Alumni Profiles

Profile:

I graduated in the winter of 2009 with a Master’s in Molecular and Cellular Biology through the PSM Program in Applied Biotechnology. My undergraduate degree was in Industrial Biotechnology and during the final year of my study, I was actively seeking a program that had both advanced molecular biology and business courses in its curriculum. I was happy to find out about the PSM program at OSU, which has the right mix of science and business courses.  I was sure this program would not only broaden my molecular biology knowledge base but would also help me adapt to any kind of work setting. And the results were very rewarding. The PSM program equipped me with advanced molecular biology concepts and also taught me the nuances of business. The business courses gave me an understanding of management practices and armed me with knowledge about how to start a business and operate it successfully. I also gained advanced knowledge in the field of molecular biology through the high-end courses offered through the MCB program. I interned at MitoSciences in Eugene, Oregon. The company is the leading developer of mitochondrial antibodies, assays, and products and services for mitochondrial toxicity screening. My main responsibility was to characterize and validate the antibodies produced by the company. It was really a rewarding experience since I gained a thorough understanding of how scientific concepts are applied in an industrial setting and put to good use in terms of generating revenues. Following the internship, I was offered a full-time position with the company. If you have any questions about the program or would like to know more about my experience at OSU, please feel free to drop me an email at lalithambigai@gmail.com.

Profile: Since completion of my degree in Fall Term 2006, I have returned to my position at the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality. I took a one year educational leave of absence to devote full time to the completion of the degree requirements. Shortly after my return, I received a promotion to Natural Resource Specialist III in the laboratory division where I continue to manage and assure quality of the information created by our air quality monitoring network at sites throughout Oregon. In August of 2007, I also began working as a botanical consultant for Oregon’s Wild Harvest, a grower and distributor of herbal supplements. I am verifying the genus and species of plants grown on their 40 acre farm and those that they purchase wholesale for distribution under their label. This involves keying out and positively identifying plants that are both native to this area and many that are native to Europe, Japan, China, India, Sri Lanka and other places within North America. It has been interesting trying to find the botanical manuals for some of these distant places and learning about the flora. I have also been creating an herbarium of dried and pressed plant samples for staff reference. Most recently I have been creating a virtual photographic herbarium for use on the company website and as a marketing tool. In January of 2008, I also began teaching a non-majors biology course series (Bio 101/102/103) at Mt. Hood Community College in Gresham, Oregon just east of Portland. This term we are covering an introduction to genetics and heredity looking at life cycles and reproductive efforts of both plants and animals. Next term, the focus will be on ecology, with a few field trips to study forest botany. It has been rewarding so far to be able to pass on my enthusiasm for biology to students who have not had a great deal of experience in this subject. I have been keeping busy with these projects and my 3 acres of organic vegetables and shrubs, and the nurturing of my own woodlot of native trees such as red alder, Douglas fir and western red cedar. All of the employment situations I am engaged in are at least partially due to the fact that I have completed my Master’s Degree. My PSM degree has been working for me!

fatbirdfarm@gmail.com

Profile: After graduating from the PSM environmental sciences program in December 2007, I took some time off to travel around Europe and relax in Illinois with family.  In fall of 2008, I joined the Land and Water Division of Burns & McDonnell in Kansas City, Missouri.  I’m currently working as a wetland scientists within their Environmental Studies and Permitting office.   I never would have imagined such a great start as my first major career step!  I travel all over the U.S. to work on various delineation, mitigation, and restoration projects.  The PSM program at Oregon State University was one of the crucial steps needed for such a wonderful start.  The diversity of training offered throughout the program not only helped me prepare for a career in science, but also for often ignored aspects of work such as public speaking, business management, communication, and computer skills.  I am very thankful that I enrolled in the program and still miss what I consider to be a second home in Oregon State University and Corvallis, Oregon.  Please feel free to contact me with questions you may have at tbeemer@burnsmcd.com. 

