The College of Agricultural Sciences at Oregon State University is Oregon's principal source of knowledge relating to agricultural and food systems, and a major source of knowledge regarding environmental quality, natural resources, life sciences, and rural economies and communities worldwide. The College provides undergraduate and graduate education leading to baccalaureate and graduate degrees, and extended education programs throughout Oregon and beyond. Its research programs create knowledge to solve problems and to build a knowledge base for the future. It is a source of information and expertise in integrating and applying knowledge with benefits that are felt in domestic and international settings.
December 2024
Volume XV, Issue 4
Greetings CAS Community,
As the year comes to a close, I want to take a moment to reflect on what has been an incredibly busy and productive fall for our College.
Over the past few months, I had the privilege of traveling across the Northwest—connecting with partners and sharing our College’s work at industry conferences across Oregon and Idaho. These opportunities to strengthen our research relationships are critical as we work together to address the challenges facing agriculture and natural resources, and set our trajectory toward the goals outlined in Prosperity Widely Shared.
I also had the honor of representing our College internationally, traveling to Taiwan to expand global opportunities for our students and build partnerships that will help prepare them for a connected and evolving world.
This momentum is reflected in what has been a banner year for CAS. We hit record enrollment numbers, up 4.4% from last year, a testament to the growing interest in the incredible work happening in our programs. We also saw another extraordinary research year, securing $110 million in research awards—accounting for 30% of OSU’s total research. These milestones are a testament to the hard work and dedication of our faculty, staff, students, and partners.
Thank you for all that you do to make this College such a remarkable place to grow and lead. I hope you take time this holiday season to rest, recharge, and celebrate the incredible accomplishments of this year. I look forward to all that we’ll achieve together in the new year.
Wishing you a joyful and peaceful holiday season,
Staci L. Simonich, Ph.D., M.B.A.
Dean and Reub Long Professor
College of Agricultural Sciences
Director of the Oregon Agricultural Experiment Station

Oregon State University One of Eight Universities To Receive an NSF I-Corps Hub Grant
Oregon State University is one of a consortia of eight universities to receive a National Science Foundation (NSF) I-Corps Hub grant, which provides $15 million, spread across the institutions over five years, to bolster their innovation training programs. Co-Principal Investigators are Dean Staci Simonich from the College of Agricultural Sciences and Karl Mundorff, Executive Director, Innovation and Entrepreneurship from the Division of Research Advancement.

Big Year for CAS Research: $110M in Research Awards
This has been a remarkable year for our college, with $110M in research awards—up from $60M in 2021—representing 30% of OSU's total research funding. Check out the top 13 research grants awarded over the past fiscal year.