SOU Ashland's CRL Student Fellows program,

CRL Student Fellows program celebrates first year

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Southern Oregon University celebrated the success of its Community Resilience and Leadership Student Fellows (CRL) program in an event last week that brought together students, community partners, businesses, nonprofit organizations and elected officials to recognize what has been achieved in the program’s inaugural year and look ahead to what comes next. The evening’s keynote speaker, Jonna Papaefthimiou from Gov. Tina Kotek’s office, set the wider context for the importance of resilience across Oregon and the role that partnerships, leadership and community action can play in preparing for future challenges.

Dinner for the event was provided by Rogue Food Unites, an Ashland nonprofit that formed in 2020 in response to the Almeda and Obenchain wildfires and the COVID-19 pandemic.

The celebration highlighted the success of the Institute for Applied Sustainability’s CRL Student Fellows program, which provides students with learning opportunities beyond the classroom. Students in the initial cohort worked on real-world challenges alongside community partners, building leadership skills, professional connections and practical experience. Partnerships extended well beyond campus, including collaboration with the city of Coos Bay and engagement in Portland, Coos Bay, Butte Falls, Salem and across Oregon.

The experience provided the CRL student fellows an opportunity to take what they had learned and apply it in very different communities and settings.

“The last week of field school took us to the Oregon Coast, where we had the opportunity to apply what we had learned in a completely new setting with different constraints, risks and community priorities,” student fellow Liora Solomon said.

The experience also broadened students’ understanding of what community resilience can mean.

“I began to understand more about the wide variety of actions that fit into the mold of ‘community resilience,’” said CRL student fellow Finch Drake. “It isn’t just preparing for disaster, although that is an incredibly important aspect of it. Community resilience can also be the act of bringing people together and healing their souls.”

The success of the inaugural cohort demonstrated what is possible when universities and communities work together.

SOU Ashland's CRL Student Fellows program“What has been so exciting about this program is seeing students realize that they don’t have to wait until after graduation to make a difference,” said SOU Economics professor Bret Anderson, who is also the faculty and academic director of Institute for Applied Sustainability. “They can bring their ideas, energy and skills to real community challenges right now. That’s what applied learning should look like, and this program is just the beginning.”

The CRL program builds on the momentum created through SOU’s Institute for Applied Sustainability (IAS), established with the support of Lithia Motors & Driveway. That investment provided the foundation for bringing students, faculty, staff and community partners together around applied sustainability and resilience. U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden also supported the program by helping to secure federal funding that has enabled the Community Resilience and Leadership Student Fellows program to grow from an idea into an opportunity for students and communities across Oregon.

The one-year CRL fellowship is a cornerstone of the institute’s Living Laboratory concept, and offers a total of 12 credit hours plus monetary stipends to students who are selected for the program. It consists of a spring Local Innovation Lab course that meets two hours per week and offers four academic credit hours; a summer Field School that offers eight credit hours and meets for six weeks beginning in early August; and fall options that include internships, peer mentoring and capstone research projects.

Last week’s event was a celebration, but the broader message was that this work is just getting started. CRL is an invitation to students, businesses, community nonprofits, local governments and elected officials to work alongside SOU on the challenges facing the region’s communities. By connecting education with real projects, real partners and real needs, the program is creating opportunities for students to learn through doing – and developing southern Oregon’s future workforce. The next chapter is about expanding those partnerships, creating more opportunities for students and continuing to turn ideas about resilience into action.

SOU Ashland in wellbeing collaborative

SOU to participate in exclusive wellbeing collaborative

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Southern Oregon University will be one of just four campuses in the U.S. to participate over the next year in the 2026-27 NIRSA Wellbeing Collaborative, a high-impact initiative that helps campus recreation departments to move past siloed programs and embed proactive, systemic wellbeing into their culture and operations.

The NIRSA Wellbeing Collaborative was launched in October 2025 by NIRSA: Leaders in Collegiate Recreation in partnership with Wellfleet, (formerly Consolidated Health Plans) an accident and health insurance provider. NIRSA was founded in 1950 at Dillard University as the National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association as a professional organization for recreation, fitness and wellness in higher education. It is currently headquartered in Corvallis.

The Wellbeing Collaborative’s first cohort, for the 2025-26 academic year, consisted of the University of Utah, Towson University, Radford University and Western Michigan University. The three other universities that will join SOU Campus Recreation in this year’s cohort have not yet been announced.