Profile: Before OSU, I earned a BA in Biology; Environmental Emphasis with Chemistry and Economics minors from the University of Northern Iowa.  I was interested in the PSM program because it provided a unique opportunity to combine the worlds of business and science in one degree.  The degree piqued further interest in business education and I am currently seeking an MBA from the University of Iowa to develop a solid business and management foundation.  In hindsight, the opportunity at OSU and the personal growth I experienced enriched my life beyond words.  The PSM program played a significant role in my development as a professional and helped propel my young career.  After graduating from the PSM program at OSU, I worked as a consultant for over two years, and now, in addition to completing an MBA, am working for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources as the TMDL Program Coordinator in the watershed improvement section http://www.iowadnr.com/water/watershed/tmdl/index.html

Profile: The PSM program integrated well with my professional goals in the environmental field because it uniquely coordinated coursework in business, ethics, and communication with the Environmental Sciences Program. My internship experience with the National Council for Air and Stream Improvement (NCASI) provided an opportunity to extend my expertise in analytical methods and data management outside of the laboratory framework while learning about forest watershed management strategies by participating in the Alsea Watershed Study Revisited (AWSR). This is a paired watershed study intended to evaluate Oregon forest practice rules with regard to water quality and fish habitat when applied to current private forest management practices. Water quality and fish habitat in the Alsea watershed was studied extensively 30 years ago and illustrated the impacts of forest management practices in use at that time. This revisit to the watershed provides a rare opportunity to compare data between historical and current management practices. The study is a cooperative endeavor involving Plum Creek Timber Company, OSU Department of Forest Engineering, Colorado State University Department of Forest, Rangeland, and Watershed Stewardship, the United States Geological Survey, the United States Department of Agriculture, and NCASI where business strategies, ethics, and communication are important aspects of a successful joint venture. The internship resulted in the development of a quality assurance project plan and prototype data management system to support the ten year AWSR. I am continuing this endeavor with the objective of facilitating the exchange of watershed data and information between collaborators through a web-based data management system. Over the course of this program I associated with a number of students and professors that truly enriched the experience and gave me a better understanding of different points of view both environmentally and personally. My family, friends, and work colleagues were overwhelmingly supportive, particularly my husband Jim, who picked up many of the household duties and kept me nourished. I am particularly appreciative of Dr. George Ice with NCASI's Forestry Watershed Program who served as my Major Professor and supported this uniquely rewarding opportunity. You really are never too old to go back to school and broaden your mind!

Profile: Growing up along the New England coast, I developed a love of ships and the sea, and a deep appreciation for the great economic, cultural, social, and recreational benefits the ocean provides and in turn, the importance of sustaining this great resource for generations to come. My interests led me to Texas A&M University in Galveston, Texas and then on to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Commissioned Officer Corps ( http://www.noaacorps.noaa.gov/ ). Smallest of the Nation’s seven uniformed services, the NOAA Commissioned Officer Corps provides the Nation with a cadre of professionals trained in science and engineering. Officers operate ships, fly aircraft, manage research projects, conduct diving operations, and serve in staff and leadership positions throughout NOAA. My assignments have taken me from the furthest reaches of the Aleutian Island Chain to remote areas of Louisiana's vast wetlands, all in support of NOAA’s mission to effectively manage and sustain the resources with which it has been entrusted. After 14 years with the Corps, I had the fortunate opportunity to first discover, and then participate in Oregon State University's Professional Science Masters Program (PSM) in Environmental Sciences. I had been searching for a graduate program where I could capitalize on my experience, while gaining the skills I required to be an effective environmental professional as I progress to higher-level assignments within NOAA. In the PSM program, I found exactly what I was looking for. Through its unique blend of science, business, leadership, communication, and ethics, combined with numerous experiential learning opportunities, the PSM program provided the training I required to be highly effective as I move into the second half of my career. Whether an individual is coming directly from an undergraduate degree program, or returning to school after working for several years, the PSM curriculum provides the perfect balance of training and experience to ensure one can function effectively at the increasingly important interfaces between science, technology, industry, and government.  If you have any questions I can be contacted via email at: todd.a.bridgeman@noaa.gov .

Profile: I graduated in 2005 with a Master’s in Botany and Plant Pathology through the Professional Science Master’s degree program in Applied Systematics – Botany. After receiving my Bachelor’s degree in biology from Bates College in Lewiston, Maine, I worked with the Maine Nature Conservancy and the Maine Natural Areas Program. As a field ecologist I was able to explore the kettle-hole bogs, salt marshes and hardwood forests of the Northeast. After leaving the Northeast, I worked with the Bureau of Land Management in the Great Basin desert in Nevada and in the Douglas-fir forests of southwest Oregon. I also spent five years managing a research program for the Jornada Basin Long-term Ecological Research Station in the Chihuahuan desert of New Mexico, desperately praying for rain so there would be new plants to study. I left the desert to pursue a Master’s degree in the rainy Northwest. The Applied Systematics program seemed to uniquely fit my need for more technical skills to supplement my professional experience. My Master’s internship involved applying GIS analysis to herbarium georeferenceing. I currently work as a research botanist with the USDA Forest Service in Corvallis, Oregon studying understory vegetation response to prescribed fire and grazing, and the control of invasive weeds in fuel-reduction-management programs.

