Chris Branam

Public Issues Education Leader

I serve as the lead public information officer in the OSU Extension Communications office. I cover 4-H, Family and Community Health, Extension Outdoor School and Oregon Sea Grant Extension. I can be reached at 541-737-2940.

541-737-2940

[email protected]

Department/Unit: Extension Communications

About
Content
Publications
Awards

Biography

Originally from Fresno, I worked as a newspaper reporter and editor for nearly 20 years before moving to university communications in 2012. I joined Extension Communications in December 2016. I cover 4-H, Family and Community Health, Extension Outdoor School, and Oregon Sea Grant Extension.

Content by Chris Branam

Juntos expands to serve Hillsboro students and families

Juntos, which has served students and families in the Forest Grove School District since 2018, expanded to Hill High School in Hillsboro in the spring of 2021.

Chris Branam | Nov 30, 2021 | News story

Linn County couple inducted into National 4-H Hall of Fame

Fay and Sherm Sallee were among 16 people inducted for their achievements and contributions to 4-H in a ceremony held on Thursday at Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C.

Chris Branam | Oct 15, 2021 | News story

Extension promotes awareness of federal Emergency Broadband Benefit

So far, more than 46,000 Oregon households have signed up for the program.

Chris Branam | Sep 24, 2021 | News story

Extension begins grassroots effort to increase vaccine uptake among Latinos

OSU Extension, through its Family and Community Health Program in the College of Public Health and Human Sciences, has received grants to accelerate its local outreach to improve vaccine confidence and uptake in the state’s Latino population.

Chris Branam | Aug 19, 2021 | News story

El servicio de Extensión de Oregon State University (OSU) comienza esfuerzos comunitarios para incrementar vacunación entre latinos

Extensión de Oregon (OSU), a través de su Programa de Salud Familiar y Comunitaria en la Facultad de Salud Pública y Ciencias Humanas, recibió fondos para agilizar la divulgación local y establecer la confianza y aceptación de las vacunas en la población latina del estado.

Chris Branam | Aug 19, 2021 | News story

Extension offers free summer day camps for first time at Oregon 4-H Center

The camps will feature arts and crafts, STEM learning, canoeing, fishing, archery, swimming and more.

Chris Branam | Aug 4, 2021 | News story

Oregon 4-H’ers finish in top 20 at national shooting sports championships

Oregon 4-H sent a delegation of 12 competitors and four coaches to Nebraska, which hosted the championships in June at the Heartland Public Shooting Park,

Chris Branam | Aug 3, 2021 | News story

Sea Grant Extension Shop at the Dock tours return to Oregon Coast

Participants are given behind-the-scenes guided tours of commercial fishing docks to learn about how seafood is caught and how to buy it directly from fishermen selling off their boats.

Chris Branam | Jul 27, 2021 | News story

OSU Extension food safety and preservation hotline opens for the season

The toll-free hotline, 800-354-7319, runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, until Oct. 8.

Chris Branam | Jul 8, 2021 | News story

Middle-school cooking class leads to serious conversations about food

A benefit of students making meals at home was that they were able to work independently and create a whole dish, unlike in the classroom environment in which they would work in groups on a single aspect.

Chris Branam | Jun 21, 2021 | News story

OSU accelerates local efforts to improve Latinx vaccine confidence and uptake

Oregon's Latinx population has been disproportionately affected by the pandemic and whose vaccination rate lags behind other races and ethnicities.

Chris Branam | Jun 16, 2021 | News story

OSU Virtual Art Show provides creative outlet for Portland-area youth

The show features the works of 25 young artists opened at the OSU Portland Center. The pieces include digital art, ceramics, watercolor and acrylic painting and even a musical composition.

Chris Branam | Jun 10, 2021 | News story

New OSU Center for the Outdoor Recreation Economy will support $788 billion U.S. industry

Based in OSU’s Division of Extension and Engagement, partners in the center are the College of Forestry and OSU-Cascades in Bend.

Chris Branam | May 26, 2021 | News story

A cold soak lowers the risk of salmonella growth on ‘sprouted’ foods

If the soaking phase happens at ambient temperature, there is a significant food safety problem, study finds.

