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Alumni and Friends

Microbiology alumnus leads Pfizer research at the pandemic’s frontlines

As the world held its breath, Oregon State alumnus Steve Bjornson waited for results. The VP and COO of Pfizer’s vaccine research and development organization, he successfully led a team of hundreds of scientists in an unprecedented effort to develop a COVID-19 vaccine.

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Alumni and Friends

Joel Peterson, College of Science alumnus and winemaking pioneer, honored at 2024 Black and Orange celebration

The Oregon State University Alumni Association will honor Joel Peterson, a renowned winemaker and 1969 graduate of the College of Science, as one of the Alumni Fellows during the 2024 Black and Orange Awards Celebration.

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Microbiology

Microbiology pre-med senior pursues passion for patient care

Catherine Sterrett has always been called to medicine, but when she found herself as a patient, compassion became her greatest motivation. Now a graduating senior, she looks forward to where her career will take her.

Kelly Shannon dons a white lab coat in an OSU laboratory, equipment lining the wall on his right and a window framing trees outside on his left.
Microbiology

Ph.D. microbiology student honored as ASM Young Ambassador

College of Science Ph.D. student Kelly Shannon has been selected as Oregon’s young ambassador for the American Society for Microbiology. With only one candidate chosen for each state, he has joined the ranks of distinctly remarkable up-and-coming microbiologists.

Amelia Noall standing at the top of Torc Mountain in Ireland, overlooking a vast field.
Students

French, microbes and the microbiology senior who speaks both

Lice: creepy, crawly, but to a young Amelia Noall, fascinating. “There was an outbreak at my school, and of course I got it. But I started looking at the bugs through my microscope and thinking, ‘Wow, these are so interesting!’” she recalled. As she followed her curiosity, picking leaves from the ground and examining their hidden structures through the microscope lens, she unknowingly paved the way toward her time as a microbiology major — and now senior — at Oregon State.

Sahana Shah smiles for the camera in a black shirt.
Students

Sahana Shah, ’24, dreams of a new campus center for students with disabilities

When honors student Sahana Shah ran for the student House of Representatives, she won the election with the most votes of any candidate. One of her main platforms? Helping establish a disability cultural center to better adapt the campus to the needs of neurodiverse students. She is now joining forces with other student groups to bring the idea to life.

Bruno Salas Garcia sitting on the steps outside of Kidder Hall.
Students

Microbiology graduate gives back to communities that have shaped him

Oregon State's College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP) made all the difference in engaging microbiology major Bruno Salas Garcia in his college experience. A first-generation student, he is on track to dental school and plans to serve rural communities similar to where he grew up.

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News

Gas-passing plankton illuminate another piece of the carbon cycle puzzle

A new study shows that the ocean’s most abundant life form, a type of bacteria, consumes acetone and other climate-active gases.

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News

New endowed faculty position recognizes excellence in microbiology

New Excellence in Microbiology Faculty Scholar Kimberly Halsey researches the marine carbon cycle, fosters student engagement and promotes inclusivity in admissions.

Ph.D. student and researcher Christine Tataru
Graduate students

Martin-O’Neill fellow Christine Tataru uses computers to decode our guts

Christine Tataru receives the 2021-22 Larry W. Martin & Joyce B. O’Neill Endowed Fellowship for her work in computational modeling that seeks to understand how gut microbiomes impact their human hosts’ health. She develops tools and frameworks to advance microbiome research, then uses these tools to explore gut-brain axis phenomenon.

Dr. Maude David sitting at her desk
Faculty and Staff

Mentoring and the microbiome: OSU microbiologist Maude David wins Breaking Barriers Award in Education

Assistant professor of microbiology Maude David received the 2020 Breaking Barriers Award in Education from the President’s Commission on the Status of Women, which honors excellent and high impact in teaching and mentoring that has paved the way for gender equity in higher education.

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Students

Pivoting a career to become a physician and give back along the way

Kendra Krebs's interest in science started when she worked as a hair stylist in a salon. Now, this microbiology senior has her sights set on medical school.