College of Liberal Arts - Oregon State University

04/28/2025

BOUNDLESS: NILLY LIVESAY
MAY 5-JUNE 13, 2025
The Little Gallery • 210 Kidder Hall
Opening reception with the artist on Tuesday, May 6 from 3:30-5 p.m.

04/25/2025

Kevin Shimomaeda’s mission to help Corvallis’ unhoused youth

As program manager at Corvallis’ Jackson Street Youth Services, Shimomaeda uses his psychology and sociology degrees to manage a transitional housing program for young adults

After graduating from OSU with a double major in sociology and psychology, Kevin Shimomaeda, ‘17, is using his expertise to serve the Corvallis community as a program for Jackson Street Youth Services, a non-profit organization that provides basic need services, including transitional housing for young adults.

“We use a holistic approach based on a hierarchy of needs, because basic needs are not enough to foster long-term success,” explained Shimomaeda.

Read more:

By Colin Bowyer on March 26, 2025 As program manager at Corvallis’ Jackson Street Youth Services, Shimomaeda uses his psychology and sociology degrees to manage a transitional housing program for young adults Image Kevin Shimomaeda By Jessica Florescu, CLA Student Writer - April 16, 2025 After gra...

04/24/2025

From studio to service: Erika Carlson’s path from art to advocacy

As the Director of Marketing and Communications at Peace House in Park City, Utah—a domestic and sexual violence resource center—Erika Carlson now channels her artistic background into crafting impactful messaging and outreach that supports survivors and fosters prevention education.

Illinois-native Erika Carlson, ‘16, was always drawn to the arts. From an early age, she found herself sketching, painting, and exploring visual storytelling. But when it came time to choose a college, she wasn’t entirely sure where her passion for art would lead. Oregon State University’s emphasis on the intersection of art and science intrigued her, and she initially pursued a psychology major with aspirations of becoming an art therapist.

However, after two years of psychology coursework, she realized that she felt more at home in the intimate, hands-on environment of OSU’s studio art classes. “I knew quite a few of the faculty and my classmates already, so making the switch wasn’t difficult,” Carlson recalled. “The hardest part was just figuring out how to transfer my credits.”

Read more:

By Colin Bowyer on April 7, 2025 As the Director of Marketing and Communications at Peace House in Park City, Utah—a domestic and sexual violence resource center—Erika Carlson now channels her artistic background into crafting impactful messaging and outreach that supports survivors and fosters ...

04/24/2025

LIBERAL ARTS CAREER & INTERNSHIP FAIR
MAY 1 | 11AM - 3PM PT
MEMORIAL UNION BALLROOM

Whether you're exploring options, gearing up for the job market, or pursuing graduate school, this event is tailored to help liberal arts students explore career & educational paths and acquire jobs and internships aligned with their interests and studies.

beav.es/NUS

04/23/2025

2025 University Distinguished Professor Lecture featuring Dr. Melissa Cheyney

Uplifting Birth Justice: Imagining More Equitable Reproductive Futures
In this talk, Dr. Cheyney will describe her work with Uplift - a research and reproductive equity laboratory dedicated to exploring the ways community-led research, population data science, and ethnography can be combined to implement more equitable reproductive futures.

Date: Tuesday, April 29
Time: 3:30 p.m. lecture followed by a reception (open to all)
Location: Memorial Union Horizon Room and streamed on live.oregonstate.edu
Registration: https://oregonstate.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9o9n9W19if485Ce
Website: https://leadership.oregonstate.edu/provost/osu-distinguished-professors

04/23/2025

Save the date: Dam Proud Day is April 30! You can be part of the celebration by giving to your favorite area. Visit www.damproudday.org to find out more.

04/22/2025

For the love of theatre

Award winning director of theatre, film, and television, Justin Martin reflects on his time as an international theatre arts student at the College of Liberal Arts

Come time to choose a major before enrolling in his freshman year at college, Justin Martin picked engineering, but he wouldn’t stay an engineer for very long. Martin switched soon after, enrolling in a theatre arts class at Charles Sturt University, Bathurst in New South Wales, Australia. It was his teacher J McCutchen, who had a connection with OSU’s theatre arts program, granting him the opportunity to study abroad at OSU in 2001.

