Global Innovation Scholars of 2023

SOU Global Scholars Program underway for 2024

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(Ashland, Ore.) — A total of 19 students from Southern Oregon University and the Universidad de Guanajuato in Mexico have been selected to participate in the 2024 edition of the institutions’ Global Innovation Scholars Program – a multicultural business development partnership that was initiated two years ago through the U.S. Department of State.

The participating students – 10 from SOU and nine from UG – are upper division scholars with interest in international commerce. They will do preliminary work on their own campuses beginning winter term before the SOU students visit Guanajuato in March and the UG students visit Ashland in April.

The 19 students will work together in each community, researching and analyzing selected local businesses during the weeklong exchange programs. The highlight in each location will be the presentation of recommended development plans to the business owners.

“The Global Innovation Scholars Program remains steadfast in its dedication to nurturing cross-cultural connections, driving innovation and empowering the next generation of global leaders,” said Dee Fretwell, chair of the SOU Business Department and director of Global Innovation Scholars at the Ashland university.

Fretwell described the program as an “exciting journey of discovery, collaboration and transformative learning,” and emphasized that its success is due in large part to the generosity of dedicated alumni donors.

The Global Innovation Scholars project grew out of a previous partnership that began in 2019 between the two schools. The Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) program brought together classes of business students to work on the development of international business relationships.

Fretwell and UG business professor and SOU alumnus Martin Pantoja led the transition of that program to Global Innovation Scholars in 2022, when the two universities’ business schools were awarded a $25,000 grant from the “100,000 Strong in the Americas” program – sponsored by the U.S. State Department, the U.S. Embassies and the nonprofit organization Partners for the Americas.

“This recognition (from 100,000 Strong in the Americas) bolstered our commitment to fostering collaborative learning experiences that transcend borders and unite students from diverse backgrounds,” Fretwell said.

Last year’s program was funded by the SOU Institute for Applied Sustainability – established in 2022 through a generous gift from Lithia Motors and GreenCars – and through the support of  Barbara Tyler and Tom Curran.

The Global Innovation Scholars program supported seven of the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals in 2023, positively affected six businesses in the U.S. and Mexico with development plans and supported 19 students who dedicated more than 4,000 hours of their time.

SOU and UG have initiated a variety of exchange and cooperative projects since they became sister universities in 1969.

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SOU's Neil Woolf to become president of New Mexico Highlands University

SOU VP named president of university in New Mexico

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(Ashland, Ore.) — Southern Oregon University Executive Vice President Neil Woolf, who has served at SOU for the past five years, has been selected to become the 19th president at New Mexico Highlands University, in Las Vegas, New Mexico.

The NMHU Board of Regents voted unanimously at a special meeting today to hire Woolf as the successor to President Sam Minner, who is retiring at the end of June after nine years as the university’s president. Woolf is expected to continue in his role at SOU until beginning his job at NMHU next summer.

“I am grateful for the opportunities I’ve had at SOU, which I feel have prepared me well for this next chapter in my career,” Woolf said. “SOU and the communities of southern Oregon hold a special place in my heart.”

Woolf began work at SOU in January 2019 as Vice President for Enrollment Management and Student Affairs. He previously led enrollment efforts at higher education institutions in Wisconsin, Washington and Nevada.

“A couple of his many achievements include helping SOU to coordinate with the Oregon Health Authority and others throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, and initiating data sharing with school districts throughout Oregon and beyond – an effort that has already had a significant positive effect on our enrollment,” SOU President Rick Bailey said.

Woolf received his bachelor’s degree in government from Eastern Washington University, his master’s degree in public administration from the University of Utah and his Ed.D. in higher education administration from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

New Mexico Highlands is a public university just east of Santa Fe in Las Vegas, New Mexico, and has satellite campuses in Santa Fe, Albuquerque, Rio Rancho, Farmington and Roswell.

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Film showcase "Your Fate is Booked" by Ariel Himanek

Digital Cinema students to showcase films

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Members of the SOU community are invited to enjoy the premieres of 20 short films when students of the Digital Cinema Production course (DCIN 203) present their class projects at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 13, in the Art Building’s Meese Auditorium. The Fall Digital Cinema Student Showcase is free and open to the public.

The three-minute films – the very first short films by first- and second-year Digital Cinema students in the class – will range from mystery to sci-fi to love stories, and just about everything in-between.

This term’s student films are: “Allergic to Clues” by Maggie Adrian; “Love in Bloom” Elena Barajas; “Slow Children” by Bella Bontrager; “Seeds of Discord” by Fiona Carrithers; “The Audition” by Justin Crawford; “Ten Years Under” by Charlotte Heintz; “Projects” by Aedan Higgins; “Your Fate is Booked” by Ariel Himanek; “Need A Light” by Zach Hudson; “The Vinyl” by Logan James; “Deadly Tracks” by Shenita Lawson; “Archetype 0” by Calído Marquez; “Beckett the Bandit” by Clover Neef; “When Art Breathes” by Maddy Peterson; “Wizard Walking” by Spencer Spicer; “Space Plant” by Kira V. Wegehenkel; “Petal Peddlers” by Tyler Whitson; “The Phantom Florist” by Jaycee Williams; “Surprise” by Rose Wood; and “Cursed!” by Jared Y.

