Oregon State University biennial engagement report 2025

RESILIENT RELATIONSHIPS, SHARED GOALS, LASTING IMPACT

Felicia Olmeta-Schult, Oregon Sea Grant coastal hazards specialist, leads a tsunami evacuation tour during the 2025 Marine Science Day open house at the Hatfield Marine Science Center in Newport.

Photo: Josie Noteboom

Download the Full Report

PARTNERING WITH PURPOSE

A note from the VP of Extension & Engagement
What is engagement?
About Extension and Engagement
Opportunities

Kristopher Elliott visits with attendees at an event celebrating a restored partnership between OSU Extension and Multnomah County.

Photo: Kenton Waltz

Dear colleagues and community partners,

At Oregon State University, community engagement isn’t a side project or a single department’s responsibility. It’s woven into the fabric of who we are as a land-grant university. From our classrooms and labs to our Extension offices and research stations, we are committed to listening, learning and working alongside communities to address real-world challenges and create meaningful opportunities.

Here, public engagement is more than a concept; it’s a dynamic exchange that strengthens teaching and research, grounds innovation in lived experience and ensures our work remains relevant and responsive. Whether we’re collaborating on climate solutions, advancing human health or supporting economic development, our efforts are rooted in partnership, reciprocity and trust.

This report showcases just a fraction of the powerful, community-centered work happening across Oregon State. It reflects the dedication of employees, students and community collaborators who bring our mission to life every day. Their work is sustained by a strong institutional commitment to supporting promising practices, embedding engagement into our academic culture and recognizing exemplary work. Oregon State’s leadership in this space has elevated our national visibility, with peer institutions now looking to us for guidance on how to replicate our model.

As someone who has had the joy and privilege of seeing this work in action — I can only say thank you. Thank you to everyone who contributes to this work, who builds bridges between campus and community and who helps us move forward in service of shared innovation and impact.

With deep appreciation,

Kristopher Elliott
Vice Provost for Extension and Engagement
Director, Oregon State University Extension Service

At Oregon State, engagement is a collaborative process with communities — sustained and deepened over time — that is mutually beneficial and generates co-created knowledge and impact. It takes many forms, has many purposes and involves many types of communities, inclusive of academic, public, private, government and nonprofit entities as well as communities of place, of interest and of practice.

The scholarship of engagement describes the integration of community engaged teaching, research and service activities with academic rigor. It also involves creating and sharing new knowledge that is reciprocal and mutually beneficial. This co-creation has the potential for benefiting society or advancing desired societal outcomes.

Step by step framework for engagement. Steps in order from left to right are inform, consult, involve, collaborate and co-create.

Framework adapted from the International Association for Public Participation and Colorado State University.

Extension and engagement are core to Oregon State’s mission and integral to collaborative work that will achieve the vision for shared prosperity laid out in the university’s strategic plan.

While multiple units undertake outreach and engagement activities, the Division of Extension and Engagement provides collaborative leadership for community-engaged scholarship and public engagement best practices across the university. This includes seeking opportunities for collaborating across colleges and divisions and with community partners to develop mutually beneficial solutions to real-world challenges. The division also contributes a community engagement perspective to university teaching and learning, research and innovation, and economic development initiatives.

The division is home to the OSU Extension Service, which formally links Oregon State with all 36 Oregon counties and the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs. OSU Extension serves Oregonians with research-backed, community-based programs focused on creating healthy communities and economies; resilient and productive forests and natural ecosystems; sustainable agriculture and food systems; and thriving youth, individuals and families.

Engagement@OSU Webinar Series

Through candid conversations and case-based presentations, the Engagement@OSU webinar series provides a platform for Oregon State colleagues to share what engagement looks like in practice — whether in classrooms, laboratories, neighborhoods or across industries. The webinars explore topics such as community-engaged teaching, place-based research, co-created partnerships and engagement for social and environmental impact.

This series showcases diverse and impactful ways that employees and community partners are advancing public engagement. Each episode highlights innovative projects, pedagogical practices, research collaborations and engagement initiatives.

