Student Film Festival at SOU Ashland

SOU’s 21st annual Student Film Festival

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The SOU Digital Cinema program will stage its 21st annual Student Film Festival, screening 14 films by student filmmakers at 6:30 p.m. on June 1 at the Varsity Theater (66 E Main St, Ashland, OR 97520) in downtown Ashland, with a reprise screening at 7 p.m. on June 11. General admission tickets are $5 (free to SOU students).

The festival is produced by the Digital Cinema program’s course “Film Distribution and Festival Promotion.”

Student Film Festival at SOU AshlandThis year’s festival class accepted films written and directed by students from any major who are currently enrolled at SOU, and alumni who graduated in spring 2025 or later. Films could be any genre, but must be 15 minutes or shorter. A total of 28 films were submitted this year.

The Festival awards prizes in 12 categories, judged by a jury of more than 20 local filmmakers and media professionals. Local business Coming Attractions Theatres, owner of The Varsity, donates the use of one of its theaters for the festival.

The festival is also presenting a short screenplay contest, with a live reading of the top three scripts at SOU’s Meese Auditorium on at 5 p.m. on May 29. Fourteen scripts were submitted this year, representing a wide range of genres.

The SOU Student Film Festival allows SOU students to share their work and make professional connections beyond their college careers.

“We have a strong lineup that features an array of student films across lower- and upper-classmen,” said student festival director Sophia Guerrero, a Digital Cinema senior. “There’s a pretty even spread across different genres and I think the audience will be impressed with the level at which students are creating.”

Christopher Lucas (lucasr@sou.edu), professor of Digital Cinema at SOU, is the faculty supervisor for the festival and instructor of the course.

Tickets will be sold at SOU’s Digital Media Center. Information about ticketing prices and film festival updates can be found on the film festival’s Instagram (@soustudentff).

A cybersecurity camp for teens will be held at SOU Ashland

SOU hosts cybersecurity camp for high school students

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Oregon teens who are interested in technology have a first-time opportunity this summer to explore cybersecurity careers at a free weeklong camp hosted at Southern Oregon University. The camp is taught by David Pouliot, an associate professor in the SOU Computer Science program, with current Computer Science students at SOU serving as assistants and mentors.

The NW Cyber Camp will take place Monday through Friday, August 10-14, on SOU’s campus in Ashland. The camp is open to students currently in grades eight through 11. It’s designed to give participants a hands-on experience with cybersecurity tools and explore potential career paths.

Students in the course will take on the roles of cybersecurity professionals working at a fictional software company. They will be acting as interns investigating an anomaly in network logs, learning new technical skills and following clues to solve a cyber crime.

No prior experience in cybersecurity is required. The camp is designed for students who enjoy technology, problem solving and learning how to “defend the network” in a collaborative environment.

The no-cost program includes hands-on learning with professional cybersecurity tools and guest speakers from the industry. Students will participate in team-based activities connected to cybersecurity concepts and learn about career paths in one of Oregon’s fastest growing, high-wage fields. Lunch will be provided each day.

NW Cyber Camp is a program of the Oregon Cybersecurity Center of Excellence (OCCoE) – an entity created by the 2023 Legislature with Portland State University, Oregon State University and the University of Oregon designated as founding members. The center is authorized to assist the state’s chief information security officer and “provide ​awareness, education, services and training about cybersecurity and cybersecurity-related issues for public, private and non-profit sectors in Oregon.”

The NW Cyber Camp program – which began in 2016 to introduce cybersecurity skills and careers to high school students in Portland – was made a part of the OCCoE following the 2023 legislation. Day camps are now available through the founding member institutions, along with Clackamas Community College, the Sylvania Campus of Portland Community College and Oregon Institute of Technology. The Cyber Camp is being offered at SOU this year for the first time.

A total of 25 spaces are available for campers at the SOU location. Students can learn more and apply at nwcybercamp.org.

Story by Felicity Johnson
SOU Computer Science major

Author Rick Atkinson to join conversation with SOU Ashland's Cherstin Lyon

SOU’s Cherstin Lyon joins conversation with Pulitzer winner Rick Atkinson

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SOU History professor Cherstin M. Lyon, Ph.D., will join Oregon Historical Society executive director Kerry Tymchuk this week for an onstage conversation with Rick Atkinson, a Pulitzer Prize-winning and No. 1 New York Times bestselling author and historian.

