34 OSU Faculty are Promoted to Associate Professor
As Oregon's land grant university, Oregon State University is committed to educating, both on and off-campus, the citizens of Oregon, the nation, and the international community, and in expanding and applying knowledge. Candidates for promotion are evaluated objectively for evidence of distinction in their performance of assigned duties and in their scholarship or creative activity. The excellence of our faculty is paramount and we are very proud of the faculty recently promoted to the rank of associate professor.
Cecily Bishop Associate Professor | Animal and Rangeland Sciences
Cecily Bishop received her B.S. in Animal Science from Washington State University and her Ph.D.in Biology of Reproduction, minor Biochemistry/Biophysics from Oregon State University under the mentorship of Fredrick Stormshak, Ph.D. She completed a Postdoctoral Fellowship under the mentorship of Richard Stouffer, Ph.D. at the Oregon National Primate Research Center at Oregon Health & Science University, where she transitioned to a Research Assistant Professor before joining the faculty at Oregon State University. Her research at OSU includes studies into a guinea pig model for Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, ovarian cryopreservation in sheep, and strategies to improve fertility in cattle.
Taylor Chapple Associate Professor | Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Sciences & Coastal Oregon Marine Experiment Station
Dr. Taylor Chapple is an Associate Professor in Fisheries Wildlife and Conservation Sciences and the Coastal Oregon Marine Experiment Station. As a marine ecologist and the leader of the Big Fish Lab, Dr. Chapple uses a variety of electronic tag technologies (satellite, acoustic and biologging tags) and laboratory analyses to examine movement, behavior, physiology, habitat use and foraging ecology of large sharks and fish. Dr. Chapple and his lab have a large focus on science communication and education, developing and contributing to significant outreach and science-based popular media.
Christopher Janousek Associate Professor, Senior Research | Fisheris, Wildlife, and Conservation Sciences
Dr. Christopher Janousek is an Associate Professor, Senior Research at Oregon State University. He has studied the ecology of tidal marshes for two decades, particularly along the west coast of North America. His research focuses on estuarine plant and algal ecology, climate change impacts to estuaries, coastal restoration ecology, and blue carbon. He received a BA from UC Santa Cruz and PhD from UC San Diego. He has also held research and teaching positions at UC Davis, the US EPA, Sonoma State University, and California State University, Long Beach. He is currently co-coordinator of the Pacific Northwest Blue Carbon Working Group.
Navneet Kaur Associate Professor | Crop and Soil Science
Dr. Navneet Kaur is an Associate Professor and Extension Entomologist at the Oregon State University. Dr. Kaur has statewide extension and research responsibilities, primarily focusing on insect pest management in field crops in Oregon. Before arriving at OSU, Navneet earned a B.S. and M.S. degree in Entomology from Punjab Agricultural University India and a Ph.D. in Entomology from the University of Florida. Dr. Kaur is an editor for the Pacific Northwest Insect Management Handbook, a widely used resource for practical insect pest management in the Pacific Northwest.
Jung Kwon Associate Professor | Food Science and Technology
Dr. Jung Kwon is an Associate Professor of Food Science and Technology at Oregon State University. She earned her Ph.D. in Food Science from Purdue University and completed postdoctoral training in Nutritional Science and Toxicology at UC Berkeley, as well as in Molecular Medicine at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. Dr. Kwon's research focuses on understanding the nutritional and biological impacts of diverse dietary resources on human health at both cellular and physiological levels, with a primary emphasis on aquatic foods. Her work is particularly centered on utilizing underutilized and highly sustainable dietary resources to enhance the effective use of harvested resources, support a sustainable food system, and promote human health. Her research contributes to the development of nutritional guidelines and biomedical applications aimed at improving health and preventing disease.
Rachael Orben Associate Professor, Senior Research | Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Sciences
Dr. Rachael Orben is an applied seabird ecologist who is interested in how individual marine animals interact with their environment through movement: from fine-scale foraging behavior to migrations. She leads the Seabird Oceanography Lab based at Hatfield Marine Science Center and lab's research centers around the ecology and conservation of seabirds, one of the most threatened groups of vertebrates. Dr. Orben earned her BS in Biological Sciences from Cornell University's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and her PhD in Ocean Science from the University of California Santa Cruz, followed by a postdoctural position at Oregon State University. She also currently holds an affiliate faculty position within the Marine Mammal Institute at Oregon State University.