Open to the Oregon State community, these webinars aim to foster learning, dialogue and a university-wide culture of collaborative, responsive and equity-centered engagement that reflects Oregon State’s land-grant mission and commitment to the public good. Watch the recordings or join us for upcoming Engagement@OSU sessions.

Community engagement certificate

In early 2025, Oregon State launched a Community Engagement Certificate to enhance community-engaged teaching, research and service. The program aims to build institutional capacity for impactful engagement with communities in Oregon and beyond. It offers a flexible learning pathway for employees and students to explore community engagement concepts and frameworks. Participants learn the foundations of community-engaged work and how those align with Oregon State’s strategic goals.

The program has seen strong interest, with more than 300 enrollments and 49 certificates awarded. More than 80% of participants say they would recommend it to others. The certificate complements the Engagement@OSU webinar series and annual OSU Engagement Conference. These efforts deepen Oregon State’s commitment to embedding public engagement into university culture and practice.

Pursue the Community Engagement Certificate.

Land Acknowledgment – A commitment to tribal nations and Indigenous communities

We recognize the impact that Oregon State University’s land-grant history has had, and continues to have, on Tribal Nations and Indigenous communities in Oregon. We recognize that all public engagement work occurs on Indigenous homelands and that Indigenous people are valued, contributing members of our community today. We recognize our responsibility to understand the continuing impact of this shared history and to act in ways that build a better future.

Consistent with the university’s overall mission, we seek to include self-reflection, learning, reconciliation and partnerships in community engaged work so it may be of enduring benefit to sovereign Tribal nations and Indigenous communities.

Read OSU's land acknowledgment

ENGAGEMENT CONFERENCE AND AWARD HIGHLIGHTS

Amanda Gladics (far left), Leigh Torres (second from right) and Troy Buell (far right), members of the whale entanglement project team, meet with commercial fisherman Justin Yager in front of crab pots in Newport.

Photo: Ben Davis

About the conference
Award highlights

Oregon State’s dedication to community-engaged scholarship and building faculty excellence includes support for conferences, events and recognition. In October 2024, Oregon State hosted the Engagement Scholarship Consortium’s international conference in Portland, drawing scholars and community leaders from across the nation and the world.

The annual OSU Engagement Conference — developed by and for employees and community partners — builds awareness, sparks collaboration and highlights impactful public engagement across the Oregon State community and beyond. At the heart of the event are the OSU Engagement Awards of Excellence (see next tab), which recognize employees and community partners for efforts that embody the principles of community engagement and engaged scholarship.

Learn more about OSU Engagement Conference

2024 Community Engaged Scholarship Team Award

Promoting and Advancing Training of High Desert School Counselors (PATH-SC) partnership Led by Lucy Purgason, associate professor of counseling at OSU–Cascades, the initiative addresses a critical need in Central Oregon by ensuring that rural, high-need schools have access to qualified and culturally responsive school counselors.

2024 OSU-Community Partnership Engagement Award

Oregon Whale Entanglement Project – When Oregon’s largest commercial fishery faced rising reports of whale entanglements in crab fishing gear, a transdisciplinary team led by Leigh Torres, associate professor in the Marine Mammal Institute and Oregon Sea Grant Extension specialist, developed best practices guidelines for the fishery and identified the knowledge gap about whale distribution patterns. Then, Oregon State partnered with Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, the fishery and the U.S. Coast Guard to identify high-risk areas and seasons for entanglement, which has informed new regulations. Watch a video about the Whale Entanglement Project.

Extension and Engagement Award

This award, announced each September at University Day, recognizes a faculty member’s significant and meritorious work which enhances reciprocal learning with our students, partners and stakeholders.

2024: Larry O’Neill, Oregon’s state climatologist and associate professor in the College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences.
2025: Nordica MacCarty, associate professor of mechanical engineering and Richard and Gretchen Evans Professor of Humanitarian Engineering in the College of Engineering.

