Powering Progress
2025 Impact Report
Big Discoveries, Bold Impact.
Explore how we're driving innovation, student success, and community impact—powered by your support and guided by the vision in Prosperity Widely Shared: The Oregon State Plan.
A Letter from the Dean
The College of Engineering at Oregon State University has made significant strides in cutting-edge research, student success, and community engagement.
Our impact report highlights the remarkable achievements of our faculty and students, showcasing groundbreaking research and exceptional student profiles.
Our strong industry partnerships and commitment to innovation and excellence have been instrumental in advancing our mission to create a better future through engineering.
Forrest J. Masters
Kearney Dean of Engineering
Research Funding
Our commitment to research excellence drives discoveries that shape the future.
132
Sponsors
318
Awards Received
$84.8M
Grants
Big discoveries that drive big solutions
We’re advancing engineering research that drives sustainable innovation and strengthens communities for the future.
Artificial intelligence and robotics
Research tackles human-AI teaming for critical decision-making
Imagine you’re a Black Hawk helicopter pilot, flying through unexpected severe weather. The air is turbulent, visibility is dropping, and critical emergency checklists are flashing. Your workload is skyrocketing, and stresses are mounting.
Looking to the sky to search for earthquakes
Researchers at Oregon State University’s College of Engineering are using artificial intelligence to detect ionospheric disturbances caused by earthquakes before the seismic events have been confirmed by traditional means.
Designing robots to use social cues
Humans give each other subtle cues when communicating — we look at each other to show we are paying attention, tilt our heads when we are curious, or stand close to indicate we want to interrupt a conversation.
Integrated health and biotechnology
Bird flu markers in wastewater may come from wild birds, study led by Oregon State shows
New research shows that wild birds can account for much of the avian influenza virus evidence found in wastewater in Oregon, suggesting wastewater detections of the virus do not automatically signal human, poultry, or dairy cattle cases of bird flu.
AI to guide islet transplant decisions for patients with diabetes
Peter Jacobs, the James and Shirley Kuse Chair in Chemical Engineering, was recently awarded a three-year, $750,000 grant from Breakthrough T1D (formerly JDRF) to create AI-powered tools to make islet transplantation more successful in treating patients with type 1 diabetes.
AI chatbot to diagnose rare diseases
To speed up diagnosis of rare diseases and expedite access to treatment, a team of Oregon State University students and faculty, and a rare disease expert at the Institute for Systems Biology in Seattle, have created a chatbot for medical professionals. Instead of spending hours poring over journal articles, doctors can ask the chatbot to provide a succinct answer backed up by verified sources.
New bioengineering research prioritizes women’s health using 3D modeling
Kaitlin Fogg, assistant professor of bioengineering, has committed her career to developing a better understanding of diseases that primarily affect women – including chronic conditions like endometriosis and life-threatening diseases like cervical and ovarian cancer. Through an innovative program of research in tissue modeling, she and her team are uncovering critical insights, with the goal of improving treatments and outcomes for these and other ailments.
Preserving the environment
Researchers improve chemical reaction that underpins products from foods to fuels
A chemical reaction that’s vital to a range of commercial and industrial goods may soon be initiated more effectively and less expensively thanks to a collaboration that included Oregon State University College of Engineering researchers.
Researchers show how to efficiently convert captured carbon dioxide into green energy
Methanol, important for the manufacture of many everyday goods and for its green energy potential, may soon be produced faster and more efficiently thanks to a collaboration that included two Oregon State University researchers.
A mix of technologies to protect against radioactive threats
For decades, the prospect of nuclear materials falling into the wrong hands has been a major concern for security experts. Working under a five-year, $2.5 million grant from the Department of Homeland Security, Haori Yang and his research team have been developing a variety of countermeasures designed to quickly and accurately locate illicit radioactive materials.
Empowering every engineering student to graduate
Our commitment to supporting students' success drives us. The remarkable achievements of our engineering students, each forging their own unique journey, exemplify this spirit.
Admission update focuses on student success
We are committed to ensuring that every student admitted has a well-supported and clear path to graduation. Guided by research and our mission, we changed our admissions requirements to increase access and opportunity for future engineers.
A new era in nuclear science and engineering
Explore how our redesigned curriculum in Nuclear Science and Engineering offers students unparalleled flexibility and focus, preparing them for diverse career opportunities and advanced studies.
Bettering the environment through ecological engineering
This summer, Meredith Adams is observing how various pollinator bee species are affected by beaver analog dams, which are human-engineered structures designed to mimic those built by beavers.
First-generation graduate heads to Stanford with a passion for building
Many high school students dream about the luxury car they’d get when they become a success. But Jason Bernal Azamar looks at things differently.
A computer science student's journey to a master's and a job at Microsoft
Garrett Berliner (H.B.S. ’24, M.S. ’25) almost didn’t come to Oregon State University for their computer science degree, even though their brother had encouraged them to be a Beaver.
Following her curiosity, Elora Elbert journeys into nuclear engineering
Elora Elbert understands well that unexpected events can deeply influence big decisions. Through much of high school, the Hillsboro native thought she would study English or another liberal arts field in college.
Industrial Engineering student brings systems mindset to sustainability challenge
Maddie Mathews, a third-year student at Oregon State University, is developing a unique skill set to tackle global challenges by pursuing a dual degree in industrial engineering and sustainability.
Undergrad dives deep into underwater robotics research
Madelyn Sadler, an undergraduate student at Oregon State University, has been working over the past two years on a project sponsored by the Office of Naval Research to develop an innovative human interface for underwater robots.
Goldwater Scholar closes the loop on plastic waste
Andrew Tran, a third-year chemical engineering student at Oregon State University, is driven by his desire to create a more sustainable future.
Scholarships
1,006
Awards
876
Students receiving awards
$3M
Total awarded
Philanthropy
1,997
Donors
$85
Median gift
$24.2M
Total gifts
Fueling a thriving world
We drive sustainable prosperity through research, industry partnerships, and innovative teaching. Translating discoveries into real-world solutions, we strengthen communities, support economic growth, and prepare students for the future of work across Oregon and beyond.
Burning it all down to figure out safe mass timber construction
Led by Oregon State University, a multidisciplinary research collaborative has completed a series of large-scale tests to determine fire behavior in mass timber structures.
Forging the future of semiconductors and microfluidics in Oregon
Oregon State University is leading two large consortiums that aim to boost innovation and commercialization for advanced technologies to stimulate economic development in Oregon and beyond.
Computer science students collaborate with ODOT to upgrade software for dispatchers
Students at Oregon State University played a vital role in making upgrades to the state’s Transportation Operations Center System, part of a two-year project undertaken by the university’s Center for Applied Systems and Software in collaboration with the Oregon Department of Transportation.
New chip uses AI to shrink large language models’ energy footprint by 50%
Oregon State University College of Engineering researchers have developed a more efficient chip as an antidote to the vast amounts of electricity consumed by large-language-model artificial intelligence applications like Gemini and GPT-4.
Encouraged by Oregon State researchers, middle school robotics team reaches international competition
The robotics team at Mitkof Middle School in Petersburg, Alaska, competed at the 2025 WPI First Lego League event, an international competition where middle school and grade school students showcase their skills in robotics, research, and teamwork.
New solutions for semiconductor cooling
Josh Gess is in a sweet spot for creating novel solutions for the thermal management of computer technology.
Past Impact Reports
See how far we’ve come. Our past Impact Reports highlight our progress, partnerships, and purpose year over year.
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