University Outreach and Engagement

Name: Deborah H. John

Position: Assistant Professor, College of Public Health and Human Sciences; Faculty, OSU Extension Family and Community Health Program

Hometown: New Orleans, Louisiana

# of years at OSU:

1999-2004 OSU Doctoral Student and Instructor
2009 – present Assistant Professor

Best part of your job: My work focuses on participatory research and education with people in the contexts that they live, work, learn, and recreate to mobilize Extension audiences to achieve healthy people and places. The best part of my job is that it is public health – protecting and improving the health of populations and communities through education, promoting healthy lifestyles, and applied research for disease and injury prevention. I appreciate and enjoy engaging people and groups whose voices and vision are underrepresented, and providing a venue for shaping community health actions, environments, and policies that are holistic, sustainable, and just.

Something someone might be surprised to know about you: I owned an art gallery in Louisiana and have an extensive art collection. I owned a fitness center in Florida and was a competitive body builder. I dance Zydeco and cook Creole – I like to share both with good friends and family.

Favorite book/movie/album: I’m an avid reader and have many favorite books; no favorite movies; and, without a doubt, Dr. John’s In the Right Place is my favorite album.

: Scott Reed, Vice Provost, University Outreach and Engagement

Welcome to my inaugural First Monday Update.

In these monthly posts I’ll share updates on division initiatives, upcoming events, links to news articles and a Q&A (this month I asked for Deb Maddy’s help in responding). That’s the plan to start, but I’m open to changing up the format and content based on what you want to hear about. If you have suggestions on ways to improve these posts, please let me know.

I hope this can be a conversation, not just a way one-way communication. Share your comments and questions and I will do my best to respond to you as soon as I’m able.

So, here we go.

DIVISION UPDATES

I have been asked to provide testimony to a US Congressional Committee on March 4 about the role and function of Extension’s founding federal legislation, the Smith-Lever Act. I invite you to be one of the first to read my testimony (PDF)

We received a record 31 nominations for the Vice Provost Awards for Excellence. I am looking forward to recognizing these efforts at the awards luncheon on April 16.

I am pleased to share that Dr. Lou Swanson, Vice President for Engagement at Colorado State University, will be the keynote speaker at our O&E Colloquium on April 16. His address “Six things universities must do differently in the next five years to engage learners” will be followed by table conversations and a panel discussion including Provost Randhawa. Look for the invitation coming soon.

A planning team is busy preparing for the OSU Extension Reconsidered: Engaging Communities in the Arts, Humanities & Design forum on April 15. OSU is one of a dozen universities hosting day-long exploratory conversations on the topic as a part of the national Extension Reconsidered initiative. Stay tuned for more information on this exciting event.

The topline report from the recently conducted OSU Extension Service statewide survey is full of interesting findings and I look forward to digging into the data more in the months ahead. I hope you’ll join us this Friday, either in person or by phone, to hear what we learned and to discuss how it can inform our work.

FOR YOUR CALENDAR

OSU Extension statewide survey results presentation and discussion
Friday, March 7, 10am-12pm
Kidder 202 / Lived streamed at live.oregonstate.edu

O&E Colloquium
Wednesday, April 16, 2-5pm (reception to follow)
CH2M Hill Alumni Center

Ecampus Faculty Forum
Thursday, April 17, 8am-4:15pm
CH2M Hill Alumni Center
Register

IN THE NEWS

Local to the core: Cider becomes latest Pacific Northwest-centric locally sourced item (Sustainable Business Oregon)
Free textbook movement (KEZI)
Shortage of Computer Science Grads (KEZI)
UN applauds natural pest controls used by farmers in Mali (Irish Examiner)
Satellites can spot underwater volcanic eruptions (KMTR)
Blackberries: The aromatic, flavorful cultivated variety (The Oregonian)

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

This year’s Engagement Scholarship Consortium conference in Alberta, Canada will explore the theme “Engaging for Change: Changing for Engagement.” Proposals are sought for presentations, posters and other forms of communication that will inform or advance research on, and the practice of, engaged scholarship and community-university partnerships. The deadline for submitting proposals is March 17.

QUESTION OF THE MONTH

Q: What’s the future of SOARS*?

A: As SOARS approaches the end of its life span, we’ve begun exploring electronic on-line program planning and reporting options. There are some promising alternatives available on the market and we hope to have a replacement for SOARS established by plan of work time 2015. If you have ideas on how to improve the program planning and reporting process, please let me, Cory Parsons or Kim Tarrant know. We will seek input from faculty on a new program planning and reporting system once we’ve narrowed the choices to what appear to be feasible and functional options for OSU Extension.

* For our non-Extension folks, Stories, Outcomes, and Accomplishments Reporting System (SOARS) is the online system used by all Extension educators to prepare their annual Plan of Work and Report of Accomplishment.

Name: Dianna Fisher

Position: Director, Open Educational Resources & Emerging Technologies

Hometown: Somewhere on Cape Cod, Massachusetts

# of years at OSU: 13

Best part of your job: The best part of my job is that it changes, not just every day, but during the course of the day!

