Bill Thorndike passes away unexpectedly

SOU loses friend and mentor with passing of Bill Thorndike

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Bill Thorndike – a member of the SOU Board of Trustees since its inception in 2015 and the board’s first chair – passed away unexpectedly while vacationing with his wife Angela last weekend at their family cottage on Whidbey Island, Washington.

“Bill was to SOU what each of us cherishes in our closest of friends – he was supportive to a fault, generous with his time and ready to lend a hand however it may be needed,” SOU President Rick Bailey and Sheila Clough, chair of the SOU Board of Trustees, said in a joint message to campus. “Above all, he understood us and helped keep us on track, always with a smile and an easy laugh.

“Our university benefited in countless ways from a decades-long relationship with Bill.”

He served as a member and president in the early 1990s on the SOU Foundation Board of Trustees, and as a member and president of the Jefferson Public Radio Listeners Guild. Before becoming the inaugural chair of SOU’s governing board, he served on the Oregon State Board of Higher Education. He was honored in 1996 with the President’s Medal, SOU’s highest tribute to community members who are distinguished by their actions and contributions. The Thorndike Art Gallery at SOU is indicative of the indelible mark he left on the university.

Bill was a 1972 graduate of Medford Senior High School and graduated in 1976 from Lewis & Clark College with a bachelor’s degree in business administration. After college, he began working at his family’s business, Medford Fabrication, a custom steel fabrication company that has been in operation for almost 80 years. He joined the family business in 1976, was elected president in 1987, and then chair in 2004. The MedFab team supplies multinational corporations across the globe.

It was his deep, multi-generational connections to the Rogue Valley – skiing at Mt. Ashland, hiking from his family’s cabin at Union Creek – that drove Bill’s unmatched  sense of volunteerism. His life was a tapestry woven with threads of business success, leadership and an unwavering dedication to community and service – he received at least a dozen prestigious awards for his professional accomplishments and community service. He was well known in southern Oregon and the Rogue Valley as a servant leader, serving on almost 60 boards and committees – many concurrently, and often as president or chair.

He was a strong advocate for education beyond SOU, serving with organizations including the SMART Oregon Children’s Foundation and the Jackson County SMART Advisory Committee. His civic engagement included service with the Chamber of Medford/Jackson County, where he held various leadership positions, the Jackson County Budget Committee, the Jackson County Community Service Consortium (JCCSC) and Rogue Valley Manor Community Services. His dedication to the region’s well-being was recognized with awards including “Person of the Decade” in 2000 from JCCSC, the “First Citizen Award” in 2007 from the Chamber of Medford/Jackson County and “the Imagine Award” in 2015 from Resolve (formerly Mediation Works).

Bill served the broader state through his appointments to governmental boards and committees including two Oregon governors’ Regional Solutions committees, the Senate Commission on Educational Excellence, the Oregon State Board of Higher Education, Port of Portland and Oregon Department of Transportation committees. He also chaired the Crater Lake National Park Trust, the Oregon Business Council, and the Oregon Community Foundation. His statewide impact has been acknowledged with awards such as Willamette University’s Glenn L. Jackson Leadership Award recognizing individuals who have demonstrated exceptional leadership, integrity and civic responsibility to the state and its people, and the Tom McCall Leadership Award from SOLV/ Bank of America for helping to preserve livability in Oregon.

His influence reached beyond Oregon’s borders, as well. His expertise in finance and economics led to his service, including as chairman, with the U.S. Central Bank’s Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco (Portland Branch). He served on the boards of the Northwest Area Foundation, Philanthropy Northwest and Northwest Business Committee for the Arts. Bill was named “Exporter of the Year” in 1990 by the U.S. Small Business Administration (Oregon) to recognize his experience in international trade.

“We are certain that Bill will be missed within each of those organizations, just as he will be at SOU,” Chair Clough and President Bailey said in their joint message. “It is his friendship and genuine, caring nature that will leave the deepest void.

