Oregon
10 Questions With… Manoj Shukla | OSU Today
10 Questions with Manoj Shukla, incoming department head of Crop and Soil Science. He is currently a professor of soil physics at New Mexico State University (NMSU), where he leads and manages the soil physics program.
What drew you to Oregon State University?
Oregon State University is a top-tier research institution (R1) with an outstanding online program. Its global online presence is crucial for success in the challenging years ahead. OSU collaborates closely with a diverse range of stakeholders to address agricultural challenges, with the goal of improving the lives of people in the state. The campus is beautiful, and the surrounding landscape is breathtaking. While my previous job responsibilities were similar, the scale at OSU is much larger, providing a perfect opportunity to push myself further.
What makes you passionate about higher education?
I strongly believe that higher education is fundamental to improving the lives of people. Being able to work with students, teach them and learn from them, and just having an opportunity to make a positive impact on their lives is what makes me passionate about higher education.
You have a strong passion for mentoring both faculty and students. How will you bring that passion to Oregon State?
Early in my career, I worked hard to build a solid foundation, and along the way, many people helped me achieve my goals. As I progressed in my career, I realized that it is now my turn to engage with younger faculty and students in a meaningful way and support them in achieving success. In the Department of CSS, there are many early-career faculty members and students. I plan to reach out to them, listen to their needs, and find ways to motivate and guide them as they navigate their own paths to success.
What advice would you give the younger version of yourself who was just starting college?
Education is an opportunity that they must avail themselves of. They should always try to give their 110% because when you move in the right direction with sincerity and dedication, success takes care of itself.
Crop and soil science includes many faculty both on the Corvallis campus and in Extension and experiment stations across the state. In your role as a department leader, how will you balance the unique needs of those various groups?
You are right, the CSS department is highly diverse, both in terms of expertise and geographic location, with each member bringing unique expertise. However, many departments within U.S. colleges of agriculture face similar issues. My prior experience as both a member and chair of the college’s promotion and tenure committee has given me a deeper understanding of the strengths that faculty in teaching, research, extension and outreach at both main and branch campuses possess. I am also familiar with some of the connectivity issues and other challenges faced by faculty at branch campuses. While there are no easy solutions, I believe that by leveraging technology and available resources effectively, I can reach out to these faculty members and hopefully inspire and motivate them. The bottom line is that a department can only make meaningful progress when everyone is fully engaged and on board.
What was your favorite course in college?
It was hydrology. I was always interested in water.
Research funding is essential to your department. How do you plan to work with faculty to increase grants?
I will focus on increasing awareness of funding opportunities and, whenever possible, alert faculty to relevant grants. Additionally, I will work to foster connections between senior, more established faculty members and early-career faculty. Early-career faculty are often highly motivated to secure external grants, and I will collaborate with them to identify and overcome any obstacles to applying for large grants.
You lived in Las Cruces for almost two decades. What will you miss the most about New Mexico?
I will miss my neighbors. I live in a community where many people have migrated from different places, and we have formed a close-knit group. We interact frequently and support one another like family.
What places or experiences are you most looking forward to when you move to Oregon?
I am looking forward to visiting the east side of the state to have a better understanding of the rain shadow effect and irrigation practices to mitigate it.
What is your favorite non-academic pursuit or passion?
I would say hiking or going for long walks.
Oregon
Former corrections officer sentenced in major Oregon poaching case spanning multiple counties
UMATILLA COUNTY, Ore. (KTVZ) — A yearslong investigation by the Oregon State Police (OSP), in addition to the Fish and Wildlife Division, has resulted in significant penalties for an Umatilla man accused of illegally killing wildlife across Oregon, in what prosecutors describe as one of the most damaging serial poaching cases tied to a single individual.
Christopher George Matson, 48, was sentenced in two separate cases in June following an investigation that began in 2024, when authorities received information he was unlawfully taking big game animals. Matson is a former Oregon Department of Corrections officer.
In February 2025, investigators served a search warrant and seized multiple big game animals and firearms as evidence. In total, 67 criminal charges were referred for prosecution, spanning multiple counties and including allegations such as unlawful take and possession of black bear with the aid of bait, unlawful take of buck deer and antlerless elk, and hunting during prohibited hours. Additional charges included falsely applying for tags, loaning or borrowing big game tags, and unlawful possession of silencers and a short-barreled rifle.
The case was prosecuted by the Oregon Department of Justice’s Wildlife Anti-Poaching Resource Prosecutor.
On June 18, 2026, Matson pleaded guilty in Grant County Circuit Court to seven counts, including unlawful take of buck deer and black bear. He was sentenced to 18 months of probation, a lifetime hunting license revocation, 300 hours of community service, forfeiture of firearms and seized property, and a $52,500 fine payable to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Less than two weeks later, on June 29, Matson pleaded guilty in Umatilla County Circuit Court to additional charges, including unlawful possession of a short-barreled rifle, unlawful possession of a silencer, unlawful possession of multiple wildlife, and unlawful take of mule deer. In that case, he was sentenced to 24 months of probation, a lifetime hunting ban, 300 hours of community service to run concurrently, forfeiture of property, and a $62,000 fine.
Combined, the penalties include probation, a lifetime revocation of hunting privileges, 300 hours of community service and more than $114,000 in fines.
“This is another example of serial poaching which rises to the level of felony conduct based solely on the repeated poaching conduct and impact of one individual on Oregon’s game mammals,” said Jay Hall, the Oregon Department of Justice’s Wildlife Anti-Poaching Resource Prosecutor. “The conduct across the several counties amounts to one of the highest damage amounts done to Oregon wildlife by any singular actor.”
Oregon State Police credited the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife for assisting with interviews and evidence collection, along with multiple witnesses who came forward during the investigation.
WILSONVILLE, Ore. (CNN) – Under the cover of the night sky, a bear took a jaunt around an Oregon town. Its presumed search for a snack was interrupted by a police officer’s bright spotlight.
For the next few minutes, the officer followed the bear as it sauntered down the road, even making sure the animal didn’t dart into the road.
Eventually, video shows the officer corralled the black bear and escorted it to a nearby river where it would be safer.
Copyright 2026 CNN Newsource. All rights reserved.
PORTLAND, Ore. (KATU) — The summer solstice, which marks the astronomical beginning of Summer, is also considered the longest day of the year– meaning daytime hours are longer while nighttime hours are shorter.
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This is because the summer solstice marks when the Northern Hemisphere is closest to the sun.
In Washington and Oregon, we will lose about 50 minutes by the end of July. But in the southern United States, that change is reduced.
For example, in Florida, they will lose about 20 minutes by the end of the month.
As Earth continues to orbit around the sun while rotating on its axis, the Northern Hemisphere will eventually be faced away from the sun as we approach winter solstice on December 21, 2026.
While we are losing daylight, we will not be losing any sunshine. High temperatures on Sunday will end in the lower 80s and Tuesday’s high could be closer to 90.
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