SOU Ashland Board of Trustees member Micelle Fuentes

SOU student joins Board of Trustees

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(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 student members of the 17-member board.

She is a nontraditional student – a mother of two – and is pursuing bachelor’s degrees in Sociology and Criminology & Criminal Justice. She is the recipient of a Ford Foundation Scholarship, is a Policy Council member for HeadStart and has served in a variety of leadership roles, on- and off-campus.

Fuentes has served as a detention specialist for the Jackson County Juvenile Services Department, coordinator of SOU’s Pirates to Raiders pathway program for Latino/a/x youth, instructor for Academia Latina and Juntos en Familia programs in SOU Youth Programs, summer school assistant at Phoenix High School, teacher’s assistant at the Southern Oregon Education Service District’s Espial Child Environment, receptionist at Asante heath system and after-school aid at Kids Unlimited. She is serving a policy and advocacy internship with the nonprofit Our Children Oregon and will begin work April 21 as a family coordinator for state Department of Human Services.

“As I continue my own education, I will take what I have learned from my students, my own experience growing up and the mentors that have helped me along, and prepare myself to better support my community,” Fuentes said.

She is the second undergraduate member of the SOU board to be appointed and then confirmed this year by the Oregon Senate, following Ryan Goodrich in February.

“Student members provide a unique and valuable perspective on the Board of Trustees,” said Sheila Clough, the board’s chair. “Michelle is an incredibly accomplished student with an obvious commitment to public service. We look forward to welcoming her onto SOU’s governing board.”

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Criminology & Criminal Justice students from SOU Ashland

SOU Criminology & Criminal Justice class visits historic UK sites

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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 even the area of Jack the Ripper’s crimes.

Criminology & Criminal Justice students from SOU AshlandStudents in the fall term 2024 class immersed themselves during classroom sessions in the United Kingdom’s criminal justice history, then concluded their studies with the spring break study abroad trip.

The visit began in Nottingham, where students explored the city’s original prison, gaining firsthand insight into historical penal conditions. A highlight of the visit was a dynamic session at Nottingham Trent University with Phil Rudkin of the Centre of International Law. Students had the unique opportunity to engage in meaningful dialogue alongside three police constables and a dozen NTU students, comparing international perspectives on policing, law,  justice and education.

The journey carried on with a memorable guided tour of Shrewsbury Prison, a decommissioned Victorian-era facility that offered a haunting glimpse into life behind bars. After exploring the historic cells and corridors, students put their wits to the test in a prison-themed escape room — but despite their best efforts (and their professor’s), no one managed to break free.

In London, the group stepped into the grandeur of the Royal Courts of Justice, where students brought a real court case to life in an original courtroom, complete with robed and wigged judges presiding. The hands-on legal simulation offered a rare and memorable glimpse into the inner workings of the British legal system.

The journey concluded with a chilling Jack the Ripper walking tour through the darkened streets of Whitechapel, tracing the path of one of history’s most infamous unsolved crime sprees.

The impactful experience blended historical exploration with modern legal insight, allowing students to engage critically and creatively with issues of justice, law and public safety across some of the UK’s most iconic locations.

Students in next year’s CCJ 389 sequence will study and visit Ireland, and all majors are welcome. Contact CCJ professor Alison Burke at burkea@sou.edu for more information.

Global Innovation Scholars from SOU and UG in Guanajuato

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

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(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 students with experience in international collaboration.

“Southern Oregon University’s 56-year relationship with the University of Guanajuato is a testament to the wonders that can come from a foundational bond built on love, admiration and mutual respect,” SOU President Rick Bailey said. “We have demonstrated that we can move mountains when we come together, united in purpose, to serve others and to help make our world a better place.”

Students from SOU and UG in Global Innovation Scholars programThe 18 combined students from the two universities spent the past week researching and analyzing three Guanajuato businesses before concluding the visit by offering suggested development plans to the business owners. The students will reunite for a week in Ashland beginning on April 26, to provide the same services to three Rogue Valley businesses or organizations.

The 20-week Global Innovation Scholars program includes international, online coursework for participating students during each year’s winter and spring terms, in addition to the opportunity for immersive social and cultural experiences. The SOU and Guanajuato delegations met last week with various leaders of the Mexican university and with the region’s political leaders. Students typically spend a total of more than 250 hours on their projects, including the two site visits.

Global Innovation Scholars was developed by the two universities’ business schools as part of 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.

