Kathryn Higley

Nuclear energy has grown in popularity over the years due to its low-carbon footprint, reliable energy supply, and upstanding safety reports. Yet public perception of the energy source got a little shaky after the March 2011 earthquake in Japan damaged a nuclear power station, resulting in a leak of radioactive nucleotides onto the shore and into the ocean. As the world was second-guessing nuclear power, victims, the media, and researchers alike turned to an institution on the forefront of researching the increased dependability and safety of nuclear power: Oregon State University.

Read the whole story by Kathryn Higley in Terra.

–Chelsi Rayford

 

 

By Rachel Robertson

Intel Learning Company students

Even in a sluggish economy, industries are still struggling to recruit computer science graduates. So, keeping students interested throughout their education is a common goal for both industry and educators.

Engaging the best talent as freshman is the aim of the Intel Learning Company (ILC), a joint project by the Intel Corporation and OSU’s School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS). Supervised by faculty members Carlos Jensen and Kevin McGrath, the students work in teams on real projects to gain valuable work-ready skills in programming, teamwork and leadership.

“We’re really emphasizing experiential learning and challenging students beyond what they can do right now,” said Terri Fiez, head of EECS.

Armed with their new skills, ILC students found summer work programming, teaching, performing research and community outreach. Students credited the ILC with helping to secure opportunities and be successful in their positions. They applied their lessons in networking, communication skills, problems solving, and workflow, and found having a broader range of experiences with programming languages made them more employable.

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