Honors College - Oregon State University

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Hey new HC students! Here's a helpful reminder of the daily schedule for summer 2024 START sessions. Be sure to give our Honors College Student and Family sessions a visit to learn more about your place within the HC!

To picture a black hole is to picture violence: Stars are mangled, planets are ground to dust, and time itself is wrung out and slowed by these super-sized whirlpools of gravity. They are immense, indiscriminate, and the ultimate destroyers of the universe. Then they merge.

One such turbulent event is what Honors College physics graduate Phia Morton spent last summer studying in Pisa, Italy. She returned to Oregon State as the first author of a paper correlating the merger with two different signals — a flare and a gravitational wave — making it the first strongly supported instance of a black hole merger emitting light. This discovery not only deepens our understanding of these astronomical objects but can also provide a new lens to view the gradual stretch of the universe.

“Any time you take on a research project, you’re going to be full of questions and uncertainties,” Morton said. “Research is nice because it’s about the journey, not the destination. You’re doing something new, something that hasn’t been done before.”

Morton was able to present her work at the Conference for Undergraduate Women in Physics at Stanford University, where she will pursue a Ph.D. this fall. She also presented at the American Astronomical Society conference in New Orleans this past January. With the infinite realm of the cosmos as a muse, new discoveries are the beating heart of astrophysics that continues to pull her in.

Looking to fill up some free time this summer? Check out this wide variety of fantastic summer events happening in the month of July! For more info on event details, visit the OSU Events Calendar at https://beav.es/pYz

Spring Course Evaluations are available and include a block of four questions specific to HC courses. These questions appear at the end of the survey, below “narrative comments and suggestions.” They will appear on the SLEs for courses with an HC prefix or H suffix.

The Oregon State University Honors College has named Regan A. R. Gurung, a professor of psychology, the 2024 Margaret and Thomas Meehan Honors College Eminent Mentor and Matthew Johnston, an associate professor with the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, the 2024 Margaret and Thomas Meehan Honors College Eminent Professor.

“These awards recognize the dedication and contributions of two of the Honors College’s most committed faculty partners,” says Honors College Associate Dean Susan Rodgers. “Drs. Gurung and Johnston have consistently exceeded expectations in their support of honors students, exemplifying the significant impact that collaboration with faculty from various university departments can have on our community.”

Current Honors College students and recent alumni nominate faculty members for the eminent mentor award, and a panel of distinguished Honors College instructors and mentors select the eminent professor and mentor each year. These awards, which include a cash prize, are supported by contributions from the Margaret and Thomas Meehan Estate.

Congratulations to Drs. Gurung and Johnston!

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The Honors College is hiring a full-time Executive Assistant! Are you experienced in office management, event planning and executive support? Join our team!

For more information and to apply, visit beav.es/pfe.

Interested candidates should apply by July 12, 2024, for full consideration. The position closes on July 26, 2024.

Congrats to 2024 HC graduate Nicholas Slugg 🎓🎉 Nick earned an H.B.S. in mathematics with a minor in computer science and completed his thesis, "Numerical Implementation of Hysteresis in Permafrost Modeling" under the mentorship of Dr. Malgorzata Peszynska, university distinguished professor of mathematics in the College of Science. After graduation, Nick will be completing his Master's in Mathematics at OSU, and will be applying for PhD programs in Mathematics.

To see more HC grads, visit beav.es/p44.

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Congrats to 2024 HC graduate Andrea Perez 🎓🎉 Andrea earned an H.B.S in microbiology and an H.B.A in international studies with minors in asian languages and cultures and chemistry and completed her thesis, “Health Care Matters: Ensuring Access to New and Emergent Psychedelic Alternatives for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color Communities” under the mentorship of Dr. Stuart Sarbacker, a professor of the School of History, Philosophy, and Religion in the College of Liberal Arts. After graduation, Andrea plans to pursue a Master’s degree or PhD. in International Education, and keep working for OSU.

To see more HC grads, visit beav.es/p44.