Chris Branam | May 3, 2021 | News story

OSU Extension uses statewide network to encourage participation in vaccinations

Efforts include volunteering at mass vaccination clinics, using the OSU Extension website to curate credible vaccine information and provide local access and eligibility details, and working closely with state and local partners to ...

Chris Branam | Apr 12, 2021 | News story

Healthy choices are on the menu in new virtual central Oregon nutrition class

The weekly Eat for Life classes, which began in March, have been taught in English by Katie Ahern, an Extension nutrition educator in Deschutes County, and in Spanish by Diana Cardenas, a nutrition educator in Linn County.

Chris Branam | Apr 2, 2021 | News story

Growing Healthy Kids, featuring video lessons, returns for spring

The video lessons, about eight to 10-minutes long, give students opportunities to learn basic plant parts and encourage students to try a variety of fruits and vegetables using their senses.

Chris Branam | Apr 1, 2021 | News story

OSU Extension livestream of hatching chicks returns for eighth year

The livestream started today and will documents the chicks as they hatch. The cameras will remain on until 5 p.m. April 2.

Chris Branam | Mar 26, 2021 | News story

OSU to host virtual gerontology conference

Geriatric experts from around the country will present more than 30 educational sessions for health and human service professionals and the public.

Chris Branam | Mar 12, 2021 | News story

Webinar series launches to prepare Oregonians for wildfire season

The “Wildfire Wednesdays” webinar series launches March 17 with a noon-1 p.m. presentation by Extension’s Forestry and Natural Resources Program’s Fire Program team. Webinars are scheduled for March 31, April 14, April 28, May 19, June 2 and June 16.

Chris Branam | Mar 11, 2021 | News story

StrongWomen participants and volunteers gain a resource in new website

The website provides participants with everything they need to know about the program, including exercise videos that allow them to follow along at home.

Chris Branam | Feb 24, 2021 | News story

4-H youths learn emergency preparedness through Extension initiative

MyPI Oregon is a a leadership and educational outreach program training youths to help their communities during disasters, specifically the predicted Cascadia Earthquake.

Chris Branam | Feb 22, 2021 | News story

Farm To School and School Garden programs innovate during pandemic

Extension Farm to School and School Garden educators in Klamath and Lincoln counties came up with creative alternatives to face-to-face experiences.

Chris Branam | Feb 10, 2021 | News story

Oregon Sea Grant Extension uses pandemic survey results to guide its work

The findings have already helped guide Sea Grant Extension’s response to the emergency.

Chris Branam | Jan 6, 2021 | News story

Extension assists with COVID-19 testing in Columbia, Washington counties

So far, the Columbia County clinics have resulted in 585 tests. Extension volunteers are helping with traffic flow, registration, and supporting the medical team with quality control checks.

Chris Branam | Dec 23, 2020 | News story

Tillamook 4-H stitches together a lasting holiday hat-making tradition

Tillamook 4-H sewing clubs, which have gone by different names over the years, have created roughly 100 hats each year over the last 15 years.

Chris Branam | Dec 21, 2020 | News story

High school students serve up meals at home through adapted cooking class

OSU Extension provides weekly video resources, recipes and a detailed syllabus to guide the students as they cook recipes at home.

Chris Branam | Dec 14, 2020 | News story

Garden box project helps increase food security for Warm Springs families

The Grow Where You Are project is helping tribal members on the Warm Springs reservation grow their own food at home through garden kits.

Chris Branam | Dec 7, 2020 | News story

New resource infuses Indigenous studies concepts into outdoor education

The free course is designed to surface some of the common assumptions and misinformation about Indigenous people and cultures, particularly as they relate to outdoor school in Oregon.

Chris Branam | Nov 19, 2020 | News story

4-H youth explore nature and learn a healthy activity in new hiking club

Youths in the fourth through sixth grades gained a better understanding of how to enjoy hiking safely, while at the same time they experienced a lifelong activity that promotes a healthy and active lifestyle

Chris Branam | Nov 18, 2020 | News story

Pacific Northwest youth to explore agriculture through virtual reality, other online activities

Oregon State University’s Precollege Programs and the SMILE Program are partnering with the OSU Extension Service 4-H Youth Development Program to lead the effort to implement an innovative Agriculture Distance Education Toolkit.

