Office of the President

From the President – April 29, 2025

The Power of Being a Rural Serving Institution

Dear EOU Community,

Last week, I attended a conference designed for Rural Serving Institutions (RSIs). While there, I listened with great pride to Associate Professor Cecelia Orphan’s findings about the ways RSIs create more resilient communities. Here are a few of her findings about the effects of having a university within a rural community:

• Higher per capita income (+$1,200); lower divorce and incarceration rates

• A 5% higher bachelor’s degree attainment rate, with more in-state students served who remain in the state

• Increased economic mobility rankings, and more faculty focused on community-based and applied research

• RSIs provide vital infrastructure for communities

Communities with an RSI recover faster from natural disasters and economic shocks

I really connected with this data, and saw EOU in it. I recalled how we opened our doors to the community during the 2024 fire season, how many community members support our arts and athletics, and how we help schools continue to be staffed and support education. I’m grateful for the work each of us does to advance our community and students.

Among the many ways EOU is advancing its mission to serve is our Prison Education Program which will serve Snake River Correctional Institution (SRCI). I’m delighted to share that the Department of Education just approved our application, which was the final approval EOU needed. Over 50 individuals at SRCI are waiting to pursue an EOU bachelor’s degree—now we can really start moving. Thank you to Dean Scott McConnell for his tremendous work in coordinating and preparing our application! Thank you to Jason Hibbert for working with the U.S. Department of Education to make sure our application was submitted properly.

There’s more good news to share too: Please join me in congratulating the EOU Chemistry Club on a successful trip to Atlanta, GA over Spring Break to the 2026 Spring National Meeting of the American Chemical Society. Dr. Colin Andrew and Assistant Professor Bri Holeman accompanied 10 students at the conference where they accepted their Outstanding Award for the 2025-26 academic year. Thank you to all who support our students in their academic endeavors which allow for fantastic opportunities like this conference. If you visit Badgley Hall, you can see 29 years’ worth of EOU Chemistry Club awards on display—WOW!

Pamela Fredrick-Williams, EOU’s Benefits Navigator, will share her experience as a Pohnpeian student navigating higher education across oceans during her presentation on May 5 as the final speaker in City College of San Francisco’s 16th Annual Talanoa Series in recognition of Asian Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Pamela plans to use Pacific Islander values and the concept of wayfinding to highlight resilience, identity, and community, as well as the challenges and strengths of pursuing education far from home. We’re so lucky to have such compassion and understanding of the student experience at EOU. Wow!

Cory Peeke is exhibiting his work, entitled “Object Lessons” at the Common Well in Boise, Idaho. An essay written by Driek Zirinsky describes the central idea of the exhibit to be “the irony of impermanence and the imprecision of memory.” I had the opportunity to see his moving exhibit, and I encourage you to visit if you find yourself in Boise.

Mika Morton helped the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) in their recent selection panels for the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program (opens in a new tab). The Gilman Program will provide approximately 3,100 exceptional U.S. undergraduate students with funding to support their participation in study abroad programs and international internships. Thank you Mika!

Eastern Oregon University celebrated Arbor Day on April 24, 2026 with the planting of chokecherry trees—an important first fruit in Native American traditions—near the Hoke Union Building. Thank you to Pepper Huxoll for recommending the meaningful addition of these trees to campus.

April is National Poetry Month, and over the last three years, I’ve been able to listen to two of Oregon’s poet laureates read aloud their poems. Ellen Waterston’s delivery of “Equal and Opposite” in 2024 was my favorite (opens in a new tab – skip to 1:15 to hear the start of the poem). I spent 16 years in Kentucky and Indiana prior to moving to Oregon, so highlighting the work of Wendell Berry comes naturally. These poems (opens in a new tab) have gorgeous block prints, so double the payoff!

I spent last week meeting with the Oregon delegation in Washington, D.C., discussing Pell funding, our Prison Education Program, and our need for early childcare access in Union County. I headed to the aforementioned RSI conference to brush up on emerging themes in higher education. Continuing on the theme of travel, I headed to Baker with Board of Trustees Chair Chuck Hofmann and members of the EOU Foundation to visit with the Adler Foundation. I also attended the Grande Ronde Hospital Gala and a Voter Education Event (thank you to Union County’s League of Women’s Voters and Dustin Ellis of EOU’s American Democracy Project). I also met with Secretary of State Tobias Read to discuss the struggles of regional institutions in Oregon. And, I connected with Ben Cannon, executive director of the Higher Education Coordination Commission (HECC) to discuss the HECC’s upcoming projects.

I was also able to cheer on our softball team as they faced #1 ranked OIT. I hope you will join me in congratulating our softball student-athletes and Coach Christian who delivered an impressive regular season, earning its first No.1 ranking in the Week 2 NAIA Poll under Head Coach Nicole Christian and finishing 37–9 overall (18–6 Cascade Collegiate Conference) to place second in the conference while currently ranked No. 5 nationally. These Mountaineers are headed to Klamath Falls for the CCC Tournament Championship in pursuit of a conference title and an automatic berth to the NAIA National Tournament.

Hoping each of you is enjoying spring, a few good poems, and your mission-oriented vocations at an RSI!

Sincerely,