Office of Undergraduate Research

Benny Beaver is from Corvallis, Oregon. They graduated from Corvallis High School in 2021 with high honors and served as an officer on the school’s Associated Student Body (ASB) where they assisted in various leadership activities like fundraising, public speaking and community outreach. 

Benny started attending Oregon State University in the fall of 2021, and earned the Finley Academic Excellence Scholarship upon enrollment. They are currently in the University Exploratory Studies Program (UESP) where they are taking a variety of courses and exploring all options before declaring a major.

Benny served as a lifeguard for two years, where they received valuable trainings in CPR/AED, basic water rescue, and first aid. Benny developed a passion for the water, as well as an interest in teaching by instructing weekly swim lessons. Working a part-time job while attending high school also taught them skills in communication, time management, and balancing responsibilities.

Benny is expected to graduate in June 2025. They are exploring learning opportunities and careers in education, oceanography, and sports therapy. 

Bernice Beaver is from New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada. She graduated from New Westminster Secondary School in 2018 with a Dogwood Diploma and has a Diplôme de fin d'études secondaires en Colombie-Britannique, meaning she is fluent in French. Bernice was named the Career Female Athlete of the Year upon graduation from high school.

Bernice earned an Athletic Scholarship to Oregon State University where she competes for the Women’s Cross Country and Track & Field teams. She is majoring in Sociology and currently works for the university’s Global Community Kitchen as an Event Support Staff where she serves to assist in planning food service for future Experiential Learning & Activities campus events during weekly team meetings.

Bernice completed the URSA Engage program during her second year at Oregon State University where she conducted research to define the barriers faculty face while facilitating undergraduate research experiences. She presented her research at two university-wide undergraduate research symposiums in 2020 and has since been published in Experiential Learning & Teaching in Higher Education. 

Bernice is expected to graduate in June 2022 with a B.A in Sociology. After graduation, she plans on attending graduate school and complete the Master’s of College Student Service Administration Program at Oregon State University. She has a particular interest in the fields of university student affairs and athletics.

Bo Beaver is from Los Angeles, California. They graduated from Venice High School in 2014 as salutatorian and participated in the school’s marching band, where they acted as drum major for two years. After high school, Bo entered the United States Marine Corps (USMC) where they served for four years. 

Prior to attending Oregon State University, Bo attended Central Oregon Community College from September 2020 until June 2022. During this time, they earned an Associate of Science degree in Computer Science with high honors. Bo transferred to OSU-Cascades in September 2022 and is majoring in Computer Science with an option in Software Engineering.

Bo’s service in the USMC taught them important skills and attributes including confidence, self-discipline, teamwork and leadership. Since enrolling at OSU-Cascades, Bo has joined the university’s Tech Club where they hope to network and gain professional skills in the field of computer science among like-minded individuals. Bo has also been accepted into the 2022-2023 URSA Engage program, where they will be engaging in web applications research with Professor X. 

Bo is expected to graduate in June 2024 with a B.S in Computer Science with an option in software engineering. They plan on attending graduate school and pursuing a career in software development.