The Southern Oregon Historical Society is hosting Atkinson in partnership with the Oregon Historical Society’s Mark O. Hatfield Lecture Series and Oregon’s official commemoration of America 250, marking the 250th anniversary of the nation’s founding. The conversation with Atkinson – from 7 to 8:30 p.m. on Thursday at the Rogue Valley Country Club, 2660 Hillcrest Road in Medford – will be about his latest work, “Fate of the Day: The War for America, Fort Ticonderoga to Charleston, 1777–1780.”

Author Rick Atkinson to join conversation with SOU Ashland's Cherstin Lyon“Fate of the Day” is the second volume of the author’s acclaimed Revolution Trilogy, offering a narrative account of the American Revolution’s most precarious years.

He has written nine books on military history, including his Liberation Trilogy about World War II. The first volume in that series – “An Army at Dawn: The War in North Africa, 1942-1943” – won Atkinson the Pulitzer Prize for History.

It was his third Pulitzer – he also won the individual prize for national reporting while with the Kansas City Times for his series on the West Point class of 1966, which suffered the highest casualties in Vietnam of any military class; and he headed a seven-person team at the Washington Post that won a Pulitzer for public service reporting for its series about police shootings in Washington, D.C.

Sponsors of this week’s conversation with Atkinson are offering discounted tickets for students and educators, in an effort to make the event accessible to the academic community. Tickets for students or teachers will be $15; tickets for members of the Oregon Historical Society or Southern Oregon Historical Society will be $30; and tickets for the general public will be $35.

Tickets can be purchased online or at the door, subject to availability. Seating is limited, and advance purchase is highly recommended.

The special Medford engagement is made possible through support from the Keller Foundation, the America 250 Oregon sponsor of the Mark O. Hatfield Lecture Series.

Energy resilience at SOU Ashland

SOU OK’d to use federal money advancing energy resilience

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(Ashland, Ore.) — Southern Oregon University has been given a green light to use a $2 million allocation, approved by Congress in December 2022, to promote and advance renewable energy, energy resilience and related programs and partnerships on campus and throughout the region. The work will help to transform the SOU campus into a living laboratory and launch a talent pipeline for southern Oregon.

The congressional allocation was originally intended to be used in the construction of solar arrays on SOU’s parking lots and rooftops, but those purposes were modified to meet the requirements of  the federal Department of Energy. The university received notification from the DOE on Friday that it can “proceed with all activities under these (revised) documents.”

“We have developed a strong, impactful program of work and it is exciting to get the go-ahead,” said Becs Walker, SOU’s director of sustainability. “The focus is positioning SOU as an energy resilience leader in the region and developing experiential learning in the space of community resilience and leadership.”

The amended plan lays out three pathways for using the federal money in ways consistent with the original proposal’s intent: to advance renewable energy generation and energy resilience leadership; establish SOU’s Community Resilience and Leadership program; and expand educational and workforce partnerships in the southern Oregon community.

Energy generation and resilience
SOU will leverage the federal allocation to enhance its capacity and leadership in renewable energy generation and community energy resilience – directly supporting its strategic institutional goal of achieving 100% daytime electricity generation through onsite solar arrays paired with robust energy storage and resilience capacity. The funding will support a comprehensive analysis of existing capacity and forecast future energy demand, and an evaluation of the most effective technology solutions  including solar installations, battery storage and management of energy demand.

The university will develop an energy resilience plan to position the university as a regional center for energy innovation and economic development. The study will explore the integration of battery storage,  bi-directional charging infrastructure and the potential deployment of community-facing microgrids – power grids that use local energy resources and operate independently from the main electrical grid. The plan will assess how those technologies can support emergency preparedness and long-term energy security for SOU’s campus and the surrounding region.

SOU will also use a portion of the federal allocation to appoint a two-year postdoctoral scholar to focus on the future of microgrid systems and energy resilience at the university.