“I believe that economic prosperity and peace are best built hand-in-hand across all borders,” Vincent Smith, dean of SOU’s School of Science and Business, said in his opening remarks for the gathering last week. “Our students are a symbol of hope.

“They are working together to build economic prosperity and community in both Mexico and the United States of America,” Smith said. “They symbolize not only the importance of international trade, but of international friendship. They are a reminder that real strength comes from building friendships, not walls. They remind us that we are better together.”

A key point of discussion during this year’s Global Innovation Scholars session in Mexico was the new U.S. tariffs and growing trade war. Guanajuato’s primary economy is the export of automobiles and automobile parts.

SOU and UG have initiated a variety of exchange and cooperative projects since they became sister universities in 1969. The link between the two schools has led more than 1,000 students, faculty members and others to participate in exchanges – and has resulted in more than 80 marriages that have tied people from Ashland and Guanajuato over three generations.

“The opportunity to do the Global Innovations Scholar program has made a tremendous difference in my skills in teamwork and my international worldview,” said Tiana Gilliland, president of the Associated Students of Southern Oregon University and one of the business students in this year’s program.

“I have had the opportunity to work closely with several other scholars to make a real difference in businesses that are striving to make a difference in their community,” Gilliland said.

Another student leader – Garima Sharma, a student member of the SOU Board of Trustees – said she has learned much about the power of connection and making a change in the world through her involvement with the Global Innovation Scholars program.

“I have learned that building relationships with students from both Southern Oregon University and Universidad de Guanajuato is a privilege which not many have,” Sharma said. “I have … gained a deeper understanding of our shared goals and how we can use our differences to create innovative solutions.”

The current Global Innovation Scholars project grew out of a previous partnership between the two schools – the Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) program – which brought together classes of upper-division business students to work on the development of international business relationships.

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Gender-based violence survivors have new resource at SOU

SOU enters partnership to support survivors of gender-based violence

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(Ashland, Ore.) — Southern Oregon University has a new resource to support students and employees who have experienced gender-based violence such as stalking, sexual assault and dating or domestic violence. Community Works, a Medford nonprofit, is offering free on-campus sessions two days per week with a specially trained confidential advocate.

SOU and Community Works recently signed a memorandum of understanding to make the advocacy services available, as required by state law.

“We previously needed to refer folks to off-campus agencies for this same support,” said Sarah Olejniczak, Ph.D., SOU’s interim director of equity grievance and Title IX coordinator.

“We are only in our first few weeks of this partnership, so only a small handful of individuals have been referred – but we certainly hope it will make a difference for the campus community. (The confidential advocate’s) services are open to any member of the SOU community – student, staff and faculty.”

Community Works confidential advocate Hannah Neudorfer is available to meet with students or employees on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons in the Dean of Students Office, at Room 321 of the Stevenson Union. Hannah can also be reached during business hours at (541) 951-3406 or hneudorfer@community-works.org.

All incidents of discrimination, harassment and sexual misconduct should be reported via online form to SOU’s Office of Equity Grievance and Title IX. Members of the university’s Equity Grievance Team will respond to and manage all such reports, contacting involved parties and enforcing university policies.

SOU has a long history and national reputation for effectively addressing instances of sexual harassment and violence through its Office of Equity Grievance. The university also offers a wide range of in-person and remote counseling options for both students and employees.

The Dean of Students Office offers a website full of resources for survivors of sexual violence. Counseling for any mental health crises or other concerns is available to students through the La Clinica Student Health & Wellness Center; in-person or remote sessions can be scheduled through the online health portal or by calling the SHWC at (541) 494-4875.

On-demand, no-appointment sessions by phone or chat are available to students at any time through SOU’s affiliation with TELUS Health Student Support, at (866) 743-7732. Assistance is also available from the SOU Care Coordinators Office.

SOU employees can seek guidance through SOU’s employee assistance program, Canopy (formerly Cascade Centers), by calling (800) 433-2320 or visiting the organization’s website.

Neudorfer is a full-time advocate with Community Works, serving clients based on their requests and needs. The Community Works organization was selected for the partnership with SOU in part because of its experience with higher education clientele.

“Community Works was able to provide this (service) for us at no additional cost, and they have previously served another campus community, so understand how this position can interact positively within SOU’s community,” Olejniczak said.

Under terms laid out in the memorandum of understanding, Community Works will also help with training and prevention programming at SOU. The university will help prepare the organization’s confidential advocates to support clients through potential campus processes, in addition to their typical work with supporting clients through criminal proceedings.

Title IX – a federal law that in part prohibits exclusion or harassment based on sex – applies to all educational institutions, both public and private, that receive federal funds.