Participating campuses in the collaborative use NIRSA’s Recreation for Wellbeing online course as a foundation, receiving individualized coaching from members of the NIRSA Health & Wellbeing Advisory Group. That guidance is intended to help teams navigate the complexities of translating theory into campus-specific action. Real-time progress and strategies are shared through the NIRSA Promising Practices model.

While NIRSA’s online course provides the foundation for understanding systems-level change, the collaborative also creates a structured environment for applied learning. Campus teams can become active practitioners by immediately put concepts into action test new ideas, and learn from one another in real time. Participants are equipped to design, implement and refine strategies to embed wellbeing practices throughout their operations.

One of the collaborative’s central elements is a learning community – a focused, four-campus cohort that learns together and promotes shared accountability and collective problem-solving. Participants will have opportunities to reflect, share insights, and adapt strategies as they test new approaches.

The NIRSA program is based on beliefs that exercise and recreation are powerful tools to improve health and wellbeing, and that affecting student outcomes requires campuses to go beyond programs or facilities to address the overall student experience. The program is intended to enable recreation leaders to act as catalysts for change, aligning recreation with student success, belonging and health.

Karen Lopez Villanueva appointed to SOU Ashland board

Graduate student appointed, current members reappointed to SOU Board

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(Ashland, Ore.) — Southern Oregon University student Karen Lucia López Villanueva, a Master of Business Administration candidate from Guanajuato, Mexico, has been appointed by Gov. Tina Kotek and confirmed Thursday by the Oregon Senate to serve on the university’s Board of Trustees. Current board members Brent Barry and Iris Maria Chavez were each appointed by the governor and confirmed by the senate to serve second terms on the SOU Board.

López Villanueva will finish the unexpired term of Rose Harwood as the board’s graduate student member. That term expires June 30, 2027, and Villanueva was also appointed to her own two-year term on the board, beginning next July 1.

Barry and Chavez were reappointed to their second four-year terms that will begin next July 1 and run through June 20, 2030. Barry was appointed to his initial term in June 2022, and Chavez was first appointed in September 2022 to complete an unexpired four-year term on the board.

“I am delighted to welcome Karen Lucía López Villanueva – an accomplished graduate student, violinist and financial professional – to the board, as Brent Barry and Iris Maria Chavez continue their invaluable leadership on the SOU board,” Chair Sheila Clough said. “I am deeply grateful for their service and shared commitment to bringing lasting vitality to SOU’s future and to ensure that our students thrive.”

López Villanueva is pursuing dual MBA concentrations in business analytics and accounting at SOU. She earned her bachelor’s degree in public accounting from SOU’s sister university, the Universidad de Guanajuato, and has professional experience in public and corporate accounting, and in fiscal compliance.

She is also an accomplished violinist who earned a second-place medal at the 16th Summa Cum Laude International Youth Music Festival in 2024, performing with Siskiyou Violins at Vienna, Austria’s renowned Musikverein concert hall.

López Villanueva is an active member of her communities in both Ashland and Guanajuato. She served previously in Guanajuato as secretary of the board for the student branch of the Mexican Institute of Public Accountants, representing the nine-state, central-western region of Mexico. She currently serves as a board member for the Ashland Amigo Club, supporting initiatives that strengthen cultural connections and community engagement in southern Oregon. She is also a graduate assistant to the dean of SOU’s College of Natural and Social Sciences, where she supports the administration and leads critical research on sustainable investment strategies that help to inform institutional endowment practices.

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SOU Ashland Native students join lobby effort

SOU Native students bring voices to Oregon Capitol

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Southern Oregon University students Luke Wolgamott and Savannah Holliday joined Native student leaders from across Oregon on June 16 for the annual Tribal Student Grant Lobby Day, bringing their stories, experiences and aspirations directly to state lawmakers at the Capitol.

Representing SOU alongside approximately a dozen Native students from Oregon’s seven public universities, Wolgamott and Holliday spent the day meeting with legislators and staff from five to seven legislative offices. The students shared how access to higher education is shaping their futures and discussed the importance of continued investment in programs such as the Oregon Tribal Student Grant, which helps Native students pursue college degrees while maintaining strong connections to their tribal communities and cultural heritage.

The impact of those conversations was evident almost immediately. SOU Director of Government Relations Marc Overbeck shared that Senate President Rob Wagner sought him out to share the impact these visits had, calling the visit with Luke’s small group of students “transformational.”

