Impact.

President Edward J. Ray

It’s a word we use regularly to describe the work that goes on at Oregon State University. Our impact is specific and measurable. It is wide-ranging as well as personal. And it is deeply ingrained into our culture. For more than 140 years, we have made a positive and significant difference across this state on what’s most important for Oregonians.

At Oregon State, we have an unwavering commitment to excellence: in our academic classrooms and laboratories where faculty teaching inspires students to expand their minds and develop the knowledge to achieve their goals; in cutting-edge research; and through Extension Service outreach and engagement in communities throughout Oregon.

And while we are proud and deeply committed to serve as Oregon’s land grant university, OSU’s impact reaches well beyond Oregon. Our contribution and impact extend across the U.S. and throughout the world and range from the microscopic innovation of nanoscience to the vast universe within our oceans.

Detailed within these posts are specific measurements — and many narrative examples — of Oregon State University’s impact.

Yet, measuring the recent and current impact of the university is not nearly enough.

Today, we reaffirm and expand our commitment to the future:

• To further engage OSU in vibrant, innovative and impactful industry research and partnerships to propel the economy, retain employment and create new businesses and jobs.
•  To broaden the contributions of OSU’s Extension Service throughout the state by increasingly serving the specific needs of Oregon’s urban and rural communities.
• To expand teaching, research and promotion of public health initiatives that improve quality of life by expanding focus on preventative care, healthy lifestyle habits, exercise and improved nutrition.
• To invest in strategic leadership, engagement, programs and commitments that improve the economy and quality of life in the Portland area.
• To enhance the wise use and protection of natural resources to ensure their vital sustainability for generations to come.

I hope you enjoy this report of the impacts our faculty, students and alumni are making in the economy, in communities and in people’s lives.

Edward J. Ray

President
Oregon State University

How we measured

A customary way to measure impact is to track an institution’s spending for operations, payroll and capital construction. The findings in this report measure Oregon State’s economic impact, not only near campus in Benton and Linn counties, but statewide. It is an expanding footprint, due in large part to the university’s research programs, many Experiment Stations and Extension presence in all 36 counties, as well as a student body that draws the best and brightest from all corners of Oregon. This report depicts a wave of increasing direct economic benefit and job creation, in addition to many indirect benefits, despite difficult economic conditions. In fact, Oregon State’s baseline expenditures increased 30 percent, from $836 million in fiscal year 2005 to $1.078 billion last year.

As measured in late 2011 and early 2012 by the economic consulting firm ECONorthwest, Oregon State’s overall statewide impact totals $1.932 billion, an increase of more than $500 million since the last measurement in 2006. This is the largest reported impact measured by any of Oregon’s public universities, underscoring Oregon State’s status as the only institution in the state to simultaneously hold the prestigious Carnegie Foundation’s top ranking for research universities and its community engagement designation for consistently serving and collaborating with communities beyond campus.

Spending’s ripple effect

The economic impact of Oregon State’s operations, including the purchase of goods and services and payroll, is far reaching. For example, $33 million — or 17 percent — of goods and services were purchased in Benton and Linn counties. Another $89 million in goods and services were purchased statewide.

Meanwhile, in 2011 Oregon State spent an additional $133 million on capital equipment and completion of several major campus construction projects. Most of those expenditures — about $100 million — were with architectural and engineering firms, contractors and materials and equipment suppliers from the Portland area. In all, the impact of Oregon State’s capital and construction spending in 2011 created 553 new jobs in Oregon. Meanwhile, the university estimates that OSU-Cascades faculty and staff contributed more than $2 million to the Central Oregon economy.

Spending by Oregon State students is also significant. In 2011, students enrolled at Oregon State’s Corvallis and Bend campuses spent a total of $250 million — an annual average of $10,900 per student. This total does not include the cost of tuition, other student expenditures on campus or campus housing, as those data are included elsewhere in ECONorthwest’s analysis.

Oregon State’s economic impact in communities and statewide extends beyond its own spending. The university’s total impact results from three sources:

• Spending that is the direct result of Oregon State operations, employment and expenditures.
• Indirect economic contributions that occur as companies purchase additional supplies or hire additional employees to support purchases from Oregon State.
•  Induced benefits for state and local economies resulting from the purchasing power of Oregon State employees..

Oregon State as employer

In 2011, Oregon State University employed 14,969 people, of whom 6,615 worked full-time. The remaining 56 percent worked part-time, including a large number in work-study and graduate student positions. In total, Oregon State employment expenditures provided $336 million in wages that circulated throughout Oregon and another $125 million in employer-paid benefits, a total payroll impact of $461 million.

The presence and activities of Oregon State contribute a source of 18,000 jobs in Benton and Linn counties and elsewhere in the state, while the net creation of jobs attributed to the university across the state is 8,593 jobs.

