Over the last week, I have been able to talk to many folks about OSU-Cascades. At each opportunity, I am amazed at how energized I am after the discussion. I presented on all things Cascades at the Rotary Club of Greater Bend last week, and I was able to talk to people about building an innovative branch campus of OSU right here in Central Oregon. Most of you by now have had a class in Edward J. Ray Hall, our new and innovative STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math) building. Ray Hall opened last Fall to rave reviews. There are spaces in Ray Hall that are game changers to our innovative path on campus. The building sports a brand-new Maker Space and Engineering Machine Shop along with dedicated research space for our Energy Systems Laboratory (ESL) and our Water and Energy Technology (WET) Laboratory. [We just updated our Research website, so check these and other research laboratories out at OSU-Cascades] The integration of the arts with science and technology is more than just superficial window dressing. Meaningful collaborations are underway on our campus to better show the impact of the arts on science and science on art.
I’m something of a photobug (some examples below). As an engineer, I always want to make sure that I understand the aperture, shutter speed and ISO in order to get a proper exposure to the pixelated array behind the convex primary lens of a camera. The technical details of photography are interesting to me. Anyone else fascinated by diffraction limits and chromatic aberrations? However, what is the picture taken in a technically accurate way trying to convey? The technology is a means to the ends. The art is all that matters when someone looks at the photograph. I’m not trying to convey that an appropriate aperture was used in the photograph. I’m using the right aperture to convey the story about the picture that I was hoping the viewer would take away and contemplate. This is a simple example, of course, but what examples might you have in your own experiences that brings the interweaving of arts and science together? Let me know in a comment below.
Back to OSU-Cascades growth: Ray Hall represents our first foray into the 118-acres to the north of the existing 10-acre campus. This land was a former pumice mine and demolition landfill (yep, a dump). OSU-Cascades has been transforming the local landscape to better serve our students, faculty, staff and community. The series of pictures below show the transformation that is taking place on this 118-acres that represents the future of your campus.
I came here over 3 years ago now to build something special here in Central Oregon. There are very few places that one can go to help build and shape a brand-new University campus, let alone one that is associated with a Research-1 (high research productivity), land-grant institution. I look out my office window every day and see the future – right now it is very much a “hole in the ground,” and the future requires some active imagination. However, we are building something special here, and you can be a part of it.
There will be opportunities to engage on the design of the new Student Success Center in the coming months. I encourage you to help shape the future of the campus – to be the voice of those students that aren’t here yet – to get your great ideas into the hands of those that can bring them to reality. As always, STAY TUNED!
CATEGORIES: News Updates