Nov 25, 2024 | Community, News, OCCI News
Celebrate the holiday season while supporting a great cause! Oregon Coast Culinary Institute (OCCI) invites the community to purchase festive stollen, handmade by OCCI chefs, from December 7–20, 2024. Proceeds will benefit the culinary competition team, helping these aspiring chefs showcase their skills on a national stage.
What is stollen?
Stollen is a traditional German holiday bread filled with dried fruits, nuts, and almond paste, dusted with powdered sugar for a festive, snowy finish. Known for its rich, slightly sweet flavor, it’s a perfect addition to your holiday table!
Meet-and-Greet Kickoff Event
Join OCCI chefs on December 7 from 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. for a special kickoff event:
- When: December 7, 2024, 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
- Where: Past to Present Emporium, 281 South Broadway, Coos Bay
- What: Meet OCCI’s chef instructors, sample holiday treats, and shop for stollen, sea glass crystal candy by Chef Laura Williams, and pastries by Chef Alison Murphy
Sales will continue through December 20th, so there’s plenty of time to grab delicious handmade treats for your holiday celebrations.
For more information and to purchase stollen, call 541-808-9553.
Nov 12, 2024 | Community, News
COOS BAY, OR – Southwestern Oregon Community College is excited to announce the acquisition of a ‘new to us’ Fire Truck generously donated by the Charleston Rural Fire Protection District.
The Charleston Rural Fire Protection District donated a 1991 Pierce Arrow Fire Engine to Southwestern’s Fire Science Program, replacing a similar engine owned by the College.
The newer engine is in superior condition and has several upgrades such as LED exterior lighting, enhanced access to the interior pump assembly, aluminum wheels, and new tires. The engine has been maintained and tested to industry standards throughout its years of operation. The staff at Charleston Fire worked hard to clean and polish the engine, replaced some of the valving, and cleaned up the piping around the fire pump.
Charleston Fire has been providing maintenance and repairs to the current Fire Science Program engine since it was purchased through grants from local fire agencies and fire associations. We’re happy to confirm that Charleston Fire has agreed to continue this invaluable servicing of the new engine.
The upgraded engine from Charleston Fire & Rescue gives the Southwestern Fire Science program a functional and appealing vehicle. It will serve as a key training tool and help attract and retain students. This engine exchange is a win-win. An increase in students in the Southwestern Fire Science program provides local fire agencies with more resources for their firefighter training programs.
You’ll find more information about our Fire Science program in our eCatalog. To learn more about becoming a student call or text 541-240-8227.
Photo left to right: Dean Daniel Koopman, Chief Mick Sneddon, Captain Russell Shield, President Patty Scott, Fire Science Instructor Mike Seldon, Vice President of Instruction Ali Mageehon.
Nov 8, 2024 | Community, Curry Campus
Brookings, OR – Southwestern Oregon Community College is hosting Mushroom Identification workshops in Brookings and Port Orford. The workshops are scheduled to meet November 15 and 16, 2024 in Brookings and November 16 and 17, 2024 in Port Orford. The class will be taught by mycologist Bob Burch.
Positive identification of local edible and non-edible species — as well as favorable locations, preparation, and preservation methods — will be covered during the evening lecture. The group will participate in a field trip the next day to hunt for wild mushrooms. After the field trip, students will have an opportunity to taste the mushrooms. Registered students may bring mushrooms to the class for identification.
The Brookings class is scheduled to begin with a lecture from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. on Friday, November 15 at Southwestern’s Curry Campus, followed by a field trip from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, November 16. The Brookings field trip is under a Special Use Permit with the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest.
The Port Orford class will begin with a lecture from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. on Saturday, November 16 at the Port Orford American Legion Hall, followed by a field trip from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, November 17.
The cost of the workshop is $55. Space is limited so pre-registration is required. For more information or to register, those interested can contact Southwestern’s Curry Campus at 541-813-1667.
Oct 21, 2024 | Community, Curry Campus, News
COOS BAY, OR – Southwestern Oregon Community College invites the community to join us on Thursday, November 21, 2024 at 6:00 pm, for “The Physics of Anime” with Dr. Roman Gomez from Southwest Research Institute (SwRI), San Antonio, TX. Dr. Gomez will also be giving us an update on what he has been working on at SwRI! This is a free event; all ages are welcome.
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:
Anime is a medium that has recently become quite popular. Given its nation of origin, it introduces us to some very new concepts and ideas. Some religious and cultural concepts are distinctly Japanese and help broaden our social and cultural worldviews. However, while familiar, others may still be relatively new to many viewers, one of which is science. While some anime directly addresses scientific principles, others, especially those in the science fiction genre, introduce these concepts in their storytelling. Surprisingly, anime sometimes gets their physics right, giving us a vehicle for enjoyably discussing very complex concepts if we allow a few “miracles” to occur. This lecture will discuss some of these concepts in depth in a beginner-friendly way. It’s meant to be one one-part physics lecture, one one-part geek-out session, and a lot of fun, just like watching anime.
