Juliana Betancourt has been using chemistry to dive into the secrets of nanoplastics, taking part in crucial research well before she finishes her undergraduate studies.
Sensat was awarded for his work developing new chemistries for adaptable polymer networks; providing materials for industrial and biomedical applications.
The novel sensor, which also has potential applications in health care and environmental monitoring, is based on the design principle of engineered interfacial chemistry. Funded by the National Science Foundation, the study by scientists at Oregon State and researchers in Taiwan was published in Applied Nano Materials, a journal of the American Chemical Society.
One day, in chemistry class at Hermiston High School, Trey Stephens-Cherry watched as his teacher let a piece of sodium plummet into a bucket full of water. The resulting explosion kickstarted a passion for chemistry that propelled him into the chemistry major at Oregon State University.
“Beyond being a scientist,” says Doctor Stephen, this term’s Graduate Student of the Quarter, “one of my interests is contributing to the society where I find myself.”
In the College of Science, materials scientist May Nyman and doctoral student Esther Julius are designing molecules that could help push the limits of traditional semiconductor manufacturing.
Both of the 2026 publications involve fluorescent proteins and their “core” chromophores that were first discovered in marine organisms such as jellyfish and coral. The earlier work focused on novel red-emitting graphene-sheet-based carbon dots engineered by the Cheng lab at College of Engineering.
The researchers used a molecule measuring technique to observe in a laboratory setting how certain metals can promote the protein clumping that leads to the blocked neural pathways associated with Alzheimer’s.
On Thursday, January 15, the lecture, “A chemist’s journey: Unlocking new battery chemistries for a sustainable future,” will showcase his pioneering work developing safer, lower-cost, high-energy batteries by uncovering new chemistry principles. He will also share how he went from a small town in northeast China to Canada and then leading breakthroughs on a global scale.
Four College of Science research teams have been awarded funding through SciRIS Stage 2 and Stage 3 categories. Their projects span quantum materials, nanotechnology, spectroscopy, and cell-based computing — exploring spin waves for future computing, tracking nanoplastics in living systems, developing single-pixel spectrometers, and advancing cell-based artificial intelligence.
Oregon State’s 2025 Faculty Innovator Award celebrates Carter’s efforts to strengthen university innovation as his company, Valliscor, launches a major expansion in the Willamette Valley.
Meet a new member of the Department of Chemistry whose lab explores stimuli-responsive molecules for applications in drug delivery, tissue engineering and biomimicry.
Scientists in the College of Science have filed a patent on a design for a new magnetic resonance imaging contrast agent with the potential to outperform current agents while being less toxic to patients and more environmentally friendly.
