SOU Institute for Applied Sustainability faculty and staff

SOU Institute for Applied Sustainability celebrates with Innovation Fund kickoff

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Southern Oregon University’s Institute for Applied Sustainability is stepping into its second year with the official launch of its IAS Innovation Fund and recognition of the institute’s many first-year accomplishments. The Innovation Fund, which provides micro-grants for forward-thinking projects by SOU faculty and staff, is an example of the IAS commitment to creative and collaborative solutions at SOU and within the community.

Innovation Fund micro-grants foster sustainability and serve as strategic investments, laying the groundwork for broader funding opportunities and supporting initiatives that contribute to the long-term success of SOU sustainability efforts.

The impact of the Innovation Fund is already evident in recent projects that have received funding:

  • Recology Artist in Residency p With the creative support of project lead Michael Parker, an SOU sculpture professor, this project helps students learn about transforming waste into art. The award-winning initiative encourages artists to use materials found at the dump, promoting sustainability and waste awareness. The resulting artworks enrich the community and shed light on hidden waste processes.
  • DMC lighting project. This project takes a holistic approach to sustainability in overhauling lighting in the Digital Media Center studio, offering efficiency gains and cost savings for the university. It also enhances student education by providing exposure to industry-standard technology. The effort was spearheaded by Brandon Givens with support from the DMC, Sustainability Office and Oregon Center for the Arts.
  • Carbon value research project. The project, led by Environmental Science, Policy and Sustainability professor John Gutrich, models the economic value of forest carbon for management strategies in the Pacific Northwest. It will foster collaboration between SOU’s ESPS program, the H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest Long-Term Ecological Research Program and the Department of Forest, Ecosystems and Society at Oregon State University.
  • Bee research. Joy McEwen, coauthor of “Raising Resilient Bees,” has joined the team at The Farm at SOU to pioneer research on the impact of bees on soil production and quality. The research project is kicking off just in time for the groundbreaking of The Farm’s pollinator gardens this winter.

The SOU Institute for Applied Sustainability was created in fall 2022 as part of an historic, $12 million gift to SOU from Lithia Motors and its GreenCars division. The two largest elements of the gift are a $5 million scholarship fund and $4 million to establish the Institute for Applied Sustainability, which collaborates with Lithia on projects including a sustainability conference, an academic credential in corporate sustainability and a national sustainability demonstration site.

Learn more about the Institute for Applied Sustainability and its Innovation Fund.

“The inaugural year of the IAS has further exemplified Southern Oregon University’s commitment to sustainability,” said Becs Walker, SOU’s director of sustainability and associate director of the Institute for Applied Sustainability. “The IAS is building capacity for projects, internships and collaboration with businesses and organizations to provide our students with experience and learning in an area that is critical for the future.”

The IAS is celebrating both the accomplishments of its first year and the dedication of its faculty fellows: Pavlina McGrady, an associate professor of business; Bret Anderson, an associate professor and chair of history, economics and politics; Jessica Piekielek, a professor and chair of sociology and anthropology; and Chris Lucas, an assistant professor of digital cinema. The faculty fellows have helped build the institute’s foundation while pursuing projects within the IAS such as Digital Leaders Active in Disaster, Sustainable Tourism Training and SOU Collaborative Sustainability Archives.

“Kira Welch, the new full-time coordinator, will enhance the IAS’s capacity to engage in leadership, scholarship and teaching in the broad field of sustainability, both on- and off-campus,” said Vincent Smith, director of SOU’s School of Science and Business, and director of the IAS. “Our 2023-24 projects include on-campus sustainable landscape upgrades, regional partnerships, a global exchange program, faculty research and student internships.”

Travis Campbell recognized by American Economics Association

SOU economist’s research recognized by American Economic Association

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(Ashland, Ore.) — SOU economist Travis Campbell and a co-author from Rutgers University have been recognized by the American Economic Association for writing the best research paper over the past year on LGBTQ+ economics.

The award for Campbell, an assistant professor of economics at SOU, and co-author Yana Rodgers of Rutgers was announced at the AEA’s annual meeting this month in San Antonio, Texas. Their paper, “Conversion therapy, suicidality and running away: An analysis of transgender youth in the U.S.” was nominated for the award from the AEA’s Committee on the Status of LGBTQ+ Individuals in the Economics Profession.

