Chris Gomez, a nuclear medicine technologist at WellStar North Fulton Hospital, outside Atlanta, was on the verge of earning his master’s degree in radiation health physics online through Oregon State University’s Ecampus. But the COVID-19 public health emergency threatened to delay the completion of his degree. It also set his professional and private lives on a frightening collision course.
The impact of the coronavirus pandemic hit Oregon State University in mid-March, near the end of the winter term. Faculty members scrambled to deliver final exams remotely as social distancing protocols were implemented.
Then the university announced that remote instruction would be required for all courses throughout the spring term, possibly longer. With classes adjourned for “spring break” — the mother of all misnomers for anyone teaching this term — instructional faculty and staff had just over a week to move their entire classroom-based curriculum into the virtual sphere.
Since it was launched in 1998, the Peter and Rosalie Johnson Internship Program has provided paid research opportunities for hundreds of students in the School of Chemical, Biological, and Environmental Engineering.
Created at the initiative of Peter Johnson (’55 B.S., Chemical Engineering) and his wife, Rosalie, the program was endowed with a $2.4 million gift in 2008. Each spring, about 25 qualified first-year students are matched with research labs on campus, or with one of Oregon State’s academic partners.
The national shortage of N95 masks and loose-fitting surgical masks has sparked an impressive response among sewing enthusiasts, who are cutting and stitching in droves to fill the gap with homemade masks. Jennifer McKee, a self-described sewing fanatic, is doing her part.
As Oregon State University scrambled to prepare for home-based remote teaching in the spring term, the faculty turned for help, in great numbers, to the information technology staff. They needed advice about setting up remote desktops, troubleshooting virtual networks, Wi-Fi connectivity, and guidance for conducting classes through Zoom, the remote conferencing system that has quickly become a household word.
Ten days before the start of the spring term, Bryony DuPont was readying her new home office and preparing strategies for an entire 10-week academic quarter of remote teaching. She also emailed the 62 students registered for her Design for Manufacturing class — where enrollment is about 50% higher than normal.
Juniors Tucker Holstun and Yesh Godse are among 396 college students selected from approximately 5,000 potential candidates across the United States to receive the award for the 2020-2021 academic year.
The scholarships are awarded based on academic merit to college sophomores and juniors who exhibit intellectual intensity and exceptional promise of becoming research leaders and who show potential for significant contributions to research in their chosen fields, according to the scholarship program’s mission statement.
Ambassador Adam Al-Mulla (’95 B.S., Chemical Engineering), now serving as Kuwait’s permanent delegate to UNESCO, credits Oregon State University with opening his eyes to the passion that has driven his career.
That passion would eventually lead him to work with people from various cultures and backgrounds to promote education, science, and cultural preservation and appreciation throughout the world.
After a fulfilling career as a chemical engineer, one Oregon State University alumnus is now calling the shots as a Hollywood producer.
“I am curious by nature and love to solve problems. Chemical engineering gave me the opportunity to use those skills, as did my time in management in the oil business. Now I’m thrilled to be using those skills in a third career in Hollywood,” said Ivan Williams.
Williams described his circuitous career path from chemical engineer to business executive to movie producer as a journey that began on the campus of Oregon State.