Chris Branam | Nov 13, 2020 | News story

Extension awareness campaign celebrates Global Handwashing Day

High Speed Hand Washing can help children and adults avoid getting COVID-19 or sick during the upcoming flu and cold season.

Chris Branam | Oct 9, 2020 | News story

My Hair My Health PDX! uplifts and empowers Black women

The conference uses hair topics as a platform to promote healthy eating and active living.

Chris Branam | Oct 7, 2020 | News story

OSU Extension's Cook volunteers in short order for fire relief efforts

Extension 4-H educational program assistant organized donation drop offs at the downtown OSU Portland Center.

Chris Branam | Sep 23, 2020 | News story

Emergency response fulfills Extension's mission to serve all Oregonians

The OSU Extension Service has a defined role in federal, state and local emergency plans.

Chris Branam | Sep 18, 2020 | News story

Extension employees among tens of thousands of Oregon fire evacuees

OSU Extension employees are among the tens of thousands of Oregonians who have been evacuated due to the wildfires. Here are a few of their stories.

Chris Branam | Sep 16, 2020 | News story

'Heart of a lion': 4-H'er jumps in to rescue Clackamas County animals

Sela Raisl, a senior member of the Fuzzy Squad 4-H Club in Clackamas County, volunteered to help rescue 70-plus animals from a farm that was under threat of wildfire.

Chris Branam | Sep 16, 2020 | News story

OSU Extension assists with livestock rescue efforts as Oregonians flee fires

When the fires started raging on Tuesday, OSU Extension employees started preparing barns and other buildings for animals, in addition to sorting through donations of food and water. Since then, they’ve been working day and night.

Chris Branam | Sep 11, 2020 | News story

Extension babysitting training fulfills a need in Oregon's child care 'deserts'

OSU Extension babysitting and child care training is meeting the needs of families during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Chris Branam | Sep 4, 2020 | News story

OSU Extension helps launch long-needed Boardman Food Pantry

The pantry, which didn't exist before March, is distributing weekly meal boxes to more than 100 families.

Chris Branam | Sep 1, 2020 | News story

New Extension resource focuses on processing meat animals at home

The new curated collection on the OSU Extension website runs the gamut for processing meat at home, from purchasing and slaughtering to storing and cooking.

Chris Branam | Aug 28, 2020 | News story

Firefighters exposed to more potentially harmful chemicals than previously thought

The on-duty firefighters in the Kansas City, Missouri, area experienced higher exposures of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, or PAHs, which are a family of chemicals that are known to have the potential to cause cancer.

Chris Branam | Aug 20, 2020 | News story

Lincoln County Extension builds coalition to inform Latino and Indigenous communities about COVID-19

The effort has focused on providing urgent video communications in Spanish and Mam – a language spoken by more than a half-million people in Guatemala – in response to the COVID-19 outbreak in the county.

Chris Branam | Aug 7, 2020 | News story

Extension 4-H livestock shows adapt to restrictions, deliver for youth

Some shows virtual, using video clips or videoconferencing for showmanship and software for auctions, while others organized in-person events with strict social-distancing rules.

Chris Branam | Aug 7, 2020 | News story

Bilingual 4-H e-magazine provides activities for children to do at home

Every issue includes an activity that represents the four “Hs” that figure in the youth development organization’s name: head, heart, hands and health.

Chris Branam | Aug 6, 2020 | News story

OSU data science initiative addresses issues in Oregon’s rural communities

Data Science for the Public Good leverages OSU's significant expertise, resources and infrastructure to address community needs.

Chris Branam | Jul 30, 2020 | News story

Extension coordinates effort to provide 1,000 face coverings to La Grande schools

The Union County Emergency Preparedness Coalition tapped Robin Maille to coordinate the effort to provide 1,000 face coverings to the school district.