“So we ask you, as members of our loving and compassionate campus community, to hold Bill and his family in your thoughts. Please do your best to keep his spirit alive through your own kindness with each other, with our university, and with our community.”

Drs. Roy and Barbara Saigo

SOU’s Saigo Multicultural Alcove rededicated

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Southern Oregon University recognized the importance of providing a diverse perspective with its recent rededication of the Drs. Roy and Barbara Saigo Multicultural Alcove in SOU’s Hannon Library.

The collection, near the library’s third-floor lobby, was originally established during Roy Saigo’s tenure as SOU’s interim president and then president, from 2014 through August of 2016.

Drs. Roy and Barbara SaigoBoth Roy Saigo, who currently heads a consulting business, and his wife, biologist Barbara Saigo, were present for the rededication ceremony, which was attended by about 50 people. The Saigos live in Ashland, and both spoke at the event about the importance of examining issues through multicultural lenses.

SOU President Rick Bailey also addressed those in attendance, recognizing the Saigos’ continuing contributions to the university and the southern Oregon region.

“We were thrilled to honor the Saigos for their service to our students, our university and our community,” President Bailey said. “They continue to be great assets and friends to SOU and we are grateful for their leadership, mentorship and friendship.”

The multicultural alcove “contains books that celebrate, support and recognize the diversity of the Southern Oregon University community,” according to a plaque at the site. The books on multicultural topics – including “well-reviewed” children’s books – are intended to reflect the life experiences and research of SOU’s African-American, Latinx/Hispanic American, Native American, Pacific Islander, Asian American and LGBTQ communities.

Roy Saigo came out of retirement in 2014 to lead SOU as interim president, and his role was later was changed to president. He had previously served as president of Minnesota’s Saint Cloud State University from 2000 to 2007, and as chancellor of Auburn University-Montgomery from 1994 to 2000. Barbara Saigo served in faculty positions at those institutions and at the University of Northern Iowa and the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.

Roy Saigo received his bachelor’s degree in biological sciences from the University of California, Davis, and his Ph.D. in botany and plant pathology from Oregon State University. Barbara Saigo received her bachelor’s degree in biology from Willamette University, her master’s degree in zoology from Oregon State University and her Ph.D. in science education from the University of Iowa.

Snow storm causes postponements and cancelations

SOU campus weathers snow storm

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This week’s snow and freezing temperatures have resulted in all SOU classes, events and activities being canceled for two consecutive days, and also for a variety of events later in the week being postponed or canceled.

Affected events include the women’s and men’s basketball double-header that has been moved from tonight to Wednesday night; the indefinite postponement of the Campus Theme lecture “Peeking Behind the Veil” that had been scheduled for Wednesday night and the “Creating a Culture of Care” behavioral health dialogue that was scheduled for Thursday; and the first-ever cancellation of a Preview Day for prospective students and their families, which was planned for Friday.

As much as six inches of snow has accumulated on and near the SOU campus this week, with driving and walking conditions remaining hazardous. The National Weather Service is forecasting additional snow at times throughout the remainder of the week, although precipitation amounts are expected to decrease and temperatures are predicted to rise somewhat.

Additional updates on the status of classes at SOU are likely as information becomes available. The Hawk Dining Commons has operated as normal during the inclement weather.

The basketball double-header against Oregon Tech is now scheduled to be played on Wednesday at Lithia Motors Pavilion, with the women’s game at 5:30 p.m. and the men’s game at 7:30 p.m. Those who purchased tickets for tonight will be able to use them for the rescheduled games.

This week’s Campus Theme lecture, “Peeking Behind the Veil,” is expected to be rescheduled for a later date. Dr. Fred Grewe, a recently retired chaplain, will share his thoughts about how religion helps shape people’s experiences of reality.

The behavioral health dialogue, “Creating a Culture of Care,” had been planned for Thursday in the Hannon Library and is also expected to be rescheduled. Participants in that event will have opportunities to join breakout groups on a variety of topics.