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Behavioral Health Initiative dialogue session

SOU embraces Behavioral Health Initiative

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(Ashland, Ore.) — Southern Oregon University took a step toward “Creating a Culture of Care” through a well-attended dialogue session with that title earlier this month. The wide-ranging discussion – with more to come – is one of the projects currently included in the university’s Southern Oregon Behavioral Health Initiative, funded last spring with a legislative allocation intended to address a statewide shortage of behavioral health providers and programs.

“During the dialogue, we dove deep into behavioral/mental health and well-being, and what that looks like on campus,” said Robin Sansing, SOU’s Behavioral Health Initiative director. “We had great group discussions focusing on critical behavioral health issues including topics like supporting gender-affirming care and appreciating neurodiversity. Across all groups, there was a strong call for more accessible resources, inclusive conversations and community-driven solutions.”

About 40 students, faculty and staff attended the Feb. 10 “Culture of Care” discussion in Hannon Library’s Meese Room, and the next such session is being planned for Tuesday, April 15.

Topics at this month’s session included the need for more conversations and curriculum integration to support gender-affirming care; strategies including youth-friendly Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, a speakers bureau and “party mentors” to help prevent addiction and overdose; supporting undocumented people by addressing their fears and offering tangible help; embracing neurodiversity with access to affordable diagnoses, stronger accommodations and faculty awareness; and using storytelling to address climate anxiety.

The on-campus dialogue series is one of the first projects of the new Southern Oregon Behavioral Health Initiative, an SOU program that advances behavioral health education, workforce development and community collaboration. SOBHI is taking the lead in creating the Rogue Valley Behavioral Health Employment and Career Opportunity Network, offering professional development programs in behavioral health, expanding on-campus behavioral health opportunities and support, and maintaining the “Culture of Care” dialogue.

The SOBHI mission is to create partnerships that impact behavioral health, mental wellness and early childhood development at SOU and around the Rogue Valley through education, action and scholarship.

Behavioral health addresses the connection between behaviors and well-being, and how support through prevention, intervention, treatment and recovery may impact overall health. It encompasses mental health, lifestyle and health behaviors, substance use, and crisis and coping strategies.

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SOU interns help grow Rogue Buzzway map

Rogue Buzzway gardens grow with SOU partnership

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The Rogue Buzzway – an interactive map that represents southern Oregon’s pollinator corridors – has bounced back following a steep decline caused by the 2020 Almeda Fire, under the leadership of recent SOU Environmental Science & Policy graduate Leo Helm.

Helm, who graduated last fall and is the latest in a succession of SOU interns to work on the Buzzway, has collaborated with the Pollinator Project Rogue Valley to create the Rogue Buzzway StoryMap, which celebrates nearly 120 self-certified pollinator gardens from Ashland to Grants Pass.

The Buzzway map helps visualize pollinator habitat connectivity – a vital element in helping native pollinators such as butterflies, bees and moths to navigate the urban landscape. The map also encourages people to create new gardens by showing areas with no certified pollinator habitat, and shares stories about how existing gardens were created.

“We made the Buzzway StoryMap to better communicate what the Buzzway is about,” Helm said. “It takes you through the map and really shows the kinds of gardens that are on there. It’s pretty inspiring.”

Gardens on the map include organic farms, city parks, front yards and gardens planted by PPRV as a part of its “From Fire to Flowers” pollinator garden program, which brought pollinator gardens to people affected by the 2020 Almeda fire.

Colorful pollinator plantings on the SOU campus are not yet included on the map, but Helm and others at the PPRV plan to work with the university and city of Ashland to fill in the map with existing local gardens.

The Rogue Buzzway was created after the PPRV approached SOU associate professor Jamie Trammel in 2016 about mapping the Rogue Valley’s pollinator gardens. Trammel and then-SOU student Ollie Bucolo and Dr. Jamie Trammell created the map, whose scope and capabilities have grown over the years with the contributions of other Environmental Science & Policy interns.

Helm said he hopes more interns will step forward in the future to help the Buzzway continue to grow.

“It’s really cool to be a part of a long-standing project like this,” he said. “We keep finding new uses for the Buzzway and ways to improve it. It’s been a valuable experience for me and I’m excited to see what happens to the Buzzway map once someone else inherits it.”

Students can also volunteer with the Pollinator Pals educational program or in PPRV’s demonstration garden in Phoenix, or put their knowledge to work with videography, photography, social media, graphic design, writing newsletters or helping to maintain and update the organization’s website.