W.K. Kellogg Foundation Community Engagement Scholarship Award

Presented by the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities and the Engagement Scholarship Consortium, these awards honor institutions that have redesigned their teaching, research and outreach missions to foster deep, lasting partnerships with their communities. Four regional winners are selected annually, with recipients competing for the national C. Peter Magrath Community Engagement Scholarship Award. Oregon State has been a regional winner for two consecutive years:

2024: Oregon Coastal Futures Project
2025: Oregon Whale Entanglement Project

See award recipients and projects

EXPANDING ACCESS

Families from across Oregon gather at Oregon State's Corvallis campus for Juntos Family Day, a day of learning, resources and celebration hosted by OSU Extension.

Photo: Amanda Loman

Linking Data, Informing Policy

Researchers in the College of Liberal Arts partnered with local health and housing agencies to better understand how people experiencing houselessness use emergency care. By securely connecting data from multiple sources, the team found high rates of emergency room visits, showing the need for better coordination to guide policies that support housing and health care solutions.

Designing inclusive cancer care

Researchers in the College of Health are partnering with younger adults, LGBTQ+ people and rural residents to improve cancer care and support. By listening to lived experiences and building trust, the team designs inclusive programs that address real-life barriers — helping all survivors heal and thrive after treatment.

Elevating multilingual learners in literacy education

The College of Education created “Teaching Early Literacy from a Multilingual Perspective” to equip K–5 educators with culturally responsive strategies. Developed through the ALK-8 program, the course is offered via Oregon State Professional and Continuing Education and is the only professional development option in Oregon focused on multilingual literacy instruction.

Expanding computer science for all

OSU–Cascades and partners are broadening access to computer science in Oregon schools. With $628,000 in state support, they are creating inclusive K–12 curricula and training educators statewide to bring computational thinking and high-quality computer science instruction to every student, from elementary through high school.

Read more about computer science in Oregon schools

Building pathways to higher education

Access OSU partners with families, students and community organizations in the Portland Metro area to make college more accessible and inclusive through programs and experiences that open doors, build confidence and guide students toward their next steps in education. This effort is a collaboration between the Division of Extension and Engagement, Student Affairs, the Office of Institutional Diversity and Enrollment Management and key partners such as the OSU Foundation, Alumni Association and Access OSU Community Advisory Council.

Learn more about Access OSU

Highlighting engagement through curated collections

OSU Libraries and Press partnered with the Division of Extension and Engagement to provide print and electronic materials through the OSU Extension and Engagement Collection. Curated by Extension and Engagement, the collection features resources that support a variety of community engagement efforts. OSU Libraries is responsible for housing and lending the print materials, as well as purchasing and managing access to electronic resources.

Learn more about the engagement collection

“Portland Public Schools College & Career Readiness’ partnership with Access OSU has been such a gift, especially for our historically underserved students. Together, we’re building pathways to help students see themselves on a college campus, successfully pursuing a career. This collaboration is helping dismantle barriers, providing critical support and affirming that postsecondary opportunities are possible for every student in our community.”

– Raquel Laiz, College and Career Readiness Program Manager, Portland Public Schools

CO-CREATING KNOWLEDGE AMONG THE TREES

At Oregon State, engagement means collaboration with communities that is sustained and mutually beneficial. It is about working with people to create knowledge and impact together. Oregon State’s Research and Demonstration Forests, stewarded by the College of Forestry, are key places where this commitment comes alive.

Learn more about Oregon State's forests

Photo: Amanda Loman (Cropped from original)

These 10 forests, located across Oregon, are where students, researchers and faculty learn — and where communities of place and practice come together to share knowledge. The McDonald and Dunn Forests in Corvallis are the largest tracts, serving as centers of active research, education and engagement.

Extension foresters use the Research Forests to connect with woodland owners, forestry professionals, industry representatives and community members. Their tours and field classes are designed not only to share science but also to listen, learn and adapt.

John Punches, Extension forester in Eastern Oregon, often conducts programs at the Oberteuffer Forest outside La Grande. Punches collaborates with participants on prescribed fire, forest measurement and forest health, among other topics.

“It’s a cultivated demonstration area where you can see the practices implemented,” Punches says. “It’s accessible to the public. It allows me to do programming at a higher level.”

In Western Oregon, Extension forester Jake Barker describes the 180-acre Rubie P. Matteson Forest as a site where knowledge is co-created. The forest’s scale mirrors that of many small private properties, making lessons directly relevant to participants’ own lands.