Friday’s previously scheduled Preview Day has been canceled, but another Preview Day is planned for April 11. The SOU Admissions Office events occur a few times each year and are opportunities for prospective freshman and transfer students, and their families, to experience the SOU campus, tour the residence halls, explore facilities and meet with faculty members.

SOU leaders have emphasized throughout the current weather event that the safety of students and employees is the university’s top priority. Maintenance crews are working to reduce hazards, but those who must be on campus have been urged to be cautious.

Students and employees are encouraged to sign up for weather and other emergency notifications through both the city of Ashland’s NIXLE alert system and SOU Alerts, which allows users to manage and customization notifications. Southern Oregon radio and television stations can also be monitored for up-to-date weather conditions.

Senior living proposals sought by SOU Ashland

SOU seeks development proposals for senior living

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(Ashland, Ore.) — Southern Oregon University has begun the process of identifying a private-sector partner for the construction and operation of a senior living center on a 4.3-acre parcel where a defunct dormitory complex is currently being demolished.

A “request for qualifications” – an invitation for developers and operators of retirement facilities to submit proposals – was issued last week, with all bids due by April 18 and finalist interviews scheduled for the last week of May. The project is expected to be completed as soon as fall of 2027.

“This is an exciting moment for our university,” SOU President Rick Bailey said. “As we endeavor to reimagine the fiscal model of the institution, entrepreneurial ventures like this one will help us transition from being solely dependent on state dollars and tuition for our revenue sources.

“In addition to the fiscal benefits, this project will also present a world of opportunities in lifelong learning, intergenerational connectivity and much more,” he said. “The possibilities are endless. I also want to say a very special thank you to our team members who worked tirelessly over the last several months – years really – to get to this point. We owe them a debt of gratitude.”

The request for qualifications process is intended to identify an experienced operator of retirement communities with whom the university will negotiate specifics for a public-private partnership to build and run the proposed SOU facility. The document issued last week describes “a program and facility designed to accommodate a growing contingent of previously underserved nontraditional students: retirees.”

The senior living center at the site of the Cascade Complex is seen as an entrepreneurial opportunity to forge a unique synergy between the facility’s residents, traditional SOU students, the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at SOU and the university. The project is intended to generate long-term revenue for SOU while supporting the university’s commitment to lifelong learning.

Senior communities are a rare but growing feature on university campuses across the U.S., and the SOU facility would be the first in Oregon – capitalizing on southern Oregon’s reputation as a retirement mecca with a blend of educational, cultural and recreational opportunities.

“SOU believes that retirement today looks very different than it did just decades ago,” the request for qualifications said. “As people transition from full-time careers, today’s active and engaged retirees are looking for dynamic places to live, learn and play.”

Residents in the proposed SOU center could either audit or take regular SOU courses for credit, attend concerts, athletic events and lectures, and participate in a full range of offerings through OLLI at SOU – one of the largest of 125 OLLI chapters on college and university campuses across the U.S. The SOU program has close to 1,700 members and provides a diverse mix of academic courses, activities and excursions intended for those who are 50 and older.

The university also was accepted for membership a year and a half ago in the Age-Friendly University Global network — a collection of more than 100 universities across five continents that have committed to age diversity and intergenerational interactions on their campuses.

SOU’s plans include opportunities for traditional students to benefit from the academic and real-world experiences of retirement community residents, some of whom are expected to serve as mentors.

“This project has the potential to create a whole new demographic of SOU students and community members, organically develop new educational initiatives, and diversify and stabilize university revenue,” the request for qualifications said.

Proposals from would-be developers of the project are limited to 50 pages and must be “comprised of recyclable and, ideally, recycled materials.” Those responding must outline their companies’ expertise in senior living, and describe how their philosophies may align with SOU’s mission and project objectives.

