People Profiles give us an opportunity to get to know our colleagues a little better. Say hello to Tracy Crews, Oregon Sea Grant marine education manager.
Tracy Crews on the Oregon beach near Yachats.
What is your connection to Sea Grant Extension? I oversee the youth and family programs, as well as professional development educator at Hatfield Marine Science Center, connecting participants to coastal and marine research. I also coordinate programming for the Oregon Coast STEM Hub, which serves coastal communities from Astoria to Brookings.
How long have you been doing outreach and engagement work? I started out my career as a graduate research assistant for Virginia Sea Grant’s Marine Advisory Program working on fisheries-related issues and have been engaged in some form of outreach and education ever since.
What’s the best job you’ve ever had? My current position. Over the nine years I have held this position, I have worked with a wonderful group of employees and partners and have been able to grow the program in exciting new ways to meet the changing needs of our stakeholders. Developing the statewide underwater robotics competition is just one example.
What’s the best part of your current job? Empowering people and seeing them develop new skills, whether it is my staff, educators, or students. Witnessing the excitement and pride of others as they accomplish new things is extremely gratifying.
Where did you grow up? A little town called Jollyville, Texas, in the hill country surrounding Austin. It has since been developed and incorporated and is now officially part of Austin.
Willow, the Golden Retriever, and Misty, the cat.
Do you have any pets? A golden retriever named Willow and a cat named Misty.
Do you have any hobbies? Living in Yachats, I love to spend time at the beach and gardening, and I am an avid crafter.
Where is the last best place you went on vacation?At the end of every summer, my son and I travel to a different place in the world. Last summer it was Fiji. This summer, we are headed to the Big Island of Hawaii.
On horseback in Fiji.
If you could meet anyone in history, who would it be? As a kid growing up in land-locked Texas watching Jacques Cousteau, I really would have loved to have a chance to meet him in person as he set me on the path that has led me to where I am today.
What was your favorite subject in school?Biology (no surprise there!).
Based on a Digital Measures impact report by Stacey Sowders and Patrick Willis, Oregon State University Extension Service 4-H Youth Development, Metro Region
Mariachi STEAM Summer Camp rehearsal, summer of 2017. Photo: Ann Murphy.
Mariachi STEAM Summer Camp offers middle and high school Hispanic musicians an immersive musical experience while emphasizing exploration of STEAM topics (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics).
Hispanic students are currently the largest minority group in the Oregon public school system, and they score lower than national averages on math and science tests. Their participation and success in higher education is also significantly lower than other youth populations. Using music as the common denominator, the Mariachi STEAM Summer Camp stimulates curiosity about and interest in STEAM careers.
The Mariachi STEAM Summer Camp is the brainchild of Romanna Flores, a dedicated 4-H STEM volunteer and Intel employee. Started in 2016 and now in its second year, the camp has created enthusiastic participants and supporters.
“I did not think college was an opportunity for me before this camp.” Student testimonial
In 2016, underserved youth from diverse schools in Portland, Hillsboro and Forest Grove participated in a five-day residential Mariachi Camp on the OSU campus in Corvallis. Music-focused activities introduced students to music theory and audio processing concepts, and connected music to STEAM concepts, all while advancing their music performance skills. Activities included:
Assembling a musical greeting card with electrical components
Digital audio recording
Three-dimensional model construction and printing
Rehearsals
Performances
Eduardo Cotilla-Sanchez, assistant professor of Electrical & Computer Engineering, helps student with a science and math activity. Photo: Alice Phillips.
Students learned to analyze the properties of audio signals from their own digitally recorded music files using MATLAB. OSU’s Dr. Cotilla-Sanchez introduced basic filtering techniques and demonstrated the math behind those filters.
Intel volunteers led a technology workshop that combined digital audio editing with an introduction to hardware and electronics. The result was a personalized musical greeting card.
Oregon State University students led recreational activities and provided invaluable guidance to college preparedness and expectations.
Quotes from the 2016 cohort:
“I feel like it would be fun just to push our limits and see more parts of OSU and their classes and what it takes to be in OSU.”
“After learning about the technology … I wanted more time because of how fun it was.”
“I loved to learn about the technology like MATLAB and making music with SoundTrap. Now I can make music anytime anywhere!”
