Oregon State's Slam Wheelchair Basketball Team

Looking for a new way to work out? Then the OSU’s Oregon Slam Wheelchair Basketball Team could be exactly what you need. The team, started by Movement Studies in Disability PhD student Jooyeon Jin (aka “JJ”), played in its first tournament last fall. “Half of our players are disabled and half are able-bodied. We have undergad and graduate students, male and female,” he says.  The team is open to all students. The College of Health and Human Science’s blog, Synergies, has a great article on the team. Read on, and play hard!

National Geographic's March 2010 cover story features Cristina Eisenberg's research (Photo: Jess Lee)

As wolves spread across the American West and even into areas of the East Coast, where their official presence has yet to be acknowledged, Ph.D. student Cristina Eisenberg’s findings about their place in the ecosystem could help policymakers answer questions about the best way to manage them.

It’s a timely issue, as their reemergence is predictably eliciting extreme reactions from people. This polarization, as well as Eisenberg’s science, has received a good amount of press lately. Eisenberg’s work has been featured in the March 2010 issue of National Geographic, and the Feb. 15, 2010 issue of High Country News, to name just two.

Eisenberg sees her role in “the wolf problem” as an informer to policymakers. She hopes her data will create common ground in places where conversations between those who love wolves – and those who don’t – are usually considered implausible.

A Family History

It may be that Cristina Eisenberg picked up a reverence for wolves from her father. Growing up on a ranch in northern Mexico, he was assigned the job of killing any wolf he saw.  But he couldn’t bring himself to shoot the animals. Instead, he’d watch them as they trotted through the cattle herds he was minding. Always the wolves left the cattle unharmed – they were on their way, perhaps, to more appealing prey.

So when Eisenberg told her father she was planning to study wolves, he was pleased. “I’m so glad,” he told her. “There’s so much we don’t understand about these animals.”

Eisenberg’s desire to understand wolves unfolded when she and her husband moved from coastal California to northwestern Montana with their two young daughters in the mid-90s. The presence of wolves there was unmistakable, from their howls on the mountain outside Eisenberg’s cabin to their tracks in the snow by her door. When one bolted through her yard in pursuit of a deer when she and her daughters were gardening, she became irrevocably curious.

This juvenile eyed the camera curiously near Yellowstone's Norris Geyser Basin. (Photo: Tom Leeson)

Her children also asked her questions she couldn’t answer – about trees, plants and the other animals that appeared on her land, which is situated alongside one of the biggest wilderness areas in the lower 48. Her children’s questions, as much as the bolting wolf, catalyzed her transformation from artist and housewife to scientist.

“I saw everything change on my land when wolves returned to that ecosystem. So those connections – the ones Aldo Leopold wrote about so eloquently in his Sand County Almanac and other writings – inspired my master’s degree, which was policy-based. After I became familiar with the policy, I really wanted to understand the ecology of it,” she says.

Studying Wolves

That curiosity led her to Oregon State in 2006 to begin Ph.D. research with forestry professor Bill Ripple. For the past four years, Eisenberg has used a mix of forestry and wildlife biology methods to study the effects of wolves on ecosystems in Montana’s Glacier National Park and Alberta’s Waterton Lakes National Park. Specifically, Eisenberg has looked how wolves’ presence effect elk populations in the park, and in turn aspens and aspen-dependent species like beavers and songbirds.

Her findings, like Ripple’s and Oregon State professor Robert Beschta’s, indicate that wolves have powerful effects on ecosystems—from the songbirds to how the shrubs and trees grow, but that these effects may be related to wolf density and distribution. Her findings, which will be published later this year, suggest that wolves are a complicated and sometimes sticky species to manage.  “You can’t manage a wolf just like it was an elk or any other game animal, because the effects they have on ecosystems can be so complex and profound. You have to look at them in a different way,” says Eisenberg. And that, she says, changes the way people look at their resources.

Because she comes from a ranching background, Eisenberg’s attitude on wolves is pragmatic. “It’s not what people always expect me to say, but I don’t think wolves belong everywhere, and I do think they can be challenging to live with,” Eisenberg says. “I also think they’re fascinating creatures. And they are incredibly intelligent.”

Hunters protest federal management of wolf populations outside the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife & Parks in Kalispell. In a region reeling from lumber-mill and factory closures, wolves are direct competitors for meat to stock the family freezer in winter. (Photo: Michael Gallacher, Missoulian)

Eisenberg’s pragmatic views on wolf conservation have earned her funding from unexpected places, like the hunter-conservationist club Boone and Crockett, and Shell Oil.