The university will choose the proposal that is “the most advantageous to SOU,” then will enter into negotiations for a legally binding partnership. If those negotiations fail to produce an agreement, the university will shift to the runner-up in the request for qualifications process.

The university is not expected to take an ownership interest or operational role in the project, but will provide agreed-upon services and amenities for the facility and its residents.

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Cascade Complex demolition underway

Demolition underway at SOU’s Cascade Complex

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(Ashland, Ore.) — Southern Oregon University’s Cascade Complex, an obsolete cluster of nine residence halls and a cafeteria that have been largely unused since 2013, is being demolished over the next three months to make room for the anticipated development of a senior living center on the five-acre site at the southwest corner of campus.

Staton Companies, a Eugene-based contractor, was awarded a contract to demolish the Cascade Complex following a competitive bidding process. The demolition portion of the job began last week and is being done for just under $1.7 million. That and all other aspects of the project – including abatement and disposal of asbestos and other hazardous materials, and preparation of the site for future use – are being covered by a $3.5 million allocation from the 2021 Oregon Legislature to responsibly raze the facility.

Cascade Complex demolition underway“The utility tunnels under the slab, and the basement under the old kitchen, will be filled with ground concrete generated on-site,” said Leon Crouch, SOU’s director of Facilities Management & Planning. “None of the demolished concrete will be hauled off-site, rather it will be used to fill utility tunnels and basement spaces to prep the site for future construction.”

The Cascade Complex was built in phases during the early 1960s, and was completed in 1967. Issues with the facility – including defunct HVAC and plumbing, leaky roofs, fire risks and other safety concerns – precluded updating or repurposing the complex as it neared the end of its expected 50-year life span.

The facility’s demolition will eliminate ongoing upkeep costs for the university, and also removes an estimated $12 million in “deferred maintenance” projects that would have been necessary to rehabilitate the complex’s failing infrastructure. Two of the Cascade residence hall wings had been condemned.

SOU and its contractors are taking precautions throughout the project to minimize impacts on surrounding neighborhoods and the university campus, including limiting the hours of the noisiest work and mitigating the production of dust. Care is also being taken to prevent erosion and control storm water drainage.

“Demolition was scheduled for winter months, purposely to allow winter rains to help with dust control,” Crouch said. “On days where there is no rain, the contractors will appropriately wet material as it’s being ground to control dust.”

The current demolition work is expected to be completed by the end of March, when other contractors and SOU staff are scheduled to begin a month-long process of site restoration. The goal will be a stable, drought-tolerant, easily-mowed field that’s ready for development.

SOU leaders have begun exploratory conversations with potential private partners for the creation of a senior living facility to be built at the Cascade Complex location. The senior living center is seen as an entrepreneurial opportunity to forge a unique synergy between its residents, SOU students, the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at SOU and the university. The facility could be completed as early as fall 2027.

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Solar projects underway at SOU Ashland

Construction underway on SOU’s latest solar projects

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(Ashland, Ore.) — Southern Oregon University is making headway in its march toward becoming the first public university in the U.S. to produce all of the daytime electricity used on its campus, with more than $5 million in recent state, federal and student funding and multiple solar projects underway.

SOU completed a rooftop solar  installation on Lithia Motors Pavilion in July, with the project adding a 241 kilowatt solar array to the 63 kilowatt array already located on the athletic pavilion’s roof – making it the largest rooftop solar array in Ashland. SOU’s next project – a solar array and battery storage bank – will begin this month at The Hawk Dining Commons. That project will enable SOU to support community resilience by providing 24/7 power at The Hawk, if needed, in the event of an emergency.

Other upcoming solar projects include installation of four more rooftop arrays on the SOU Art Building, Theatre Building, Marion Ady Building and Central Hall. Also in the works are projects in parking lots adjacent to Lithia Motors Pavilion and the Computer Science Building, in which solar arrays will be installed on raised “canopies” above parking spaces. The second of those projects will include another battery storage bank in the Computer Science Building.