“That is exactly why opportunities like this matter,” Overbeck said. “When students share their lived experiences directly with policymakers, they help shape understanding in a way that no report or briefing paper ever can.”

For Wolgamott and Holliday, the day was about more than advocating for financial aid. It was an opportunity to ensure that Native student voices are heard in conversations about Oregon’s future. Their participation showcased the leadership, resilience and commitment that Native students bring to campuses across the state and reflected SOU’s ongoing dedication to supporting Indigenous student success.

The Tribal Student Grant Lobby Day also demonstrated the power of student advocacy. By stepping into the halls of the Capitol and engaging directly with elected officials, Wolgamott, Holliday and their fellow student leaders helped put a human face on higher education policy. Their efforts left a lasting impression on legislators and reinforced an important message: when students are invited to tell their stories, they become some of the most effective advocates for opportunity, access and educational success.

Student worker appreciation at SOU Ashland

Campus community’s student worker appreciation

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The SOU campus thrives thanks to the dedication of more that 400 student workers and the mentorship of 100-plus staff and faculty supervisors. To honor that partnership, the university recently hosted its first campus-wide Student Worker Appreciation Event, bringing together students and supervisors for an evening of celebration, reflection and friendly competition.

A previous version of the event over the past two years focused specifically on PEAK workers, but the sunsetting of that program inspired a new, more inclusive tradition. This year, the horizon expanded to celebrate every student worker who helps keep the campus running.

The highlight of the evening was recognizing the outstanding individuals who represent the very best of our campus workforce.

Student worker of the year
Competition was stiff this year, resulting in a three-way tie for second place. Deep appreciation goes out to the runners-up:

  • Death Morales (Nominated by Sweets Underwood)
  • Ku-Huan Chien (Nominated by Patrick Smith)
  • Jayda Hage (Nominated by Trystan Stephens-Tregarth)

Taking home the top honor of student worker of the year was Eli Samas (nominated by Sweets Underwood). Eli was celebrated for going above and beyond the standard student role, showcasing natural leadership and creating an inclusive, welcoming atmosphere where fellow students feel deeply valued and encouraged to participate.

Supervisor of the year
Exceptional student employment relies heavily on stellar mentorship. Gordon Carrier (nominated by Elliot Glenn) took home a well-deserved second place.

The ultimate supervisor of the year award was presented to Marc Overbeck (nominated by Maisie Bandel-Ramirez). Marc was praised for providing the perfect balance of guidance and independence, giving his student workers a strong foundation to build the confidence needed to spearhead major projects. Marc concluded the evening by sharing a few words of gratitude and reflection on the vital role student workers play.

The launch of the Skill Up: Enhance your Career Skills initiative on Moodle was Central to this year’s student employment experience. All student workers were given access to the professional development hub, allowing them to complete a self-assessment across eight core career-readiness competencies: career and self-development, communication, critical thinking, equity and inclusion, leadership, professionalism, teamwork and technology.

Beyond self-assessments, the Skill Up Moodle opened doors to concrete career-building opportunities. Students were encouraged to join the National Society for Leadership and Success, join the Raider Network to connect with alumni, complete job simulations via Forage, engage with the Indeed Job Search Academy and take specialized DiSC or Strengthsfinder assessments.

The impact was clear – attendees shared how the program helped them transition from passive learning to structured self-improvement. Students learned to break down broad professional ambitions into specific, measurable actions, navigate new platforms like Career Launch and realize that critical soft skills require deliberate focus and consistent action over time.

The recent appreciation event wasn’t just about looking back; it was also about building community in real-time. Attendees kicked off the festivities with a “Speed Connection” game, followed by a lively reflection from student speaker Logan Maxwell.

A campus-centric trivia game kept energy high, testing attendees’ knowledge on everything from the physical location of the Career Connections office (SU 310) to identifying the platforms used for off-campus job hunting. The excitement peaked with a live drawing, sending lucky winners home with free access to DiSC and Strengthsfinder assessments.

Student employment is a win-win for the SOU community – campus departments rely heavily on the vital, daily contributions of student workers, and the students gain hands-on, holistic experience that builds essential career-readiness and social consciousness.

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).

Microsoft competition: SOU Ashland sweep

SOU students sweep in Microsoft competition

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Students from Southern Oregon University have earned all of the top 10 placements in the Microsoft Excel category of the Oregon Spring Qualifier round for this year’s Microsoft Office Specialist U.S. National Championship.

