SOU News Archives

McNair Scholars program at SOU Ashland

McNair Scholars: Apply or nominate potential grad students

Undergraduate students who have stood out in the classroom and have an interest in graduate school can apply or be nominated to join the next cohort of SOU’s McNair Scholars Program. The application deadline for spring interviews is Friday, May 30. The McNair program, a U.S. Department of Education initiative that began at SOU in […]

SOU Ashland Board of Trustees member Micelle Fuentes

SOU student joins Board of Trustees

(Ashland, Ore.) — Southern Oregon University student Michelle Fuentes, a Criminal Justice and Sociology major from Central Point, has been appointed by Gov. Tina Kotek and confirmed Wednesday by the Oregon Senate to serve on the university’s Board of Trustees. Fuentes, whose two-year term begins July 1, will succeed Garima Sharma as one of two undergraduate […]

Taran Cross is bound for Oxford after receiving bachelor's degrees at SOU Ashland

Unorthodox path: recent SOU graduate bound for Oxford

(Ashland, Ore.) — Achieving success wasn’t the issue for Taran Cross. He had risen to the position of vice president with a Medford-based healthcare technology company, despite dropping out of college soon after he began back in 2007. But he had unfinished business and higher ambitions. “I dreamed of going to Oxford as a kid […]

Distinguished Teaching Award recipient Alena Ruggerio at SOU Ashland

SOU’s Ruggerio receives Distinguished Teaching Award

(Ashland, Ore.) — Alena Ruggerio,  a professor of communication at Southern Oregon University, has been named the recipient of the 2025 Distinguished Teaching Award by the Western States Communication Association (WSCA), one of the leading academic organizations in the field of communication studies. The WSCA Distinguished Teaching Award is presented annually and honors educators who […]

Criminology & Criminal Justice students from SOU Ashland

SOU Criminology & Criminal Justice class visits historic UK sites

A group of Criminology & Criminal Justice students from SOU spent their spring break on an immersive academic journey to Nottingham, London and other locations in the United Kingdom, delving deep into the UK’s rich legal and criminal justice history. The students in Alison Burke’s CCJ 389 class visited two prisons, a British courtroom and […]

"Raising Aniya" by SOU Ashland's Chris Lucas

SOU professor presents “Raising Aniya” West Coast premiere at AIFF

SOU assistant professor of Digital Cinema Christopher Lucas will present the West Coast premiere of his feature documentary “Raising Aniya” at this year’s Ashland Independent Film Festival. “Raising Aniya” presents the story of Aniya Wingate, a young dance artist in Houston, Texas, who embarks on a journey to heal her spirit and find her voice […]

outh Programs department brought local high school students to the university campus recently for the César E. Chávez Leadership Conference returns to SOU Ashland

César E. Chávez Leadership Conference returns to SOU

Southern Oregon University’s Youth Programs department brought local high school students to the university campus recently for the César E. Chávez Leadership Conference, which began at SOU in 2012 to celebrates the late civil rights leader’s heritage and teach young people to carry on his legacy of leadership. Last month’s 14th annual César E. Chávez […]

Crew Experience mentor Gary Lundgren at SOU Ashland

Acclaimed Ashland director and screenwriter leads SOU students’ “Crew Experience”

(Ashland, Ore.) — Ashland-based writer-director Gary Lundgren will guide student filmmakers at Southern Oregon University in bringing “An Extraordinary Year” to life this spring, when he mentors those in the Digital Cinema Department’s innovative “Crew Experience” course. “Crew Experience,” launched in 2022, has given SOU’s Digital Cinema students a chance each year to work on […]

Global Innovation Scholars from SOU and UG in Guanajuato

Global Innovation Scholars unite to serve U.S. and Mexican businesses

(Ashland, Ore.) — Nine students and two faculty members from Southern Oregon University have been working for most of the past week with their Mexican counterparts at Universidad de Guanajuato on the annual Global Innovation Scholars program – a multicultural business development initiative to help organizations and businesses in both Guanajuato and Ashland while providing […]

Raider Education Day and keynote speaker Jay Schroder come to SOU Ashland

Raider Education Day for new and prospective teachers

(Ashland, Ore.) — Author, teacher and consultant Jay Schroder will deliver a keynote address, highlighting the third annual Raider Educator Day – an event on Saturday, April 5, that will allow new and prospective teachers to gain insights into the field. The forum, from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the Rogue River Room of […]