“We are looking ahead to our next phases of funding and excited about this journey for revenue diversification, low-carbon energy production and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions,” said Becs Walker, the university’s director of sustainability. “At the same time, we recognize the importance of energy efficiency and are monitoring all buildings to identify potential improvements. A recent renovation project on Britt Hall improved our energy efficiency across campus.”

The recent and upcoming projects have been funded so far by a total of $3 million from the Oregon Department of Energy’s Community Renewable Energy Grant Program, $800,000 through a legislative allocation for Sustainability Funding for Oregon’s Technical and Regional Universities, and $51,000 from the Associated Students of Southern Oregon University’s Green Fund. Another $2 million that was appropriated by Congress as part of a December 2022 spending bill is also earmarked for the current projects.

SOU is continuing to work through details of the federal appropriation’s funding mechanism, and is using the state grants to maintain the pace of its solar build-out.

Construction on the current round of projects began last spring with the installation of inverters and electronics at Lithia Motors Pavilion, and the installation of solar panels in the summer under a contract with Ashland’s True South Solar and its subcontractor, Welburn Electric of Phoenix.

The university anticipates generating 100% of its own electricity by 2035. SOU is focused on being entrepreneurial in its approaches to revenue generation, and on energy independence and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Its eventual energy independence will save the university at least $750,000 per year in utility costs, and each solar array that comes on-line results in an incremental reduction of the overall energy bill for campus.

SOU has 10 existing solar arrays, plus one at the Higher Education Center in Medford and a pole-mounted array installed in 2022 by a nonprofit on land leased from the university.

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Klamath dam removal workshop at SOU

Klamath dam removal workshop at SOU fosters collaboration

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(Ashland, Ore.) — Southern Oregon University recently hosted the Klamath Dam Removal Research Collaboration Workshop, a follow-up seminar for the numerous groups and agencies working together on the world’s largest-ever dam removal and river restoration project.

The November workshop brought together nearly 150 researchers, Tribal leaders and agency representatives to share information about ecological and social changes in the Klamath River basin that have resulted from the removal of its four dams.

Removal of the Iron Gate (45 minutes southeast of Ashland), J.C. Boyle, Copco No. 1 and Copco No. 2 dams was completed ahead of schedule on Aug. 28, but work will continue for several years to restore about 2,200 acres of land that had been submerged for decades. The dams were built between 1918 and 1962 to provide electricity, but had severe effects on salmon populations and Tribal communities. The river now flows freely from Lake Ewauna near Klamath Falls to the Pacific Ocean.

Salmon return after dam removalThe three-day event at SOU, held jointly with the Klamath Basin Monitoring Program meeting, was intended to build interdisciplinary connections among those working on the renewal project. The workshop was supported by SOU’s Institute for Applied Sustainability; Department of Environmental Science, Policy & Sustainability; and Native Nations Office.

“Our goal was to foster connections across disciplines and entities, through important keynote talks, focused discussion and field trips to dam removal and restoration sites,” said conference organizer Chhaya Werner, an SOU assistant professor of Environmental Science, Policy & Sustainability.

Werner’s lab researches the regeneration of plant communities in the de-watered reservoirs.

She said many who attended the workshop agreed that its “absolute highlight” was a field trip to the dam removal sites and key spawning tributaries, where dozens of fall-run Chinook salmon could be seen returning to their traditional spawning habitat.

Participants at the event included representatives from 11 tribal agencies or entities, including the Yurok, Hoopa Valley, Klamath, Modoc, Karuk, and lower Elwha Klallam Tribes, and the Pulikla Tribe of Yurok People and Quartz Valley Indian Reservation; seven federal and state agencies; eight universities; and non-profits including the Klamath Bird Observatory, Scott River Watershed Council, Trout Unlimited and Save California Salmon. Many SOU faculty and more than 30 SOU students were actively involved, along with alumni now working in restoration fields.