2016 camp leadership included:
Romanna Flores – Intel Project Manager (Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers)
Richard Flores – Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers
Daniel Bosshardt – Hillsboro School District (Music Instructor)
Lesslie Nunez – Forest Grove School District (Music Instructor)
Sativa Cruz – OSU Student, Graduate Research – Environmental Sciences
Funding was provided by the 4-H Foundation, Oregon State University Precollege Program, Hillsboro School District, Intel, individual donors, registration fees from families, and in-kind donations by OSU Extension 4-H in Washington County.
2016 Mariachi STEAM Summer Camp participants are ready for the final camp performance dressed in traditional Mariachi costumes.
At the request of the 2016 cohort, the 2017 program expanded to a seven-day and six-night experience. It continues the tradition of music rehearsals, music theory and composition and the history of Mariachi music, all culminating in a concert.
Throughout each day, math, science and technology activities engage the 30-youth cohort. Several high school graduates from the 2016 inaugural cohort returned in 2017 to work as camp counselors. Other students from last year had such a memorable experience they returned for a second year of Mariachi Camp.
A little about Mariachi
In 2011, UNESCO recognized mariachi, a hard-hitting, lively music, as an Intangible Cultural Heritage.
The music originated in the center-west of Mexico. Over the decades, the music that transformed from a regional rural folk music into an urban form of music that is viewed as quintessentially Mexican.
A 10-day International Mariachi Festival is held each year in Guadalajara. It attracts more than 500 mariachis (bands), who perform in concert halls and city streets.
Traditional mariachi instruments are trumpets; violins; guitar; the vihuela, a high-pitched, round-backed guitar that provides rhythm; and a bass guitar called a guitarrón, which also provides rhythm. Six violins, two trumpets, and one each of the guitar, vihuela and guitarrón makes up the ideal mariachi band.
Historically, mariachi groups have been made up of men but there is growing acceptance of female mariachis.
Big-city radio stations, movie studios, and record companies took mariachi music to new audiences throughout Mexico and abroad beginning in the 1930s.
There is not a lead singer in Mariachi. Everyone in the ensemble does some vocalization even if it is just during the chorus parts.
Family Community Health Extension Program Leader Roberta Riportella is taking the public health discussion upstream into the policy realm. All Extension programs have opportunities to collaborate and think in terms of health impacts. Learn more about her plans to tackle wicked public health concerns in this month’s First Monday Update.
Speaking of well-being, Vice Provost Scott Reed encourages you to describe what you are doing to take care of yourself and reenergize this summer. Share your plans in the comment section below.
The University Outreach and Engagement blog is reinstating People Profiles. This month, learn something about four of your colleagues: Amanda Gladics, Lynn Long, Charles Robinson and Michelle Sager. “Stop by” and say hello!
We are re-introducing profiles of University Outreach and Engagement faculty and staff as an opportunity to get to know our colleagues a little better. Say hello to Charles Robinson, special initiatives, University Outreach and Engagement and the College of Liberal Arts.
How long have you worked with University Outreach and Engagement? Since 2014.
What’s the best part of the work you’re doing? Interacting and collaborating with colleagues and communities all across our state—and producing real and valuable results on their behalf.
Created at the OSU Makers Fair: Charles Robinson’s portrait burned on wood.
What work accomplishment are you most proud of? I can look back on many things and feel proud for what I’ve been able to contribute. But the single most important one to me has been the creation and growth of The CO•, the group behind The Corvallis Maker Fair and a number of related events that focus on building community and resources around hands-on learning. The CO• began as a grassroots partnership between a few units on campus, including the College of Liberal Arts, the Division of University Outreach and Engagement, and the Valley Library. It now includes many OSU and community groups and focuses on offering a 2-day series of maker activities on campus each spring and is moving into new areas of research and statewide partnership.
How should success be measured? Good stories!
If you could learn the answer to one question about your future, what would the question be? What’s next?
What smell brings back good memories? Coffee. Always.
What is your favorite season? Autumn.
If you could call up anyone in the world and have a one-hour conversation, who would you call? My grandfathers. I never met either of them, but as I grow nearer them in age, I think I just might be able now to truly understand some of the things they would have to say.
What song always puts you in a good mood?Institutionalized by the punk band, Suicidal Tendencies.
