{"id":5194,"date":"2016-12-01T12:30:59","date_gmt":"2016-12-01T20:30:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/impact\/?p=5194"},"modified":"2017-01-03T13:20:52","modified_gmt":"2017-01-03T21:20:52","slug":"distinguished-career-literature-science-educational-leadership","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dev.blogs.oregonstate.edu\/impact\/2016\/12\/distinguished-career-literature-science-educational-leadership\/","title":{"rendered":"A distinguished career: From literature and science to educational leadership"},"content":{"rendered":"

Since the eighth grade, Gretchen Schuette always knew she wanted to be a biological research scientist. There was no doubt in her mind.\u00a0However, in 1968 she earned a bachelor\u2019s degree in English literature from Smith College. Only years later did she return to her ambition to study science, earning a master\u2019s in botany from Central Michigan University in 1975. \u00a0Then she set her sights on earning a Ph.D. in oceanography at Oregon State.<\/p>\n

\u201cOSU\u2019s Ph.D. program in oceanography was just so welcoming and supportive, especially my professors\u2014John Byrne, Jack Dymond, Jack Corliss and Hans Schrader,\u201d recalled Schuette, who arrived as mother of two small children and a broad arts and science background in literature and botany.<\/p>\n

\u201cI learned so much from them. They really modeled collaborative work, and they modeled learning together. It was a wonderful experience.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Schuette came into her own in the 1960\u2019s. \u201cIt was such an era of change. I was really moved by all that was going on then.\u201d The dawning of the age of Aquarius shaped her values and beliefs and shifted her perspective, challenging her lifelong goal of becoming a biological research scientist.<\/p>\n

After earning her doctorate in oceanography in 1980, Schuette came to a powerful realization. She remembers being struck by the notion of wanting to bring about change in a very big way.<\/p>\n

\u201cI realized that as a scientist, I wasn\u2019t really going to change the world in my lifetime. And that was hard. It got me thinking about how I could make an impact. That led me to LBCC (Linn Benton Community College).\u201d<\/p>\n

Schuette spent much of the 1980s and 1990s working to strengthen college services, supporting students from all walks of life, including international students and immigrants. She has held leadership roles at Linn-Benton Community College and later at Chemeketa Community College and Mt. Hood Community College.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Ph.D. was a good foundation and it really opened doors for me\u2014into teaching, administration and so much more.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

She credits her broad undergraduate education in the humanities and her graduate studies in science with laying a strong foundation for her extensive career in higher education.<\/p>\n

Schuette has served at multiple levels of leadership in higher education: from director, dean and president to superintendent and commissioner.<\/p>\n

\u201cA constant theme in my life has been, \u2018Did I follow [higher education], or did it follow me?\u2019 It\u2019s definitely been a powerful theme in my life.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Schuette was hired as Oregon State University\u2019s first Dean of Distance and Continuing Education and the Director of Portland Area Programs.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am so pleased to see OSU\u2019s Ecampus flourishing.\u201d For the past two years, Ecampus has been ranked in the top 10 nationally for online education by U.S. News & World Report<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\u201cI really value access. I was drawn to the mission of giving working people and people with families easier access to education,\u201d said Schuette, who championed programs that support student access and success at Oregon\u2019s community college for almost 30 years.<\/p>\n

Schuette is also President Emeritus of Chemeketa Community College. One of her notable contributions to higher education in Oregon was at Chemeketa, where she helped them reach higher levels of academic achievement and excellence in technical training, workforce development, and business support. Under her leadership, the college survived difficult financial times as state resources fell while student enrollment at its five campuses and centers soared 31% in a 10-year period, with nearly 60,000 students taking classes.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy motivation was to give more access to more people and have everybody succeed,\u201d said Schuette. \u201cI just fell in love with the community college mission and I never looked back. I am lucky I found that path.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

She fondly recalls the cohesiveness and support at Chemeketa Community College.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had a strong group of colleagues. We had an almost revolutionary feeling to change things for students. The feeling that we can do anything<\/em> together. Everybody came together around student retention strategies. \u00a0It was life changing.\u201d<\/p>\n

She went on to serve as Oregon’s Commissioner of Community Colleges and as superintendent of the Gresham-Barlow School District. Schuette recalls learning much about the challenges facing education when she visited a kindergarten class in the school district.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey asked \u2018Are you married?\u2019 and \u2018How tall are you?\u2019 I realized then the importance of reaching younger students and showing them that women can be in leadership roles.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her unparalleled leadership and devotion to excellence, diversity and service are evident by numerous awards and prominent roles she has held throughout her career, including recognition from the Oregon Diversity Institute and the American Association for Women in Community Colleges and serving on the Marion County Families and Children Commission, OSU Alumni Association Board, Public Commission of the Oregon Legislature, and the Oregon State Board of Higher Education.\u00a0She has also served on two College of Science Board of Advisors under Dean Sherm Bloomer and currently under Dean Sastry Pantula at OSU.\u00a0\"gretchen_laughing_alumni-awards-2016_web\"<\/p>\n

Schuette is the recipient of the 2016 College of Science Distinguished Alumni Award, which recognizes exceptional achievements and leadership that bring honor, distinction, and visibility to the College of Science and to Oregon State University.<\/p>\n

Although retired, she keeps quite busy, devoting her time to charitable interests, such as the Youth Farm at Marion-Polk Food Share, Oregon Humanities, Feeding America San Diego, and especially higher education.<\/p>\n

Deeply committed to student success, especially for transfer students, Schuette has contributed to science scholarships that support diverse students from community colleges and to resources that help community college students transition smoothly to Oregon State.<\/p>\n

Her passion for the arts and for diversity are reflected through the Gretchen Schuette Art Gallery at Chemeketa, which features the work of diverse regional and national artists.<\/p>\n

Although she earned her a bachelor\u2019s degree from Smith College and her master\u2019s degree from Central Michigan University, Schuette remains a fiercely loyal Beaver.<\/p>\n

She especially cherishes her Beaver Champion Award, which she received from former OSU President Paul Risser. The award recognizes outstanding effort and achievement of excellence, extra effort beyond what is requested, and performance of the highest quality. Produced by Oregon sculptor Kenneth M. Scott, the award is a bronze casting of a beaver in action, moving swiftly in its environment and evokes a sense of overcoming obstacles and of getting things done.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s what Gretchen Schuette does.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Gretchen Schuette (Ph.D., ’80) is the recipient of the 2016 College of Science Distinguished Alumni Award, which recognizes exceptional achievements and leadership.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5667,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[645351,641038,712375],"tags":[646150,653942,2477],"class_list":["post-5194","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-alumni-and-friends","category-ib","category-winter-2017","tag-author-debbie-farris","tag-awards-and-recognition","tag-women-in-science"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p6vHeb-1lM","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":5237,"url":"https:\/\/dev.blogs.oregonstate.edu\/impact\/2016\/12\/2016-science-alumni-awards-recognize-excellence\/","url_meta":{"origin":5194,"position":0},"title":"Recognizing 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