Jacob Powell Associate Professor of Practice | Crop and Soil Science
Jacob Powell is a General Agricultural Extension Agent with Oregon State University Extension Service based in Wasco and Sherman Counties in north central Oregon, where he assists with dryland wheat, cattle, and irrigated forages. He received his Bachelors of Science degree in Biology from Pacific Lutheran University and has a Masters of Science degree in Resource Conservation from the University of Montana where he studied fire and grazing in the Northern Great Plains.
Christy Tanner Associate Professor of Practice | Crop and Soil Science
Dr. Christy Tanner is an Extension agronomist serving agricultural producers in the southern Willamette Valley. She conducts applied research, teaches Extension classes, and provides technical assistance related to grass seed, legume seed, small grains, meadowfoam, mint and other field crops. Her work helps farmers address agronomic, soil fertility and pest management challenges. Dr. Tanner earned a BS in Biology from Linfield University, and a PhD in Horticulture and Agronomy from University of California Davis.
Ashley Thompson Associate Professor | Horticulture
Dr. Ashley Thompson holds a Ph.D. in Horticulture from Virginia Tech, a M.S. in Ecology and Environmental Science from the University of Maine, and B.S. in Biology from Susquehanna University. Her research focuses on ways to make Oregon’s cherry and pear producers environmentally and economically sustainable.
Haley Traini Associte Professor | Agricultural Education and Agriculture Sciences
Dr. Haley Traini is an educator, consultant, facilitator, and researcher committed to fostering capacity in individuals, organizations, and global communities. With a Ph.D. in Education from Oregon State University, her work integrates leadership, agriculture, and education to address complex, systemic challenges. Dr. Traini’s professional journey includes high school teaching, AgriCorps consulting, and leading the Leadership Minor at OSU. Her research emphasizes leadership and agricultural education efficacy, empowering youth, and supporting local teachers. Driven by a passion for people, Dr. Traini’s emerging work in systems thinking and systems convening inspires others to lead, overcome obstacles, and create lasting impact.
Jessie Uehling Associate Professor | Botany and Plant Pathology
Dr. Jessie Uehling is an Associate Professor of fungal biology in the Department of Botany and Plant Pathology at Oregon State University in the College of Agricultural Sciences. In addition to pursuing research on fungal bacterial interactions in her research laboratory, Dr. Uehling teaches Mycology and Population Genomics, oversees the OSC Fungal Herbarium collection and helps with state level policy development as the governor appointed mycologist to the Oregon Psilocybin Advisory Board. She has published over 30 peer reviewed manuscripts and book chapters and has a Google Scholar H-index of 19.
Junfang "Zero" Deng Associate Professor | Accounting , Finance, and Information Systems
Dr. Junfang “Zero” Deng is an Associate Professor of Accounting at Oregon State University (OSU) College of Business. He received his Ph.D. in business administration with an emphasis in accounting at the Pennsylvania State University in 2019. He has taught intermediate financial reporting and principles of taxation since he joined the faculty at OSU in 2019. His research focuses on international tax planning issues and corporate disclosures, and his papers have been published in the Journal of Accounting Research, the Journal of the American Taxation Association, the Journal of Accounting and Public Policy, the National Tax Journal, and Accounting & Finance.
Jim Thatcher Associate Professor | Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences
Dr. Jim Thatcher has been at Oregon State University since August 2023 and the editor of Cartographic Perspectives. His work examines the recursive relations between technology, society, and environment, with a specific focus on the constitution and representational properties of data within capitalist systems. His work has been featured in The Atlantic, Mother Jones, NPR, and other popular media; and his most recent book, Data Power, was published with Pluto Press and is available open access. In his spare time, he enjoys running long distances slowly and playing banjo poorly.
Jenna Tilt Associate Professor | Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences
Dr. Jenna Tilt is part of the Geography discipline in the College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences at Oregon State University. Dr. Tilt’s research combines community engaged social science research with regional planning and geospatial analyses to identify how communities can build adaptive capacity to prepare, respond, and recover from chronic and acute natural hazards. Dr. Tilt works closely with community members, decision-makers, and a wide range of scientists to co-produce her research findings. Her current research projects include co-creating a community resilience model for Oregon coastal hazards and identifying indicators of long-term wildfire community recovery in Washington, Oregon, and California.
