Alumni-mag-fall-2023

Photos by Owen Roth

Photos by Karl Maasdam

The College of Engineering is leading efforts to build a sustainable semiconductor ecosystem in the Pacific Northwest

Oregon State University’s College of Engineering has been at the heart of the Silicon Forest for decades. That hub of microchip manufacturing and innovation has grown up and outward from its corner of Oregon to become a vital part of the semiconductor industry, with significant impact in the Pacific Northwest.

Photos by Alfsonso Salgueiro

Andy Balk, ’98, is playing a critical role in helping the global e-tailer meet its 2040 emissions goal

Amazon’s senior manager of worldwide real estate engineering, Andy Balk, B.S. industrial and manufacturing engineering ’98, operates at the core of the company’s global effort to electrify its entire fleet of delivery vans.

Photos by Johanna Carson

Oregon Freeze Dry is expanding its operations in the biopharmaceutical sphere, aiming to take a bite out of a $400 billion global market that includes vaccines and biotherapeutics. Last fall, the company opened a state-of-the-art $7.5 million development and clinical supply facility at its headquarters in Albany.

Photos by Al Harith Al Mahrooqi

Alum sparks passion for engineering with his popular ‘Quint BUILDs’ YouTube channel

Can you harvest energy from your rain gutter? Can you recoup energy by mounting a wind turbine on the front of a Bronco? Can you build a knife-throwing machine?

These are the kinds of questions that inspire Quint Crispin, B.S. manufacturing engineering ’00, to create YouTube videos that illustrate the math behind engineering principles and document the process of iterating on an idea.

Photos courtesy of A.J. Fillo

Triple alum A.J. Fillo adapts combustion technology to climate change solutions 

Take it from A.J. Fillo: If you want the adrenaline rush of a lifetime, try launching the first-ever 3D-printed rocket. 

“When we lifted off, I’ve never heard cheering like that in my life,” said Fillo, B.S. mechanical engineering ’14, M.S. ’16, Ph.D. ’19.

Photos by Karl Maasdam

Assistant Professor Parichehr Salimifard links buildings’ environmental and public health impacts

When we think about our health, we are likely to think about the food we eat, activities we do, and hours we sleep each night. But the buildings we spend time in – our homes, schools, and workplaces – also have a huge effect on our health.

For example, just look at two recent crises, said Parichehr Salimifard, assistant professor of architectural engineering–mechanical engineering track and Culbertson Faculty Scholar.

Photos by Robert Gill