A half-million visitors

In 2011, more than 535,000 visitors came to Corvallis to tour the campus, attend athletic, university or cultural events, participate in research, scientific presentations and meetings or use campus facilities. Of all visitors, fewer than half were from Benton and Linn counties, and nearly 90 percent were Oregon residents. Spending by university visitors totaled $39 million in 2011.

Oregon State University’s 160,000 alumni have made and continue to make significant contributions across Oregon, the nation and the world.

For many, Oregon State’s most prominent graduate is Linus Pauling, a world-acclaimed scientist and peace activist and the only recipient of two unshared Nobel Prizes — for chemistry in 1954 and peace in 1962. His legacy at Oregon State continues through the Linus Pauling Institute, which along with the Department of Chemistry, is housed in the new Linus Pauling Science Center that opened in 2011.

The accomplishments of Oregon State alumni are diverse and historic. Douglas Engelbart, who invented the computer mouse and developed the initial idea for email, is an Oregon State graduate, as is Bernie Newcomb, co-founder of E-Trade. John young, the former president and CEO of Hewlett-Packard, calls Oregon State his alma mater, as do Chris Johns and Dennis Dimick, editor and executive editor respectively of National Geographic magazine.

Former U.S. Forest Service chief Gail Kimbell, Leatherman tool inventor Tim Leatherman, U-Haul founder Leonard Shoen, former Oregon Gov. John Hubert Hall, screenwriter Mike Rich (Secretariat, Radio, Finding Forrester) — are all Oregon State alumni. So are Heisman Trophy winner and Portland attorney

Terry Baker, World Series champion Jacoby Ellsbury of the Boston Red Sox, former congresswomen Darlene Hooley and Julia Butler Hansen and NASA astronauts William Oefelein and Donald Pettit.

The impact of Oregon State graduates continues to grow. Recent alumni are driving discovery and the economy in such areas as alternative energy development ranging from solar to wind to nuclear, the computer-driven, 21st century dimensions of agricultural management, striking an appropriate balance between commercialization and conservation in forest products, protecting and enhancing public health, understanding the world beneath the sea and many others.

As a result, Oregon State alumni are leaders in the state and national economy, and findings from recent research reflect their impact. In surveys conducted last spring of both the Oregon public and of Oregon State alumni, respondents gave Oregon State higher marks than any other university for making a positive impact on the Oregon economy through innovations and spinoff companies that create jobs. These surveys rated Oregon State higher than any other institution for serving local communities through access to education and real-world problem-solving initiatives; for providing practical research focused on global problems; and conducting research and teaching that enhance sustainability.

In a new survey of Oregon State alumni conducted by ECONorthwest, nearly 71 percent of more than 5,800 respondents work in occupations directly related to their undergraduate degrees. And their earning power is significantly higher than the rest of the U.S. population: The median income of Oregon State graduates in the ECONorthwest survey falls between $60,000 and $80,000 — 50 percent greater than the median income nationwide, as measured by the U.S. Census Bureau. Approximately 10 percent of graduates reported annual income of $200,000 or more, compared to 5 percent of the U.S. population.

The employment success of Oregon State graduates also measures well against other Oregon universities. Independent research conducted last fall by PayScale reported that at mid-career, Oregon State alumni with a bachelor’s degree earn more annually than graduates of any other Oregon university, nearly $6,000 more per year than graduates of the next-highest Oregon public university and only slightly less than University of Washington graduates.

But the impact of Oregon State alumni is not defined only in monetary terms. More than 66 percent of respondents to the ECONorthwest research reported that they volunteer in their community, with nearly 40 percent volunteering between 10 and 99 times a year. Forty percent also report serving on boards of community organizations. These graduates extend the land grant mission into their lives and careers, giving back to benefit the people of Oregon.

Here are just a few more examples of OSU grads who have helped power our economy:

Mike and Brian McMenamin 

Portland’s McMenamin brothers, Mike and Brian, were microbrewers before microbrewing was cool. They both graduated from Oregon State with degrees in political science, Mike in 1974 and Brian in 1980. But beer, not politics, was their destiny.

Opening their first pub in 1983 in Portland, the brothers added a brewery two years later, and McMenamin’s is now the region’s fourth-largest microbrewer. They’ve also built an empire of more than 50 pubs, breweries, hotels, coffee roasters and movie theaters throughout Oregon and Washington, many in historic buildings, and all featuring a variety of historic and commissioned artwork. Music venues draw top regional and national performers.

Considered pioneers of the Pacific Northwest’s thriving microbrew and historic hotel industries, Mike and Brian have made McMenamin’s an Oregon icon.

