Dec 17, 2024 | Community, Curry Campus
Brookings, OR – Southwestern Oregon Community College Curry Campus invites the community to join us on Thursday, January 9, 2025, 12:00 to 1:00 pm for: Discover the Natural World of Costa Rica!
This is a free program sponsored by the Friends of Curry Campus and will be held in the Community Room on Southwestern’s Curry Campus, 96082 Lone Ranch Parkway (off Highway 101), Brookings. Bring a friend and a brown bag lunch.
Take a photographic journey into the natural world of vibrant Costa Rica. Discover the amazing and diverse bird life, mammals, amphibians and flora that populate the rain forests and beaches of this beautiful country.
Vicki Gorham will present photos, and a lecture based on a recent trip to Costa Rica. Vicki and her husband Bill have traveled extensively over the past several years and they enjoy sharing Vicki’s photos and love of nature.
Explore the canals full of wildlife in Tortuguero (where no cars are allowed) to the hanging bridges in the Monteverde Cloud Forest and the steaming rainforest known as the Rainmaker Reserve. Several volcanos dot the landscape through the middle of Costa Rica, including Arenal, considered to be one of the most active volcanos in the world. The beaches in Manuel Antonio National Park are a favorite for swimming and spotting all three monkeys indigenous to Costa Rica, along with iguanas, parrots, sloths, and much more.
Vicki’s previous presentations on Australia and Africa in this lecture series were rich with stories of animal encounters. Please join us for a journey into a warm rainforest on a January day.
Stay tuned for upcoming talks in the Friends of Curry speaker series. For more information contact the Curry Campus at 541-813-1667.
Dec 9, 2024 | Community, Curry Campus, News
COOS BAY, OR – Southwestern Oregon Community College invites the community to join us on Tuesday, January 14, 2025, at 6:00 pm, for “Solar PV Panels: Salvation or Snake Oil?” with local Electrical Engineer and part-time instructor at Southwestern, Frazier Pruett, owner of Bespoke Power, LLC in Coos Bay.
Coos County residents can join us in-person in the Umpqua Hall lecture room (room 184) on the Coos Campus, 1988 Newmark Ave., Coos Bay.
Curry County residents can join us for a watch party in the Community Room on the Curry Campus, 96082 Lone Ranch Parkway, Brookings.
For those not able to attend in person the lecture will be streamed live on the College’s YouTube channel at: www.youtube.com/@southwesternOR/streams.
About the Lecture:
Solar power has been touted as one of the many green energy options to help our country and the world produce more environmentally-friendly power. However, design and efficiency constraints limit just how effective solar panels can be at providing the clean energy promised to match demand. Frazier Pruett provides a deep dive into the design and array of Solar PV panels while addressing a few of the ongoing challenges and concerns with Solar PV systems.
About the Presenter:
Frazier Pruett graduated from the University of Florida in 1984 with a degree in Electrical Engineering after spending over a decade as a professional electronic technician and hobbyist. He has worked as a professional design engineer since then in various types of power conversion designs. These power conversion systems have a wide range of applications across many fields and sectors. His specialty is lighting drivers for incandescent, fluorescent, HID, UHP, LEDs, and LASERs. He holds more than 25 patents in various fields. Frazier currently owns Bespoke Power and co-owns Emgen Engineering, two local engineering consulting firms. He is also part-time engineering faculty at Southwestern Oregon Community College.
For more information about the lecture series contact Dr. Aaron Coyner, Associate Professor, Physics and Engineering at aaron.coyner@socc.edu or 541-888-7244.
For more information on upcoming lectures contact Krystal Hopper Meyers, STEAM Pathways Assistant, at 541-888-7416, or krystal.hopper@socc.edu.
To learn more about STEM degrees at Southwestern visit: https://www.socc.edu/programs-classes/stem/.
Dec 9, 2024 | Community, Curry Campus
Brookings, OR – Southwestern Oregon Community College Curry Campus invites the community to join us on Thursday, December 12, 2024, 12:00 to 1:00 pm for: Christmas Markets of Europe.
This is a free program sponsored by the Friends of Curry Campus and will be held in the Community Room on Southwestern’s Curry Campus, 96082 Lone Ranch Parkway (off Highway 101), Brookings. Bring a friend and a brown bag lunch.
What if you could wander through the streets of the most beautiful old cities of Europe, drinking mulled wine and filling your basket with Christmas gifts and décor? Marilyn Hart, has made this trip four times since 2007 and describes herself as a Christmas crazy person. Hart will share these experiences during her talk. She will display Christmas glassworks, carousels, embroidery and quilts, as well as share photos of Vienna, Nuremberg, London, York, and cities in Germany, Slovenia, and Hungry.
Christmas is a favorite time of year for Hart and each trip has been a learning experience, that is, learning about ethnic Christmas traditions, food, art and architecture. Hart’s travel includes seven trips to London as well as travel to all 50 states. Hart is a Professor Emeritus of University of Wisconsin and teaches Statistics at the Curry Campus of Southwestern Oregon Community College.
Stay tuned for upcoming talks in the Friends of Curry speaker series. Talks during fall term have focused on travel. Winter term lectures will feature more travel and creating beauty in our own backyards. Watch for these lectures in the College News publication coming to you soon in your mailbox. For more information contact the Curry Campus at 541-813-1667.
Dec 9, 2024 | Community, Curry Campus, News
Jeremy Skinner never imagined himself volunteering on the SWOCC Board of Education. These days he is attending meetings, learning about fiscal policies and strategizing on community college issues and advocacy.
“I signed on because I believe in what the college is doing and believe it is doing a good job. I would like to contribute to that,” Jeremy said.
His path to SWOCC actually started in 1979. He was born in Gold Beach. A lot of people who have children here, just assume they will move away when they finish high school. Jeremy did. They hope their children will move back, but most never do, except Jeremy.