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Congrats to 2024 HC graduate Julia Pavlosek 🎓🎉 Julia earned an H.B.S in microbiology with minors in chemistry and Spanish and completed her thesis, “Perceived Risk: Influence of individual, household, and environmental factors on Oregon well owners” under the mentorship of Dr. Veronica Irvin, an associate professor of the School of Nutrition and Public Health in the College of Health. Immediately after graduation, Julia will be wrapping up her public health research project in Oregon. In July, she will be moving to Berkeley, California with her two cats (and counting… maybe three by the time this is posted) and her partner. In Berkeley, she will work a real adult job in clinical research for 2-3 years before applying to either medical school, or perhaps a doctorate program with an emphasis on human health. Calypso, the cat graduate pictured, will be taking some time off to practice her cat naps before Katarina drags her back to school with her.

To see more HC grads, visit beav.es/p44.

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Congrats to 2024 HC graduate Katarina Mapanao 🎓🎉 Katarina earned an H.B.S in biohealth sciences and completed her thesis, “Analyzing Research at the Intersection of Climate Change, Food Security, and Rice (2015-2023): A Systematic Literature Review Focused on Publications about the Philippines” under the mentorship of Dr. Lisa Price, a professor of the School of Language, Culture, and Society in the College of Liberal Arts. After graduation, Katarina will be attending the Oregon State University College of Pharmacy in the fall.

To see more HC grads, visit beav.es/p44.

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Congrats to 2024 HC graduate Nicolas Gonsalves 🎓🎉 Nicolas earned an H.B.S in mechanical engineering and completed his thesis, “The Laminate Optimization of the Carbon Fiber Monocoque for Formula SAE Car” under the mentorship of Dr. Robert Paasch, an emeritus professor of the School of Mechanical, Industrial, and Manufacturing Engineering in the College of Engineering. Following graduation, Nicolas will be continuing his education at Oregon State University, pursuing a Master of Science in Materials Science under Dr. Devin Roach in the Versatile Additive Manufacturing Lab.

To see more HC grads, visit beav.es/p44.

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Congrats to 2024 HC graduate Mason Obery 🎓🎉 Mason earned an H.B.S in electrical & computer engineering with a minor in computer science and completed his thesis, “Fabrication of Long Period Gratings via Femtosecond Laser Ablation” under the mentorship of Dr. Nirmala Kandadai, an assistant professor of the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science in the College of Engineering. After graduation, Mason will be starting a PhD at the University of Michigan in Electrical Engineering.

To see more HC grads, visit beav.es/p44.

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Congrats to 2024 HC graduate Kaleigh Ballantine 🎓🎉 Kaleigh earned an H.B.S in environmental sciences with a minor in graphic design and completed her thesis, “Investigating physical drivers of phytoplankton bloom initiation in the Northern Gulf of Alaska” under the mentorship of Dr. Maria Kavanaugh, co-mentor and professor of seascape ecology in the College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences, and Dr. Seth Danielson, co-mentor and professor of physical oceanography in the University of Alaska Fairbanks College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences. After graduation, Kaleigh is continuing to follow her passions for science, art, and the environment by working as a science communicator for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and will potentially continue her education through a master's degree in oceanography later on. In the meantime, she's looking forward to spending time with her friends and getting outside as much as possible.

To see more HC grads, visit beav.es/p44.

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Congrats to 2024 HC graduate Phia Morton 🎓🎉 Phia earned an H.B.S in physics with a minor in nuclear engineering and completed her thesis, “GW190521: a binary black hole merger inside an active galactic nucleus” under the mentorship of Dr. Xavier Siemens, a professor of physics in the College of Science. After graduation, Phia is heading to Stanford University to pursue her PhD in physics.

To see more HC grads, visit beav.es/p44.

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Congrats to 2024 HC graduate Lily Varon 🎓🎉 Lily earned an H.B.S in architectural engineering with a minor in asian languages and cultures and completed her thesis, “The Impact of Correlated Color Temperature and Uplight/Downlight Photometric Distribution on Biological Potency and Visual Comfort in Indoor Lighting Design” under the mentorship of Dr. Kevin Houser, a professor of civil and construction engineering in the College of Engineering. Following graduation, Lily is excited to take on the world of lighting and see where it will take her. This summer, she will be interning with DLR group and their lighting design team.

