RESEARCH OREGON 2006: OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY
High-strength, broad impact: Oregon State research
Fred Kamike, Jeld-Wen
Chair in Wood-Based Composite Science
|
ASK FRED KAMKE about composites, and he’ll hand you a
thin sheet of wood about the width and length of a cell phone
— and arguably as innovative. Kamke, holder of the
Jeld-Wen Chair in Wood-Based Composites Science at Oregon State
University, knows how to turn wood from poplar trees, which is
relatively weak, into a strong and resilient material. Since
plantation-bred hybrid poplars grow like weeds, adding 10 to 12
feet a year, Kamke’s research could generate a new
resource for the engineered wood industry.
Wood composites are just one new OSU technology. Other
examples: software, infectious disease treatments, crop
varieties and alternative energy systems. Last year, OSU signed
43 licensing agreements with companies using OSU research to
develop new products. They range from Clearfield wheat, which
covered more than 320,000 acres in the Pacific Northwest, to
transparent integrated circuits.
Oregon’s only statewide university, OSU had research
expenditures exceeding $193 million in the 2006 fiscal year and
an estimated economic impact of more than $1 billion.
INFECTIOUS DISEASE
Flu, plague, AIDS, cholera — epidemics devastate
communities and nations, leaving lasting scars. Luiz Bermudez
wants us to be prepared for the next one. He and his colleagues
in OSU’s College of Veterinary Medicine are conducting
research that could pave the way for new drugs and public
health measures. Their focus: early detection, new drugs and
the immune system.
BETTER CROPS
Water, sun, earth — they’re all concentrated in
Oregon’s famed sweet cherries and hazelnuts. OSU
horticulturist Anita Azarenko works on the ground and in the
trees, looking for ways to foster a locally sustainable system.
Together with orchard owners, she evaluates soil management
techniques and tests new varieties adapted to local
climates.
WESTERN RANGELAND
Sagebrush, a Western icon — home to pronghorn antelope,
sage grouse and other creatures — is disappearing.
Invasive cheatgrass, encroaching woodlands, fire and changing
climate are factors. OSU researchers and colleagues from across
the West are studying ways to reverse the trend. Says OSU
forestry professor Paul Doescher, the goal is “enhanced
ecological diversity,” including native plants, insects
and wildlife.
HIGH SCHOOLS
American high schools are steeped in bygone traditions and
practices. For many students, those old ways aren’t
working. Dropout rates are too high. Achievement is too low. So
researchers in OSU’s College of Education have partnered
with Employers for Education Excellence (E3) to study
Oregon’s most innovative high schools. Michael Dalton and
Molly Knott are investigating examples of inventiveness. Their
findings will help move schools into the future.
CLIMATE CHANGE
Wet winters and dry summers frame the Northwest’s
climate. They set the stage for our agricultural bounty,
productive forests and recreation. But climate may be changing.
To understand the signs, Nicklas Pisias and colleagues in
OSU’s College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences are
looking to the past. Ocean sediments, ice cores and even caves
may hold clues. The signals of change may already be
flashing.
See what else is happening
at Oregon State University. Visit us on the web at www.oregonstate.edu.
OREGON STATE
UNIVERSITY
CORVALLIS, OREGON
541.737.8956
