Six years ago, Bereket Berhanu (Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, ’24) arrived in the United States knowing two words in English: “No” and “Yes.” In June, Bereket graduated with a major in biochemistry and molecular biology along with two minors. The healthcare struggles he witnessed growing up in Ethiopia fueled a desire to uplift his community through quality medical care. Starting optometry school at a toptier program in California, he plans to eventually return to Ethiopia to open his own practice. “I am determined to make a difference in underserved areas, bridging gaps and advocating for meaningful change,” Bereket said. Despite the rocky start she had at her first university, Samantha Crockett (Zoology, ’24) found a perfect fit in Oregon State’s Ecampus zoology program. The program’s flexibility enabled her to study from her home in Los Angeles while also pursuing local opportunities, like working at the California Wildlife Center. Spending last summer at Hatfield Marine Science Center further solidified her passion for the natural world’s lively and diverse residents. Samantha’s experiences and undergraduate studies have inspired her to explore her field in all its forms. “It pushed me to expand my horizons in zoology,” she said. For alumnus Ryan Holzschuh (Mathematics, ’24), falling in love with numbers didn’t truly happen until he arrived at Oregon State. His professors brought algebra, physics and statistics to life, which let Ryan’s mathematical passion flourish. Now graduated with a minor in actuarial science, he moved to Boston University where he will continue to follow numbers to whatever destination they take him, possibly a career as a quantitative analyst. “I like how math has one answer,” he said. “I like how you go from Point A to Point B, and there are different ways to go, but you’re always going to get to Point B.” Evan Park (Chemistry, ’24) has taken home a gold medal in rowing and, since this last spring, a bachelor’s degree in chemistry. Although she’d pursued chemistry before college, Evan had never even touched an oar until the OSU rowing team invited students to learn more about the sport. She has since taken the rowing world by storm while advocating for studentathletes and balancing a full STEM course load. “It’s been a lot of work, but I’m proud of it,” she said. Evan plans to attend graduate school at the University of Washington. Catherine Sterrett (Microbiology, ’24) always felt called to a career in medicine. But after she found herself in a hospital as a patient, her greatest motivation became bringing humanity into medicine. The varying quality of care she received compelled her to imbue compassion into her own future experiences with patients. “I like being able to cultivate that relationship with people and build that trust,” she said. Theoretical physics isn’t a mainstay of Star Wars, so Joey Takach (Physics and Mathematics, ’24) turned his attention from model lightsabers to quantum field theories. Inspired by the sci-fi franchise, he began exploring science when he was young and followed this passion all the way to college as a physics and mathematics student. Since graduating in the spring, he has started to pursue a Ph.D. at UC Berkeley, aiming to teach and conduct research in particle physics and phenomenology. “I love sharing the experience of learning something for the first time. It’s motivating, fulfilling and fun,” he said. Mary Tunstall (Data Analytics, ’24) dove into the Ecampus data analytics master’s program at Oregon State while working remotely as a resort OSU lauds a genomics pioneer’s deep impact Michael Waterman (Mathematics ’64, ’66), received an honorary doctorate at OSU’s 2024 commencement. This honor recognizes his impact as an internationally celebrated mathematician and biologist, an eminent figure in bioinformatics, a trailblazer in computational biology and an architect of the Human Genome Project, which advanced genomics and deepened the world’s understanding of life’s genetic foundation. Serving on the College of Science Board of Advisors, Waterman received the College’s Lifetime Achievement in Science Award in 2020. He has created an endowed scholarship for College of Science students. hotel director. Her interest in the field piqued when she began comparing survival rates and treatment impact for primary biliary cholangitis, shifting her focus from hospitality to applied survival analysis. The experience showed her the immense potential hidden in raw data at her fingertips. “It’s been a really eye-opening experience — I don’t know a lot about the disease and what causes it, but I can look at this data set and make recommendations that might be better for patients,” she said. IMPACT FALL 2024 5
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