Kaitlin Fogg Associate Professor | Chemical, Biological, and Environmental Engineering
Dr. Kaitlin Fogg is an Associate Professor at Oregon State University, specializing in women's health. Her research focuses on developing innovative 3D models of gynecological tissues, helping to better understand disease progression and improve treatments for conditions like cervical cancer and endometriosis. Supported by grants from NIGMS and NIEHS, her work examines how the menstrual cycle affects drug delivery and how tampon nanoplastics impact gynecological health. By combining experimental design with computational analysis, Dr. Fogg is advancing new methods to study gynecological diseases more efficiently and accurately.
Konstantinos Goulas Associate Professor | Chemical, Biological, and Environmental Engineering
Dr. Kostas Goulas received his Diploma in Chemical Engineering from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece in 2009. He received his PhD in 2015 from UC Berkeley, investigating the upgrading of fermentation products to diesel fuel precursors via tandem dehydrogenation-aldol condensation reactions. He then worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the Catalysis Center for Energy Innovation at the University of Delaware, focusing on the development of fundamental structure-activity relations for hydrodeoxygenation reactions. Since 2018, he has been an Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering at Oregon State University. Research in his group is focused on using operando spectroscopy to understand the fundamental drivers of selectivity and activity in metal and oxide catalysis and on combining kinetics and spectroscopy with catalyst development for biomass and waste plastics upgrading processes. His team recently has spun out Renewcat, INC, a startup focused on green chemistry and engineering.
Izabela Gutowska Associate Professor | Nuclear Science and Engineering
Dr. Izabela Gutowska is an expert in nuclear reactor thermal hydraulics, specializing in computational fluid dynamics (CFD) for optimizing fluid flow, heat transfer, and safety analysis in nuclear systems. Her research focuses on experimental and computational thermal-hydraulics for Generation IV and small modular reactors, with an emphasis on CFD verification, validation, and uncertainty quantification. Before joining Oregon State University in 2016, she worked as a CFD engineer at General Electric’s Engineering Design Center and as a research assistant at Warsaw University of Technology.
Stefan Lee Associate Professor | Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Dr. Stefan Lee’s work addresses problems at the intersection of computer vision and natural language processing in embodied contexts – developing algorithms for interactive intelligence for computer and robotic systems. He is the recipient of the DARPA Rising Research Plenary Speaker Selection (DARPA 2019), multiple best paper awards, nine awards for reviewing quality, the Bradley Postdoctoral Fellowship (Virginia Tech), an Outstanding Research Scientist Award (Georgia Tech), the Engelbrecht Early Career Award (Oregon State University), and an NSF CAREER award. He has held research positions at INRIA, UC Berkeley, Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech, and Facebook AI Research.
Pedro Lomonaco Associate Professor | O.H. Hinsdale Wave Research Laboratory
Dr. Lomonaco received a B.Sc. in civil engineering from the National University of Mexico in 1991, a M.Sc. in coastal engineering from the International Institute of Hydraulic and Environmental Engineering – IHE Delft, The Netherlands in 1994, and a Ph.D. in civil engineering from the University of Cantabria, Spain in 1999. His professional and scientific activity primarily deals with studies of physical and numerical modelling of wave generation and propagation, wave-structure interaction, stability of coastal and submarine structures, behaviour of floating structures, characterization of wave energy converters, offshore wind technology, hydrodynamics, scour protection, and non-linear behaviour of long-waves in shallow waters.
Guillaume Mignot Associate Professor, Senior Research | Nuclear Science and Engineering
Dr. Guillaume Mignot is an Associate Professor and Senior Researcher at Oregon State University's College of Engineering. He specializes in Nuclear Science and Engineering, with a focus on experimental thermal hydraulic systems. Dr. Mignot earned his PhD in Nuclear Engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Since joining Oregon State University, Dr. Mignot has been actively involved in research projects that support national laboratories, regulators, and industries. Notably, he has worked on developing a new sodium laboratory to support advanced reactor technology. Dr. Mignot is passionate about advancing the field of nuclear engineering and contributing to the development of safer and more efficient nuclear systems as a clean alternative to support the increasing demand for electrical energy, driven by emerging technologies such as AI data centers, electric vehicles, and advanced manufacturing.