Chris Branam | Jul 22, 2020 | News story

Sea Grant Extension partners on campaign to boost state's seafood industry

In addition to showing where to buy local seafood via an interactive map, the Eat Oregon Seafood webpage offers tips on when and what types of seafood to purchase and how to freeze, smoke and prepare it at home.

Chris Branam | Jul 9, 2020 | News story

Extension adapts High Speed Hand Washing technique for ag industry

Extension recently released a collection of resources for farmers and ranchers and food production or packing plant supervisors to use in the workplace.

Chris Branam | Jul 8, 2020 | News story

Honeybee lives shortened after exposure to two widely used pesticides

Honeybee researchers in OSU’s College of Agricultural Sciences found detrimental effects in honeybees exposed to Transform and Sivanto, which are both registered for use in the United States and were developed to be more compatible with bee health.

Chris Branam | Jun 16, 2020 | News story

New OSU Extension cards help Oregon's cherry growers identify X disease

Controlling X disease is vital to the health of Oregon’s cherry industry.

Chris Branam | Jun 11, 2020 | News story

Lights, camera, forest: Bringing Hopkins to the public through social media

OSU Extension educator uses social media to conduct lessons from the Hopkins Demonstration Forest.

Chris Branam | Jun 5, 2020 | News story

Extension helps distribute KN95 masks, hand sanitizer to Oregon's agricultural and farmworker communities

The distribution included a high-speed hand-washing poster designed by Extension Family and Community Health faculty.

Chris Branam | Jun 3, 2020 | News story

High concentrations of polluted air found inside homes during 2018 wildfire smoke event

Preliminary results of an OSU-led study indicate that the household indoor environment may be worse for PAH exposure than outdoors.

Chris Branam | Jun 2, 2020 | News story

Lake County 4-H virtual running club provides exercise opportunity for children, families

Participants received a welcome packet in the mail that included a running record sheet, shoelaces with the 4-H logo and stickers.

Chris Branam | May 21, 2020 | News story

OSU Extension offers new resource for pasture and grazing management

Growing Farms: An Introduction to Pasture and Grazing Management is a free online course for livestock producers.

Chris Branam | May 18, 2020 | News story

OSU Extension creates youth education resources webpage for families and educators

The page provides research-based lessons and activities for Oregon’s families.

Chris Branam | May 15, 2020 | News story

4-H Together on Thursdays videos become a hit on Facebook

To increase engagement, the videos include a system so that kids can earn experience points for each activity they do.

Chris Branam | May 13, 2020 | News story

Lincoln Extension creates online resource for locally grown food

A simple idea that can be replicated in other counties.

Chris Branam | May 8, 2020 | News story

Oregonians learn homesteading at Rural Living Day

Annual event included classes ranging from composting to water rights and well-water management, and small engine maintenance to wildlife management.

Chris Branam | May 7, 2020 | News story

OSU Extension Fire Program to host preparedness webinars in May

OSU Extension's new statewide fire program helps facilitate land management priorities, as well as create a healthy understanding and respect of fire through education and outreach efforts.

Chris Branam | Apr 28, 2020 | News story

OSU Extension adult exercise programs keep Oregonians active

Walk With Ease and Strong Women & StrongPeople are focusing on self-directed programs and virtual meetings to stay connected to their participants.

Chris Branam | Apr 24, 2020 | News story

OSU Extension Outdoor School provides resources for families during stay-at-home order

Extension Outdoor School added a webpage – “Educational Resources for Stay Home, Save Lives,” — to its website where parents, guardians and teachers can find links to resources to support outdoor learning experiences while schools are out of session.

Chris Branam | Apr 15, 2020 | News story

OSU research program awarded $12.7 million grant for Superfund research

The Oregon State University Superfund Research Program received the five-year grant from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.

Chris Branam | Apr 13, 2020 | News story

Enrollment skyrockets for OSU Master Gardener vegetable course

More than 17,600 people – at a growing clip of about 1,000 more each day – are signing up for a vegetable gardening course offered by the Oregon State University Extension Service, as people nationally abide by stay-at-home pandemic orders.