Profile: I was introduced to the PSM program when I decided to change careers at my place of employment, Environmental Protection Agency. The research projects that I had been involved with had a need for GIS (geographic information systems) skills and database development. The PSM program seemed the perfect fit to increase my knowledge of environmental issues while also providing the opportunity to do an internship using GIS. I am currently working at the EPA in the Risk Characterization Branch focusing on pesticide issues and terrestrial habitat scenarios.

Profile: I came to Oregon State with the hope that the Botany PSM program would provide me with training and experience to work as a professional in natural resource management.  That hope has become a reality. The PSM program provided me with an exciting internship opportunity with the US Forest Service in the Cascade Head Scenic Research Area. Our assignment was to develop a community supported plan for environmental restoration projects and to make recommendations for policy and management changes. My work as part of the team of natural resource specialists included the planning of design elements for new restoration projects in the Salmon River estuary on the central Oregon coast.  As the botanist on the project I accomplished the following: i) conducted field research surveys towards assessing and prioritizing the implementation of restoration projects; ii) gathered ecological data to determine plant populations and communities. Data collected included hydrologic, geologic, historic and current conditions specific to the restoration sites; iii) mapped historic and future plant communities and plant populations using GIS and GPS technology; and iv) provided technical guidance in planning the restoration and management of the diverse range of plant communities in the marine/aquatic/terrestrial interface of the estuary.  Our success was measured by an overwhelmingly positive response from a large portion of the general public, the local agencies and the project sponsors.  Many of the 23 million dollars in projects that were developed through the project are in various phases of additional planning and implementation.  

Profile: I graduated in 2007 with a Master of Science degree in Applied Physics through the Professional Science Masters (PSM) program. Prior to attending OSU, I graduated in 2002 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Physics from the University of California at San Diego. Before coming to OSU, I spent some time working at Intel and decided that I wanted to take my education and career further than I could with a standard degree. I felt the combination of science and business coursework that the PSM program offered would provided a competitive advantage for working in industry that would open up opportunities not as easily available to a standard Master’s degree. I interned at View Plus Technologies in Corvallis, Oregon. While there, I worked on their next generation of brail embossers. Currently, I am working at ViaSat Inc., located in Carlsbad, California. I test military satellite communication equipment related to UHF SATCOM.

Profile: After graduating from the PSM program in spring 2008, I secured a position with the Yakama Nation as a Wildlife Biologist.  I was hired to assist with survey fieldwork in meadow habitats on the Yakama Reservation.  Previous employment as a vegetation technician along with a background in wildlife assisted in securing the position; however, the deciding factor was my internship experience with the Forest Service in stream restoration and advanced coursework in wetlands and riparian ecology.  The PSM program was an opportunity to further my education in science while gaining valuable skills in business management, communication, and ethics that will only pave the way for future employment.  If you have any questions regarding my personal experience in the PSM program, please feel free to contact me at kellym.clayton@gmail.com.

Profile: I graduated from the Applied Biotechnology track of the PSM program at OSU with an MS in Molecular and Cellular Biology in March of 2007 after completing an internship with an antibiotic development company called Replidyne, Inc. in Louisville, CO. Doing this, I was able to become more familiar with the drug development process and FDA regulations. After my internship I was offered and accepted the position of Associate Molecular Biologist with a company called Luca Technologies in Golden, CO. I currently work on molecular identification and classification of subsurface consortia microbes involved in methanogenesis and the biodegradation of coal and other hydrocarbons.