Do you engage in social media? If yes, what’s your favorite social media platform (for work and/or play)? Reluctantly and awkwardly. For work – Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter (#osuspark #TheCOCorvallis). For play (and proud parent moments) – Facebook.
What are the three best apps on your phone? Dropbox, Evernote and Google Photos.
Have you traveled to any different countries? Not nearly enough! Which ones? Not nearly enough! Mexico, Canada, Netherlands, France, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Belgium, and Denmark.
Where is the most awe inspiring place you have been? An ATM machine on the outskirts of Salem. Yes, I’m being cryptic – sorry, this one’s just for me – but you asked!
Written by Ann Marie Murphy. Photos by Stephen Ward, Extension and Experiment Station Communications.
Tour of Pacific Coast Seafood’s Tongue Point processing operations.
The inaugural Clatsop County Commercial Fisheries Tour welcomed—and enlightened—a hundred guests in Astoria on May 31, 2017. The goal of the first-ever community organized fisheries tour was to educate local, state and federal elected leaders about the economic value of and sustainable management practices used by the seafood processing and fishing industries. The event provided a forum for open dialogue and relationship building among community leaders, fishermen, seafood processors, and other stakeholders involved in the commercial fishing industry.
The fisheries tour audience learned:
Fishing is a meaningful way of life.
North Coast fisheries inject millions of dollars into the state’s economy.
Labor shortages and housing availability for seasonal workers are critical issues facing the industry.
Newer net and trap technology let non-target fish to escape, virtually eliminating bycatch.
Federal, state and industry cooperation—and using the best science available—ensure long-term sustainable commercial, cultural and recreational fisheries.
“The goal of the fisheries tour is to help decision-makers understand the industry and its issues.” Patrick Corcoran, Oregon Sea Grant and OSU Extension Service county leader for Clatsop County
Amanda Gladics, Oregon Sea Grant Extension, welcoming guests at the inaugural Clatsop County Commercial Fisheries Tour, May 31, 2017.
The fishing community on the North Coast identified the need for better-informed community leaders and came together to educate, inform and connect with elected officials, including Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici, government agency staff, local bankers, and other local decision-makers. OSU Extension in Clatsop County played an indispensable role in the event, but it was a community effort. In addition to Amanda Gladics, coastal fisheries Extension faculty member with Oregon Sea Grant; Patrick Corcoran, Oregon Sea Grant; and Lindsay Davis, OSU Extension – Clatsop County; other steering committee members included Andrew Bornstein, Bornstein Seafoods; Hiram Cho, Pacific Coast Seafoods; John Corbin, Buck & Ann Fisheries; Kurt Englund, Englund Marine & Industrial Supply; Kevin Leahy, Clatsop Economic Development Resources, Chang Lee, Great Ocean Da Yang Seafood Inc.; and Scott McMullen, Oregon Fishermen’s Cable Committee.
“The steering committee wanted to show that the fishing industry is a vital, driving force of our North Coast economy,” said Amanda Gladics. “The OSU Extension Service served to convene the steering committee and worked with them to refine and prioritize their goals. OSU Extension in Clatsop County also supports an annual forestry tour, now in its 27th year, that served as a model for the fisheries tour. It was really satisfying to facilitate this community-led learning experience and see such a positive response from community leaders.”
Paul Kujala, Skipanon Brand Seafood, talks about the groundfish fishery.
The regional and global connections of Clatsop County’s commercial fishing sector were highlighted during the opening presentations and as participants visited WCT Marine & Construction Inc., a marine repair facility, Pacific Coast Seafoods’ temporary processing facility at Tongue Point, the Great Ocean Da Yang Seafood Inc. processing facility, and over lunch at Englund Marine and Industrial Supply, a marine supplier. Questions posed by the audience deepened the understanding of the issues:
Q: Are we getting new fishermen?
Touring Marine repair and boatyards with WCT Marine & Construction Inc. Construction Inc. hosting.
A: It is harder to find good crew and there is not enough demand for a community college fisheries degree program. People can make a good living, but crewing or working in canneries is hard work.
Q: How do we sustain our fleet?
A: Educate high school counselors that fisheries is a good job. All the fisheries commission will start going to job fairs.
Q: What do we need to do to build the ship repair and new vessel construction businesses in Astoria?