Chris Branam | Apr 1, 2020 | News story

Researchers use OSU fish collection to detect historical infection of salmon parasites

Decades-old fish stored at Oregon State University proved valuable in learning more about parasites that infect a family of fish that includes salmon and trout in the Pacific Northwest.

Chris Branam | Mar 4, 2020 | News story

Wheat virus is bigger problem in Pacific Northwest than previously thought

Wheat soil-borne mosaic disease was first detected in the Walla Walla Valley along the Oregon and Washington border in 2008.

Chris Branam | Mar 2, 2020 | News story

Pioneering Extension dairy processing specialist appointed department head

Lisbeth Goddik devoted a large part of her Extension appointment at OSU to help build an artisan cheese industry in Oregon.

Chris Branam | Feb 28, 2020 | News story

Coastal risks and land use policy create economic tradeoffs for armoring the Oregon Coast

An Oregon land use policy creates a large economic value for some private homeowners who are allowed to protect their shoreline against erosion, according to a new Oregon State University study.

Chris Branam | Feb 6, 2020 | News story

Carnegie Foundation again bestows coveted 'Community Engagement' designation on OSU

Oregon State University has been awarded its second Carnegie Community Engagement Classification.

Chris Branam | Jan 31, 2020 | News story

Statewide Outdoor School participation jumps 6%, up to nearly 38,000 students

Eighty-one percent of Oregon’s eligible fifth- and sixth-grade students participated in the statewide Oregon State University Extension Service Outdoor School program in the 2018-19 school year

Chris Branam | Dec 20, 2019 | News story

Watermelon supplements bring health benefits to obese mice

Eating watermelon in the form of powdered supplements helped adult obese mice avoid some detrimental health effects of an unhealthy diet, according to a new Oregon State University study.

Chris Branam | Dec 19, 2019 | News story

Easy prey: The largest bears in the world use small streams to fatten up on salmon

A new Oregon State University-led study reveals a different picture of how and when brown bears in Alaska eat salmon.

Chris Branam | Dec 19, 2019 | News story

Researchers identify successful biological control for destructive fruit fly

A parasitic wasp has shown tremendous potential attacking and controlling spotted wing drosophila – an invasive, destructive fruit fly that costs Oregon growers close to a billion dollars a year.

Chris Branam | Dec 10, 2019 | News story

Christmas tree shopping season is beginning to look a lot like 2018

This year’s Christmas tree shopping season is beginning to look a lot like 2018, with a tight supply and similar prices, according to Oregon State University Extension’s Christmas tree specialist.

Chris Branam | Nov 25, 2019 | News story

OSU researchers to use $3.3 million NSF grant to study impacts of tiny plastics on aquatic life

Oregon State University researchers will use a $3.3 million grant from the National Science Foundation to study tiny plastics and their potential impacts on aquatic life.

Chris Branam | Nov 18, 2019 | News story

Tensions lessening between rangeland fire groups and government agencies

A study led by Oregon State University finds that tensions between Rangeland Fire Protection Associations and government agencies have lessened– rapidly in Idaho and gradually in Oregon.

Chris Branam | Oct 24, 2019 | News story

OSU researchers present findings at Turf Field Day

OSU Extension researchers presented field trial results on fine fescues and annual bluegrass at Turf Field Day.

Chris Branam | Oct 10, 2019 | News story

Community celebrates Jefferson County Extension at Benny Bash

The community got a close-up look at Jefferson County Extension and agricultural research at Benny Bash, held at Sahalee Park in downtown Madras on Sept. 21.

Chris Branam | Oct 7, 2019 | News story

Cats, like children and dogs, develop attachments to their caregivers, study shows

Pet cats form attachments with their human owners that are similar to the bonds formed by children and dogs with their caretakers.

Chris Branam | Sep 23, 2019 | News story

Researchers determine pollen abundance and diversity in five major pollinator-dependent crops

A new study provides valuable insights into pollen abundance and diversity available to honeybee colonies employed in five major pollinator-dependent crops in Oregon and California.