“The key to delivering good forestry education is having a good and robust knowledge of place,” Barker says. “Having that familiarity is helpful when telling the story and teaching.”

Collaborative work also extends beyond Extension education. In 2025, Oregon State partnered with the Trust for Public Land, Metro, the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde and other organizations to acquire 3,110 acres near Portland, now the Tualatin Mountain Forest. Together, these partners are shaping priorities for conservation, education and public access — an example of cocreating knowledge and stewardship across institutions and communities.

Community collaboration also thrives through programs that bring K–12 schools, nonprofits and volunteers into the forests. From field trips to service projects, these partnerships provide learning opportunities while supporting recreation, cultural preservation and ecosystem resilience. Each year, thousands of volunteer hours sustain this work, amplifying the forests’ impact.

Through these reciprocal relationships, Oregon State’s Research and Demonstration Forests foster engagement that benefits both the university and the communities it serves — advancing knowledge, strengthening stewardship and contributing to Oregon’s future.

Photo: Francisca Marrs, Extension specialist and associate professor in the College of Forestry, teaches about tree harvesting during a tour of the Rubie P. Matteson Demonstration Forest in Washington County.

BUILDING STUDENT EXPERIENCES

High school students work in the lab as part of Ignite inSTEM, hosted by the College of Science, which brings students to campus for hands-on chemistry experiences, research and mentorship

Photo: Karl Maasdam (Cropped)

Strengthening community through physical therapy

Doctor of Physical Therapy students at OSU–Cascades partner with Central Oregon organizations to address local health challenges. Through new community-engaged courses, students apply physical therapy knowledge in collaborative projects — enhancing public well-being while developing as compassionate, civically engaged professionals.

Turning waste into fuel on Oregon farms

Students in the College of Engineering, in collaboration with OSU Extension and the College of Agricultural Sciences, are partnering with rural communities to convert agricultural plastics into usable tractor fuel. Through hands-on demonstrations and local collaboration, the Plastics to Fuel project explores sustainable, small-scale recycling solutions that reduce waste, cut farm costs and engage students in real world innovation and outreach.

Providing community health screenings

Throughout the 2024–25 academic year, College of Pharmacy students held 14 public events at farmers markets, food banks and clinics. They screened 215 people for blood glucose and 118 for hypertension, offering accessible health checks and promoting wellness across diverse community settings.

Advancing artificial intelligence through real-world projects

Graduate students in the College of Engineering partner with industry and researchers on nine-month capstone projects. From predicting urban noise to creating AI tools for industry, startups and classrooms, students gain hands-on experience while delivering innovative solutions that prepare them for careers in AI.

Gaining veterinary skills through global service

Faculty in the Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine and the College of Agricultural Sciences created a study abroad program in Mexico where students worked alongside licensed veterinarians to provide free care for more than 600 animals. The program offers hands-on training, cultural exchange and community education — helping students bridge the gap between coursework and real-world practice while inspiring future service in rural communities.

Read more about veterinary studies abroad

Expanding career paths in geographic information systems

With support from a state grant, the College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences and the Career Development Center in the Division of Student Affairs partnered to advance the GIS-STEP program. The program builds industry connections and internships across Oregon, giving students valuable experience while supplying employers with skilled talent.

Learn more about the GIS-STEP program

“The Corvallis Environmental Center has been collaborating with Beavs Serve since its inception and we love having the deeper, consistent group experience with students. The Three Sisters’ planting (corn, beans and squash; honoring traditional planting methods), was particularly impactful paired with group discussions on environmental justice and food sovereignty, all while growing food for those in need in our community.”

- Liz Habley, Community Food Systems Manager, Corvallis Environmental Center

Learn more about Beavs Serve

ENGINEERING SOLUTIONS WITH COMMUNITIES

Oregon State’s interdisciplinary humanitarian engineering program prepares students to design solutions that address not only technical challenges but also environmental, social and economic factors. A core component is an experiential learning requirement guided by the principles of fair-trade learning, which fosters meaningful, reciprocal engagement with communities.