A: Substantial commitments are needed from the state, county, port and city to improve the port. For Tongue Point to be a regionally competitive ship repair facility, the port would need to install a boatlift, deepen waters, address contamination issues and replace sewage infrastructure. There is nothing else on the North Coast like J&H and WCT Marine, but from the port’s perspective, the investment economics do not pencil out (the port currently loses $260,000/year and a boat lift costs $4 million).
Community leaders, business owners, and politicians tour marine repair and boatyards with WCT Marine & Construction Inc.
Presenters highlighted Oregon’s major fishing sectors: Dungeness crab, pink shrimp, groundfish, albacore tuna, and salmon.
Dungeness crab is the backbone of Oregon fisheries. It experienced a record $60 million harvest in 2017. It takes about four years for a Dungeness crab to reach harvestable size. Strict guidelines ensure small and female crabs are returned to the ocean to safeguard future harvests.
The Oregon crab fleet has 424 boats.
Crab Season typically runs from December to August.
There are six major ports running the length of the Oregon Coast.
To learn more about the crabbing industry and its importance to Oregon, visit OregonDungeness.org.
Amanda Gladics (left) and Willie Toristoja, yard superintendent for WCT Marine & Construction Inc.
Did you know that Oregon has a shrimp fishery? The Oregon Trawl Commission provides leadership to the shrimp and groundfish fisheries. Trawling is a method of fishing that involves pulling a fishing net through the water behind one or more boats. There are more trawlers in Oregon than anywhere else on the West Coast, and most of those are located between Astoria and Warrenton.
“Fisheries are well-managed for the long-term, for the future. Every person is accountable for everything he or she catches. The transition was difficult, but depleted fisheries are being rebuilt so they can be fished again. It’s a real success story.”Scott McMullen, Oregon Fishermen’s Cable Committee
According to commission Executive Director Nancy Fitzpatrick, the Oregon Albacore Commission and the Oregon Salmon Commission have started providing canned fish, recipes and a few other ingredients to Central Oregon school kids to create a greater “farm” to table connection. Started in Seaside, Oregon, the program serves as a model for schools statewide.
The Oregon albacore fishing fleet has 350-500 boats.
Albacore fishing season runs from June to October.
There are 17 ports running the length of the Oregon Coast.
Clatsop Commercial Fisheries Tour, May 2017
A strong U.S. dollar creates competitive challenges. The majority of Oregon’s catch ships overseas—to Africa, Ukraine, Nordic and other countries. Investing in automation helps drive down costs and offset the shortage of labor, reducing the need for labor in processing plants by up to two-thirds, or more. The loss of container shipping out of the Port of Portland forces processed fish from Oregon to be transported to Tacoma or Seattle, increasing costs.
Steve Fick, Fishhawk Fisheries, describes the importance and challenges of managing salmon fisheries in the Columbia River Basin.
The Columbia River Basin, which spans two countries, seven states and 13 federally recognized Indian reservations, is the largest freshwater contributor to the Pacific Ocean. Natural resource management throughout the basin is essential to healthy fisheries and to the livelihoods of 150,000 Oregon workers. Cultural and recreational aspects of salmon and other fisheries need to be respected and understood.
The Oregon salmon fishing fleet has 350-450 active fishing boats.
Salmon fishing season typically runs from April to October.
There are 17 ports running the length of the Oregon Coast.
Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici, U.S. House of Representatives provides a policy update to fishery tour audience.
“We need to use the best available science,” stated Steve Fick,Fishhawk Fisheries, to the lunchtime audience. “If you have healthy salmon stock, then you have healthy wildlife populations. And healthy industries that provide living wages and contribute to the local, county and state tax base…and the ripple of revenue injections into the economy.”
For another fisheries outreach experience, this time for the public, save July 14 and September 15 as days to “Shop at the Dock & Beyond” in Warrenton. Join Oregon Sea Grant to learn about local commercial fisheries, how to buy seafood directly from fishermen, and for a behind the scenes tour of Skipanon Brand Seafood cannery. View a PDF of the event: dock_shop_NorthCoast. Newport offers a “Shop at the Dock” experience, too. Here’s the Newport summer schedule: dock_shop_2017_3.
We are profiling faculty and staff involved the outreach and engagement work featured on the University Outreach and Engagement blog. Please say hello to Amanda Gladics, Coastal Fisheries Extension Faculty, Oregon Sea Grant and Extension Service – Clatsop County, Coast Region.
