Oregon State botany and plant pathology graduate students to present at May 3 Science Pub

By Sean Nealon, 541-737-0787, [email protected]

Sources: Abbey Neat, [email protected]; Julia Metzler, [email protected]; Alex Wong, [email protected]

This news release is available online: https://beav.es/SuN

CORVALLIS, Ore. – Three Oregon State University graduate students will talk about their research on Douglas-fir trees and fungi, habitat restoration in the Willamette Valley and pest management in vineyards during Oregon State University’s Science Pub event at 6 p.m. May 3.

The free event, which can be attended in person at the Old World Deli in Corvallis or viewed online, will feature short overviews by Abbey Neat, Julia Metzler and Alex Wong, all graduate students in the Department of Botany and Plant Pathology.

Neat’s talk is titled “Exploring Douglas fir-fungal symbioses across the Oregon Cascades.”

Fungal symbionts can be beneficial, harmful or might have no effect on their associated tree host and she studies how these plant-fungal associations change at different elevations in the Cascades.

Metzler’s talk is titled “Assessing plant community responses to conifer removal. It will focus on the importance of habitat restoration in the Willamette Valley, native plants and biodiversity, and her research on plant community responses to conifer removal.

Wong’s talk, “It’s lit: The potential of using UV-C light to manage vineyard diseases,” will focus on sustainable pest management strategies, and the feasibility of using ultraviolet light to manage powdery mildew of grapes in Oregon.

Registration is required to attend Science Pub in person or to view it online. The Old World Deli is located at 341 SW 2nd St., Corvallis.

Sponsors of Science Pub include the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, Old World Deli, Oregon State’s Research Office and Oregon State University.

About Oregon State University: As one of only three universities in the nation designated as a land, sea, space and sun grant institution, Oregon State serves Oregon and the world by working on today’s most pressing issues. Our more than 35,000 students come from across the globe, and our programs operate in every Oregon county. Oregon State receives more research funding than all of the state’s comprehensive public universities combined. At our campuses in Corvallis and Bend, marine research center in Newport and top-ranked Ecampus online degree programs, we excel at shaping today’s students into tomorrow’s leaders.

On-campus TV and radio services: Oregon State University is equipped with on-campus television and radio studios/services that can be used by journalists. Live or live-to-tape broadcast television and radio interviews can be conducted using Vyvx, Zoom, Webex or Comrex (IP Audio). Oregon State staff can also gather b-roll and coordinate live-to-tape interviews on locations throughout campus. For radio, Oregon State’s Comrex (IP Audio) provides a broadcast-quality audio feed.