Students from SOU School of Business computer applications courses typically take two or three of the top spots in Microsoft’s annual statewide competition, but this is the first time that SOU has swept the category.

“Excel remains one of the most sought-after workplace skills employers want from college graduates,” said David Parker, a Senior Instructor II who coordinated this year’s entrants in the contest. “Here in the School of Business, we are preparing students with practical, marketable skills that help them stand out as they move into internships, jobs and long-term careers.”

Chase Barnes, a business student at SOU, earned first place in the Microsoft Excel (Office 2019) category and has been invited to represent Oregon at the 2026 MOS U.S. National Championship next month in Nashville, Tennessee. SOU’s Shiv Patel finished second in the Excel competition and was followed by Alexa Ibarraran, Stephanie Cortes, Simon Turquety, Kathryn Mack, Alana Albarran, Ryan McGinley, Katlyn Carnes and Zoe Manouvrier.

The clean sweep by SOU in the Spring Qualifier followed another notable effort in Oregon’s Fall Qualifier for the Excel category, when SOU students earned five of the top 10 spots – including the top three. SOU’s Paige Hoene won that competition, followed by Patrick Wooley in second place, Phoebe Knight in third, Zachary High in eighth and Mason Labow in 10th.

Students between the ages of 13 and 22 earn eligibility to compete in one of six competition tracks for the Fall or Spring Qualifiers by submitting a qualified passing score on the MOS Word, Excel or PowerPoint certification exams. First-place students from each competition track are invited to represent their state at the MOS U.S. National Championship. The winner of each track at the national competition will earn a trip to represent the U.S. at this year’s MOS World Championship in Anaheim, California.

“We have seen amazing results from the MOS program at Southern Oregon University as students learn and validate key workforce skills,” Parker said. “The MOS U.S. National Championship further motivates students to get certified, and we are incredibly proud of Chase Barnes for earning the opportunity to represent Oregon at the national level.

“We are also proud of all 10 SOU students who earned top placements in the state. This achievement reflects their hard work, technical skill and commitment to preparing for the modern workforce.”

The Microsoft Office Specialist certification is the only official Microsoft-recognized certification for Microsoft Office globally. The certification helps assess students’ skills and prepares them to apply Microsoft Office knowledge in academic, professional, and real-world settings.

Amy Bowers Cordalis at SOU Ashland

Student voices, river stories: Amy Bowers Cordalis at SOU

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Southern Oregon University recently hosted an inspiring evening – defined by hope, intergenerational storytelling and a powerful connection to place – as Yurok Tribe member, attorney and fisherwoman Amy Bowers Cordalis visited as part of the Institute for Applied Sustainability’s mentorship event series.

The Institute for Applied Sustainability hosted and sponsored the event, convening students, faculty and community partners around the shared significance of the Klamath River. Partners including Trout Unlimited, Jackson County Library Services and Bloomsbury Books helped create a community-centered atmosphere.

Amy Bowers Cordalis at SOU AshlandLast week’s event kicked off with a break-out session to give students an opportunity to speak directly with Cordalis. About 450 students, staff, faculty and community members then gathered in the Rogue River Room for a student-led program that brought forward diverse and personal connections to the river. Students from the Community Resilience and Leadership cohort; Environmental Science, Policy and Sustainability program; and the Native American Student Union shared stories that reflected their lived experiences and academic interests.

Cordalis, the evening’s keynote speaker, grounded the event with a broader story of resilience and restoration. Her work has been central to the historic Klamath Dam Removal, the largest dam removal project in U.S. history and the most significant salmon restoration effort in the world. She spoke as an attorney and advocate, and as a fisherwoman and member of a family deeply tied to the river. In a moving moment, members of her family joined her on stage, including her niece, Keeya Wiki, an Ashland High School senior.

“It was incredible to see the steadfast hope that Amy brings to her work,” SOU senior Maisie Bandel Ramirez said. “Hearing from the younger generations in her family, and their stories about going from dreaming of an undammed Klamath to getting to experience a free river, really encapsulated just how monumental their work has been.”

Amy Bowers Cordalis at SOU AshlandFirst-year student Jes Muhlenkamp Joranco echoed that sentiment.

“It was truly inspiring to hear not only about Amy’s story but also her family stories,” Joranco said.

Cordalis returned to the central theme of hope grounded in action throughout the evening.

“When we equally value the rights of Indigenous peoples, nature and business, world renewal is possible,” she said. “Balance returns, life returns and so does hope.”

