koenig, who grew up working on vehicles. They’re taking as many spare parts as they can, but are limited by weight.

They’ve also been gathering donations and sponsors, and hope that additional media coverage and blog fans will bring in more money along the way.

The sophomores know they’re preparing for a trip that will take them through remote locations, far from friends, phones and tow trucks.

“The scariest part is knowing that we could do everything completely right, and if we’re in the wrong spot at the wrong time, it’s game over,” Warrington said.

But enthusiasm for the challenge far outweighs any trepidation they might hold.

“We will make it no matter what it takes, even if we have to ride camels, we will make it,” Koenig said.

“It’s actually happening,” Warrington said. “We’re pulling it together and getting so much support.”

To learn more about Team COW and to make a donation, or buy a T-shirt or sweatshirt, go to www.beacow.com . The student blog will appear on the Web site once the race begins.

The annual Linn-Benton Food Share fundraising event The Magic Barrel takes place 7 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 24, at a new location, the Corvallis High School Theater. Music begins at 6:30 p.m. The event features food, music, autographed books and most importantly, authors reading from their own works.

A number of the participants have ties to Oregon State University, including the evening’s emcee, Karen Holmberg. Her first book, “The Perseids,” was published in 2001. A Discovery/The Nation award winner, her work has appeared in such magazines as The Paris Review, The Nation, Slate, Quarterly West, Southern Poetry Review, Hotel Amerika, and West Branch. She teaches literature and poetry writing at OSU and has previously read some of her work for Magic Barrel.

Holmberg said she is involved with the Magic Barrel because she wants to motivate the audience to find ways to use their own talents to solve problems and address intolerable conditions.

“Oregon ranks as the third hungriest state in the nation. According to the Oregon Hunger Task Force Web page, 17 percent of Benton County’s 80,000 citizens are in poverty,” she said. “This should make clear why, as a community, we have to bring our talents and determination to bear on solving this problem, or at the very least, making people more aware of it.”

John Larison teaches in the OSU English department, and has just published his first novel,”Northwest of Normal.” An attendee of the Magic Barrel for several years, this is Larison’s first time as a performer.

In “Northwest of Normal” the protagonist arrives via driftboat to the Cascadia Carnival, an event Larison said he modeled after the Oregon Country Fair.
“What hadn’t changed was the smell: first the purple sweetness of ripe blackberries, then deeper, the green spice of Doug fir needles. Deeper yet was the chocolaty musk of the river at dawn, its fog ghosting over the riffle…. This was the Ipsyniho he remembered, and Christ had he missed it,” he writes in his new novel.

Larison worked for several years as an English teacher in a school for disadvantaged youth.

John Larison, author, instructor with the OSU English department

“Many of my students got their one meal a day from the school’s free lunch program,” he said, “and I saw first hand the effects of chronic hunger. People don’t learn when they’re hungry.”

He said he hopes the audience at Magic Barrel sees the power of literature to not only inspire but to organize people behind important missions.

Another OSU English department member, Ted Leeson will also read at Magic Barrel. He has been a freelance writer for over 20 years and has authored three books of essays, “The Habit of Rivers,” (1994), “Jerusalem Creek” (2002) and most recently, “Inventing Montana” (2009).

Other readers include Margaret Anderson, Geri Doran, George Estreich, Gregg Kleiner, Aria Minu-Sepehr, Cindy Smith and Jana Zvibleman of the OSU Research Office.

Suggested admission: $7, no one will be turned away from lack of funds.  All proceeds go to Linn-Benton Food Share.

Can’t make it to the Barrel this year? You can still be part of the action by making a contribution to Linn Benton Food Share. You can make it on behalf of The Magic Barrel? To make it extra easy, you can donate online , at www.csc.gen.or.us/foodshare.htm.

For more information see http://magicbarrel.org/

Students chat during the INTO Open House on Oct. 9 (photo: Theresa Hogue)

Oregon State University is welcoming a lot of new faces from around the world this fall as INTO OSU gets under way. The new initiative is bringing 200-300 students to OSU from places around the globe, ranging from Saudi Arabia to China, and adding to the university’s diversity.

The partnership enhances an OSU goal to double the university’s international enrollment. Last Friday, the OSU INTO Center held an open house in the newly remodeled Heckart Lodge, a former student co-op which has been transformed into classroom and office space for the program. Dozens of INTO students, OSU administrators and others poured into the colorfully painted rooms during the open house, munching orange cupcakes and chatting in many languages.