Vanessa Keitges 

Portland’s Vanessa Keitges is rapidly making her mark as a leader in business development, marketing and sales, having helped several companies achieve triple-digit growth in both domestic and international markets.

A 1997 Oregon State graduate with a degree in philosophy, Vanessa and a group of local investors bought Columbia Green, a Portland eco-technology firm, in 2009. The company specializes in green roof systems, where vegetation planted on rooftops help manage storm water runoff, cut heating and cooling costs and reduce air and water pollution.

As CEO, Vanessa has rapidly increased sales, from $1 million in 2010 to $3.1 million in 2011. Columbia Green has also been recognized for its success in exporting products designed and manufactured in the U.S.

Lee Perry 

A 2006 OSU-Cascades graduate with a degree in liberal studies, Lee Perry partnered with Aaron Switzer, owner of Bend’s independent weekly newspaper the Source, to found Lay-It-Out Events in 2007.

The business has grown rapidly and is now Central Oregon’s largest event production company, managing Balloons Over Bend and Winterfest, as well as concerts at the Old Stone Church in downtown Bend. Last spring, Lee teamed up with local race organizer Fresh Air Sports for Happy Girl half marathon, which drew more than 1,000 participants — an impressive turnout for a first-time event.

Lee sees his role at Lay-It-Out Events as an experience maker, creating moments that become memories. He says the people who do well in Bend are making things happen for themselves and working within the community they love.

Serving Oregon’s 36 counties

Since 1911, the OSU Extension Service has been providing research-based educational programs across the state. A total of more than 200 Extension faculty are located on the Corvallis campus and in each of Oregon’s 36 counties. Programs focused on agriculture, family and community health, forestry, 4-H youth development and marine resources help Oregonians of all ages and in both rural and urban settings solve problems, develop skills and manage resources wisely.

A statewide network of 18,900 volunteers works with with OSU Extension Service faculty to lead programs such as 4-H, Master Gardeners, nutrition and health assistance and others. OSU Extension Service programs reach an estimated 2.3 million Oregonians every year — nearly two-thirds of the state’s population.

Oregon Open Campus: extending education

OSU Extension Service has recently expanded its educational commitment by launching the Oregon Open Campus Initiative. This partnership links Oregon State, local community colleges, K-12 school districts, local governments and businesses to address economic and quality of life issues specific to each community. Launched in Tillamook, Jefferson and Crook counties in 2010, additional Oregon Open Campus programs will begin in other communities across the state this year.

Oregon Open Campus programs have the potential to serve the more than 750,000 Oregonians who have some college experience, but who have not completed a degree. Seminars, presentations and training programs will support economic development, workforce advancement and lifelong learning, as well as help participants gain professional credentials. Oregon Open Campus complements the more than 700 online courses available through OSU Extended  Campus, making learning from Oregon State possible almost anywhere.

Local Support for Local Programs

As the state’s land grant university, one of Oregon State’s primary responsibility is to serve Oregonians, addressing the unique issues and needs of their communities. OSU Extension, Agricultural Experiment Station and Forest Research Lab faculty work with business people, growers, foresters and community members to share research findings and put knowledge to work. These Statewide Public Service programs not only strengthen Oregon’s natural resource-based industries, they support small businesses, enhance public health and help build thriving communities.

And their work is valued across Oregon: Citizens in 20 counties have passed local tax service districts, ensuring permanent support for their local Extension service. Many other Oregon counties provide annual appropriations from their general funds. In addition, community and business partners contribute to operating costs of some local programs. In the Portland area for example, nearly 30 public and private organizations support OSU Extension Service programming, multiplying the value of base program funding.

Such investments pay handsome dividends. In 2010 alone, Oregon State faculty secured $97 million in outreach-related grants and contracts that provided more than $200 million in economic benefits and created more than 3,000 jobs statewide.

Despite the specific, significant impacts of Statewide Public Service Programs, a weak economy and resulting reduced public funding have made cutbacks necessary in recent years. In characteristic fashion however, OSU Extension has gained efficiencies through virtual and online resources and has created regional, multi-county approaches that have lessened the impact of staffing reductions. At the same time, it is critical to the communities that Statewide Public Service Programs serve that budgets are not cut further. Such additional cuts would prevent the OSU Extension Service, Agricultural Experiment Station and Forest Research Lab from continuing even their currently reduced programs.

Marine science education and research

Newport has long been a fishing port, but an increasing share of the central coast’s economy is driven by research and education. At its core is Oregon State’s Hatfield Marine Science Center, with an annual budget of nearly $40 million and about 300 state, federal and university employees. The HMSC Visitors Center also brings in 180,000 visitors annually.