The research paper by Campbell and Rodgers was published last year in the Journal of Health Economics. Their study is based on data from the 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey, and found that the controversial practice of “conversion therapy” increases the risk of suicide attempts among transgender youth by 55 percent, and increases the likelihood of running away from home by 128 percent. Conversion therapy is the practice of trying to change a person’s sexual orientation – or gender identity or expression – to conform with heterosexual norms.

Campbell and Rodgers analyzed data from U.S. Transgender Survey, which is the largest-ever assessment of transgender people with more than 27,700 respondents across the U.S. participating.

Campbell has also authored an article for The Conversation website that summarizes the paper he co-authored with Rodgers, and a few related papers he has written.

Campbell joined the SOU Economics faculty after earning his Ph.D. in economics in 2022 from the University of Massachusetts. His research applies microeconomics to social justice issues, including economic inequalities based on race, gender and sexuality. His classes at SOU include Micro and Macroeconomics, Quantitative Methods and Application, Healthcare Economics, Labor Economics and Gender Issues in Economics.

The AEA’s Committee on the Status of LGBTQ+ Individuals in the Economics Profession presents its award annually to the best paper, published in a peer-reviewed journal or academic press, on topics “especially relevant to or about LGBTQ+ populations.”

The AEA committee was created to help build an economics profession that is open to all, regardless of gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, race, religion, family status or disability. The committee is based on the belief that a diverse profession encourages the highest quality scholarship.

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SOU faculty members picked for AASCU leadership institute

Four from SOU chosen for AASCU leadership institute

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(Ashland, Ore.) — Four Southern Oregon University faculty members are among 36 educators selected from higher education institutions across the country to take part in the inaugural Department Chair Leadership Institute, an initiative of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities that is intended to help participants develop critical skills and prepare for future administrative roles.

SOU’s participants in the AASCU program are Jackie Apodaca, professor and co-chair of the Theatre Department; Dee Fretwell, senior instructor and chair of the School of Business; Larry Gibbs, associate professor and chair of the Healthcare Administration Program; and Jesse Longhurst, associate professor and chair of the Education Department.

Members of the initial cohort of the DCLI will participate in an in-person meeting this week in Washington, D.C., and in three 75-minute virtual sessions in February and March. The leadership institute’s comprehensive curriculum covers how to lead a department based on an institution’s mission and strategic plan, navigate difficult conversations, grow and sustain a future-focused department and and maintain relevance as higher education changes.

The DCLI is designed for current department chairs state colleges and universities who aspire to be dynamic, strategic and empathetic leaders. Participants gain a national perspective on the importance of the department chair in serving the institutional mission, leading with an equity mindset, delivering value and ensuring student success. The institute was created in response to AASCU member feedback and requests for a robust professional development program for department chairs.

Richard Helldobler, president of New Jersey’s William Paterson University and a former AASCU board member, is serving as executive sponsor and lead faculty member of the new leadership institute. He said a recent study found that 67% of department chairs reported no training was received for their position, even though chairs are considered the most critical front-line managers for academic and institutional effectiveness.

“AASCU is taking this issue head-on with the development of this new program to help department chairs understand roles and responsibilities, finances and navigating the complexities of university leadership,” Helldobler said.

The demand for the new program was so high that the 2024 institute will be made up of two cohorts, with the second group participating in its in-person meeting in August and virtual sessions in September and October.

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SOU and other local organizations sponsor MLK, Jr. celebration

Southern Oregon MLK, Jr., Celebration on Jan. 15 in Ashland

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(Ashland, Ore.) — Southern Oregon University will join several other local organizations in sponsoring this year’s Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Holiday Celebration for southern Oregon from noon to 1:30 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 15, at the historic Ashland Armory and in downtown Ashland. All community members are invited to participate in the event, which is free and open to the public.

The festivities will honor Dr. King’s legacy, and the diverse and vibrant southern Oregon community. This year’s theme is “We Choose Love! Now more than ever, the DREAM must continue.”

The event’s keynote speech will be delivered by D.L. Richardson, a civil rights scholar, educator and longtime host of the local MLK celebration.

This year’s event will also include messages from Rogue Valley faith leaders, spoken word presentations by area students and performances by the Ashland School District Middle School Choir, the Rogue Valley Peace Choir, BASE Youth Dancers and The Friends of Bishop Mayfield Band, who will perform a tribute to the beloved local blues legend.