Profile: I came to Oregon State University after receiving my B.S. in physics from Linfield College. I started in the Ph.D. program in the physics department at OSU. After completing the first year of coursework, I felt that a Master's degree would better serve my immediate goals. The following year, I completed the additional coursework to receive a PSM in Applied Physics. The business, communications, and ethics courses provided me with a broader set of skills to pursue a career in high tech industry. The final degree requirement for the PSM program is an internship experience. I spent the summer of 2006 working at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. I worked in the Low Temperature Physics Group studying the attenuation of light through fiber optic cables at various temperatures. In September 2006, I began working at WaferTech in Camas, Washington as a product engineer: this position studies the electrical tests on a chip to determine if the chip is viable. This position also involved failure analysis which is the study of physical defects in the chip that are causing failures. I was transferred to process integration engineering in February. This position requires a thorough understanding of semiconductor device fundamentals. The coursework at OSU that directly relates to my current work includes, most importantly, Semiconductor Device Fundamentals (ECE 417) (offered through the EE department), the full year of Analog and Digital Electronics, and Solid State Physics, both offered in the physics department. Business ethics was also a very important class not only for my current career but also for my internship experience where I was given a great deal of freedom designing my experiment. I think it is important as a PSM student to look at your future goals and find additional classes outside of the requirements that will help you gain the skills necessary to pursue those goals.

Profile: Following graduation from Oregon State University with a B.S. in Environmental Economics, Policy, and Management, I entered the PSM Program's Environmental Science Track. From my undergraduate experience I had built a solid foundation of skills in economics and policy, but desired the fundamentals of science and compliments of professional skills to become a well-rounded environmental expert. The professional skill development has also proven to be extremely effective and useful, and is an essential component of any professional’s repertoire. To fulfill the program's internship requirement, I accepted an internship with the Ecological Careers Organization as an Environmental Planner at the Bureau of Land Management's Yuma Field Office. This assignment was specifically contracted to complete a comprehensive Resource Management Plan (RMP/EIS) for 1.3 million acres of public lands and resources. Following the internship, I took temporary placement as a federal employee at the BLM office, gaining greater responsibility on the RMP project and experience with federal land management. After the employment with the BLM, I returned to Oregon to begin an entrepreneurial business development in the biofuels industry and raised capital for Bioco Biofuels LLC. I also joined Spectron Energy's environmental desk as an Environmental Markets Broker and Analysts; dealing with global GHG reduction programs, state's Renewable Portfolio Standards for renewable energy mandates, and emissions cap and trade financial markets. I found the PSM program to fit my both my academic and personal ambitions, and thrived in the collegial environment fostered by the program. The program offered two great distinct strengths that benefited me in my professional life. First, the learning community within the PSM program brings together a technically diverse student body from all PSM tracks, where students individually contribute their strengths in a collective team environment. Second, the flexibility in the program's curriculum enables students to pursue their individual professional and intellectual interests while requiring extremely valuable skill development courses otherwise overlooked in other programs.

Profile: I currently live in Oregon and work for a Portland area biotech company doing medical diagnostic technology research and development.  I am chiefly responsible for the development and management of a database of experiments and results, development and maintainence of the supporting server and code base, and the development of data analysis methods.

Profile: I graduated from the PSM program at OSU with a master's in Environmental Science in 2008.  I completed my undergraduate education at the University of Oregon with a B.S. in Environmental Studies and Geography.  I then spent six years working on various ecological research projects in the academic and private sectors, gaining experience in field crew supervision, data management, and field sampling methodologies.  I chose the PSM program to further my education because I was interested in the internship component and the program's shared emphases on science and business curriculum.  My internship project with The Nature Conservancy involved coordinating a creek and wet prairie restoration feasibility study in the West Eugene Wetlands.  I am now employed as a research ecologist with the Wetland and Watershed Assessment Group at Earth Design Consultants in Corvallis. I am working on studies monitoring biocontrol agents for the invasive weed purple loosestrife in the Lower Columbia River, and assessing the habitat occupied by the invasive acquatic macrophyte Cabomba in Oregon's coastal lakes.  My responsibilities include crew supervision, data collection and analysis, report and proposal writing, and GIS analysis.

Profile: Through OSU’s Professional Master’s program in Applied Biotechnology, I obtained an MS in Molecular and Cellular Biology. My internship at the Center for Genome Research and Biocomputing (CGRB) on the OSU campus involved learning to perform the services offered there, such as DNA sequencing, genotyping, and designing custom microarrays. Additionally, I designed, conducted, and analyzed results of a survey which allowed the center to gain insight into the level of satisfaction of its customers. The science, business and communication exposure I received during my PSM experience enabled me to find a wonderful job at the DNA EpiCenter (www.dnaepicenter.org) as a Staff Scientist where I am involved in all aspects of a non-profit including marketing, science curriculum development, and grant writing.