“SOU’s involvement in hosting the meeting is a showing of (the university’s) commitment to supporting science and communities of the Klamath-Siskiyou bioregion,” said Laurel Genzoli, an SOU alumna and postdoctoral researcher at the University of Nevada, Reno. “Returning to SOU to connect with researchers working together to support the restoration of the Klamath River reminded me of the impact that is made through connecting academic institutions with local communities and real world experiences.”

A focus of the workshop was to acknowledge Tribal research and activism for their roles in dam removal and restoration. Keynote speaker Leaf Hillman, former director of the Karuk Department of Natural Resources, opened the workshop with stories of how the work of dam removal began more than two decades ago. Invited speakers on an Indigenous sovereignty panel addressed questions on inter-entity collaboration and partnership. Ridges to Riffles founder Amy Bowers Cordalis closed the workshop with a powerful reminder to listen and learn from the river and its fish.

The workshop also highlighted ongoing research into sediment transport, fish habitat restoration and social impacts. Participants shared findings, including preliminary data on water quality and juvenile salmon survival, and discussed future collaboration opportunities.

Removal of the four dams was completed on-budget, with the smallest dam taken down in 2023 and the three others dismantled beginning in January 2024. Ongoing restoration work includes reshaping tributary channels, replanting native vegetation and improving habitat for salmon and other species. Progress will be monitored with sonar imaging, netting, radio telemetry and other means of tracking the fish that return to spawn in the Klamath River.

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TRIO program at SOU Ashland celebrates milestone anniversary

SOU’s TRIO-SSS program marks milestone

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The TRIO-Student Support Services (SSS) program at SOU, which helps non-traditional students succeed and graduate, celebrated its 30th anniversary this fall. The federally supported program marked the landmark with a “birthday party” last month at its office in Room 322 of the Stevenson Union.

The SOU program helps students who are low-income, first-generation and/or have a disability with services that include holistic, personalized academic advising, tutoring, student success plans, career guidance, preparation for graduate programs and cultural enrichment trips, and other fun and educational activities.

A grant from the U.S. Department of Education provides $338,622 per year in funding for SOU’s Success at Southern/TRIO Program, which is limited to 190 students per academic year and has served more than 1,700 since 1994.

Students must apply to participate in the Success at Southern/TRIO-SSS program and those who meet eligibility requirements are invited to interview about their educational goals, career ambitions and academic barriers. Students who are accepted into the program must each attend a mandatory orientation session and an initial personal education plan meeting, then become eligible for all of the Success at Southern/TRIO-SSS services.

TRIO is a federally funded organization that was created following passage of the Higher Education Act of 1965. It helps disadvantaged students progress through the academic pipeline from middle school through graduate school. There are currently eight sections of TRIO, and the SOU grant is part of the Student Support Services Program.

SOU also participates in the Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program – a separately funded TRIO program that prepares eligible undergraduate students for eventual doctoral studies.

TRIO programs help students from disadvantaged backgrounds, and those with disabilities, to negotiate obstacles that may hinder their academic progress. TRIO students are more likely to stay in good academic standing, persist to the next grade level and graduate compared to their peers.

SOU is one of 23 colleges and universities in Oregon that offer TRIO-SSS.

IAS sustainability conference SOU Ashland

Sustainability conference at SOU builds regional collaboration

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(Ashland, Ore.) — The initial conference of Southern Oregon University’s Institute for Applied Sustainability attracted about 85 sustainability professionals from southern Oregon and northern California this month for two days of hands-on learning, actionable insights and connection-building in Ashland and nearby venues.

The invitation-only conference on Oct. 3 and 4 was open to those in agencies and organizations from the Pacific Coast to Klamath Falls, and from Roseburg to Redding, who are spearheading sustainability efforts in their areas. The event was intended to pull together those leaders to create a dynamic network of individuals and inspired organizations to advance sustainability initiatives throughout the region.