SOU students, faculty and staff are encouraged to support the first-time filmmakers by packing the house for this week’s film showcase.

The students had 11 weeks to conceive, prepare, shoot, edit and deliver their films using available resources. Each has two speaking roles and a single location. The fall term students were asked to craft their scripts to align with this year’s SOU Campus Theme – “Flourishing.”

The four-credit class is intended to help students develop skills in project management, collaboration, creative problem-solving and effective leadership. They learn the stages of film production, how crews are organized, the scheduling process and how to work together in small groups to prepare and produce short films.

SOU’s Digital Cinema program is considered to be more than a “film school,” as it prepares students to innovate as storytellers and entrepreneurs across a range of popular and emerging media formats – including motion pictures, documentary, television, social video and virtual reality. It is rooted in the film school tradition, but is highly experiential and embraces entrepreneurship and innovation as it prepares students for dynamic careers in an expanding world of video arts and entertainment.

SOU Office of Student Belonging and Engagement

SOU’s new Office of Student Belonging and Engagement (BE)

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Southern Oregon University students searching for Student Activities, SJEC, ASSOU, New Student Programs, EPIC, the Food Pantry, Stevenson Union and information on general campus involvement can now turn to a single source: the new Office of Student Belonging and Engagement, located in the former Student Activities suite (Stevenson Union 312).

Belonging and Engagement, affectionately acronymized “BE,” has united these previously separate offices, bringing a new focus on intersectionality to the pursuit of their shared goals.

This unification was paralleled by the office’s staffing model for coordinators, who have shifted from separate roles defined by different subjects of focus, to a single, shared role. The new Belonging and Engagement Coordinator position is debuting with three team members: Familiar faces Marvin Woodard and Jess Haywood are continuing the great work they’ve done in the past as coordinators for, respectively, Racial Justice and Student Organizations and Events; recent addition Sweets Underwood hit the ground running in early October and is already making wonderful waves in the SOU community.

“I am delighted to join this team and be in a position where I can build a bridge for students to feel more connected, engaged and, most importantly, like they belong,” Underwood said. “I look forward to supporting programs around community-building and creating educational opportunities outside the classroom for our students.”

Other additions to the BE team include Rachel Harris, who assists with a variety of BE projects and works closely with SOU’s student organizations, and Nathanael Worcester, who joined Kay Swader in Stevenson Union building management earlier this year. The SU is the home of student engagement on the SOU campus, so its management and operations were an obvious inclusion when Belonging and Engagement was formed.

Belonging and Engagement operates under the umbrella of SOU’s Student Life department, and comprises a variety of programs, services and spaces that support the campus community, including: student organizations and events, the Social Justice and Equity Center (SJEC), the Student Food Pantry and other basic needs resources, New Student programs, the Club Board of Advisors (CBA), Associated Students of Southern Oregon University (ASSOU), the Multicultural Commons, the Event Planning Involvement Committee (EP!C), and SU building management and custodial. BE leadership emphasizes that, while some rearranging has occurred – Sustainability operations and the Student Food Pantry, for example, have moved out of SU 310 (the new Career Connections location) and into the Belonging and Engagement Suite in SU 312 – none of the aforementioned programs and services have been lost.

The Student Food Pantry, in fact, is flourishing. Its new venue in the BE Suite is significantly larger, and a recent push to expand its network of local partners has increased the amount and variety of donations it receives. The Pantry is available to all SOU students, and this much-needed growth in supply will allow it to match the continually growing demand for its services. It is always accepting donations, and new stock arrives throughout the week, so students are encouraged to visit regularly to see what has been added to the shelves.

SOU’s Queer Student Union is being similarly reinvigorated, after an extended period of inactivity. The student body’s response to this initiative has been overwhelmingly enthusiastic: With Underwood at the helm as its staff advisor, the new QSU quickly built a significant member base, and interest in QSU programming is high.

“The growth of the Food Pantry and the return of the QSU are just two examples of the many opportunities now available to us,” said John Johnstin, Director of Belonging and Engagement, and the Stevenson Union. “Existing as separate offices limited both our reach and our efficacy. By pooling our resources and our goals, we’ll be able to support our students in new and greater ways going forward.”

The launch of HawkNEST, SOU’s new platform for “News, Engagement, Support, and Teamwork,” was an important step toward BE’s goals. Its user-friendly interface and myriad engagement features – including a point system to track involvement and the ability to communicate via a built-in chat – are making it easier than ever for students to find and build community on campus. Any student who has not yet visited the platform is encouraged to join using the Single Sign-On option on the HawkNEST homepage. After completing a short onboarding process, they can start exploring the many opportunities for engagement and connection on campus.

“Our purpose is, and has always been, to help every student find their place in our community,” Johnstin said. “We want SOU to be a home to them, and we want them to feel like they belong here. We hope that they can see their identities and interests represented on campus—but we also need to reflect the fact that they are each more than the sum of their parts. As a single, united team, we in the Office of Student Belonging and Engagement can approach our work holistically, treating those identities and interests not as discrete concerns, but as facets of our larger purpose—just as they are facets of our students’ lives.”

To learn more about the Office of Student Belonging and Engagement, visit the Student Activities website, follow SOU Student Life on Instagram, or email the team at belong@sou.edu.