Profile: I graduated in 2005 with a Master's degree in Molecular & Cellular Biology through the Professional Science Master's Program in Applied Biotechnology. As part of the program, I chose to do a summer internship in 2004 at the Institute for Systems Biology (ISB) with Dr. Tim Galitski, where I worked on yeast as a model organism for fungal pathogenesis. This internship, along with my previous lab experience, helped me to get a job at ISB as a research associate in Ruedi Aebersold's lab, a leading researcher in the field of proteomics and biomarker discovery. I worked on characterizing cell surface proteins in lymphocytes in order to identify protein markers in patients which will effectively be used to identify biomarkers in leukemia. Most recently, I worked as a Research Associate at the Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute (VGTI) on the west campus of OHSU. The experience I gained in preparation of proteomic samples and in mass spectrometry gave me the opportunity to work at the VGTI as the manager of the Proteomics Core Facility. My job is to provide consultation for proteomics projects and to run samples on the mass spectrometer, as well as to perform analysis of the data using computation tools. I am currently a student at OHSU’s School of Medicine.

Profile: The PSM program, for me, represents an opportunity to refocus my education and experience towards a career in the corporate sector. Its emphasis of the application of thought to areas outside of an academic discipline made it highly attractive to me. I've spent a few years studying biology but now I'd like to move my career to something with broader applicability, and the environmental sciences are a perfect fit for that.

Profile: I am excited to be part of the PSM in Applied Plant Systematics as it tailors very well to what the current environmental science community needs right now: technical workers with effective skills in communication and business organization. Working many years as a technical biologist, with many private public agencies, I have noticed how such skills can benefit an organization whose resources are limited. I believe that this program is addressing need for fundamental changes in science education today. I look forward to applying myself to the diverse curriculum provided through OSU while engaging and forming working relationships with the unique local network of organizations that are providing the tools, research and hard work to conserve and restore Willamette Valley and Oregon ecosystems. My primary interests are invasive plant ecology, rare plant community dynamics, structural and functional restoration of critical habitats such as Willamette Valley wet and upland prairie systems and conservation based land management. I hope to find a niche within in the public, private or non-profit sector when I graduate; a career that can support my lifelong pursuit of hiking the never ending alpine peaks and valleys of the west.

Profile: I received my MS degree in Applied Physics from Oregon State University through the Professional Science Master’s (PSM) program in the fall of 2007. This program encompasses a blend of science and business courses that successfully provide students with the critical skills necessary in innovative businesses. After performing two years of graduate teaching, interning at NASA, SRI International, and SETI, and completing a broad set of applied physics courses, I sought an internship outside of traditional physics fields as an appropriate capstone to my PSM program. I found such an opportunity in the Financial Department of ViewPlus Technologies, Inc. in Corvallis, OR. As the founder and president stated (physicist Dr. John Gardner), “The study of physics is in practice the study of problem solving.” And thus, I would be well suited for addressing financial issues. I now work fulltime for ViewPlus, where I am in training to be the CFO. I also instruct one undergraduate physics lab at Oregon State University. I enjoy my work at ViewPlus because it leverages my talents, challenges me, and offers opportunities for continued personal growth. Recently, I returned from a year-long deployment in Kuwait where I served as a policy advisor, a website administrator, and a Sergeant (i.e. manager) for the U.S. Army’s efforts in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, and Africa. I earned an Honorable Discharge for my eight years of military service, and I was awarded an Army Commendation Medal for my efforts in Kuwait. I was once a determined English and Music double major at Western Oregon University before being asked to substitute teach for a physics course I was currently in. This encouragement changed my career direction, yet I remain a prolific writer with professional and creative publications. I also enjoy systematic problem solving, taking charge of projects, giving presentations, investing, travel, triathlons, Frisbee-golf, music composition, my lovely wife, always learning, and feeling challenged. Please view my resume website at http://joshua-j-mellon.tripod.com, and feel free to get in contact with me.

Profile: While extensively researching career choices within the biological sciences, I was delighted to find the newly designed PSM program, and was even happier to discover that this program had been implemented at Oregon State University. I hope to increase and refine my curricular experience with further molecular/cellular coursework and lab techniques, as well as gain a basic grounding in core business methods. This unique academic experience will provide the opportunity to pursue a research and development career in the areas of genetics or oncology.