Three days after the removal of Iron Gate – the last dam standing on the Klamath – the lead salmon, or “ney-puy,” passed the former dam site and began a journey to spawning grounds not visited in 100 years.

“The salmon remembered,” Cordalis said.

That return has been both symbolic and measurable. Within the first year, 7,000 Chinook salmon swam past the former Iron Gate Dam site. In 2025, more than 13,000 salmon swam past the site and traveled into 400-plus miles of spawning habitat.

Ziona Christy, an OHSU nursing student at SOU Ashland

Historic Red Cross selection for OHSU nursing student at SOU

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Ziona Christy, a first-year nursing student with Oregon Health & Science University’s program on the Southern Oregon University campus, has been selected as one of only 16 students nationwide for the American Red Cross Collegiate Leadership Program – the first student in OHSU history to receive the honor.

The program will take place over two weeks in Washington, D.C., where she will work at the American Red Cross national headquarters to gain hands-on experience in humanitarian operations and leadership development. Students selected for the Red Cross course each receive $3,000 a scholarship, along with travel and housing for the program.

Christy’s background in emergency medical services, along with experience working with a local youth program, contributed to her selection by the Red Cross. She has demonstrated a strong commitment to service with several years in high-pressure, patient-centered care, and plans to pursue a career in emergency or critical care nursing.

Following the Red Cross program, she will begin organizing blood drives on campus next fall, aiming to engage fellow students in service and leadership opportunities.

OHSU operates its nursing program at SOU independently from SOU’s academic programming. But nursing students on the Ashland campus are otherwise integrated into SOU campus life, with full access to student dining facilities, the Hannon Library, the Student Recreation Center and climbing center, the Outdoor Program and gear rentals, the La Clinica Student Health & Wellness Center and more. Graduates of the OHSU nursing program also take part in SOU commencement ceremonies.

Student fellows sought for leadership program at SOU Ashland

SOU seeking student fellows for new Community Resilience and Leadership program

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(Ashland, Ore.) — Southern Oregon University’s Institute for Applied Sustainability is recruiting students for its new Community Resilience and Leadership Student Fellows program – an opportunity for a cohort of 15 of students to help create meaningful solutions to urgent challenges facing local communities. The one-year fellowship – a cornerstone of the institute’s Living Laboratory concept – offers a total of 12 credit hours plus monetary stipends to students who are selected for the fellowships.

The Community Resilience and Leadership (CRL) fellows program is an opportunity for students to participate in hands-on projects through field-based learning and close partnerships with a variety of local organizations. It is built on the idea of the Living Laboratory – a classroom formed by partnerships between SOU, the southern Oregon region and community organizations.

“CRL is not a class you sit through,” the program’s website says. “It’s an experience you step into.”

The program consists of a spring Local Innovation Lab course that meets two hours per week and offers four academic credit hours; a summer Field School that offers eight credit hours and meets for six weeks beginning in early August; and fall options that include internships, peer mentoring and capstone research projects. The student fellows will receive $1,000 stipends for participating in the spring Local Innovation Lab and $3,000 stipends for the summer Field School.

“The experience of meeting with community partners, exploring ambiguities and personal values with my peers, and the helpful and insightful guidance of the instructors is invaluable,” said one student who has completed the Local Innovation Lab course. “I believe the lab attracts students who are curious, full of life, and willing to learn how to ride the waves of ambiguity and uncertainty.”

Another student said the lab is “not just learning about different tools and ways to improve yourself, but also of ways to impact and affect other individuals in the community, beginning with yourself.”

Students from any major who are interested in the CRL fellows program can attend an information session from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 26, in Room 319 of the Stevenson Union. Lunch will be provided, and questions about the program are welcome. Applications to be part of the 2026 cohort – which begins this spring term – can be submitted online, with a priority deadline of Feb. 2.

The Institute for Applied Sustainability envisions SOU as what it calls a “Living Laboratory,” in which students can turn ideas into action, and theory into real-world solutions. Students use real challenges, data and partners to test ideas, solve problems and create impacts in their community – tackling issues such as energy, water, food systems, forests and community well-being.

The CRL Student Fellows Program, an integral part of the Living Laboratory model, has grown out of the Local Innovation Lab project – which started as a response to local problems caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the September 2020 Almeda Fire. SOU economics professor Bret Anderson and several members of the local community created the lab in partnership with the university.

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