To: OSU faculty and staff
From: Edward Feser, Provost and Executive Vice President
September 22, 2020
Dear OSU faculty and staff,
Welcome to the start of the new academic year. Even under the challenging conditions we face, this is an exciting time of the year. Thank you for your resilience, dedication and commitment to OSU’s research, teaching and engagement missions.
I write to inform you of an upcoming COVID-19 update webinar and events celebrating scholarship at OSU.
COVID-19 Update Webinar—September 25
I know you have received dozens of updates regarding our COVID-19 response and the volume of information can be overwhelming. A record of all of my communications is available here, we have archived all COVID-19 communications on this page, and we continue to update the COVID-19 Safety & Success websites (university-wide and OSU-Cascades).
Recognizing that there is a great deal of information to review and understand, we have scheduled a COVID-19 Update Webinar open to all employees for this Friday, September 25, from 1 to 2 pm. Senior administrators from Corvallis and OSU-Cascades will join me to provide a brief update followed by Q&A. To participate, please register here.
Week of Celebrating Scholarship—October 5-9
During the week of October 5, we will celebrate the scholarly accomplishments of OSU’s faculty with two Distinguished Professor lectures and the Authors and Editors series. Each event will be held via Zoom in the late afternoon/early evening. I hope you find them a relaxing and inspiring way to end your day.
2020 Distinguished Professor Lectures—October 6 & 7
OSU awards the Distinguished Professor designation to members of the faculty who have made extraordinary and pioneering contributions in their areas of expertise. Join us on October 6 and 7 for lectures by our two newest Distinguished Professors: David Williams and Yuji Hiratsuka.
- David Williams, Distinguished Professor and Helen P. Rumbel Professor for Cancer Prevention, Eat-Live Eat-Die: Carcinogens and Anti-Carcinogens in Food, October 6, 5 pm. Registration
- Yuji Hiratsuka, Distinguished Professor of Art, The Art of Print Making: Process and Content, October 7, 5 pm. Registration
Authors and Editors Series—October 5, 8 & 9
The Authors and Editors Series celebrates the remarkable range of literary and scholarly books OSU faculty publish each year by featuring selected authors/editors for readings and panel conversations.
- Oct. 5, 2020 at 4:30 p.m. A program centered on the theme of inequality featuring authors George Estreich for Fables and Futures: Biotechnology, Disability, and the Stories We Tell Ourselves; Allison Hurst for Amplified Advantage: Going to a “Good” College in an Era of Inequality; Kelsey Kretschmer for Fighting for NOW: Diversity and Discord in the National Organization for Women; and Rena Lauer for Colonial Justice and the Jews of Venetian Crete. Registration
- Oct. 8, 2020, 4:30 p.m. A focus on the environment featuring authors Randy Bell for contributions to the series National Geographic: Exploring Science; Will White for Population Dynamics for Conservation; Tim Jensen for Ecologies of Guilt in Environmental Rhetorics; and Judy Li for Ricky in the City: Where the Wildlife Live. Registration
- Oct. 9, 2020 at 4:30 p.m. A program centered on family, law and politics featuring authors Scott Akins for In the Weeds: Demonization, Legalization, and the Evolution of U.S. Marijuana Policy; Courtney Campbell for Bearing Witness: Religious Meanings in Bioethics; Kirsi Peltomaki for Public Knowledge: Selected Writings by Michael Asher; and Keith Scribner for Old Newgate Road. Registration
Provost’s Lecture Series—November 12 & February 4
The Provost’s Lecture Series is a partnership of the Office of the Provost and the OSU Foundation to bring renowned thinkers, artists, designers and leaders to OSU to engage the community on topics of global significance. Please mark your calendar for Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. on November 12, 2020 and Dr. Mae C. Jemison on February 4, 2021. Registration information is available here.
University Day Recording
If you were unable to attend University Day this last Tuesday, I encourage you to view the recording of the keynote event. We were pleased to host renowned higher education leader Dr. Freeman Hrabowski, president of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, who delivered an inspiring address and then joined President F. King Alexander, President Emeritus Ed Ray and Faculty Senate President-Elect Selina Heppell for a discussion on the future of public higher education.
Thank you once again for all you do for OSU and I wish you an outstanding start to the fall term.
Sincerely,
Edward Feser
Provost and Executive Vice President