2019 Annual Report of Research

By Irem Y. Tumer, Interim Vice President for Research

Like many major organizations and businesses, Oregon State University thrives on collaboration. Working closely with faculty researchers, OSU leaders and other partners has given me a new appreciation for the power of conversation, communication and the open exchange of ideas. This give-and-take leads to fruitful — and often unexpected — results.

Having moved to OSU 13 years ago from NASA’s highly collaborative Ames Research Center, it is difficult for me to imagine a place where colleagues work in their offices alone. Whether in serendipitous encounters or in formal gatherings, the sharing of fresh, new and inspiring perspectives fuels our amazingly productive research enterprise.

This dynamic — part art, part science — derives from the OSU community’s commitment to probe and seek solutions to some of our planet’s most vexing issues: water availability, food production, infectious diseases, disaster response and climate change. Much of this work occurs at the intersection of diverse disciplines: science and liberal arts, engineering and human health, technology and music.

Together, we inspire new ways of thinking, generate economic and social benefits and ultimately save lives.

In my role at OSU, I am honored to help lead endeavors that achieved a 15% increase in research funding in the last fiscal year. Collaboration and relationship building are key elements of the university’s foundation, established 150 years ago to serve Oregon — and now serving the nation and the world.

Download the 12-page 2019 annual report of research or read more below.

Safety in Numbers

Out of the Shadows

Drinking Water from the Sea

Is There a Pill for That?

High Ground

Growing Partnerships