alumni-mag-spring-2019

For decades, HP, one of the most innovative  technology  companies in the world, has maintained a close relationship with Oregon State University, a connection that has benefited both institutions on multiple levels.

College of Engineering students cut their teeth during undergraduate internships at the tech giant’s  Corvallis campus and take advantage of HP-funded scholarships and programs. HP supports employees who pursue advanced degrees at Oregon State while simultaneously working for the company.

The thrill of taking a last-second shot is one of Joshua Gess’ indelible memories from playing wheelchair basketball at Auburn University. With 6 seconds on the clock — and down a point, 40-39, against Shepherd Spinal Center — Auburn called a timeout to map one last play. The team fanned out and jockeyed for position. Gess rolled off a pick and snagged the inbound pass at the right edge of the free-throw line.

Three seconds.

An electric fuse is a well-known safety device designed to prevent damage when an electrical panel, wiring, or circuit is overloaded.

In “Star Wars,” R2-D2 is the perfect example of a likable and effective robot. Though he looks and sounds nothing like a human — with no face or hands, and communicating with only whistles and beeps — he clearly has a connection to his human co-workers.

“R2-D2 does a good job of illustrating that he’s paying attention. That’s important for people, especially in a collaborative scenario where you really want to understand what the other person needs,” said Heather Knight, an assistant professor of computer science at Oregon State University’s College of Engineering.

The anthropology courses that Richard “Dick” Evans (‘69 B.S., Industrial Engineering) took at Oregon State University taught him things that he has applied to many aspects of his life. He learned that tribes are not only groups of people linked by family, culture, religion, or economic ties; they can also be smaller bands of people who share a common language or ideology.

The Mission District in San Francisco is a microcosm of colliding tribes and cultures, and home to some of the largest concentrations of urban murals and street art in the world.

When Jai Kim (’59 B.S. and ’60 M.S., Civil Engineering) got on a cargo ship from South Korea to San Francisco in 1955, he had $150 in his pocket (the equivalent of about $1,400 today) and barely spoke English. He’d been admitted to a school in Texas, where he planned to study engineering. But he discovered, while making the voyage, that the Texas school didn’t have an engineering program. Rather than give up on his dream, he decided to make his way to Corvallis and see about attending Oregon State University.

Since 1920, Graf Hall — originally Engineering Hall — has endured as a stalwart of the College of Engineering. Over the decades, its cavernous high bay has housed materials labs, hydraulics labs, and steam and gas engine labs, all served by a 5-ton overhead crane. Using a monstrous, two-story machine nicknamed “the Nutcracker,” researchers brutally tested the strength of construction materials. Offices and smaller labs have occupied Graf’s west end and ground floor, and a radio tower once soared above the roof.