How long have you worked with OSU Extension Service? I started with OSU Extension Service last July, but I have been working or studying at OSU in some capacity since 2007.
What’s the best part of the work you’re doing? Getting to work with such a variety of people and feeling really connected to my community.
What work accomplishment are you most proud of? My recent research into albatross bycatch reduction in longline fisheries on the West Coast was incorporated into guidance that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service provided to NOAA Fisheries and will be incorporated into fisheries management policy. It was really satisfying to see research that was driven by fishermen’s questions result in common sense policy that will work better for fishermen and save seabirds.
What area of research is of particular interest to you? My research background is in marine ecology and fisheries bycatch reduction, and I’m still interested in food web ecology and fisheries management research. I’m finding myself more and more interested in social sciences as we face the challenge of managing coupled human-ecological systems like fisheries.
Would you rather be completely invisible for one day or be able to fly for one day? Having spent the last 9 years working with birds in some capacity, I would definitely rather fly for a day.
What is something uplifting happening in the world right now? I think there are so many uplifting things happening in the world – especially if we focus our attention locally. Here in Astoria, we just had our second Pride parade along the Riverwalk a few weeks ago. I got to march with the North Coast Food Web and it was really inspiring to see a small, coastal community like Astoria embrace love in all its forms.
What food do you know you shouldn’t eat but can’t help yourself? Fancy COFFEE!!!! Good coffee is irresistible.
What is your favorite holiday? Spring Equinox – I love Oregon’s spring, and the equinox always is about the time where I really notice the days getting brighter.
Do you prefer summer or winter activities? Summer. I like to run, and it’s less fun to run in the rain and dark.
What is a fashion trend you are really glad went away? Oversized skater pants.
Do you engage in social media? If yes, what’s your favorite social media platform (for work and/or play)? I’m on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, but I’m the most active on Twitter @agladics. I generally just lurk and like on Facebook. I use Instagram for posting pictures of food, travel, and chickens.
Do you have any pets? How long have you and your pet(s) known each other? I have three chickens: Ophelia, Sprite and Butterbean. We’ve had Ophelia (a drama queen and alpha hen) for four years, and Sprite and Butterbean since February 2016.
Based on a 2016 Digital Measures impact report submitted by Lynn Long, Extension horticulturist and co-county leader for Wasco County. Michelle Sager, Master Gardener education program assistant, supported the project. Edited by Ann Marie Murphy.
Wasco County Master Gardeners working in the NORCOR greenhouse preparing plants for sale.
A greenhouse, purchased many years ago by Northern Oregon Regional Correctional Facilities (NORCOR) teaching staff, languished empty and unused. In 2009, OSU Master Gardeners (MGs) in Wasco County began a partnership with the facility to share the greenhouse space originally intended to be used by student detainees as part of their science curriculum. NORCOR houses youth from Wasco, Hood River, Sherman, and Gilliam counties.
The MGs work with NORCOR youth to grow a large variety of plants—including annuals, herbs, perennials, vegetables, and ornamental grasses—for their fundraising spring plant sale. In exchange, they share their knowledge and passion for plants with the detained youth and a portion of the funds are used to operate the greenhouse.
“The people who attend the fair often tell Master Gardener volunteers that they intentionally buy our plants to support the NORCOR youth and show appreciation for our involvement with the NORCOR project.”*
NORCOR provides the greenhouse, water and power along with the staffing required to monitor the in-custody youth while in the greenhouse. Master Gardeners provide hands-on learning experiences for the students and NORCOR’s high school education staff provides academic support in the form of theoretical science curriculum.
For the MGs, preparation begins in the fall when they scour seed catalogs for an array of plant varieties that are anticipated to grow well in the region and are marketable at the spring plant sale. The seeds are ordered and the greenhouse is prepared for the spring growing season. In January, supervised greenhouse sessions with the youth begin.
Selling plants raised in the NORCOR greenhouse at the WCMGA Spring Plant Fair
Over the years, Master Gardeners recorded the number of seeds planted and planting dates and bloom times in order to produce marketable plants that are mostly sold at the one-day WCMGA Spring Plant Fair. From January to May, more than 250 different varieties—totaling approximately 6,500 plants—are grown in the NORCOR greenhouse.
