Part of our mission is to provide diverse audiences with information about biotechnology and the science that underlies it. We work to increase people's access to credible science and their ability to deconstruct misinformation.
OSU courses | OSU workshops | OSU lectures | OSU outreach
The key goal of this course is to examine genetic and chemical technologies used for agriculture, with respect to the ways they benefit and harm societies and the environment. The class uses gene and chemical biotechnologies as a prism with which to look at the complex issues of how we produce natural resources and when technology is helpful vs. hurtful.
This fall quarter, OSU is offering a distance education course emphasizing current and controversial North American ecological policy issues. The primary focus will be on exploring the role of scientists, technocrats, elected and appointed officials, the public, and interest/advocacy groups in ecological policy analysis and implementation. Specific policy issues considered are: (1) wildfire on public lands; (2) restoring wild salmon runs; (3) use of genetically modified organisms; (4) at-risk species and the Endangered Species Act; (5) competing demands for scarce water supplies; (6) multiple use of public lands; (7) managing large predatory wildlife, especially wolves and cougars; (8) human-caused climate change; (9) rights, ethics, and moral imperatives relative to ecological policy; and (10) the interface between science, policy analysis, and the political process.
Ecological Policy (FW 620) syllabus
The ORB Program support OSU faculty research by providing an outlet for outreach components in genomics and molecular biology-oriented grant proposals. For example, the Summer Biotechnology Workshop (July 2005 - 2008) is funded by Science Education PartnershipS (SEPS) Program, OSU's College of Agriculture Education Program, and outreach components of National Science Foundation (NSF) grants awarded to OSU researchers.
Food for Thought Public Lecture Series
The Food for Thought Lecture Series, initiated in 2005, brings internationally recognized experts to OSU to speak about biotechnological issues.
The theme of the 2009/2010 series is "farming and biotechnology: environmental health, economic profitability, and social equity." Support for the series comes from the College of Agricultural Sciences and the American Society of Plant Biologists.
Streaming video and study guides are available for many of the lectures. The five-question guides point to various video segments and foster comprehension of relevant and intriguing lecture components.
study guides to food for thought lectures:
On February 5 at the Salem Public Library in Salem, Oregon, experts discussed their views on the purpose, safety, and necessity of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). The panel featured David Harry, associate director of Outreach in Biotechnology; Lisa Weasel, author of "Food Fray: Inside the Controversy over Genetically Modified Food" and associate professor of biology at Portland State University; Terry Witt, executive director of Oregonians for Food and Shelter; and Rick North, program director for Oregon's Campaign for Safe Foods Program. Dan Hilburn, administrator of the Oregon Department of Agriculture's Plant Division, moderated the panel.
