Luanne Johnson, Author at The Erlenmeyer Flask

Name: Sandra Loesgen

Area of Study / Position Title: Assistant Professor in Chemistry

Why chemistry? (What about it initially interested you?): My high school teachers in chemistry and biology really loved their jobs and taught science with enthusiasm. In 7^th grade, our class won a science fair working on allergy inducing proteins and peptides and since then, I am excited to work in a lab and look at health related chemistry!

Research focus (in non-science terms) or basic job duties? Drug Discovery. We focus on identifying new biologically active substances from rare bacteria and fungi. Most people have taken penicillin to fight a bacterial infection at least once in their life, but only few people know that this is a fungal metabolite and still one of the most used antibacterial drugs we have nowadays. Our research is focused on finding new potential drugs and to test them against pathogenic bacteria, cancer, and viruses and we are particularly interested in their chemical structures and mode of action.

One thing you truly love about your job? I love working with students and explore chemical structures provided by nature. There is noting better than collecting a sample, isolate microbes, and explore their chemistry and medicinal potential.

One interesting/strange factoid about yourself. I can eat Nutella with a spoon.

Inspiration dissemination is a radio show on 88.7FM every Sunday night at 7 p.m. that features graduate students sharing stories about their research and lives here at OSU. If you are a graduate student and would like to communicate your research to a broad audience, please sign up at the following link: http://goo.gl/forms/wDxnbfUkpj

The OSU Women’s Giving Circle is currently accepting proposals for grants to be awarded in May 2015. The applications are due by Friday, Jan. 16. For more information please visit http://osufoundation.org/howtogive/annualgiving/womens/apply_grant.htm. Questions contact Kellie Parker at 541-737-4691 or Kellie.Parker@oregonstate.edu.

P.F. and Nellie Buck Yerex Graduate Fellowship

Deadline for Nominations February 2, 2015

Information and Nomination Instructions: http://gradschool.oregonstate.edu/finance/awards/yerex-graduate-fellowship

Lenore Bayley Graduate Fellowship

Deadline for Nominations February 2, 2015

Information and Nomination Instructions: http://gradschool.oregonstate.edu/finance/awards/lenore-bayley-fellowship

Thurgood Marshall Graduate Scholarship

Deadline for Nominations February 16, 2015

Information and Nomination Instructions: http://gradschool.oregonstate.edu/finance/awards/thurgood-marshall-scholarship

Graduate Diversity Recruitment Bonus

Deadline for Nominations February 16, 2015

Information and Nomination Instructions: http://gradschool.oregonstate.edu/finance/awards/graduate-diversity-recruitment-bonus

Diversity Advancement Pipeline Fellowship

Deadline for Nominations February 16, 2015

Information and Nomination Instructions: http://gradschool.oregonstate.edu/finance/awards/diversity-advancement-pipeline-fellowship

To see a matrix of all scholarships/fellowships administered by the Graduate School, click here: 2015-16 Scholarships and Fellowships

Congratulations to Chemistry Graduate Student Leah Chibwe for receiving a 2015 Graduate Student Award for Environmental Chemistry from the American Chemical Society.

OSU-Cascades faculty members are working hard to bring science students more opportunities to apply concepts learned in the classroom.

Using undergraduate students to conduct research is an up-and-coming trend at OSU-Cascades that has slowly garnered more funding opportunities over the past few years.

Traditionally, most university research is conducted by tenure-track professors and graduate students. But OSU-Cascades doesn’t have graduate students in science, and many within the Oregon State University system say bringing undergraduates into research projects benefits everyone. Read more…

Name: Margie Haak

Area of study: Chemistry Education (although I am a physical chemist by training)

Position title: Senior Instructor II

Why chemistry?: It’s all Mr. Smith’s fault! (Mr. Smith was my high school chemistry teacher) UCLA didn’t have a Pre-med major, so I had to pick something to major in. My thought process was something like this “Well, chemistry was fun, I guess I’ll be a chemistry major.” And then I got sucked in by the beauty of chemistry, especially physical chemistry, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Research focus (in non-science terms) or basic job duties: I teach mostly general chemistry and my interests lie in active learning strategies and ways to increasing student success in general chemistry courses.

One thing that I truly love about my job: The students! Both undergraduate and graduate students. I also love that virtually every day is different – it is NEVER boring.

One interesting/strange factoid about myself: In whatever free time I can find I like to quilt.