Provost and Executive Vice President Sabah Randhawa, who attended the open house, said INTO OSU is ahead of target in terms of students in the pathway program who will be transferring into degree programs at OSU next fall after year of preparatory courses.

“It’s been great,” Randhawa said of the first year of the INTO OSU partnership.

Russian student Sam Zhernakov was drawn to OSU because he wanted to strengthen his academic English before transferring into a tourism program. His friend Aya Tabeya from Japan is planning on getting a degree in athletic training from OSU after completing English courses.

OSU INTO students Aya Tabeya and Sam Zhernakov. (photo: Theresa Hogue)

“To study English abroad is better,” than taking it at home, Zhernakov said, and because OSU is located in a relatively small city rather than a major urban center means there are fewer distractions for him. “In a big city you think about fun,” he said. “Here you just think about study.”

Tabeya thinks that a degree from OSU will help her in the job market. “It’s hard to get a job in Japan,” she said.

INTO founder and chairman Andrew Colin also was present for the INTO OSU open house. OSU is the first American university to partner with INTO, and although Colin said the university isn’t yet well known internationally, that can be an advantage.

“You’ve got a secret gem here,” he said of OSU. “It’s fabulous and it’s undiscovered.”

Because OSU has a lower international student population than the British universities, where INTO already has partnerships, he said it’s been a fun experience building up international student numbers.

“It’s very exciting being involved on the ground floor and working to building something up,” he said.

It’s been easy to sell OSU to international students because the university offers a high quality of life, a high level of personal safety for students, and a high quality, research-intensive university, Colin said. He said the campus has already been welcoming to incoming students, who have integrated quickly.

“There’s an appetite here to engage with international students,” he said, adding that the INTO students he spoke with at OSU were already comfortable in their new surroundings.

Students clown around during the INTO open house (photo: Theresa Hogue)

Colin praised the INTO students for deciding to choose to come to the United States for their university experience, far from friends, family and familiar languages.

“I’m just full of respect for the courage and commitment they show,” he said.

~ Theresa Hogue

New College of Education instructor Donna Drake-Clark (photo: Theresa Hogue)

With three decades of experience, Drake-Clark will be tailoring the program to meet the needs of commuter students who work full-time, and reflect the changing face of adult education.

To that end the program has been changed from a three-year to a two-year masters program, offering a combination of in-class and on-line teaching to accommodate the schedules of the students. The program is focused on students who will be teaching adults in a variety of settings, from the corporate world to community colleges to non-profit organizations and elsewhere.

It is designed to give students the tools they need to tailor programs aimed specifically at adult audiences.

For years, Drake-Clark worked in human resources and loved what she did. As part of Merrill Lynch, the New York Times Company, and Toyota Financial Services, she did much more than make hiring and firing decisions. She focused on organizational development, training, and assisting employees in making the right choices for their careers.

But after tiring of the corporate world, Drake-Clark switched gears and earned a master’s degree in human resource and organizational development, and a Ph.D. in adult education from the University of Georgia. Once on the job market, the College of Education at OSU caught her eye. She knew Darlene Russ-Eft was chair of the Adult Education and Higher Education Leadership Department, and had read some of Russ-Eft’s work in class.

“I knew she was a pretty big deal,” Drake-Clark said, adding that she was so interested in working with Russ-Eft, she pursued the non-tenure track position without having stepped foot in Oregon before.

“It was,” Drake-Clark said, “a step of faith.”

As program lead, her biggest task will be refreshing the Adult Education/Organization and Human Resource Education Program, which is a master’s degree program. Changing times are shifting the focus of the program, Drake-Clark said, toward offering a broader look at what adult and human resource education is – in part to make the program more adaptable to the changing economic picture for corporate America.

“People want to make themselves more recession-proof,” Drake-Clark said. “They want to say, ‘Okay I can do more than just training. I can also do executive coaching. I can also do organizational development. I can look at your employees, what makes them satisfied about their jobs, what they’re not satisfied with. Then I can help you come up with action plans.’”

The cohort of students involved in the program are already working full-time jobs, ranging from nurse education to non-profit organizations.

“The skills people learn in this program are beyond just training and development, because not all learning takes place in a training room,” Drake-Clark said. “Adult learning happens in many places, like on the job. Organizations need to make sure their on the job training is consistent, and that the people who are conducting it are not teaching their own idiosyncratic ways, but what the worker should be doing.”