Oregon State’s performing and visual arts center, PRAx, awards student fellowships to support creative work, in a variety of mediums, that showcase different ways of looking at the world. Meet our three 2025-2026 fellows bringing CEOAS science to life in a new way:
Meghan Sharp
Meghan Sharp was in her first year of her Ph.D. at Oregon State when she broke her leg and desperately needed a hobby that didn’t involve physical activity. So, she showed up at the Craft Center.
“I wanted to sign up for pottery, but it was already full, so I ended up with the last spot in Intro to Stained Glass,” she said.
One five-week class later she was hooked.
Meghan now defines herself as an aspiring geophysicist and glaciologist – and an artist. As a scientist, she uses physics and remote sensing to understand how glaciers flow, fracture and melt. When she’s not on ice, however, she can be found creating stained glass art.
“I am motivated to work at the intersection of art and science because I think art has the potential to connect with a broader audience than science does,” she said.
For her fellowship, she developed a project using stained glass to showcase the dynamic processes that shape glaciers and the transformations they undergo in response to a changing climate.
The art isn’t just a method of communication, however.
“I’ve found that art has helped me to ask new questions that I wouldn’t have pondered with just science alone,” she reflected.
Hannah Steele
Ph.D. student Hannah Steele has always made stuff: drawing, sewing, stained glass, collage, ceramics – you name it, they’ve done it.
Until recently, though, “I viewed my creative practice as something completely separate from my work as a scientist,” said Hannah.
As a scientist, Hannah studies snow hydrology and water management. They use GIS, remote sensing and machine learning to improve measurement and modeling of mountain snowpack and water availability timing in Eastern Oregon.
One of Hannah’s current textile-based art projects shows structural characteristics of snowpack at a given location. They manipulate the materials and methods to convey the story of changing snowpack conditions over time.
For Hannah, art and science aren’t all that different, both requiring “thinking deeply about the natural world, landscape processes, ways of knowing, and the importance of place.”
The work comes at an important time, as the western U.S. concludes one of its worst recorded snow years on record.
“It’s been really fun to think about not just how I can communicate information realistically, but also in ways that engage viewers and tell a story,” said Hannah.
Taylor Wood
Taylor Wood is an artist, scientist and life-long learner. She’s driven by curiosity, whether by asking scientific questions or regularly dabbling in new artistic mediums.
“I’ve always been a visual learner,” said Taylor, and “am inspired by the creative ways science communicators utilize visual tools to help diverse audiences understand complex systems.”
Taylor is a master’s student in marine resource management, where she studies tiny phytoplankton biodiversity and the big impact they make along the Oregon coast, in partnership with local fishing communities. She’s focused on the early and frequent detection of harmful algal blooms that release toxins and may cause shutdowns of Oregon coast fisheries.
Her PRAx fellowship explored the cascading impacts of algal blooms on marine food webs through a series of stained-glass panels. It’s a way to translate scientific data into something more personal, guided by the needs and perspectives of coastal communities.
“Art can inspire connection and …those meaningful connections then inspire stewardship of the natural world,” she reflected.
Meghan, Hannah and Taylor’s art and science journeys have varied, but one thing remains the same. Through both, they do more than explain the world as it is – they’re shaping how we understand it and how we might care for it moving forward.
The final projects are on display in the Arts Corridor of PRAx until July 6, 2026.