Something someone might be surprised to know about you:

I spent a significant portion of my adult life living in Berlin, Germany doing cryptography for NSA during the Cold War.

I used to be a competitive figure skater.

I am obsessed with bikes – mountain bikes and road bikes.

Favorite book/movie/album:

Movie –Goonies – No question. Best Movie Ever.

Album – I really only listen to music while running. I like silence otherwise.

At last week’s State of the Division address, Dave, Deb and I shared some of the highlights from 2013, as well as looked forward to the year ahead. We spent the last portion of our time together answering questions from the audience, who attended both in-person as well as many who joined us remotely.

If you missed the event, you can watch the recording here: http://media.oregonstate.edu/media/0_ufqglzw1

Download the presentation slides (PDF, 1.5MB)

If there are additional questions or comments I hope that you will share them here or you can contact me directly. We appreciate your input and your interest in the division’s operations and success.

Dave King, Associate Provost Outreach and Engagement

Over the years I have collaborated on several projects with Mike Boehlje, agricultural economist at Purdue, including:

A scholarly article on how information gains value in the digital world (Journal of Applied Communication, 1994) that led to on-going discussions across the country about the future of Extension in the digital transformation, and
an editorial calling for the creation of an online Extension Service initiative (Journal of Extension, 2000) now called eXtension.

Most recently we recorded a podcast with Bob Bertsch from North Dakota State titled Working Differently in Extension, based on a commentary on the future eXtension that was published in the October 2013 Journal of Extension.

Listen to the Working Differently in Extension podcast.

Take look at the latest commentary and the listen to the podcast, and let me know what you think.

Name: Weston Miller

Position: Community and Urban Horticulturist

Hometown: Portola Valley, CA

# of years at OSU: 6 years starting July 2007

Best part of your job: I love working for OSU Extension Service because I get to be part of an incredible learning community of hard-working and dedicated folks and that I get to learn a TON about horticulture and people everyday. I also like the autonomy that I have as an Extension agent where I have many bosses, but am really responsible for my own work life.

Something someone might be surprised to know about you: I play guitar and sing country and bluegrass music, at least during the winter months.

Favorite book/movie/album: The original Star Wars, of course, is my favorite movie of all time. My favorite book: The Man Who Planted Trees.

I hope you will take a couple minutes to watch this short end of the year video message.

The examples shared here are clearly just a few of our division’s accomplishments. I invite you to also reflect back on 2013.

What accomplishment are you the most proud of from the past year? Please share below and one person will be chosen at random as the winner of an OSU gift basket. Your comments may also be referenced at our State of the Division address on Tuesday, January 21 at 10am.

Thank you for your many contributions! I look forward to working with you in the year ahead.
Scott

The 2013 Oregon Open Campus Award of Excellence was presented to Jennifer Oppenlander, Open Campus Coordinator in Jefferson County, at the Open Campus Summit on Sept. 25.

This award recognizes an individual for excellence in service to their community, partners and colleagues by improving local access to education in Oregon.

Congratulations, Jennifer!

Guest post by Dave Landkamer, Sea Grant Aquaculture Extension Specialist

“Let us have colleges as might rightfully claim the authority to scatter broadcast that knowledge which will prove useful in building up a great nation — great in its resources of wealth and power, but greatest of all in the aggregate of its intelligence and virtue.” – Representative Justin Smith Morrill, pleading for passage of the Morrill Act of 1862

When Abraham Lincoln signed the Morrill Act in 1862 and the subsequent Hatch Act of 1887 the foundation of the Land-Grant College System, which would transform our nation into an agricultural, industrial, and social powerhouse, was in place. Continue reading →

Name: Lynette Black

Position: 4-H Youth Development, Wasco County, OSU Extension Service

Hometown: The Dalles

# of years at OSU: 9

Best part of your job: Everything! I love the variety this job affords me. Though there are many events and activities we do yearly (like camps and fair), they are never the same because different challenges and benefits arise each year. I enjoy working with people of all ages from children to senior citizens. People are the spice of life!

Something someone might be surprised to know about you: I was destined to be 4-H Faculty. My life experiences have prepared me for this position by shaping me into a well-rounded person (which, I understand, is better than a well-squared person). My childhood was spent participating and living the 4-H program (9 year 4-H member and daughter, niece and grand-niece of Extension Agents). Question for those who know me – What is my legal name and/or my given name? I don’t “go” by either of them.

Favorite book/movie/album: I love books and would be hard pressed to share a favorite. I enjoy a good story based on history, on psychology, on disasters… I am not a good movie watcher – I’d rather read the book. With that said my favorite movie is Fiddler on the Roof. I like ‘oldies’ songs that have a moral to the story. Harry Chapin was one of my favorite artists.

University Outreach and Engagement

Deborah John

First Monday Update #1

Dianna Fisher

2014 State of the Division address

Working Differently in Extension

Weston Miller

2013 End of the Year Message

Oregon Open Campus Award of Excellence

Morphing into engagement; the changing Extension model

Lynette Black

Contact Info