The Center for Teaching and Learning funds instructors for the redesign of established on-campus courses as hybrid courses through the Hybrid Course Initiative. These funds are in support of participation in a faculty learning community in Spring term and the development of a hybrid course. See Request for Proposals; due date extended to Jan. 20. Questions? Contact cub.kahn@oregonstate.edu

Name: Bettye LS Maddux

Area of Study / Position Title: Managing Director, Center for Sustainable Materials Chemistry (CSMC)

Why chemistry? (What about it initially interested you?): I’ve always been interested in math and science. It was easier for me than English or History. I didn’t realize just how much, until my high school physics class conflicted with band. So, I dropped band to study science. Initially, I focused on marine science, so my B.S. is in zoology and physiology. After graduating, I moved to Texas and worked as a technician in a cancer research lab for a few years. I respected my boss and his work, so when I decided to go to graduate school, I stayed in his lab and got a Ph.D. in chemical carcinogenesis. Thus, began my transition from marine science to biophysics / biochemistry.

Research focus (in non-science terms) or basic job duties? I manage a large Center for Chemical Innovation grant funded by the National Science Foundation. The CSMC explores new solution-based methods for producing very high-quality thin films and patterns as building blocks for these next-generation devices. Check us out here: http://csmc.us I work closely with our business center and NSF on the Center’s budget; organize group meetings, conferences, workshops and help coordinate outreach events. I basically try to keep things running smoothly. It’s a very busy Center. I also collaborate with faculty in Chemical and Biological Engineering on a research project in my spare time. We have a grant to study diatoms. Diatoms are marine or freshwater algae that have silicon (glass) shells. The goal of our project is to harness the biosynthetic capacities of algae to make unique and valuable co-products in addition to advanced biofuels in scalable photobioreactor systems. So, I guess you could say that I’ve come back around to marine science.

One thing you truly love about your job? I love being part of cutting-edge research that advances technology without harming the planet.

One interesting/strange factoid about yourself. I also worked as a forensic scientist. I was a firearms and tool-mark examiner.

We are writing to ask that you consider sending a departmental team to a national workshop on physics and chemistry graduate teaching assistants (GTAs). As you know, GTAs play a pivotal role in the teaching mission of research universities; however, best practices for preparing/supporting GTAs are not widely known or implemented in many departments. (The need for more comprehensive career development efforts for GTAs was recently discussed here: http://chronicle.com/article/We-Must-Prepare-PhD-Students/142893/.)

The workshop, “Mobilizing the Forgotten Army: Preparing TAs for Leadership in STEM Education” (sponsored by Research Corporation for Science Advancement and co-sponsored by the American Physical Society, the American Chemical Society, and the American Association of Physics Teachers) offers the opportunity for a small group of departmental teams to interact together with colleagues who have expertise in supporting GTAs in physics and chemistry. The workshop, which will be held May 27-29, 2015 on the campus of the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, GA, is designed for departmental teams consisting of one “mentor/master” TA and one faculty member. Ground costs (lodging, meals, registration) for a single team per department (up to about 15 teams) will be covered through a grant from the Research Corporation. Multiple teams from each department are welcome to apply, but only one team per department will receive financial support. Please note that applications for the workshop must include a letter of support/commitment from you, the Department Chair, as described on the workshop website: http://www.physics.utah.edu/~jgerton/CSC_TA_Workshop/.

The nomination deadline is February 13, 2015. The online nomination form and additional information can be found here: http://www.physics.utah.edu/~jgerton/CSC_TA_Workshop/apply-now.html
We look forward to working with you to identify appropriate candidate teams for this workshop. Please let us know if you have any questions.

Sincerely,

Jordan Gerton (U of Utah) and Mike Schatz (Georgia Tech)
Workshop Co-chairs
csc.ta.workshop@gmail.com

The Erlenmeyer Flask

Where Real Chemistry Happens…

Author Archives: Luanne Johnson

Who Am I? Wednesday – Sandra Loesgen

Inspiration Dissemination on KBVR

OSU Women’s Giving Circle accepting proposals

Request for Nominations – Graduate School Fellowships/Scholarships

Leah Chibwe awarded 2015 Graduate Student Award in Environmental Chemistry

Jeff Gautschi and OSU Cascades featured in Bend Bulletin

Who Am I? Wednesday – Margie Haak

Funding Available—Proposal Due Date Extended

Who Am I? Wednesday – Bettye Maddux

2015 National TA Workshop

Contact Info