NORCOR students are able to participate under close NORCOR staff supervision after they have maintained several days of exemplary behavior as rated by NORCOR staff. Youth are paired with a Master Gardener to perform a variety of greenhouse tasks. MG volunteers develop mini greenhouse sessions for the students. Because many of the youth are residents for fewer than six weeks, short lessons with easily grasped concepts are essential. At the end of their sessions, students discuss what they learned that day.
Working with MGs in the greenhouse is a positive environment where students learn about seeds, soils, plant identification, transplanting, irrigation techniques, fertilizer schedules, temperature control, and the ability to work together with adults and co-workers. All while gaining life-long work skills and experience.
Student tasks include:
Filling pots with the soil mixture suitable for the plant;
Seeding the pots;
Dividing and transplanting the plants as they outgrow their containers;
Rotating the plants so they receive sunlight and water evenly;
Helping maintain and fertilize the plants; and
Sweeping the floors before they leave, part of learning greenhouse sanitation management.
Students take insect traps and plant tissues to view in their classroom microscopes. This expands their hands-on knowledge by investigating plant life more thoroughly and ties the greenhouse project to their academic classroom training. Additionally, some of the youth are allowed to leave the facility to attend the Spring Plant Fair, participating by providing information to buyers, making sales and helping to transport the plants to vehicles.
A NORCOR high school teacher indicated three major benefits of the project:
Students develop a sense of pride and accomplishment; the impact is greatest for long-term residents.
They learn to collaborate and work with adults on a project. Teenagers working along with adults on a mutually beneficial project is an unique experience in a secure facility.
The project provides students with an opportunity to learn and enjoy nature and discover a new interest outside of their academic courses; this helps with the transition to a ‘bigger world’ upon their release.
The participating NORCOR youth are asked to write thank you letters to the Master Gardeners. A memorable message from a young pregnant woman recognized that nurturing plants was like nurturing a child: they require observation and their needs to be provided for. “Without color” is how a student described her time at NORCOR, that is until she worked at the greenhouse and she began to see colors in her life once again.
Plants grown in the NORCOR greenhouse are ready for the Wasco County Master Gardener Spring Plant Fair.
The looks on the faces of the greenhouse kids is priceless when the MGs roll out approximately 6,500 plants and load them onto flatbed trucks and into vehicles. The colorful parade of healthy, beautiful flowers and plants is impressive. The youth are stunned when they see the results of their labors and take pride in their accomplishment. This is an important outcome because the majority of NORCOR kids have had few successes in their young lives. When the students complete their term at the facility, they are encouraged to take home a plant of their choice.
The greenhouse project encourages learning that goes beyond horticulture; however, because of confidentiality reasons, it is difficult to assess how the Master Gardener/NORCOR greenhouse project affects the lives of the youth after their release. Master Gardeners present certificates of accomplishment to students that worked in the greenhouse five times or more during the season. Those certificates have been used for job references. At least one young man living in the area worked for a local agriculture business after his release, putting the greenhouse program knowledge and skills to work.
Though challenging, the MGs also consider this project educational for themselves. The Master Gardeners increase their knowledge of greenhouse management and develop techniques to ensure the health of the plants. The project is an excellent, practical, hands-on teaching experience and it is an opportunity to put their Master Gardener training into practice.
People doing the work of outreach and engagement are interesting people. Today, let’s introduce Lynn E. Long, Oregon State University professor and OSU Extension Service horticulturist, from Wasco County in the Mid-Columbia Region.
Lynn E. Long, Oregon State University professor and OSU Extension horticulturist with his 2017 Abarth 124 Spider.
How long have you worked in Extension? 28 years
What’s the best part of the work you’re doing? I’ve always loved to work with the Master Gardeners. They are a great group of people!
What work accomplishment are you most proud of? My international work. I have been invited to speak to cherry growers and/or scientists in 18 countries around the world and was asked to deliver two keynote addresses to my peers at ISHS International Cherry Symposia.
What’s your favorite way to waste time? Watching British mystery shows on TV.
Sibling Italian greyhounds Sienna (left) and Scirroco.
Do you have any pets? How long have you and your pet(s) known each other? My wife and I have two Italian greyhounds. These are very fast little dogs (don’t try to beat them to the couch). They are siblings. Sienna weighs 8 lbs. (she rules the house) and her brother, Scirroco, weighs 15 lbs.
