Oregon State University Student Group Dec 8, 2018 

Upcoming Events
Wake-Up Coffee: Growing up in Science

2nd Week Winter Term, Date TBD

@ Asian Pacific Cultural Center, OSU
Join ​OSU Women in Policy​, ​OSU Women in
Marine Sciences​, and ​Women in Science -
Oregon State University​ for a discussion on
navigating barriers in academia. The speaker
this week will be CEOAS professor of Ocean
Ecology and Biogeochemistry, Dr. Jennifer
Fehrenbacher. Dr. Fehrenbacher studies calcifying
micro-organisms as proxies for past ocean chemistry and
climate. She will discuss her path into academia with a focus
on doubts, struggles, detours, and failures and how she has
navigated these barriers to reach her current position. The talk
will follow the style of ​Growing Up in Science Conversation of
NYU​.

Read more about Dr. Fehrenbacher’s academic work ​here​ or

follow @​Foraminarium​ on instagram.

WiS Happy Hour

Thursday, Jan 31st from 5-7 pm
@ McMenamins upstairs on Monroe
Over twenty OSU community members came to our last
graduate student happy hour. We discussed tricks and tips for
grad school life and brainstormed events for next term. Please
stop by!

1 
Oregon State University Student Group Dec 8, 2018 

Spotlight on: State of the

Coast Conference
The annual State of the Coast Conference by Oregon
Sea Grant convened in Coos Bay, OR at the
Southwestern Oregon Community College, October
26-27, 2018. The conference aims to engage with
members of the public through informal and informative
talks, hands-on activities, and network activities with
researchers, industry, and community leaders. Two
Oregon State University graduate students who
presented at the conference are featured below.

Alexandra Avila, OSU PhD candidate

By M. Kelsey Lane

Alexandra Avila, 4th year PhD candidate in Oregon State

University's Department of Fish and Wildlife, likes to combine her
many passions, including science and art. “It makes your science so
much better than trying to compartmentalize your life,” she says.

Avila makes fish prints of rockfish, the subject of her research. The
tradition of fish prints was historically used in fisheries science. Avila
took a workshop on fish prints and started exploring the medium
herself. Avila also makes glass pieces featuring various groundfish.
She uses the OSU Craft Center to make fish-inspired art.

All of this art was on display at the State of the Coast conference.
Avila says she thinks this conference is unique. “I love the
integration of art and science,” she says. “It’s the only conference I’ve
been to that combines art and science.” She feels like there’s a
movement back towards art in science. She embraces it as a form of

2 
Oregon State University Student Group Dec 8, 2018 

science communication, which she feels is really important. “Science is lacking in visual
communication for the general public,” she explains.

Avila studies China rockfish and how currents impact their larval dispersal. She’s focused in on two
reserves, the Redfish Rocks Marine Reserve in Oregon and the Olympic Coast National Marine
Sanctuary in Washington. Using molecular techniques and physical current modeling, she is trying
to figure out if there is connectivity between these two populations of rockfish.

What’s next for Avila? She’s hard at work on her research, but continuing her art. Her advisor, Dr.
Scott Heppell, recently shared fish scales. Avila has been experimenting with incorporating those
into her glass work. The results so far have been pretty cool, she revealed, as some turn white in
glass. She’ll be perfecting the technique in the coming months, so keep an eye out.

Erin Peck, OSU PhD candidate

By Theresa Fritz-Endres

Erin Peck, along with Elizabeth Lee,

shared the award for runner- up for best
poster at the State of the Coast. Peck is a
graduate researcher in Ocean Ecology

and Biogeochemistry studying sediment accumulation and

carbon burial in Oregon salt marshes and their resiliency to
sea-level rise and human land-use changes. For Peck,
"State of the Coast was a wonderful experience! I
discussed my science with Oregon community members,
and I learned a lot about other research happening on the
coast.” Peck says that she is looking forward to next year
when she will have another year of research to share with
the community.