The Future

After she finishes her Ph.D. this spring, Eisenberg will be taking a post-doc position at Oregon State with professor Norm Johnson. She is in the process of publishing a book with Island Press based on her Master’s research, “The Wolf’s Tooth: Keystone Predators, Trophic Cascades and Biodiversity.”

She will also be working on a five-year project on how top predators affect a mixed-use landscape at High Lonesome Ranch in northwestern Colorado. Usually, Eisenberg says, apex predator studies take place in relatively contained environments, like national parks. But the landscape surrounding High Lonesome is subject to ranching, hunting and oil and gas development. And wolves have begun moving into that territory.
Eisenberg wants to see how the systems change when their numbers grow. What she finds could have bearing in a place like Oregon, where wolves are showing up on forest service as well as privately owned lands. “I want to understand the ecological implications of wolves in a landscape where timber harvesting and ranching are happening,” she says.

Ultimately, Eisenberg’s goal is to answer questions about how wolves affect ecosystems. She credits Oregon State University with providing her an outstanding environment of academic freedom and support to do work that at times is seen as controversial.

*Also in this month’s National Geographic magazine - Oregon State anthropology professor Deanna Kingston on Native American wolf dancers, in the issue’s “Flashback” section.

Photos courtesy of National Geographic magazine.

Do you know a business that is Powered by Orange? If so, here’s your chance to shine a spotlight on deserving businesses.

And just what makes a business Powered by Orange? They’re owned by an Oregon State alum, have lots of OSU alums working there or are just friends of OSU. They also:

• Drive innovation.
• Support economic growth.
• Serve in the community.

Once a month, starting in April, one business will be selected for the Orange Spotlight. That includes:

• A feature story about the business on oregonstate.edu.
• Promotion on Oregon State’s social networks including Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube — reaching the 30,000+ OSU fans.
• Inclusion in a campaign to push OSU fans to Powered by Orange businesses through poweredbyorange.com.

And just for submitting a business for consideration, you will be entered in a drawing to win two OSU Football season tickets. Make sure to fill out the form below, incomplete entries will not be entered to win.

The Virginia Carter Smith Grand Crystal Award

After having won a Grand Gold award last week from the Council for Support and Education (CASE), Oregon State’s Powered by Orange campaign won the Virginia Carter Smith Grand Crystal award – the highest honor possible in regional competition. PBO will soon move on to national competition. Our success, in large part, is due to the students, alumni and friends who have all supported Powered by Orange and made it so visible and successful. So we’d like to extend our thanks to you for being such strong supporters of Oregon State, Powered by Orange and our community!

Brandon Trelstad, OSU’s sustainability coordinator, demonstrates how the treadmill used by Mike Kauffman, right, can power three lightbulbs. Although the lightbulb trick is purely for demonstration purposes, the amount of energy produced does correspond with how hard the person is working out on the machine. (photo: Theresa Hogue)

Congratulations to three Oregon State community members who made the 1000 Friends of Oregon list of “35 Innovators Under 35.”

Oregon State’s Sustainability Coordinator Brandon Trelstad was chosen by the group, which dedicates itself to conservation and sustainability, because he helped make Oregon State the 4th largest university purchaser of renewable energy in the country. He was also chosen because he serves as the university’s Alternative Transportation Coordinator and was crucial in managing the development of OSU’s climate action plan.

Last year, Trelstad was instrumental in acquiring 22 elliptical exercise machines that collect power from students working out and feeding it back into the power grid.

Student Andrea Norris served as director of the ASOSU Environmental Task Force and successfully initiated efforts to enact a student-funded Green Energy Fee. The Fee, which funds the purchase of enough renewable energy to offset about 72% of the campus’ electricity usage, helped us earn that 4th place ranking.

Kathy Freeborn Hadley, who is recognizable as a ‘TV star’ from the Measure 49 campaign, is also involved in biofuels research through Oregon State and the Oregon Deparatment of Agriculture. She teaches Intro to Agribusiness and a Crop and Soil Science Seminar here.

Photo by: Theresa Hogue

Feb. 11

Workshops in Career Services (Kerr B008 – Classroom 8A): 10-11 a.m., Effective Job Search; noon to 1 p.m., Resume Writing; 2 to 3 p.m., Interviewing.

The 5th Annual Career Wardrobe Makeover, sponsored by Career Services and MANRRS: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the MU Ballroom. Come build your professional wardrobe without breaking the bank. Separates are $5.00 each, suits $15.00.