About the Presenter:
Roman Gomez has over 18 years of work experience in the field of space science and engineering. Roman has worked as a Lead Scientist at Southwest Research Institute since 2008, where they developed, calibrated, implemented, and analyzed data from plasma instruments on spacecraft. Roman was involved in projects such as the MMS-HPCA mission and the IES-Rosetta ion and electron spectrometer. Prior to that, they worked as a Research Scientist at the same institute, where they participated in the development of space plasma instrument prototypes and completed their PhD in space science and engineering. Roman also has experience as an Adjunct Professor of Physics at St. Mary’s University since 2018, where they teach physics courses. Roman has previously worked as an Adjunct Professor at Northwest Vista College, instructing students in astronomy and physics basics. Additionally, Roman served as a Graduate Research Assistant at Rice University, focusing on dark matter search and contributing to projects in gamma-ray and x-ray astronomy. Dr. Gomez has a Bachelor’s degree in Physics and Biology from Texas State University (1999-2002) and holds a Master of Science and a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Physics from Rice University (2003-2011).
For more information about the lecture series contact Dr. Aaron Coyner, Associate Professor, Engineering and Physics 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/.
Oct 17, 2024 | Community, Curry Campus
Brookings, OR – Southwestern Oregon Community College Curry Campus invites the community to join us on Thursday, November 14, 2024, 12:00 to 1:00 pm for: A TRIP TO EGYPT.
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.
The speaker, Louise Abbott, received a Fulbright Fellowship to teach for one semester at Badr University in Cairo in the School of Veterinary Medicine, from February until early May in 2023.
Louise, and her husband Jim, traveled to Egypt in February of 2023. Louise taught Veterinary Anatomy and Histology to second year veterinary professional students at Badr University.
Louise said “The high light of the experience was working with the students at Badr University. They were eager to learn and our interactions were delightful. I also had wonderful faculty colleagues who were helpful, kind and very knowledgeable.”
The major difficulties were the restrictions placed on their travel by the US State Department and embassy in Cairo. It was for the safety of US nationals, but it was frustrating that they were not allowed to visit certain parts of Egypt where Louise had colleagues.
Louise added “Where we were able to travel, Jim, a seasoned photographer, captured very iconic images from Egypt.”
Jim and Louise reside in Brookings, Oregon, light years away, it seems, from Egypt.
Stay tuned for upcoming talks in our speaker series. Talks during fall term will focus on travel! For more information contact the Curry Campus at 541-813-1667.
Oct 14, 2024 | Community, Curry Campus, News
COOS BAY, OR – Southwestern Oregon Community College invites the community to join us on Tuesday, November 12, 2024 at 6:00 pm, for “Life in the Marine Crustal Biosphere” with Dr. Stephanie Carr from Hartwick College, Oneota, NY. This is a free event; all ages are welcome. This event is made possible by the US Science Support Program (USSSP) Ocean Discovery Lectures. Thank you to USSSP and to the International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP).
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:
Join us for an exciting exploration of the ocean’s depths! We’ll uncover the oceanic crust, a hidden habitat often covered by sediment. Beneath this layer is a unique rock structure that serves as an underground water reservoir. In this environment, tiny microorganisms thrive without sunlight, relying on minerals and nutrients from the surrounding rock and water. Their remarkable adaptations help them survive and contribute to vital planetary processes. This presentation will introduce you to the borehole observatories at the Juan de Fuca Ridge Flank and share insights from our genetic studies of these fascinating microorganisms.
About the Presenter:
Dr. Stephanie Carr earned a BS in Biochemistry from Hartwick College and a PhD in geochemistry from the Colorado School of Mines, studying the microbiology and carbon cycling of Antarctic sediments. Since then, Stephanie has enjoyed 166 days on research expeditions. In addition to sampling Antarctic sediments, Stephanie has sampled sediments of a Japanese subduction zone, seamounts offshore Costa Rica, and the marine crustal aquifers of the Mid-Atlantic and Juan de Fuca Ridges. She uses metagenomic and single-cell genomics paired with geochemistry to investigate the functional potential of deep life. Stephanie has served three years on the United States Advisory Committee for Scientific Ocean Drilling and is branching into local continental drilling research projects.
For more information about this lecture contact Amy Burgess, Assistant Professor of Biology at amy.burgess@socc.edu or 541-888-7496.
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/.