Community Resilience and Leadership program
Another part of the $2 million federal appropriation is already at work, funding a new Community Resilience and Leadership (CRL) Student Fellows Program – the flagship curricular initiative of SOU’s Institute for Applied Sustainability (IAS). The 12-month student fellowship is being developed in partnership with academic programs and departments across campus to link the university’s solar infrastructure with its academic offerings around sustainability. It prepares emerging leaders from all majors to take on the challenges of energy, environmental and community resilience through hands-on learning and real-world projects.

The fellowships – available to 15 students per year –combine coursework, field experience and career pathways, and offer mentorship, professional skill development, experience working on regional challenges and stipends to support students’ participation. The federal funding will allow the program to run for three years, providing a runway for sustained support through private giving in the future.

“By giving our students the tools and the space to create local solutions to local needs, we are preparing them to lead in a rapidly changing world that demands grit, a profound commitment to making a difference and comprehensive systems thinking,” said Walker, the SOU sustainability director.

Student fellows begin in the winter and spring terms of their junior year, serving apprenticeships for the Local Innovation Lab, which started as a response to local problems caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the September 2020 Almeda Fire. A six-week “summer intensive” experience is next, featuring field-based modules and direct engagement in projects such as energy infrastructure, navigating extreme smoke and heat events and community resilience. The fellows then start their senior year by mentoring peers, doing internships with partners or developing capstone projects that make them workforce-ready.

Community educational and workforce partnerships
The federal funding will also support a more robust and accessible experiential learning ecosystem at SOU. A core group of employer partners will offer recurring internships, expanding students’ professional networks and increasing the likelihood that graduates will remain in southern Oregon. In parallel, partnerships with workforce boards and regional funders will play an essential role in sustaining the program over time.

SOU has been awarded a total of $5.8 million in state and federal funding in recent years to support energy generation and energy resilience on campus – three $1 million grants from the state’s Community Renewable Energy Program, $800,000 through an allocation from the Oregon Legislature for Sustainability Funding at Oregon’s Technical and Regional Universities and the $2 million congressional appropriation from 2022.

The university now has 10 solar arrays on its campus, totaling 804.21 kW of capacity, in addition to one array on the Higher Education Center in Medford and six pole-mounted STrackers located on land leased to a nonprofit. Three of the on-campus arrays support net-zero buildings, underscoring SOU’s commitment to deep decarbonization and long-term energy savings.

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New trustees appointed to SOU Ashland board

Six trustees appointed and confirmed to SOU Board

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(Ashland, Ore.) – Two new and four continuing members have been appointed by Gov. Tina Kotek and confirmed today by the Oregon Senate to serve on the Board of Trustees of Southern Oregon University.

The new trustees are former Oregon State Rep. Peter Buckley and Christopher Geryak, an SOU junior and former student body vice president.

“The Board of Trustees is excited to welcome these dedicated individuals to SOU,” said Sheila Clough, the board’s chair. “Peter’s extensive legislative and community leadership, both locally and in the state, paired with Christopher’s proven commitment to students and leadership at SOU, will provide valuable insight as we navigate the future of higher education in our region.

“We appreciate Gov. Kotek’s appointment and the legislature’s confirmation of these leaders,” Clough said. “Their service ensures that SOU remains deeply connected to the needs of our students and the southern Oregon community.”

Returning to serve their second four-year terms as trustees are Debra F.J. Lee, Christina (Medina) Kruger and Elizabeth (Liz) Shelby. Their renewed terms will begin July 1 and run through June 30, 2030. Hala Schepmann, a professor of Chemistry, has been reappointed and confirmed to a two-year term as a faculty trustee, ending June 30, 2028. Trustees are limited to serving two consecutive full terms.

“SOU is vital to the success of our region,” said new trustee Peter Buckley. “I look forward to helping in any way I can to support our students, staff, faculty and fellow board members as we work for a brighter future.”

Student trustee Christopher Geryak echoed the sentiment of service. “I am pleased to join SOU’s Board of Trustees and provide my insight and knowledge to help SOU thrive and succeed,” Geryak said.

The new trustees’ terms will begin February 20. Buckley was appointed to a partial term and then a full term that will end June 30, 2030, and Geryak’s term runs through June 30, 2027.