3 
Oregon State University Student Group Dec 8, 2018 

About Us - ​WiS Staff

Lauren Zatkos - Co-President
Lauren is a M.S. in Fisheries Science. Her research focuses on the
co-dominance and diets of the pacific giant salamander and cutthroat trout in
headwater streams of the Cascade Mountain range. Lauren is also a
teaching assistant for undergraduate classes in the Fisheries & Wildlife
Department, and hopes that WiS can increase their interactions with and
encouragement of young women scientists.

Caroline Glidden - Co-President

Caroline is a PhD student in the Department of Integrative Biology. Her
research integrates disease ecology with community ecology in order to
facilitate disease management in wild systems, particularly ecosystems at the
human-wildlife interface in southern Africa. She hopes that WiS empowers
women from a variety of backgrounds to pursue careers in STEM fields.

Dr. Brooke Penaluna - Faculty Advisor

Brooke is a Research Fish Biologist with the U.S. Forest Service, Pacific
Northwest Research Station. She is interested in everything fish, trout,
streams, rivers, and diversity in STEM. Ultimately, she wants to understand
the ecological linkages among water, land, and people. She hopes that WiS
will empower women scientists to continue following their passions.

Olivia Boyd - Financial Office

Olivia is a PhD student in the Integrative Biology department. Her research
focuses on understanding the evolution of a species-diverse tribe of tiny
predatory ground beetles using DNA sequence data and morphology. She is
motivated by our rapidly increasing ability to gain new scientific insights
through visual observation. Olivia is interested in microscopy, 3D imaging,
and scientific illustration. She believes that one key to increasing public
awareness and enthusiasm for science lies in its intersection with art.

4 
Oregon State University Student Group Dec 8, 2018 

Marie Tosa- Communications Officer

Marie is a PhD student in the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife. Her
research focuses on understanding terrestrial food web dynamics of the
Pacific Northwest forests, particularly the role of small mammalian
carnivores. Marie is a first generation Japanese-American and hopes that
WiS can provide support and encouragement to colleagues in STEM fields.

Silke Bachhuber​ -​ Communications Officer

Silke is a PhD student in the Department of Integrative Biology. Her research
combines ecology and physiology to gain insight into the effects of climate
change on species interactions in the rocky intertidal. She serves on the
Integrative Biology Graduate Student Symposium and Seminar committees,
and is part of the Introductory Biology teaching team. Silke is passionate
about fostering science literacy among students from a wide range of
backgrounds at OSU.

M. Kelsey Lane - Newsletter Editor

Kelsey is a Masters student in the Marine Resource Management program.
She studies ocean foraminifera and their microbiome. Kelsey is a licensed
captain who spent seven years working on tall ships before graduate school.
Growing up in South Dakota, her passion is getting others excited about
ocean science and technology regardless of their zip code.

Theresa Fritz-Endres - Newsletter Editor

Theresa is a PhD student in the College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric
Sciences studying calcifying marine micro-organisms and their use as
proxies for climate change. Theresa is interested in sharing science with the
community and is looking forward to writing about these opportunities in the
WiS Newsletter.

5 
Oregon State University Student Group Dec 8, 2018 

A note from the editors: Kelsey and Theresa

We are excited to report to you inspiring updates and upcoming events
from Women in Science, OSU. We hope to use this space to highlight
the research that women and minorities are conducting at Oregon
State University and in our broader community. We welcome your
stores, pictures, and updates and are always accepting information at
lanemary@oregonstate.edu​ and ​fritzent@oregonstate.edu​.  

Look for our next updates coming to you in December!

Contact Us
We’re always looking for new ways to engage the OSU community. If you have an idea for a future
event, please reach out to our leadership team. We are excited about growing our initiatives to
achieve equity and full participation for all women in science.

Connect with Us
Subscribe to our ListServ

WIS Facebook Page

WIS Website

6