This infrastructure is a major reason why the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration moved its Pacific fleet operations last year from Washington to Newport, bringing an estimated $40 million annually to the local economy. OSU is also leading the Ocean Observatories Initiative, a $386 million grant from the National Science Foundation that will deploy moorings, buoys and gliders off Newport, creating local jobs as well as 17 staff scientist positions in Corvallis.

Wood products innovations 

 There’s much more to the state’s wood products industry than raw timber — including millions in engineered wood products. Two Oregon State innovations — nontoxic adhesives and densified poplar — are in the process of commercialization.

Oregon State researcher Kaichang Li and his colleagues have developed adhesives that offer alternatives to petroleum-based glues for plywood and particle board manufacturers as well as for the commercial label industry. OSU has patented and licensed their discoveries for commercial development.

Fred Kamke, an expert in adhesives and wood composites, has developed a process to combine fast-growing hybrid poplar with other materials to produce a high- strength composite that could be used in construction, furniture and other products. Kamke has partnered with Corvallis Tool Company and Oregon BEST, one of the state’s signature research centers, to develop the technology.

Major impacts in agriculture 

As Oregon’s land grant university, OSU has always played a vital role in the state’s $4.3-billion agriculture industry, which includes nearly 39,000 farms and tens of thousands of jobs.

Research and outreach from College of Agricultural Sciences and Extension faculty, Experiment Stationscientists and students help Oregon farmers and ranchers solve problems, improve operations, increase yields and gain market share.

Examples include helping coastal cranberry growers protect against frost damage, working with ranchers to successfully market value-added beef and breeding herbicide-resistant, high-yield wheat varieties. Oregon State earned nearly $60 million in agricultural research funding in 2011, and these grants are often leveraged with industry partners and other external sources, sometimes by as much as two dollars for every dollar in research funding.

Access to education

Oregon State enrolled nearly 25,000 students last fall, with the state’s largest freshman class. Oregon State also consistently enrolls the most Oregon valedictorians, salutatorians and other high achievers.

To make higher education more accessible, the Campaign for OSU has raised more than $135 million for scholarships, and since 2008, the Bridge to Success Program has covered tuition and fees for 3,000 Oregon students each year. Oregon State is also the only university to have degree partnerships with all 17 Oregon community colleges, giving future transfer students a clear path to a bachelor’s degree.

New programs include a 3+3 partnership with Willamette University’s College of Law where students can complete their degrees in six years instead of seven. OSU-Cascades in Bend has seen double-digit enrollment growth for the past three years and has added degrees in energy engineering management and clinical mental health.

Oregon State University continues to conduct more research than all other Oregon University System campuses combined. In 2011, Oregon State brought in $261.7 million in research funding — just below the record amount awarded in 2010, when research activity across the U.S. was greatly enhanced by federal economic recovery appropriations.

Analysts say every dollar of Oregon State research funding adds as much as $1.67 in benefit to society and also helps local businesses start, grow and add jobs. In total dollars, the worldwide societal benefits of Oregon State research in 2010 and 2011 represent a combined additional impact ranging from $107 million to $359 million.

Oregon State’s research programs are far ranging — both in their breadth and in their physical locations across Oregon and worldwide. Oregon State is among the nation’s leading research institutions in fields such as marine sciences, forestry, climate change, wave energy, sustainable food, nuclear engineering and public health.

Oregon State research funding has a vibrant and diverse ripple effect — and not just in a financial sense. University researchers help feed the world’s growing population through agricultural discoveries that bring about stronger and more productive crop varieties. They improve health and wellness through discoveries in disease prevention and treatment, nutrition and exercise. They develop new ways to generate clean, renewable power and evaluate ways to better manage, use and protect vital natural resources, such as water supplies and forests. And that is just for starters.

The size, scope and success of Oregon State research is neither short-term nor something new.For more than 40 years, Oregon State has been the state’s leading public university in producing patents — a defining measurement of innovation that propels new products and commerce. In fact, according to Oregon State’s Office of Commercialization, the 357 patents issued to the university since 1980 are more than twice the combined total of patents issued to all other OUS universities. Those patents are a major reason why Corvallis was named America’s Most Innovative City in a 2010 study from Los Alamos National Laboratory.

The impact of Oregon State research extends well into the global economy. It can be seen in the many startup companies and worldwide industry leaders with strong Oregon State connections. This impressive roster includes CH2M HILL, Intel, Google, Hewlett-Packard, Jeld-Wen, Avery Dennison, Dow Chemical, Monsanto, BASF, NuScale Power, Precision Plant Systems and Azuray Technologies.

Research conducted by Oregon State contributes to economic growth and development in Oregon, according to a study conducted by economists at ECONorthwest, in ways ranging from technology transfer to expert consultation. Contributions noted in ECONorthwest’s analysis include:

University scientists with a national reputation

These researchers are more likely to be able to attract venture capital, management and qualified employees with the technical expertise and experience necessary to start new companies

Hands-on and face-to-face involvement

The engagement of university researchers bolsters the success of new businesses by enabling discussion and sharing new ideas.

