Apr 9, 2026 | Community, Curry Campus, News
COOS BAY, OR – Southwestern Oregon Community College invites the community to join us on Tuesday, April 14, 2026, at 6:00 pm, for “The Dynamic Solar Atmosphere” with Dr. Stephen Bradshaw, Professor and Associate Department Chair, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rice University. This lecture 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:
Solar eclipses afforded the first opportunities to observe the sun’s outer atmosphere, called the corona (“crown”), set clearly against the background sky, in the absence of the orders-of-magnitude brighter solar disk washing out its radiation. The astronomer George Claridge, writing in 1937, asserted that “Hardly a total eclipse of the sun occurs without some important observations being made which add to our knowledge of the atoms.”
Early discoveries included helium, some 25 years before it was found on Earth, and, in 1869, an observation that has yet to be fully understood to this day: Why, in apparent defiance of the laws of thermodynamics, is the corona a thousand times hotter than the sun’s surface?
Dr. Bradshaw will present some of the historical context to solar coronal physics; the mysteries astrophysicists have wrestled with through the decades; and an overview of our modern understanding of the sun’s atmosphere, reached via a fleet of space-based observatories that have revealed its multiscale properties and spectacular dynamics.
About the Presenter:
Professor Stephen Bradshaw is a faculty member at Rice University in the Department of Physics and Astronomy and serves as Chair of the Undergraduate Program. He completed his M.S. in Physics, with a specialization in Planetary and Space Physics, from Aberystwyth University in 2000 and received his Ph.D. in Solar Astrophysics from University of Cambridge in 2004. He was a postdoctoral fellow at Imperial College London and a research astrophysicist at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center prior to joining Rice in 2010.
Professor Bradshaw’s research interests are primarily focused on theoretical and computational plasma physics applied to solar and stellar atmospheres, and to fundamental processes in laboratory plasmas relevant to astrophysical contexts. In particular, he investigates the heating of solar/stellar atmospheres where temperatures can reach several million degrees and yet surface temperatures are only a few thousand degrees. The mechanism by which such tremendous temperatures are achieved and maintained remains poorly understood. It is one of the great, unsolved mysteries of astrophysics to this day. His other research interests concern the mechanisms responsible for triggering and driving flares, and the heating and acceleration of solar/stellar winds, which are among the major contributors to space weather.
Professor Bradshaw has published numerous articles, book chapters, conference papers and has spoken all over the world from Beaumont, Texas to Bern, Switzerland. His projects (as PI and Co-I) have received over $10M in funding from NASA and the National Science Foundation (NSF), and he received the prestigious NSF CAREER award. He is the lead project scientist for a mission designed to open a new window on the Sun’s atmosphere in soft X-rays to be proposed to NASA’s mid-sized explorer (MIDEX) opportunity.
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 Cassie Coyner, STEAM Pathways Coordinator, at 541-888-7416, or cassie.coyner@socc.edu .
To learn more about STEM degrees at Southwestern visit: https://www.socc.edu/programs-classes/stem/.
Mar 19, 2026 | Community, Curry Campus
Brookings, OR – Southwestern Oregon Community College Curry Campus invites the community to join us on Thursday, April 9, 2026, 1:00 to 2:00 pm for “ORKA in Action: Restoring Oregon’s Kelp Forests.” 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.
In the waters along Oregon’s southern coast, a quiet ecological emergency is unfolding beneath the waves. According to the 2024 Oregon Kelp Forest Status Report, Oregon lost approximately 70% of its kelp forests between 2010 and 2022 — a collapse driven by exploding purple sea urchin populations, ocean warming, and the loss of natural predators. Bull kelp forests that once stretched for miles, sheltering rockfish, feeding gray whales, and anchoring coastal food webs, have largely vanished from reefs where they thrived just a decade ago. The effects reach from the ocean floor to your dinner plate: the wild fish, Dungeness crab, and sea urchins that define Oregon’s coastal economy all depend on healthy kelp ecosystems. If you care about Oregon’s coast, this crisis demands attention.
The Oregon Kelp Alliance (ORKA) is responding with urgency and purpose. Funded through NOAA Fisheries’ Restoration Center, ORKA’s Oregon Kelp Forest Stewardship Initiative has already removed more than 330,000 purple sea urchins from targeted restoration sites and successfully outplanted bull kelp at two of six coastal reefs, including Macklyn Cove here in Brookings — returning life to underwater habitats that had gone dark. Commercial divers, marine scientists, and tribal community partners are working side by side to make this happen. ORKA is also developing restorative kelp mariculture — cultivation of kelp for both habitat recovery and economic opportunity — with support from the Builders Initiative. This dual approach reflects a core belief: that thriving oceans and thriving coastal communities are mutually beneficial goals.
