Science Pubs 2019-2020
May 18, 2020 - Virtual Event
Heceta Bank: Oregon's Hidden Wonder
Jack Barth, Executive Director, OSU Marine Studies Initiative and Professor, OSU College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences; Bob Eder, Commercial Fisherman, Newport, OR; Bill Pearcy, Emeritus Professor, College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences; Loren Davis, Professor of Archaeology, Oregon State University; David Baker - Director Oregon State Productions; Waldo Wakefield, Courtesy Associate Professor in Marine Resources Management at Oregon State University and in the Cooperative Institute for Marine Resources Studies
The little-known Heceta Bank is one of the most productive areas on the Oregon coast and a hotspot for biological productivity due to its position and the influence of northern coastal currents in summers. Join OSU marine scientists and other experts to screen a new, short documentary featuring the submerged bank, located 35 miles off the Oregon coast, and learn about the surprising and beneficial impacts it has on our state’s coastal environments.
May 11, 2020 - Virtual Event
Runners and Their Shoes: Where Non-Traditional Running Footwear Meets Biomechanics
Running shoes prevent injury and improve performance. They date as far back as the late 1800s, and the first cushioned running shoe was introduced in 1964. Since then running footwear has evolved. Recent trends include a dramatically different shoe style – the minimal and maximal running shoe. Maximal running shoes provide runners with a highly cushioned midsole. Minimal running shoes provide little cushioning, if any. Kinesiology professor Christine Pollard, a biomechanist and physical therapist, is the director of the FORCE Laboratory. She’ll share what is known about the influence of various type of running shoes on our legs, knees and ankles - including the latest research. By the conclusion of her talk, you may have a better idea of things to consider when choosing your “ideal” running shoe.
February 18, 2020 — McMenamins Old St. Francis School, Bend – Father Luke’s Room
What’s in Your Snowpack? Snow, Water and the Power of Citizen Science
In the Pacific Northwest and other mountain environments, snow is an essential part of our water resources. The mountain snowpack stores and slowly releases water to downstream locations each spring. Stream ecology, agriculture and humans all benefit. Understanding the distribution and evolution of our snowpack is critical, but between cold temperatures, short daylight, and hard-to-get to locations, measuring it can difficult. Come learn how experts observe, record and study snow, and how they predict snow and ice melt. You'll also learn how citizen scientists enhance scientists' knowledge by crowdsourcing snow depth information.
Registration is now closed.
January 21, 2020 — McMenamins Old St. Francis School, Bend – Father Luke’s Room
Out of the Night, Into the Light: The Secret World of Bats
As a lead architect of the North American Bat Monitoring Program, Tom Rodhouse has devoted more than two decades to bat conservation. He leads the Northwestern Bat Hub, a research and monitoring initiative within the HERS Lab at OSU-Cascades. Join us to learn about the valuable services bats provide natural ecosystems, from pollination to pest control, to hear why these mammals have historically been difficult to study and how the Bat Hub team is monitoring bat populations, including here in Central Oregon. You’ll also learn about white-nose syndrome, a fungal condition that has been devastating to bats, and the impact of wind power turbines on bats in flight.
Registration is now closed.
November 19, 2019 — McMenamins Old St. Francis School, Bend - Father Luke's Room
Planes, Trains and Automobiles: Future Transportation
Technologies developed in the Energy Systems Lab at OSU-Cascades may shape how people and goods are transported in the future. Join professor and researcher Chris Hagen for a discussion about innovations in energy storage and engine technology that are changing how personal and transport vehicles are powered. He will also explore regulatory and economic factors that play a role in forecasting future transportation technologies. Hagen's research looks at energy conversion, novel transportation fuels, and the development of sensors for harsh environments. He developed a vehicle-based natural gas refueling system that led to the creation of a Bend-based company, OnBoard Dynamics. He launched a second company, Rogue Approach, which is advancing technology developed in the Energy Systems Lab that enables drones to fly farther and for longer periods of time. Hagen was recognized in 2017 by the Society of Automotive Engineers as one of the nation’s top young engineering educators.
Registration is now closed.
October 15, 2019 — McMenamins Old St. Francis School, Bend - Father Luke's Room
Modular and Portable: A New Way to Help Water Stressed Communities
Please note: This Science Pub has an earlier presentation start time of 6:15 p.m. Doors open at 5:30 p.m.
Around the globe, fresh water is increasingly scarce and untreated wastewater creates mounting public health challenges. Existing water desalination and wastewater treatment plants are large, permanent and expensive structures — features that are barriers for providing clean water in rural and impoverished areas, and in locations where water is needed urgently. Join OSU-Cascades researcher Bahman Abbasi to learn about efforts underway at the Bend campus to help stressed communities around the world by using thermal sciences to design innovative and perhaps lifesaving technologies. Abbasi is the recipient of more than $4 million in research awards from the U.S. Department of Energy to turn salt water into drinking water, and to treat hydraulic fracturing wastewater to improve the public health and environmental impact concerns associated with untreated wastewater.
Registration is now closed.
September 17, 2019 — McMenamins Old St. Francis School, Bend - Father Luke's Room
Does Your Dog/Cat Love You? The Science behind Human-Animal Bonds
Pet owners can form remarkable, deep and mutual bonds with their animals. Join OSU researcher Monique Udell to explore the source and nature of these human-animal bonds, and the impact these bonds may have on our own dogs and cats. Udell’s research team focuses on the development of cross-species interactions and the variety of social attachments that can develop in both wild and domesticated animals, particularly wolves, dogs and cats. The lab’s studies have examined human-animal attachment, the influence of social enrichment and training on welfare, and mutually beneficial approaches to animal assisted therapy.
Registration is now closed.