To see more HC grads, visit beav.es/p44.

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Elizabeth Rehmann, an honors student at OSU Cascades, was part of a team that was awarded the 2024 Outstanding Poster Award at the Cascades Undergraduate Research Symposium. Their poster, entitled “Genomic Analysis of Protein Interaction Networks in Parasitic Plants,” was ranked first place in a pool of 43 posters! This recognition was awarded by a panel of faculty judges. Elizabeth says, "I am incredibly thankful to have had the opportunity to share my research. Receiving this award was an immense honor as this research is a presentation of the work I have put in over this past year, but also of the support and encouragement I have received from my mentor, Dr. Evan Forsythe, and my peers." Elizabeth is currently working on her thesis with Dr. Forsythe. We congratulate Elizabeth and her team on this achievement!

Congrats to 2024 HC graduate Lik Rong Lim 🎓🎉 Lik Rong earned an H.B.S in environmental sciences and chemistry with minors in business and innovation & entrepreneurship and completed his thesis, “Selective Removal of Off-flavor Volatile Thiol Found in Processed Vegetables in a Laboratory Setting” under the mentorship of Dr. Elizabeth Tomasino, an associate professor of food sciences in the College of Agricultural Sciences. After graduation, Lik Rong plans on attending graduate school at OSU for food science and technology under Dr. Elizabeth Tomasino to research more about sulfur related wine chemistry.

To see more HC grads, visit beav.es/p44.

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Congrats to 2024 HC graduate Lucinda Boyle 🎓🎉 Lucinda earned an H.B.S in natural resources with minors in botany and writing and completed her thesis, “Moss and Salmon: A journalistic perspective on ecological relationships in the Grande Ronde River basin” under the mentorship of Dr. Bryan Endress, an associate professor of animal and rangeland sciences in the College of Agricultural Sciences. Following graduation, Lucinda is working in John Day and La Grande on a Mule Deer forage study this summer, traveling and then applying to graduate school for Fall 2025.

To see more HC grads, visit beav.es/p44.

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Congrats to 2024 HC graduate Delaney Hammer 🎓🎉 Delaney earned an H.B.S in biohealth sciences with a minor in finance and completed her thesis, “The effect of physical activity and the COVID-19 pandemic on children's self-regulation” under the mentorship of Dr. Shannon Lipscomb, a professor of human development and family sciences in the College of Health. After graduation, Delaney will be working for the next year while she considers graduate school.

To see more HC grads, visit beav.es/p44.

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Class of 2024 graduate Gabriel Keali’i Jones is determined to make a positive impact on marine conservation. Gabe graduated with two honors degrees in ecological engineering and chemical oceanography. These fields have given him a deeper understanding of the environmental issues affecting coastal communities. “Growing up Native Hawai’ian, I have always felt drawn to restoring the natural world,” he says. His Hawai’ian roots have “made him deeply aware of how communities in Hawai’i have been impacted by climate change, especially through issues like ocean acidification and coral reef depletion.”

Gabe’s journey to this area of research was transformative. “I started at OSU in chemical engineering,” he explains. But as, he says, “I became aware of the extensive oceanography research at Oregon State and Dr. Francis Chan’s research with corals, my passion for ecology and oceanography became more focused.” In his second year, he changed majors. “I chose ecological engineering and oceanography because I wanted to combine my love of the ocean with functional ways to fix the problems I saw, mainly looking at how we can restore our coastline and reef ecosystems,” he says.

After graduating, Gabe will pursue a Ph.D. in civil engineering with a concentration in environmental engineering at the University of Hawai’i at Manoa. Incorporating data science and engineering, his doctoral research will seek solutions to coral reef depletion. “I’m excited to work with people from across different disciplines like biology, computer science and public policy,” he says. Gabe believes that collaboration is the key to conservation. Beyond practical problem solving, public outreach is “just as important for solving environmental problems.”