Carolyn McKinnon, the Urchin Control and Dive Safety Coordinator for ORKA will be the presenter for this lecture. ORKA unites diverse stakeholders passionate about kelp forest ecosystems, including commercial urchin divers, marine scientists, resource managers, tribal communities, tour operators, recreational divers, students, culinary professionals, and coastal residents. Carolyn holds a Bachelor of Science in Marine Biology from Dalhousie University, with her current work focusing on coordinating volunteer and commercial divers to achieve ORKA’s restoration goals while promoting diver safety. In her free time she enjoys exploring the beautiful coastal hikes, beaches, and communities around Port Orford.
Come join us for this exciting presentation about the ocean in our own backyard.
Stay tuned for upcoming talks in our speaker series. For more information contact the Curry Campus at 541-813-1667.
Mar 18, 2026 | Community, Curry Campus, News
Presented by Oregon NASA Space Grant Consortium (OSGC) and SWOCC STEAM Pathways
COOS BAY, OR – Southwestern Oregon Community College invites the community to join us on Saturday, May 9, 2026 at 2:00 pm, to attend “Blast Off into STEM!”, a free science fair featuring judges from the community and the College. All ages are welcome to view the projects. Student participation is limited to students from grades 4 – 12 within Oregon’s 4th Congressional District.
The fair will be held in the Lakeview Meeting Rooms located in the Hales Center for the Performing Arts/Empire Hall on Southwestern’s Coos Campus, 1988 Newmark Ave, Coos Bay, Oregon.
Student participants can register for the science fair HERE.
[https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSftt4J9s1aln0Wi4Q-QGqtbvrmoo5rljLOg4PfZg2I05g_n2Q/viewform]
About the Science Fair:
This is the first year of an exciting community event that celebrates curiosity, hands-on learning, and student innovation. This year’s science fair will feature projects from students across Oregon’s 4th Congressional District, including Benton, Coos, Curry, northern Douglas, Lane, and Lincoln counties. Students in grades 4 – 12 will present projects exploring scientific concepts in fields such as biology, chemistry, physics, environmental science, engineering, and technology.
Student Participants are encouraged to investigate real-world questions, conduct experiments, explore their curiosity and creativity over several weeks leading up to the showcase.
Attendees will have the opportunity to:
- View interactive exhibits and student demonstrations
- Speak with young scientists about their work
- Celebrate award winners in each grade category
- Engage in hands-on STEM activities provided by teachers and community partners
Attendance at the science fair is open to families, community members, and organizations interested in supporting STEM education and student achievement.
All student participants may receive certificates recognizing their creativity and effort. Additional awards may be provided through in-kind donations such as educational materials, gift cards, or event supplies. Monetary donations cannot be accepted. Those interested in contributing may contact sabrina.pingree@email.socc.edu by May 2, 2026.
For more information contact the event organizers: Cassie Coyner, STEAM Pathways Assistant, at 541-888-7416, or cassie.coyner@socc.edu, and Sabrina Pingree, OSGC Student Ambassador at sabrina.pingree@email.socc.edu.
To learn more about STEM degrees at Southwestern visit: https://www.socc.edu/programs-classes/stem/.
Mar 4, 2026 | Curry Campus, Curry News, News
Brookings, OR – Southwestern Oregon Community College (SWOCC) will celebrate Pi Day on Friday, March 13, at 12:30 p.m. at the Curry Campus in Brookings (96082 Lone Ranch Parkway). Dr. Marilyn Hart — statistics instructor and professor emerita from the University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh — will make pi as appealing as pie! Join her to explore the history and practical uses of pi through hands-on activities and games.
For those who are up to the challenge, a prize will be given to whoever can correctly recite the most digits of pi. Pie and ice cream will be served, and there is no charge for this community event.
In addition, the college’s portable planetarium will be on-site. The presentation featured is Magnetism and is scheduled at 9:00 a.m., 10:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m., and 12:00 p.m.
For additional information, please contact the SWOCC Curry Campus at 541-813-1667.
Visit the SWOCC Curry Campus website for more information about the Curry Campus located in Brookings, Oregon.
Feb 27, 2026 | Community, Curry Campus
Brookings, OR – Southwestern Oregon Community College Curry Campus invites the community to join us on Thursday, March 12, 2026, 1:00 to 2:00 pm for the next installment in our Speaker Series: Salmon Habitat Restoration.