Studying theatre at the School of Visual, Performing, and Design Arts as an international student permitted Martin to learn about the expansiveness of American drama in a welcoming and supportive environment.

Read more:

By Colin Bowyer on March 31, 2025 Award winning director of theatre, film, and television, Justin Martin reflects on his time as an international theatre arts student at the College of Liberal Arts Image Justin Martin By Colin Bowyer, Communications Manager - April 9, 2025 Come time to choose a majo...

04/21/2025

SCHOOL OF PUBLIC POLICY SEMINAR SERIES

The School of Public Policy hosts an economics and political science seminar series throughout spring term, bringing leaders in the field to Corvallis (in person and virtually) to present their latest research. All presentations will occur in Bexell Hall, Room 415 unless otherwise stated.

For those who wish to attend virtually, please access this Zoom link:
beav.es/cRg (password:teamSPP).

04/18/2025

From the battlefield to the field of anthropology: Dr. Traben Pleasant’s journey of inquiry and his lasting impact

As an anthropologist at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Dr. Pleasant studies aging, dementia, PTSD, and cannabis use among U.S. military veterans, and the ways in which the VA can enhance veterans’ healthcare and overall well being.

Dr. Traben Pleasant’s path to anthropology was somewhat unconventional. Born in Los Angeles and raised in Long Beach, California, Dr. Pleasant, Ph.D. '20, wasn’t an exceptional student in high school and was a bit of a hyper kid. While local gangs and drug dealing was a normal part of his “beautiful neighborhood” in his words, there were also alternatives, and so he spent much of his time playing sports, enjoying the ocean, and, in his own words, “twiddling my thumbs” at times before graduating at 17 years old. College didn’t seem like a viable option immediately after high school, so he enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserve for a brief period before transitioning to active duty with the U.S. Marines. In the military, he graduated at the top of his class as the “Company Honor Man” (the best Marine out of 400) during Marine Corps boot camp in 2002. By 2003, Dr. Pleasant was waiting at the border in Kuwait, preparing for an invasion, for what would become three tours in the Iraq War over the next two years.

Read More:

By Colin Bowyer on March 27, 2025 As an anthropologist at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Dr. Pleasant studies aging, dementia, PTSD, and cannabis use among U.S. military veterans, and the ways in which the VA can enhance veterans’ healthcare and overall well being. Image Dr. Traben Pleas...

04/17/2025

Exploring multiplicity and modulation

Multidisciplinary visual artist and B.F.A. alumna Kaitlyn Carr has site-specific installations all over Portland

In the tiny village of Vernonia, about halfway between Portland and Astoria, Kaitlyn Carr, ‘16, grew up in a family of creatives. Carr was always drawing and taking photos, though it was Carr’s high school art teacher, Ms. Allen, who saw Carr’s raw talent and encouraged her to pursue a career in a creative field.

After graduating high school, Carr bounced around in a few different community colleges in the region before following her sister to Oregon State and finding her footing in the School of Visual, Performing, and Design Arts (SVPDA). While working towards receiving her bachelor of fine arts degree, Carr spent long hours in the print studios of Cascade Hall. One of Carr’s print series that she produced during sophomore year examined sweatshop labor practices within the fashion industry through the creation of a 500 edition, multicolor silk screen run over twelve consecutive hours.

Read More:

By Colin Bowyer on April 2, 2025 Multidisciplinary visual artist and B.F.A. alumna Kaitlyn Carr has site-specific installations all over Portland Image Kaitlyn Carr | Credit: Ash Stone By Colin Bowyer, Communications Manager - April 2, 2025 In the tiny village of Vernonia, about halfway between Port...

04/16/2025

Earning a major or minor in German will give you a significant advantage in today's economy. Spoken by more than 200 million speakers worldwide, German continues to be one of the leading languages of science, engineering, business, arts, philosophy and history. If Dr. Heiduschke’s videos sound different from the German you’ve heard, that’s because he’s speaking Bavarian and Franconian. There’s a lot of dialectical variation in German!

Learn more about studying German at Oregon State University. Visit beav.es/wsyl to get started!

