Apr 16, 2026 | Community, News, OCCI News
Coos Bay, OR – The Oregon Coast Culinary Institute (OCCI) at Southwestern Oregon Community College (SWOCC) will host a series of “La Patisserie” sales this spring, featuring freshly prepared baked goods, beverages, and culinary items created by OCCI Baking & Pastry and Culinary students.
The weekly sales take place select Thursdays from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at OCCI on SWOCC’s Coos Campus (1988 Newmark Ave., Coos Bay). Each week features a different theme, giving students the opportunity to showcase a variety of techniques and global flavors while providing the community with fresh, student-made offerings.
La Patisserie Sales Schedule & Themes:
- April 23 – Italian
- April 30 – French
- May 7 – French
- May 14 – Tea House
- May 21 – Tea House & Culinary Marketplace
- May 28 – Coffee House & Culinary Marketplace
- June 4 – Final Week Blowout Sale & Culinary Marketplace
Menu items may vary each week and are available while supplies last.
Proceeds from sales support student learning and program activities, including opportunities for OCCI students to gain hands-on, real-world experience in food production and service.
Community members are encouraged to stop by, try a variety of offerings, and support student chefs.
About Oregon Coast Culinary Institute (OCCI)
The Oregon Coast Culinary Institute (OCCI) is a professionally accredited culinary institution at Southwestern Oregon Community College located in Coos Bay, Oregon. OCCI offers both degrees and certificates in Culinary Arts and Baking & Pastry Arts. The school is renowned for providing comprehensive culinary training programs that equip students with the necessary skills and knowledge to excel in the culinary industry. With a focus on hands-on learning, experienced faculty, and affordable programs, OCCI is committed to nurturing culinary talent and shaping the next generation of talented chefs. For more information, visit www.socc.edu/occi.
Apr 15, 2026 | News
COOS BAY, OR – Southwestern Oregon Community College invites the community to join us on Thursday, May 7, 2026, at 6:00 pm, for “The Role of Engineering Geologists in Landslide Prevention” with Brittany Daley, Project Engineering Geologist at Delve Underground in Portland, and Madison Callen, Staff Engineer also at Delve Underground. 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:
Our speakers will explore what engineering geologists experience as far as responsibilities, hazards, and challenges of our coastal environment. They will discuss some of the civil engineering impacts of geology on infrastructure, and more direct lessons learned from landslides experienced.
About the Presenters:
Brittany Dayley, CEG, LEG, PG is a Project Engineering Geologist at Delve Underground based out of Portland, Oregon. Brittany has over a decade of experience spanning engineering geology, underground and surface mining, geotechnical investigation, and slope hazard assessment. At Delve Underground, her focus has primarily been on subsurface characterization and field exploration, rockfall and landslide identification and mitigation, emergency response, underground mine opening design, and geotechnical investigations for tunnel and shaft projects across the Pacific Northwest and beyond. Brittany earned a B.S. in Geology from the University of Oregon in 2014 and holds professional registrations as a Certified Engineering Geologist in Oregon, a Licensed Engineering Geologist in Washington, and a Professional Geologist in Idaho.
Madison Callan, EIT, GIT is a Staff Engineer at Delve Underground in Portland, Oregon. Madison has nearly two years of consulting experience in geotechnical engineering and engineering geology. Her focus at Delve Underground has been ground characterization, slope stability and slope mitigation design, tunnel rehabilitation and repair, shallow foundation design, and construction inspection of shafts, tunnels, and trenchless installations. Madison earned an M.S. in Geosystems Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley in 2025 and B.S. degrees in Environmental Engineering and Geological Sciences from the University of Texas at Austin in 2024.
For more information about the lecture series contact Dr. Win McLaughlin, Assistant Professor, Geology at win.mclaughlin@socc.edu or 541-888-7002.
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/.
Apr 14, 2026 | Community, News
Southwestern Oregon Community College (SWOCC) invites the community to an information session for its Diesel Mechanic Technology program on Friday, April 24, 2026 at 4:00 p.m. This free event is designed for anyone interested in exploring this hands-on training opportunity. All ages are welcome.
The session will take place in Umpqua Hall, Room 184, on the Coos Campus (1988 Newmark Ave., Coos Bay).
