OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY
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College of Health
Get in on the fun and camaraderie each Friday at First Friday College Connect events!
These are an opportunity for you – faculty and staff throughout our college – to come together, socialize and learn more about one another, including your work and hobbies off campus.
From extreme athletes to cave explorers and rescue dog moms, our faculty and staff are out in the world learning, striving toward excellence and making a difference.
The FFCC events are held the first full Friday of every month (except summer and breaks) from 2-4 p.m. in the Hallie E. Ford Center for Healthy Children and Families.
Light snacks and drinks are provided, and a trivia contest kicks off every event. Add the FFCC to your calendar and connect with colleagues!
February 9, March 8, April 5
Professor Mark Hoffman shared his experiences of fighting wildland fires during his summer "vacation" and how he envisions incorporating athletic training as a standard for wildland firefighting crews.
Aria Minu-Sepehr, director of Team Oregon, read from his New Your Times best selling We Heard the Heavens Then: A Memoir of Iran, his childhood memoir about escaping Iran during the revolution when his family was under threat.
(artist rendition of Russ in a very dark cave)
Professor Russ Turner shared stories and photos of exploring caves around the world.
Professor Urszula Iwaniec talked about her chance encounter with OSU professor and entomologist George Poinar Jr., who along with his wife, Roberta, inspired the original science behind the book and movie Jurassic Park, and how she and George used specialized imaging to learn more about what’s inside pieces of amber.
Associate Professor Stephanie Grutzmacher talked about fostering hundreds of senior dogs and creatively sharing the dogs’ personalities over social media. Get to know Professor Schnitzel.
A Peace/Service Corps panel featured moderator Allison Myers, associate dean for Extension and Engagement and FCH program leader, along with Jared Hibbard-Swanson, program manager for food security and safety; Professor Megan MacDonald; Instructor Ashley Vaughn; and Janet Swensen. They talked about their service abroad, and in the United States, and what they learned from those experiences.
Year of national service through AmeriCorps and 6 months of international
service through the Chilean government’s Ingles Abre Puertas program.
Served with Canadian International
Development Agency Internship 2003-2004 in Maseru, Lesotho, Africa.
Retired professor Karen Hooker shared photos and stories of her adventures searching the world for petroglyphs.
MPH Administrative Director Hanako Justice performed stand-up comedy.
Associate professors Sam Logan and Diana Rohlman showed how creative and fun teaching can be by using popular culture as a touchpoint for learning.
Sam Logan
Diana Rohlman
No trivia for April … we had too many great guests to focus on!
A panel of talented athletes in our community shared their experiences.
Heidi Wegis
Clinical Associate Professor
collegiate basketball player, Ironman
Mary Arnold
Professor,
equestrian
Kate MacTavish
Associate Professor, competitive runner
John Schuna
Associate Professor, collegiate track & field, strongman
Matt Robinson
Associate Professor, mountain bike trialing
Kathy Gunter
Professor and Extension Specialist, collegiate mountain biker, Olympic level cycling
Megan McClelland
Professor, collegiate dancer
Erica Woekel
Clinical Associate Professor, collegiate volleyball player
Alan Calvert
Web communications manager, ultra distance trail running