Gabe’s advice to incoming honors students is to be open-minded and seek out opportunities and ways to get involved. “College is a great place to make connections, so don’t be scared to reach out and meet new friends,” he says.

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Congrats to 2024 HC graduate Gabby Chavez Tista 🎓🎉 Gabby earned an H.B.S in nutrition and completed her thesis, “Factors Influencing Food Insecurity among Orchard Workers in Oregon” under the mentorship of Dr. Stephanie Grutzmacher, an associate professor of the School of Nutrition and Public Health in the College of Health. After graduation, Gabby plans on completing her Master's in Public Health with a minor in Food in Culture and Social Justice at OSU.

To see more HC grads, visit beav.es/p44.

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Congrats to 2024 HC graduate Ryan Becquer 🎓🎉 Ryan earned an H.B.S in mechanical engineering with a minor in aerospace engineering and completed his thesis, “Development of Thermodynamics Simulation and Rocket Propulsion Design Software Using Cantera Public Deposited” under the mentorship of Dr. Kyle Niemeyer, an associate professor of the School of Mechanical, Industrial, and Manufacturing Engineering in the College of Engineering. Following graduation, Ryan is going to the University of Michigan Rackham in Ann Arbor for a master's degree (Aerospace Engineering MSE). He will be angling for a Ph.D and continuing his work in aerospace propulsion (whether electric or chemical).

To see more HC grads, visit beav.es/p44.

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Congrats to 2024 HC graduate Rhand Wood 🎓🎉 Rhand earned an H.B.S in biochemistry and molecular biology with a minor in chemistry and completed his thesis, “Discovery of Synergistic Combinations of Anti-cancer Compounds” under the mentorship of Dr. Siva Kolluri, a professor of environmental and molecular toxicology in the College of Agricultural Sciences. After graduation, Rhand plans on pursuing a career in biotech.

To see more HC grads, visit beav.es/p44.

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Congrats to 2024 HC graduate Mari Pliskow 🎓🎉 Mari earned an H.B.S in psychology and completed her thesis, “The Long-Term Outcomes of Wilderness Therapy for Adolescents and Young Adults” under the mentorship of Dr. Deborah Coelho, a senior instructor of psychology in the College of Liberal Arts. After graduation, Mari plans to pursue a career as a mental health counselor. She is grateful for her time at OSU-Cascades and is excited for what’s to come!

To see more HC grads, visit beav.es/p44.

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Congrats to 2024 HC graduate Dan Hickey 🎓🎉 Dan earned an H.B.S in biological data sciences with a minor in computer science and completed his thesis, “All-purpose haters : characterizing hate communities on Reddit” under the mentorship of Dr. Dan Faltesek, an associate professor of new media communications in the College of Liberal Arts. After graduation, Dan will be starting his PhD in Information Science at UC Berkeley.

To see more HC grads, visit beav.es/p44.

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Congrats to 2024 HC graduate Brighid Rickman 🎓🎉 Brighid earned an H.B.S in psychology and medical humanities with a minor in chemistry and completed her thesis, “Rural America During COVID: Exploring the Connection between Politics and Public Health with a Focus on Douglas County” under the mentorship of Dr. Courtney Campbell, Hundere professor in religion and culture in the College of Liberal Arts. Following graduation, Brighid will be working as a scribe in an emergency department and studying for the MCAT, hoping to start at OHSU medical school in Fall 2025.

To see more HC grads, visit beav.es/p44.

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Congrats to 2024 HC graduate Ryan Chin 🎓🎉 Ryan earned an H.B.S in mechanical engineering and manufacturing engineering and completed his thesis, “Using Logic Gate Tree Diagrams to Inform Investment Property Purchasing Strategies” under the mentorship of Dr. James Sterns, an associate professor of applied economics in the College of Agricultural Sciences. Following graduation, Ryan will be entering the Aerospace/Manufacturing industry and eventually returning to school for an MBA after gaining more industry experience.

To see more HC grads, visit beav.es/p44.

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