There will be a slideshow presentation on the importance of the Civil Rights Movement, as the landmark 1964 Civil Rights Act is celebrated, 60 years later.

In keeping with long-time tradition, participants in the MLK celebration will march from the Ashland Armory to the downtown Plaza to hear Dr. King’s original “I have a Dream” speech, and a performance by the Kirby Shaw Singers.

Seating for the Ashland Armory portion of the family event will be limited, and available on a first-come basis. Doors will open at 11:30 a.m., and sign language interpretation will be provided for the live event and an online simulcast at SOMLK.org.

While the event is free, donations are welcome and everyone is encouraged to bring a non-perishable food item to donate to the SOU Food Pantry.

Sponsors and participating organizations, in addition to SOU, include the Ashland Chamber of Commerce, Travel Ashland, City of Ashland, Ashland School District, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Ashland Food Co-Op, Black Southern Oregon Alliance and Black Alliance for Social Empowerment..

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SOU President's Medal, highest award, goes to three retired faculty members

SOU’s highest award to go to three retired faculty members

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(Ashland, Ore.) — SOU President Rick Bailey will present three retired faculty members with the highest recognition of service to the university during a celebration from 3:30 to 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 9, in the Rogue River Room of SOU’s Stevenson Union.

The SOU President’s Medal will be awarded to poet Lawson Fusao Inada, artist Betty LaDuke and linguist “Señora Chela” Grace Tapp Kocks.

“These three extraordinary scholars and teachers served our university and our students with brilliance for a combined 99 years, and also distinguished themselves as significant innovators in their individual fields of study,” President Bailey said in an announcement to campus. “Each has earned the deepest respect and gratitude of our campus community, and has made a lasting impression on our world.”

Inada joined the SOU faculty in 1966 and taught until 2002. He is a third-generation Japanese American, and the betrayal that he felt when his family was confined in internment camps during World War II shaped much of the poetry that would lead him to prominence. His four published collections of poetry included winners of the Oregon Book Award and the American Book Award, he received a Guggenheim Fellowship, was named Oregon’s poet laureate in 2006 and his words are inscribed in stone at the Japanese American Historical Plaza in Portland. Inada received a bachelor’s degree from Fresno State University and a master of fine arts degree from the University of Oregon.

LaDuke arrived at SOU in 1964 and taught until 1996. She was the second woman art teacher when she joined the SOU faculty and was the only woman in the Art Department for 18 years. She has traveled the world for more than 65 years, sketching, painting and telling stories through her art of people linked to the land and community, during peace and war – from civil rights struggles in the 1960s and 1970s, to recent works focused on farms and farmworkers. She received the Oregon Governor’s Award in the Arts in 1993 and the National Art Education Association’s Ziegfield Award for distinguished international leadership in 1996. The National Museum of Eritrea dedicated a gallery to her paintings in 2017. LaDuke received a bachelor’s degree in art and a master’s degree in printmaking, both from California State University, Los Angeles

“Señora Chela” came to SOU in 1966 to teach Spanish and French, and soon became the university’s cornerstone of multicultural outreach. She directed SOU’s international shows for 25 years, serving as a conduit between the university and the Rogue Valley’s Hispanic community. She is the architect of both a 54-year sister city relationship between Ashland and the Mexican city of Guanajuato, and SOU’s Amistad exchange program with the Universidad de Guanajuato. More than 750 students have participated in the exchange program since 1969, and hundreds of Ashland and Guanajuato residents have visited their sister cities. She was named an emeritus member of the SOU faculty in 1997. She received a bachelor’s degree from Colorado State University, Greeley, and a master’s degree from the University of Colorado, Boulder.

The SOU President’s Medal, established in 1984, is the university’s highest tribute and is awarded as often as once per year to one or more community members who are distinguished by their actions and contributions. It has previously been presented to 59 individuals and organizations, most recently in August 2022 to Mexican politician and SOU alumnus Juan Carlos Romero Hicks and his wife, Frances “Faffie” Siekman Romero.

Recipients of the medal are recognized for their exemplary service to the university and community, and for demonstrating compassion, integrity, generosity, leadership and courage. The SOU president determines when and to whom the award is presented.

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