After high school and thinking he would go into science, as a botanist, he moved away for college. First to attend Portland State and then University of Washington, and there switched to a different science – library science. That led him to a job working with archives and rare books. He wasn’t particularly happy, and he and his wife, Phoebe, a teacher, decided to move closer to family. He got the job managing the Gold Beach Public Library.
When you live in a small town, you get asked to volunteer. He started on the College’s budget committee and before long agreed to fill a vacancy on the SWOCC Board. He believes the College is an economic driver, particularly in training the health care workforce.
“The demographics have changed a lot since I grew up. When I was growing up, the graduating class at Gold Beach High School was 70. Now it’s 30 or 35,” he said. “There are fewer families that have middle class jobs.”
He likes that SWOCC has a campus in Curry and provides a way for young people to train for better jobs that help them afford to live here. He wants to see even more connection between the College and high schools. It helps young people gain familiarity with college and job training, and be more confident.
Over time, more older people on fixed incomes have moved to the region, and Jeremy is one to ask: “How do we serve these folks? How do we include them?” He’s pleased to see the community education programs at the campus and in the future would like to see more engagement in arts and culture. He expects to have time to work on that. He’s not going anywhere.
“I want to have a job that impacts people on a daily basis. I want to give back to the community in the work I do. It’s not a chore. It’s fun. And, it’s a beautiful place, too.”
Dec 6, 2024 | Community, News
COOS BAY, OR – Southwestern Oregon Community College invites 5th to 12th grade students to join us for STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Math) Club for Girls “Go for Launch!” on Tuesday, January 28, 2025. This science-immersion event will be from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm in Umpqua Hall, on the Coos Campus, 1988 Newmark Ave., Coos Bay. This is a FREE program.
Students will engage with professors in hands-on activities across multiple scientific disciplines to explore how different fields of science work together to complete a mission to send astronauts into space.
Activities will include working alongside the College’s SPEAR Student Researchers, who are involved in various STEAM projects. There will also be an opportunity to experience the planetarium show “Apollo & Beyond – Conquering Gravity” in our new Discovery Dome Planetarium. This digital theater space immerses students in a show that takes them on an adventure.
The STEAM Club for Girls focuses on supporting and encouraging girls through their STEAM educational journey. We also share books, podcasts, and other helpful resources focused on girls in science. Girls who participate in this program can stay connected online where we continue to mentor and share quarterly news and activities with them.
STEAM education projects help students visualize career pathways in science, technology, engineering, and math. The “A” adds in the arts, such as humanities, dance, drama, visual arts, and design. When people learn in all these areas together, they gain soft skills that can help grow ability in out-of-the-box thinking and collaboration.
Register soon as spots are limited. For more information on this event, registration, and other upcoming events, contact Krystal Hopper Meyers, STEAM Pathways Assistant, at 541-888-7416, or krystal.hopper@socc.edu.
Nov 27, 2024 | Community, Foundation, News
Coos Bay, OR – The Southwestern Oregon Community College Foundation in collaboration with the Oregon Coast Culinary Institute (OCCI) invites guests 21 years and older to attend Uncorking Opportunity! on Friday, Jan. 31, 2025. The event featuring fantastic food, fun and friends takes place from 6-8 p.m., at OCCI, 1988 Newmark Ave., Coos Bay.
This is the Foundation’s annual scholarship fundraiser and biggest event of the year. Enjoy an evening of conversation and delectable hors d’oeuvres prepared by student chefs and specially paired with Oregon wines provided by well-known wineries from the Rogue, Umpqua and Willamette Valleys. The event also features both a silent and small live auction of adventures and fun learning opportunities.
Tickets are $95 per person, available at www.socc.edu/give. Thanks to sponsor support, 100 percent of ticket proceeds and funds raised go to scholarships for culinary students and others pursuing degrees and training at Southwestern’s Coos and Curry campuses.
This year’s sponsors to-date include: Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, Coos Bay Vision Center, Umpqua Bank, Bradford McKeown Financial Advisor, The Mill Casino-Hotel, Elk Cove Winery, Kriselle Cellars, Willamette Valley Vineyards, King Estate among others.
Examples of some of the auction adventure items include:
- Tickets to an exclusive Winemaker’ Dinner featuring King Estate Vineyards and the college’s culinary competition team in April 2025
- Private OCCI Group Cooking Class
- Hot Air Balloon Ride for Two
- One-Week Stay in Hawaii
- “Name Your Own” Scholarship
…and so much more!
Space is limited! It is highly recommended people secure tickets in advance. Reservations are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. To purchase tickets, go to www.socc.edu/give. For more information, contact the Southwestern Foundation at 541-888-7209 or email foundation@socc.edu.
SWOCC Foundation Uncorking Opportunity! Event Overview:
**Important: Guests must be 21+ years old**
- Date/Time: Friday, January 31, 2025 from 6-8 p.m.
- Location: OCCI, 1988 Newmark Ave. Coos Bay, OR
- RSVP: Reservations are highly encouraged as space is limited. Secure your spot by purchasing at socc.edu/give. Call 541-888-7209 or email foundation@socc.edu.
- Cost: $95 per person – Includes 6+ wine & hors d’oeuvre pairings; access to silent/live auction and an evening of fun conversation with OCCI student chefs. 100% of ticket proceeds goes directly to student scholarships.
About the Southwestern Oregon Community College Foundation
Since 1962, the Southwestern Foundation has supported the College to improve people’s lives – socially, culturally, economically and educationally – through friend-raising and fundraising. The College serves Curry, Coos and western Douglas county residents’ needs for transfer degrees, high-skill job training and community classes. For more information about the foundation, visit www.socc.edu/foundation.