Trustees are gubernatorial appointees, subject to confirmation by the Oregon Senate. The board consists of as many as 11 at-large trustees serving four-year terms, with additional positions reserved for up to three SOU students – two undergraduates (one voting, one non-voting), a faculty member and a non-faculty staff member, each serving two-year terms. The university president serves in a non-voting, ex officio capacity on the board, bringing total membership to 17.

New trustees

Peter Buckley
Buckley served for 12 years in the Oregon House of Representatives (2005-17), representing south Jackson County. During his tenure, he served for eight years as House Co-Chair of the Joint Committee on Ways & Means, the legislature’s budget-writing committee. After leaving the legislature, Peter was hired to lead Southern Oregon Success, a collaboration of all levels of education, health care, human services, public safety and workforce development in Jackson and Josephine counties, dedicated to working across all sectors to help children, families and communities thrive. Prior to his legislative service, Peter worked for 22 years as a director, actor, writer, producer, administrator and teacher for west coast regional theatres, including six years as the director of the Dell’Arte International School of Physical Theatre.

Christopher Geryak
Geryak is a junior at Southern Oregon University, majoring in business administration with a concentration in management and a minor in education. Following his service as SOU’s student body vice president, Christopher expanded his academic focus to include education, reinforcing his commitment to student advocacy and the importance of higher education across Oregon. During his time at SOU, he has held seven volunteer and employment positions and has been actively involved in numerous student organizations. His experiences in student government, student life and campus services have provided him with a well-rounded understanding of the university and its impact on students.

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The Farm at SOU Ashland

Winter workshops: student-led learning at The Farm

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While crops rest in winter, student farmers at The Farm at SOU are tackling personal research projects that build research and leadership skills. Each student collaborates with farm leadership to develop assessments, manuals and guides on topics ranging from agricultural techniques to harvest protocols to pest management.

Why dedicate an entire term to these projects? What makes them so valuable for student development? Even when winter slows outdoor operations, continual professional development is an important aspect of the undergraduate experience. As a student-led farm, it’s important to research agricultural best practices, synthesize information and share knowledge with one another before planting season begins.

Regularly evaluating and improving organizational processes is a part of every successful organization, especially for building a culture of continuous learning and adaptability in southern Oregon’s changing agricultural landscape. Shifting climate patterns and evolving market demands require farms like SOU’s to stay flexible and innovative in operations. Students take ownership of operations, addressing genuine needs and exploring their career interests.

By spring, students will have tangible portfolios showing what they’ve accomplished: field guides they designed, training videos they produced and schedules they created. More important, they’re gaining transferable skills in research, teaching and problem-solving. Their personal research projects represent professional development through real responsibility. Students leave with more than agricultural knowledge, by gaining confidence in their ability to lead, create and solve complex problems in any field they choose.

Curious about how you can support southern Oregon’ s agricultural legacy through hands-on learning? Consider buying local from the Summer CSA program at The Farm, at SOU. To learn more about the CSA, check out the farm’s website at farm.sou.edu.

Story by Sundar Archana, graduate assistant and education coordinator at The Farm at SOU

SOU Ashland limits spending

SOU enacts spending restrictions amid cash-flow concerns

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(Ashland, Ore.) — Southern Oregon University President Rick Bailey enacted immediate spending restrictions today and asked all faculty and staff members to focus on savings, following an often difficult discussion with the SOU Board of Trustees on Monday about a cash-flow shortage that is expected to exist until downsizing measures adopted as part of last summer’s Resiliency Plan take full effect in about two years.

President Bailey and other SOU leaders are exploring all options to keep the university in a healthy fiscal position beyond the summer of 2026, and into 2027, when Resiliency Plan measures and a potential statewide reevaluation of higher education funding may provide relief. The president is in Salem today to meet with lawmakers ahead of this month’s short session of the Oregon Legislature, signaling to state leaders that in addition to everything the university is engaged in to play its role, state support will likely be required in the latter part of the 2025-2027 biennium.

“Even as we move through the SOU Resiliency Plan, and fight together to lean into our future, cash flow challenges will put us in a precarious position later this fiscal year and into next year,” President Bailey said in a message to employees. “We ask you to help us in the short term to be ever more vigilant regarding expenses.”