What do you do to get rid of stress? My wife and I love to garden. I find it relaxing and we love to enjoy the results of our efforts as young plants grow and bloom. I also enjoy long drives, especially on historical or winding roads. I have several interesting cars that are fun to drive, including at 1979 classic Mini, a 2008 Mini Cooper, and a 2017 Abarth 124 Spider.
If you could change one thing in the world, what would it be? The political climate in this country and around the world. People need to begin to truly listen to each other, rather than judge them.
Where is the most beautiful place you’ve ever been? Most places where cherries are grown around the world are very beautiful, including The Dalles. However, probably the most beautiful place were the fiords of Norway where cherries are grown within 500 meters of the deep-water fiords, yet glacial mountains rise just above them.
Do you engage in social media? If yes, what’s your favorite social media platform (for work and/or play)? I’m only into Facebook, and that is mostly to stay in touch with my children and grandchildren who live in Germany, Kyrgyzstan and soon, Scotland.
What book genres do you like to read? Historical. I am currently reading The Candy Bombers, about the Berlin airlift. Prior to that, I read The Immortal Irishman, a biography about Thomas Meagher. Both are good reads.
We’re trying something new(ish) on the O&E blog. We are introducing University Outreach and Engagement faculty and staff. So … please say hello to Michelle Sager, Master Gardener education program assistant for Wasco County in the Mid-Columbia Region.
Michelle Sager, Oregon State Extension Master Gardener education program assistant
How long have you worked in Extension? Two years
What’s the best part of the work you’re doing? Engaging with people in the community.
What work accomplishment are you most proud of? I think it’s the volunteers that accomplish the most around here!
What’s your favorite way to waste time? Drawing, singing and juggling come in at a tie.
Michelle Sager’s canine companion Miss Pepita Pickle: The Lady Sargent Pepperbean Waddleplop Silk Cheek of Pipsqeakery. Pickles for short. Pickles was born in Guatemala.
Do you have any pets? How long have you and your pet(s) known each other? Yes! I met my dog Pickle when I lived in Guatemala three years ago when she was a tiny, scruffy, baby street dog. There was no way I was leaving without her. Her full name, though, is Miss Pepita Pickle: The Lady Sargent Pepperbean Waddleplop Silk Cheek of Pipsqeakery.
What do you do to get rid of stress? I love to hike and be in the woods. I am also an avid yoga and meditation practitioner, and I think that’s really the most important piece. Singing and dancing also help!
If you could change one thing in the world, what would it be? The assumption that there is one, best way to see and understand the world.
What three words best describe you? Silly is the only one that come to mind! I try to be joyful, perhaps.
What’s the most useful thing you own? I’ve got some hand-made garden tools I’m pretty in love with.
Where is the most beautiful place you’ve ever been? I think Cerro Fitz Roy in Patagonia. But it’s pretty beautiful right here where we live in the Columbia Gorge!
Do you engage in social media? If yes, what’s your favorite social media platform (for work and/or play)? Do farmers’ markets count? 😉
Know any good jokes? Why do potatoes make such good detectives? Because they keep their eyes peeled!
What book genres to you like to read? I love reading books that help bring light to under-represented perspectives, especially things like Traditional Ecological Knowledge.
Based on excerpts written by Cole Crawford and edited by Ann Marie Murphy
Cole Crawford, University Outreach and Engagement’s first GTA
Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA) Cole Crawford broke new ground and accomplished plenty during his academic year tenure with University Outreach and Engagement under the supervision of Charles Robinson, special initiatives, University Outreach and Engagement and the College of Liberal Arts. He is the first GTA to work with University Outreach and Engagement.
“Charles Robinson tailored GTA responsibilities to take advantage of my existing digital skills while also providing me exposure to event management and public relations work,” Crawford revealed. “Because of the position’s flexibility and variable work requirements, I was even able to co-teach a digital humanities course in my home department (English, in the School of Writing, Literature, and Film) during winter term, which complemented my University Outreach and Engagement publicly engaged work.”
Crawford worked on two major projects: the Corvallis Maker Fair and Listen Up! Oregon Object Stories.