Profile: I graduated in spring 2008 from the PSM program with a master’s in Environmental Science where I focused on Water Resources. My internship focused on water quality of the Middle Fork Willamette Sub-basin. I worked with multiple partners to develop and complete TMDL Implementation Plans for two rural cities. Currently, I am serving as “Watershed Technical Specialist” for the Lincoln Soil & Water Conservation District in Newport, OR. My scope of work includes conservation and water quality planning, writing grant proposals for restoration and monitoring projects, and managing the “MidCoast Non-point Pollution Program” and “Agricultural Water Quality Management Area Plan”. I feel very fortunate that I found a position that utilizes what I have learned from the PSM curriculum, expands on my interests that unraveled at OSU, and gives me the opportunity to turn scientific, economical and social concepts into on-the-ground collaboration and action.

Profile: I graduated from the PSM program in Environmental Sciences at OSU in 2008 where I focused on biogeochemistry. My internship project with Western Ag Innovations Inc. involved sustainable agriculture and food production systems in the U.S. and Canada. I studied the nutrient dynamics of inter-seeding legumes with cereal crops using ion-exchange technology, specifically Plant Root Simulator (PRS) probes, in dryland wheat-pea production systems. The internship also allowed me to study the business dynamics of two environmentally-friendly agrarian groups that promote sustainable farming practices and third-party certification. The PSM program at OSU helped me gain skills in science as well as business management, which enabled me to serve in this dynamic role. After completing my degree, I secured a position with Western Ag Innovations, Inc. as a Research and Development Coordinator. I wish to assist decision makers, not only by employing new technologies like PRS probes, but by generally expanding the use of soil quality improvement techniques to advance sustainable land management decisions.

Profile: I found the combination of business/professional education along with opportunity for advanced scientific course work to be ideal for my career (I have worked both technical/operations and supervisory/management). My preferred goal is to use this program to get back to work in an Environmental career, hopefully in GIS/Cartography, and possibly even research. However, the program's interdisciplinary nature may also help me to advance into upper management at my current employer.

Profile: My current interests and life goals include a career that can combine my previous horticultural credentials with a career in education. While I am interested in teaching in the public school system, I am also interested in alternative education. Much of what we learn in life is learned through our experiences outside of school. The combination of business and professional classes taken to enhance my current credentials in plant science allow me to diversify and market myself to a broad range of employers. The PSM program will allow me to pursue all future career and life goals.

Profile: I graduated in 2007 with an Master of Science degree in Applied Physics through the Professional Science Master's program. After graduating from Michigan State in 2005 with a B.S. in Physics I wanted to pursue a graduate program that would help me work towards a career in industry, so I came to Oregon State University for the PSM Program. I felt the combination of science and business that makes up a PSM degree would better prepare me for working in industry than a standard degree. I did my internship at Micro Systems Engineering, Inc. studying the effects of highly accelerated lifetime testing on ceramic capacitors, and I now work there as a component quality engineer.

Profile: I graduated in 2005 with a Master's degree in Genetics through the Professional Science Master's Program in Applied Biotechnology. In the summer of 2005 I did my internship at Peregrine Pharmaceuticals, where I worked on creating and modifying antibodies through manipulation of DNA sequences. As a result of the internship experience, I decided that I did not want to be a research scientist and was more interested in the business aspects of scientific companies. The Applied Biotechnology program prepared me for a transition into the business side of biotechnology and helped me get accepted to the Rady School at UC San Diego, where I earned an MBA in 2007. Exposure to communication, ethics, business, and science classes through the PSM program was a valuable experience that gave me flexibility in establishing my future career path. I am currently working full time at Nicholas Investment Partners in Rancho Santa Fe (San Diego) as their life sciences investment analyst.

Profile: I earned my Professional Science Master's degree in Environmental Sciences in 2004. I wanted to integrate my knowledge in consulting with new information and skills from departments ranging from business to forestry. My internship project involved assisting a communications service provider through land use processes associated with facility expansion, which was an extension of my earlier work in natural resources permitting and mitigation. Coursework on the role of science in policy decisions and communication, as well as having opportunities to discuss project issues with professors resulted in a noticeable improvement in my ability to execute and accurately communicate scientific and legal concepts to clients, the public, and review agencies.After working for nine years at a multidisciplinary civil engineering firm, I recently started a natural resources consulting business, Westbrook Science & Design, LLC. My work focuses on wetland delineations and buffer analyses, impact assessments, site planning, and permitting and mitigation for unavoidable impacts. If you would like to contact me, please visit the website: www.westbrookscience.com

Profile: I am currently enjoying the interdisciplinary approach that the PSM reflects, as a modern advanced degree. I came to OSU with a diverse range of environmental work under my belt. I have worked private, government, and consulting jobs, but I am looking to hone this wealth of field knowledge with practical financial and political understanding. It often appears to employers that I have no strict discipline or niche in the natural resources realm, and I tell them "yep, that's right"! I feel that the field needs a well rounded approach leading me to engage in such hobbies as film and website creation.