Immediate spending restrictions at the university include:

  • A hiring freeze, with approval by the supervising vice president required for any exceptions;
  • Travel restrictions, with approval of exceptions required by each employee’s supervising vice president;
  • Cuts to expenditures for services and supplies, with a supervisor’s pre-approval needed for any spending over $1,000;
  • Reductions in continuing education and professional development allowances, where possible.

The gap in cash flow became apparent in the university’s latest financial modeling and was discussed in a series of leader meetings over the past several days, culminating in President Bailey bringing the issue to the Board of Trustees yesterday. SOU is the first of Oregon’s seven public universities to be faced with a cash-flow shortfall, but all are on a similar trajectory due to persistent underfunding from the state. A recent analysis from the state’s Higher Education Coordinating Commission said that the cash balances for all seven universities will be in the red by 2030.

Oregon currently spends $8,600 per student to support public higher education at the state’s universities and community colleges. That ranks 37th in the nation and is $3,000 per student below the national average. Oregon’s per-student support for just its universities ranks 46th in the nation.

President Bailey also pointed out that SOU is already “far, far more efficient” than the national average for public universities, regarding student-to-staff and student-to-faculty ratios, following its SOU Forward and Resiliency Plan cost-cutting and restructuring initiatives of 2023 and 2025. All of Oregon’s public universities have undertaken some reorganizational or austerity measures in recent years.

“Oregon’s universities have done so much that we are strained to the breaking point,” President Bailey said.  But he also shared with the campus community that they will continue to fight for the university that we all love and deserve.

The president will be available to answer questions during a news conference at 2:15 p.m. today on Zoom.

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About Southern Oregon University
Southern Oregon University is a medium-sized campus that provides comprehensive educational opportunities with a strong focus on student success and intellectual creativity. Located in vibrant Ashland, Oregon, SOU remains committed to diversity and inclusion for all students on its environmentally sustainable campus. Connected learning programs taught by a host of exceptional faculty provide quality, innovative experiences for students. Visit sou.edu.

Lyn Hennion, former member of SOU Ashland Board of Trustees

Lyn Hennion, SOU friend and former trustee, passes away

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Lyn Hennion, member of the SOU Board of Trustees from its inception in 2015 until 2022 and a longtime advocate for early childhood education, passed away last weekend. She and her husband, Alex Bellen, lived near the historic town of Buncom in the Applegate Valley.

“Lyn was among the very closest friends of our university, always putting the interests of our students first as she generously shared her broad business and life experience with all of us,” SOU President Rick Bailey and Board of Trustees Chair Sheila Clough said in a joint message to campus. “She understood both the importance and financial underpinnings of our institution, always willing to offer a steady hand as she led with kindness.”

Hennion was a retired financial advisor who spent nearly 25 years with Umpqua Investments – formerly Strand Atkinson Williams & York – in Medford. She previously served as vice president and senior regional manager for the Franklin Templeton mutual funds in Oregon, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C.

She was a graduate of Stanford University, and also completed the Securities Industry Institute at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

Her record of community service and commitment to the causes most dear to her were acknowledged through numerous awards. She was honored with the “First Citizen” award from the Chamber of Medford/Jackson County in 2015. The Oregon Center for Creative Learning (OCCL) established the Lyn Hennion Early Learning Scholarship Fund in 2025, as a tribute to one of southern Oregon’s greatest champions for children and early childhood education. She was also recognized as a top financial advisor by both “Worth” and “Registered Representative” magazines.

Hennion served on the boards of the Craterian Performances Company, the Robert J. and Leona DeArmond Public Foundation and the Buncom Historical Society. She is a former director of the Oregon Community Foundation and its Southern Oregon Leadership Council, and also has served on the boards of organizations including the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Pacific Retirement Services, the Children’s Institute, the Rogue Valley Airport Advisory Committee, Oregon’s 529 College Savings Network and former Gov. John Kitzhaber’s “Ten Year Plan for Oregon.” She regularly volunteered during tax season as a tax preparer and counselor for the AARP Foundation’s free TaxAide program.

