2020 Employee Awards celebrate faculty, staff achievements at OSU-Cascades

Oregon State University; Oregon State University - Cascades; OSU-Cascades; Tykeson Hall
Tykeson Hall is the first academic building to be built on the OSU-Cascades campus.
Sept. 1, 2020

Oregon State University – Cascades has announced its annual employee awards for outstanding contributions to key university initiatives ranging from teaching excellence to diversity, equity and inclusion.  

The recipients of the 2020 employee awards are:

Stephanie Beamer, assistant director of admissions, received the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Award. Beamer was recognized for her service to the campus diversity committee, including advancing employee diversity training. She was also honored for helping to establish the Central Oregon Youth Equity and Leadership Summit.

Rebecca Webb, who leads the energy systems engineering program, received the Outreach Award. Webb was praised for building a region-wide network of professional energy engineers whose members have hired 12 program graduates since 2016. The degree program has achieved an average job placement rate of 95% since launching, with most graduates employed at Central Oregon companies.

Jennifer Masters, an accountant, supports administrative processes in the campus business office and received the Outstanding Staff Engagement and Support Award. She was recognized for bringing a solutions-driven approach to her work and providing timely and efficient customer service.

Construction manager Jarrod Penttila received the Sustainability Award for integrating sustainability into the OSU-Cascades campus expansion planning and construction, including championing the use of sustainable materials and construction practices.

Kreg Lindberg received the Scholarship and Creative Activity Award. An associate professor in the tourism, recreation and adventure leadership program, Lindberg has led or served on teams whose analyses have impacted policy in nature-based recreation and tourism in Oregon and around the globe. His research has been cited more than 4,800 times by other researchers and practitioners.

Scott Geddes is a chemistry instructor and received the Teaching Excellence Award. He was recognized for engaging undergraduate students by bringing real-world examples into the laboratory, leveraging teaching technology, and serving as a mentor to students. Geddes led the development of a chemistry course that inspires students’ career interests and also fulfills requirements for OSU-Cascades to launch a minor in chemistry. 

About OSU-Cascades: Oregon State University’s campus in Bend, Ore. features outstanding faculty in degree programs that reflect Central Oregon’s vibrant economy and abundant natural resources. Nearly 20 undergraduate majors, 35 minors and options, and three graduate programs include computer science, energy systems engineering, kinesiology, hospitality management, and tourism, recreation and adventure leadership. OSU-Cascades expanded to a four-year university in 2015; its new campus opened in 2016.