Availability of scientific labor

A new or expanding industrial business or laboratory may choose to locate in an area where local universities can provide a steady supply of highly qualified science and engineering graduates.

High quality university research

The universities with the greatest local economic impacts are generally those with the highest-quality research programs.

According to Oregon State’s Office for Commercialization and Corporate Development, between 1982 and 2011, 35 start-up companies were created as a result of Oregon State research — of which 19 are still operating.

Between 2004 and 2011 alone, these firms raised approximately $160 million in funding and currently employ 350 Oregonians. The local companies listed on the following page, all of them spinoffs, licensees or industry partners with Oregon State, help to illustrate the kinds of marketplace innovations that the university makes possible.

In addition, ECONorthwest researchers cite recent national studies indicating local industries more closely related to nearby university innovations grow faster and achieve greater economic success than other local industries. The national evidence suggests research universities lead to a 25 percent increase in local employment and payroll growth among industries related to those campuses.

Wave energy 

Ocean waves offer a vast source of clean, renewable energy, and that potential is especially strong along the Oregon coast. Oregon State is helping make it a reality.

Through the Northwest National Marine Renewable Energy Center — one of three nationwide — OSU is working with the Oregon Wave Energy Trust, Columbia Power Technologies, Oregon Iron Worksand others on wave and tidal energy prototypes and mitigating environmental impacts. The first large-scale deployment of the buoys in the U.S. is scheduled for installation in the summer of 2012 in Reedsport. Once completed, the 10 buoys are expected to generate about 4,140 megawatt-hours/year — enough to power approximately 375 homes.

Oregon Sea Grant  is also working with coastal communities and the fishing industry to cooperatively site wave energy facilities, including a new testing facility in Newport. Studies continue on the potential of tidal energy on the Columbia River.

Making better metals 

Chain saws, baseball bats, truck bodies, jet engine parts and bridges have more in common than just metal. They are all made in Oregon and account for about 55,000 jobs. To keep this industry strong, Oregon State is working through the Oregon Metals Initiative (OMI) with companies such as Daimler Trucks, Hewlett-Packard, Benchmade and Blount Manufacturing to solve problems and explore product improvements, from safer chain saws to lighter, more fuel-efficient trucks.

According to John Parmigiani, a mechanical engineer who represents Oregon State on the OMI board of directors, Oregon State researchers have conducted more than $2 million in metals-related research projects since 2007. Not only have they helped manufacturers improve processes and products, they have given students real-world experience that has frequently led to full-time jobs after graduation.

Microchannel technology

Oregon State is a national leader in microchannel technology, in which chemical reactions, heat and mass transfer and other processes are handled far more efficiently in tiny spaces about the thickness of a human hair. And the potential for this technology — including new jobs and companies for Oregon — is enormous.

One of the earliest applications to be commercialized is for kidney dialysis. Home Dialysis Plus, an Oregon-based startup, has licensed OSU technology to develop a device that will let patients with kidney failure receive dialysis treatments at home, often while they sleep.

Another application uses new microchannel coatings that may revolutionize heat exchangers, which could be used in everything from consumer electronics to miniature heat pumps and automobile cooling systems.

Wheat Yields 

Wheat is big business across Oregon. In 2010, wheat generated $442 million in revenue. It’s the state’s fourth most valuable agricultural commodity. And wheat is the top export shipped through the Port of Portland.

Oregon State has developed and released 10 wheat varieties since 2002 that thrive in the relatively mild, but damp conditions of the Willamette valley as well as the drier, hotter Columbia basin. These include the herbicide-resistant strains most popular in the Pacific Northwest. In 2011, Oregon State-developed varieties accounted for 592,000 acres, or 76 percent of all winter wheat statewide. They also increased the average yield by five bushels per acre, helping Oregon wheat growers generate $17 million in additional revenues in 2011.

OSU Extension Service partners with local agencies to provide learning experiences for youth and programs for adults ranging from health and gardening to natural resources and forestry. Nearly 8,000 current students from the Portland area comprise approximately 35 percent of Oregon State’s enrollment, and nearly 30 percent of Oregon State transfer students come from Portland-area community colleges (Portland, Clackamas and Mt. Hood). In addition, more than 40,000 alumni, or 26 percent of all OSU alum, live and work in the Portland Metro area.

Oregon State University’s impact in the Portland area reaches throughout the economy, classrooms and the diverse neighborhoods and communities of Multnomah, Washington, Clackamas and Columbia counties. Here are some narrative examples of Oregon State’s impact and how the University bolsters people, the economy, quality of human life and the environment in the Portland region.