“We know that Lyn will be missed within each of those organizations, just as she is at SOU,” Bailey and Clough said in their message to campus. “The deepest void will be that left by the loss of her genuine compassion and consideration for all who came into her orbit.”

Older adult living project paused at SOU Ashland

Plans paused for older adult living community at SOU

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(Ashland, Ore.) — Southern Oregon University’s project to create an older adult living community on its Ashland campus has been paused after one of the two companies being considered as partners with the university withdrew its response to SOU’s request for proposal. SOU will take time to consider what potential partnerships may look like before possibly issuing a new request for additional proposals from private developers.

University President Rick Bailey said the delay will allow more time to evaluate the long-term effects of a facility that will be a part of SOU and the Ashland community for generations.

“We have learned a lot in the last several months about both the challenges and opportunities of this project,” President Bailey said. “We acknowledge that this would likely be a 100-year project, and want to make sure we explore all our possibilities to optimize the benefits to our students, the university and our region.”

Medford-based Pacific Retirement Services, which was in discussions and performing initial due diligence with SOU regarding the project, notified the university this month that a decision has been made to focus capital and resources elsewhere. PRS emphasized that it intends to maintain its close relationships with SOU, including education of health care staff and an on-site Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) program at its Rogue Valley Manor in Medford.

President Bailey said the campus community remains excited about the potential for a public-private partnership to develop the 4.3-acre site previously occupied by the Cascade Complex of residence halls. He said that placing the preliminary discussions on hold will enable the university to explore additional development options for the property.

Developers from around the country were invited last January to submit project proposals for an older adult living community – an entrepreneurial opportunity to forge a synergy between the facility’s residents, traditional SOU students, the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at SOU and the university. The project’s goal is to generate long-term revenue for SOU while supporting the university’s commitment to lifelong learning.

Older adult communities are a rare but growing feature on university campuses across the U.S., and an 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.

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Dee Anne Everson appointed to Board of Trustees at SOU Ashland

United Way CEO appointed to SOU Board of Trustees

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(Ashland, Ore.) — Dee Anne Everson, the CEO and executive director of United Way of Jackson County, has been appointed by Gov. Tina Kotek and confirmed today by the Oregon Senate to serve on the university’s Board of Trustees. She will begin her service to the board on November 20.

Everson will complete the unexpired term of Bill Thorndike, who passed away unexpectedly in February. That term will expire next June 30, and Everson will then begin her own full, four-year term on the board.

“It is an honor to join Southern Oregon University’s Board of Trustees, and especially humbling to be following in the footsteps of Bill Thorndike,” Everson said. “I believe that my experiences will be of value to the board, and I look forward to helping guide the university through an important period in its long and rich history.”

Everson has served as the CEO and executive director of United Way of Jackson County since 1996. Under her leadership, the local United Way has launched programs including Day of Caring, WILL (Women Living Leadership), the Meth Task Force, CAN (Child Abuse Network) and Tomorrow Needs You – a southern Oregon suicide prevention and mental wellness campaign. She previously spent 13 years in the corporate financial sector, then transitioned to nonprofits as economist and research manager for the Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce.

Recognitions since she joined United Way of Jackson County include being named one of Oregon’s 50 great leaders by Oregon Business Magazine, the Social Empowerment Award from the Black Alliance for Social Empowerment (BASE), and the Nonprofit Outstanding Corporate Citizen Award from the Medford/Jackson County Chamber of Commerce.

Everson – who received the Executive Nonprofit Leaders Certificate from Stanford University – is a member of the International Women’s Forum and serves on the boards of the Oregon Community Foundation, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, NewSpirit Village and the United Ways of the Pacific Northwest. She also serves on several committees, including the Jackson County Threat Assessment Committee, Wellness Court Advisory Committee and BHEACON Leadership Team. She is a convener for the Governor’s Regional Solutions Committee for Southern Oregon.

Everson has won two EMMY Awards for public service programming and regularly lectures on leadership and the nonprofit sector.

“On behalf of my colleagues on the SOU Board of Trustees, I am very happy to welcome Dee Anne to the board and to the SOU community,” said Sheila Clough, the board chair. “Her expertise and public service portfolio speak volumes – her leadership and wealth of experiences will undoubtedly serve the university well.”

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