Chris Branam | Aug 28, 2019 | News story

Aggressive local efforts were key to limiting spread of sudden oak death disease in Oregon

Limiting sudden oak death’s spread in southern Oregon has proved to be a success.

Chris Branam | Aug 19, 2019 | News story

Increasing the abundance of a threatened or endangered species can deliver large economic benefits

A new study provides evidence that increasing the abundance of a threatened or endangered species can deliver large benefits to the citizens of the Pacific Northwest.

Chris Branam | Aug 14, 2019 | News story

Installing solar panels on agricultural lands maximizes their efficiency, new study shows

The most productive places on Earth for solar power are farmlands, according to an Oregon State University study.

Chris Branam | Aug 7, 2019 | News story

West Coast forest landowners will plant less Douglas-fir in warming climate, model shows

West Coast forest landowners are expected to adapt to climate change by gradually switching from Douglas-fir to other types of trees such as hardwoods and ponderosa pine, according to a new Oregon State University study.

Chris Branam | Jul 30, 2019 | News story

Hidden world of stream biodiversity revealed through water sampling for environmental DNA

For the first time, researchers have used a novel genomics-based method to detect the simultaneous presence of hundreds of organisms in a stream.

Chris Branam | Jul 23, 2019 | News story

New analysis reveals challenges for drought management in Oregon’s Willamette River Basin

In Oregon’s Willamette River Basin, managing water scarcity would be more effective if conservation measures were introduced in advance and upstream from the locations where droughts are likely to cause shortages, according to a new study.

Chris Branam | Jul 15, 2019 | News story

Given more information about how wine is made, consumers less likely to pay for organic

Consumers are more willing to pay for wine that comes with an organic or organic grape label but providing information about certification standards and organic production practices reduces consumer willingness to pay for all wines, , according to an Oregon State University-led study.

Chris Branam | Jun 25, 2019 | News story

Outdoor School, Oregon State Parks launch Get Out There Together program

Oregon State University Extension Service and Oregon State Parks are partnering to offer a new program called Get Out There Together.

Chris Branam | Jun 20, 2019 | News story

Researchers determine ideal areas and timing for biological control of invasive stink bug

Biological control of the brown marmorated stink bug, an invasive pest that devastates gardens and crops, would be more effective in natural areas bordering crops or at times when certain insecticides aren’t being applied.

Chris Branam | Jun 10, 2019 | News story

Extreme draining of Oregon reservoir aids young salmon and eliminates invasive fish

Low-cost, extreme draining of Fall Creek Reservoir aided downstream migration of juvenile chinook salmon – and led to the gradual disappearance of two species of predatory invasive fish in the artificial lake.

Chris Branam | May 21, 2019 | News story

OSU Science on Tap presents talk on Egyptian tombs, language and culture

Egyptologist Hassan Latif will present “Secrets to the afterlife – decoding Egyptian tombs, language and culture” at Oregon State Science on Tap on May 30.

Chris Branam | May 14, 2019 | News story

Marine scientist joins Oregon Sea Grant and OSU Extension as fisheries specialist

Angee Doerr, an interdisciplinary marine scientist, has joined Oregon Sea Grant and the Oregon State University Extension Service to work with the fishing industry on the central Oregon coast.

Chris Branam | May 9, 2019 | News story

Young frogs that were stressed as tadpoles move less on land, putting their survival at risk

New Oregon State University research shows that juvenile northern red-legged frogs that have experienced climate-related stress as tadpoles are less likely to move on land, putting their survival at risk.

Chris Branam | May 2, 2019 | News story

New scat study provides clues to puzzling existence of Humboldt martens in Oregon Dunes

Researchers are chipping away at solving a biological mystery on the central Oregon coast: the existence of an isolated population of a small but fierce forest predator that makes its home in the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area.

Chris Branam | May 1, 2019 | News story

Wristband samplers show similar chemical exposure across three continents

Oregon State University researchers deployed chemical-sampling wristbands to individuals on three continents and found that no two wristbands had identical chemical detections – but the same 14 chemicals were detected in more than 50 percent of the wristbands.

Chris Branam | Apr 22, 2019 | News story