Jennifer Parham Mocello Associate Professor | Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Dr. Jennifer Parham-Mocello fell in love with computer science while pursuing an undergraduate degree in secondary math education. Since then, her focus turned to computer science education. She has a BS, MS, and PhD in computer science, and her areas of interest include how people learn computer science, inclusive ways to teach computer science, and the preparation needed for teaching computer science. Her mission is to improve computer science education through exploratory research and empirical evidence, best teaching practices, and community efforts supporting computational literacy in K-12 and higher education.
Dave Nevin Associate Professor of Practice | Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Dave Nevin is an Associate Professor of Practice in the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and serves as Director and Co-Founder of ORTSOC - The Nation's First Cybersecurity Teaching Hospital. Recognized nationally among higher education cybersecurity leaders as an innovator in experiential learning programs, Nevin was the first to apply the clinical rotations model to a cybersecurity curriculum. He has more than 25 years of industry experience in cybersecurity, holds multiple certifications, and specializes in incident response, security operations, digital forensics, disaster recovery, regulatory compliance, and policy. He has been teaching cybersecurity courses at Oregon State University for six years.
Gerald Presley Associate Professor | Wood Science and Engineering
Dr. Gerald Presley has a Ph.D. in Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering from the University of Minnesota and a BSc in Biology from Eastern Illinois University. He started as an assistant professor at OSU in 2019 and manages two research cooperatives focused on improving wood pole durability and measuring the environmental impacts of treated wood together housed in the Biodeterioration Lab. Wood durability topics form the core of his research program and include aspects of improving wood composite durability. The biodeterioration lab is also a critical third-party testing resource for private sector wood durability research. His research also focuses on applied mycology where he is working to identify methods for the utilization of fungi in plastics bioremediation. His research program also includes investigation into methods for wood waste utilization for liquid fuels and the impact of wood biochar on microbial communities in agricultural soil.
Megan Pratt Associate Professor of Practice | Human Development and Family Sciences
Dr. Megan Pratt's work focuses on understanding early learning at local, state, and national levels, with an emphasis on evaluating potential variation in experiences across communities and populations. She investigates child care and early learning from the perspectives of the child, family, and workforce. Her work also examines how both formal (e.g. child care) and informal community-based (e.g. libraries) settings support families and caregivers of young children. Dr. Pratt coordinates the Oregon Child Care Research Partnership, which serves two primary functions: 1) To conduct research related to child care and education policy of interest to local and state partners; and 2) To convene a virtual organization that brings together researchers, policymakers, and practitioners for shared learning and networking around issues of child care and education in the state.
Shawn Hazboun Associate Professor | Public Policy
Dr. Shawn Hazboun is an environmental sociologist whose research focuses on the social dimensions of energy systems, including community impacts from energy resource extraction, as well as public perceptions on both renewable and fossil-fuels based energy use and policy. She is particularly interested in the social impacts of the low carbon energy transition, especially within rural communities that so often provide the nation’s energy resources, including ways to more evenly distribute the harms and benefits of energy production.
Kirsten Hextrum Associate Professor | Language, Culture, and Society
Dr. Kirsten Hextrum is an Associate Professor of Language, Culture, and Society and the Coordinator of the CSSA Program. She is the author of over 40 research outputs, including the book Special Admission and is a nationally recognized expert on college sport access, equity, and diversity. Her research has been featured in documentaries, radio, and was quoted in over 60 national and international news media outlets including The New York Times, The Atlantic, CNN, and NPR. She previously worked in academic support services for college athletes and competed as a Division I athlete. She earned her PhD in Education at the University of California Berkeley.
Trina Hogg Associate Professor | History, Philosophy, and Religion
Dr. Trina Leah Hogg is an Associate Professor of African History at Oregon State University, specializing in the intersections of law, politics, and religion in West Africa. Her research explores African engagement with British legal systems and its impact on colonial and global frameworks. She is the author of The Paradox of Protection: The Making of Indirect Rule in Southern Sierra Leone 1850-1915 (forthcoming Michigan State University Press, 2025). Committed to equity and inclusion, Dr. Hogg decolonizes her classroom, emphasizing global power dynamics and social justice. An award-winning teacher and mentor, she advances diversity through service, fostering transformative change in academia and beyond.