Food Innovation Center: Portland’s culinary incubator 

Portland is known as a foodie’s paradise, and Oregon State’s Food Innovation Center helps turn culinary innovations into commercial products for both new and existing companies, with services ranging from research and testing, to packaging design to marketing and business plan development.

One of the FIC’s local success stories is Ruby Jewel Treats. Lisa Herlinger’s ice cream sandwiches, made from all-natural, local ingredients, were a hit at a Portland farmer’s market. Seeing the potential for expansion, she turned to the FIC for help with recipe development, ramping up production and packaging. Starting with a few Portland-area markets and co-ops, the company’s distribution network has grown rapidly, and Ruby Jewel Treats can now be found at supermarkets and independent grocery stores in 10 states, as well as at the company’s own scoop shop in north Portland.

Enhancing public health and quality of life

Oregon State takes a multidisciplinary approach to health and well-being in people’s lives and in communities statewide. Research, education and outreach programs address public health concerns like obesity, environmental health and disease prevention; develop innovative treatments and medicines; and prepare the next generation of public health specialists, pharmacists and veterinarians.

Among OSU’s assets are the state’s first and only College of Public Health and Human Sciences, the oldest and largest College of Pharmacy and the only College of Veterinary Medicine. PHHS and OSU Extension offer a range of nutrition, fitness and wellness programs throughout the Portland area. Pharmacy students gain hands-on experience at 400 Portland sites, including the Old Town Clinic. And every veterinary student completes a two-week clinical rotation at the Oregon Humane Society, which includes assisting in about 800 surgeries annually.

Supporting a Portland signature industry

Portland is the epicenter of the U.S. outdoor and athletic apparel industry, anchored by headquarters for Nike, Columbia Sportswear and Adidas, as well as 300 other athletic and design firms. The Portland Development Commission has identified this as a signature industry, with the goal to generate 10,000 new jobs in the Portland area over the next five years.

With the only research-based apparel-design school on the West Coast, Oregon State provides both groundbreaking research and qualified graduates to support the industry’s growth. Leslie Burns leads a research team focused on sustainable fabrics, and OSU provides technical support to both startups and industry leaders, helping them develop high-performance sportswear, shoes, jackets and other gear that resists wind and rain, holds in warmth while wicking out sweat, weighs little, but breathes a lot.

Business over breakfast

Family-run businesses in the Portland area are finding a valuable new way to start their day several times a year. Sponsored by the Austin Family Business Program, the Business for Breakfast series brings family business owners together for networking and in-depth discussions about common challenges and opportunities.

Sessions are led by an Austin Family Business Program board member and feature open, honest conversations about day-to-day operations, finances, corporate governance as well as issues related to succession. Last year, more than 95 people representing nearly 60 local businesses participated in the program.

Established in 1985, the Austin Family Business Program in the College of Business has offered innovative workshops and seminars to help family businesses successfully balance the well-being of the business, the family and individual members.

Positive for youth 

Matt Ferguson’s life changed when he learned his mother had been diagnosed with breast cancer. After chemotherapy was over and they knew she was going to get better, Matt and his 4-H club turned the experience into something positive.

Having seen how chemotherapy can be a difficult journey, especially at the beginning, he created Matt’s Chemo Bags to help newly diagnosed breast cancer patients feel more comfortable on their first day. He and his 4-H club solicited donations from local businesses for comfort items like pillows, Kleenex, lotion, warm socks, silk scarves and antibacterial lotion.

A seven-year 4-H member and a sophomore at Liberty High School in Hillsboro, Matt was awarded The Prudential Spirit of Community Award and the President’s Volunteer Gold Service Award, a nationwide program honoring outstanding volunteerism.

Connecting to the farm

When Lisa Battan was laid off from her marketing position at a Portland area firm, she turned it into an opportunity to pursue a longtime dream.

Lisa had always wished she could live on a farm raising and caring for animals. So she and her children began volunteering at Alpenrose Dairy in Portland, doing chores like cleaning stalls and grooming horses. Seeing the benefits that working with animals brought to her children, Lisa wanted to give that experience to others.

Working with the Multnomah and Washington County 4-H Program, she helped create the 4-H Farm Discovery Program at Alpenrose Dairy. The program gives urban youth hands-on experience with animal husbandry, animal science and agriculture, helping them understand how people depend on farming and ranching for their daily needs.

Passion and discovery

Linnaea Schall’s passion for natural resources began at Portland’s Beaumont Middle School when she entered the 4-H Youth Program’s Inner City Youth Institute (ICYI). Through field trips, community service projects, wildlife monitoring and other activities that continued through her high school years, Linnaea took advantage of every opportunity to discover and explore the natural world.