Freshman Ryan Goodrich named to SOU Board of Trustees

SOU freshman joins Board of Trustees

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(Ashland, Ore.) — Southern Oregon University freshman Ryan Goodrich, a business administration student from Medford, has been appointed by Gov. Tina Kotek and confirmed today by the Oregon Senate to serve on the university’s Board of Trustees.

Goodrich succeeds Mimi Pieper, who had served as one of two undergraduate student members of the 17-member board since spring of 2021. Goodrich said he comes from “a long lineage of alumni” from SOU, and grew up in Medford “attending SOU basketball games to watch North Medford alumni play.”

He is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in business administration with an emphasis on accounting, and received an honors diploma when he graduated last spring from North Medford High School – where he played on the basketball team for three years. He works for a local nonprofit, coaching and refereeing youth basketball, and is a member of the SOU lacrosse club.

“We are happy to have Ryan join the Board of Trustees, where he can deepen his already strong connection to the university,” said Sheila Clough, the board’s chair. “He is a bright, talented member of the campus community, and I have no doubt that his contributions to the governing board will be valuable.”

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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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Marcus Mariota donates football shoes to SOU

Heisman Trophy winner Mariota donates to SOU football

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(Ashland, Ore.) — For those who don’t agree that first impressions are lasting impressions, talk to Marcus Mariota. The former Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback of the University of Oregon and current member of the NFL’s Washington Commanders has donated new Nike cleats for every member of the Southern Oregon University football team – a total of 140 pairs – based on a visit he made to SOU with his brother several years ago.

Mariota’s donation – valued at about $16,500 – was distributed to members of the SOU football team when they arrived for a morning practice on Monday, Aug. 19, at the football locker room in Raider Stadium.

The donation was orchestrated in part by SOU alumnus Ed Nishioka, who – like the Mariotas – hails from Hawaii.

“He really appreciates the fact that the team has many Hawaii players and the school has good Hawaii representation,” Nishioka said.

Marcus Mariota visited SOU when his brother, Matt, was considering a transfer from the UO to the Ashland campus. Matt Mariota, a tight end, wound up playing at the UO for four years, ending with the 2019 season.

Marcus Mariota, whose coaches at the UO included SOU alumnus Mark Helfrich, also donated cleats to football players at Lahainaluna High School after it was devastated by the Maui wildfires of 2023.

SOU football coach Berk Brown said his players were enthusiastic about the new cleats. Members of the news media were welcome when the football shoes were distributed.

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SOU Commencement 2024

SOU Commencement: good weather and optimism

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SOU’s 98th Commencement Ceremony on June 15 centered squarely on those receiving about 1,300 bachelor’s and master’s degrees – and on the recipient of a rare, honorary doctorate in humane letters. Sid DeBoer, who guided Lithia Motors from a single dealership in Ashland to the largest automotive retailer in the U.S., was honored for his business and civic accomplishments, and his longtime friendship with SOU.

“Lithia is one of just two Fortune 500 companies based in Oregon, and the only one without a swoosh as its logo,” SOU President Rick Bailey said, drawing a laugh from the crowd in his introduction of DeBoer.

The chair of Lithia’s board of directors – modestly referring to himself as a “used car salesman” – then encouraged the day’s other degree recipients to use what they have learned to take action and make their mark on the world. “It’s your moment every day when you get up,” DeBoer said.

Graduates and the near-capacity crowd at SOU’s Raider Stadium cheered and applauded throughout the 2 ½-hour ceremony – from the remarks by student speakers Edward Minasian, Emilio McCutcheon and Mimi Pieper through the awarding of diploma covers to the hundreds of new graduates who individually walked across the stage, shook hands with Bailey and posed for photos.

The graduates were asked to return to their seats after receiving degrees, to support those who followed them to the stage, and most did. The weather cooperated, with cooler-than-normal but dry conditions throughout the event.

Provost and Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs Casey Shillam, emceeing her first SOU Commencement Ceremony following her hiring early this year, pointed out that many of the day’s graduates missed out on their high school commencements when the COVID-19 pandemic broke out four years ago.

“Many of those walking today were denied that honor four years ago,” she said.

Pieper, one of the three student speakers and also a student member of the SOU Board of Trustees, told her classmates that the uncertainty of life “is what makes it an adventure.”

She was the only woman graduate in the Computer Science Program, receiving her bachelor’s degree with a GPA of 3.95. Pieper tutored fellow students in computer science and math, and also served as SOU’s Student Sustainability Coordinator.