Read more about the humanitarian engineering program

Photo: Nordica McCarty (Cropped from original)

Nordica MacCarty, associate professor of mechanical engineering and the Richard and Gretchen Evans Professor of Humanitarian Engineering in the College of Engineering, directs the program. She also serves as executive director of the Aprovecho Research Center, a nonprofit that designs and tests low-emission, high-efficiency cooking and heating stoves

“I have been oscillating between the nonprofit world and academia throughout my career,” MacCarty says. “I’m really happy to be in a position now where I can do both.”

Her research focuses on household energy and clean water systems in global and local contexts. About one-third of the world’s households still cook over open fires indoors, a practice linked to 4 million premature deaths each year and significant climate impacts.

In courses such as “Household Energy in Guatemala” and “Introduction to Community Engagement and Community-Based Design,” students combine classroom learning with direct collaboration.

“We’re really excited that there’s an experiential requirement,” she says. “Students have to go out in the world and engage with real people and solve real problems. One of the great outcomes for the students was learning the soft skills they need to bravely engage with their communities and lead this kind of design work.”

The fair-trade learning approach ensures partner organizations benefit as much as the students. Projects have ranged from animal shelters to community gardens, each shaped by co-design with stakeholders.

“I would have loved these experiences as an undergraduate,” MacCarty says. “This is transformative and creates people who are brave and engaged and want to go out and change the world.”

Watch MacCarty's webinar to learn more

STRENGTHENING COMMUNITIES AND ECONOMIES

A young girl practices skills during an OSU KidSpirit gymnastics class at the Tillicum Fitness and Recreation Center in Siletz, part of a new partnership with the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians that marks the first time in the program’s 64-year history classes are offered outside of Corvallis.

Photo: Caleb Freeman (cropped)

Bridging college and career support to students and families

OSU Extension’s Open Campus and Juntos programs work alongside community partners to develop programming and support that directly address local challenges and opportunities. They create space for innovative programs that strengthen Oregon communities with dedicated higher education, career and trades support — which are especially impactful in rural and other marginalized regions.

Modeling disease to strengthen community resilience

Ben Dalziel, a population biologist in the College of Science, is developing “immune systems for cities” using real-time sensing, predictive modeling and community partnerships. A series of workshops in cities across Oregon revealed residents’ need for timely data and better communication. Building on Oregon State’s TRACE COVID-19 program, the team creates tools to detect outbreaks early, guide equitable responses and help communities prevent future public health crises before they escalate.

Read more about immune systems for cities

Advancing restorative mariculture

A project of Oregon Sea Grant and the College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences, the Oregon Coastal Mariculture Collaborative brings together nonprofits, universities and industry to expand support for sustainable shellfish and seaweed aquaculture. Efforts focus on education and outreach, research to understand potential expansion and novel techniques, and identifying policy solutions to strengthen Oregon’s coastal mariculture sector.

Boosting Oregon tech professionals with online degrees

A new collaboration between Ecampus in the Division of Educational Ventures and the Technology Association of Oregon gives 90,000 tech employees and their spouses access to tuition scholarships to earn a degree, certificate or microcredential online. With more than 120 programs online, top-ranked Ecampus helps professionals statewide build skills in high-demand fields such as data analytics, business and engineering.

Read more about online education for tech employees

Strengthening coastal resilience

The Cascadia Coastlines and Peoples Hazards Research Hub (CoPes Hub), led by the College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences and partners, unites scientists, Tribal nations and communities to address coastal hazards such as earthquakes, tsunamis and sea-level rise. With $18.9 million in National Science Foundation funding, it advances research, equity, education and preparedness across the Cascadia region.

Learn more about the CoPes Hub

Advancing digital equity across Oregon

The Oregon Broadband Equity Coalition — launched in 2024 through OSU Extension, Link Oregon and Rural Prosperity Partners — unites communities, organizations, businesses, local government representatives and policymakers to expand digital access. A subgroup focuses on issues and resources for K–12 AI education. By fostering collaboration, OBEC helps ensure everyone in Oregon can participate fully in today’s connected society.