Linnaea credits ICYI programming for nurturing her interest in natural resource education, an interest she’s pursuing as an Oregon State student in the College of Forestry. She remains active in the ICYI program, giving back as a mentor to middle and high school students.

As Oregon’s land grant university, Oregon State is helping achieve a better future by serving as an engaged partner and investor in initiatives that make prosperity possible throughout the state.

Directed by the university’s strategic plan, Oregon State is committed to strengthening the economy; improving public health and quality of life; and protecting our environment while making wise use of natural resources. And while the university’s research, education and service programs may begin in Oregon, they extend across the United States and around the world. With these strategic plan goals in mind, Oregon State University commits itself to the following next steps toward a better future.

One

University/industry partnerships

Strengthening the economy and creating jobs are essential priorities. Oregon State will expand efforts to support economic growth by accelerating research-based innovation; increasing university-industry partnerships through sponsored research; and emphasizing new business development and commercialization of research. The university will enhance the key role it already plays in the economy by producing more graduates with the necessary knowledge and skills and by working with industry to transform breakthrough ideas into high-value products and services.

Two

Public health and preventative health care

Through Oregon’s only College of Public Health and Human Sciences, Oregon State is addressing the most challenging health and wellness issues that are facing the state and the nation across all ages. Oregon State’s efforts will include teaching, research and outreach programs throughout the state that fight hunger and promote proper nutrition, encourage exercise and fitness, enhance early childhood development, promote healthy aging, prevent disease, promote access to healthcare services and maximize the use of environmentally friendly materials in clothing and building materials.

Three

The next century of engagement and outreach education

Having celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2011, the OSU Extension Service continues to serve Oregonians, improving and expanding research-based education in urban and rural communities throughout the state. Through a growing Oregon Open Campus Initiative, Oregon State is partnering with local community colleges, school districts, local governments and businesses to provide educational programs unique to the needs of individual communities. Oregon Open Campus programs can serve the more than 750,000 Oregonians who may have some college experience but haven’t completed a degree. In addition to Oregon Open Campus programs, Oregon State’s Extended Campus online curriculum provides learning opportunities statewide that will bolster Oregonians’ quality of life and prosperity, regardless of where they live.

Four

Helping improve the quality of life and economy of the Portland region

Oregon State recognizes the importance of strengthening the economy and enhancing the quality of life throughout the greater Portland area. The university is aligning research initiatives with regional economic strategies to support key business clusters such as outdoor apparel, green technology, software and advanced manufacturing. Oregon State will build upon Extension and Agricultural Experiment Station programs in Multnomah, Washington and Clackamas counties. Oregon State will continue to support and extend Portland-area programs offered by the colleges of Business, Public Health and Human Sciences, Pharmacy and veterinary Medicine. Finally, Oregon State will expand its community engagement efforts through the work of its faculty, staff and alumni.

Five

Sharing our science, helping leaders chart a course

At a time when choices on complex issues will certainly shape the future, Oregon State University is committed to share the depth and breadth of its research to further inform the public, private industry, stakeholder groups and elected officials. Oregon State will launch a series of briefings throughout Oregon featuring prominent scientists, including those from its faculty, who will share their knowledge on issues such as biofuels, biomass, water policy, climate change, marine sciences, nuclear power, public infrastructure and feeding an ever-increasing world population. The goal is to give the public, stakeholder groups, business people and elected decision makers greater knowledge and contextual information to address important issues that for years have remained unresolved.

Preventing childhood obesity in rural areas 

Why are children in rural communities at greater risk for obesity? Oregon State researchers Deborah John and Kathy Gunter identify several factors: long bus commutes; few resources to support physical activity, recreational sports programs or health education; and lack of healthy food choices.

Now, they’re doing something about it. Funded by a $5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, John and Gunter are developing an obesity prevention program through OSU Extension that promotes healthy eating and physical activity. Working with school districts, health care providers, parents and volunteer groups, they will begin assessments and field testing in September in Clackamas, Columbia and Klamath counties. The goal is to improve the Body Mass Index (BMI) among five- to eight-year-old children.

Disease prevention and healthy aging

The future of medicine lies not just in treating diseases, but in preventing those that are the leading cause of death in the developed world: cancer, heart disease, diabetes, stroke and neurodegenerative disease.

Prevention is the focus of Oregon State’s Linus Pauling Institute and the Center for Healthy Aging Research. Current research projects are investigating the role of vitamin D in protecting immune function and therapeutic uses for lipoic acid, such as anti-inflammatories.

The National Science Foundation has awarded a $2.9 million grant for aging research. New studies have shown some diets can help prevent the loss of mental acuity and brain shrinkage associated with Alzheimer’s disease, while other foods accentuate the problem.

