Oregon State University – Cascades has announced the recipients of the 2021 Distinguished Student Awards.

The annual awards are among the top honors given by faculty to OSU-Cascades students and recognize outstanding academic achievement and contributions to each degree  program’s field of study.

The undergraduate recipients and their fields of study are:

Oregon State University – Cascades will host its 20th commencement on Sunday, June 13, 2021, with both a virtual ceremony and an on-campus celebration for graduates.

The graduating class includes 268 students, of which 40% are first generation college graduates and 18% are students of color.

OSU-Cascades will host the virtual ceremony and drive-thru event in keeping with state, federal and OSU health and safety COVID-19 guidelines.

Oregon State University’s new Center for the Outdoor Recreation Economy will advance research and curriculum development, technical skills training and leadership programming for the U.S. outdoor industry. 

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

Oregon State University announced that it is planning to require COVID-19 vaccinations beginning fall term 2021 for students and employees who study and work onsite at OSU locations.

Andrew Ketsdever, chief academic administrator of Oregon State University – Cascades, was named today to serve as interim vice president of the campus.

Ketsdever will begin his term as interim vice president May 1. He will replace Rebecca “Becky” Johnson, who will begin serving as OSU’s interim president on May 1. The OSU Board of Trustees appointed Johnson to that positon on April 16.

A leader on race, religion and contemporary culture and a dynamic civil rights activist will each deliver keynote addresses at the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Symposium hosted by Oregon State University – Cascades May 14 and 15.

Michael Eric Dyson, a distinguished professor of African American studies, ethics and society at Vanderbilt University, will present the conference opening address. He is the author or editor of more than 20 books on subjects from Malcolm X to Tupac Shakur. He is a contributing opinion writer at The New York Times and a MSNBC political analyst.

The Oregon State University Board of Trustees on Friday voted unanimously to name Rebecca “Becky” Johnson as the university’s interim president.

Johnson has served as vice president of OSU-Cascades since 2009. She joined OSU in 1984 as an assistant professor in the College of Forestry, before ascending into college and university academic and administrative leadership positions.

Oregon State University – Cascades researcher and assistant professor of counseling Ryan Reese will discuss how time spent in the outdoors can have a positive impact on health and wellness during the April 20 Science Pub.

The Science Pub, “EcoWellness: Optimizing time outdoors,” will be offered free and virtually from 6 to 7:30 p.m.

The Oregon State University - Cascades Advocacy and Advisory Board will receive updates on ongoing  legislative advocacy work for a future Student Success Center and on the campus’s strategic planning initiative at its April 12 meeting.

The meeting will take place from 3 to 5 p.m. It is open to the public and will be held virtually in keeping with OSU, state and local public health guidance.

An Oregon business leader who helped lead the dynamic growth at one of the state’s leading outdoor product companies will deliver the commencement address at Oregon State University – Cascades' 20th graduation ceremony.