Read more about expanding digital access in Oregon

“OSU’s Early Learning System Initiative has been an instrumental partner in supporting our region; Marion, Polk and Yamhill counties; and Oregon as a whole in providing high quality, culturally responsive early childhood trainings in multiple languages. This has allowed Community Action Child Care Resource and Referrals to regularly provide a consistent level of training. ELSI has also provided essential data support in compiling and evaluating training attendance to demonstrate impact.”

– Jenna Sanders, Program Director, Mid-Willamette Valley Community Action

Learn about the Early Learning System Initiative

ADVANCING ENGAGED SCHOLARSHIP

Alec Kowalewski (left), Grover Family Endowed Sustainable Urban Landscapes Specialist, discusses landscape flowers with Bob Grover, founder and chairman of Pacific Landscape Management, at the 2025 Oak Creek Center for Urban Horticulture Open House and Tour.

Photo: Lynn Ketchum

Creating curriculum for belonging

Researcher Patricia Fifita in the College of Liberal Arts is co-developing the state’s first K–12 social studies curriculum focused on Pacific Islander and Native Hawaiian histories and cultures. Through community input and cultural storytelling, the project seeks to increase representation, dispel stereotypes and foster belonging among students — inspiring change beyond Oregon.

Read more about inclusive curriculum in K-12 social studies

Guiding post-fire research through local voices

After a major wildfire struck the H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest, researchers in the STEM Research Center launched a case study to involve the local community in shaping future research. By sharing knowledge and planning together, the project fosters long-term, reciprocal relationships that guide ecological research and wildfire resilience across the Pacific Northwest.

Read more about research in wildfire resistence

Advancing equitable K-8 learning

The College of Education partnered with the Oregon Department of Education to address unfinished math and literacy learning from the COVID-19 pandemic. The Equitable Accelerated Learning K–8 Project funded 16 educator-led initiatives across 99 districts, culminating in a statewide summit that shared locally tailored strategies to reduce educational inequities.

Learn more about the Equitable Accelerated Learning K-8 Project

Protecting children from environmental hazards

The ASPIRE Center in the College of Health leads efforts to reduce children’s exposure to environmental hazards such as smoke, lead and unsafe water. Through research, community partnerships and education, ASPIRE translates science into practical solutions for healthier homes, schools and neighborhoods — especially for vulnerable populations across Oregon and beyond.

Learn more about the ASPIRE Center

Advancing community-led resilience and peacebuilding

Laura Peters, assistant professor in the College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences, leads participatory research on community health in Zambia, environmental peacebuilding in the Middle East and preventing disasters through disaster risk reduction in fragile and armed conflict contexts. Her projects engage global partners and Oregon State students, producing tools, publications and trainings that strengthen resilience, collaboration and well-being worldwide.

Blending knowledge to restore the Klamath River

Faculty in multiple colleges, including the College of Engineering and the College of Agricultural Sciences, and the Yurok Tribe co-led research on the Klamath River’s health before, during and after dam removal. By blending Indigenous and Western knowledge, they are building trust, informing water decisions and training students — creating a model for inclusive, community-driven river management.

Read more about the Klamath River restoration

“OSU’s Center for Resilient Agriculture and Food Systems has been an invaluable partner to the Oregon Community Food System Network since the network’s inception in 2015. Through continuous partnership, we have been able to expand the reach of community voices across our shared networks and quickly deploy resources such as disaster relief and resilience funding for small farmers and food hubs across the state.”

– Shin Lee, Executive Director, Oregon Community Food System Network

Learn more about the Center for Resilient Agriculture and Food Systems

BRIDGING DIVIDES THROUGH RESEARCH AND DIALOGUE

At OSU–Cascades, the Laboratory for the American Conversation is tackling one of the most pressing challenges of our time: how to talk — and listen — across deep divides. Led by cultural anthropologist Elizabeth Marino and social psychologist Christopher Wolsko, the lab blends research, community engagement and innovative dialogue models to help Oregonians navigate difficult issues together.

Learn more about the Lab for American Conversation

Photo: OSU–Cascades (Cropped from original)

The lab’s work is rooted in understanding the values people hold and the concerns they share, even when they disagree on solutions. By using tools such as large-scale surveys, discourse analysis and facilitated community assemblies, researchers uncover the perspectives shaping public conversations.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the lab partnered with local public health officials in Bend to create messaging that resonated with a broad range of community values. By aligning information with what mattered most to residents — from personal freedom to protecting vulnerable neighbors — officials provided critical health information more effectively.

