SEE WHERE OUR ALUMNI ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE. Making Us Proud “I hope to create opportunities for young women to get involved in marine science,” she said, “and to get out into the field to get valuable hands-on fieldwork experience.” What does an actuary do? When Erica Baird (Mathematics ’05, M.S. Mathematics ’09, Ph.D. Mathematics and Statistics ’13) first heard about actuarial science as an Oregon State mathematics student, she was skeptical. “I thought it was a scam,” she recalled. That skepticism disappeared as she learned more about a profession grounded in mathematics, statistics and real-world problemsolving. Today, Baird is a principal and consulting actuary at Milliman, where she leads research and development for a health care riskadjustment software product while advising clients across the industry. Taking krill research to the UK An undergraduate research expedition to Antarctica helped set the course for Oregon State’s first Marshall Scholar. Giulia Wood (Honors Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Environmental Science ’23; M.S. Ocean, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences ’26) earned the prestigious scholarship to pursue doctoral studies at the University of Liverpool, where she will continue investigating Antarctic krill and their role in the Southern Ocean. After working in labs at OSU and abroad, Wood found her focus in marine science and krill. Those tiny crustaceans are a cornerstone of the food web, sustaining species ranging from fish and seabirds to whales and penguins. Wood hopes to carry forward the mentorship she received. A lifetime of mathematics For Dale Comstock (M.A. and Ph.D. Mathematics ’64), mathematics has been a passport to a remarkable career. After military service in Germany, Comstock came to Oregon State, where he earned both his master’s degree and Ph.D. in mathematics. He later spent much of his career at Central Washington University, eventually serving as dean of the graduate school and dean of research. His work took him to more than 70 countries. Today, he is giving back through an endowed dissertation award supporting Oregon State mathematics doctoral students. “I’ve had a very successful life,” he said. “And I want to pay back what those institutions did for me.” Mathematics alumnus Dale Comstock (left) and Biochemistry and Molecular Biology alumna Giulia Wood (right) have taken what they’ve learned at OSU well beyond Corvallis. 12 OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY / COLLEGE OF SCIENCE
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