Kelly Sparks, OSU-Cascades expansion and finance leader to step down
Kelly Sparks, associate vice president for finance and strategic planning at Oregon State University – Cascades has been appointed chief business officer and vice president of finance at the University of Maine.
Sparks, who has served in her current role since 2013, played a significant role in establishing and expanding the OSU-Cascades campus. Her last day with OSU-Cascades will be Sept. 30. At the University of Maine, she’ll oversee business and finance operations for campuses with nearly 12,000 enrolled students.
Scholarship fund created to honor OSU-Cascades former leader Becky Johnson tops $467,000
A new scholarship fund totaling more than $450,000 will support Oregon State University - Cascades students with financial need and honor the legacy of Becky Johnson who served as vice president of OSU-Cascades for 13 years and is currently OSU’s interim president.
The Becky Johnson and Lori Elkins Endowed Scholarship Fund is named after Johnson and her wife. Donors to the scholarship fund, many of whom are Central Oregon community members, made contributions through the OSU Foundation totaling $467,730 as of July 31.
OSU-Cascades receives $140,000 grant to convene partners in development of a regional innovation hub
More than 30 economic development, workforce, education, business and government representatives in Central Oregon will launch a process to advance innovation-based economic development for the region, thanks to a $140,000 grant from Business Oregon and the Oregon Innovation Council.
Oregon State University – Cascades, the recipient of the grant, collaborated with regional partners on the grant proposal.
Enrolled members of all federally recognized Tribal nations eligible for in-state tuition at OSU
Enrolled members of all 574 federally recognized Tribal nations across America will pay in-state tuition at Oregon State University beginning fall term 2022, regardless of where they live, the university announced Wednesday.
The policy will apply to both new and currently enrolled undergraduate and graduate students and covers all for-credit courses at OSU, which was established under the Morrill Land Grant College Act of 1862. The Morrill Act resulted in the seizure of nearly 11 million acres belonging to 250 sovereign Tribal nations, with little or no compensation.
OSU-Cascades commencement ceremony on Sunday is first to take place on its campus
Oregon State University – Cascades will host the first-ever graduation event on its campus on Sunday, June 12.
The graduating class includes 290 students. Nearly 220 students plan to participate in the inaugural on-campus ceremony, and officials anticipate that more than 2,000 family and friends of graduates will attend.
National engineering education, research and service leader named OSU’s next president
Jayathi Y. Murthy, a national leader in higher education engineering teaching, research and service, and advancing diversity, equity and inclusion, has been appointed Oregon State University’s next president.
OSU-Cascades to honor Interim OSU President Becky Johnson at commencement
Oregon State University – Cascades will honor OSU Interim President Becky Johnson, who led the Bend campus for 12 years, during its 21st annual commencement ceremony on Sunday, June 12.
Johnson will receive the OSU-Cascades Distinguished Service Award, which honors individuals, businesses or organizations that have made exceptional contributions to OSU-Cascades, Central Oregon, the state of Oregon or the world. She will also deliver the commencement address.
Native American scholar and author Beth Piatote featured in OSU-Cascades annual literary event
Beth Piatote, a writer and scholar of Native American and Indigenous literature and law, will read and discuss her recent work on June 6 at the High Desert Museum.
The program, titled “Writing West: A Conversation with Two Award-Winning Authors,” will take place from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. A reception will follow.
New college program aims to build child care workforce, pays full tuition
A program launched at Oregon State University – Cascades and in partnership with Central Oregon Community College aims to increase the number of child care and early learning workers in Central Oregon. The region was identified as a ‘child care desert’ in a 2019 OSU report because of the lack of care available for children under five.