In another project, the lab convened a civic assembly on youth homelessness, bringing together diverse Central Oregon residents to hear expert testimony, share personal experiences and collaborate on policy recommendations. Civic assemblies not only produce actionable ideas but also model the respectful, inclusive dialogue needed in a healthy democracy.

The Laboratory for the American Conversation also addresses today’s divisive discourse by training individuals and institutions on how to have constructive dialogue across differences. Through its online, self-paced course “Science of Public Discourse: A Guide for Navigating Divisive Conversations,” the lab equips individuals with research-based strategies to manage contentious conversations, affirm core values and lower hostility — helping chart new ways forward even amid deep disagreement.

The lab’s contribution lies in its ability to transform polarization into problem-solving. Lab leaders Marino and Wolsko emphasize that their work is about more than studying conversation. It is about developing tools and approaches that help people work toward meaningful solutions, while respecting the reality that individuals and communities may have different core values.

OSU ENGAGEMENT COUNCIL

Weatherford Hall, southwest side.

Photo: OSU (cropped)

In 2023, Oregon State established a university-level engagement council that includes representation from each OSU college, OSU–Cascades and relevant non-academic units. The council aligns community engagement and engaged scholarship priorities with the university’s strategic plan and acts on related issues including:

Socializing definitions of community engagement and engaged scholarship across the university.
Identifying and addressing systemic barriers to doing community-engaged work and recognizing engaged scholarship.
Offering appropriate policy and procedural recommendations to university leadership.
Raising awareness of opportunities for engagement with colleagues and community partners.
Highlighting and celebrating stellar engagement work by university personnel and community partners.

Strengthening OSU's Commitment to Community Engagement

In 2025, Oregon State submitted its application to renew the Carnegie Community Engagement Classification, a national recognition of universities deeply committed to collaborating with their larger communities. Oregon State has held this designation since 2010. Members of the OSU Engagement Council played a key role in documenting strong, evidence-based examples of how the university fosters meaningful, reciprocal connections through its activities, strategies and systems. The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching is expected to announce reclassification decisions in early 2026.

2025–2026 Engagement Council

Sam Angima, College of Agricultural Sciences
John Becker-Blease, College of Business
Glencora Borradaile / Brady Gibbons*, College of Engineering
Emily Bowling, Student Success and Engagement
Marina Denny, Chair, Division of Extension and Engagement
Erica Fleishman / Michael Harte*, College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences
Emily Henry / Jeff Sherman-Duncan*, Division of Extension and Engagement
Julie Judkins, OSU Libraries and Press
Michelle Klampe, University Relations and Marketing
Sarah Kolesar, Oregon Sea Grant
Shannon Lipscomb, OSU–Cascades
Phil McFadden, College of Science
Allison Myers, College of Health
Holly Ober / Scott Leavengood*, College of Forestry
Julie Risien, Office for Research and Advancement
Kate Sanders / John Valva*, OSU Alumni Association
Laura Saxe-O’Brien, College of Education
Stacy Semevolos, Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine
Elizabeth Simmons, Career Development Center
Zachery Spire, Division of Extension and Engagement
Kevin Stoller, Honors College
Rob Stone, OSU IMPACT Studio
Temmecha Turner, Office of Institutional Diversity
Megan Ward / Kathryn Becker-Blease*, College of Liberal Arts
Steve Wuhs, Office of Academic Affairs

*Council member from 2024-2025

Learn more about the Engagement Council

“Oregon State is deeply committed to the transformative power of education, research and innovation. At the heart of this commitment lies our dedication to community engagement — a cornerstone of our identity and an essential driver of our mission as a land-grant university.”

– Jayathi Y. Murthy, President

Photo: Andres Nieves-Bernal (Cropped from original)

Photo: Children explore one of the many activity stations at Get Outdoors Day, hosted by OSU Research forests, Community Health Centers of Linn and Benton County and OSU Extension.