Feb. 12

Workshops in Career Services (Kerr B008 – Classroom 8A): 11 a.m. to noon, Finding an Internship. Noon to 1 p.m., Success at the Career Fair; 2 to 3 pm., Resume Writing. On Feb. 15, Speed Mock Interviews.

Feb. 16

Come to CH2M Hill Alumni Center and bring your resumes to show off as you speak with companies about jobs and internship opportunities, as well as network with other students, alumni, and company employees.

Feb. 17

Are you an engineer? The Engineering Fair also takes place at CH2M Hill. Come take advantage of this free opportunity to meet employers from more than 100 companies.

On the surface, students who are sleeping in their cars or struggling to pay for food don’t look all that different, so the issue may not be one that is readily apparent. Also,  students whose fundamental needs aren’t being met are likely to also struggle with smaller issues, like getting to class or turning in their assignments on time.

In September 2009, the doors of the Human Services Resource Center (HSRC) opened to provide a place for students facing major challenges to their survival. Staffed part time by GTA DeeDee Overholser and five to seven undergraduate students, the center is housed in 233 Snell Hall as part of the ASOSU community.

Read more about them in a recent LIFE@OSU story.

During the month of February, Oregon State University participates in a campus-wide food drive. All benefits go to support the Linn-Benton Food Share. You can help support the drive by coming to the Memorial Union Quad Feb. 12 from noon – 4:00 p.m. We’ll be there collecting donations!

“We rode 4-wheelers, drove tractors and played in the dirt,” Boock says. “It was what we did.”

Her passion for the land certainly helped her land her current position as the Vice President of operations at Dobbes Family Estate and Wine by Joe in Dundee, the heart of Oregon wine country. But so did a strong work ethic and a degree in general agriculture from Oregon State.

When thinking about college, Boock initially had her eyes on a small private school, but fell in love with Oregon State’s campus when she visited for a high school leadership seminar.

“I loved the feeling on campus, and I realized quickly that I could fit in and that it was the place for me,” Boock said. Despite its size, Oregon State felt small, friendly and intimate to Boock.

And that feeling stayed with her when she arrived as a first-year student, making her transition from high school to college easier.  “At first, I was trying to decide what my major would be with different advisors. Everyone was so helpful and friendly, and I just thought, ‘Perfect,’ she says.

Boock started as a business major, but as her freshman year wound down, she realized it wasn’t for her anymore. She had to think about what she really loved to do.

“I just thought, ‘What about my roots? What about all the things I did as a child?’” she says.

Boock reached out to OSU’s advising staff and met Greg Thompson, an adviser for the College of Agriculture Sciences. She decided on a double major in general agriculture and Spanish – general agriculture would give her a breadth of career choices, and Spanish would enable her to continue studying the language she loved learning throughout high school. Not only would the second language be a resume builder, it would also be key to allowing her to communicate with the Spanish-speaking workers who help tend Oregon’s fields.

During her junior year, Boock developed an interest in wineries, and started looking for a job in the field. She found one with Joe Dobbes, then of Willamette Valley Vineyards.

Boock spent the majority of her summer working as a cellar assistant, informally known as a “cellar rat,” where she was simply thrown into the grunt work of the operation.

At the end of the summer, Dobbes offered Boock a long-term position. Now, 8 years later, Boock and Dobbes are still working together for Dobbes’ company.

OSU’s contribution to the wine industry isn’t limited to talented alumni like Boock. OSU pioneered a system for predicting crop loads more than twenty years ago, and researchers like Patty Skinkis are developing new methods to increase productivity.

“I know how good the college is, and I know that the kids coming out of OSU’s wine program know their stuff,” Boock explained.

Boock also says that the Oregon wine industry is unique, calling Oregon “its own animal.” “Because Oregon’s climate is so different compared to the rest of the country, research becomes very important, and OSU does a great job of that,” Boock says.

We thought a good way to show you our reach was to produce a video series that highlights these people. And the Powered by Orange video project was born.

We got to talk to viticulturist Patty Skinkis, who told us about increasing the quality of wine grapes in Oregon while decreasing vine vegetative vigor and cost of production; we talked to Hong Liu, who told us about how harvesting energy from wastewater can have global implications, especially for developing countries; fish biologist Carl Schreck described how he can monitor changes in the climate by understanding changes in fish physiology.

So, check out the videos to your left, and enjoy – and thanks for watching! Feel free to comment on these videos, or comment here and suggest some more subjects for us to work with. And stay Powered by Orange.