This talk is a presentation by the Curry Watershed Partnership, which is actively involved in salmon habitat restoration efforts, particularly focusing on the recovery of coho populations. They have been instrumental in hundreds of projects aimed at enhancing salmon habitat and improving fish passage in Southern Oregon coastal watersheds.
Fish and wildlife populations depend upon healthy ecosystems for their survival and have evolved over millennia in response to a full range of watershed changes. Human communities have impacts on these ecosystems and have a responsibility to help restore balance to the watershed processes and functions.
The Curry Watershed Partnership is a group of non-regulatory organizations working together to help local landowners and communities keep our shared lands and rivers healthy and sustainable. The Partnership includes the Curry Soil and Water Conservation District, the South Coast and Lower Rogue Watershed Councils, and the Curry Watersheds Nonprofit.
Guest Speakers include Kelly Timchak, Robbie Lascheck, and Liesl Coleman, who will share the Partnership’s work on restoration and education efforts in Curry County.
Kelly Timchak always knew she wanted to work in creeks and rivers. She previously worked for the Port Orford Ocean Resource Team and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Wildlife Biology from Southeast Missouri State University and a Master of Science in Fisheries from the University of New Brunswick. Kelly focuses on developing and maintaining landowner relations to assess and restore upland habitats, instream fish habitats, estuaries, and riparian health. She is the Lower Rogue Watershed Coordinator.
Robbie Lascheck has a passion for mountain lakes and crystal-clear rivers. He received a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science from the University of Oregon and a Master of Environmental Management from Portland State University. His skill set includes partner coordination, natural resource monitoring, data analysis, and GIS. He is the South Coast Watershed Council Coordinator.
Liesl Coleman has loved the natural world since she can remember. She has worked for the Curry County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) since 2004 and has served as the District Manager since 2009. Under the direction of the Curry SWCD board of directors, Liesl works primarily behind the scenes, supervising all staff, overseeing legal and fiscal functions and activities, ensuring compliance with state and federal requirements and board-approved policies, and serving with Kelly Timchak and Robbie Lascheck on the Partnership’s Leadership Team to coordinate program direction.
Please join us to find out how to not only support the work of the Curry Watershed Partnership, but how to become a watershed steward yourself. It will take many more of us to maintain the health and function of our shared lands and waters, now and into the future.
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.
Stay tuned for upcoming talks in our speaker series. For more information contact the Curry Campus at 541-813-1667.
Feb 26, 2026 | Community, Curry Campus, News
COOS BAY, OR – Southwestern Oregon Community College invites the community to join us on Friday, March 6, 2026, at 6:00 pm, for “Confessions of a former lecturer: 10 years after flipping my classroom” with KC Walsh, Teaching Professor Department of Physics, Oregon State University. 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:
Introductory Physics at Oregon State University has gone through a tremendous transformation over the past 10 years. From transitioning to active engagement lectures, to building open education resources, to going online pre-pandemic, to navigating genAI, the landscape looks entirely different now. Professor Walsh will share the ten most valuable lessons he has learned during this time and talk a little about the challenges we now face.
About the Presenter:
From Professor Walsh: “I consider myself equal part educator and education researcher. It was not always this way. I graduated with my PhD in Physics studying condensed matter theory. As a TA in graduate school, I fell in love with teaching. Upon graduation I decided to focus on it as it felt more fulfilling than research. After years of teaching, I realized that I still possessed an innate curiosity to study the world and was looking for a creative outlet. In 2015 I decided it was time to make a huge curricular change with my class – I was going to completely flip the classroom – and that presented a unique opportunity to study the change. I was very concerned that students would not watch the required “pre-lecture” videos before class, which free up time for problem solving and critical thinking in class. That year I got my first grant where I received modest funds to create a data collection tool to study students’ engagement with pre-lecture videos and reading. The following year a unique opportunity arose in the COS to perform Action Research with the Enhancing STEM (ESTEME) Group. The spark from that initial grant, combined with a new community based around evidence-based instructional practices (EBIPs) and the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL), paved a clear path for sustained growth in both the quality of my teaching, and the expansion of my career into research. Six years later I’ve had 4 research fellowships, received 8 grants, built a nationally recognized quantitative physics education research group, completely redesigned introductory physics to adhere to modern EBIPs, designed and implemented a completely innovative and highly successful Ecampus intro physics sequence, and won the highest teaching award for faculty in their first 10 years at OSU. All of this was possible because of the agency I received being part of a community centered on EBIPs and SoTL.”
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 Cassie Coyner, STEAM Pathways Coordinator, at 541-888-7416, or cassie.coyner@socc.edu .
To learn more about STEM degrees at Southwestern visit: https://www.socc.edu/programs-classes/stem/.