Disease prevention can significantly reduce health care costs. And staying healthier longer offers better quality of life to an aging population.

Solar energy

Oregon may be known for rain, but OSU is helping the state become a leader in the solar power industry.

Oregon State electrical engineer Terri Fiez is also co-founder of Azuray Technologies, which has developed power
optimizing and monitoring electronics that improve reliability, reduce cost and harvest more energy from solar panel arrays.

Transparent electronics discovered by John Wager have been licensed by OSU and Hewlett Packard to a California firm developing solar power devices that offer twice the efficiency at half the cost of traditional solar panels.

Other OSU research is investigating more economical methods for making thin-film solar electronics, including continuous-flow microreactors and inkjet printing. And pyrite, better known as “fool’s gold,” is helping researchers identify related compounds that could be used for low-cost, high-efficiency solar cells.

Armed with blood-pressure cuffs, sterile lancets and stacks of brochures, about a dozen students from the OSU College of Pharmacy were on hand last summer to screen members of the public for high blood pressure and high blood glucose, as well as answer questions about heartburn, osteoporosis, asthma, smoking cessation and other common health concerns. Pharmacist “preceptors” (professionals who provide practical training to students) were on hand, too, to help answer questions.

“Hypertension is known as the ‘silent killer’ because there are no symptoms,“ said OSU pharmacy student Eduard Scheckmann, president of the OSU chapter of Oregon Health Systems Pharmacists.

A 69-year-old retiree named Larry was among several hundred Corvallis residents who took advantage of the screenings. “I’m not exactly in danger, but they’re going to keep an eye on me,” he said after getting his blood pressure checked.

OSU pharmacy students were in-demand at a free screening they held at the Corvallis Farmer's Market. Photo by: Yinxuan (Kelly) Zhang

His companion, Erlinda, wasn’t so sanguine. “Everything’s high — my blood sugar, my blood pressure,” she said. “I’m a little concerned. My sisters and my mom have diabetes. It’s good to catch it before it becomes a problem.”

Confessing that she hasn’t been taking the blood-pressure meds her doctor prescribed, Erlinda attributed her recalcitrance to worries about side effects — and to a bit of orneriness. “Does rebellious mean anything to you?” she said with a playful grin. But the high numbers revealed at the screening seemed to dilute her resistance. She planned to call her doctor. And that’s exactly what the College of Pharmacy screenings — sponsored by the Oregon State Student Pharmacists organization — are designed to do.

“The students raise money throughout the year to buy the medical supplies needed for the screenings,” Scheckmann reported.  “The goal is to make people aware of undiagnosed health problems. If their sugars are running high, or their blood pressure is elevated, we recommend that they see their primary-care provider.”

Also on hand for the screening was first-year student Glarih Yazdi Morgan, who chose a career in pharmacy because it offers the perfect blend of science and humanity. “I love chemistry, but I also love helping people,” she said. “I wanted something clinical and practical, where I could have close contact with patients. Pharmacy offers me everything in one place.”

The student-run screenings, which are held twice yearly at the Corvallis Farmer’s Market, offer some informational materials in Spanish. “We’re planning to translate more of our information into Spanish,” said first-year student Kylee Kastelic. “Our next step is to target an even bigger population by translating materials into Russian and Arabic.”

Fred Thompson, 19, died Wednesday night in Corvallis

Oregon State University student-athlete Fred Thompson, a freshman on the OSU football team, died early Wednesday evening in Corvallis.

According to OSU officials, Thompson was playing basketball at Dixon Recreation Center on the OSU campus when he collapsed.  He was transported to Good Samaritan Hospital in Corvallis where he was pronounced dead.

Thompson was a true freshman defensive tackle from Richmond, Calif.  He was 19-years-old.

Department of Athletics’ officials say the OSU community sends its thoughts and prayers to Fred’s family.

OSU head football coach Mike Riley was off-campus recruiting and returned to Corvallis for a Thursday afternoon press conference. ”I just enjoyed him,” Riley said. “He was fun, had a great smile and was just growing tremendously. We’re going to miss him.”

Fans and friends are welcome to post their condolences to the OSU Athletics Facebook page, or the OSU Football team’s Facebookpage. Those who wish to send a personal note to Thompson’s family can email:

football@oregonstate.edu

Friends of Thompson’s created a tribute video for him.

Update, 12/9/11, 12:25 p.m.:

Bank of America has set up several ways to donate to the “Fred Thompson Memorial Fund”

• Visit any Bank of America branch to submit a check or money order (#0555170789)
• Mail a check made out to the “Fred Thompson Memorial Fund” to any Bank of America branch with accompanying account number in the memo line.
• A wire transfer
• Transfer money through a current Bank of America banking account.