Oregon State University 2017 Maker Fair
The Corvallis Maker Fair, produced by “The CO•” and now in its fourth year, is an event dedicated to bringing together makers from across campus, Corvallis, and Oregon to celebrate and share their methods for hands-on learning, while exploring and researching the way people learn in these environments. Activities ranged from virtual reality to robotics to origami. University Outreach and Engagement is one of several co-sponsors of the event.
Crawford served as the website and social media coordinator on “The CO•” leadership team, including collaborating with a team of FLUX design students to refresh “The CO•” logo and promotional materials. Recruiting exhibitors, working with the “SEA Through the Eyes on an Artist” partner event put on by the College of Education, gathering exhibitor and attendee feedback, and helping set up and run the actual event were also his responsibility. The event attracted over 60 exhibitors and an estimated 1,900 attendees over two days. See more photos from the event here.
Victor Villegas demonstrates drone technology at the 2017 Maker Fair at Oregon State University
“Being able to jump into planning such a major event was exciting,” Crawford said. “Especially because I strongly believe in makerspaces, publicly engaged research, and an ethos of tinkering and exploration. I loved seeing attendees ranging from children to grandparents interact with exhibitors, learn about the science that facilitates maker activities, and build and play with micro-projects.”
Crawford worked with Robinson and Liddy Detar, Ph.D., an instructor in Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies (WGSS), College of Liberal Arts, on Listen Up! Oregon Object Stories. Listen Up! is an accessible, creative, and intellectually engaged digital space which invites Oregonians to digitally represent personal objects through images, descriptions, or 3D scans; imbue those objects with meaning through story-telling in the form of text, video, or audio; and share their object stories across Oregon, starting with Oregon State University and its Extension network.
Listen Up! users can contribute object stories, respond to public events created by other users, and build collections of content which address specific topics or prompts. The project is inherently interdisciplinary and draws on digital humanities building practices, engaged teaching, and community partnerships to create public scholarship. Listen Up! is flexible, and can scale to accommodate individual contributions, classroom collections, and statewide events.
Originally deployed as a teaching exercise by Detar in her WGSS courses, Listen Up!, she transformed the classroom activity into a hybrid online project to collect a broader range of object stories. Users can contribute stories directly through the website, or work with the Listen Up! team at events.
Crawford created the project’s data model, which assures user privacy and agency; developed several iterations of the Listen Up! website; helped write a Learning Innovation Grant proposal and a successful submission to the 2017 Engagement Scholarship Consortium Conference; planned and ran three in-person object story events at “The CO•,” the Valley Library’s Crafternoon event series, and Moreland Hall; and collected, transcribed, and edited forty multimodal object stories from these events.
Object story contributors have spoken on the metaphorical meaning of a sandlewood watch, the importance of hybridity through an implanted defibrillator, and the power of comfort objects to help overcome developmental disabilities. Crawford will present Listen Up! at the Digital Humanities Summer Institute Colloquium in June 2017.
“I highly recommend that graduate students take advantage of alternative GTA positions,” Crawford said. “Assistantships focused on research and teaching are the most common ways for students to support themselves during full-time graduate study, but for students like myself who are interested in alt-academic careers or roles outside higher education entirely, positions that incorporate service and administration work can be even more valuable. Finding the right GTA position can help students tailor their graduate education to their interests while honing numerous marketable skills and making a noticeable impact at OSU.”
Crawford is currently searching for a full-time position in digital humanities research support and program coordination, and his experience with the Division of Outreach and Engagement and College of Liberal Arts has prepared him well for the application and interview process.
Read Crawford’s MA thesis titled “Respect the Gap: From Big to Boutique Data through Laboring-Class Poets Online” here: ColeCrawford_RespectTheGap_DefenseCopy
Charles Robinson sports OSU eclipse viewing glasses at the 2017 Maker Fair
“Cole’s thesis fits solidly in the tradition of digital humanities scholarship, but takes bold steps forward in exploring how narrative, history, and meaning are built within the relational networks of data sets (British labor poetry in this case), and how these networks can be better understood via approaches that blend rigorous data-mining with historical and literary nuance,” stated Robinson. “His use of the idea of ‘boutique’ data sets is a helpful way to stake the claim for the value of smaller and incomplete historical/literary data sets vs. the ‘big data’ notion so prevalent in discussion of data analysis/visualization/etc.”