“This conference was valuable to those in attendance, and to those who live in southern Oregon and northern California,” said Vincent Smith, executive director of SOU’s Institute for Applied Sustainability and dean of the School of Science and Business. “A lot of ground-breaking knowledge was shared, and just as important, bonds and connections were created that will benefit us all as we work to promote sustainability efforts and mitigate the effects of a changing climate.”

Programs at the conference were meant to promote regional collaboration and support around existing and future sustainability projects. Participants gained practical knowledge, had opportunities to highlight success stories and promote innovation, and strengthened regionally-focused partnerships.

The first day centered on keynote speeches, workshops and networking opportunities, with topics ranging from funding to using artificial intelligence in climate-action planning, and from the effects of change management on the electrical grid to leveraging diversity to support sustainability. The keynote speaker was Auden Schendler, the senior vice president for sustainability at Aspen One in Colorado, who champions solutions to the climate crisis through activism, movement building and replicable projects. Another 14 presenters served as guest speakers on a variety of topics. Most of the day-one events were held on the SOU campus, other than an evening reception at the Ashland Hills Hotel.

Community outings and connection-building were the second-day focus, with opportunities for outdoor adventures, art and dining. Options included mountain biking with Ashland Mountain Adventures, rafting with Indigo Creek Outfitters, a food and wine tour with Rogue Trotter, and a tour and matinee with the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. All of the day-two activities were organized and sponsored by Travel Southern Oregon, a local tourism marketing nonprofit.

The conference was hosted by SOU’s Institute for Applied Sustainability and a committee that included faculty members Dee Fretwell and Pavlina McGrady, IAS coordinator Kira Welch and student Jenny Chynoweth. Sponsors included Travel Southern Oregon, Motif Event Rentals, Shooting Star Nursery and BBG Creations.

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 that established the IAS – which collaborates with Lithia on projects including the sustainability conference, an academic credential in corporate sustainability and a national sustainability demonstration site.

The institute celebrated the start of its second year in January with the official launch of its IAS Innovation Fund, which provides micro-grants for forward-thinking projects by SOU faculty and staff. Those projects have included sustainable landscape upgrades on campus, regional partnerships, a global exchange program, faculty research and student internships.

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

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SOU Indigenous Peoples Day

Indigenous Peoples Day to be celebrated over two days at SOU

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(Ashland, Ore.) — Southern Oregon University’s annual Indigenous Peoples Day celebration will return to campus for a weekend full of activities on Oct. 19 and 20, from Native dancers to guest speakers to lunches of salmon on Saturday and Indian tacos on Sunday.

Indigenous Peoples Day celebrates the historic, cultural and present-day influence of Native Americans. The theme of this year’s celebration is “Honor the past, empower the present, inspire the future.”

SOU has formally observed Indigenous Peoples Day since 2017, after a student and the university’s Diversity and Inclusion Oversight Committee petitioned for the change a year earlier. The state of Oregon began recognizing the holiday in 2021.

This year’s celebration – the seventh at SOU – will begin at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 19, with a “grand entry” procession of Native American dancers at the university’s Stevenson Union. A period of “welcoming” will begin at 11 a.m., followed by a $10 salmon bake lunch (cash only) at noon. Guest speakers and open sharing of songs, dances and stories will be from 1 to 4 p.m.

The celebration will continue on Sunday, Oct. 20, with guest speakers and open sharing throughout the day, from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Indian tacos and frybread offered by SOU’s Native American Student Union (cash only).

An Indigenous artisans market and a variety of other activities will be held during both days of the celebration.

Dancers are invited to join Saturday’s grand entry procession, and Native American regalia is encouraged. More information about the celebration is available from Kenwani Kravitz, SOU’s Native Nations Liaison, at kravitzk@sou.edu or (541) 552-6937.

Hosts of SOU’s Indigenous Peoples Day celebration include the university, its Office of Equity, Diversity & Inclusion, the Native Raiders office and the Native American Student Union.

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