Attendees will learn about the program, including the application process for the upcoming year. They will also have the opportunity to connect with representatives from key student support areas, including: Admissions, Financial Aid, STEP/Benefits Navigation, SWOCC Foundation, Veterans Center, and others.
If time allows, participants will be offered a brief tour of the shop.
Diesel Mechanic Technology Information Session:
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WHO: Prospective students and community members interested in Diesel Mechanic Technology
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WHEN: 4:00 p.m. on Friday, April 24, 2026
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WHERE: Umpqua Hall, Room 184 on the SWOCC Coos Campus (1988 Newmark Ave., Coos Bay)
For more information about this session, contact Charline Meyer, LIFT Project Coordinator/Advisor at charline.meyer@socc.edu or 541-888-1545.
Learn more about the program at www.socc.edu/dieselmechanic.
Apr 14, 2026 | Community, News
Coos Bay, OR – Southwestern Oregon Community College’s STEAM Pathways program invites science-curious girls, grades 4-12, to “STEAM Pathways Presents: Science de Mayo” a Cinco de Mayo-themed event as part of our STEAM Club for Girls series.
This fun, interactive event will take place on Tuesday, May 5, 2026 from 5:30-8:00pm. The event is free and will be held in Umpqua Hall on Southwestern’s Coos Campus, 1988 Newmark Ave., Coos Bay.
This STEAM for Girls event is sure to bring out the fun of Cinco de Mayo! Enjoy making guacamole-themed slime, learning about forces and momentum by launching piñatas, and exploring the science behind the large impact responsible for the end of the dinosaurs.
Science topics explored will include:
- Physics and engineering
- Chemistry
- Geology
- Earth science
Students of all abilities and interests are encouraged to attend. For information or to register a student for “Science de Mayo” please contact Cassie Coyner, STEAM Pathways Coordinator at 541-888-7416, or cassie.coyner@socc.edu.
Registration is required as space is limited. Come join us for a great time!
To learn more about STEM degrees at Southwestern visit: https://www.socc.edu/programs-classes/stem/.
Apr 13, 2026 | News
Includes Construction & Heavy Equipment Operator Simulation Training
Southwestern Oregon Community College (SWOCC) is now enrolling students for its SWOCC Works Pre-Apprenticeship Program, with the next class running April 20 through September 24, 2026.
Designed to help students quickly gain skills for in-demand trades careers, SWOCC Works provides hands-on training in construction fundamentals and heavy equipment operation at no cost to participants.
The program is open to anyone age 18 and older, with no prior experience required. To get started, visit the SWOCC Works webpage and follow the “Steps to Join”.
Participants complete 180 hours of training over approximately 22½ weeks, combining classroom instruction with hands-on learning. Students build foundational skills in framing, electrical, plumbing, sheetrock installation, and exterior siding, while also completing heavy equipment operator simulation training.
Graduates earn multiple industry-recognized credentials, including OSHA 10, First Aid/CPR, Flagger, Forklift Operator, Green Construction, and the nationally recognized MC3 certificate. Some certification components may be scheduled outside regular class hours.
Students who complete the program are also eligible to receive eight pre-apprenticeship application points toward the International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) Local 701 and may qualify for direct entry into apprenticeship pathways.
In addition to technical training, students receive guidance from on-site advisors who help them prepare for employment or apprenticeship opportunities aligned with their goals.
The program is fully funded through grant support, making it available at no cost to participants.
Courses are offered at SWOCC’s Coos Campus in Coos Bay, Monday–Thursday, with both daytime and evening options available, including:
- 10:00 a.m. – Noon
- 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
A future cohort is planned to start in Fall 2026, with tentative class dates running October 5, 2026 – March 25, 2027.
WHAT: SWOCC Works Pre-Apprenticeship Program
WHERE: SWOCC Coos Campus, 1988 Newmark Ave., Coos Bay
WHEN: April 20 – September 24, 2026 (Fall cohort planned October 5, 2026 – March 25, 2027)
COST: FREE (grant-funded)
Learn more and get started:
www.socc.edu/programs-classes/workforce-training/swocc-works/
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/.