04/15/2025

From Woodburn to higher education: Emanuel Magaña’s mission to uplift underrepresented students

Magaña, an alumnus of the School of Language, Culture, and Society’s College Student Services Administration program, leads multicultural student retention at Portland State University

Emanuel Magaña, ‘10, M.S. ‘12, never planned on working in higher education. Growing up in Woodburn, Oregon, a predominantly Latino community, he was surrounded by people who looked like him, shared similar backgrounds, and lived under similar economic circumstances. It wasn’t until he arrived at Oregon State University that he realized just how unique his upbringing had been—and how much work remained to ensure equitable access to education for students from communities like his. Now, as the Assistant Director of Multicultural Retention Services at Portland State University (PSU), Magaña is dedicated to increasing access and retention for underrepresented students.

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By Colin Bowyer on March 28, 2025 Magaña, an alumnus of the School of Language, Culture, and Society’s College Student Services Administration program, leads multicultural student retention at Portland State University Image Emanuel Magaña By Taylor Pedersen, CLA Student Writer - April 2, 2025 E...

04/14/2025

HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL WEEK
APRIL 21-25
For more information and to register, visit holocaust.oregonstate.edu

School of History, Philosophy, & Religion
OSU Holocaust Memorial Program

04/10/2025

Advocating for swamps and students

An alumna of the School of Writing, Literature, and Film, Brittni Wisner reflects on her journey from Alaska to the College of Liberal Arts

As an alumna of the School of Writing, Literature, and Film (SWLF), English composition instructor and now interim head academic advisor, Brittni Wisner, M.A. ‘24, is a familiar face to many who frequently visit Moreland Hall.

Wisner grew up in Palmer, Alaska, and attended the University of Alaska Southeast in Juneau, where she received her degree in English literature. Wisner started out majoring in early childhood education, but switched to English after discovering an unrecognized passion in literature.

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By Colin Bowyer on March 18, 2025 An alumna of the School of Writing, Literature, and Film, Brittni Wisner reflects on her journey from Alaska to the College of Liberal Arts Image Brittni Wisner By Ellie Webb-Bowen, CLA Student Writer - March 26, 2025 As an alumna of the School of Writing, Literatur...

04/09/2025

Social media’s impact on sleep

Ruth Brombach’s research explores how the “Fear of Missing Out” (FoMO) is affecting the sleep health of young adults

Growing up in Cologne, Germany, Ruth Brombach studied psychology at the University of Koblenz/Landau and University of Wuppertal, where she originally became interested in becoming a therapist after receiving both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in psychology. Yet, it was during her time at Wuppertal that she fell in love with research and decided not to pursue becoming a licensed therapist.

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By Colin Bowyer on March 18, 2025 Ruth Brombach’s research explores how the “Fear of Missing Out” (FoMO) is affecting the sleep health of young adults Image Ruth Brombach By Jessica Florescu, CLA Student Writer - March 26, 2025 Growing up in Cologne, Germany, Ruth Brombach studied psychology a...

04/08/2025

Supporting the next generation of policy makers

Political science senior Kari Hoy uses the Experiential Learning Scholarship from the College of Liberal Arts to learn from her peers

Kari Hoy’s original goal to enter public service stemmed from a government class in high school. Initially wanting to become an immigration lawyer after involvement with her local representative, Rep. Joseph Neguse, her interest transitioned to international politics upon starting at the College of Liberal Arts (CLA).

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By Colin Bowyer on March 18, 2025 Political science senior Kari Hoy uses the Experiential Learning Scholarship from the College of Liberal Arts to learn from her peers Image Kari Hoy By Colin Bowyer, Communications Manager - March 26, 2025 Kari Hoy’s original goal to enter public service stemmed f...

04/06/2025

OSU in Ghibli Art🥹😍

04/04/2025

Open Call to Participate in Soundbox 8

OSU students, faculty, staff, alumni and creative practitioners online and around the globe are invited to submit intermedia, and or interdisciplinary works that utilize: sound, text, music, radio art, VR, games, computer science, AI, video art, performance art, social media art, visual art, graphic design, and digital installations, and more.

To participate in this year's event, lease complete and submit a link to your work by midnight on April 16th, 2025.

Join Soundbox for its eighth installation, and become a part of it yourself! In alignment with PRAx's 2024-25 theme of water and watersheds, Soundbox is particularly interested in programming works, live or fixed performances, and creative & experimental technologies that utilize improvisation and e...