Jun 3, 2022 | Curry Campus, News
The six Curry Campus nursing graduates began their nursing education in the midst of the COVID-19 Pandemic. They persevered. They learned amazing lessons in flexibility and being able to adapt to change – all excellent skills essential to the nursing profession. In the face of multiple challenges, this group worked hard to maintain their studies, work as a team, and learn how to provide patient care in a demanding environment. Healthcare is ever evolving and changes rapidly. These Curry Campus graduates are more than ready and are looking forward to their upcoming careers as RNs.
Curry campus nursing cohorts start every fall. To learn more about nursing degrees at the Curry campus please call 541-813-1667 or visit the Curry campus website.
May 26, 2022 | Alumni, News, Student Success
Coos Bay, OR – Southwestern Oregon Community College is pleased to announce the selection of Carolyn Thompson of North Bend as the 2022 Distinguished Alum. The Distinguished Alumni award recognizes individuals who have demonstrated significant contributions to their professions, communities, or academia.
“Carolyn has been a terrific ambassador for the college for many years. Her dedication to helping students is inspiring. Her story exemplifies the journey many of our students have taken to reach their goals,” said President Patty Scott, in announcing the honor. “SWOCC changes lives, and Carolyn is an example of this.”
Thompson grew up in Coos Bay. As a young person, she moved through the foster care system with a desire to succeed, dedicating her energy to excelling in studies and graduating high school.
“The one thing I could always count on in my life was school. It started at 8:30 in morning. It fed me. It nurtured my spirit and my soul,” Thompson said.
After high school, she began attending SWOCC, working with instructors who encouraged her to explore and push her limits in learning. “I could have gone a lot of places, but my money went furthest at SWOCC. It was just what I needed, a personalized education that challenged me.”
After earning an Associate of Arts Degree in Business Administration and Management in 1984 from Southwestern, she moved on to Oregon State University graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in 1986.
She went to work as a certified public accountant, eventually returning to practice in Coos Bay. From here, she has dedicated her personal life and career to improving her profession, community, and educational opportunities for others. At 57, Thompson serves on the Southwestern Oregon Community College Foundation board of trustees, working to increase scholarships for students and empower donors in giving back in ways that create lasting impacts.
Thompson has taught at Southwestern at times and been actively involved for many years as a volunteer in government and service clubs. This included work with North Bend School Board, Coos Bay Schools Foundation, Zonta Club of the Coos Bay Area, Dance Umbrella for South Coast Oregon, Bay Area Chamber of Commerce and Ford Family Leadership Institute.
This is the 31st year Southwestern has honored alumni who have demonstrated significant contributions to their professions, communities, or academia.
May 16, 2022 | Curry Campus, News
Laura Middleton goes from nursing student, to nurse, to nurse educator
Laura Middleton, RN and House Supervisor at Curry General Hospital, wore a lot of different hats before becoming a nurse. Waitressing, real estate, and EMT work all kept her afloat until the timing was right to enter the nursing program at Southwestern. As a single mom attending nursing school, the challenges were many. Time away from her children was tough but in 2019 she graduated with her degree in nursing without having to relocate to go to school.
Middleton says, “One of the best things about this career is the opportunity and necessity for lifetime learning.” With that mindset, she went on to earn her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Oregon Health & Science University in 2021. An advanced degree qualified her to become a nurse educator as a clinical instructor at Curry General, training new nurses for Curry County and beyond. “I love my role as teacher. There are so many opportunities and options in nursing but all of them lead to helping others. My hope is that many of my students decide to apply and work in this hospital, which will benefit our local community.”
To learn more about nursing degrees at the Curry campus call 541-813-1667 or email SWOCCbound@socc.edu.
May 16, 2022 | News
Students lead energy research project
In the 1940s, Sci-Fi writer Isaac Asimov envisioned humans harvesting solar power in space and sending it down to power people’s needs on Earth. Engineers are still working on that one.
What if scientists could create better solar panels here on Earth? What if it could be in the form of an ultra-thin organic film? No, not like growing organic lettuce, more like organic wiring.
A team of chemistry students are experimenting with ways to create exactly that, under the guidance of chemistry professor Dr. Mike Springer.
SWOCC researchers today
“Theoretically we could use it for like replacing windows so they can harness energy. Or you can put it on roof shingles or paint it on the side of your house so the whole house can propagate energy,” explained student Bobby Rodriguez.
The 24-year-old is on a degree pathway from SWOCC to Oregon State, and then a career in solar or nuclear energy innovation. Rodriguez is often perched on stool beside a microscope, mixing liquid crystals into a solution, placing it on a glass slide. He then spins the slide at 7500 rpms, creating thin films. The goal is to optically align the crystals so electricity conducts through them.
“The liquid crystals are just beautiful to observe under the microscope,” said Julia Graves, a second-year student on a medical degree pathway.
Tomorrow’s teachers and healers
Each team member brings different skills to the group, and takes on various tasks preparing them for transfer to Oregon’s universities and then science-based careers.
Graves reviews literature and presents to group members. It’s helping her understand scientific documentation, formatting and research techniques. She expects to use these skills when she ultimately graduates as a physician assistant to work somewhere in rural Oregon.
“The whole reason I went back to school was I learned about the primary care physician shortage particularly in rural Oregon. I want to be a part of that solution,” Graves said, who joined the research team to be active and involved on campus.
Fellow researcher Zachary Dickinson got a SWOCC Foundation scholarship and came to SWOCC to compete on the swim team. On a science degree pathway, curiosity lured him into this Oregon NASA Space Grant funded research project. An aspiring chemistry teacher, Dickinson has thrived with the open friendliness and ability to problem-solve with co-researchers and Dr. Springer.
Graves agreed, “It’s been a great experience. I know Dr. Springer is hoping this research will build on itself year after year. It’s a fantastic experience for students who are interested.”
That’s the goal. And who knows, the crystals might align perfectly for SWOCC’s research team to help invent the next generation of affordable, organic solar power technology.
Learn about Chemistry career pathways: Text or Call 541-240-8227 SWOCCbound@socc.edu or visit https://www.socc.edu/chemistry-2/.
May 13, 2022 | Curry Campus, News
Coos Bay, OR – As our final Physics and Astronomy Lecture event of the 2021-22 academic year, Southwestern Oregon Community College will feature the research work done by our student researchers and staff during winter and spring terms. The symposium will be held Thursday, May 26, 2022, at 7 pm on the Coos campus (1988 Newmark Ave., Coos Bay) in Umpqua Hall room 184. Admission is free. We will livestream the presentations through our Physics and Astronomy livestream link for those who cannot attend in person: https://livestream.com/swocc/physicsandastronomy2021-22.
From discussions of growing plants under Martian conditions, to developing liquid crystal solar cells, hunting for asteroids and meteorites, and describing and exploring our interplanetary environment, our Southwestern student researchers have been conducting wide-ranging science investigations. Come hear the reports of their recent findings and next steps in their research.
These research projects were the result of student participation in Oregon NASA Space Grant Consortium (OSGC) funded opportunities. We are grateful for the continued support of OSGC and its many programs. To learn more visit: https://spacegrant.oregonstate.edu/.
For more information about this symposium, please contact Dr. Aaron Coyner, Associate Professor of Physics, at 541-888-7244, aaron.coyner@socc.edu. To learn more about physics and engineering degrees at Southwestern visit https://physics.socc.edu/.