Profile: I chose the PSM program in order to strengthen my science background and also to increase my understanding of environmental policy and the operations of NGOs. I enjoyed the flexibility that the program afforded which really allowed me to make the degree my own. I interned with the Siuslaw National Forest managing an invasive plant restoration project in the Salmon River estuary. I have secured employment managing invasive plants with the Catalina Island Conservancy in Southern California.

Profile: I graduated in 2005 with a Master of Science degree in Molecular & Cellular Biology through the Professional Science Master's Program in Applied Biotechnology. I did my internship with Biomoles, Inc. in Seattle, WA, where I experienced various activities and learned how to collaborate science and business disciplines to be successful in the dynamic biotechnology industry. The opportunity to learn different disciplines (science and technologies, business, communication, and ethics) through this program was most useful to me.   I will be working for Otsuka Pharmaceuticals in Japan as a Medical Representative. Medical Representatives work to exchange information on drugs bewteen physicians and the pharmaceutical company to develop more effective and safer drugs and protocols. This work requires knowledge of not only science, but also product development, marketing, regulations, etc. and the PSM program has trained me to be competitive in such important tasks.

Profile: I decided to pursue a Master's degree in Molecular and Cellular Biology through the Professional Science Master's Program in Applied Biotechnology after graduating with a Bachlor's degree in Biology. Knowledge of advanced lab techniques was my ultimate goal when I chose this program. In order to fulfill my internship requirement, I participated in an internship with the Virus Certification Program of the Oregon Department of Agriculture. My internship project was to design a hybridization assay to be used by the department for the detection of Prune Dwarf Virus and Prunus Necrotic Ringspot Virus. Following my internship, I was offered a position with the state, and have continued to work for the Virus Program. Having a Professional Master's degree has given me an edge in an increasingly competitive job market, allowing me to have flexibility in the types of scientific jobs I can compete for.

Profile: I graduated in 2007 with a M.S. in Molecular & Cellular Biology through the Professional Masters' program in Applied Biotechnology. I had a great experience learning various molecular techniques and also gained good knowledge of business aspects of the industry. My internship was at SIGA Technologies, Corvallis where I worked as a Research Scientist. This experience helped to strengthen my technical skills further with industrial exposure. My internship project focused on the expression and purification of glycoprotein 2 in Arenavirus using various protein purification techniques. At present I am looking for a research position in biotech/pharma industry.

email:  srichaparala@gmail.com

Profile: I started my career on a farm and in a greenhouse, but this year marks over 10 years of work in the field, mostly in biological field studies and vegetation monitoring and inventory. While a PSM student at OSU, I interned through the Chicago Botanic Garden’s Conservation and Land Management Mentoring Program and worked with the Bureau of Land Management in southern New Mexico to initiate the Seeds of Success program for the state. After graduating in December 2006, I started my ambitious career as a botanist – I volunteered. While waiting to receive a post as a Peace Corps volunteer I went to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and helped conduct rare and invasive plant surveys. Now as a Peace Corps volunteer serving in the Mexico program, I’m working for the Tehuacán-Cuicatlcán Biosphere Reserve in the states of Puebla and Oaxaca. Current work includes GIS projects, ethnobotanical research, field collections, and writing plant field guides for this extremely cool piece of the globe.

Profile: I have 5 years of experience working in the environmental field and two years of experience working in the private sector as a wetland scientist at Pacific Habitat Services(PHS), Inc. Previous to the start of my full-time career I gained my MS in the Professional Masters Program at Oregon State University in the Environmental Science track. While at PHS, I gained experience in wetland delineations, natural resource assessments, habitat restoration and enhancement, and biological assessments. Recent projects that I have worked on include the Scholls Ferry Road bridge replacement over the Tualatin River, a Local Wetland Inventory for Cascade Locks, and Boeckman Creek stream restoration in Wilsonville.