Yanni Ma Associate Professor | Communication
Dr. Yanni Ma is an Associate Professor in the School of Communication at Oregon State University. Her research focuses on science, environmental, health, and risk communication. Specifically, she is interested in understanding the underlying mechanisms by which people process scientific messages and identifying the factors that contribute to their effectiveness or ineffectiveness. Recently, she has also been exploring how misinformation about science affects the public’s understanding of science and their trust in science and scientists.
Dana Reason Associate Professor | Visual, Performing, and Design Arts
Dr. Dana Reason is a Canadian-born composer, recording artist, and musicologist, explores the intersections of 21st-century musical genres and interdisciplinary practices. Noteworthy collaborations include The Space Between trio with Pauline Oliveros, Cinema’s First Nasty Women Compilation Soundtrack Vol.1 produced with Terri Lyne Carrington, and recording Roscoe Mitchell’s Nonaah Trio. Her research encompasses soundscape ecology, Deep Listening, feminist & DIY methodologies, and is available on Wesleyan University Press, Musicworks, Sequenza 21, and Routledge. Her music has been reviewed in Downbeat, and Keyboard Magazine, and can be heard on 20 commercially available labels including: Mode, Wide Hives, Kino Lorber, 482, Jazziz, Red Toucan, and Deep Listening.
Erika Wolters Associate Professor | Public Policy
Dr. Erika Allen Wolters is an Associate Professor of Political Science and the Associate Director of the Water Resource Policy and Management Graduate Program at Oregon State University. Her research focuses on environmental behavior, adaptation and policy in response to resource use and conservation in an era of rapid climate change. Focusing primarily on the Western United States, Dr. Wolters examines the interface of science and policy, public lands issues, community resilience, contested natural resources, sustainable behavior, adaptive capacity, community wildfire risk and preparedness, and policy regarding the food, energy, and water (FEW) nexus. Prior to her career in academia, Dr. Wolters worked for several environmental non-profit organizations and for the U.S. federal government.
Diana Castillo Associate Professor | Research and Learning
Diana J. Castillo is the business/social science data librarian at OSU Libraries and Press. Her research focuses on how to make data and information accessible both to the public and to researchers through studying research data policies and the future of open access. She also supports students and faculty in the College of Business and the Schools of Public Policy and Psychology. She received her BA from Smith College in 2012 and her MLIS from Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia, Canada in 2019. Prior to becoming a librarian, she worked as a lobbyist for a nonprofit advocacy organization.
Cara Key Associate Professor | Library Information Technology
Cara Key is the Digital Repository Librarian at Oregon State University Libraries and Press. She oversees operations for OSU's institutional repository, ScholarsArchive@OSU, and an open-access journal publishing platform. She is also a member of the joint OSU-UO Oregon Digital team. Focusing on access, description, preservation, her work extends the reach and impact of OSU’s unique digital resources. She holds a Master of Science in Library and Information Studies from Florida State University.
Diana Park Associate Professor | Research and Learning
Diana Park is a Science Librarian at OSU Libraries and Press. Her work focuses on supporting faculty, students, and staff in using information resources in their learning, teaching, and research. She is energized by working with students as they discover how information can be used for social justice. Diana’s research interests include strategies to support marginalized students in STEM, Wikipedia in the classroom, mentoring, and social justice in librarianship.
Kaitlin "Katie" Curran Associate Professor | Clinical Sciences
Dr. Kaitlin (Katie) Curran is a Pacific Northwest Native. She was born and raised in beautiful Seattle, Washington. Her education includes a BS in biology from Yale University, DVM from Washington State University, and MS from Colorado State University (CSU). Dr. Curran completed her medical oncology residency at CSU with the Flint Animal Cancer Center. She has been a faculty member at Oregon State University since 2015. Dr. Curran appreciates providing clients with a comprehensive approach to diagnostic and therapeutic options. There are many recent advances in veterinary cancer care, and more are occurring all the time. She enjoys working with clients to create an ideal plan that works best for them and their pets. She works closely with consulting and referring primary care veterinarians, and values the opportunity to assist with patient and client care, educate at all levels, and nurture hope against cancer.