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Join fellow Beavers for Dam Good Connections | March 6 – May 21   

Glasses clinking, snacks disappearing and Beavers swapping stories like old friends. That’s the vibe at Dam Good Connections, and if you live in California, Oregon or Washington, it’s heading your way. Learn just how many Beavs call your city home, and find your next friend, game day buddy, business partner or trivia teammate. Join us for one of eight upcoming West Coast gatherings and discover who you’ll cross paths with!

Register for our March events:

— March 6 | Seattle, Ivar’s Salmon House, with guest speaker David Stricklin, M.S. ’06, Seattle Seahawks head athletic trainer
— March 8 | San Diego, Bay City Brewing – East Village  

EVENTS

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Traveling in today’s political climate | Feb. 27

In the next Travel Talks webcast, join us for an insightful conversation with David Bernell, associate professor of political science at Oregon State University, as we explore current U.S. political developments and what they could mean for travelers.

Women in agriculture share career advice | March 5

Tune into an Ask Alumni panel with trailblazing women in agriculture. Explore their diverse career paths, learn from their experiences and connect with a thriving network of leaders: Emily Ammeraal, ’24, Meng ’25, Michelle Borges, M.S. ’25, Emily Darchuk, M.S. ’15 and Jennifer Waldo, M.S. ’24 — moderated by College of Agricultural Sciences Assistant Professor Juliana Ranches.

OSUAA members save at Columbia Sportswear Employee Stores | Feb. 14 – March 9

Need an excuse to refresh your wardrobe? How about saving 40–60% off retail prices? OSUAA members: Get your Columbia Sportswear Employee Store shopping pass — and if you’re in the Portland area, check out the newly remodeled Portland store! Get access by becoming a member today.

More events

10 events for 10 years of Contemplative Studies | Feb. 7 – March 7
In person and online
This 10-event series with OSU’s Marigold Center features topics and practices on mindfulness, consciousness, spirituality and more, led by OSU faculty, alumni and visiting experts. Events are free with a suggested donation to support OSU graduate students’ ongoing access to free and low-cost Marigold programs.

PRAx Presents: Alex Cuba | Feb. 14
In person
Celebrate Valentine’s Day with an intimate evening of soulful melodies and masterful guitar as Grammy-winning artist Alex Cuba takes the stage at PRAx for two separately ticketed seatings.

Our Health& The Power of Play | Feb. 19
Online
Bring your questions to this town-hall style webcast exploring research that illustrates the transformative power of play though sport. Speakers include OSU Kinesiology Professor William Massey and Founder and President of Coaching Peace Diana Cutaia.

Navigating CEOAS Career Paths in Uncertain Times: Alumni Insights for Job Seekers | Ask Alumni | Feb. 20
Online
A panel of alumni from the College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences share real career insights that will help you find your next role and navigate evolving industries.

Have Sharks, Will Travel: Studying Sharks Around the Globe With OSU’s Big Fish Lab | Travel Talks | March 11
Online
Join OSUAA Travel and the Big Fish Lab to discuss studying sharks around the world, uncovering their secrets and protecting marine ecosystems in some of the planet’s most remote waters.

Navigating the Job Market With a Staffing Agency | Ask Alumni | March 11
Online
On the hunt for your next role? Learn how a staffing agency can help you navigate the job market in this talk with Portland-based recruiting agency professional Jeske Paanakker, ’20.

Leveraging AI in Your Job Search | Ask Alumni | March 13
Online
Discover how AI can help your job search — from researching opportunities to refining interview strategies to staying ahead of hiring trends — with career coach Stan Earnshaw, ’78.

OSU-Cascades Science Pub | When Worlds Collide: Highways and Wildlife Crossings | March 18
In person
Learn about OSU-Cascades researcher Corrinne Oedekerk’s, ’18, M.S. ’24, work monitoring wildlife crossings to guide evidence-based conservation and help animals safely navigate busy highways.

2025 Bray Health Leadership Lecture | April 8
In person and online
Don’t miss the 2025 Bray Lecture with Dr. Kimberly Harmon, a trailblazer in sports medicine whose groundbreaking work on athlete health and safety has shaped major organizations like the NCAA, Pac-12, NFL, NHL and more.

2025 commencement speaker: Nicholas D. Kristof

Oregon State announced Nicholas D. Kristof, a two-time Pulitzer Prize winner, New York Times columnist and bestselling author, will be the keynote speaker for the 156th Commencement Ceremony on June 14. Raised on a farm in Yamhill, Oregon, Kristof’s experiences span four continents, and his global storytelling has earned him international recognition. He brings a unique perspective shaped by his travels, personal risks and encounters with some of the world’s most pressing issues.

BEAVERS DOING THE UNBELIEVABLE

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» Jensen Huang, ’84, ’09 (Hon. Ph.D.), was awarded the 2025 Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering, for contributions to Modern Machine Learning, which lets systems learn, adapt and improve from data, advancing AI by finding patterns and making predictions.

» OSU doctoral student Alexander Butcher, M.S. ’24, a former chef turned entomologist, is pioneering sustainable pest management for Oregon vineyards to reduce crop damage, food waste and harmful insecticides.

» Christie Dudenhoefer has been appointed executive director of Semiconductor Economic Development and Corvallis Microfluidics Tech Hub regional innovation officer at OSU. She will leverage her vast industry experience from decades as a leader with HP to guide OSU’s response to tech sector needs.

» Innovative silicone bracelets, invented in OSU’s Food Safety and Environmental Stewardship Program and designed to absorb and measure chemical exposures, are revealing the hidden pollutants that people face daily, from work environments to household products.

» OSU College of Science Professor Xavier Siemens received the prestigious 2025 Bruno Rossi Prize — one of the highest international honors in high-energy astrophysics — for his groundbreaking work uncovering evidence of binary supermassive black holes.

» Elise Lockwood, a mathematics professor in the OSU College of Science, earned a 2025 Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, the highest honor bestowed by the U.S. government to outstanding early-career scientists and engineers.

CAREER CONNECTIONS

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Building meaningful coworker connections

With Valentine’s Day later this week, February calls for reflecting on and celebrating your personal relationships. But while you’re at it, give your professional ones some attention, too! Read our career tips on turning colleagues by chance into friends by choice, across generations, for a more fulfilling and connected workplace experience.

Explore this topic further in two February Ask Alumni webcasts:

• Feb. 12 | Building Lasting Professional Relationships with Empathy and Listening with Alondra Canizal Hsu, MCoun ’18
• Feb. 25 | Achieving Work Success and Fulfillment Through Relationships with Doug Michel, ’92

Celebrating Black history, legacy and culture

During Black History Month this February and beyond, OSUAA celebrates the contributions of Black and African American students, faculty, alumni and community members to our university, state and the world.

For ways to recognize these legacies of excellence and profound impact alongside fellow Oregon Staters, explore:

• The Black Alumni and Friends Network (BAFN), an official group open to Oregon State alumni and friends who identify with and support Pan- African, Afro-Caribbean, Black, African and African American communities.
• A PRAx exhibit beginning on Feb. 13 that features a vital piece of Oregon’s history: “Letitia Carson: An Enduring Spirit of Hope and Freedom.”
• OSU's Lonnie B. Harris Black Cultural Center, which celebrated its 50th anniversary earlier this month with the annual Black Excellence celebration and awards.

FUN FOR MINI BEAVS

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Green thumbs get ready

OSU Extension is giving away free kits with everything you need to start your own garden, and you can be part of a statewide gardening movement. Are you up for the challenge? Sign up to get your free seeds from the Grow This! Oregon Garden Challenge while supplies last.

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