Oregon State University – Cascades will host free clinics for COVID-19 vaccinations, boosters and flu shots Jan. 12 and 13 for the campus and Central Oregon communities.

The clinics are open to OSU-Cascades employees and students, and community members, and will take place in the atrium of Edward J. Ray Hall from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Jan. 12 and 3 to 7 p.m. on Jan. 13. 

Free one-hour parking will be available to community members in the campus parking lots.

No health insurance is necessary to receive a COVID-19 vaccination or booster, or flu shot.

Oregon State University plans to resume in-person instruction and other university activities and operations on Jan. 3 as planned at all of its campuses and locations.

A recent doctoral graduate of Oregon State University who won a national contest for using dance to communicate her research will be the speaker at Oregon State’s Science Pub on Jan. 10.

The virtual event, a joint effort of Oregon State University in Corvallis and OSU-Cascades in Bend, will feature Heather Masson-Forsythe, who earned her Ph.D. from Oregon State earlier this year. Her presentation is titled: “Investigating how COVID-19 proteins stick to viral RNA and taking research from the lab to the dance floor.”

Oregon State University – Cascades will establish a research laboratory to provide data and services to help tourism entities around the country and in Bend balance visitor needs and community impact, thanks to a $125,000 commitment from Visit Bend made through the OSU Foundation.

“We’re grateful to Visit Bend for their generosity and visionary leadership in helping launch a research lab that can support sustainable economic, social and environmental futures for tourism destinations like Bend,” said Andrew Ketsdever, interim vice president of OSU-Cascades.

Journal entries recorded by a class of first-year students at Oregon State University - Cascades have been turned into a new book documenting the students’ experiences and their introduction to college during the COVID-19 pandemic.

A company started by an Oregon State University – Cascades researcher is a semifinalist in a $4 million federal competition to develop green, economically viable methods for extracting from geothermal brine a chemical element important for electric vehicles.

Oregon State University – Cascades launched the first doctor of physical therapy degree program at a state public university this fall, welcoming an initial cohort of 45 students.

The doctor of physical therapy, or DPT, program is anticipated to produce clinicians to address the need for physical therapists in Oregon and across the nation, especially in rural areas, according to Christine Pollard, a professor and founding director of the DPT program.

Oregon State University – Cascades opened a Veterans Lounge this fall to provide a place for students who served in the military to connect and find academic and community resources.

The lounge is staffed by student veterans who serve as peer advisors. It offers computers, printers and a seating area for studying and gathering. The student staff are available to support students who drop by or make appointments.

The Veterans Lounge, located in Obsidian Hall was funded through a grant from the Oregon Department of Veterans Affairs.

The number of students pursuing degrees in fall term at Oregon State University – Cascades increased 2% over the previous year, and students are taking significantly more courses.

“There is a vibrant energy and optimism on campus,” said OSU-Cascades Interim Vice President Andrew Ketsdever. “Our small campus atmosphere, faculty-student mentoring and innovative research continue to give students and families confidence in the quality of education offered at OSU-Cascades.”

Oregon State University Extension’s Christmas tree specialist will talk about what it takes to grow a quality Christmas tree at OSU’s Science Pub on Nov. 8.

The virtual event, a joint effort of Oregon State University in Corvallis and OSU-Cascades in Bend, will feature a talk by Chal Landgren, a professor in OSU’s College of Forestry at the North Willamette Research and Extension Center in Aurora. His presentation is titled "Your Christmas Tree: What does a grower do in the 7-12 years before you cut a tree?”