University News
News articles
A winning team
Anji Weissenfluh, ’94, hates to lose. But it’s all right because the long-time women’s basketball coach and athletic director rarely does it. EOU’s all-time winningest coach and the CCC’s 2017-18 Athletic Director of the Year said she’s driven by a fear of failure more than a love for trophies. That humility grounds Weissenfluh, who said...
Closing the gap
New advocate gives sexual assault survivors options Privilege means more than special treatment for Tyana Musrasrik, ’18. In her new role as Privileged Campus Advocate at EOU, it signifies her ability to provide resources and services while keeping information confidential. Musrasrik, who earned her degree in social welfare, has an on-campus office, but technically works...
Crossing the finish line
For the first time in seven years, the Mountaineer track and field student-athletes competed at home in La Grande on March 16. The team’s home-opener christened EOU’s brand-new track surface and facilities, which were installed last fall with funding from the EOU Foundations’ Building Champions campaign. Head coach of track and cross-country Ben Welch cut...
Oregon’s Rural University
As Oregon’s Rural University, EOU works to connect and engage students at all levels with innovative programs and partnerships. Over the past several months, faculty and staff have connected high school students with State Parks, developed their leadership skills, and bridged the urban-rural divide. GO-STEM About 50 young scientists became Chief Science Officers through a...
In their shoes
After six years away from his home in Nigeria, EOU senior Peter Eke boarded a flight in July that took him — and hundreds of pairs of shoes — back to the community where he grew up.
Cycle of mentorship supports region’s newest teachers
From a young age, Shelby Spriet knew she wanted to teach. “I honestly just always had the mindset that I was going to be a teacher one day,” Spriet said. “I couldn’t picture myself doing anything else really.” During her senior year of high school in Pendleton, she became one of the first students to...
One big, trappy family
Three years ago John Shorts agreed to serve as advisor for the brand-new Trapshooting Club at EOU. “We discussed it and he said yes because we figured it was just one night a week,” his wife Kathryn Shorts said. “We laugh about that now.” Kathryn and John are both staff members on campus. He works...
New trustees, long-time ties
Governor Kate Brown appointed three new members to join EOU’s Board of Trustees this fall: Susan Corey, Quentin Durfee and Gary Keller. Corey will serve a four-year term as a regular trustee, while student and faculty representatives Durfee and Keller serve two-year terms.
Running away with it
Conference Champs Student-athletes on the men’s outdoor track and field team were determined to bring home a conference championship in 2018. “They told me, ‘Coach, we’re not competing for it, we’re going to win it,’” Welch said. The men’s team reclaimed the Cascade Collegiate Conference title for the first time since 2015. Ranked third and...
Serving transfer students at regional centers
A way forward Personal essay by Andrea Williams Last spring, the sudden closure of Marylhurst University left more than 700 students without an academic home. Andrea Williams, Regional Center Director for EOU in Gresham, stepped up to help displaced students navigate the uncertain path forward. There was such a range of students, from seniors with...
Centerstage Seamstress
Courage and charisma can get a theatre production pretty far, but there is one thing every actor depends upon: a costume. Centerstage stars and background extras alike rely on clothes that fit, function and help tell the story.
Maya bein’ Maya
Only a few high school sophomores could be said to have grace and maturity, and even fewer of them grow up to earn one of the nation’s most prestigious awards for personal character. Maya Ah You Dias, a junior on Eastern Oregon University’s women’s basketball team, is that student.
