OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY
Open search box
The Graduate School and Inspiration Dissemination Present
March 3, 2020 6 to 7:30 p.m.
Memorial Union Ballroom
Join us as six current graduate students from Oregon State University take the stage. The students will share the questions and motivations framing their research in an 8 to 10-minute engaging format.
Grad Inspire (née GRADx) combines scholarship communication with personal narrative, giving us a glimpse of not only "how" these students perform their work, but also the motivations and commitment behind it. This event introduces the phenomenal breadth of research, teaching, and discovery undertaken by graduate students at Oregon State.
Doors open at 5:30 p.m. for free drinks and refreshments with the program starting at 6 p.m.
Streaming information will be available soon.
M.S. Student, Applied Anthropology, Loren Davis advisor
My current research concerns the earliest migrations into North America. I primarily study stone tools, using modern 3d morphometric tools to statistically analyze the shapes of stone tools. I also have very strong interests in geoarchaeology, or the intersection of archaeology and the earth sciences.
Ph.D. Candidate, Biochemistry and Biophysics, Colin Johnson advisor
I am a biophysicist who uses big magnets to look at how tiny proteins wiggle. I study dysferlin, a protein, which helps sense and repair cell membrane tears in muscle tissue. Mutations in the dysferlin gene can disrupt this essential repair process leading to a type of Muscular Dystrophy. I'm also passionate about destigmatizing mental health issues and highlighting unique barriers that occur in academia for students dealing with mental health disorders.
Ph.D. Candidate, Integrative Biology, Bruce Menge advisor
As a Deaf scientist, I enjoy finding ways to combine science and language. I study how environmental factors may modify the effects of El Niño (warm climatic patterns) on rocky intertidal kelp communities. I also work with various types of people on how to express STEM topics in American Sign Language (ASL) for effective communication and delivery of STEM content, and how to analyze and decipher the meaning and context of STEM signs through trainings, presentations, and Atomic Hands (a one-stop shop for everything STEM in ASL).
Ph.D. Student, Kinesiology, and Master of Public Health Student, Samuel Logan advisor
My background has contributed a lot to my research. Much of the research around health surrounds finding ways to improve the health of minority individuals such as myself. When I go back home it still feels like no one cares so that has led me to realize there is a disconnect with the research, what we know and what is being done. In my research related to disability, I try to actually push forth and disseminate my information rather than "leave it to others".
M.S. Student, Forest Ecosystems, and Society, Reem Hajjar and Emily Jane Davis advisors
I’m a social scientist in the College of Forestry studying collaborative partnerships with Native American tribes in forest management. I’m interested in institutional mechanisms that could shift leadership and power to tribes to manage forests and the societal narratives that portray tribes as effective land stewards and managers.
Ph.D. Student, Civil Engineering, Greg Wilson advisor
My Ph.D. is focused on how sandbars evolve in conjunction with waves/hydrodynamics. I'm using a machine learning algorithm to recognize bar shapes, then seeing if I can recognize these shapes and predict them in time. This not only helps with coastal resilience planning/risk management, but also helps to score better surf sessions.
Grad Inspire is a collaboration between the Inspiration Dissemination radio show and podcast and the Graduate School.
Photo by Joshua Hoehne